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.

ABC News [3/29/2025 3:39 PM, Luis Martinez, 52868K] reports the southwestern border mission and the detention operations at Guantanamo Bay have cost close to $330 million through mid-March, according to a U.S. official familiar with information briefed to Congress, as President Donald Trump attempts to fulfill his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States. The deportation flights and detention operations at Guantanamo Bay, which only held a few hundred detainees at its peak, have cost nearly $40 million of that total. There are only a few dozen deported migrants currently being held at Guantanamo Bay. The estimated costs of the operations at the border and at Guantanamo Bay have not been previously reported. The costs of the southwestern border operation are expected to continue to rise now that additional active-duty forces have continued to move to the border, where there are now more than 10,000 active duty troops as part of the mission on the border with Mexico. Additional costs will likely include those associated with the new deployments of two U.S. Navy destroyers to that mission. As of March 12, 2025, the military services had provided a total of $328.5 million in support for the border mission, including deportation flights and deployments to the border, according to a U.S. official familiar with the information briefed to Congress. Of that total, $289.2 million was for border security operations and $39.3 million was for the operations at Guantanamo Bay. The cost at Guantanamo Bay is extremely high given the only several hundred detainees have been sent there -- even though Trump had said tent cities there could hold as many as 30,000 deported migrants. "There’s a lot of space to accommodate a lot of people," Trump said of using Guantanamo Bay to house migrants on Feb. 4 after he signed an executive order to send migrants there on Jan. 29. "So we’re going to use it. ... I’d like to get them out. It would be all subject to the laws of our land, and we’re looking at that to see if we can.” Detainees with criminal records were housed at the detention facility that had been used to house enemy combatants from the War on Terror, and others were placed at the Migrant Operations Center that could only house 50 migrants. Plans called for a tent city adjoining that migrant facility to be built that could house the numbers mentioned by Trump and other senior administration officials. CNN [3/29/2025 7:00 AM, Katie Bo Lillis and Natasha Bertrand] reports that the DoD Comptroller briefed lawmakers on the costs earlier this month, the sources all said. If spending continues at the same pace — and it seems poised to do with the addition of two warships to the region and administration officials vowing to expand operations — it would put the military on track to spend more than $2 billion in the first year of operations. The total cost of the operation across the federal government remains unclear. Those figures do not include money spent by the Department of Homeland Security, the intelligence community and other agencies who have also surged government assets to the border, where President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency.

New York Times [3/29/2025 11:28 PM, Erica L. Green, 145325K] reports President Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he would not fire anyone involved in a group chat that inadvertently disclosed plans for airstrikes on Yemen to a journalist. In a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Mr. Trump pushed back on reports that some in his circle had encouraged him to fire Michael Waltz, the national security adviser. Mr. Waltz had seemingly inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of The Atlantic, to a sensitive group chat on Signal, a commercial messaging app, ahead of U.S. strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen on March 15. New York Times reported on Saturday that Mr. Trump had spent much of the week consulting with aides about whether he should fire Mr. Waltz amid mounting fallout from the episode. But Mr. Trump told Ms. Welker that he still had confidence in Mr. Waltz and in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and he continued to downplay the seriousness of the incident. “I don’t fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts,” he said. Mr. Trump also discussed Greenland, a day after Vice President JD Vance visited an American military base on the island. Mr. Trump reiterated that he would not rule out using force to annex Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, but indicated that he thought he could make a deal to take it instead. When asked what message he believed such a takeover would send to the rest of the world, including Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I don’t really think about that; I don’t really care.” And with the Trump administration’s new auto tariffs set to take effect in days, the president said that he “couldn’t care less” whether automakers raise prices as a result of the increased costs to import cars and car parts to the United States. Mr. Trump added that he believed the tariffs could result in more people buying American-made cars. Nearly half of all vehicles sold in the United States are imported, as are almost 60 percent of the parts used in vehicles that are assembled in the country. Mr. Trump denied a report that he warned auto executives not to raise prices when discussing the tariffs.

Miami Herald [3/29/2025 4:05 PM, Staff, 3973K] reports that, in a significant legal blow to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, a federal judge has slammed the brakes on a controversial deportation policy that allowed the deportation of migrants to countries where they had no prior connection — without first giving them a chance to challenge their removal in court. The ruling, part of the case D.V.D., et al. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, et al., halts a practice that critics say endangers migrants by sending them to nations where they may face persecution or violence. The ruling extends beyond the named plaintiffs, providing protection to thousands of migrants facing similar risks of abrupt removal. Ruling from Boston, U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy on Friday issued a nationwide temporary restraining order on Friday, citing serious concerns over due process violations and potential breaches of international law under the Convention Against Torture. The judge’s decision prevents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting individuals subject to final removal orders to third countries — ones not designated in their original immigration proceedings — unless they are first given written notice and the opportunity to seek legal protection. The restraining order will remain in effect until an April 10 hearing, in which the court will determine whether to impose a longer-term injunction against the policy. Just hours after the decision, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal, arguing that the ruling undermines executive authority over immigration enforcement.

Newsweek [3/30/2025 4:00 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports Republicans are working to enact legislation aimed at restricting health care access for undocumented migrants. A key focus is Medicaid, with several GOP lawmakers arguing that it serves as a "magnet" for illegal immigration. The GOP introduced legislation in Congress to prohibit states from using federal Medicaid funds to provide health care benefits to undocumented immigrants. The ruling party is looking to cut Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the top earners, according to the left. Across the aisle, Democrats oppose the move to slash funding. Meanwhile, several states are pushing through legislation targeting health care costs for migrants without legal status. The legislation would ensure that states that extend Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants do so using their own state funds without relying on federal taxpayer dollars. The Protect Medicaid Act has been introduced in past congressional sessions and seeks to prevent what the GOP calls a financial burden on American taxpayers. Republicans have been highly critical of using taxpayer resources for health care benefits for undocumented immigrants. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, is introducing the bill, which is co-sponsored by Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and John Barrasso of Wyoming. "We should focus on making America healthy again instead of straining our medical system and burdening American taxpayers," Cassidy said. "Working as a doctor in California, I saw that free health care is a magnet for illegal immigration.” Representative Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican, has introduced companion legislation in the House. The bill has been introduced in past congressional sessions, and supporters hope for stronger momentum this time. "What I’m concerned about is the folks who depend on Medicaid, you know, it’s a lifeline for vulnerable Americans, like seniors in nursing care, individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, children living below poverty, and so I want to preserve and strengthen the program and make sure it’s there for the people who really need it," Hudson told Newsweek. "I’m open to making the policy the best we can, but again, my goals are saving the taxpayers money, preserving Medicaid for those who are vulnerable, and the third benefit here is that these benefits are a magnet for people to come here illegally, and so I want to stop the flow of illegals," the congressman said. Hudson called for legislation to "defend the taxpayers.” "Their money is not intended to go to this. In fact, it’s illegal to spend the money on these illegal immigrants," he said. "This could make a real difference to hard working Americans, it could help them," he added.

Axios [3/29/2025 8:44 AM, Zachary Basu, 13163K] reports the Trump administration remained publicly defiant this week as its immigration crackdown exploded into a global spectacle, ignited by two legally fraught deportation drives. The transfer of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador using an 18th-century wartime law, which could soon be taken up by the Supreme Court. The targeting of foreign students allegedly involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses. In both cases, President Trump and his team are charging ahead with unapologetic force — even as the courts, immigration activists and civil libertarians accuse them of steamrolling due process. The Trump administration has refused to acknowledge the possibility that innocent people are winding up in El Salvador’s megaprison, a legal black hole known for torture and inhumane conditions.

Miami Herald [3/29/2025 4:18 PM, Milena Malaver, 52868K] reports hundreds of people gathered at the corner of Southwest 177th Avenue and 12th Street, holding signs and chanting outside the overcrowded Krome Detention Center entrance on Saturday. The protest came as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown funneled people into the Miami facility. Reports of inhumane conditions inside Krome — where detainees face overcrowding and lack necessities such as beds, food, and medical care — fueled Saturday’s demonstration outside the detention center. The protest, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., initially started with only a handful of people near the Miccosukee Casino. Organizers had received permission from the Tribe for protesters to park there, but police soon ordered them to leave. As it grew, hundreds of demonstrators filled the space near the detention center’s entrance while passing cars and trucks honked in support. Martin Vidal, 31, an organizer with the South Florida chapter of 50501 — a political action group that co-organized the protest — said their primary goal was to oppose Krome and the "human rights abuses going on there.” "Miami-Dade is as metropolitan as it comes," said Vidal, born and raised in South Florida. "Immigration is what’s given the city the life and vibrancy that it has, and to see this happening here to people that just came here to be a part of the American experience and have a better life is disgusting.” Holding signs and chanting slogans, protesters line the side of the road on SW 177th Avenue and 12th street to protest conditions inside Krome Detention Center on Saturday, March 29. Organizers came prepared with bullhorns and designated chanters to lead the crowd. The main chanter was Obsidian Tiburon, a Taino representative of the American Indian Movement who came down from Orlando to attend the protest. Tiburon said that as soon as they heard of "the horrid conditions in there [Krome]" they started a group chat with other activists in Florida to organize the. "People deserve humane treatment no matter what, no matter who they are," said Tiburon. They led many of the chants, such as "No one is illegal, power to the people," and "The people united, will never be defeated.” "In my indigenous culture, Taino, often we pray through song and voice and music. Chants are not only a way to let the world know what it is that we want and what we demand but a way for us to have community solidarity," Tiburon said.

New York Times [3/29/2025 6:59 PM, Hank Sanders, 145325K] reports at least one person was killed after a small plane crashed into a house in a Minneapolis suburb on Saturday afternoon, engulfing the home in flames, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and local officials. No one in the house was injured after the plane crashed in Brooklyn Park, Minn., Risikat Adesaogun, the city’s communications manager, said. Shawn Conway, the city’s fire chief, said no one aboard the plane survived, though it was not immediately known how many people were aboard. The plane, which the F.A.A. identified as a SOCATA TBM7, seats a maximum of seven people, according to GlobalAir.com. The home that was hit was a “complete loss” and there was minor damage to nearby homes, Ms. Adesaogun said. The F.A.A. and the National Transportation Safety Board were traveling to Brooklyn Park to investigate the crash. The plane took off from Des Moines International Airport in Iowa and was headed to Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minnesota, the F.A.A. said, when it crashed at 12:20 p.m. in Brooklyn Park, a city of about 82,000 people that is 11 miles north of Minneapolis. Footage from a Ring security camera appeared to show the plane nose-diving a short distance away. Videos from the scene also showed a large home engulfed in flames. Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota said on social media that his team was “monitoring the situation closely.”

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 7:00 PM, Josh Hinkle, 52868K] reports legislation to mandate Texas sheriffs participate in immigration law enforcement is moving closer to a vote at the Texas Capitol. Senate Bill 8 is on the chamber’s intent calendar for Monday. The bill filed by State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, would require all Texas counties with 100,000 or more people to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 287(g) program. Schwertner described the program as a partnership between local law enforcement and federal ICE in the identification and detainment of criminal aliens. "People overwhelmingly saw the policies of an open border and how it affects communities, and they overwhelmingly warrant stronger enforcement of criminal aliens to make sure they are identified, detained, prosecuted and deported," Schwertner said. Senator Schwertner has discussed the ideas in Senate Bill 8 in previous sessions. He said this year, the ideas are getting more traction at the Capitol. The current genesis of the bill is the people overwhelmingly voicing their opinion last November, on November 5, that we need stronger border enforcement and enforcement of our immigration laws," Schwertner said. Some opponents of the legislation have raised concern that it could create discourage some people from reporting crimes, potentially putting public safety at risk. "As SB 8 is discussed, it is my sincere hope that public safety is carefully considered. When people are afraid, they hide in the shadows. Victims don’t report crime and witnesses don’t come forward with information. Criminals win as they take advantage of the vulnerable among us," Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez wrote in a statement on SB 8. "The impact of that reaches beyond immigration to our humanity. I want victims of crime to run to law enforcement, not away from us," Hernandez added. Schwertner emphasized that the goal of the legislation is to protect Texans by getting criminals out of the community. "I ask them if they want criminal aliens running around and and causing violence and and crime against citizens that they know, Texans they know, and I would hope their answer would be no," Schwertner said, referring to opponents of the legislation. "We need to again, identify, detain, prosecute and deport criminal aliens. The 287(g) program goes a long ways of helping us identify those aliens that are in custody already for a crime they committed, and making sure that they’re held accountable," Schwertner said.

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 9:44 PM, Amelia Jones, 52868K] reports organizers believe a march for immigration reform on Sunday will be the largest in the country. Thousands are expected to gather in downtown Dallas on Sunday to protest for immigration reform. The League of United Latin American Citizens calls it the 2025 Mega March and it’s been in the works for a little over a month. On Saturday, organizers held a news conference encouraging people to come out and join the march. "The issue is protecting our democracy, protecting what the Statue of Liberty stands for that this is a country of immigrants," LULAC President Domingo Garcia said. "Protecting our constitution with liberty and justice for all.” The turnout for other immigration rallies and protests in Dallas has been smaller as some in the Latino community are afraid of potential immigration arrests. "No one should stay away because of fear," LULAC Chaplin Hilda Duarte said. "We ask that you bring your white shirts in a sign of peace and American flags because we’re fighting for you to become a U.S. citizen.” Sunday’s march will start at 1 p.m. outside Cathedral Guadalupe in downtown Dallas. People will then travel down Ross Avenue and make their way through Griffin, Commerce and Harwood streets before ending at city hall where a rally is planned. "We want to change the debate starting tomorrow and that’s why we are marching, and we believe this will be the largest march in the United States this year to ask Republicans and Democrats to pass bipartisan immigration reform and finally fix the immigration system that’s broken in this country," Garcia said. The Trump administration continues to make immigration a top priority and ICE arrests are still happening daily across the country. LULAC organizers believe there’s power in numbers and they hope Sunday’s march will allow their voices to be heard. "We are all here, we’re here to stay and we’re here just to show them that we are peaceful, and we have a lot of contributions and values that we’re adding to this society," Jasmin Flores said. Organizers said they are working with several area law enforcement agencies to make sure Sunday’s event goes smoothly. Information in this article comes from a news conference by the League of United Latin American Citizens and FOX 4 interviews.

Newsweek [3/29/2025 6:19 PM, Mandy Taheri, 52220K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, while serving as South Dakota governor, billed state taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars for travel as she campaigned for President Donald Trump, a move that has drawn criticism from fellow Republicans, according to the Associated Press. Newsweek has reached out to the South Dakota Republican Party and the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of Noem for comment via email on Saturday. The Trump administration has vowed to slash federal spending, root out waste, fraud and abuse, and cut taxes through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Republicans have supported the agenda, repeatedly pledging to return more money to taxpayers. Noem heads the DHS, which she has said needs more funds to carry out Trump’s mass deportation plans, the largest in U.S. history. However, her previous fiscal actions have drawn scrutiny from members of her own state party. A lawsuit filed last month by The Dakota Scout revealed Noem’s travel receipts for when she was governor, which the Associated Press analyzed and found included over $150,000 in expenses unrelated to state business, such as covering personal and political trips like visits to Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of last year’s election. The Scout, a media outlet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, filed the lawsuit against state auditor Rich Sattgast in September, seeking to gain access to Noem’s state-issued credit card receipts. Much of her travel was related to various political appearances in a private capacity, such as speaking at conservative events or Trump rallies, rather than state-related business. During her time as governor, South Dakota covered more than $640,000 in travel-related expenses for Noem’s office, with most costs incurred as her national profile grew alongside Trump’s. At the time, she did not reveal her expenses to taxpayers. A significant portion of the money went towards security for the governor, regardless of the travel’s purpose. Some South Dakota Republicans are upset by the large expenses, such as former Republican South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard who told the AP that the spending "offends a lot of people.” Another state Republican, state Senator Taffy Howard told the AP that "it seems like an incredible amount of money.”

Honolulu Star-Advertiser [3/29/2025 12:06 PM, Leila Fujimori] reports a federal grand jury Thursday indicted a 51-year-old Mexican national on charges of being an illegal alien present in the United States after being convicted of a felony and removed from this country. Abraham Moreno Garcia, aka Estevan Carvajal Villagomez and Carlos Daniel Lopez, was removed at least three times for illegally reentering the U.S., and has two felony convictions for illegally reentering the United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Hawaii said in a news release. During one of those attempts, Moreno Garcia used a Hawaii driver’s license as proof of citizenship. Moreno Garcia was convicted in 2019 in Hawaii for illegal reentry and sentenced to five months in federal prison, and was then removed to Mexico in March of that year. He reentered the U.S. illegally and was arrested on Hawaii island earlier this month. If convicted, Moreno Garcia could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and up to a $250, 000 fine.

Univision [3/29/2025 8:55 AM, Staff, 5325K] reports Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem acknowledged after her meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum that Mexico has taken positive steps on security and migration issues, but also said she believes there is "much work left." The U.S. official concluded a three-country tour of Latin America on Friday at a time when Mexico is facing tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and amid efforts by the Mexican government to secure "preferential treatment." Noem’s trip also coincided with a time when the region is becoming increasingly important to the Donald Trump administration, which is seeking to increase deportations while intensifying its threatening messages to curb the arrival of migrants to the United States. Before their meeting, Sheinbaum announced that her conversation with Noem would focus on security and migration, adding that she would emphasize the need to respect Mexico’s sovereignty.

Los Angeles Times [3/29/2025 12:55 PM, Andrea Castillo] reports senators who visited the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the Trump administration has flown hundreds of migrants for deportation, on Saturday called on the Trump administration to "immediately cease this misguided mission." The delegation of senators — four Democrats and one Independent — said they were angered that they had to fly to Cuba on Friday for answers to questions they’ve been asking administration officials for months. In an interview with The Times, Padilla said officials could not adequately explain why the migrants had to be held at Guantanamo, not some facility in the United States. Upon arrival Friday, the senators were briefed by Homeland Security officials, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Navy personnel. They visited three sites: lower-level detainees, higher-level detainees and the final 15 suspected foreign terrorists held in connection to the 9/11 attacks.

CNN [3/30/2025 12:01 AM, Omar Jimenez and Elizabeth Gonzalez, 52868K] reports she asked to be identified only as “Ambo,” out of fear of being recognized back in her home country. “Life is very difficult for me,” she told CNN from a school-turned-shelter on a humidly hot day in Panama City, Panama. Over the ambient noise of blade fans attempting to cool the large room, she explained she left her native country of Cameroon due to “political issues,” fearing that she would either be “sentenced dead” or spend the rest of her life in prison if she stayed. She remembers arriving at the US-Mexico border on January 23 – three days after US President Trump’s inauguration – after trekking through Central America and the dangerous Darién jungle. She turned herself in to United States Customs and Border Protection in hopes of making her case for asylum. By her count she spent 19 days in US custody, then finally got that chance – or so she thought. Just after midnight on February 13, by her recollection, she and other migrants were loaded onto a bus where they drove for hours. “We were so happy thinking that they were going to transfer us to a camp where we are going to meet an immigration officer,” she recalled. She still thought that when she was loaded onto a plane, believing they were headed to another facility in the United States. But when they landed, they were in Panama. “We’re asking them why are they bringing us to Panama? ‘Why are we in Panama?’” she said, “People started crying.” Even still, she was optimistic. “We’re like thinking maybe the camp in the US is full. That is why they are bringing us here. When it will be our turn, they will come and take us to give us a listening ear,” she said. But the Panamanian government took them to a hotel in Panama City, guarded tightly by security, no phones, and limited access to the outside world, according to multiple migrants CNN spoke to. Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego previously told a local radio program the deportees were held at the hotel, in part, because officials needed to “effectively verify who these people are who are arriving in our country.” Even in a new country, under a new government authority, she held out hope someone from the United States government would step in and fix the situation. “We were somehow happy that maybe the immigration from the US would come to Panama to listen to our stories,” she told CNN, now fighting back tears. “It wasn’t the case.” Her voice cracked, recalling the moment her optimism shattered.

Washington Post [3/29/2025 7:00 AM, David Leopold, 31735K] reports to advance its mass-deportation agenda, the Trump administration has cited a dizzying array of legal theories, but a common theme unites them: They strip immigrants of the right to due process. Whether to detain student activists or fly alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, the White House has sidestepped immigration laws that include basic safeguards such as the right to review and challenge evidence, in favor of two long-dormant, wartime-era statutes that do not. The White House wants its actions viewed solely through the lens of immigration, but they pose a broader threat to the due process rights and basic liberties and freedoms of everyone in America, noncitizens and citizens alike.

Washington Examiner [3/30/2025 12:01 AM, Staff, 2296K] reports notable among the many differences between the current administration and its predecessor is what it considers domestic terrorism. Last week, the FBI created a task force to investigate a wave of violent attacks targeting Tesla, Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company. This comes in response to at least 80 such cases reported in the United States and Canada in 2025, including torching and shooting Tesla vehicles, vandalism, and planting incendiary devices in Tesla dealerships. The attacks have increased in severity and frequency in recent weeks, which has prompted both Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to label them as acts of domestic terrorism. "The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla," Patel wrote on X, "and over the last few days, we have taken the additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response. This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,". The multi-agency effort, which will involve the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives working with state and local law enforcement, is a welcome development. The copycat nature of the attacks — most often, they occur at night by lone attackers — in addition to the high-profile targets and politically charged environment, has raised fears of a deadly escalation. It is crucial that authorities be proactive to prevent such an incident and that examples are made of attackers to deter future copycats. Monday’s revelation that "incendiary devices" had been found inside the showroom at a Tesla dealership in Austin, Texas, no doubt raised the stakes. Thankfully, they were removed by a bomb squad safely. But the incident underscored the crisis. The Tesla attacks cannot be brushed aside as petty acts of vandalism by young and overeager political activists. They are intended to inspire terror and effect political change. As such, they meet the textbook definition of domestic terrorism.

CBS Austin [3/29/2025 10:42 AM, Staff, 602K] reports the FBI Albany field office assisted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week. In a post on Facebook, the FBI-Albany office said they provided "numerous resources to our partners at Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a week-long law enforcement operation.” The post goes on to say, "Together, we’re targeting and removing dangerous criminals from our communities.” We’ve reached out to the FBI- Albany Field Office for more information.

Washington Post [3/29/2025 7:28 PM, Katie Mettler and Dana Munro, 31735K] reports Maryland lawmakers are weighing whether to eliminate a decades-old immigration enforcement program amid rising concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to escalate mass deportations nationwide. The program, known as a 287(g) partnership, allows local law enforcement officers to sign a collaborative agreement with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement to work together to deport people who authorities say entered the country illegally. Maryland sheriffs’ departments and immigration advocates have been clashing for months over the merits of those partnerships — and their public safety value — before the General Assembly in Annapolis. Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, 287(g) partnerships in Maryland and across the country have more than doubled, according to an ICE database. At least 427 agreements between ICE and local governments existed nationwide as of Friday, 292 of them signed since Trump entered office. Seven of those partnerships are in Maryland counties. The bill before the General Assembly, called the Maryland Values Act, is an attempt at compromise on what has become a deeply divisive issue in the state, with representatives from mostly White, rural counties arguing that some undocumented immigrants make their communities unsafe — and those in more diverse, urban counties saying that attitude is “terrorizing” their residents. Maryland’s counties can decide for themselves when and how to cooperate with U.S. immigration officials. In some counties, that looks like self-designating as a so-called “sanctuary” jurisdiction — meaning local officials have forbidden ICE partnerships. Other jurisdictions, like Montgomery County, have agreed to a more informal cooperation arrangement with ICE. Then there are the formal 287(g) agreements — in Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Carroll, Garrett, Washington and St. Mary’s counties. CASA of Maryland, an immigration nonprofit and advocacy group, has been lobbying lawmakers to eliminate all formal 287(g) agreements and pass what they’ve called a “clean” bill that does not include any mandated cooperation with ICE. But the House of Delegates chose a more moderate approach, passing a bill on the House floor in mid-March that would ban 287(g) while mandating a different kind of cooperation with ICE. Their proposal would require Maryland officials at local jails and state prisons to notify ICE when undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of certain crimes are about to be released. The notification mandate would apply for those convicted of a violent crime, any felony, a DUI and gang activity, or for those who have an Interpol notice for crimes they committed outside the United States. Immigration officials would have 48 hours to take custody.

Chicago Tribune [3/29/2025 10:06 AM, Michelle L. Quinn, 5269K] reports charges have been dropped against two Chicago men — one a freelance photographer — arrested during a January Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest. Matthew Kaplan was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct during the January 18 protest at the Gary/Chicago International Airport. A second man, Nicholas Andrew, was charged with Kaplan but was also charged with obstructing traffic, according to online court records, and both were scheduled for trial April 2 in Gary City Court. Kaplan spent about two hours in lockup at the Gary City Jail, where he said he wasn’t mistreated in any way. Along with the criminal trespassing, Kaplan was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement, according to court documents, and will appear at 9 a.m. Wednesday before Gary City Judge Deirdre Monroe.

CBS Miami [3/29/2025 4:37 PM, Steve Maugeri, 51661K] reports protesters lined up outside of the Krome Detention Center in western Miami-Dade County following a USA Today report that revealed allegations of mistreatment of female detainees at the facility. They lined up outside the main entrance on Saturday, calling for change. The protest came days after the allegations surfaced, as Krome is meant to house male detainees. Protest organizer Bryson Holtzer told CBS News Miami she was disturbed by what she read. "Regardless of somebody’s citizenship status, a human deserves to be treated as a human," Holtzer said. USA Today reporter Lauren Villagran detailed the allegations in the story she published earlier this week. "They described being run through the corridors by guards while men in their rooms looked on," Villagran told CBS News Miami during an interview earlier this week. "They were also allegedly held in cells with up to 30 women in a tiny space with two toilets, no stalls and with cameras trained on them." In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said: "ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe, secure, humane environments for those in our custody very seriously. These allegations are not in keeping with ICE policies, practices and standards of care." "While the Krome Detention Center is a facility that houses only males, it is not uncommon for female detainees to be staged at Krome. This happens as the agency works on transferring the female detainees to another detention center or while they are waiting for their removal flight," the spokesperson added. "During the staging process, female detainees are not placed into the general population, thus male detainees to do not have access to female detainees." ICE said they can’t substantiate the allegations without specific dates and names. Agency officials also told CBS News Miami that some facilities are experiencing overcrowding due to larger increases in detention populations and that they’re working on moving some detainees to facilities with more capacity. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The AP [3/29/2025 7:58 PM, Staff, 48304K] reports a University of Minnesota international student is being detained by U.S. immigration authorities, school leaders said in a statement this week. University leadership said Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained the graduate student Thursday at an off-campus residence. They described the situation as "deeply concerning.” The student is enrolled in business school at the university’s Twin Cities campus. What prompted the student’s detention is not yet known. An Associated Press email requesting comment from ICE was not immediately returned Saturday. University officials said the school is providing the student with legal aid and other support services. University of Minnesota leaders said school officials did not share information with federal authorities and were not given advance notice about the detention. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a post on the social media site X said he is in touch with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "The University of Minnesota is an international destination for education and research," Walz wrote. "We have any number of students studying here with visas, and we need answers.” The Miami Herald [3/29/2025 3:53 PM, Elliot Hughes and Kyeland Jackson, 3973K] reports that in a statement to students Friday, U President Rebecca Cunningham and two other school officials said the student, who was not identified, was detained at an off-campus residence. No other details about the circumstances were immediately available. "We are actively working to gather more details about this incident," said Cunningham, according to the statement. She added: "The university had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred.” Andria Waclawski, the U’s public relations director, said the detained student has asked for privacy. She added that state and federal privacy laws bar school officials from sharing a lot of information in such circumstances. "We’re following the student’s lead and respecting their request for privacy," Waclawski said. The Graduate Labor Union, which represents graduate students at the U, said in a statement that the detained student is receiving legal representation through the University Student Legal Service office. The union planned to hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Minneapolis to share more information. "These actions are an affront to our civil liberties and the tenants of academic freedom," the statement said. "International students are a pillar of our university community and our union. We ... will not stand by and allow their rights to be trampled.” ICE did not respond to a request for more information Friday. At universities across the country in recent weeks, federal agents have reportedly detained numerous international students with legal status in the United States without filing criminal charges. The Trump administration has particularly targeted those expressing pro-Palestinian views, raising alarms over free speech rights. In a social media post on X, Gov. Tim Walz wrote that he had requested more information about the student’s detention from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and said he would share what he learns. "The University of Minnesota is an international destination for education and research," Walz wrote. "We have any number of students studying here with visas, and we need answers.”

Reported similarly:
Univision [3/29/2025 3:58 PM, Staff, 5325K]

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 8:01 PM, Debbie Cockrell, 52868K] reports a man who reportedly escaped from the federal immigration detention center on the Tideflats has been caught in another state, according to law enforcement. In a post Saturday on X, the Seattle office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that Alvaro Flores-Barboza, 24, had been arrested and is currently detained by local authorities in Oregon. ICE reported that the man is from Venezuela and escaped from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma on March 26. KOIN-TV, a Portland-based CBS affiliate, reported that Flores-Barboza was arrested early Saturday in Beaverton, Oregon. KOIN also reported that Flores-Barboza was previously arrested in the Portland area in 2024 and convicted of reckless driving and felony use of a weapon. The facility at 1623 E. J St. in Tacoma has a capacity for 1,575 detainees. It holds people who are suspected of being in the country illegally or awaiting deportation. On Wednesday, the Tacoma Police Department responded to the detention center after the facility reported that someone in custody escaped, according to a police spokesperson. Officers responded to assist in conducting an area check, but no one was found. The spokesperson said they were called again about an hour later by someone from the facility to check the area of a Pilot Express gas station on Puyallup Avenue. Again, no one was located. Neither Immigration officials nor a representative of GEO Group, the federal contractor that runs the facility, independently confirmed news of the escape at the time. Sgt. John Correa with Tacoma Police Department told The News Tribune on Saturday in response to questions that the department had no information on how the man escaped or whether this was the first such incident. Flores-Barboza now faces removal from the U.S., according to ICE. No further details were immediately available.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 7:21 PM, Tim Steele, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 8:47 PM, Jonathan Mejia, 52868K] reports that, after weeks of uncertainty, an El Salvadoran mother and her son are back home in Houston following his unexpected detention by ICE during an operation in Fresno, Texas. Despite having proper documentation, Kevin Zaldaña was arrested and detained, leaving his family in distress. Kevin Zaldaña expressed relief at being reunited with his mother, Yolanda Santos, after his release. "It took me by surprise because I was certain that I wouldn’t be arrested. I have social security, I have all my documentation in order. All of a sudden, they took me and put handcuffs on me," Zaldaña said. The incident occurred while Zaldaña was at work during an ICE operation targeting gang members. Despite presenting his documents, ICE officials claimed they were fake and that he had a deportation order. "The ICE official told me that I didn’t show up in the system and that my social security was fake and that I had an order of deportation. I knew that was a lie. So everything took me by surprise," he explained. Zaldaña, 20 years old, entered the U.S. legally through the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ), known as the "Juvenile Visa," a humanitarian program allowing certain immigrant youths to apply for lawful permanent residency. He was arrested by ICE during an operation, then released on bond. Zaldaña arrived in the U.S. when he was 14 and has been working to provide for his visually impaired mother since he was 16, using a work visa through SIJ classification. However, ICE suspected him of being a gang member and accused him of being in the country illegally. Zaldaña was on lunch break with some of his co-workers on Feb. 25. On their way back to work, a patrol officer trailed behind their car and pulled them over, according to Zaldaña. He was asked if he was a gang member, and if he had any tattoos. He was also asked if he had a criminal record. "I responded no," he said. "My son is not a criminal. He was arrested at work. They didn’t arrest him for doing any illicit activity," Santos emphasized. The emotional reunion was captured on camera, marking a moment of joy for both mother and son. "It was a moment of joy. I was so happy to know that my son was coming home after being away. I would often think about his wellbeing. I didn’t know if he was sleeping well or if he was eating," Santos said. Since returning home, Zaldaña has been gradually adjusting to normal life. "I’m barely getting some good sleep. I still have nightmares that I’m detained. It’s a frustrating feeling, I live in fear," he said. Kevin Zaldaña’s fears may soon be alleviated as U.S. Customs and Immigration Services have approved his application for permanent residency, with his green card expected to arrive shortly. ICE did not respond to requests for comment in time for this report.

AP [3/30/2025 6:00 AM, Barbara Ortutay, 12335K] reports U.S. immigration officials are asking the public and federal agencies to comment on a proposal to collect social media handles from people applying for benefits such as green cards or citizenship, to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump. The March 5 notice raised alarms from immigration and free speech advocates because it appears to expand the government’s reach in social media surveillance to people already vetted and in the U.S. legally, such as asylum seekers, green card and citizenship applicants -- and not just those applying to enter the country. That said, social media monitoring by immigration officials has been a practice for over a decade, since at least the second Obama administration and ramping up under Trump’s first term. Below are some questions and answers on what the new proposal means and how it might expand social media surveillance. The Department of Homeland Security issued a 60-day notice asking for public commentary on its plan to comply with Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.” The plan calls for “uniform vetting standards” and screening people for grounds of inadmissibility to the U.S., as well as identify verification and “national security screening.” It seeks to collect social media handles and the names of platforms, although not passwords. The policy seeks to require people to share their social media handles when applying for U.S. citizenship, green card, asylum and other immigration benefits. The proposal is open to feedback from the public until May 5. “The basic requirements that are in place right now is that people who are applying for immigrant and non-immigrant visas have to provide their social media handles,” said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, managing director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program at New York University. “Where I could see this impacting is someone who came into the country before visa-related social media handle collection started, so they wouldn’t have provided it before and now they’re being required to. Or maybe they did before, but their social media use has changed.” “This fairly widely expanded policy to collect them for everyone applying for any kind of immigration benefit, including people who have already been vetted quite extensively,” she added. What this points to — along with other signals the administration is sending such as detaining people and revoking student visas for participating in campus protests that the government deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas — Levinson-Waldman added, is the increased use of social media to “make these very high-stakes determinations about people.” In a statement, a spokesperson for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service said the agency seeks to “strengthen fraud detection, prevent identity theft, and support the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible.”

Washington Post [3/30/2025 5:00 AM, David Nakamura, Neeti Upadhye and Reshma Kirpalani, 31735K] reports a few weeks ago, New York immigration lawyer Pouyan Darian sought to reassure lawful permanent residents that it was safe to travel outside the United States without jeopardizing their status under the Trump administration. With rare exceptions, he said in a viral YouTube video, those with green cards have the “absolute right” to reenter the country. Darian is rethinking his advice. Several recent federal enforcement actions against green-card holders have gained widespread notoriety and cast a cloud of fear and anxiety over many of the nation’s estimated 12.8 million lawful permanent residents whose legal rights to live and work in the country once gave them confidence that they were immune from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The number of confirmed detentions appears limited to a handful of highly publicized incidents, including the arrests of a pair of campus activists in New York, a German national returning to New England from an overseas trip, and a Filipina woman in Seattle who has lived in the United States for three decades. But those apprehensions along with reports — including a viral Tik Tok video — of legal permanent residents being interrogated at U.S. airport checkpoints and pressured to sign forms renouncing their status have fanned rumors on social media, prompted green-card holders to cancel travel plans and generated a flood of frantic calls to immigration attorneys. Darian says his counsel to clients has “absolutely changed” and he is now telling them to consider holding off on traveling because “you are subjecting yourself to scrutiny when you attempt to reenter the United States.” “I didn’t expect them to go after green-card holders,” he said in an interview. He posted a new video on Wednesday warning that the Trump administration is going to begin focusing on permanent residents. Those concerns come as the Trump administration, frustrated that the pace of deportations is falling short of his ambitious quotas, has taken more aggressive action in recent weeks, including deporting 238 migrants to a mega-prison in El Salvador without legal due process. The administration’s apparent willingness to expand its deportation campaign to immigrants who are in the country legally highlights a new phase in Trump’s immigration crackdown, legal analysts said.

New York Times [3/30/2025 12:01 AM, Aryn Baker, 145325K] reports that, when she finds it hard to focus, Nilab jots down her worries on slips of paper and pins them to her wall, a strategy she picked up in a seminar on mental health at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. She makes a mental note to deal with the issues at a scheduled time and then gets back to studying. That kept her sane when the U.S.-backed Afghan government was overthrown in 2021, when the Taliban made it illegal for women to receive an education and when she left in July 2023 to study at the university’s campus-in-exile in Qatar. Now, in Nilab’s dorm room in Doha, the little notes are stacking up. The Trump administration’s shutdown of foreign aid and refugee admissions has left her terrified that she will be forced to return to Afghanistan. There, she would be alone and deprived of any rights as a woman. Her hard-earned American-style education would be all but worthless. She imagines the worst. “How can girls go back to Afghanistan?” said Nilab, 30, who asked that only her first name be used to protect her identity. “What will happen to us? Rape, forced marriage and death.” On Jan. 20, just as Nilab was planning her final project for her cybersecurity degree, President Trump signed an executive order suspending refugee resettlement. The U.S. government had promised refugee status for her and her classmates, but Nilab’s hopes of rejoining her family, who received asylum in the United States after the Taliban took over, were shattered. A month later, her university lost most of its funding when Mr. Trump dismantled American foreign aid programs, to reorient spending in line with the administration’s foreign policy goals. Funding was partly restored on March 16, the university’s administration said, but only enough to operate into June. If the university closes, students will lose their housing, cafeteria meal plans and Qatari student visas. A third thunderbolt came on March 15, with word that Mr. Trump was considering putting Afghanistan on a list of countries whose citizens would be barred from entering the United States. Nilab does not know when she will ever see her family again, much less resettle with them. As she and other Afghan students find their lives thrown into chaos, they are caught between the infinite possibilities promised by a university education and a crushing sense that there are no doors left to open. “I thought this long journey was finished,” she said. “I was wrong.”

Newsweek [3/29/2025 4:28 PM, Adeola Adeosun, 3973K] reports a Guatemalan mother identified only as "Sarahi" was detained for five days by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and later transferred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after accidentally taking a wrong exit toward the Ambassador Bridge to Canada while driving to Costco in Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press. Newsweek reached out to the CPB and ICE via email on Saturday for comment. This case highlights what immigrant advocates describe as increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s second administration. According to Sarahi’s attorney and the Michigan Immigration Rights Center, similar incidents in the past would typically have resulted in immediate release for families with children, rather than extended detention. ICE revealed earlier this month that just over 28,000 deportations were carried out in the first seven weeks of the Trump administration, after several weeks without official data updates. The agency previously told Newsweek that it had removed 28,319 people from the U.S. interior between January 20 and March 11, averaging to around 3,887 per week, or 555 a day. Sarahi and her family were driving in southwest Detroit when their GPS directed them toward a Costco in Windsor, Canada. After accidentally entering the bridge area, they were detained on March 8 by CBP. During detention, they reportedly subsisted on instant noodle soups in a cold room, and one of Sarahi’s children developed a fever while another developed a cough. She claims she didn’t receive medication for them. Sarahi later told NPR she was handcuffed and screamed at by agents. She reported seeing her brother in handcuffs and shackles during detention, which her attorney described as "tremendously traumatizing" for her 5-year-old daughter. According to immigration advocates, the detention facility doesn’t meet federal standards for housing detainees and allowing access to attorneys. CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham stated that Sarahi "admitted to unlawfully entering the U.S. in 2018" and was "subject to detention and removal" for violating immigration laws. According to the agency, her detention was prolonged because she initially chose not to be separated from her children. "Once the children were placed with a guardian, she was transferred to ICE," Beckham said.

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 11:09 PM, Matthew Reisen, 52868K] reports authorities say an Albuquerque man was caught for the second time this year trying to smuggle illicit bologna across the border overnight Thursday in El Paso. Roger Maier, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, said a 52-year-old man was caught with 22 "large rolls" of the Mexican meat, weighing 242 pounds, and "undeclared" painkillers hidden in his vehicle at the Paseo Del Norte checkpoint. Maier said the man, who tried to smuggle 55 rolls "of undeclared bologna" in January, could be fined up to $10,000 if found guilty in Friday’s seizure. The man was also issued a $1,000 promissory note for the 60 tablets of the opiate tramadol found in his vehicle. "Pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases to the U.S., which can have a devastating impact to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry," CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said in a statement. "It is always best for travelers to declare any items acquired abroad to help CBP stop the introduction of potentially harmful products." Around 2 a.m., the man drove into the checkpoint and said he had no "fruits, vegetables, and meat products" to declare, Maier said. The man was referred for a secondary inspection, and CBP canine Harlee alerted agents to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. "Agriculture Specialists continued their exam and located 22 rolls of bologna hidden beneath equipment in the rear of the vehicle," he said. "CBP agriculture specialists also discovered 60 undeclared tramadol tablets in the center console."

FOX News [3/29/2025 9:00 AM, Cameron Arcand] reports it’s morning again in the border community of Yuma, Arizona, but there’s still work to be done to ensure long-term security and to clean up leftover challenges. Yuma County Supervisor Jonathan Lines explained the challenges faced in the wake of a high influx of migrants into the community at times throughout the Biden administration. In the Yuma sector alone, there were hundreds of thousands of migrant encounters during the Biden administration. In February, there were 8,326 illegal border crossings marked down by United States Customs and Border Protection. The number of people placed a strain on local resources in the area, including the local hospital.

Los Angeles Times [3/30/2025 6:00 AM, Andrea Castillo, 52868K] reports that, when the humanitarian aid workers decided to dismantle their elaborate tented setup — erected right up against the border wall — they hadn’t seen migrants for a month. A year earlier, when historic numbers of migrants were arriving at the border, the American Friends Service Committee, a national Quaker-founded human rights organization, came to their aid. Eventually the group received enough donations to erect three canopies, where it stored food, clothing and medical supplies. But migrant crossings have slowed to a near halt, bringing a striking change to the landscape along the southernmost stretch of California. Shelters that once received migrants have closed, makeshift camps where migrants waited for processing are barren, and nonprofits have begun shifting their services to established immigrants in the U.S. who are facing deportation, or migrants stuck in southern Mexico. Meanwhile, the Border Patrol, with the assistance of 750 U.S. military troops, has reinforced six miles of the border wall with concertina wire. American Friends Service Committee Program Coordinator Adriana Jasso, has been packing up clothing, food, water and other supplies that were once offered to migrants crossing into the U.S. at an area called Whiskey 8 in San Ysidro. On a recent day at the aid station erected by the Service Committee a few miles west of the San Ysidro border crossing, just one mostly empty canopy remained. Three aid workers wearing blue surgical gloves were packing up boxes labeled "kids/hydration," "tea and hot coco"and "small sweater." There was no need for them now. Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector are now making about 30 to 40 arrests per day, according to the agency. That’s down from more than 1,200 per day during the height of migrant arrivals to the region in April. Adriana Jasso, who coordinates the U.S.-Mexico program for the Service Committee, recalled that hectic time and the group’s aid effort. "This was the first time we took on this level of providing humanitarian aid," Jasso said. But these days, she said, "it’s the closing of an experience — for now. Because life can be unpredictable.”

USA Today [3/29/2025 1:40 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 75858K] reports an outbreak of severe weather this weekend and into early next week could impact millions of Americans, with the potential for thunderstorms, large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes, forecasters said Saturday. More than 180 million people could see severe weather through midweek, with more than two dozen states at risk, according to AccuWeather. The threat will start Saturday night, with hail, damaging winds, flash flooding and tornadoes that could impact cities including Dallas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Topeka and Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa. Then on Sunday, the weather will shift further east and into the middle Mississippi Valley and portions of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, AccuWeather said. And to the north, ice, snow and sleet is expected in states from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes region to New England where winter weather advisories blanketed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York, according to the National Weather Service. Light to moderate snow and freezing rain is expected in the New England states.

Washington Post [3/29/2025 11:01 AM, Matthew Cappucci, 31735K] reports storms start on Saturday evening in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. The Storm Prediction Center is already warning of "very large hail, damaging winds, and strong tornadoes" Sunday across a broad area. More than 25 million people are in an enhanced (Level 3 out of 5) risk zone for severe weather, which spans from northern Louisiana to just south of Chicago. By Monday, the severe risk will shift to the Eastern Seaboard. At least some strong storms could stretch from Boston to Jacksonville, Florida, but the more concentrated risk of damaging gusts and isolated tornadoes will be in the Carolinas and Georgia. There is some chance that Monday’s setup may trend more dynamic, and could bring some tornado risk north to Washington D.C. and Baltimore, but that remains to be seen. There could be additional rounds of severe weather across the Plains as early as next Wednesday when the next large-scale storm system pushes east.

ABC News [3/29/2025 11:52 AM, Max Golembo and Ivan Pereira] reports a spring storm system will move east over the next three days, bringing a variety of dangerous and life-threatening weather, including tornados and large hail, from the Heartland to the East Coast. From late Saturday evening into Saturday night, severe storms will take shape from Oklahoma City to Kansas City, according to the forecast. The biggest threat with these storms will be damaging winds and large hail, but a tornado cannot be ruled out. On Sunday, the storm will move into the Midwest and the South with severe weather expected from near Dallas all the way to Erie, Pennsylvania. The highest threat for strong tornadoes will be from east of Little Rock, Arkansas, to Tupelo, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; and Evansville, Indiana. Damaging winds and hail are also possible in Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Cleveland. On Monday, the severe weather moves to the East Coast and I-95 corridor from Upstate New York all the way south to Tallahassee, and New Orleans. Damaging winds will be the biggest threat for northern cities but a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out across the southern areas. On the north side of this storm, snow and ice is forecast from Dakotas all the way to New England Saturday into Sunday.

Newsweek [3/29/2025 4:18 PM, Adeola Adeosun, 3973K] reports the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued red flag warnings across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado for Saturday, with some warnings extending into Sunday and Monday. These warnings indicate "critical fire weather conditions" due to strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures that can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop under these conditions can spread rapidly, posing significant threats to communities, property, and natural resources. A "fire growing pattern" is expected to commence on Saturday through the week, with breezy to windy conditions developing each day. In Texas, the warnings cover numerous counties including El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Reeves, Pecos, and extensive areas of West Texas and the Panhandle. The Texas warnings indicate southwest winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 mph and humidity levels dropping as low as 8-9 percent, creating extreme fire danger conditions with an RFTI (Red Flag Threat Index) of 5-7 in some areas. New Mexico faces critical conditions across multiple regions including the Northeast Plains, East Central Plains, Central Highlands, and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. The state will see southwest winds of 20-35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph and humidity levels of 9-16 percent. Fire weather watches extend through Monday for several areas, with conditions potentially worsening early next week. Oklahoma’s western regions are under warning, with southwest winds of 15-20 mph and gusts up to 35 mph. Relative humidity could drop to as low as 10 percent, with temperatures climbing to 94 degrees in some areas, creating particularly dangerous conditions. Colorado has issued warnings for the San Luis Valley, Huerfano County, and Western Las Animas County, with southwest winds of 15-25 mph gusting to 40 mph today. A fire weather watch is also in effect for Monday, when west winds are expected to strengthen to 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.

FOX News [3/29/2025 7:00 AM, Taylor Penley] reports Hurricane Helene survivor Mona Roper is calling for FEMA to be eliminated six months after the storm brought landslides and historic flooding to the Appalachian communities of western North Carolina. Her calls came in response to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealing her plan to reshape how disaster relief is handled, which involves eliminating the disaster resource agency that came under fire from many Republicans last year. The massive category four storm struck the Florida coast last year and barreled through the southeast, hitting states like Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia along with the Tar Heel State. Members of communities like Roper’s are still working to recover six months later. The agency has consistently defended its work in the region.

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 11:30 AM, Joe Marusak, 52868K] reports mandatory evacuations continued in the Carolinas on Saturday from rapidly spreading mountain wildfires that firefighters from across the United States have battled for days, emergency officials said. Three fires that merged to form the Black Cove Complex Fire have burned nearly 7,000 acres in Western North Carolina’s Polk and Henderson counties, N.C. Forest Service rangers said Friday night. An aerial view shows heavy smoke from a wildfire burning in Jackson County, one of several burning in Western North Carolina, Friday afternoon, March 28, 2025. The fires engulfed 22 structures, forced evacuations on 18 roads and required an injured firefighter to be airlifted to a hospital. AmeriCorps NCCC, which sent a team of firefighters, called the Black Cove Complex Fire on Friday the "highest priority fire in the U.S.” AmeriCorps NCCC firefighters battle the Black Cove Complex Fire in Western North Carolina. Nearly 500 firefighters from across the state and nation were on the scene Saturday night, according to the N.C. Forest Service. Concord Fire deployed a team that has worked all three of the Black Cove Complex fires. Concord Fire deployed a team that has worked all three of the Black Cove Complex fires, city officials said. And FEMA on Friday authorized federal money to reimburse costs to North Carolina to fight the massive Table Rock fire in Transylvania County. The fire spread northeast from Pickens County, S.C., and has consumed 10,904 acres, according to an update Saturday by the S.C. Forestry Commission. Another S.C. mountain wildfire, the Persimmon Ridge Fire, has consumed 2,000 acres in Greenville and Pickens counties, officials said. One of the fires that formed the Black Cove Complex Fire has burned 3,500 acres and was 35% contained, Forest Service officials said in a 6:30 p.m. update Saturday. The fire, named the Black Cove Fire, was about two miles northeast of Saluda, in the Green River Gorge. Gastonia firefighters worked through the night late Friday and early Saturday, March 28 and 29, to protect homes near Saluda from the Black Cove Fire. Gastonia firefighters were among those who worked through the night late Friday and early Saturday to protect homes near Saluda from the fire. "Fire behavior has continued to be intense, with rapid fire spread and areas of extreme burning conditions due to shifting winds and dry weather during the day," according to a news release from the Forest Service on Friday night. Overnight, the fire "calmed down due to increasing humidity and cloud cover," fire officials said Saturday. "Crews patrolled and monitored fire lines throughout the night.” AmeriCorps NCCC firefighters work to contain the Black Cove Complex Fire in Western North Carolina. Saturday night, flames diminished thanks to humid, calm weather, officials said.

WNCN [3/29/2025 12:26 PM, Rodney Overton] reports in North Carolina, at least eight fires are still burning in the mountains. Two of the three largest wildfires were caused by downed powerlines, officials say. The North Carolina Forest Service reported Saturday morning that 458 crews were working to fight the fires. Firefighting crews from across North Carolina and 14 other states are involved in the effort, the N.C. Forest Service said. The largest — the Black Cove Fire and the Deep Woods Fire in Polk County — were becoming more contained. As of Saturday morning, the Black Cove Fire is 3,410 acres in size and 23 percent contained. The Black Cove Fire was first reported March 19. The cause was determined to be a downed powerline. As of Saturday morning, the Deep Woods Fire is 3,797 acres in size and 32 percent contained. The fire is burning approximately 5 miles northwest of Columbus in timber on state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge and in the neighboring Holbert Cove community. The Fish Hook Fire is 199 acres in size and 95% contained. It is burning approximately 5 miles northwest of Mill Spring on private land near Lake Adger. The cause of this fire was determined to be a downed powerline.

WBTW [3/29/2025 2:47 PM, Adam Benson] reports a seven-acre wildfire that broke out Friday night along U.S. Highway 501 was fully contained shortly after it sparked, but the blaze just added to an already exhausting year for responders, a state official told News13 Saturday. Forestry Commission spokesman Doug Wood said the incident came as a pair of wildfires were burning more than 10,600 acres in Greenville and Pickens counties and overall, this year has been one of the most active in a decade. Wood said every wildfire is investigated to determine a cause, but that’s not likely to happen soon for Horry County’s latest one as crews are prioritizing the 8,679-acre Table Rock conflagration in Pickens County.

Washington Post [3/29/2025 7:19 AM, Victoria Bisset, 31735K] reports at least three people died in southern Texas and one across the border in Mexico after as much as 20 inches of rain fell in parts of the Rio Grande Valley, stranding motorists and causing widespread destruction. Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez signed a local disaster declaration Friday, the county said in a news release confirming the three deaths. Thursday’s rainstorm “brought with it widespread flooding and caused significant property damage,” the county said, adding that up to 14 inches of rain were recorded. The city of Harlingen, in neighboring Cameron County, also declared a state of emergency after more than 21.5 inches fell in some areas of the city. ⁠Across the border in Mexico, the Tamaulipas State Attorney General’s Office reported the death of one person, according to the Mexican Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, which said in a statement that more than 1,100 people had been moved to temporary shelter after more than a foot of rain fell in 48 hours. Mexican media cited officials as saying that the victim was 83 years old and died of drowning.

KTLA [3/29/2025 10:40 AM, Will Conybeare] reports the deadline to either opt-in or opt-out for government-run wildfire debris removal has been extended. FEMA made the announcement on Friday, stating that the new deadline to submit a Right of Entry form is April 15 for single-family homes affected by the deadly and devastating January wildfires. All property owners should submit an ROE form by that date, either opting in or out of the program. The original deadline was Monday. Those who choose to opt-in to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remove debris will incur no out-of-pocket expenses, FEMA said; however, officials are not able to duplicate forms for non-government-run debris removal programs. Around 9,800 property owners affected by both the Eaton and Palisades fires have elected to use the government-run program and another 1,000 have opted out; however, officials say there are still roughly 1,200 property owners who have yet to submit an ROE form.

AZCentral [3/29/2025 9:01 AM, Miguel Torres, 4457K] reports "pig butchering" scams, involving fake investment opportunities, were the most common crime investigated by the Secret Service in Arizona last year. The Secret Service emphasizes that victims should not feel ashamed to report these crimes, as the perpetrators are often sophisticated criminal groups. "Pig butchering" scams became the most common crime investigated by the Secret Service in Arizona last year, and they have continued to increase. The crime involving fake investment opportunities resulted in an estimated $2.5 billion in losses nationwide. Arizonans lost millions. The average loss in investigated cases was just over $700,000, according to the Secret Service, which, in addition to offering protection to important people, also has an investigative arm that handles financial and cyber crimes. Many Arizona victims of the confidence schemes are older adults, according to the Secret Service.

ABC 25 West Palm Beach [3/29/2025 11:38 PM, Staff, 236K] reports the 72-year old man rescued from a cruise ship after a medical emergency is speaking out today. He was ten days into a month-long cruise across Hawaii and French Polynesia when he suffered four strokes in just a few hours. The ship’s medical staff calling in the Coast Guard to take him off the boat. Now, a month after his rescue he got to reunited with those Coast Guard pilots.

CBS 6 Thomasville [3/29/2025 12:00 AM, Chasity Maynard, 248K] reports authorities set out on the water Saturday morning in St. Marks to search for a missing boater. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard are working together to look for the boater after they were reported missing at about 9 a.m., according to FWC public information officer Chris Boley. Boley said the search is ongoing, so the information he can share is limited as of about 11 a.m. He expects to be able to share more information later Saturday.

Reported similarly:
ABC 3 Mobile [3/29/2025 9:57 AM, Staff, 353K]

West Orlando News [3/30/2025 12:53 AM, Staff, 27K] reports the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone recently offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $517.5 million at Port Everglades, near Miami in South Florida. The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in U.S. courts. “You heard it said before that the Coast Guard’s national security cutters are game changers in the counter-drug mission, but they still require a crew of men and women willing to serve on or over the sea, and place themselves in harm’s way,” said Capt. Jonathan Carter, commanding officer of Stone. “I’m incredibly proud of our crew’s performance and their efforts to combat narco-terrorism this deployment. In one exceptional case, the crew interdicted four go-fast vessels in 15 minutes, seizing nearly 11,000 pounds of cocaine that will never be mixed with deadly fentanyl to threaten American lives here at home.”

CW 34 Fort Pierce [3/29/2025 5:39 PM, Grace Bellinghausen, 27K] reports a Fort Pierce Coast Guard boat crew rescued a kitesurfer Saturday after strong winds prevented him from navigating to shore. A 1 p.m. call to Sector Miami watchstanders alerted the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to the kitesurfer’s distress to officials. The watchstanders subsequently radioed an urgent broadcast that launched the Fort Pierce boat crew into action. The Fort Pierce Police Department, St. Lucie Police Department, and St Lucie Fire Rescue boat crews also responded to the scene. "Thanks to the good Samaritan’s prompt call for help, we were able to get on scene quickly and conduct a successful rescue before anything bad happened," said Chief Warrant Officer Jason Norris, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce. The kitesurfer was returned to shore safely with no reported injuries, according to USCG.

ABC 5 Minneapolis-St. Paul [3/29/2025 7:20 PM, Staff, 904K] reports the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul has officially begun her first deployment. The Naval combat ship set sail from Florida’s Naval Station Mayport on Wednesday, heading to the Caribbean to help crack down on drug trafficking with the U.S. Coast Guard.

CBS Los Angeles [3/30/2025 1:18 AM, Dean Fioresi, 51661K] reports the body of missing Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter Connor Lees was recovered this week, months after he was last seen while free diving in Long Beach. "On March 26, 2025, the Long Beach Police Department recovered the body of Firefighter Connor J. Lees from the waters off Long Beach," said an Instagram post shared by LAFD. Lees was last seen on Dec. 4 while he was free diving with two other men near Pier J in the Port of Long Beach, according to Long Beach Fire Department officials at the time. They were called to the area just before 10 p.m. that night after they learned that Lees had not returned to the boat with them. He was off-duty at the time. There was a massive search effort in the area surrounding where Lees was last seen, but he wasn’t found until until Wednesday. That search included the U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Los Angeles County fire departments and various police agencies. "Despite an exhaustive and highly technical search, Firefighter lees was presumed lost at sea, and recovery efforts were concluded on December 6, 2024," LAFD’s post said. Lees was a six-year veteran of the department. He was remembered by friends and family at a vigil in Seal Beach in late-December, they were joined by members of his firefighting family as well, who hoisted a flag over the gathering from one of their fire trucks. "The LAFD stands united in grief alongside Firefighter Lees’ family, friends, and colleagues. We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him," the post said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 7:43 PM, Vivian Chow, 52868K]

Marine Insight [3/29/2025 8:16 AM, Staff, 277K] reports a US Coast Guard inspection team found an illegal shipment of Anhydrous Ammonia at the Puerto Neuvo Terminals (PNT) port facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday. The hazardous cargo, containing over 5,000 gallons of the toxic and flammable substance, was found in a tank container during a routine inspection. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the matter. The team of three Marine Science Technicians conducting the inspection found three tank containers, one of which was deemed unlawful due to its hazardous contents. Following the discovery, multiple federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Coast Guard Investigative Services (CGIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the US Army National Guard, and the US Marshals Service, conducted a thorough inspection of the port to check for other potential safety risks.

CBS New York [3/29/2025 5:13 PM, Staff, 51661K] reports crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of the U.S. government under President Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world’s richest man. The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where he’s gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Mr. Trump. Earlier protests have been somewhat sporadic. Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker’s showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company’s sales. By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had flocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker’s home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media accounts showed protesters brandishing signs such as "Honk if you hate Elon" and "Fight the billionaire broligarchy." The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protestors at more than 230 Tesla locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe weren’t as large as the crowds in the U.S., the anti-Musk sentiment was similar. About two dozen protesters held signs lambasting Musk outside a Tesla dealership in London as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support. One of the signs displayed at the London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Mr. Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk’s straight-arm gesture that said, "You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don’t buy a Swasticar." "We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we’re facing," said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest. Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker’s vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas.

Reported similarly:
Houston Chronicle [3/29/2025 3:31 PM, John Lomax V, 1769K]
Washington Examiner [3/29/2025 3:33 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 2296K]
San Francisco Chronicle [3/29/2025 8:05 PM, Molly Burke, 5046K]

FOX News [3/29/2025 7:38 PM, Stepheny Price, 46189K] reports a house party turned deadly in Washington state after gunfire erupted, killing two teenagers and wounding several others, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. As of Saturday morning, deputies confirmed there was a suspect in custody, described as a teenage male, in the fatal shooting, Deputies said they were dispatched to a home in Spanaway just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, when 30 to 40 juveniles were reportedly running and screaming from a house party. Officials said multiple callers reported a fight breaking out in the street and shots being fired just before deputies arrived. Deputies located one male victim in the street and attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at that location. Officials said five other victims transported themselves to hospitals. "We were later notified a male had succumbed to his injuries at the hospital," deputies said in an update on the department’s Facebook page. Deputies added that four other victims remain at hospitals with serious injuries, but they are expected to recover. The victims range in age from 16 to 21. The identities of the victims and the suspect have not been released during the continuing investigation. Authorities have not confirmed the number of shooters. The street, initially closed off for an investigation, reopened Saturday morning, nearly eight hours after the shooting. Nearby homes and vehicles were damaged by gunfire, said deputies, who found several shell casings. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is expected to provide further updates as more information becomes available. "This is another grim reminder of how dangerous parties can be when things get out of hand. Our deputies and first responders have dealt with a lot in the last 24 hours, and we would hate to respond to more unnecessary deaths. Please be safe," the department said.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [3/29/2025 10:00 AM, Patricio Chile, 34586K]
USA Today [3/29/2025 11:19 AM, Eduardo Cuevas, 75858K]
Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 12:25 PM, Nikki Torres, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/29/2025 10:41 PM, Holmes Chan, 52868K] reports China’s fury at the sale of Panama Canal ports to a US-led consortium reflects how container hubs have become prized currency as Beijing and Washington vie for global influence, analysts say. Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison this month sold 43 ports in 23 countries -- including operations in the vital Central American canal -- to a group led by giant asset manager BlackRock for $19 billion in cash. After two weeks of rhetoric, Beijing hardened its response on Friday and confirmed that antitrust regulators will review the deal, likely preventing the parties from signing an agreement on April 2 as planned. Speaking before the review was announced, experts told AFP that the deal allowed US President Donald Trump to claim credit for "taking back" the canal as part of his "America First" agenda. "The US (created) a political issue at China’s expense and then has been able to declare victory," said Kurt Tong, managing partner at The Asia Group and a former top US diplomat to Hong Kong. "That doesn’t feel good in Beijing.” Some of the ports being sold are in nations that participate in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- a global development framework championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ports are crucial to that network and China "has been notably successful in this area", said Henry Gao, a trade law expert at the Singapore Management University. Last month, Panama formally exited the BRI following a visit from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "There is indeed a growing trend of ‘weaponising’ ports and trade infrastructure as tools of geopolitical leverage," Gao said. On March 4, CK Hutchison sent shockwaves through China’s shipping industry by announcing a deal of "unprecedented scale", according to Xie Wenqing, a port development researcher at the Shanghai International Shipping Institute. Chinese shipping firms questioned whether they could ensure neutral passage once the ports changed hands, he told AFP. "There are concerns about additional costs for Chinese ships or discriminatory treatment in terms of queuing orders," he added, highlighting the long-arm jurisdiction of US authorities. The deal -- coupled with recent US tariff hikes -- could undermine China’s manufacturing dominance, argued Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China. "Increased inspections and additional docking costs would erode China’s competitive edge and disrupt global supply chains," he noted.

Miami Herald [3/29/2025 4:08 PM, Allen Cone & Ian Stark, 3973K] reports Vice President JD Vance on Friday visited a U.S. military base In Greenland, describing the importance of the island to U.S. security and how Denmark is "not doing a good job at keeping Greenland safe.” Vance arrived with his wife, Usha Vance, as well as National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Michael Lee, R-Utah. They toured the Pituffik Space Base, at which Vance received briefings and spoke at a news conference. The Vances were greeted by Col. Susan Meyers and Chief Master Sgt. Holly Vaught. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which acquired the land from Norway in 1814. Greenland’s 840,000 square miles is more than 80% covered by the ice cap or smaller glaciers. "Yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination," Vance said. "We hope that they choose to partner with the United States because we’re the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security because their security is very much our security.” Vance said Denmark "hasn’t done a good job at keeping Greenland safe" and backs President Donald Trump’s desire to annex the nation of around 57,000 people. "We want to have good relationships with everybody ... but part of having good relations is showing your strength when you have to," Vance said. " And unfortunately, the story of Greenland over the past 20 years when it comes to security is that we’ve underinvested. That has to change. Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford, expressed shock over Vance’s comments lately, saying Denmark has given unwavering support in various global conflicts, often at significant personal costs. "The vice president of the United States is saying that they are not a good ally when they have lost more people per capita, young men and women in Afghanistan than any country other than the United States of America. It is just shameful. I have been to these funerals," Gifford, who served as ambassador under Barack Obama, posted on Facebook. "And look Americans we need to show a little outrage here. Our partners and allies expect it from us and they deserve better.” Vance said specifically the air base is "less secure than 30 to 40 years ago because some of our allies haven’t kept up.” Pituffik, which is the Defense Department’s northernmost installation, is operated by the 821st Space Base Group and part of Space Base Delta. "We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary," Vance told reporters. "We think this makes sense and because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think we’re going to be able to cut a deal Donald Trump-style to ensure the security of this territory, but also the United States of America.”

Newsweek [3/30/2025 6:43 AM, Ellie Cook, 3973K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to rule out the use of military force to assert control over Greenland, another overture toward the strategic North Atlantic that is island likely to spark further anxiety among the Washington’s unsettled allies in Europe. The Republican has made clear his desire to bring Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, under the U.S.’s wing, straining relations between the U.S. and NATO ally Denmark. The inhospitable Arctic is being reshaped by climate change, new trade routes and fresh military footprints from Russia and China. "I don’t take anything off the table," Trump told NBC News on Saturday, when probed on whether he would authorize the use of military force to take control of Greenland. There is a "good possibility that we could do it without military force," he said. The remarks came a day after Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland in a scaled-back visit with his wife, Usha Vance, touring the U.S.’s Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island, hundreds of miles from Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. While Vance said he did not believe "military force is ever going to be necessary," the vice president said the White House thought it would "be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory.” The vast majority of the nations bracketing the Arctic are NATO members, boosted by Finland and Sweden stepping into the alliance after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. But Moscow has reopened a number of its Cold War-era facilities in the Arctic, and Beijing, although not an Arctic state, has courted a greater presence in the region. Trump has repeatedly said he believes U.S. control of Greenland is "an absolute necessary" for national security. Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy at the Pentagon until 2017, told Newsweek last week that the alliance "would never recover" from a U.S. military operation in Greenland. "It would be just a horrendous catastrophe for the trans-Atlantic relationship, or NATO or U.S. relations with Europe and the rest of the world," he said. "It would hand a huge victory to Russia and to China.”

New York Times [3/30/2025 12:01 AM, Adam Entous, 145325K] reports the war in Ukraine is at an inflection point, with President Trump seeking rapprochement with the Russian leader, Vladimir V. Putin, and pressing for an end to the fighting. But for nearly three years before Mr. Trump’s return to power, the United States and Ukraine were joined in an extraordinary partnership of intelligence, strategy, planning and technology whose evolution and inner workings have been known only to a small circle of American and allied officials. With remarkable transparency, the Pentagon has offered a public accounting of the $66.5 billion in weaponry it has supplied to Ukraine. But a New York Times investigation reveals that America’s involvement in the war was far deeper than previously understood. The secret partnership both guided big-picture battle strategy and funneled precise targeting information down to Ukrainian soldiers in the field. The idea behind the partnership was that America’s close cooperation with Ukraine would compensate for Russia’s vast advantages in manpower and weaponry. To guide the Ukrainians as they deployed their ever-more-sophisticated arsenal, the Americans created an operation called Task Force Dragon. The secret center of the partnership was at the U.S. Army garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany. Each morning, U.S. and Ukrainian military officers set targeting priorities — Russian units, pieces of equipment or infrastructure. American and coalition intelligence officers searched satellite imagery, radio emissions and intercepted communications to find Russian positions. Task Force Dragon then gave the Ukrainians the coordinates so they could shoot at them. U.S. intelligence and artillery helped Ukraine quickly turn the tide against the Russian invasion. In spring 2022, the Biden administration agreed to send High Mobility Artillery Systems, or HIMARS, which used satellite-guided rockets for strikes up to 50 miles distant. In the war’s first year, the Ukrainians were extremely dependent on the Americans for intelligence, and Task Force Dragon vetted and oversaw virtually every HIMARS strike. The strikes caused Russian casualty rates to soar, and Ukraine’s 2022 counteroffensive was largely successful: By December, the Ukrainians held an unlikely, David-versus-Goliath upper hand against their Russian foe.

CBS News [3/29/2025 5:44 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports an American woman was freed by the Taliban after she, two British nationals and their Afghan translator were detained in Afghanistan earlier this year, according to a source with knowledge of the matter and a former U.S. envoy to Kabul. "American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home," Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been part of an American delegation working on Taliban hostage releases, wrote on X. Hall was detained in February along with Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, as they traveled to the British couple’s home in central Bamiyan province. The Reynolds remain in Taliban custody, CBS News learned. Sources told CBS News that Hall was detained on charges of using a drone without authorization. Hall was released Thursday as part of a deal that Qatari negotiators helped broker, the source said. She was in "good health" after undergoing a series of medical checks. Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s ambassador in Qatar, told CBS News that Hall was released as a "goodwill gesture." "Better for bilateral relations, that such gestures are reciprocated," Shaheen said. "Actually, after (the) liberation of our country, we are in a new phase of reconstruction of Afghanistan. We want to have positive relations with (the) U.S. and other countries. This is an area which needs to be explored." Khalilzad posted a picture of Hall smiling with Qatar representatives ahead of her departure from Afghanistan with his announcement. CBS News has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment. The Reynolds, who married in Kabul in 1970, have run school training programs in the country for 18 years. Hall is a friend of the Reynolds and had travelled to Afghanistan in February to visit them and help them with their education training business, a member of the Reynolds family told CBS News. The Reynolds are parents to two American citizens. Their daughter has expressed grave fears for her father’s health and appealed to the Taliban authorities to free them. They remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 when the British embassy withdrew its staff. Khalilzad had been in the Afghan capital earlier this month on a rare visit by U.S. officials to meet Taliban authorities, accompanying U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler. Following their visit, the Taliban government announced the release of U.S. citizen George Glezmann after a deal brokered by Qatar. Glezmann, an Atlanta native, had been in custody after being detained by Taliban authorities while on a tourist visit to Afghanistan in December 2022. The U.S. government had said Glezmaan had been wrongfully detained by the Taliban. Khalilzad called Glezmann’s release "a goodwill gesture" to President Trump by the Taliban. Glezmann and Hall are two of several Americans to be released from Taliban custody this year. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [3/30/2025 2:34 AM, Tim Kelly, 35355K] reports U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (L), with Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Romeo Brawner Jr., inspect honor guards during his visit at Camp Aguinaldo on March 28, 2025 in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in the Philippines, focusing on strengthening security cooperation and addressing concerns in the South China Sea. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images). U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described Japan on Sunday as indispensable for tackling Chinese aggression and said implementing of a plan to upgrade the U.S military command in the country would get under way. "We share a warrior ethos that defines our forces," Hegseth told Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani at a meeting in Tokyo. "Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression," including across the Taiwan Strait, he said. Calling Japan a "cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific", he said President Donald Trump’s government would continue to work closely with its key Asian ally. In July, then-President Joe Biden’s White House announced a major revamp of the U.S. military command in Japan to deepen coordination with Tokyo’s forces, as the two countries labelled China their "greatest strategic challenge". That change will place a combined operational commander in Japan, who would be a counterpart to the head of a joint operation command established by the Japan’s Self-Defense Forces last week. Hegseth’s praise of Japan contrasts with the criticism he levelled at European allies in February, telling them they should not assume the U.S. presence there would last forever. Trump has complained that the bilateral defence treaty, in which Washington pledges to defend Tokyo, is not reciprocal. In his first term, he said Japan should pay more to host U.S. troops. Japan hosts 50,000 U.S. military personnel, squadrons of fighter jets and Washington’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group along a 3,000-km (1,900-mile) East Asian archipelago that hems in Chinese military power. It comes as Japan doubles military spending, including money to purchase longer-range missiles. The operational scope of its forces, however, is constrained by its U.S.-authored constitution, adopted after its World War Two defeat, which renounces the right to make war.

Reported similarly:
AP [3/30/2025 5:13 AM, Mari Yamaguchi, 24727K]

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