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.

FOX News [3/27/2025 4:30 PM, Greg Wehner, 52868K] reports the U.S. and Colombia have agreed to partner up to deploy biometric capabilities to help authorities manage migration and stop criminal activity. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem met with Colombia Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia in Bogota on Thursday, where the two signed an agreement to utilize biometric capabilities. "Today we have signed a statement of intent for biometric cooperation, and it will reaffirm our strong, and our resilient, and our enduring partnership," Noem said after signing the agreement. The agreement comes just months after President Donald Trump and Colombia President Gustavo Petro clashed over the treatment of Colombians on deportation flights from the U.S. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia in Bogota, Colombia, March 27, 2025. In January, U.S. officials sent two flights of Colombian illegal aliens back to their country of origin, though Petro rejected the flights, saying the U.S. cannot "treat Colombian migrants as criminals.". Petro also demanded the U.S. establish protocol for the dignified treatment of migrants before his country receives them. In response, Trump threatened to unleash a slew of punishments, including ordering a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Colombia. After a week, Trump added, the tariffs would rise to 50%. Trump also ordered a travel ban and visa revocations for all Colombian government officials, plus "allies and supporters.". Noem acknowledged Colombia’s efforts to resume the repatriation of migrants, adding that the sharing of biometric data will make the cooperation between the U.S. and Colombia more efficient. "We’re going to strengthen our regional security systems and make sure that we’re disrupting the movement of threatening actors that perpetuate illegal activity and also facilitate illegal trafficking of migrants across the Western Hemisphere," she said. "Through this expansion of sharing of biometric data, it will be much more efficient, effective, accurate, and it will also build cooperation that will open doors to new ways that we can continue to work together." FOX News [3/27/2025 2:16 PM, Anders Hagstrom, 46189K] reports that the Trump administration official visited the country as part of a multi-day trip to South America in an effort to stem the flow of illegal immigration to the U.S. While Noem said her talk with Sarabia was "frank" and "candid," she added that she now considers their relationship to be friendly. Noem traveled to Colombia after visiting El Salvador on Wednesday, where she toured the country’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center. The facility is already housing hundreds of illegal immigrants deported by President Donald Trump’s administration. Noem toured the prison with the Salvadoran Minister of Justice, Héctor Gustavo Villatoro, before meeting with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] Reuters [3/27/2025 4:18 PM, Luis Jaime Acosta, 41523K] reports Colombia President Gustavo Petro and U.S. President Donald Trump clashed in January over the treatment of Colombians on U.S. deportation flights, with Petro refusing the flights and Trump threatening to impose tariffs and sanctions in response. The two countries reached a deal on the flights and deportations have since resumed, but Petro has urged migrants to return home. The United States appreciates Colombia’s effort to facilitate repatriations of migrants, Noem said, and the sharing of biometric data will make that cooperation more efficient.

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AP [3/27/2025 9:22 PM, Staff, 48304K] Video: HERE

AP [3/27/2025 9:18 PM, Astrid Suarez, 48304K] reports that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem landed in Colombia on Thursday as part of a tour of three Latin American nations to discuss immigration, crime and deportation. Her trip comes amid a souring in relations between the Trump administration and the Colombian government – long the United States’ closest ally in the region. Tensions between the two countries rose in January over accepting flights of immigrants deported from the U.S. Noem sat down with the country’s foreign minister Thursday morning, and is set to meet with Colombia’s leftist leader and police to discuss efforts to fight organized crime later. Colombian President Gustavo Petro and U.S. President Donald Trump, both populists, share diametrically opposed views over key issues like combatting crime and the American government’s role in Latin America. While it remains unclear what would come of Noem’s meetings in Colombia, much of the trip has been geared around immigration and security. The visit marks a contrast to Noem’s Wednesday visit to El Salvador, where she met with President Nayib Bukele, a populist who has gained right-wing admiration in the U.S. due to his crackdown on gangs.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 9:37 PM, Staff, 52868K] Video: HERE reports that, nearly two weeks after the Trump administration forcibly deported hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured the maximum security prison in that country, where they remain incarcerated. The Trump administration is arguing that it was justified in sending the Venezuelans to El Salvador, but families and attorneys of other Venezuelan immigrants sent to the “mega prison” have told NBC News that their relatives were unjustly targeted and accused of being gang members based on having tattoos.

NBC News [3/27/2025 4:00 PM, Julia Ainsley, 44742K] reports a federal worker accidentally includes a journalist on a detailed message in advance of a government operation. While that sounds like the case of The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief being added to a group Signal chat by Trump’s national security adviser Michael Waltz, in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed military attack plans in Yemen, it’s not. It’s what happened to a longtime Department of Homeland Security employee who told colleagues she inadvertently sent unclassified details of an upcoming Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation to a journalist in late January, according to former ICE chief of staff Jason Houser, one former DHS official and one current DHS official. (The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they do not want to endanger their current or future career opportunities.) But unlike Waltz and Hegseth, who both remain in their jobs, the career DHS employee was put on administrative leave and told late last week that the agency intends to revoke her security clearance, the officials said. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has largely rallied around Waltz and Hegseth, with Trump on Wednesday calling it “all a witch hunt.” The episode involving the career DHS employee has not been previously reported. Experts say it raises questions about unequal punishment for inadvertent leakers in the Trump administration. Mary McCord, a former top official in the Justice Department’s national security division, which investigates the mishandling or leaking of classified information, said the two cases should be treated the same way. "Both of these are examples of carelessness in the handling of highly sensitive information, the disclosure of which could put U.S. government employees or military members in danger," added McCord, who is now a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center. "We should expect the Signal chat breach to be taken at least as seriously" as the DHS employee’s breach. The DHS employee who was put on leave did not speak to NBC News. The officials who did speak didn’t want to identify her out of fear she would face retaliation from members of the public who are pro-immigration enforcement. The DHS employee told colleagues she accidentally added a reporter from a conservative Washington-based print publication to an email that included information about upcoming ICE operations in the Denver area. The officials said the information was not classified but considered law enforcement sensitive because it included the time of day for the operation and possible home locations where targets could be identified. Realizing her mistake immediately, the employee called the reporter who agreed not to disclose the information, the officials said. The ICE operation took place without incident, the officials said.

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Newsweek [3/27/2025 6:10 PM, Gabe Whisnant, 52220K]
Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 8:26 PM, Julia Ornedo, 52868K]

FOX News [3/27/2025 6:40 PM, Staff, 46189K] Video: HERE reports ‘The Five’ discusses Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to CECOT prison in El Salvador and her warning to those trying to come to the United States illegally.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 3:40 PM, Sonam Sheth, 52220K] reports the State Department issued an update on its visa revocations as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues cracking down on university students it accuses of being national security threats. Thursday’s update comes as more than half a dozen students across the U.S. have been swept up in ICE’s crackdown on people who have spoken out or demonstrated against the Israeli government’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. A State Department official told Fox News that the agency has revoked more than 20 visas since President Donald Trump’s second term began on January 20, adding that the foreign nationals whose documentation was revoked are being processed for immediate deportation. The official added that the department is also reviewing hundreds of visas.

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 11:35 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports that House Republicans are pushing the Trump administration to provide answers about the extent to which the Biden administration broadly paroled immigrants into the United States, asking the Department of Homeland Security to spill details that its former leader refused to divulge. House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and subcommittee leaders sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday, asking the department to turn over previously subpoenaed documents on how broadly it waved non-U.S. citizens into the country. A copy of the letter was obtained first by the Washington Examiner. "Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Department refused to respond to the Committee’s basic requests for information regarding parole programs, even after the Committee issued a subpoena," wrote Green and subcommittee chairman, Reps. Michael Guest (R-MS) and Josh Brecheen (R-OK). "The Biden-Harris administration’s lack of transparency created challenges to the Committee’s ability to determine the full extent of the Biden-Harris administration’s use of parole, the fiscal consequences of each individual parole program, and whether the current state of parole requires additional statutory remedies," the lawmakers wrote.

AP [3/27/2025 6:50 PM, Staff] reports a Cornell University student facing deportation was denied relief Thursday by the federal judge hearing his legal challenge against the Trump administration. Judge Elizabeth Coombe rejected requests from Momodou Taal to temporarily halt his removal proceedings and the enforcement of two executive orders from President Donald Trump. The 31-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia had his student visa revoked this month and was asked to surrender to Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for removal proceedings. Taal’s case comes as the Trump administration attempts to remove noncitizens from the country for participating in campus protests that the government deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Students say the government is targeting them for advocating for Palestinian rights. Taal and two co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit March 15 seeking to block enforcement of executive orders he believed could lead to his deportation, arguing they violate free speech rights.

FOX News [3/27/2025 12:00 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 46189K] reports that a group of Republican lawmakers is asking the Trump administration to open a probe into whether any anti-Israel groups that have been protesting on college campuses had any prior knowledge of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. It comes after similar claims were lodged in an explosive lawsuit that accused specific anti-Israel groups of having prior knowledge of the surprise attack in southern Israel that left more than 1,000 people dead. The lawsuit was filed by people linked to victims of the attack. "US foreign adversaries are engaged in dynamic campaigns to target US students. In the interest of US national security, we should not tolerate any organizations that coordinate with terrorist groups like Hamas on American university campuses or anywhere in our country for that matter," read a letter led by Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas. Fallon and four other House Republicans wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, praising them for working "to remove pro-Hamas agitators from our university campuses." "We are thrilled that the Trump administration has made it a priority to hold these individuals responsible and, in some cases, begin the process of deportation," they wrote.

Washington Post [3/27/2025 6:00 AM, Lauren Kaori Gurley, 31735K] reports the Trump administration has plans to immediately end U.S.-backed programs that combat child labor, forced labor and other abuses in dozens of countries around the world. John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, on Wednesday directed the agency’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) to end all of its grants, due to a “lack of alignment with agency priorities and national interest,” according to an email obtained by Washington Post. A separate notice from leadership informed the office’s staff on Wednesday that the Labor Department had “taken a decision to immediately terminate all of ILAB’s existing grants,” and acknowledged that this would be a “difficult message to receive,” according to a copy reviewed by The Post. The cuts are expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries. Many of the programs provide support and resources to ensure foreign governments are complying with labor standards in U.S. trade agreements, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, as well as trade deals with countries in Central America, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Those standards are designed to protect U.S. jobs. “Americans don’t want their hard-earned tax dollars bankrolling foreign handouts that put America last,” Courtney Parella, a spokesperson for the Labor Department, said in a written statement. “That’s why we’re focused on improving oversight and accountability within this program — and across the entire department — while prioritizing investments in the American workforce.” Among the terminated grants are congressionally authorized programs that allocate millions to nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations to combat child labor and forced labor in agriculture in Mexico, labor abuses in the garment industry in Southeast Asia, human rights abuses in fisheries along the coasts of South America, and mica-mining by children in Madagascar used to produce Chinese electronics and automobile parts sold in the United States.

Federal News Network [3/27/2025 11:18 AM, Eric White, 1089K] reports that House Democrats are looking into whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem uses the Signal app for official business. Noem was involved in the highly publicized Signal chat where Trump cabinet members discussed airstrikes in Yemen. But in a new letter to Noem, Oversight Committee Democrats said the public deserves to know whether she’s following rules for secure communications, and complying with federal records laws. The letter comes as both chambers of Congress deepen investigations into the leaked group chat. The Department of Homeland Security wants the public’s input on the Federal Emergency Management Agency. DHS is seeking feedback on whether people have had positive or negative experiences with FEMA during disasters. In a public notice released yesterday, DHS said the information will inform the work of the new FEMA Review Council. The notice comes days after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS is already working to eliminate FEMA. Public comments about FEMA are due to DHS by May 15. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Telemundo52 [3/27/2025 5:54 PM, Staff, 101K] reports three pro-immigrant organizations have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to halt "expedited expulsions" of immigrants, arguing that they are unconstitutional and violate due process, their lawyers reported Thursday. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of several immigrants who were allowed to enter the United States under Operation Welcome Allies or the program sponsored for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV), asks the court to halt the expulsions of immigrants without granting them access to a hearing and legal representation. The lawsuit comes just as the White House announced the repeal of the immigration benefit known as CHNV, which has allowed some 530,000 immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua to reside and work temporarily in the country after being sponsored. Those covered by the CHNV have until April 24 to obtain another benefit or face deportation.

AP [3/27/2025 11:01 AM, Staff, 48304K] reports that United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) applauds the leadership of Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). They have reintroduced the American Families United Act (AFUA). This bipartisan bill would provide the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General with the discretion to keep immigrant family members, specifically spouses and parents, from being separated from their American spouses or children. A list of certain offenses provided would bar criminals from being considered for this relief. Javier Palomarez, USHBC President and CEO, issued the following statement: "We applaud Congresswoman Escobar (D-TX) and Congresswoman Salazar (R-FL) for reintroducing the American Families United Act. As of 2023, it is estimated that over 1 million spouses of American citizens reside unauthorized in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of spouses have been deported or denied legal immigration. Many of these individuals are hardworking contributors to our economy. In allowing the Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to grant relief and pathways to citizenship on a case-by-case basis, we can ensure a tailored approach that factors in individual circumstances and contributions to our society. No family should have to pick between their spouse and their country. We welcome this kind of bipartisan legislation that ensures our immigration system works and protects America’s working families."

Univision [3/27/2025 3:29 PM, Jorge Cancino, 5325K] reports a group of three immigrant rights organizations demanded this Thursday the cancellation of humanitarian parole for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, arguing that it violates due process by ordering the expedited expulsion of thousands of beneficiaries without a hearing before an immigration judge. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in the District of Columbia (DC) by the UndocuBlack Network (UBN), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), and CASA of Maryland, with legal representation from the Justice Action Center. The plaintiffs indicated that the appeal was filed on behalf of members of the organizations “who were granted parole at a border port of entry through Operation Welcome Allies, or who were sponsored by the humanitarian parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV).” The order states that beneficiaries of the CHNV programs are foreigners who should not have entered the country and, therefore, "if they do not have an active change of status process under any other legal program available 30 days before the expiration of the benefit, they must leave the United States and will be deported." The government argued that, under these parole programs, potentially eligible beneficiaries should have been evaluated on a case-by-case basis to obtain pre-authorization to travel to a port of entry. And that the authorizations should have been issued for "urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit." Among the reasons for canceling the "humanitarian parole," the government said that it "did not represent a significant public benefit" and that it was "not necessary to reduce the levels of illegal immigration" in the country.

ABC News [3/27/2025 12:10 PM, Laura Romero, 52868K] reports that organizations that provide legal aid to migrant children have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after the agency cut funding to the program that provides legal representation to tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors. According to the lawsuit filed on Thursday, some of the groups that received federal grants have had to stop taking on new clients and "face the real threat of not being able to continue their ongoing representations." Last week, groups that have collectively received over $200 million in federal grants were told that the contract was partially terminated, ending the funding for legal representation and for the recruitment of attorneys to represent migrant children. Currently, 26,000 migrant children receive legal representation through the funding. The groups, which filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, are asking a federal judge to issue an injunction and block HHS from ceasing funding for legal representation for unaccompanied children. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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CNN [3/27/2025 6:46 PM, Meg Tirrell, Tami Luhby, Brenda Goodman, and Jamie Gumbrecht, 257K] reports that the US Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it is cutting 10,000 full-time employees across health agencies, the department told CNN. This comes on top of 10,000 employees who’ve left voluntarily, shrinking the workforce from about 82,000 full-time employees to 62,000. In addition, there are about 5,200 probationary workers, who have been in their positions less than a year or two and were terminated last month. Most are on temporary administrative leave as their fate winds its way through federal courts. They are not included in the latest announcement, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said. The cuts were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. In its announcement, HHS said it will consolidate from 28 to 15 divisions, including a new Administration for a Healthy America, and will reduce regional offices from 10 to five. The workforce reduction will save $1.8 billion per year, the agency said. HHS’s new priority will be to end “America’s epidemic of chronic illness by focusing on safe, wholesome food, clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins,” the agency said.

The Washington Post [3/27/2025 8:57 PM, Drew Harwell and Alec Dent, 31735K] reports when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem visited El Salvador’s most notorious mega-prison on Wednesday, she sported an eye-catching piece on her wrist that experts have identified as an 18-karat gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch that sells for about $50,000. The high-end Swiss watch lent a striking contrast to Noem’s tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, where imprisoned men watched silently from a crowded cell as she recorded a video for a social media post warning undocumented immigrants not to enter the United States. “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face,” Noem said. Noem’s choice of watch kicked off a race among internet sleuths to identify it and infuriated immigration advocates, who said the juxtaposition was insensitive to the harsh reality of mass imprisonment and deportation. “You’re in front of all these people in a very poor country, who are in the bottom 10 or 20 percent of their country … and it looks like you’re just flaunting your wealth while you flaunt your freedom,” said Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights group. “This is an administration that is trying to be populist, anti-elite, appeal to the common man,” he added. Meanwhile, there’s “people stacked up like cordwood behind her.” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the make of the watch in a statement, saying that “then-Governor Noem chose to use the proceeds from her New York Times best selling books to purchase an item she could wear and one day pass down to her children.” The Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 11:23 AM, Brady Knox, 2296K] reports that the display drew outrage from some immigration activists.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 10:47 AM, Ariana Baio, 52868K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is facing backlash for using a crowded prison cell filled with deported migrants in El Salvador as the backdrop for a video threatening to prosecute people who come to the United States illegally. "If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you can face," Noem said in a video filmed at the Terrosim Confinement Center, known as CECOM, and posted to social media Wednesday evening. Behind Noem in the video is a prison cell filled with men who are huddled together, trying to fit onto three-tier metal detention beds. The men wear uniform outfits: white t-shirts and white underpants with freshly shaved heads – keeping many of their identities concealed. Some are shirtless with their tattoos visible and others wear medical face masks. On social media, several people accused Noem of using the individuals as "props" for her video. "Regardless of political ideology, using human beings as background props in propaganda is nasty work," journalist Zack Guzmán wrote on X. The Seneca Project called the video "absolutely vile."

New York Times [3/27/2025 3:52 PM, Devlin Barrett and Glenn Thrush, 145325K] reports that the Trump administration is considering a major restructuring of the Justice Department, including merging the Drug Enforcement Administration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to an internal memo. Other changes include drastically altering how the department’s public integrity section functions and sending its prosecutors to offices around the country; scaling back investigations into fraud and improper influence involving foreign citizens and companies; and closing the community relations office opened after a spate of police shootings. The proposal, outlined in a memo issued by the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, and obtained by The New York Times, is a preliminary document and officials are still seeking feedback before enacting the changes. But even if only some elements are adopted, it would represent a significant and potentially disruptive shift in the way the department operates — reducing the importance of powerful units at headquarters created to hold crooked politicians, lawbreaking businesses and major polluters to legal account. A spokesman for the Justice Department did not immediately comment.

ABC News [3/27/2025 4:43 PM, Shannon K. Kingston, Nadine El-Bawab, and Armando Garcia, 34586K] reports the government revoked Tufts doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk’s visa due to her pro-Palestinian activism, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who added the State Department may have revoked more than 300 student visas since the beginning of the second Trump administration. The secretary said it was "crazy" and "stupid" for any country to issue visas to any individual that intends to be disruptive on college campuses.

Axios [3/27/2025 4:59 PM, Russell Contreras, Steph Solis, 13163K] reports the arrest of a Tufts University student by hooded Homeland Security agents in plain clothes — caught on video on a suburban Boston street — is raising fresh questions about the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on immigrants over the opinions they’ve expressed. The administration’s push to quickly scoop up, detain and deport college students with pro-Palestinian views has stunned civil libertarians, who say it violates American traditions of free speech and due process under the law. Ozturk’s arrest and the similar detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an organizer of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, appear to be part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s "Catch and Revoke" program. More than 300 foreign students have had their student visas revoked in the three weeks "Catch and Revoke" has been in operation, the official said.

NBC News [3/27/2025 10:51 AM, Matt Lavietes and Tyler Kingkade, 44742K] reports that the protests at Columbia University last spring were dogged: Students galvanized by the war in Gaza staged demonstrations for weeks on end, erected tent cities on campus lawns and annexed a university building. Students say that amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on international student protesters, the harsh punishment of some of last year’s participants and the university’s new rules restricting campus demonstrations, speaking out simply isn’t worth the risk. The crackdown goes far beyond Columbia. In recent days, immigration authorities have arrested students at Georgetown University, Tufts University and the University of Alabama. NBC News obtained a video of authorities detaining Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tufts student, on Tuesday. It shows several Department of Homeland Security officers in plainclothes surrounding Ozturk, a Turkish national, grabbing her hands and taking her away as she screamed out in confusion. Last Friday, threatened by the Trump administration with the loss of $400 million in federal research grants for "inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students," the university acquiesced to sweeping changes. Columbia agreed to ban masks at protests in most cases, enlist 36 new campus security officers — who, unlike previous security officers, will have the ability to arrest students — and hire a senior vice provost to oversee the Department of Middle East, South Asian and African studies, according to a document the university said it shared with the federal government and posted on its website Friday.

New York Times [3/27/2025 12:25 PM, Anna Kodé and Karsten Moran, 145325K] reports that on Oct. 12, 2023, Columbia University closed its gates. The ornate, iron fences were an $89,000 gift from the philanthropist George Delacorte. For years, their purpose was largely decorative, closing sporadically for special occasions. Most other times, they remained open, and members of the public could enter freely, sit on a bench and traverse the campus to get to the No. 1 train. The gates were mere emblems of exclusivity and elitism, of the wealthy and powerful whose names adorn the university’s buildings. But now, they symbolize more than just Ivy League cachet. Initially shut in anticipation of demonstrations on campus over the war in Gaza, Columbia’s gates are at the center of a heated conflict over public versus private space. To enter, students have to show security guards university-issued ID cards, cutting off public access to a portion of 116th Street known as College Walk. What was once a widely enjoyed pedestrian haven is now a hulking barricade. Columbia takes up six city blocks, running from 114th Street to 120th Street, in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood. Residents have to walk around it to get from Amsterdam Avenue to Broadway. What was a roughly a five to 10-minute stroll now takes around 15 to 20 minutes, some neighbors say.

Axios [3/27/2025 6:58 PM, Cuneyt Dil and Anna Spiegel, 13163K] reports President Trump is setting up a task force of federal officials directed to crack down on crime and "maximize immigration enforcement" in D.C. After months of will-he or won’t-he, Trump followed through on campaign rhetoric to intervene in the city’s management. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that sets up a "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force," which is instructed to work closely with local officials. The order calls for "deploying a more robust federal law enforcement presence" in D.C. It includes "directing maximum enforcement of federal immigration law and redirecting available federal, state, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens" in the D.C. area. The order also creates a new program to "beautify" Washington, per a White House fact sheet. That includes clearing homeless encampments and removing graffiti on federal land, as well as restoring federal buildings, monuments, memorials, parks, and roadways. The order also mentions some specific policy changes in D.C., including keeping "dangerous criminals off the streets by strengthening pre-trial detention policies." The Washington Post [3/27/2025 10:39 PM, Paul Schwartzman, Emily Davies and Meagan Flynn, 31735K] reports that in the order, which the White House released early in the evening, Trump created the “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force,” which is to be chaired by two presidential advisers and include representatives from nine federal agencies. Although somewhat vague in its language, the order directs the panel to ensure “federal participation” in a number of initiatives pertaining to the city, including “maximum enforcement” of immigration law and “redirecting” law enforcement resources to “apprehend and deport illegal aliens” in D.C. and surrounding suburbs. The order asserts that the administration will confer with local officials, though the task force does not include Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) or any local officials. “My administration shall work closely with local officials to share information, develop joint priorities and maximize resources to make the District of Columbia safe,” the order states. A Bowser spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night. Republicans have long used D.C. as a rhetorical punching bag to score points with conservative voters, portraying the deep-blue city as a symbol of failed Democratic policies. But no president in recent memory has focused as much on D.C.’s affairs as Trump, even as his executive order reflects a muted version of a previously expressed desire to take it over. Earlier drafts of the order included more forceful crackdowns on crime and homelessness, mandates that would have flirted with infringing on the District’s autonomy, The Washington Post has reported. The Hill [3/27/2025 7:22 PM, Alex Gangitano, 12829K] reports that the task force will also assist in completing the accreditation of Washington’s forensic crime lab, assist with recruiting police officers, help to "increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests," and revise policies on "pretrial detention of criminal defendants" so dangerous individuals are detained. Additionally, the order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to remove and clean up all homeless encampments on federal land. The task force will include representatives from the Interior, as well as the departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, the FBI, Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will also coordinate with local officials from D.C., the order said, including from the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, and will also include the U.S. attorney’s office for Maryland and the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The task force can also request assistance and coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, United States Park Police, and the Amtrak Police, the order said.

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Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 6:23 PM, Naomi Lim, 2296K]

The Hill [3/27/2025 6:00 AM, Emily Brooks, 12829K] reports significant differences between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) are leaving plans for a new House GOP probe into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack in limbo more than two months after it was announced, as the sides collide over a new select subcommittee’s scope and authority. Loudermilk, who is supposed to chair the new panel that would be housed under the House Judiciary Committee, is asking for broad jurisdiction and autonomy to go wherever the investigation takes him. "We’re kind of in flux right now, trying to negotiate out some of the jurisdictions," Loudermilk told me earlier this month. "I just need to continue on the way we were going before.” Here is Loudermilk’s ask: The Georgia congressman wants to keep researching security posture and issues that Republicans have with the original Jan. 6 select committee, which House Democrats controlled from 2021 to 2022. That would include being able to find more videos of depositions conducted by the original committee; pursuing missing documents he believes are at the Department of Homeland Security; and investigating the Metropolitan Police Department’s operations. And here is the Speaker’s counter: Plans drawn up by the Speaker’s office, I’m told, would limit Loudermilk’s jurisdiction to that of the House Judiciary Committee. Loudermilk would still have the ability to dig into issues like the search for the suspect who planted pipe bombs, or trying to get more information from the FBI about informants in the crowd. (The Justice Department’s inspector general said there were no undercover agents at Jan. 6, but found 23 confidential human sources in connection with the rally.). But this would close off areas of investigation into the Capitol’s security posture and the probes into the previous Democratic-run Jan. 6 panel. Some of the delay is related to Johnson’s schedule. The Speaker has been busy trying to prevent a government shutdown and working on a framework to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda.

CBS Austin [3/27/2025 1:10 PM, Austin Denean, 602K] reports that Federal aviation administration officials were pressed by lawmakers on how an Army helicopter crashed into a passenger jet near a Washington airport earlier this year and what warning signs were missed that could have avoided the tragedy. Leaders of the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and the military were in front of senators on Thursday to dive deeper into the crash near Reagan National Airport, which killed everyone on each aircraft. The NTSB released its initial findings of the crash earlier this month but have not yet identified a cause. Investigators are still in the early stages of determining the cause of the crash and will likely take over a year to deliver a final report, but Thursday’s hearing raised questions about the preliminary assessments of the deadliest aviation disaster in more than a decade and what is being done to avoid others in the future. The NTSB is looking into whether the helicopter had accurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash and whether the crew had heard instructions from air traffic controllers. The crash has already spurred pledges from President Donald Trump to overhaul the nation’s outdated aviation safety systems and to supercharge hiring of air traffic controllers to combat a longstanding shortage.

New York Times [3/27/2025 4:42 PM, Mark Walker and Niraj Chokshi, 145325K] reports all aircraft flying near Ronald Reagan National Airport will now be required to broadcast their positions to air traffic controllers, the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration told a Senate subcommittee on Thursday. Known as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out, the technology broadcasts an aircraft’s position, altitude and speed, and it could have allowed air traffic controllers to better track the helicopter’s movements. Military helicopters can turn off the technology during so-called continuity of government missions, which take place during national emergencies and ensure that the whereabouts of top government officials remain untracked. Mr. Rocheleau said there would be some exemptions to the new policy, though those were not discussed during the hearing. He appeared before Senate panel with Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, and Brig. Gen. Matt Braman, the Army’s director of aviation. For about two hours, they answered questions about the ongoing investigation into the January crash, which killed 67 people.

ABC News [3/27/2025 4:04 PM, Sam Sweeney, Clara McMichael, and Ayesha Ali] reports Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Chris Rocheleau admitted Thursday that "something was missed" regarding the devastating midair collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter that killed everyone on board both aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board said all of the data that shows the regular near misses and close proximity events at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was publicly available data. Rocheleau faced tough questioning from senators Thursday over the lack of action taken by the FAA that could have prevented the crash based on the data available to the agency. The FAA said it is now using AI and machine learning to evaluate all the data that comes in showing potential issues in U.S. airspace. Rocheleau also announced that, effective immediately, almost all aircraft operating around Reagan and downtown D.C. must have their ADS-B Out aviation surveillance technology on -- with the exception of presidential helicopters or other high security sensitive missions. Thursday’s hearing also revealed that the false alarms that told pilots they were on a collision course with another plane while on approach to Reagan Airport earlier this month were caused by the Secret Service and the Navy improperly testing counter-drone technology, according to an exchange between Cruz and Rocheleau. The testing was being done on the same spectrum that the Traffic Collision Avoidance System in the cockpit uses. Cruz said the Secret Service and the Navy were warned not to use the same spectrum before the false alarm incidents. The NTSB hopes to complete the investigation into the Reagan crash within a year, Homendy said at Thursday’s hearing, noting that divers are still working to recover any remaining wreckage in the Potomac River.

Miami Herald [3/27/2025 1:54 PM, David Catanese, 3973K] reports that the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency will require most aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport to have surveillance technology turned on in the wake of a midair crash in the nation’s capital between a commercial jet from Wichita and a Black Hawk Army helicopter. That technology — referred to as ADS-B Out, for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out — was not operating in the Black Hawk helicopter at the time it collided with an American Airlines flight in January, killing 67 people. The new policy was unveiled during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday as part of lawmakers’ probe into the cause of the first mass-casualty event involving a domestic commercial airliner in nearly 16 years. The collision occurred as the evening flight was a half- mile short of the runway and the Black Hawk was flying at an altitude of about 300 feet in a routine training exercise. The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, told senators on a Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee the imperiled Black Hawk had not transmitted ADS-B Out tracking information for 730 days prior to its collision, indicating the possibility that the helicopter suffered from a longstanding technical problem.

AP [3/27/2025 3:05 PM, Alanna Durkin Richer, 1682K] reports that the alleged leader of the violent MS-13 street gang on the East Coast has been arrested in Virginia, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday. Bondi lauded the the early morning arrest of the 24-year-old man from El Salvador, who was described as one of MS-13’s top three leaders in the United States, as a major victory in the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on a gang known for brutal violence and extortion. Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos was taken into custody in northern Virginia on an outstanding administrative immigration warrant, according to court papers, and was charged with illegal gun possession after agents found several firearms during the search of his home. Bondi said he was living in the U.S. illegally. There was no attorney listed for him in the court docket. Telephone numbers for relatives could not immediately be found in public records. The administration promoted the arrest as part of its effort to fulfill campaign promises to quash illegal immigration and eliminate gangs. MS-13 gang, or Mara Salvatrucha, was one of eight Latin American criminal organizations declared foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration last month. “We want to make our streets safer,” Bondi told reporters. “We want to make our schools safer. We want to make your neighborhoods safer. This guy was living in a neighborhood right around you, no longer.” At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, citing the arrest, called it “a good day for our country.”

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [3/27/2025 6:42 PM, Jeremy Roebuck, Salvador Rizzo, and Peter Hermann, 31735K]
Reuters [3/27/2025 9:15 AM, Brendan O’Brien, 41523K]
USA Today [3/27/2025 3:35 PM, Jonathan Limehouse and Eduardo Cuevas, 75858K]
Telemundo [3/27/2025 10:57 PM, Miguel Santiesteban, 171K]

The Hill [3/27/2025 9:18 AM, Alex Gangitano, 12829K] reports that President Trump touted the arrest of an alleged MS-13 leader, praising border czar Tom Homan amid the administration’s crackdown of migrants aligned with gangs in the United States. "Just captured a major leader of MS13. Tom HOMAN is a superstar!" Trump said on Truth Social Thursday morning. FBI director Kash Patel also confirmed the arrest, calling it a victory for the U.S. "I can now confirm that earlier this morning, law enforcement personnel arrested a top MS-13 leader in Virginia. Outstanding work from @AGPamBondi, our brave agents, @CBP, @GovernorVA, and our state and local partners," Patel wrote on social platform X. "This is a massive victory for a safer America. Justice is coming," he added. The alleged MS-13 leader was captured in Woodbridge, Va., outside Washington, D.C., and, while his name hasn’t been released, he is considered one of the top three leaders of the gang in the U.S., Fox News reported. Others at the White House hailed the arrest, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said on X, "This is what happens when you have competent federal leadership working with state/local law enforcement on the ground!"

Newsweek [3/27/2025 8:31 AM, Shane Croucher and Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports President Donald Trump has hailed the arrest of a top MS-13 gang leader in Virginia on Thursday. "Just captured a major leader of MS13. Tom Homan is a superstar," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Homan is the White House border czar in charge of the deportation of illegal migrants. In a separate post, Trump added: "Great job by Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Tom Homan, and Kristi N, on the capture of MS13 leader - A big deal!" The arrest took place in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington D.C.. The authorities are yet to reveal the suspect’s name, but he is reported to be one of the top three gang leaders in the U.S., according to Fox News. Announcing the arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I’m proud to announce that early this morning our brave law enforcement officers conducted a successful operation that captured a top MS-13 national leader." She added: "DOJ will not rest until we make America safe again."

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 5:25 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 2296K] reports Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is hammering Virginia counties that refuse to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling to cut state funding from those who won’t cooperate. Following the arrest of a top MS-13 leader in Virginia by federal and state authorities, the governor said he will introduce an amendment in the state budget to withhold funding but expects it will require the support of Democrats in the General Assembly.

Chicago Tribune [3/27/2025 3:05 PM, Alexandra Kukulka, 5269K] reports Northwest Indiana immigration attorneys raised concerns with an immigration bill that received final approval by the legislature this week as unconstitutional and an unfunded mandate on local governments. House Bill 1393, authored by State Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg, was amended in a Senate committee to require jail and detention facility employees to tell county sheriffs when they have probable cause to believe an arrestee, who is facing misdemeanor or felony charges, is not in the county legally. The sheriff would then be required to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the bill.

Action News Jax [3/27/2025 4:50 PM, Jake Stofan] reports Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier put local officials on notice Thursday, warning they could face penalties if they stand in the way of law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The Attorney General already leveraged those threats against city leaders in Fort Myers. It resulted in them reversing course after initially rejecting a proposed agreement between the city’s police department and ICE. Deegan has raised questions about the Jacksonville bill, which would give JSO $76,000 to purchase fingerprint scanners to help determine suspects’ immigration status and create new local penalties for being in Duval County without legal status in the country. It also mandates city agencies to assist federal immigration officials.

Axios [3/27/2025 12:04 PM, Ivana Saric, 13163K] reports that Louisiana has become ground zero for some of the Trump administration’s most boundary-pushing immigration cases, including those of several international students and at least one U.S. green card holder. Why it matters: The administration is pursuing high-profile cases against purportedly "pro-Hamas" activists legally in the U.S., which promise to define the limits of President Trump’s deportation powers. Driving the news: Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this week and the latest of the administration’s efforts to remove certain individuals from the country under several executive orders signed by the president. Ozturk, a Turkish national in the U.S. on a student visa, was sent to a detention facility in Louisiana within hours of her arrest according to ICE records obtained by the Boston Globe. Her detainment follows those of Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, and Georgetown University graduate student Badar Khan Suri. Both men were also quickly transferred by ICE to Louisiana facilities after their arrests.

FOX News [3/27/2025 3:30 PM, Gabriel Hays, 46189K] reports Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson shared how he really felt about border czar Tom Homan threatening to prosecute him if he gets in the way of ICE deportation raids in an interview on Thursday. During CNN’s podcast, "The Assignment With Audie Cornish," the Democratic mayor told host Audie Cornish that he would not allow local police to enforce ICE deportation orders and ripped Homan for threatening to prosecute him if Johnson doesn’t cooperate. The mayor defended his policies, saying they simply prevent local law enforcement from behaving like ICE agents, but maintained that the city is open to cooperating with the federal government in other areas.

AP [3/27/2025 5:02 PM, Hannah Fingerhut] reports Iowa’s Republican attorney general is suing a county sheriff over his Facebook post saying his department doesn’t always need to detain people at the request of federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit filed late Wednesday jeopardizes state funding to the county in northeast Iowa, home to about 20,000 residents, and comes amid President Donald Trump ‘s campaign of mass deportations. The state attorney general’s investigation showed the sheriff’s office has responded appropriately to each of the nearly two dozen requests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2018 to hold someone suspected of immigration violations. However, the suit alleges the sheriff violated Iowa law because his Facebook post discouraged cooperation with federal immigration officers. Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx’s post was deleted Thursday afternoon, hours after the lawsuit was filed late Wednesday. Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement Thursday that Marx refused to meet the deadline given to remedy the issue.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 12:51 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports that the Republican Attorney General of Iowa has accused a local sheriff of breaking the law for saying his office would not comply with "unconstitutional" requests to detain people suspected of being in the country illegally. Attorney General Brenna Bird said that Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx had violated state law by posting on Facebook that his office would refuse to comply with some Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. Immigration policy in the United States continues to be a source of deep division, as local law enforcement agencies take varied positions in cooperation with federal authorities. While some counties have chosen to collaborate fully with ICE, others, like Winneshiek County in Iowa, are resisting total lockstep with the federal agency in these partnerships. The consequences of noncompliance could be severe, and the county could potentially lose all state funding for the upcoming fiscal year. In a Facebook statement last month, Marx said that if ICE attempts to detain someone in his county based on what he views an "unconstitutional" detainer rather than a judicially approved warrant, his office will actively oppose or obstruct the operation. "We will make every effort to block, interfere, and interrupt their actions from moving forward," Marx wrote in a Facebook post.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:26 PM, Mia Maldonado, 52868K] reports a federal judge on Thursday evening temporarily blocked a new Idaho immigration law from taking effect. The block was issued hours after the ACLU of Idaho on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of Idaho over a new policy Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law on Thursday, which allows law enforcement to record a person’s documentation status if they are suspected of a crime. Modeled after a controversial 2023 Texas law, House Bill 83, as amended, creates Idaho immigration crimes "illegal entry" and "illegal reentry," targeting individuals who do not have proper immigration authorization and those who have already been deported from coming to Idaho. Law enforcement would only be able to convict someone of those crimes if they are suspected for a different crime. The law also creates the crime of "trafficking a dangerous illegal alien," or knowingly transporting an unauthorized immigrant who has previously been convicted of a crime in the U.S. or another country. The law grants immunity to law enforcement, meaning they are protected from lawsuits that could arise from the damages and liability they cause while enforcing the law. As federal agencies tighten immigration enforcement, House Bill 83 represents Idaho’s own approach to address unauthorized immigration in the Gem State – where about 35,000 unauthorized immigrants live, according to a report from the University of Idaho’s McClure Center for Public Policy. However, the ACLU of Idaho anticipated the law taking effect, and it immediately sued.

Telemundo [3/27/2025 6:25 PM, Staff, 2454K] Video: HERE reports NBC7, our sister station in San Diego reports that according to the Department of Homeland Security the operation is due to "violations of law enforcement in the workplace" linked to a trade in El Cajon, in the east of the county.

Telemundo [3/27/2025 5:28 PM, Ronny Rojas, 2454K] reports more than 100 Asian migrants, including children, have been locked in a shelter in Costa Rica since February after being deported by the United States under a "good faith" agreement, as the local government calls it, which local officials admit they accepted out of fear that Republican President Donald Trump would impose tariffs on them. Costa Rica, a country with a long history of defending human rights in international forums, had to hastily adopt extraordinary measures to do so, even deviating from standard internal procedures to receive migrants from countries with visa restrictions, such as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. In his interview with Noticias Telemundo on Wednesday, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco defended the decision to accept some 200 deported migrants, asserting that the country was not pressured by the United States and rejecting criticism from the opposition and humanitarian organizations that accuse him of collusion with Trump’s deportation plan.

The Hill [3/27/2025 1:00 PM, Pete Gaynor and Joel Wish, 12829K] reports that in the aftermath of every major disaster, Americans watch a familiar scene unfold, where communities are devastated, families displaced and survivors struggle to navigate a system that often feels like an obstacle course rather than a lifeline. As a former FEMA administrator and the CEO of a private disaster recovery service for survivors, we’ve seen firsthand the dedication of emergency managers who work tirelessly to help people rebuild. But we’ve also seen how the system, bound by bureaucratic constraints and outdated processes, too often fails to deliver support in the way that its leaders want to be able to, or that truly empowers survivors. The core problem isn’t a lack of resources. In fact, the funding for essentials like housing, food and rebuilding already exists. But these resources are spread across a tangled web of federal, state and nonprofit programs that fail to work together efficiently. Survivors are left navigating multiple agencies, redundant paperwork and confusing eligibility requirements — all at a time when they need clarity and simplicity the most. Now, with President Trump’s recent announcement of a new disaster resilience strategy, we have an opportunity to massively upgrade the system for the 21st century and the coming onslaught of disasters.

The Hill [3/27/2025 8:00 AM, Kareem Rifai, 12829K] reports that, in 2012, three men on a late-night walk in Toronto discussed plans to conduct a major terrorist attack. Two of the men were al Qaeda-linked radicals. The third was an undercover FBI agent, secretly recording the conversation. Their scheme: Drill a hole on the path of the Maple Leaf train traveling between Toronto and New York City, derail the passenger cars and kill as many civilians as possible. An unprecedented level of cooperation between 15 U.S. and Canadian agencies halted the men in their tracks, thwarting an attack that would have killed up to 300 people. Today, less than 100 days into the second Trump administration, the survival of Five Eyes — the U.S.-U.K.-Canada-Australia-New Zealand intelligence-sharing alliance crucial to stopping the Maple Leaf plot — has been thrown into question. This week’s revelation that The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Trump administration group chat discussing highly sensitive military information will undoubtedly raise questions among America’s allies about the basic operational security practices of not only Washington’s intelligence apparatus but the entire federal government. However, the Trump administration’s threats to Five Eyes emerged far before the now infamous "Houthi PC small group" Signal chat. In the days leading up to Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as Director of National Intelligence, British security officials voiced concern to the United Kingdom’s Telegraph about Gabbard’s warm views toward Russia, calling the Democrat-turned-Republican former congresswoman an "apologist.” During her combative Senate hearings, Gabbard repeatedly refused to call Edward Snowden a traitor, raising questions about the possibility of another Snowdenesque intelligence leak occurring under her tenure — one that could easily include sensitive intelligence shared by Five Eyes partners. Additionally, Gabbard told senators that she questioned American intelligence about the now-deposed Assad regime’s culpability in chemical weapons attacks because she feared that it was being "used as a pretext" for an American regime-change operation against the former Syrian dictatorship.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 7:00 AM, Samah Sisay, 52220K] reports my client, Mahmoud Khalil, is a 30-year-old Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University. Today, he should be at home with his wife in New York City, awaiting the birth of their first child next month. Instead, he’s locked up in a cell in Louisiana, 1,400 miles away. On Saturday, March 8, armed federal agents arrested Mr. Khalil in the lobby of his apartment building. A publicly released video captures the moment when they cuffed him in front of his wife, Dr. Noor Abdalla, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant. They told Mr. Khalil’s lawyer over the phone that they were acting on an order to revoke his student visa. When his lawyer told them that he was, in fact, a legal permanent resident with a green card, the agents said the government had revoked that as well. After sleeping on the floor in a facility in lower Manhattan, Mr. Khalil was transferred to an immigration jail in New Jersey. Then, after his lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court challenging the legality of his detention, the Department of Homeland Security abruptly flew him to an immigration jail in rural Louisiana. The Trump administration is seeking to deport Mr. Khalil simply because he is a dedicated Palestinian human-rights defender who has spoken out against Israel’s assault on Gaza, and against the U.S. and Columbia University’s complicity. In the aftermath of the arrest, Mr. Khalil has received an extraordinary amount of support from people across the political spectrum because they see the Trump administration’s actions for what they are: a wholesale assault on the First Amendment and the cherished right to freedom of speech. In an effort to punish Mr. Khalil for his beliefs, the Trump administration is exploiting a vague provision in a 1952 immigration law (the Immigration and Nationality Act) that gives the secretary of state the authority to deport people if there are "reasonable grounds" to believe they could harm U.S. foreign policy. But this measure, a product of the Cold War, targeted Soviet spies. Its purpose was not to punish people for constitutionally protected speech—indeed, the law explicitly prohibits retaliation against noncitizens for their politics.

Miami Herald [3/27/2025 6:28 PM, Tim Padgett, 3973K] reports when I was a teenager in Indiana, the big summer job was detasseling corn. We’d trudge up and down rows of stalks and their razor-sharp leaves, yanking one pollen flower after another. Only agronomists seemed to know its purpose. Still, it was a Hoosier rite of passage. Since then, kids have learned something important about detasseling corn: It sucks. That’s why today, 80% of the work is done by machines. But detasseling is an agro-task machines can actually do. Most field work, especially harvesting fruits and vegetables, still requires manual labor. Now, ask South Florida teenagers if they’d be up for the backbreaking toil of picking tomatoes and mangoes in the Redland during their summer vacation. Ain’t happenin’. Many of them today would file angry complaints with the National Labor Relations Board if their parents so much as suggested they mow the lawn. So I’ll admit I chuckled when I heard Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rationale for loosening the state’s child labor laws. He thinks it will somehow reduce the need to hire the undocumented workers who so often do essential jobs that documented workers — kids or adults — won’t touch with a 10-foot-long avocado pole. "Why do we say we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally," DeSantis mused last week, "when, you know, teenagers … should be able to do this stuff.". Because, Governor, if we relied on U.S. adolescents to do this stuff, the ensuing labor shortfall would send the price of strawberries, poultry, hotel stays, home building or home elder care higher than a Trump tariff on Canadian bacon. I’m not making some woke declaration that undocumented labor is a good thing. Quite the contrary: I’m saying DeSantis, President Donald Trump and MAGA nativists should try brainstorming reasonable ways to document undocumented labor instead of scoring easy political points by demonizing it — or by concocting dubious plans for replacing it.

The Hill [3/27/2025 7:00 AM, Staff, 12829K] reports Tulsi Gabbard should check her ‘Iran Nuke’ Signal group — if such a thing exists or existed. Why? Because Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to have entered the group chat and has led her astray. Testifying Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, President Trump’s director of national intelligence said the intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” Khamenei is undoubtedly thrilled with this. His regime is in tatters. His so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’ — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and a host of other militias — has been badly mauled by Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7. attacks. And yet here is Gabbard, throwing a lifeline to Khamenei’s nuclear weapons program and doing so in the most public of ways. This is a classic case of ignoring the sum of the parts that do indeed add up to the whole — and in this case, the whole is that Iran is aggressively chasing weaponization of its nuclear program to re-establish strategic deterrence. Gabbard needs to remember that her job is not intelligence gathering. The mission of her office is to lead and support intelligence integration, delivering insights, driving capabilities, and investing in the future. In that sense — and please excuse the cliché — if it walks like a nuclear duck, quacks like a nuclear duck, then it is a nuclear duck. Gabbard is, wittingly or not, failing to process all of the intelligence collected.

FOX News [3/27/2025 8:48 PM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports in a new report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is unable to effectively monitor the location and status of each unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who comes into the U.S. illegally and is released from custody. Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari said in the report that between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, ICE transferred over 448,000 UACs into the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From there, most of the UACs were released to sponsors. But over 31,000 of those 448,000 children were released to addresses that were left blank, had missing apartment numbers or were undeliverable. The IG also noted that ICE did not always know the location of UACs who fled while in HHS custody. Cuffari said an investigation into the matter found ICE did not issue notices to appear (NTA) to all UACs, which would have generated assignment of immigration court dates by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and as of January this year, it had not served NTAs on over 233,000 unaccompanied children. Of the UACs who were served NTAs before October 2024, over 43,000 failed to appear for their scheduled court dates. The report also found that ICE was not always notified about the safety or status of the children unless it received a tip. However, those issues, the IG said, happened because ICE was not always notified about the locations of sponsors by other federal agencies. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Tex., brought up the crisis involving unaccompanied alien minors during a House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement hearing on March 25. He was told that during the Biden administration, HHS lost track of many of the minors and that some were subjected to trafficking, child labor and other things. "The Biden administration’s total failure at the border had disastrous consequences, and it’s shameful that even innocent, unaccompanied children were caught in the crosshairs," Gonzales told FOX News. "The fact that we can’t locate tens of thousands of these minors in the U.S. is completely unacceptable, as it’s likely that many of these children have ended up in dangerous situations. Not having answers is unacceptable, and it’s past time to put our heads together to fix this problem for good.".

The Hill [3/27/2025 3:20 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 12829K] reports the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreign students and faculty who have voiced support for the Palestinian cause has escalated, with universities across the country seeing students either arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or having their visas revoked. At least eight international students and professors, all of whom have had green cards or student visas, have been targeted by ICE, beginning at Columbia University and proceeding to schools including Georgetown University, Cornell University and the University of Alabama. That number, however, could be a tiny fraction of the actual count after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday the State Department has revoked the visas of at least 300 foreign students.

The Hill [3/27/2025 5:30 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 12829K] reports headline-grabbing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests this week at Tufts and the University of Alabama show growing momentum behind the Trump administration’s battle against pro-Palestinian foreign students and faculty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday at least 300 foreign students have seen their visas revoked under President Trump, a far-higher number than what was previously known. The Tuesday capture of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts student and Turkish national, was caught on video as plain clothes officers arrested her on the street and took her away in an unmarked van. Ozturk’s lawyer said she was taken to a detention center in Louisiana after she wrote an op-ed last year in her school’s newspaper in support of Palestine. The government has said she was involved in "pro-Hamas" activities has not given any details on those actions. The administration has seen at least eight high-profile cases in its crusade against pro-Palestinian students and faculty, with most of them based on a rarely used law that says the secretary of State can deport a noncitizen who presents a threat to U.S. foreign policy.

New York Times [3/27/2025 8:16 PM, Kate Selig, 145325K] reports the Trump administration is trying to deport pro-Palestinian students and academics who are legally in the United States, a new front in its clash with elite schools over what it says is their failure to combat antisemitism. The White House asserts that these moves — many of which involve immigrants with visas and green cards — are necessary because those taken into custody threaten national security. But some legal experts say that the administration is trampling on free speech rights and using lower-level laws to crack down on activism. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the State Department under his direction had revoked the visas of more than 300 people and was continuing to revoke visas daily. He did not specify how many of those people had taken part in campus protests or acted to support Palestinians. Mr. Rubio gave that number at a news conference, after noting that the department had revoked the visa of a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University. He did not give details on the other revocations. Immigration officials are known to have pursued at least nine people in apparent connection to this effort since the start of March. The detentions and efforts to deport people who are in the country legally reflect an escalation of the administration’s efforts to restrict immigration, as it also seeks to deport undocumented immigrants en masse. The nine people who have been pursued and, in some cases, detained by federal officials include current and former students and professors. Most of them have publicly expressed pro-Palestinian views. Some have green cards, making them lawful permanent residents. Others have student visas, which allows foreign nationals to enter the United States for full-time study. The extent of their involvement in pro-Palestinian advocacy varies. Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who is believed to be the first to be taken into custody, helped lead high-profile protests at Columbia University against Israel’s war in Gaza. Mr. Khalil, who has Palestinian heritage, is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant. He was sent to a detention center in Louisiana. The administration has also targeted students who have been less involved. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish citizen and graduate student at Tufts University, was taken into federal custody on Tuesday. She had drawn the attention of a right-wing group that claims to combat antisemitism on college campuses and publicizes its findings online after helping write an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to pro-Palestinian demands. As it scrutinizes people living in the United States, investigators for ICE have been searching videos, online posts and news clippings of campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. The government also appears to be getting information from private organizations.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 5:23 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports the Trump administration has now revoked over 20 student visas belonging to those it deems as being pro-Hamas, it was reported Thursday. According to Fox News, the Department of State said it had terminated the visas due to the "national security concerns connected to these foreign aliens." Over the past two days, at least two doctoral students were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Trump administration has made it clear that it will seek to revoke visas belonging to foreign students who have been linked to pro-Hamas activities, including college campus protests and distributing materials such as flyers. The move comes from President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to root out antisemitism, but the actions have been seen by some as an infringement on First Amendment free speech rights. While Fox reported 20 visas had been revoked already, Axios reported as many as 300 had been targeted as part of a State Department program called "Catch and Revoke". There are currently around 1.5 million immigrants in the U.S. on student visas. The administration is also planning to prevent schools from being allowed to welcome student visa holders if they were found to have been host to a large number of "pro-Hamas" students. It is likely more students linked to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses will see their visas revoked in the coming days and weeks.

Telemundo [3/27/2025 8:35 PM, Damian Trujillo, 34K] reports the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is negotiating an agreement to give immigration agencies access to their databases. Specifically, they seek the personal information of undocumented immigrants who have declared their taxes with an ITIN number which has generated great concern as many immigrants use this number to open bank accounts and obtain credits. Immigration lawyers said the administration first asked the IRS for information from undocumented immigrants with a criminal record, but now they also ask for information from those who have a deportation order. "This is a radical change after 30 years, an expectation from the tax service that people who are here undocumented still have a duty to make their taxes with the ITIN number," said Andrew Newcomb, an immigration lawyer. Newcomb emphasized that, of the 12 million undocumented people in the country, half pay federal taxes with their ITIN number and the most recent figures show that, in 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed nearly $60 billion in federal taxes. "Putting on the prospect of an undocumented person, why am I going to disclose my information on this occasion if we are seeing more widely that these agencies are being used by the executive government to facilitate their mass expulsion program," Newcomb said.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:26 PM, Madison Foglio, 52868K] Video: HERE reports the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office announced the completion of a multi-phase operation targeting people who attempted to commit sexual crimes against who they believed to be children. "I couldn’t believe how many grown men wanted to have sex with what they thought was a 13- or 14-year-old child," exclaimed Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. "Telling the child nasty things, they wanted to do, and what perverted things they were going to do to the child. It was really disgusting.". On January 15th of this year, several law enforcement agencies teamed up in what they called "Special Operation Deviant Nightfall." According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s office, the four-day operation involved undercover detectives posing as children online, then intercepting suspects who attempted to arrange sexual encounters with them. In just four days, sixteen individuals were arrested.

FOX News [3/28/2025 4:25 AM, Christina Shaw , Jennifer Johnson, 46189K]
a Russian scientist working at Harvard Medical School was detained at Boston Logan International Airport on February 16 when she was attempting to return from a trip to Paris. Kseniia Petrova, a bioinformatician at the Kirschner Lab, was bringing back frog embryos at the request of a professor at a French lab Harvard is collaborating with, her attorney Gregory Romanovsky confirmed to Fox News. According to Romanovsky, the sample was picked up in Paris and was supposed to be brought to Harvard and Petrova was unaware she needed to claim them at customs. US authorities at Boston Logan Internation Airport revoked her visa instead of following protocol, her attorney said. "As upset as I am with ICE, they are not at fault and are just doing their job," he says. According to Romanovsky, her visa should never have been revoked and protocol for similar situations includes CBP seizing the item(s) and issuing a fine. He also believes that instead of protocol CBP at Boston Logan Internation Airport decided to punish his client by removing her visa. Petrova allegedly, when detained, was asked if she wanted the Russian consulate notified. This line of questioning became an issue causing fear for Petrova, who was previously detained in Russia for anti-war protests shortly after the attack on Ukraine, Romanovsky claims. Friends of the scientist say when Petrova’s visa was revoked that she was told she would be deported to Russia, something her attorney says would have a devastating outcome as she is "almost certainly going to be jailed if she is sent back to Russia.” Cora Anderson, who works with the Russian scientist, shared on Facebook that Petrova told CBP she feared political persecution and was instead sent by authorities to a detention facility. "We had no idea initially what had happened to her since she was unable to send any messages or make any calls upon detention. She was moved to a facility in Vermont at first and then Louisiana where she is now. Where she is now is a jail that has space rented by ICE and is kept in a room with over 80 other female detainees," Anderson posted.

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 9:51 AM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2296K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security detained a Turkish Tufts University student Tuesday for allegedly engaging in "activities in support of Hamas." Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was stopped on the street by DHS agents in plain clothes, and her arrest was captured on a street security camera. Ozturk is one of several students whose visa has been revoked by the Trump administration over anti-Israel activities. Another student DHS has tried to deport, South Korean Yunseo Chung, filed a lawsuit against the administration after her visa was revoked. "DHS + ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X. "A visa is a privilege not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security." Tufts University President Sunil Kumar responded to the arrest in a statement. "The university had no pre-knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event, and the location where this took place is not affiliated with Tufts University," Kumar wrote. "The university has no additional information at this time about the cause or circumstances of the student’s apprehension and is attempting to learn more about the incident. Following university protocol, the Office of University Counsel will assist in connecting the student to external legal resources should the individual request our assistance."

AP [3/28/2025 12:45 AM, Tammy Mutasa, 48304K] reports protesters rallied a second day before the Somerville City Council, pushing councilors to help get Rumeysa Ozturk released. The outrage is growing the longer the Tufts PhD student stays in ICE custody. It comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted they detained the international student because of her activism. On Tuesday, federal agents detained the Turkish national in Somerville and revoked her visa, claiming she engaged in activities supporting terrorist organization Hamas. But her supporters say she is being targeted for her political beliefs. "Even if she did have some Pro-Hamas views-which again I disagree with, that’s her right, we don’t take people’s rights away because you disagree with them that’s not what this country has ever been founded on," said longtime Somerville resident Michael Johnson. Last year, Ozturk was one of the authors of an op-ed calling for Tufts University to acknowledge genocide in Palestine. Tufts was also the site of a pro-Palestinian encampment. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the case. "If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus--we’re not going to give you a visa," said Rubio. Rubio said at least 300 foreign students’ visas have been revoked. The secretary added it was "crazy" and "stupid" for any country to issue visas to anyone that intends to be disruptive on college campuses. "Once you’ve lost your visa, you’re no longer legally in the United States. And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. So, it’s just that simple," added Rubio. Rumeysa Ozturk was quickly taken out of Massachusetts to a Central Louisiana ICE Detention Center before a federal judge issued an order limiting the government’s ability to move her. Immigration officials were ordered by the judge to provide more information about the detainment by Friday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [3/27/2025 3:21 PM, Michael Casey, Jake Offenhartz, and Kathy McCormack10355K] reports that a Turkish student ambushed by federal police as she walked on the streets of a Boston suburb is the latest supporter of Palestinian causes to be swept up in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants who have expressed their political views. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, a doctoral student at Tufts University, had been moved out of Massachusetts by the time her lawyer went to court and a judge ordered her to be kept in the state, U.S. government lawyers said in a court document Thursday. The lawyers said that Ozturk, who was detained Tuesday shortly after she left her home in Somerville, was moved to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Basile, Louisiana. They said they made her lawyers aware that she was being moved there and they helped facilitate contact with her Wednesday night. A senior Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said federal authorities detained Ozturk and revoked her visa after an investigation found she had "engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans." "A visa is a privilege, not a right," the spokesperson added. "Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is common sense security."

New York Times [3/27/2025 8:48 PM, Jack Healy, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Mike Baker, 145325K] reports the security video looked like a scene from an undercover sting operation against a 30-year-old Turkish graduate student in her white coat and backpack. Rumeysa Ozturk was walking down a street in Somerville, Mass., on Tuesday when she was surrounded by federal agents wearing dark sweatshirts, some of their faces obscured by black masks. As they pulled off her backpack and handcuffed her, the terrified student let out a cry. One officer explained, “We’re the police.” As the Trump administration ramps up its deportation efforts, critics say tourists, foreign students and other legal immigrants are being subjected to aggressive arrest tactics usually reserved for criminal suspects. They have been swarmed by teams of masked agents in masks, zip-tied and bundled into unmarked vehicles. The tactics are not particularly new. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials declined to answer questions about tactics on Thursday, but former officials said federal immigration agents do wear street clothes to avoid giving away their presence before an arrest. They also can wear face coverings to avoid being singled out and doxxed online. Deborah Fleischaker, a former ICE chief of staff under the Biden administration, said that plainclothes ICE agents have long been allowed to detain undocumented immigrants, though they are required to show their badges when making such arrests. What is shifting are the targets — immigrants with valid visas and legal status. In Ms. Ozturk’s case, supporters say she appears to have merely been a co-author of an editorial in a student newspaper criticizing Tufts’s support for Israel. “I think it’s a First Amendment violation,” Ms. Fleischaker said. “ICE had a policy in place that said that First Amendment activity was not to be the basis of enforcement action. That’s not why you enforce.” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said investigators with Homeland Security and ICE “found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege, not a right.” She did not offer evidence or details of that support.

The Hill [3/27/2025 11:59 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K] reports that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called the arrest of Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk "chilling," as he warned of further democratic backsliding in the U.S. In an interview Thursday on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," Murphy was asked to respond to video footage of Ozturk, a Turkish national on a student visa, being detained by six masked agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) late Tuesday. The video shows the agents surrounding Ozturk, who yelled as they took her phone, placed her in handcuffs and escorted her away. "The video is really chilling, and this should matter to every single American," Murphy said in response. The Connecticut Democrat also expressed concern over the Trump administration invoking the Alien Enemies Act to justify President Trump’s push to deport foreign nationals, saying the president already can "remove from this country people who pose a threat to the nation, people who have engaged in criminal behavior or who have coordinated with terrorist groups.". "He has that power under existing law to remove from the country noncitizens," Murphy continued. "So, he doesn’t need this authority."

CBS Austin [3/27/2025 10:34 AM, Jackson Walker, 602K] reports that a Tufts University student who was detained by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials Tuesday was relocated to Louisiana, according to an update from the school. DHS officials apprehended student Rumeysa Öztürk on campus as she was on her way to break her Ramadan fast. The agency told The National News Desk the arrest was prompted by the fact that Öztürk had allegedly "engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans." President Sunil Kumar wrote in a campus wide email that the school is working with elected officials to support Öztürk. We are in touch with local, state, and federal elected officials and hope that Rumeysa is provided the opportunity to avail herself of her due process rights," it wrote. "The university is actively working to support the Tufts community as it mobilizes its collective resources and contacts to ensure our students’ safety and wellbeing. The message also informed students of the school’s "protocol for engaging with government officials." It asked students who become aware of an unannounced visit to campus by government officials to call the Tufts University Police Department. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on Wednesday decried Öztürk’s arrest in a statement via X. "Based on what we know, it is alarming that the federal administration chose to ambush and detain her, apparently targeting a law-abiding individual because of her political views," it reads. "This isn’t public safety, it’s intimidation that will, and should, be closely scrutinized in court." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:02 AM, Brady Doran, 52868K] reports that six Bhutanese men who were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dauphin County are set to be on a plane within the next three days without a clear destination. According to the Chairman of the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg, the six detainees were moved from the Pike County Prison to New Jersey and told they would be put on a flight in 72 hours. While the flight is scheduled to take off days from now, the men still don’t know where they are going. ICE said the agency doesn’t comment on future operations. Dauphin County Officials tell abc27 that the men are in the U.S. legally. Governor Josh Shapiro spoke about the situation on Tuesday, saying, "I want to make sure that anyone who’s been rounded up by the federal government is given their full due process.". Shapiro added that there are 100,000 Bhutanese people in the United States, and 70,000 of them are in Pennsylvania.

NBC News [3/27/2025 8:00 AM, Albinson Linares, 44742K] reports Mario René López says being locked up in an ICE detention center is a very hard experience since he can’t be with his family and conditions are tough, but above all, it’s hard because, he insists, he’s a U.S. citizen. "I came to the United States when I was 12 years old, with a permanent residence because my mother was a [legal] resident and she put in the papers and went to pick me up in El Salvador," Lopez, 44, said in a call from the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia. “When my mom became a citizen, I was a minor, so I automatically got citizenship derived from my mother, but for no reason I am now being detained.” According to the Citizenship and Immigration Services website, derivative citizenship refers to the automatic acquisition of citizenship by children who are under 18 through the citizenship status of their parents, and, under certain circumstances, it applies to foreign-born adopted children of U.S. citizens. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained Lopez in January 2023. He has since been held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green. Lopez’s ICE detention was the latest step in a long process in the courts to try to have his citizenship recognized. Born in El Salvador, Lopez entered the United States as a legal permanent resident in 1992. His mother naturalized in 1998, when he was 16, theoretically granting him automatic citizenship under 8 U.S. Code 1432, which was in effect at the time. Now the legal framework for that type of citizenship is the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which says the general requirements for eligibility are that a person must be the child of a parent who is a natural born or a naturalized U.S. citizen (including an adoptive parent) and must be under age 18 and a lawful permanent resident. In addition, the child must reside in the United States “in the lawful and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent.”

FOX News [3/27/2025 3:07 PM, Adam Sabes, 46189K] reports an illegal immigrant in Georgia is behind bars after he allegedly molested four children who were under the age of 14. Nery Antonio Gonzalez, 36, was arrested by the Valdosta Police Department on March 14 after detectives learned that he had sexually assaulted four minors in different locations throughout the city. The Valdosta Police Department said Gonzalez is in the United States illegally, and is originally from Guatemala. Initially, detectives were investigating Gonzalez for sexually assaulting two minors, but further interviews led them to find two more victims. Gonzalez was charged with five counts of felony child molestation, three counts of felony rape, four counts of felony aggravated sexual battery, four counts of sexual battery on a child under the age of 16, two counts of felony child molestation and three counts of felony cruelty to a child in the first degree. Police said that further charges are pending as an investigation into Gonzalez is still active.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:03 AM, Staff, 52868K] reports federal agents concluded a months-long investigation Wednesday regarding undocumented foreign nationals working in unsuitable conditions at a manufacturing plant. Action News Jax’s Atlanta station WSB-TV is now reporting that the owner of that plant - Wellmade Industries in Bartow County - is in jail. Agents raided the facility Wednesday in a massive operation with Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, GBI and Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, according to an FBI social media post. WSB’s Tom Jones was the first TV reporter at the scene. He asked Homeland Security what brought so many agents there. “This search warrant today was in relation to labor trafficking and financial crimes,” Lindsay Williams with Homeland Security said. That search warrant at Wellmade Industries led to the arrest of its owner, 59-year-old Zhu “George” Chen. Homeland Security investigators said a months-long investigation found he was bringing in workers from other countries and forcing them to work at his flooring company. “Improper pay and treatment of workers,” Williams said. The FBI said it was there in a supportive role but said the infractions at the facility were serious. “Labor trafficking. Bringing in undocumented people to do work. Usually for lower wages,” said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge in Atlanta. Law enforcement said some 300 and 400 foreign nationals who work there are victims. “These folks today are primarily from China, but there are some other countries involved as well,” Williams said. The FBI said arrangements are being made to get them housing for now. “We’ve identified a number of victim witnesses. We’ve brought in 20 linguists from across the country to help interview and then process those through the investigation,” Ozden said.

ABC News [3/27/2025 12:36 PM, Aaron Katersky and Nadine El-Bawab, 34586K] reports that federal immigration agents have detained a University of Alabama doctoral student who is a citizen of Iran, according to the school and ICE records. Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student from Iran studying mechanical engineering, is currently being held in a detention facility, but ICE records do not list where he is being held. The reason for his detention was not immediately clear. "The University of Alabama recently learned that a doctoral student has been detained off campus by federal immigration authorities," the university said in a statement. "Federal privacy laws limit what can be shared about an individual student. International students studying at the University are valued members of the campus community, and International Student and Scholar Services is available to assist international students who have questions." "UA has and will continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities," it said. It was not immediately clear whether he had secured legal representation. Doroudi is one of multiple college students to recently be detained by ICE. Tufts University Ph.D. student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national, was arrested by immigration authorities as she was headed to meet her friends and break her fast on Tuesday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] NBC News [3/27/2025 7:58 AM, Patrick Smith, 44742K] reports that according to records available on ICE’s website, Doroudi is currently being held in a “detention facility.” It is not clear why he was detained, what charges he may face or if he has retained a lawyer. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The University of Alabama College Democrats said in a Wednesday statement that it was aware of Doroudi’s arrest and detainment, calling the news a bitter blow to the campus community. "Our fears have come to pass. Donald Trump, Tom Homan and ICE have struck a cold, vicious dagger through the heart of UA’s international community," the group said. "As far as we know right now, ICE is yet to provide any justification for their actions, so we are not sure if this persecution is politically motivated, as has been seen in other universities around the country." FOX News [3/28/2025 4:30 AM, Alexandra Koch, 46189K] reports that Doroudi, who is studying mechanical engineering, reportedly came to the U.S. in January 2023 on an F-1 student visa after "clearing all immigration checks," The Crimson White reported. Reports note his visa was revoked six months later, prompting him to reach out to the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at the university. "ISSS replied with confidence, stating that his case was not unusual or problematic and that he could remain in the U.S. legally as long as he maintained his student status," according to a text message obtained by The Crimson White. ICE’s database lists Doroudi as an Iranian native and confirms he is in ICE custody, though the current detention facility is not listed. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Crimson White he "posed significant national security concerns.” "Federal privacy laws limit what can be shared about an individual student," the university wrote in the statement to Fox News Digital. "International students studying at the University are valued members of the campus community, and International Student and Scholar Services is available to assist international students who have questions. UA has and will continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities.” Univeristy officials did not respond to further inquiries from Fox News Digital about whether the institution knew about the alleged expired visa.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/27/2025 10:23 AM, Alex Gangitano, 12829K]

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:14 PM, Drew Taylor, 52868K] reports an Iranian student at the University of Alabama was detained and put in jail by immigration officers after it was considered that he allegedly represented "significant national security concerns," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In its first statement since the arrest of Alireza Doroudi, a 22-year-old doctoral student studying mechanical engineering at UA, a representative from the department has shed some light on its decision for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick him up outside his home in Tuscaloosa Tuesday morning. "ICE HSI made this arrest in accordance with the State Department’s revocation of Doroudi’s student visa," the department told CBS 42 in a written statement. "This individual posed significant national security concerns.". The story first broke Wednesday afternoon, when The Crimson White, the university’s student newspaper, reported on Doroudi’s detainment by ICE. In the report, CW Editor-in Chief Maven Navvaro wrote about a student text chain alleging that Doroudi, who is originally from Iran, had been living in the country on a revoked student visa, but that he had been assured by university officials that he would be fine. "After receiving the revocation notice, Alireza immediately contacted ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services) at the University of Alabama," the message stated. "ISSS replied with confidence, stating that his case was not unusual or problematic and that he could remain in the U.S. legally as long as he maintained his student status.". On Thursday afternoon, an employee at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Doroudi was being held at its jail until ICE officers pick him up and take him to an as-yet-to-be determined location. The source said Doroudi had been at the jail since Tuesday night.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 10:57 AM, Megan Fayard, 52868K] reports that a Mexican national living in Southaven, Mississippi was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in northern Mississippi said Thursday. Adolfo Raul Vasquez-Santana, 32, allegedly downloaded and shared videos that depicted the sexual abuse of children, some who appear to be younger than 13 years old. Vasquez-Santana is illegally residing in the U.S., authorities said. Vasquez-Santana is charged with the receipt or distribution of the content by using the Internet. If he is convicted of the crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that Vasquez-Santana was initially investigated by the Southaven Police Department following a tip they received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He was arrested and charged, but before his prosecution in state court, he was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for removal from the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security then charged Vasquez-Santana with the federal offenses at issue in the criminal complaint.

Axios [3/27/2025 6:18 AM, Brittany Gibson and Sommer Brugal, 13163K] reports that, as President Trump’s immigration crackdown continues, one detention center in Miami is holding more than twice as many people as the space was meant for — which some attorneys say is a growing issue nationally. The Trump administration’s goal of deporting "millions" of people has led officials to jam more than 46,000 detainees into a system designed to hold no more than about 40,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records. In some centers, arrested non-citizens are living in inhumane conditions, enduring days without a shower and sleeping on floors and in overcrowded spaces, detainee attorneys tell Axios. The crowding is just one sign of a system under stress: Officials are scrambling to arrange more detention space across the U.S. and abroad. They’re sending detainees they’ve deemed as dangerous on controversial — and legally questionable — flights to foreign prisons without giving them court hearings. And they’re monitoring other unauthorized immigrants who’ve been arrested and released after agreeing to return for their court dates. At the Krome North Processing Detention Center in Miami, about 200 people were at one point being held in a room meant for 85, Paul Chavez, director of the litigation program at Americans for Immigrant Justice, told Axios. "If you have a building that’s meant for 600 people, and now you have twice that in there, it’ll inevitably lead to issues," he said. Attorney Sabrina Surgil’s client, a man in his 50s who’s been at Krome since November, told her the conditions were fair when he arrived but that the number of detainees ballooned after Trump took office. He told her his friends at the facility are "sleeping on the floor, sleeping by toilets," she told Axios. ICE doesn’t provide current numbers of those in detention due to "operational and security concerns," a spokesperson told Axios.

WKRG [3/27/2025 4:20 PM, Pat O’Donnell] reports a Pensacola man is accused of transmitting and possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to an FDLE news release, Michael Desmond Locke, 45, was arrested. He’s accused of 30 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, one count of transmission of child sexual abuse material and one count of use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. FDLE officials said they began investigating on Jan. 27 when agents found an online user sharing files depicting children being sexually abused. Further investigation showed those uploads came from Locke’s home. According to the release, FDLE agents served a search warrant at Locke’s home on Wednesday, March 26. They found two of his computers, and a forensic review revealed they held hundreds of child sexual exploitation files — with children as young as 3 years old. Locke’s bond is set at $640,000, and the First Judicial Circuit Office of the State Attorney will prosecute the case. According to FDLE, the FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center is investigating the case, and the FDLE Panama City Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in serving the search warrant.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 8:35 AM, Bobbi-Jean Misick and Kat Stromquist 52868K] reports that amid calls from President Donald Trump for a nationwide immigration crackdown and an end to so-called "sanctuary" policies, at least two Louisiana law enforcement agencies have recently joined forces with federal immigration authorities, enlisting local officers to identify and detain undocumented immigrants in their custody. In February, longtime Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington signed an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the federal 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement officials to engage in federal immigration enforcement. Last week, the Kenner Police Department — which presides over a large Hispanic and foreign-born population — entered into a similar agreement, according to an ICE spreadsheet of law enforcement agencies currently participating in the program. BPSO and Kenner PD are the only two Louisiana agencies that appeared as of Wednesday. Trump began his second term as president promising an unprecedented clampdown on immigration. As he had done in the early days of his first term in 2017, Trump in January ordered the Department of Homeland Security to ink more immigration enforcement agreements with local agencies.

Chicago Tribune [3/27/2025 5:58 PM, Laura Rodríguez Presa, 5269K] reports for the past year, three days a week for four hours, Alfredo Pacheco, 37, has been undergoing dialysis. Pacheco was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease not long after arriving in Chicago seeking asylum. It was then that doctors told him that he needed a kidney transplant, "or else I would die," he said. Medical records also show the acute illness that has drastically changed his life. His older brother, Jose Gregorio González, 43, who was denied entry to the country at the southern border, tried to enter once again hoping to donate a kidney to save his brother’s life. He managed to cross and stay in the United States under immigration supervision. After a long and complicated process to get approved for the transplant under public insurance, the brothers had an appointment in a Chicago hospital in April to go forward with more tests for the organ exchange. But on March 3rd, González was arrested by immigration authorities and now awaits deportation at Clay County Detention Center in Indiana, leaving Pacheco, once again, desperate and fighting for his life. The two are pleading with immigration authorities to release González on humanitarian parole to donate the kidney.

AP [3/28/2025 1:17 AM, Colleen Slevin, 44742K] reports a federal judge in Denver is set to hear arguments Friday over whether an immigration and labor activist who took refuge in Colorado churches to avoid deportation during the first Trump administration should be freed from detention. Jeanette Vizguerra was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 17 and is being held at its immigration detention facility in suburban Denver. ICE says Vizguerra entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally in 1997 and is being held pending deportation. In a statement shortly after her arrest, ICE said the mother of four has a final deportation order and “has received legal due process in U.S. immigration court.” But her lawyers say the order is not valid. They have filed a legal challenge asking U.S. District Judge Nina Wang to order federal authorities to release her. Wang issued an order halting Vizguerra’s deportation while the legal challenge plays out. ICE began trying to deport Vizguerra in 2009 during the Obama administration after she was pulled over in suburban Denver and found to have a fraudulent Social Security card with her own name and birth date but someone else’s number, according to a 2019 lawsuit she brought against ICE. Vizguerra did not know the number belonged to someone else at the time, the lawsuit said. While a judge issued an order of removal against her, she also was given the option to leave the country voluntarily, which she ultimately did to try to see her mother before she died in 2012, her lawyers said in the current petition before Wang. Since Vizguerra left on her own before later re-entering the U.S., there is no removal order for ICE to reinstate, the petition says. It is not clear how soon Wang could rule. But she has noted the case raises “complex issues” about immigration law and she could not find a similar case.

Miami Herald [3/27/2025 1:03 PM, Ricardo Torres-Cortex, 3973K] reports that Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Wednesday that he has turned down numerous requests from "various different federal agencies" to use the Metropolitan Police Department for immigration enforcement outside the agency’s limited role at the Clark County jail. "And I just won’t do that," McMahill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, adding that his agency doesn’t have the resources to do so. "I’ve got a lot going on when it comes to crime here," he added. He noted that crime has continued to decrease in the last three years. As President Donald Trump’s administration moves to fulfill his campaign promise of carrying out "mass deportations," McMahill said Metro is complying with federal guidelines. That includes its implementation of the Laken Riley Act, which expanded the types of crimes allegedly committed by migrants - and booked for - Metro reports to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE then has a chance to pick up those inmates. But even after Trump took office for a second term, McMahill said the federal government did not have enough resources to take custody of all those persons.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 12:00 PM, Peter Talbot, 52868K] reports that the population of people held in the privately-run immigration detention center in Tacoma has continued to grow since President Donald Trump began his second term in January, and an activist group and lawyers say it is nearing capacity. The Northwest ICE Processing Center, which holds people who are suspected of being in the country illegally or awaiting deportation, has bed space for 1,575 people. Elizabeth Benki, a directing attorney for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s detention work, estimated Wednesday that 1,400 to 1,500 people are detained at the facility. La Resistencia, a group that advocates for closing the NWIPC and ending deportations, said Wednesday that there are more than 1,500 people held there. According to ICE statistics, the facility’s average daily population hasn’t been over 1,181 since before the COVID-19 pandemic. That number is the guaranteed minimum detainees ICE is required to pay its contractor, the GEO Group, for overseeing. "There was a sharp increase after Jan. 20," Benki said. "What we’re seeing, I think, is a combination of two things. I think there’s more people being detained, and there’s also fewer people getting released, particularly on bond." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 46,269 people in detention across the country as of March 9, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). That’s the most people it has had detained since October 2019.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 9:43 PM, Franque Thompson, 52868K] reports communities rallied outside the Northwest Detention Center on Thursday for the release of two union members arrested by immigration agents this month. Farmworker, Alfredo "Lelo" Juarez, was the most recent arrest, which happened on Tuesday in Sedro-Wooley. Grassroots organization Community to Community (C2C) used the power of social media to raise awareness and support for Juarez. The 25-year-old is a farmworker leader for C2C, as well as an organizer and member of Familias Unidas por la Justicia. "Lelo is a labor organizer, a dedicated advocate for farmworkers and a beloved member of our community," said Tony Mellilo, President of the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. "We demand he be released and allowed to return to his home here in NW Washington.” According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Juarez, who is a citizen of Mexico, was ordered to be "removed to his home country by an immigration judge on March 27, 2018." ICE said it conducted a joint federal law enforcement arrest in Sedro-Woolley on March 25. His supporters said on March 25, Juarez was taking his partner to work when ICE agents stopped his car and broke his window to arrest him. Though ICE did not specify why Juarez was being detained, ICE spokesperson David Yost said Juarez refused to comply with commands to exit his car. Yost further wrote in a statement, "ICE does not indiscriminately conduct enforcement actions on random people. ICE conducts targeted enforcement actions that are based on intelligence-driven leads focused on aliens identified for arrest and removal from the United States. U.S. immigration laws allow aliens to pursue relief from removal. However, once they have exhausted all due process and appeals, the aliens remain subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge and ICE must carry out that order.” The National Farm Worker Ministry said Juarez came to the United States as a child and has been an activist for farmworker rights in Washington since he was 12. "We are quite distressed by his arrest and detention. He has lived and worked in this country for many years and is only seeking to make life better for farm workers and immigrants," said Julie Taylor, Executive Director of National Farm Worker Ministry.

CBS San Francisco [3/27/2025 3:43 PM, Dave Pehling, 51661K] reports the Trump administration on Thursday announced a nationwide sweep that led to the arrests of several alleged MS-13 gang members, including one who was taken into custody in San Francisco a day earlier. According to the FBI, Santos Rodriguez-Aleman is an alleged member of the MS-13 gang with a criminal history including convictions in El Salvador for drug and firearms trafficking and homicide. The FBI assisted San Francisco-based ICE officers with the arrest, according to the post. The arrest was just one of many happening throughout the country. On Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi joined Virginia law enforcement to announce the arrest of a top leader for the MS-13 gang.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 9:15 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports police identified and charged a 26-year-old Washington man for impersonating an immigration agent, after allegedly stalking a Ukrainian market with fake "ICE" decals on his car. Authorities say around 5 p.m. on March 16, an SUV with fake "ICE" decals — impersonating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — stalked the parking lot of the Emish Market in Fife, Washington. According to Fife police, the car was a black 2019 Ford SUV with no license plates, and the driver was deliberately circling through the parking lot to intimidate Emish Market customers, many of whom are Ukrainian. One or more occupants in the fake "ICE" car were seen recording employees and customers on video, which police say caused alarm and concern. The SUV sped away before police arrived. A criminal investigation was launched after the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the vehicle was not theirs. Fife police issued a bulletin, and the Tukwila Police Department identified it as one of their former patrol cars, which had been pulled from their fleet after being totaled in a crash. The city resold the car to a private buyer. Between public tips and Tukwila police information, the suspect was identified as 26-year-old Ilya P. Kukhar, who was charged with second-degree criminal impersonation. Kukhar is scheduled to be arraigned on April 11. Information in this story comes from Fife Police Department.

San Diego Union Tribune [3/27/2025 10:44 PM, Caleb Lunetta, 1682K] reports federal agents raided an El Cajon business that regularly contracts with the U.S. military on Thursday on allegations that the company knowingly employs undocumented immigrants. The raid occurred at multiple buildings operated by BJS & T Enterprises, which does business under the name San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings, on Magnolia Avenue near Airport Drive. The company, which according to its website is family-owned, completes metal coatings and has multiple federal government contracts, including work for projects on military and government vehicles, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed in San Diego federal court Thursday. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations — a criminal investigative agency under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — began to scrutinize the company while investigating drug traffickers in 2022. At least one man arrested in connection with that case allegedly worked at the company without legal authorization, and further investigation led agents to suspect there were more, according to the affidavit. The search warrant allowed federal officials to search multiple buildings operated by the company and seize personnel files and internal communications about employees’ tenure with the company, the court document reads. It also allowed agents to seize any documents or electronics containing shift schedules, payroll records, job appointments and contracts. NBC 7 reported that dozens of armed law enforcement officers in bulletproof vests had handcuffed individuals and lined them up in the industrial area during the raid Thursday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how many people, if any, were detained at the scene. Officials from the company could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

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Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 6:12 PM, Rhea Caoile, 52868K]

ABC News [3/27/2025 1:35 PM, Emily Chang, 52868K] reports that Stephanie Gonzalez says she and her family have endured "heartbreak" since the deportation of her parents, 55-year-old Gladys and 59-year-old Nelson Gonzalez. Stephanie Gonzalez said her parents were arrested and detained on Feb. 21 after a routine supervision appointment. That day, Gladys Gonzalez was initially granted a one-year extension to stay in America, prompting her daughter to think that "everything’s gonna be fine, like it always is." A few hours later, however, Nelson Gonzalez called to inform the family he was being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that Gladys’ extension was revoked and she was being detained as well. "They separated them in separate rooms. They were in rooms alone for hours with no food," Stephanie Gonzalez said. "They had handcuffed them from their hands or from their wrists and from their ankles." ICE confirmed to ABC News that Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez do not have criminal records and have been deported to Colombia. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that Nelson and Gladys Gonzalez "illegally entered the United States" in 1989. After they appeared before an immigration judge who found "no legal basis" for them to remain in the U.S., ICE said the couple was granted a "voluntary departure" with a final removal in 2000.

CBS Los Angeles [3/27/2025 10:43 PM, Matthew Rodriguez, 51661K] reports Riverside County investigators arrested a Lake Elsinore Unified School District employee at the center of a child sexual abuse case. Homeland resident David Robledo, 36, faces several criminal charges, including lewd acts against a child under 14 years old and possession of child sexual assault material. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office also charged him with a misdemeanor count of unlawfully destroying evidence. Robledo pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on March 23. The Riverside County Child Exploitation Team started investigating Robledo’s case in December 2024 after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The organization claimed that Robledo was storing child sexual abuse material on a cloud-based platform. After a few months, investigators arrested Robledo at his home in the 27000 block of Collin Drive. Detectives believe that Robledo may have victimized more people and asked anyone with information to contact the task force at (760) 863-8168. Investigators believe Robledo worked at several Lake Elsinore Unified School District campuses. The Riverside County Child Exploitation Team is a task force comprising of 10 local law enforcement agencies. The organization also works with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service.

NBC News [3/27/2025 8:58 PM, Daniella Silva, et al., 44742K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday the State Department has revoked 300 or more student visas, as the White House increasingly targets foreign-born students whose main transgression seems to be activism. Rubio warned that the administration was looking out for "these lunatics." Around the country, scholars have been picked up, in some cases by masked immigration agents, and held in detention centers, sometimes a thousand miles from their homes with little warning and often with few details about why they were being detained. "It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas," Rubio said at a news conference in Guyana, where he was meeting with leaders. Many of those rounded up by Trump officials attended or were part of the pro-Palestinian movement that swept college campuses last year, and while the administration hasn’t said publicly why these students are being singled out over others, at least one sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared on lists made by far-right pro-Israel groups as targets for deportation. And Trump allies, many in government again, telegraphed for months before he took office that they’d seek to deport students who openly advocated for Hamas or other U.S.-designated terrorist groups or after they participated in an unauthorized campus protest and were suspended, expelled or jailed. The detentions are a signal of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to clamp down on the actions of legal permanent residents, student visa holders and others who live and work legally in the United States, one that threatens to undermine a fundamental American right to free speech and to assemble, experts and advocates said. "There’s something uniquely disturbing about sending a message to the best and the brightest around the world, who traditionally have flocked to U.S. universities because of their openness, because of their freedom, because of their intellectual vigor, and now say, ‘We don’t want you here,’" said Ben Wizner, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Targeting students is a shift from their stated goal of going after criminals, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst with the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Bush-Joseph said that for noncitizens, "the government has so much discretion when it comes to granting or taking away immigration benefits, and that can be done based on a number of reasons.". The State Department has used as justification for some student deportation proceedings an immigration provision that dates to the Cold War and gives Rubio the authority to deport noncitizens if their activities pose "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." And U.S. officials can revoke a student visa if they deem the student a threat.

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Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:00 AM, Laerke Christensen, 52868K] reports that on March 20, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told hosts on the "All-In" business and technology podcast that "yesterday, I sold 1,000" of President Donald Trump’s proposed "gold card" visas — $5 million visas the government plans to sell to wealthy people living overseas who want a path to U.S. citizenship. Lutnick further claimed that 37 million people outside the United States had the financial means to buy the visa. At the 01:11:17 mark of the video below, the commerce secretary said: "About two weeks from today it goes out, OK. Elon’s building me the software right now and then out it goes. And, by the way, yesterday I sold a thousand." The claim spread across social media to Facebook, X (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived) and Reddit (archived). Snopes readers also inquired about the claim via email and searches on our website. As previously reported, Trump first announced the visas during a Feb. 25, 2025, news conference. The president estimated the U.S. could make $50 trillion from 10 million visa sales at $5 million each. Snopes reached out to the Department of Commerce for background on Lutnick’s claims — namely, confirmation on whether the department had already sold 1,000 "gold card" visas, on what date and the source of Lutnick’s claim that 37 million people outside the U.S. are able to buy the visa.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 2:22 PM, Hugh Cameron, 52220K] reports that advisories issued for those travelling to the U.S., sparked by a series of arrests and detentions at, could take a serious toll on America’s tourism industry. Jukka Laitamaki, professor of international hospitality and tourism at New York University, told Newsweek that should these spread to other countries, the economic impact could be "anywhere between 60 to 120 billion USD in 2025." According to The World Travel and Tourism Council, the American tourism sector contributed $2.36 trillion to the country’s GDP in 2023 while accounting for a roughly 11 percent share of the total U.S. job market. In addition to travel advisories triggered by reported difficulties being faced at the border, the critical sector is also facing the potential decline in visitors due to tariff-related hostility toward the U.S. This is particularly true of Canadians, who have been engaged in an boycott of U.S. goods and holiday destinations as a result of the ongoing trade war and President Trump’s pledge to make the country a "51st state." Professor Laitamaki said his estimate of a $120 billion hit to the tourism sector is based on a potential 10 percent decline in inbound travel and on the assumption that the travel advisories so far issued by countries including the U.K., Germany and Canada will be adopted by other nations in the E.U. and elsewhere.

Newsweek [3/28/2025 4:45 AM, Shane Croucher and Jasmine Laws, 52220K]
Portugal said it has updated its travel advice for the U.S. to reflect tighter entry conditions and changes around gender recognition. The Portuguese foreign ministry confirmed the changes in a statement to Newsweek. It said the following paragraphs were added this week: "Please note that possession of an ESTA or a visa does not constitute an automatic right of entry to the USA. The final decision is always made by the border agent upon arrival in US territory. "To avoid misunderstandings in communication, it is recommended that travelers carry proof of return travel and avoid making false statements about the purposes of their stay (e.g. ESTA holders claiming to be traveling for tourism when they are actually carrying out some type of work activity). "It is also recommended that anyone entering the US via ports or airports avoid crossing land borders with Canada and Mexico if they intend to leave the US afterwards, as their re-entry may be questioned. "Please note that anyone entering the US by land must also be in possession of a visa or an ESTA. "The existence of a criminal record in the US, or a violation of the maximum time of stay in US territory on a previous trip, may be grounds for denying entry into the country. "For citizens who identify with a non-binary gender, the recommendation from US authorities is that they must fill out forms and provide a statement upon arrival with the gender with which they were identified at birth.”

Reuters [3/27/2025 6:50 AM, Marisa Taylor and Jeffrey Dastin, 75858K] reports the Trump administration has directed two intelligence agencies to train their satellite surveillance capabilities on the U.S.-Mexico border region as part of a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration and drug cartels. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which are part of the Department of Defense, oversee spy satellites and analyze imagery for the Pentagon and other intelligence organizations. Their engagement, coupled with troop deployments, shows increasing militarization of the southern border, where President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency. Reuters could not determine whether the effort, which has not been previously reported, would gather imagery of U.S. territory. Asked by Reuters about their roles in border surveillance, the NGA said it had created a task force to coordinate its "support to the U.S. border mission," while the NRO said it was partnering with the intelligence community and Pentagon "to secure U.S. borders." Their participation is in response to sweeping executive actions by Trump aimed at stopping unauthorized border trafficking and crossings, as well as deporting those in the United States illegally – estimated to be up to 14 million people. The White House and Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment. Trump made immigration enforcement a central part of his campaign that catapulted him to the presidency on Jan. 20. While the government has deployed artificial intelligence and drone surveillance at the border for years, the latest initiative seeks to expand the use of military capabilities generally built for conflict overseas. The government could use AI to identify objects or persons of interest by sifting through satellite images and other data feeds, much like the Defense Department can do on the battlefield, said two sources familiar with the initiative.

AZCentral [3/27/2025 8:03 AM, Raphael Romero Ruiz, 4457K] reports the Pentagon has authorized expanded roles for hundreds of U.S. troops stationed at the southern border, allowing them to conduct surveillance alongside Customs and Border Protection agents. The decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth marks a departure from prior mission guidelines, shifting away from stationary observation roles to “conduct mobile ground-based monitoring.” Troops assigned to the Joint Task Force-Southern Border, headquartered at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, will now be able to patrol using military vehicles and on foot to detect, track, and monitor movements of suspected illegal activity, according to a March 25 Department of Defense release. "Conducting patrols, either on foot or mounted, creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts," Army Maj. Jennifer L. Staton, a Defense Department spokesperson, said in a statement. "The dynamic approach of patrolling allows service members to cover a larger area of the border, affording them dynamic observation across multiple angles and distances." The new authorities also allow “DoD ground mobility support,” such as soldiers from the recently deployed 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, to transport CBP agents using "Stryker" vehicles – heavy-duty armored eight-wheelers like the one seen in an equipment test in El Paso, Texas. Active-duty military members remain prohibited from direct law enforcement activities under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. Apprehensions of migrants caught crossing between ports of entry must continue to be carried out by Border Patrol agents.

Border Report [3/27/2025 2:18 PM, Melissa Luna, 117K] reports that an 18-year-old man was recently arrested after he allegedly tried to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP says officers working at the Paso Del Norte bridge seized 16.2 pounds of meth and 2.2 pounds of fentanyl on Wednesday, March 26. The seizure was made just before 1 a.m. Wednesday, when an 18-year-old man, a U.S. citizen, arrived from Mexico in a vehicle. Officers selected the vehicle for a secondary exam. A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the car and alerted to the vehicle, CBP said. A scan of the vehicle also identified anomalies in the doors of the car. CBP officers then removed 14 bundles of meth and one package of fentanyl from the doors. The man was apprehended and transferred to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI is now investigating the incident and the man is facing federal charges related to the importation of controlled substances. "History has shown that smuggling organizations will use almost anyone to move their contraband into the United States," said acting CBP El Paso Port Director Arnie Gomez. "We need to remain vigilant at all times because we have seen everyone from teens and senior citizens to families and single travelers all involved in the drug trade."

CBS Detroit [3/27/2025 9:02 PM, Elaine Rojas-Castillo, 51661K] Video: HERE reports Detroiters often make the mistake of accidentally driving onto the Ambassador Bridge, a one-way toll road connecting the U.S. and Canada. For Sarahi, a mother of two, that error turned her life upside down. Immigrating from Guatemala as a child, Sarahi’s attorney, Ruby Robinson, says she doesn’t have legal status and was immediately detained by customs and border protection when she reached the security checkpoint, along with her two daughters. "She wanted to go to Costco, and she put Costco into the GPS, or her family member did who was driving, and it chose the Costco in Windsor, and so they followed the directions," said Robinson, the senior managing attorney at Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. "Being detained with your children for five days is pretty traumatic and carries a lot of trauma for her, for her children.". While Sarahi is undocumented, her two girls, ages 1 and 5, are both U.S. citizens. Miriam Aukerman, senior staff attorney with ACLU Michigan, says the family didn’t have access to legal counsel for almost a week and were held in unacceptable conditions. "I find it absolutely appalling that U.S. citizen children, any children, are being held in these conditions that aren’t fit for adults, much less children, and that CBP won’t even tell us what is happening," said Aukerman. In a statement to CBS News Detroit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said, "When individuals violate immigration laws, their choices make them subject to detention and removal. In this case, an illegal alien was encountered at the Detroit Ambassador Bridge after driving into Canada without travel documents. She admitted to unlawfully entering the U.S. in 2018. Per policy, CBP worked to find a suitable guardian for her U.S. citizen children; however, she initially chose to keep them with her, prolonging the detention period. Once the children were placed with a guardian, she was transferred to ICE.".

CBS Detroit [3/27/2025 9:58 AM, Paula Wethington, 51661K] reports that two major drug busts in the Metro Detroit area were reported Wednesday by Michigan State Police, citing a combined street value of over $500,000. The MSP’s Second District related the details of the investigations, based on the work of the County of Macomb Enforcement Team known as COMET. One case involved the results of search warrants served in Detroit and several other communities. A total of over 107 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, with a street value of about $480,000, was seized. COMET was assisted by MNET, Michigan State Police, ATF, FBI and Border Patrol. The other case involved COMET executing search warrants in Oakland County, assisted by Michigan State Police. The following items were among the drugs with a street value of about $25,000 seized in that search: Over a kilogram of an unknown powder packaged as a controlled substance. Detectives also recovered over $20,000 with intent to forfeit. Both investigations were supported by the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance (JAG) grant program, which is awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); administered by the Michigan State Police.

Yahoo! News [3/28/2025 12:24 AM, Annalisa Pardo, 52868K] reports Bishop Michael Hunn of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande said the Albuquerque church has operated a shelter in El Paso for the last few years in partnership with Border Patrol. He said agents would bring migrants to the shelter who claimed asylum and passed credible interviews while they await a court hearing. "We’d give them hot food and a hot shower and often, this was the first time where they really felt safe in months," said Bishop Hunn. The partnership with the government is why the church was shocked when it received a letter from the U.S. Department Of Homeland Security expressing concern of "illegal activities" at the shelter. "We were both surprised and really saddened to see our ministry and partnership with the Department of Homeland Security so mischaracterized," said Bishop Hunn. The letter also accuses the shelter of "harboring" or "shielding" "illegal aliens" from authorities. "Everyone who came to our shelter was legally present in the United States, they were all claiming asylum, and literally they were brought to us by the Border Patrol," said Bishop Hunn. The letter said the shelter is at risk of losing reimbursement funds FEMA gives it. Bishop Hunn said that reimbursement has been about $40,000 over the course of nearly three years. The letter also asks church leadership to sign an affidavit saying they have no knowledge of illegal activity and to hand over the names and addresses of people they helped. "What’s confusing about that is they literally brought us all those people, gave us their names, and all the addresses," said Hunn.

FOX News [3/27/2025 10:21 PM, Louis Casiano, 52868K] reports a California school district has apologized after a U.S. Border Patrol recruiter was "inadvertently" denied access to a high school career fair this week, saying what happened was a "misunderstanding.” The Coachella Valley Unified School District said a Border Patrol recruiter was "inadvertently denied" entry to a career fair at Coachella Valley High School by the principal on Wednesday. "We want to make it very clear that we do not condone this behavior, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken with the involved staff members to ensure this does not happen again," the district said in a news release. The principal of Coachella Valley High School in Southern California "inadvertently" denied a U.S. Border Patrol recruiter entry to the school during a Wednesday career fair. "Our students have greatly appreciated the valuable interactions and insights they have gained from learning about careers in Law Enforcement and the Border Patrol," it continued. "We recognize the importance of providing our students with real-world career options and opportunities.” The district added that it welcomes the Border Patrol’s presence at any future career fairs across its three high schools. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino wrote about the incident on X, prompting him to ask: "Agendas in Schools?". In a subsequent post, he thanked the school district for its apology. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with them for the benefit of our youth & students," he wrote. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/27/2025 12:31 PM, Julia Johnson, 46189K] reports that Republican senators are debuting a measure on Thursday to abolish the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which they say has "intruded into the privacy and personal space" of Americans. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is leading the bill alongside Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. "The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives. Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end. American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees," Lee told Fox News Digital in a statement. The measure would officially abolish the TSA three years after being enacted into law, which the senators believe would provide time for security needs to be privatized. The bill would also direct the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Transportation to make a reorganization plan and submit it to Congress. In his own statement, Tuberville said, "The TSA is an inefficient, bureaucratic mess that infringes on Americans’ freedoms."

Washington Post [3/27/2025 12:20 PM, Natalie B. Compton, 31735K] reports that it can trip up even the most seasoned travelers. One minute you’re breezing through the TSA PreCheck lane bright-eyed and ready to hand over your ID. The next, the agent is giving you a look. It’s a "Haven’t you been here before?" look. They ask you to scan your boarding pass. You’re confused. Didn’t they stop asking for boarding passes? Now you’re fumbling for your phone while restless travelers in line behind you roll their eyes. Amateur hour. TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said that’s because while technically the security protocols are the same across the United States (TSA needs to verify your identify and confirm you’re actually flying that day), "it’s the technologies that are different." The technologies in question are the ID checker and the X-ray. Your checkpoint experience will depend on what kind of each is available in your security lane. Some checkpoints are equipped with credential authentication technology (CAT), that little boxy machine that takes your ID. The CAT makes sure your ID is real, takes your photo, confirms your identity and checks your flight booking. When your lane doesn’t have a CAT machine, "you’ll have to show your boarding pass to the TSA officer," Farbstein said. The goal is to have CAT machines at every checkpoint, Farbstein said, although there is no deadline for the upgrades. "We’re continuing to install them," she said.

WIVB [3/27/2025 6:17 PM, Katie Skoog] reports two men from Williamsville and Grand Island were stopped at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport’s security checkpoint last week and this week for allegedly having guns, a TSA spokesperson announced Thursday. Officials said the Grand Island man was stopped on March 21 with a 9mm handgun that was with his carry-on items. The gun was allegedly loaded with 13 bullets, which included one in the chamber. The Williamsville man was stopped on March 26 with a 9mm firearm loaded with nine bullets, officials said. He also allegedly had one bullet in the gun’s chamber. TSA workers then notified police, who responded to the security checkpoint and took the weapons. Since both men had a valid New York State pistol permit, they were cited with a notice of violation on a weapons charge. Officials said the men are facing a "stiff" civil penalty from TSA. The two guns marked the first guns to be intercepted at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport this year, according to data from the TSA. Last year, four guns were intercepted.

Appleton Post-Crescent [3/27/2025 5:19 PM, Rashad Alexander] reports two firearms were confiscated Monday morning at Appleton International Airport in Greenville, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. during a routine screening of carry-on luggage. TSA officers spotted X-rays of two handguns in a bag. Outagamie County sheriff’s deputies were alerted and confiscated the loaded firearms. Multiple firearms were detected in other Wisconsin airports this month, including Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE), and Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA). More than 6,600 firearms were stopped at airport security checkpoints in 2024, with Wisconsin airports seeing firearm detections drop last year. ATW had three firearms caught in 2024, while Green Bay Austin Straubel Field (GRB) only had one caught. It is unknown if the individual who possessed the firearm was arrested.

CBS 58 [3/27/2025 11:33 AM, Staff, 257K] reports that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says officers intercepted five firearms at Wisconsin airports in the month of March. They say two loaded firearms were intercepted in one day at Appleton International Airport this week, and firearms were also detected at checkpoints at Mitchell International Airport, Dane County Regional Airport, and Central Wisconsin Airport this month. "As we continue to project elevated travel volumes at airports across the state in the coming weeks and months, we urge passengers to start with an empty bag and ensure they aren’t inadvertently bringing any prohibited items to the checkpoint," TSA Wisconsin Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay said. "Bringing a firearm in your carry-on bag is a careless, expensive mistake that introduces tremendous risk to the crowded checkpoint environment." TSA fines passengers who bring a firearm to a checkpoint with up to $15,000 and revokes TSA PreCheck eligibility for at least five years. Passengers are allowed to travel with unloaded firearms in checked bagged, packed separately from ammunition and in a locked, hard-sided case. They must also be declared at the airline check-in counter. TSA says travelers should check firearm laws in the jurisdictions they’re traveling to and from and should also check their airline’s requirements.

FOX News [3/27/2025 1:16 PM, Ashley J. DiMella, 46189K] reports that a Houston-area woman is calling out the Department of Homeland Security and airline CEOs over an issue she said she faces while going through airport security. Cretora Biggerstaff, 106, reportedly flies twice a year from Texas to Gainesville, Florida, with her daughter. Biggerstaff claims airport personnel repeatedly asked her to prove her age, she said in an interview with FOX 26 Houston. "People will say to me, ‘How do you feel?’ I say, ‘How should I feel? I feel OK. I don’t feel 106,’" she said. Biggerstaff said she is often asked to show her Texas ID to airport officials and her ID does have the star stamped on it, which indicates it meets security standards. "If I could get the airlines to realize I’m not some stupid old lady, and that’s what they think I am, that I don’t know if I’m coming or going," said Biggerstaff. She said she thinks the computer system doesn’t recognize ages over 100. Biggerstaff’s friend, Arline Thienel, said she agrees. "I’d like to see the computers aligned up to 120 or whatever," Thienel told FOX 26. "People live longer, so they don’t have to go through all that stress every time they travel," she added. Biggerstaff and Thienel said they emailed letters to the U.S. Department of Transportation as well as United Airlines and Delta Air Lines CEOs, asking them to update the systems. Fox News Digital reached out to TSA for comment.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:13 PM, Barry Owens, 52868K] Video: HERE reports the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is stepping up its efforts at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) following a spike in the number of firearms detected at security checkpoints. Fred Person, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Kansas, says the increase is alarming. "Last year, we had a total of 17 [firearms] for the year. This year, we’ve already found 9 — and seven of those were loaded," he said. "That creates a significant hazard for both our passengers that are flying out as well as our screening officers.". According to Person, the TSA is launching an educational campaign to help travelers better understand how to travel with firearms — legally and safely. "We wanted to show individuals the proper way to declare these and to properly package them so that we can avoid having any issues at the checkpoint," he said. The consequences for not properly declaring a firearm can be steep. Passengers can face a fine of up to $17,000 and may lose TSA PreCheck privileges for up to five years. "There are some significant problems that can occur if you do not declare your firearm," Person said.

AZCentral [3/27/2025 8:17 AM, Julia Gomez, 4457K] reports wildfires in the Carolinas have taken over thousands of acres, and one of the most destructive fires doubled in size in the 24 hours. In the Carolinas, wildfires have set 17,646.37 acres ablaze, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission and the North Carolina Forest Service. While firefighters in North Carolina were able to start containing the two largest wildfires in the state, the Black Cove Fire and the Deep Woods Fire, the size of the Table Rock Fire in South Carolina nearly doubled and remains at 0% contained. On Wednesday, the Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire were responsible for yet another round of evacuations, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. "Another day of extreme fire behavior on both incidents today prompted a new round of evacuations and led to a second straight day of rapid expansion of both wildfires," states a press release from the commission. Extremely low humidity and gusty winds "contributed greatly to the fires’ growth," according to the commission. But winds are expected to ease on Thursday while humidity levels go up from 14% to 22%. "An abundance" of dry, downed timber from Hurricane Helene has also fueled the fire. Dry conditions are expected to continue through Thursday. As of Thursday morning, the largest fire in South Carolina is the Table Rock Fire, according to USA TODAY’s data. The fire has set 4,556 acres ablaze and is 0% contained as of Thursday morning. The cause of the fire is undetermined. The Persimmon Ridge Fire has consumed 1,553 acres and is also 0 % contained according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 3:00 PM, Anna Skinner, 52220K] reports U.S. Representative Mark Harris, a North Carolina Republican, is calling for a total overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as wildfires continue to ignite across the state. Harris didn’t expand on how FEMA failed. North Carolina’s wildfire season is in the spring. As of Thursday, there are at least 12 wildfires burning across the state.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 3:24 PM, Mike Bebernes, 52868K] reports the agency that manages the federal government’s disaster relief efforts may soon be shut down, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told President Trump during a meeting of his Cabinet on Monday. "We’re eliminating FEMA," Noem said, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has led the response to more than 4,300 disasters nationwide since it was established 45 years ago. Officially, neither Trump nor Noem, who oversees FEMA as the head of DHS, has the authority to eliminate the agency on their own. Only Congress has that power, at least on paper. But Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has already moved to shut down other agencies within the government, including USAID, which could mean FEMA is possibly destined for a similar fate. More than 200 of the agency’s employees have already been fired by the Trump administration. Noem and other administration officials have reportedly discussed "all but eliminating" the agency’s role in disaster recovery by the beginning of October in private meetings this week, according to the Washington Post.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:24 PM, Gabrielle Lewis, 52868K] reports U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney and over 60 other members of Congress did not receive an answer from the federal government to a letter demanding more details by Wednesday on why the Trump administration canceled trainings at the National Fire Academy and Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg. Several senators, including Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and over 50 Congressional representatives signed a letter dated March 14 to Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, and Cameron Hamilton, the acting FEMA administrator. They requested a response from Noem and Hamilton by Wednesday. Sasha Galbreath, a spokesperson for McClain Delaney, said Thursday morning that no response came back other than a confirmation of receipt. McClain Delaney said in a statement Thursday that she "is disappointed in FEMA’s lack of urgency to reinstate training to secure our communities’ public safety and support our first responders.". On March 7, FEMA announced it was canceling all in-person first responder training courses for the National Fire Academy and the Emergency Management Institute, which are on the same campus. An email sent out to National Fire Academy instructors the day courses were canceled said that "FEMA is currently in the process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities.". On March 11, in response to questions from The Frederick News-Post about cancellations at the National Fire Academy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said: "The bottom line is we are no longer paying for non-employee travel. We are only authorizing travel for mission critical programs, this isn’t one.".

South Florida Sun Sentinel [3/27/2025 5:28 PM, Anthony Man] reports U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Jared Moskowitz of Florida have a plan to reform federal emergency management and improve the efficiency of federal emergency response efforts. They would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, and make it an independent agency with Cabinet rank reporting directly to the president. Their legislation, announced this week, comes as the entire future and role of FEMA is uncertain — with just two months to go until the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Several national news organizations, including CNN, Politico’s E&E News, and the Washington Post, reported this week that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton and others met to discuss dismantling the agency. Donalds and Moskowitz are advocating a different approach. They are proposing the FEMA Independence Act that would take FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security and make it a freestanding agency. Another provision would require that the agency leader, who would be subject to Senate confirmation, have "a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security" across the public and private sectors.

NPR [3/27/2025 4:41 PM, Paul Garber, 29983K] Audio: HERE reports six months after flooding from Hurricane Helene swept through Southern Appalachia, some towns there are still struggling to rebuild.

NPR [3/27/2025 5:30 PM, Staff, 29983K] Audio: HERE reports six months ago, Southern Appalachia was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Now, after a dry spell and a windy March — the region faces wildfires that are feeding on the downed trees and vegetation that the hurricane knocked to the forest floor. The North Carolina Forest Service has declared one of them "the highest priority fire in the U.S." And due to climate change and population growth, the Carolinas must anticipate a future with more fire danger.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 1:34 PM, Ming Xie, 52868K] reports that imagine a world in which a hurricane devastates the Gulf Coast, and the U.S. has no federal agency prepared to quickly send supplies, financial aid and temporary housing assistance. Could the states manage this catastrophic event on their own? Normally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA, is prepared to marshal supplies within hours of a disaster and begin distributing financial aid to residents who need help. However, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying the federal government plans to eliminate FEMA, President Donald Trump suggesting states can take over disaster recovery, and climate change causing more frequent and severe disasters, it’s worth asking how prepared states are to face these growing challenges without help. Without FEMA or other federal support, states would have to manage the disaster response and recovery on their own. States prone to frequent disasters, such as Louisiana and Florida, would face expensive recurring challenges that would likely exacerbate recovery delays and reduce their overall resilience. Smaller, more rural and less wealthy states that lack the financial resources and logistical capabilities to respond effectively would be disproportionately affected. "States don’t have that capability built to handle a disaster every single year," Lynn Budd, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, told Stateline in an interview. Access to FEMA avoids the need for expensive disaster response infrastructure in each state.

The Hill [3/27/2025 4:52 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K] reports a new AccuWeather forecast predicts the U.S. could be bracing for a 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on par with last year’s, which brought six named storms directly to U.S. soil. This year, according to the forecast released Thursday, experts say three to six named storms could directly impact the United States. The AccuWeather forecast suggested similar areas could be hit particularly hard during the 2025 season: Texas, Louisiana, the western coast of Florida, North Carolina and Atlantic Canada. Experts are warning that the hurricane season could start early this year, in May, "due to exceptionally warm water temperatures expected across much of the Atlantic basin."

Washington Post [3/27/2025 11:59 AM, Ian Livingston, 31735K] reports that Major wildfires that began last week continue to burn through land in western portions of the Carolinas. A newer large fire is also flaring in nearby north Georgia. In total, the largest wildfires are burning more than 12,000 acres overall — and the fires are likely to grow further without much resistance in the days to come. A new state of emergency was issued Wednesday for a large swath of western North Carolina. In addition to wildfires, the region is dealing with expansive drought. In a challenge for firefighters, wind shifts around cold fronts that are passing through the region are also sending wildfire smoke far beyond the areas impacted by flames. The air on Thursday will be particularly tough, with Code Purple conditions that denote a “very unhealthy” air forecast for several counties in North and South Carolina. There could be some rainfall by Sunday, but amounts are uncertain. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) declared a state of emergency late Wednesday to coordinate the ongoing fire response. The order covers nearly three dozen of the state’s 100 counties. “The wildfires in western North Carolina continue to grow, so I have expanded our State of Emergency,” Stein said in a press release. The largest fires in Polk County have come under partial containment while surpassing 6,000 acres. Several are burning in the mountains east of Hendersonville, which is roughly 25 miles south of Asheville.

WSPA [3/27/2025 4:49 PM, Hallie Shuler] reports FEMA has authorized federal funds to North Carolina to help fight the Alarka fire in Swain County. The wildfire in the Alarka Community has burned 912 acres, county officials said Thursday. According to Swain County Emergency Management, three roads in the county are under evacuation, including Long Creek, Alarka Highlands and Unahala Creek. On March 26, the state submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Alarka fire. The FEMA region administrator approved the request on the same day, as the fire threatened more than 400 homes in Swain County, as well as several critical areas in the region. Additionally, the fire poses a threat to property owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The fire is 0% contained at this time. The cause of the fire is unknown.

FOX News [3/27/2025 9:10 AM, Staff, 46189K] reports that Hurricane Helene survivor Mona Roper explains the ongoing needs of North Carolina residents and voices support for ending FEMA, arguing the system is flawed and ultimately causing more harm to Americans. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 6:13 PM, Ty Russell, 52868K] reports that, during a televised cabinet meeting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she plans to "eliminate" FEMA but didn’t go further into how that could play out. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents people in Tampa and St. Petersburg, wants the Trump Administration to rethink those plans, especially since FEMA is still assisting families after back-to-back hurricanes. "Eliminating FEMA would be dangerous and costly for Florida families and businesses," Castor said. FEMA is a federal agency that helps states prepare and respond after disasters, like hurricanes. The agency not only helps families with individual assistance, but it also reimburses municipalities for debris removal. "There’s no way that a community facing catastrophe has the ability to keep a search-and-rescue team on task all year long or have a medical assistant team on task all year long," Castor said. "To think you’re asking the state to maintain and carry those costs for months, and months, and months. That just doesn’t make sense. That’s not financially wise.” While at the Florida State Fair last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his support for overhauling FEMA and allowing states to take more control. "You’ve got folks with Milton and Helene who are still battling FEMA," DeSantis said. Rep. Castor says that’s not a good idea based on years of complaints from Floridians who are seeking jobless benefits. "We know from the experience of Florida’s unemployment compensation system that they have never been able to deliver aide in a timely basis," Castor said.

New York Times [3/28/2025 3:03 AM, John Yoon, 330K] reports severe flooding swept South Texas and cities across the border in Mexico on Thursday, as half a year’s rainfall drenched the region in less than two days. Officials warned of more rain on Friday and shut schools on the U.S. side. Thunderstorms brought 10 to 15 inches of rain to the parts of Texas where flash flood warnings were in effect, said Geoffrey Bogorad, a senior forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Brownsville. As much as four more inches were expected to fall, he said, as the Weather Service warned of more flash floods on Friday. The rain has flooded homes and roads and prompted at least nine school districts in the Rio Grande Valley to cancel classes on Friday. Multiple cities in South Texas this week saw record amounts of rain for late March, with 12 inches falling in Harlingen, and 11 in McAllen, during a 24-hour period, Mr. Bogorad said. The semiarid region along the border with Mexico usually receives about 25 inches annually. “This is a particularly dangerous situation,” the Weather Service said in a statement late Thursday, adding that the flash flooding was life-threatening and the damage could be catastrophic. “Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding, or under an evacuation order.” The storms have also soaked Mexico. The weather authorities there warned late Thursday of winds of up to 50 miles per hour overnight, with heavy rain and some hail expected in the border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon. Thunderstorms began dousing South Texas on Wednesday. Meteorologists warned of heavy rainfall and flash flooding as they observed another round of thunderstorms on Thursday. By the afternoon, the storm had flooded homes in McAllen and damaged buildings with winds a strong as 70 m.p.h. Images on social media showed highways and access roads in South Texas and Mexico flooded with up to four feet of water. The police also said that a tornado had touched down in Edcouch on Thursday, though no damage was reported, according to Mr. Bogorad. Water rescues were taking place late Thursday in La Feria as meteorologists declared a flash flood emergency, urging residents to seek higher ground immediately. Many of the water rescues were from cars getting stuck in rising waters, Mr. Bogorad said. There were no reports of injuries. “I don’t recall seeing this type of rainfall in March in deep South Texas,” he said. “This is a pretty substantial widespread event.”

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 2:15 PM, Paul Bedard, 2296K] reports that a third German shepherd owned by former President Joe Biden attacked security and landscaping staff while he was vice president, the Secret Service has revealed. "Champ" was so threatening that agents and outdoor staff were warned to stay away from the second family’s yard when the dog was out, and, failing that, they were advised to yell the dog’s name as he charged because he sometimes stopped when called. What’s more, the attacks became so regular that the family would shut off the automatic doggie door of the residence in the U.S. Naval Observatory facility when security was on the spacious grounds. The new reports of attacks were released by Judicial Watch today after it received the Secret Service emails through a Freedom of Information Act request. The watchdog group had previously charted multiple attacks by two other Biden German shepherds — "Major" and "Commander" — that sometimes drew blood and ripped clothes. The attacks suggested that the Bidens were poor trainers and custodians of their pets. Judicial Watch had reported that the former president was, at times, cruel to his dogs. In one report, they quoted a source that said Biden "punched and kicked his dogs.". Today, the group said it received 22 pages of reports on Champ while Biden was former President Barack Obama’s vice president.

FOX News [3/27/2025 8:56 AM, Pilar Arias, 46189K] reports that DJ Daniel, the 13-year-old cancer survivor made famous during President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress earlier this month, has officially reported for duty at the U.S. Secret Service Training Center. Daniel was at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland, alongside Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on March 19, according to a post on X. "We’re here today at the special agent graduating ceremony, the class of 445, with DJ, who is a Secret Service agent," Noem said in the social media video. "And also Director Curran." "That’s right, and our newest agent," Curran chimed in. "Yes, we’re looking for the best and the brightest," Noem concluded. Following the graduation and lunch, Daniel’s visit was action-packed. It included "a garage and driving pad where special agents and uniformed officers train to operate emergency vehicles," the Secret Service said in a media release. He also got up close to the president’s limousine, known as the Beast, before getting an "inside look at the Special Operations Division, which provides tactical support for the Secret Service’s protective details.". From there, Daniel got to see a canine demonstration prior to checking out the weapons lab and even rode in the passenger seat where a trained Secret Service driver "performed fast-paced maneuvers."

Reuters [3/27/2025 12:39 PM, David Shepardson, 41523K] reports that testing of counter-drone technology near Reagan Washington National Airport by the U.S. Secret Service and Navy earlier this month led to numerous flight crews receiving faulty alerts of potentially nearby aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration and a U.S. senator said on Thursday. Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz at a hearing said the March 1 faulty alerts that caused some flights to abort landings were due to the government testing using the same spectrum band as the alerting system. That led to interference that impacted at least a dozen flights. Cruz, a Republican from Texas, called the testing inappropriate and "deeply disturbing" after a fatal collision on January 29 between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter killed 67 people. Acting Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Chris Rocheleau confirmed that Cruz’ account was correct. "The FAA had previously warned the Navy and the Secret Service against using that specific spectrum band due to interference risks," Cruz said. He added that the committee plans to investigate what happened. The Secret Service and Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Hill [3/27/2025 10:05 AM, Tara Suter, 12829K] reports that a toddler slipped through the White House gate Wednesday, the Secret Service said in a post on the social platform X. "Just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers observed a child slip through the White House north fence. Officers quickly reunited the child with their parents without incident," Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi wrote Wednesday. The child, wearing a blue coat and red shoes, is seen on video being carried by authorities. This is not the first time a toddler has made their way through fencing near the White House. In April 2023, one child got through a metal fence on the north side of the complex and went toward the North Lawn before Secret Service picked him up. About a month prior to President Trump’s second inauguration, a person was arrested after they attempted to climb temporary anti-scale fencing close to the White House. Prior to Election Day last year, the Secret Service built 8-foot metal fences around the White House and Treasury Department complex, as well as the nearby parts of Lafayette Square, the Naval Observatory and former Vice President Kamala Harris’s house.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [3/27/2025 3:29 PM, Ashley J. DiMella, 46189K]

WAVY [3/27/2025 5:28 PM, Chrysnel Banzouzi] reports a 36-year-old man was arrested Thursday on multiple charges related to child pornography, according to the Franklin Police Department. Michael Robert White was charged with 20 counts of distribution of child pornography and three counts of use of encryption in criminal activity. The Franklin Police Department received CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in reference to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that was disseminated via an instant messaging platform. A long-term investigation led to the identification of the suspect. The Franklin Police Department was aided in this investigation by the New York City Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Virginia State Police High Technology Crimes Section, Gates County Sheriff’s Office and New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. White was taken to the Western Tidewater Regional Jail, where he is being held without bond.

WJTV [3/27/2025 3:32 PM, Kristopher White] reports three North Carolina residents were captured in Texas after they allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase gift cards at a Mississippi Kroger. According to investigators, the same suspects committed similar crimes at other Kroger grocery stores in the Jackson-metro area. According to the Smith County Jail’s website, the suspects were identified as Alice Fisher, 67; Marita Williams, 45; and Tylec Williams, 26. Madison police placed a hold on all three suspects. In Madison, Fisher will be charged with felony false pretense and felony conspiracy to commit a crime. Marita and Tylec Williams will be charged with felony conspiracy to commit a crime. All three suspects will remain in custody at the Smith County Jail as they await criminal proceedings there.

Mexico News Daily [3/27/2025 3:58 PM, Staff, 210K] reports the U.S. government has deployed another warship to waters near Mexico as part of President Donald Trump’s call to secure its southern border. The USS Spruance is the second Navy destroyer that served in the Red Sea to be ordered to support the U.S. Northern Command’s mission. Spruance departed U.S. Naval Base San Diego on Saturday, just days after the USS Gravely deployed to the Gulf of Mexico as part of the U.S. military’s response to Trump’s executive order declaring a national emergency at the border. Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of U.S. Northern Command, said the deployment will focus on combating maritime-related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction and illegal seaborne immigration. “With Spruance off the West Coast and USS Gravely in the Gulf of America, our maritime presence contributes to the all-domain, coordinated DOD response to the Presidential Executive Order and demonstrates our resolve to achieve operational control of the border,” he said. Spruance will patrol in U.S. and international waters near the Mexico-U.S. border from its homeport of Naval Station San Diego. Just like Gravely which is based at Mayport, Florida, Spruance will also include a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) to assist with maritime interdiction missions.

Army.mil [3/27/2025 5:57 PM, 1st Lt. Rachael Raymond, 402K] reports the 331st Transportation Company (Causeway), part of 11th Transportation Battalion, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) recently returned from the Middle East, only to be called upon again to support another critical expeditionary mission—this time in one of the most austere environments on Earth: McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In October 2024, the Secretary of Defense directed the 331st to deploy in support of the National Science Foundation. This highly specialized unit—distinctive and one-of-a-kind within the U.S. Army and the Army Watercraft Community—was tasked with constructing a temporary pier to facilitate the annual resupply of approximately 2,300 scientists and contractors supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program. This operation is vital to sustaining life and scientific research across the Antarctic region. Over a dozen field camps require bi-weekly resupplies to ensure researchers can fulfill their research mission. This year marked the fourth mission by the 331st, supporting restocking efforts for McMurdo Station and New Zealand’s Scott Base. To construct the Causeway pier, the 331st drew 12 Modular Causeway System (MCS) sections from Army Prepositioned Stock (APS) and deployed 41 personnel to assemble the pier. “This year will be different from previous years,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Ghering, a senior watercraft engineer and returning mission participant. “In addition to the basic supplies needed to sustain typical life and research operations, both McMurdo Station and Scott Base are bringing in equipment aiming to construct a new barge and several new buildings. This requires unique material-handling equipment and a higher quantity of food rations to be unloaded off the vessels this year.” As both stations undergo various modernizations and upgrades, this year’s mission included the handling and unloading of rare and specialized equipment—each item presenting its own logistical challenges. Personnel from multiple services including the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF), collaborated to overcome these obstacles. "Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica was fortunate to work with eight outstanding force providers across four service components this season,” said Col. Eddie Gray, 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) Commander. “In total, 1,100 members of the joint military team participated. Over 30 million pounds of cargo and 3,700 personnel were moved through the theater via sealift and airlift."

CBS News [3/27/2025 3:42 PM, Nicole Sganga, 52225K] Video HERE reports it’s not a stretch to say that members of the Coast Guard like P.O. Tyler McGuiness could go an entire career without ever deploying to a catastrophe like last month’s midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River. But McGuinness and dozens more, including P.O. Seth Kowsky, have now seen that kind of disaster not once, but twice in the last 12 months — the D.C. collision in the Potomac and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last March. When the bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Kowsky, assigned to the Curtis Bay Station, and McGuiness, assigned to Station Washington, were among the first to respond. But surprisingly, they’ve never talked about the shared experience until now. "It’s funny to look back, because we probably went through a lot of the same things," McGuiness said. Kowsky says he was in disbelief when he got the call that a boat hit the bridge. It became real when he scoured the wreckage for survivors. "Chunks of concrete, driving by metal rebar and shipping containers. It was crazy," Kowsky said. At the Potomac crash, McGuiness’ crew pulled two bodies of crash victims from the water. "It takes a toll on you, but you don’t want to stop. You want to keep going to recover the victims so their families can be at peace," McGuiness said. Lt. Craig Oravitz was in the command center for both catastrophes. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [3/27/2025 9:54 PM, Ameris Encinas, 75858K] reports a hiker who was "barely holding on" after a 100-foot fall from a northern California cliff was rescued in the nick of time, officials say. Local agencies and a U.S. Coast Guard team in Humboldt County were called to stage the rescue of two hikers near the picturesque and popular Lost Coast Trail, a 25-mile along the California coastline over 200 miles north of San Francisco. Rescue crews found the hikers along a steep cliff edge in the Big Flat Area, about 10 miles north of an area known as Shelter Cove, according to a news release from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay. One of the hikers who took a big fall clung to his hiking poles, about 60 feet above another unstable cliff, for dear life, the Coast Guard said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

News Source Guyana [3/27/2025 10:36 PM, Staff] reports the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the United States Navy are conducting a joint exercise offshore Guyana, the United States Embassy in Georgetown has announced. The U.S. Navy cruiser USS NORMANDY and the Guyana Defence Force patrol vessel SHAHOUD are conducting joint exercises in international waters and within the Guyana Exclusive Economic Zone to exercise communications and interoperability, and practice joint maneuvers, the Embassy said. In a brief statement announcing the exercise, the US embassy explained that the exercise is a valuable opportunity for both the U.S. and Guyana Militaries and it reflects the close relationship between the two countries and the strength of the military-to-military cooperation. This is not the first time that Guyana is conducting a joint naval operation with the US. In recent years, the US Coast Guard conducted several joint patrols with the GDF Coast Guard in Guyana’s territorial waters to combat illegal fishing. During that operation, the US used its Cutter Stone vessel to patrol alongside the GDF’s Metal Hawks and the Eagle. The naval operations between the two countries stemmed from a Ship-rider agreement signed in September 2020 by then US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and GDF’s Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess. The agreement allows the US Coast Guard to patrol Guyana’s waters alongside the GDF Coast Guard to combat illicit activities.

Kuam News [3/27/2025 9:51 PM, Staff] reports the U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam team, alongside partners, conducted a series of operations from March 13 to March 23, 2025, to keep the ports and approaches to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands safe and secure. “This ten-day snapshot is a window into the continuation and increase of our routine operations to protect U.S. borders by preventing illegal goods entering or activities transpiring in the Marianas. They also support prosperity by keeping trade flowing smoothly. Safe ports mean cruise ships bring visitors, tankers deliver fuel, and cargo vessels supply goods— all vital to our region’s economy,” said Cmdr. Ryan Crose, deputy commander at Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam. During this time, U.S. Coast Guard teams boarded oil tankers and cargo vessels at sea and inspected ships dockside alongside partner agencies.

SeaPower Magazine [3/27/2025 3:24 PM, Staff, 23K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) recently concluded its second port call in Papua New Guinea (PNG), following nine days of shiprider operations with representatives from the PNG Defence Force, PNG Customs Service, and PNG National Fisheries Authority. Midgett was invited by the Papua New Guinea government to participate in the operation. The PNG shipriders led the mission by selecting vessels of interests and conducting boardings while the U.S. Coast Guard provided ship based and shoreside support. The successful shiprider operations reinforced the importance of deepening and expanding strong bilateral relationships. During the nine-day operation, Midgett facilitated six at-sea inspections within the PNG Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the PNG-U.S. bilateral agreement. The U.S Coast Guard and PNG’s bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements enhance PNG sovereignty with the capacity to enforce PNG’s maritime laws through shared information exchanges and joint patrols that deter illegal activities and malign behavior in PNG’s EEZ.

CBS Austin [3/27/2025 6:59 PM, Christopher White, 602K] reports National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is under the gun after inadvertently including a journalist in a group text on Signal in which Trump administration officials used the encrypted messaging app to discuss military strikes in Yemen. But the Trump administration’s response and the growing public discourse is leaving the White House vulnerable to a large-scale cyber incident, experts argue. News of the chat log broke after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg published a report earlier this week laying out how he was mistakenly added to the group chat, which included senior officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance. According to Goldberg, the conversation revealed what he said was "precise information about weapons packages and targets" ahead of a strike on Houthi compounds. His report is leading to questions about whether Hegseth included in the text chain confidential information. Hegseth and the White House maintain that he did not. Much of the public response has focused on Goldberg, who has a prickly relationship with President Donald Trump. He endorsed then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and called Trump the "enemy of fact-based discourse.". The feeling is mutual for the president, who labeled Goldberg a "sleazeball" during an appearance on the "VINCE Show" podcast on Wednesday. Waltz has struggled to explain himself, saying on Fox News that he "didn’t see this loser in the group," in reference to Goldberg. Making the issue a political dogfight is preventing White House officials from getting on top of the more pressing issue of how to use more secure communications, according to Carlos Perez, the director of security intelligence at cybersecurity firm TrustedSec.

FOX News [3/27/2025 12:02 PM, Emma Colton, 46189K] reports that Democrats stretching back nearly a decade have touted the use of the encrypted messaging app Signal, long before the Trump administration came under the national spotlight for using the app to discuss a plan of attack on terrorists in Yemen. "We have all these Signal chats. If you don’t have Signal, get on Signal, okay? Do not trust... get on Signal," Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett said just Saturday during a speech before a Human Rights Campaign event in Los Angeles. Crockett touted the use of Signal in the context of protected chats among colleagues, such as a "Dem women’s caucus chat" she belongs to and how Democrat lawmakers trade scuttlebutt from the Hill. The encrypted messaging app is now under the spotlight after it was revealed that top national security leaders had been in a Signal group chat discussing plans to strike terrorists in Yemen, which also included the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. The chat was made public by a first-hand account of the group chat published by Goldberg in an article Monday. The Trump administration has maintained that no classified information was shared in the chat, doubling down Wednesday that the Atlantic’s story was a "hoax" after Goldberg published specific texts from the chat.

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 1:34 PM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2296K] reports that Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is putting pressure on Senate Democrats to condemn attacks against Tesla. Only two senators outside of the Republican Party have spoken out against anti-Tesla crime: Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). Kelly, until recently, owned two Tesla vehicles but sold them over a spat with Musk. Meanwhile, some of these crimes are resulting in federal and hate crime charges. "I think it is so inappropriate that because people do not like President [Donald] Trump, they are not for what [the Department of Government Efficiency], which is being led by Elon Musk, is doing, that they are going out and they are attacking Tesla. And we are seeing this all across the country. That is why I am doing the resolution to call out this domestic terrorism, this violence, that is taking place against Tesla dealerships, owners, electric car charging stations," Blackburn said on Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria Bartiromo Thursday. "And all of a sudden, because the Democrats oppose saving taxpayer money and what DOGE is doing, they are deciding to light up the sky in community after community with fire bombings, shootings into showrooms, and destroying property of the individuals." Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has condemned the violence against Tesla.

CBS Pittsburgh [3/28/2025 12:23 AM, Mike Darnay, 51661K] reports police in Rostraver Township are investigating a school threat within the Belle Vernon Area School District. Belle Vernon Area Superintendent Dr. Timothy Glasspool said in a letter to the community on Thursday that administrators were made aware of a threat involving weapons and potential fighting being discussed among Rostraver Elementary students . Dr. Glasspool said it was particularly concerning that one student talked about bringing a gun onto the school bus on Friday. The Rostraver Township Police Department is now investigating the situation and school officials have discussed the matter with the parent of the student who was said to be the target of the potential threat, Dr. Glasspool said. "The safety of our students is our highest priority," Dr. Glasspool said. "We take all potential threats seriously and will continue to maintain open communication with families and law enforcement, provide a secure learning environment for all students, and respond promptly and thoroughly to any safety concerns." A police officer is expected to be present at the bus stop on Friday morning and a school official will be riding on the bus route where the threats were said to have been made.

Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 9:39 PM, Sierra Rains, 52868K] reports a 12-year-old student was arrested Thursday after authorities in Lee County said they found his written manifesto with plans to make bombs and plant them around his school. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said detectives were alerted to the student’s activities after his peers at Veterans Park Academy for the Arts saw him creating "concerning drawings.” One of those drawings included a map of the school, depicting the exact spots where he would place bombs around the campus, according to officials. Investigators said the 12-year-old boy had also written a manifesto in which he "declared his intention to commit violent acts.” A review of his school-issued Chromebook also revealed concerning search activity. Detectives said the teen had looked up bomb-making videos and researched notable serial killers and terrorists. The 12-year-old was charged with written or electronic threats to conduct an act of terrorism and threats to throw, project, place or discharge any destructive device, the sheriff’s office said. "I am beyond proud of the students who spoke up when they learned their peer had made violent plans," said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. "The School Threat Enforcement Team began investigating immediately and uncovered disturbing renderings to carry out a violent act inside the school. LCSO detectives will continue to investigate and leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of Lee County students.” The investigation remained ongoing Thursday night, and no further details were immediately available.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 10:24 PM, Katelyn Massarelli, 52868K]

Wall Street Journal [3/27/2025 5:58 PM, Joseph De Avila, 52868K] reports the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect officials say firebombed five vehicles at a Tesla sales center last week. Authorities said Thursday that Paul Kim, 36 years old, shot at the vehicles and tossed Molotov cocktails at them, extensively damaging the cars. Police said he spray painted the word “resist” on the front doors of the Tesla sales center in Las Vegas. Protesters have picketed Tesla sales centers across the U.S. in recent weeks in response to Elon Musk’s efforts to slash the size of the federal government. Some liberal Tesla owners are boycotting the brand. President Trump suggested on social media late last week that the people behind recent violent attacks on Tesla in the U.S. could serve time in El Salvador’s prisons, which he said “have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!” Attorney General Pam Bondi described attacks on Teslas as an act of terrorism. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars,” she said earlier this month. Bondi said prosecutors would pursue charges that carry long, mandatory minimum sentences. Kim was charged in Nevada with three counts of arson, three counts of unlawful possession of explosives or incendiary devices, four counts of destroying property and five counts of discharging a firearm into a vehicle or structure. A lawyer for Kim couldn’t be identified. He also faces federal charges of arson and possession of a destructive device, said Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Las Vegas Division.

Reported similarly:
CNBC [3/27/2025 5:06 PM, Dan Mangan, 35355K]
AP [3/27/2025 6:42 PM, Rio Yamat]
Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 4:39 PM, Asher Notheis, 2296K]

Newsweek [3/26/2025 11:34 AM, Kate Plummer, 3973K] reports national security advisor Mike Waltz has said that Elon Musk is investigating how a journalist was accidentally added to a Signal group chat with U.S. administration officials in which officials discussed sensitive military plans. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, said in an article published on Monday that Waltz had mistakenly invited him to a chat with White House national security team members. According to Goldberg, officials in the chat shared classified details about the Pentagon’s plan to carry out military airstrikes against the Houthi militant group in Yemen, which has been attacking Western vessels in the Red Sea for more than a year. The apparent security breach has drawn criticism from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have called for an investigation into how the leak happened and how the administration will ensure similar incidents do not occur again. On Tuesday, Waltz said on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle that Musk, who has been advising the Trump administration, was looking into the breach. "It’s embarrassing, yes," Waltz told host Laura Ingraham. "We’re going to get to the bottom of it. We have—I just talked to Elon on the way here. We’ve got the best technical minds looking at how this happened. "But I can tell you, I can tell you for 100 percent I don’t know this guy. I know him by his horrible reputation and he really is the bottom scum of journalists. And I know him in the sense that he hates the president. And I don’t text him. He wasn’t on my phone and we’re gonna figure out how this happened.” Ingraham pressed Waltz on how Goldberg ended up in the Signal chat. "You know, Laura, I’m not a conspiracy theorist," Waltz replied. "But of all the people out there, somehow this guy who has lied about the president, who has lied to Gold Star families, lied to their attorneys, and gone to Russia hoax, gone to all kinds of lengths to lie and smear the president of the United States and he’s the one that somehow gets on somebody’s contact and then gets sucked into this group.”

The Washington Post [3/27/2025 5:48 PM, Jeremy Roebuck, 31735K] reports that despite mounting demands in Congress and in court for top White House officials to be investigated and reprimanded for their use of a Signal group chat to discuss military plans, President Donald Trump and members of his administration have continued to deny any wrongdoing while railing against those leading the cases against them. The officials involved in the group chat — including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others — face a federal lawsuit filed by a government watchdog agency and calls for an inspector general investigation prompted by bipartisan leaders from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Dozens of House Democrats also demanded Hegseth’s resignation on Thursday. Military experts say the use of Signal, a commercially available messaging app, to share highly sensitive information in a group chat — which inadvertently included a journalist — may have violated federal laws. But Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday suggested the Justice Department was unlikely to launch a criminal investigation, saying the information discussed in the group chat was “sensitive” but “not classified.” No Republicans in Congress have called to fire those involved, either. The Hill [3/27/2025 1:52 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12829K] reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to say whether the Justice Department was investigating national security leaders’ use of Signal to discuss an airstrike, implying such an action may not be necessary given that the information discussed was unclassified. Democrats and national security experts have disputed the claims from the Trump administration that discussions of an imminent strike on Houthi targets in Yemen would have been classified. Bondi nonetheless pointed to that distinction in responding to a question from a reporter about whether DOJ was involved. "First, it was sensitive information, not classified and inadvertently released. And what we should be talking about is it was a very successful mission," she said Thursday. Bondi’s comments come as the administration has otherwise said it plans to crack down on those who leak classified information. Such prosecutions typically occur under the Espionage Act. That law does not require information to be classified — it allows for the prosecution of anyone who releases national defense information. The law also allows for charges against those who intentionally and inadvertently release national security information. Last week, the DOJ opened a criminal investigation into the leak of information to the New York Times about an intelligence assessment dealing with Venezuela.

New York Times [3/27/2025 1:21 PM, Devlin Barrett, Devlin Barrett covers the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The Times., 145325K] reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi signaled on Thursday that there was unlikely to be a criminal investigation into the sharing of military operation details in an unsecured text group, declaring that the specifics of when fighter jets would depart and when bombs would fall were “not classified.” Ms. Bondi, speaking at a news conference in Virginia, was asked about the public debate surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he sent details of a coming attack on rebels in Yemen to senior administration officials in a Signal group chat that accidentally included a magazine editor. “It was sensitive information, not classified, and inadvertently released,” Ms. Bondi said, while praising the military operation that ensued. “What we should be talking about is it was a very successful mission,” she said, before quickly accusing Democrats from previous administrations of mishandling classified information. “If you want to talk about classified information, talk about what was in Hillary Clinton’s home,” she said. “Talk about the classified documents in Joe Biden’s garage, that Hunter Biden had access to.”

New York Times [3/27/2025 8:35 PM, Alan Feuer, 145325K] reports a federal judge in Washington on Thursday ordered several Trump administration officials who participated in a Signal group chat discussing the details of a pending attack on Yemen to preserve all of the messages they exchanged on the app in the days leading up to strikes. The decision by the judge, James E. Boasberg, came in response to a lawsuit filed this week by a nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight, which has accused President Trump’s national security team of violating federal records laws by using Signal — an encrypted commercial platform — to chat about the highly sensitive attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The order by Judge Boasberg, who sits in Federal District Court in Washington, applied to top administration officials, including Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; and Vice President JD Vance. It covered the period between March 11 and March 15 as the administration was putting together its plans to attack the Houthis. The judge’s order was an early sign that at least some of the usual channels of accountability are still operating after the most senior administration officials engaged in an extraordinary breach of operational security and Mr. Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, signaled that the Justice Department is not likely to investigate the matter. Ms. Bondi, appearing on “The Ingraham Angle” on Fox News on Thursday night, included Judge Boasberg in the administration’s continuing attacks on federal judges who have recently pushed back against Mr. Trump’s repeated attempts to expand his own powers through executive actions. Ms. Bondi said that Judge Boasberg needed to be removed from the Signal case and other Trump administration matters, along with other jurists. At a hearing in Federal District Court in Washington on Thursday, Judge Boasberg made clear that he had issued his preservation order to be sure that none of the Signal messages were lost, not because he had made a finding that administration officials had done anything wrong. American Oversight, which often seeks to pry loose information from the government under the Freedom of Information Act, has claimed that the administration’s use of Signal to discuss the attack plans violated the Federal Records Act, which requires official communications by agency officials to be preserved. Judge Boasberg has not yet determined whether a violation actually occurred.

Government Executive [3/27/2025 1:56 PM, Amber Corrin, 819K] reports that questions about the infamous Yemen-bombing group chat displaced scheduled testimony on worldwide threats for a second day on Capitol Hill as members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence grilled U.S. intelligence leaders about their discussion of battle plans using an unclassified commercial app. Despite growing evidence to the contrary, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard insisted March 26 that the details shared over the Signal app — including to a journalist for The Atlantic — did not amount to an unauthorized release of classified information. Her insistence came a day after she appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee, first refusing to confirm her inclusion in the group chat, then claiming she did not recall details of the conversation. CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who also took part in the group chat, similarly defended his and others’ actions and denied wrongdoing again before lawmakers. "As CIA director, one of the responsibilities is to kill terrorists. And that’s exactly what I did, along with President Trump’s excellent national security team," Ratcliffe said. "I used an appropriate channel to communicate sensitive information. It was permissible to do so. I didn’t transfer any classified information and, at the end of the day, what is most important is that the mission was a remarkable success."

Washington Examiner [3/27/2025 2:27 PM, Brady Knox, 2296K] reports that a House Democrat is introducing a bill to criminalize sharing classified information using outside messaging platforms, such as Signal, after national security adviser Mike Waltz mistakenly added a journalist to a group chat discussing military strikes on the Houthis. Following a bipartisan outcry from Congress, Rep. Ritchie Torres’s (D-NY) proposition would aim to prevent similar incidents to the one that occurred Monday when Waltz accidentally added Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat with Trump administration officials talking about military plans. The bill is called the Homeland Operations and Unilateral Tactics Halting Incursions: Preventing Coordinated Subversion, Military Aggression and Lawless Levies Granting Rogue Operatives Unchecked Power Act or HOUTHI PC SMALL GROUP Act. The bill’s name refers to the Trump administration group chat Goldberg was added to: "Houthi PC Small Group." Violators of the law would face five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Torres’s office told Axios.

The Hill [3/27/2025 12:38 PM, Cate Martel, 12829K] reports that it’s Thursday. HAPPY OPENING DAY! The focus of the group chat snafu that has consumed Washington this week has shifted to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s mishandling of sensitive military intelligence on an unsecure app. Obviously, Mike Waltz messed up: He somehow mistakenly added a journalist — a journalist who has sparred with the Trump team for years! — to a private group chat, in which he asked the top members of President Trump’s national security team for their best points of contact and chatted about political strategy. Waltz said it was "embarrassing," and he took full responsibility for it. But it was Hegseth who escalated this: He chimed in with sensitive military intelligence for an attack *before* it happened. While the White House claims this information is not classified — and most intel experts find that hard to believe — the use of the texting app Signal added major national security ramifications. But, so far, he still has his job. It’s not just Democrats who are seeing red: Republican lawmakers have been critical of Hegseth’s handling of military intelligence. The Hill’s Alexander Bolton has been chatting with Republicans, and while they haven’t called for Hegseth to resign, they certainly consider this a "strike" against him.

New York Times [3/27/2025 6:23 PM, Farah Stockman, 145325K] reports the most terrifying thing about the now-infamous Signal group chat isn’t the casual contempt for European allies that it reveals — that, sadly, is not new — but the picture it paints of unserious people at the helm of the U.S. national security apparatus. For weeks now, U.S. allies have wondered whether Americans would defend them in a war. Now many are wondering whether this made-for-Fox-News national security team is even capable of doing so without exposing military plans to the enemy. “JD Vance and his mates clearly aren’t fit to run a group chat, let alone the world’s strongest military force,” Sir Ed Davey, a member of the British Parliament and the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said on X. “It has to make our security services nervous about the intelligence we’re sharing with them.” Although many foreign leaders kept mum about the scandal — why attract President Trump’s wrath? — signs of deep anxiety weren’t hard to find. Peter Boehm, a member of the Senate in Canada — a country that is reeling from Trump’s tariffs and his threats to make it the 51st state — told me that countries might begin to quietly limit the intelligence that they share with the United States, depending on the subject matter. And Richard Fadden, Canada’s former spy chief, told The Guardian that “Canada needs to think about what this means in practical terms: Is the United States prepared to protect our secrets, as we are bound to protect theirs?” Even in Israel, a close ally, a former senior official with the Mossad, the country’s spy agency, said the Signal episode “should serve as a major warning sign about how much we can trust U.S. intelligence during President Donald Trump’s second term,” according to an essay in the publication Haaretz. Still, he said, “our dependence on them is absolute,” so Israelis have little choice but to continue sharing intelligence. “The whole situation is insane,” he said. What feels revelatory about the Signal chat is just how unserious this national security team is. It’s not just the emojis or the accidental inclusion of a journalist or the decision to communicate on that app. It’s how focused members of the chat group were on how the attack would be perceived by Trump’s base, rather than on the potential geopolitical repercussions of their actions. Although this text thread was surely just a snippet of an ongoing conversation, it was disturbing that they spent more time discussing “messaging” than say, protecting an ally like Saudi Arabia from retaliation. “There’s a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary,” the vice president wrote. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth replied, “I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what,” adding that “nobody knows who the Houthis are — which is why we need to stay focused on 1.) Biden failed & 2.) Iran funded.” Hilariously, Hegseth goes on to say that delaying the operation risks that “this leaks, and we look indecisive” — unaware that the entire world would soon read about it.

Reuters [3/27/2025 11:07 AM, Staff, 41523K] reports that the Trump administration said on Thursday it will provide $73 million in new financial aid to Rohingya refugees through the U.N. World Food Programme, amid concerns that aid cuts could deepen the crisis for the world’s largest stateless population. "This food and nutrition support through @WFP will provide critically needed food and nutrition assistance for more than one million people," U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a post on X. "It is important that our international partners engage with sharing the burden with life-saving assistance such as this." The infusion comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance as part of his "America First" agenda and wider efforts to drastically cut federal spending and dismantle parts of the U.S. government. Two United Nations agencies had warned that a funding deficit would curb rations for the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled violence in neighboring Myanmar for the past eight years. Refugees have worried that cuts would worsen hunger, curtail critical healthcare and fuel crime. Washington had been the largest provider of aid to the Rohingya refugees, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017, according to the State Department. But the recent freeze on funds after Trump took office in January has forced at least five hospitals to reduce services.

Newsweek [3/27/2025 12:33 PM, Jesus Mesa, 52220K] reports that the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, formerly known as Thule Air Base, is a cornerstone of U.S. Arctic defense and the site of rising political friction as Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha prepare to visit the strategic outpost this week. The visit, which will include a security briefing and meetings with U.S. service members, comes as President Donald Trump continues to openly advocate for "buying" Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark rich in minerals and positioned near potential Arctic shipping lanes that are becoming more strategically attractive as the Arctic ice melts. "A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland, have threatened to use its territories and its waterways to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and of course, to threaten the people of Greenland, so we’re going to check out how things are going there," Vance said in a social media video posted Tuesday announcing his forthcoming trip. While Usha Vance had initially been scheduled to attend Greenland’s national dogsled race and tour local heritage sites, that plan was scrapped following backlash from Greenlandic and Danish officials who called the outreach "highly aggressive." Instead, the couple will remain at the Pituffik base and avoid Greenlandic settlements entirely.

New York Times [3/27/2025 9:57 AM, Maya Tekeli and Jeffrey Gettleman, 330K] reports that Once called Thule Air Base, now known as Pituffik Space Base, this U.S.-operated installation in northwestern Greenland is one of the most strategically important military sites in the world — even if most Americans have never heard of it. “It is quite literally the outermost eye of American defense,” said Peter Ernstved Rasmussen, a Danish defense analyst. “Pituffik is where the U.S. can detect a launch, calculate the trajectory and activate its missile defense systems. It’s irreplaceable.” The outpost is getting new attention as President Trump, who has vowed to make Greenland part of the United States, sends a high-level delegation to the island this week. The visitors will include Vice President JD Vance, who said on Tuesday that he intended to visit “our guardians” in the Space Force while there. About 150 U.S. Air Force and Space Force personnel are permanently stationed at Pituffik (pronounced Bee-doo-FEEK). They handle missile defense and space surveillance, and the Upgraded Early Warning Radar based here can detect ballistic missiles in their earliest moments of flight. There’s also a contingent of New York Air National Guard that support science missions during the summer.

Bloomberg [3/27/2025 8:00 AM, Mohamed Omar Ahmed, 16228K] reports US forces carried out an air strike against Islamic State insurgents in Golis Mountains in western Somalia, killing several of them. The remote attack marks an escalation in counter-terrorism operations in the Horn of Africa nation since President Donald Trump took office in January. “ISIS-Somalia has proved both its will and capability to attack US and partner forces. This group’s malicious efforts threaten US security interests,” US Africa Command said in a statement on its website after the March 25 attack.

Wall Street Journal [3/27/2025 5:31 PM, Jane Lytvynenko and Alan Cullison, 52868K] reports the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Ukraine with a fresh draft of an economic deal that demands greater concessions from Kyiv just as Washington’s efforts to get Russia to agree to a cease-fire have stalled. The draft—described publicly by a Ukrainian lawmaker whose account was confirmed by a person familiar with the document—is a wide-ranging proposal for Ukraine to surrender future profits from a swath of economic projects to compensate the U.S. for financial and military assistance since the start of the war in 2022. Ukraine has estimated that aid at $100 billion, while President Trump has repeatedly given the figure of $350 billion. The new version expands significantly on a draft framework agreement that was negotiated between Kyiv and Washington and set to be signed before the blowup between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump in the White House on Feb. 28. Now, the U.S. is asking not only for profits from some Ukrainian mineral projects but also oil and gas resources, both ones owned by the state and private companies. The new draft includes existing as well as new projects that were indicated by earlier drafts. “To be honest, in this version, it’s unlikely going to get through, especially ratification in parliament,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the Ukrainian lawmaker who said he had obtained the document, in a YouTube video breaking down its contents. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the U.S. has been at work on a revision of the original four-page framework agreement that Kyiv and Washington came close to signing in February. He said the proposal has already been submitted to the Ukrainian government and was under review. “We took advantage of the gap in time to move to a completed agreement,” he told Fox. “So I am sure that we will move along and get this signed quickly.”

Newsweek [3/28/2025 3:37 AM, Maya Mehrara and Yevgeny Kuklychev, 52220K] reports a White House National Security Council spokesperson reasserted US commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty in response to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s proposal that the country be placed under a temporary US-backed administration. The Kremlin leader pushed for this idea to allow for new elections and the signature of key accords to reach a settlement in the war, according to Reuters. These comments come after the U.S. conducted separate peace talks with Moscow and Kyiv in Saudi Arabia, which led to a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea and an agreement to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. A new Presidential election in Ukraine has been a core demand from Russia in the Trump-brokered negotiations. Kyiv has pushed back, asserting Ukraine’s constitutional provision that states no election can be held while the country is at war. The prospective election would likely exclude parts of Ukraine annexed by Russia, and would raise fears that Moscow could interfere and install a pro-Kremlin leader who would be more amenable to Moscow’s terms to end the war. During a visit to the northern port of Murmansk on March 27, Putin said: "In principle, of course, a temporary administration could be introduced in Ukraine under the auspices of the U.N, the United States, European countries and our partners. This would be in order to hold democratic elections and bring to power a capable government enjoying the trust of the people and then to start talks with them about a peace treaty.” He added that in his opinion, "the newly elected president of the United States sincerely wants an end to the conflict for a number of reasons," in contrast to former president Joe Biden. These comments echo Putin’s previous unevidenced statements that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is not a legitimate president, and that Kyiv should hold elections. By law, Ukraine cannot hold elections during periods in which martial law is being upheld, as it has been since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Axios [3/27/2025 8:10 AM, Ivana Saric, 13163K] reports the search for four U.S. soldiers who went missing during a training mission in Lithuania was ongoing Thursday, a day after their vehicle was found submerged in a body of water. The soldiers were reported missing Tuesday near the city of Pabradė, near the Lithuania-Belarus border. All four hail from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in Fort Stewart, Georgia and were "conducting scheduled tactical training at the time of the incident," the U.S. Army said Wednesday. The U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces, and Lithuanian law enforcement are all participating in search and rescue efforts. The Hercules armored vehicle that the four U.S. soldiers were in during the training exercise had been found submerged in a body of water, the U.S. Army said Wednesday. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė expressed her support for rescue efforts on X Thursday, writing: "People working round the clock. Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support." Lithuania, a member of NATO, regularly hosts U.S. troops. The four U.S. soldiers were part of a rotation to Europe under Operation Atlantic Resolve, U.S. Army Europe and Africa spokesperson Maj. Nicholas Chopp told Axios. The operation was launched in 2014 to bolster U.S. commitment to NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Crimea.

Reported similarly:
NBC News [3/27/2025 6:08 AM, Astha Rajvanshi, 44742K]

AP [3/27/2025 5:45 AM, Jon Gambrell, 48304K] reports the United States has given an initial approval for the energy-rich Mideast nation of Qatar to buy eight armed MQ-9B Predator drones for its military, an estimated purchase worth nearly $2 billion. The State Department approval announced early Thursday for Qatar comes after Doha had been trying to purchase the drones during the Biden administration, but hadn’t gotten the OK despite serving as an interlocutor for Washington to the Taliban in Afghanistan, Iran’s theocracy and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The immediate approval under President Donald Trump serves as a far-different starting point for his government’s relations with Qatar — particularly after he initially backed a four-nation boycott of Doha during his first term. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East," the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. Qatar’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Qatar is the second-largest purchaser of U.S. military equipment after Saudi Arabia, spending over $26 billion for F-15 fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters, missile defense systems and other gear. The proposed sale now goes to the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers typically weigh in on such sales and, in some cases, can block them.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/27/2025 7:32 AM, Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo, 52868K]

Wall Street Journal [3/27/2025 11:41 AM, Benoit Faucon, 52868K] reports the U.S. has deployed heavy, radar-evading B-2 bombers to the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, a warning to Iran and Yemen’s Houthi militia that American airstrikes could become more intense if Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping don’t stop. The B-2 Spirit bombers arrived this week from their base in Missouri, said a spokesperson for the U.S. Strategic Command. The bombers are part of the Pentagon’s efforts “to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies,” the spokesperson said. President Trump has ordered a campaign against the Houthis that has led to dozens of airstrikes over the past two weeks that have targeted the group’s arsenal and leadership. The strikes—discussed in a now controversial episode by Trump administration officials on the messaging app Signal—have been heavier than those carried out in the Biden administration but haven’t stopped the Houthis from carrying out near-daily missile attacks on Israel. Trump has warned Iran, which has backed the Houthis, that Tehran will be held responsible if the U.S.-designated terrorist group continues its attacks. He has also warned Iran that it faces military action if it presses ahead with developing a nuclear weapon. Former defense officials said the new bomber deployment vastly enhances the U.S. military’s ability to carry out strikes against the deep bunkers built by the Houthis and Iran. The B-2 is the only U.S. stealth aircraft able to carry the GBU-57, a 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Their basing at Diego Garcia puts the bombers within 2,500 miles from Houthi territory and 3,300 miles of Iran, well within their refueling range of 6,900 miles. “It’s a signal that the Iranians would have to see,” said William Wechsler, a former defense official in charge of counterterrorism who is now senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs.

Reuters [3/27/2025 6:52 AM, Staff, 24727K] reports Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said on Thursday Tehran has not closed all doors to resolve its disputes with the United States and is ready for indirect negotiations with Washington. Tehran has so far rebuffed U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning it to make a deal or face military consequences. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the message deceptive and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said talks are impossible unless Washington changes its "maximum pressure" policy. "The Islamic Republic has not closed all doors. It is ready for indirect negotiations with the United States in order to evaluate the other party, state its own conditions and make the appropriate decision," Kharrazi said, according to the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency. Iran is meant to soon reply to Trump’s letter, with Araqchi saying last week that Tehran would take into consideration both Trump’s threat and opportunities in its response. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. After Trump pulled out in 2018 and reimposed sweeping U.S. sanctions, the Islamic Republic breached and has since far surpassed those limits in its escalating programme of uranium enrichment. Western powers accuse Iran of having an clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy programme. Tehran says its nuclear programme is wholly for civilian energy purposes.

CNN [3/28/2025 4:47 AM, Simone McCarthy, 908K] reports the United States will enhance its military alliance with the Philippines as it aims to “reestablish deterrence” to counter “China’s aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday during a trip to Manila. The efforts reflect the strength of the US-Philippines’ “ironclad alliance, particularly in the face of Communist China’s aggression in the region,” Hegseth said during a joint press conference with his counterpart Gilbert Teodoro. The US will deploy additional advanced military capabilities for joint training, enhance interoperability for “high end operations” and prioritize defense industrial cooperation, Hegseth told reporters. Hegseth made the remarks as he opened his first visit to Asia as defense chief – an important opportunity for US President Donald Trump’s administration to set a tone for its engagement in the region, which comes as the defense chief is under a cloud of scrutiny for discussing American war plans on commercial messaging app Signal. The Philippines has been on the front lines of China’s increasingly aggressive posture in Asia. Beijing seeks to assert its claim over the bulk of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling denying its sovereignty over the waterway. The Trump administration, Hegseth pledged, would “truly prioritize a shift” to the Indo-Pacific with the “recognition that for the 21st century to be a free century, America needs to stand alongside our allies and partners shoulder to shoulder.” “Together, we’ll encourage our other partners and allies in the region to step up their efforts and their cooperation to increase defense capabilities and strengthen deterrence,” Hegseth said of the US-Philippine partnership.

AP [3/28/2025 1:38 AM, Jim Gomez, 24727K] reports U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the Trump administration would boost military ties with the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against “threats from the communist Chinese” and ensure freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea. Hegseth spoke during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines, his first stop in his first trip to Asia to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to the region under Trump. Ahead of the visit, China called the United States a “predator” and an unreliable ally. Trump’s “America First” foreign policy thrust has triggered concerns in Asia about the scale and depth of U.S. commitment to the region. Hegseth’s decision to make the Philippines his first stop in Asia, followed by Japan — both U.S. treaty allies facing territorial disputes with China — was the strongest assurance yet by the U.S. under Trump to maintain a security presence in the region. “Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,” Hegseth told Marcos. “Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.” “Peace through strength is a very real thing,” Hegseth said. He praised the Philippines for standing “very firm” to defend its interests in the contested waters. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a major security and global trade route. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the resource-rich and busy waters, but confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the last two years.

New York Times [3/28/2025 3:10 AM, Meaghan Tobin and Keith Bradsher, 145325K] reports Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, met with executives of Saudi Aramco, BMW, Toyota Motor, FedEx and dozens of other foreign companies at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday as China seeks to boost foreign investment amid worsening trade relations between China and the United States. It was the third time that Mr. Xi has met with executives of multinationals in the past 17 months, courting investment as sluggish growth and tightening national security laws have made global companies wary of making big bets in China. More than 40 executives attended Friday’s meeting, including Amin Nasser of Saudi Aramco, Oliver Zipse of BMW, Akio Toyoda of Toyota, Ola Källenius of Mercedes-Benz, Lee Jae-yong of Samsung and Raj Subramaniam of FedEx, as well as the heads of the global shipping company Maersk, the Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, the South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix and the pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Sanofi. Mr. Xi urged the executives to maintain the stability of global supply chains and said China held great potential for investors, according to Chinese state media. Fresh foreign investment in China has dropped substantially over the past several years. One exception is the German automotive industry, which sees China, the world’s largest car market, as a place to try to compete with increasingly formidable domestic automakers. German automakers represented half of new investments from the European Union last year, according to Rhodium Group, a consulting firm. BMW has upped its stake in a Chinese joint venture, and this week announced it would use artificial intelligence technology developed with Chinese tech giant Alibaba in its in-car assistant.

The Hill [3/27/2025 2:30 PM, Joseph Felter, 12829K] reports that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to visit the Philippines on his first official trip to the region this week is commendable and sends a strong signal of commitment and of the enduring strength of the relationship with America’s oldest ally in the Indo-Pacific. The arrival of the most senior member of the Trump administration to travel to Manila to date comes in the wake of China’s increasing aggression and brinkmanship within Philippine territorial waters over the past year to include the employment of military grade lasers, high-pressure water cannons and even knife and axe-wielding boarding parties attacking Philippine Navy boats and injuring sailors. It also comes at a time when many U.S. allies and partners are reassessing their view of American alliance commitments going forward. The capabilities of the Philippine Armed Forces and Coast Guard to deter and defend against Chinese aggression are increasing, thanks, in part, to continued U.S. support and security assistance, but remain far from what is required to change Beijing’s calculus of what it can get away with in the pursuit of its illegal claims. Compounding this calculation is China’s view that the U.S. will not risk escalation by intervening militarily in response to its ongoing aggressive actions. China’s harassment and overt attacks on Philippine military and coast guard vessels and personnel will continue to escalate, likely resulting in additional Philippine casualties and fatalities, even if by accident or miscalculation.

FOX News [3/28/2025 4:58 AM, Bradford Betz, 46189K] reports Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday that the Trump administration intends to boost military ties with the Philippines to strengthen deterrence against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea. The assurance came during a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines, part of Hegseth’s trip to Asia to reaffirm Washington’s "ironclad" commitment to the region under the administration of President Donald Trump. "Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese," Hegseth told Marcos. "Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.” "Peace through strength is a very real thing," Hegseth said, praising the Philippines for standing "very firm" to defend its interests in the contested waters. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, a major security and global trade route. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the resource-rich and busy waters, but confrontations have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the last two years. Chinese forces have used powerful water cannons and dangerous maneuvers in the high seas to block what Beijing said were encroachments by Philippine ships into China’s waters. Chinese military aircraft have also approached Philippine patrol planes at alarmingly close distances to drive them away from the Scarborough Shoal, a hotly disputed fishing atoll in the disputed waterway. Hegseth echoed that pledge by expressing "the ironclad commitment" of Trump and him "to the Mutual Defense Treaty and to the partnership.” Marcos told the U.S. defense chief that by visiting the Philippines first in Asia, he "sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea.” "We have always understood the principle that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States," Marcos said.

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