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

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

The New York Times [3/7/2025 12:01 AM, Tim Balk, 145325K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it was ending its collective bargaining agreement with workers in the Transportation Security Administration, claiming that the union contract was imperiling the safety of travelers. The move was the latest step by President Trump’s administration to undermine labor protections for federal workers, and prompted an outraged response from the American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents some 47,000 at the T.S.A., along with hundreds of thousands of other federal workers. The union vowed to fight the action, saying that it had little do with safety and appeared to be illegal. The move could lay the groundwork for the government to fire T.S.A. workers and perhaps even privatize the agency, according to labor experts. Project 2025, a conservative policy playbook that Mr. Trump distanced himself from during the presidential campaign but has since followed, called for privatizing the T.S.A. The T.S.A., which has about 50,000 workers in the field and makes up about a quarter of the Homeland Security Department’s work force, is tasked with securing the nation’s airports, highways and passenger rail system. It was created in 2002 in response to the Sept. 11 attacks and folded into the Homeland Security Department in 2003. In a statement on Friday, the Homeland Security Department claimed that a “select few poor performers” in the T.S.A. were exploiting benefits and suggested that too many employees were devoting time to union matters rather than security work. “Eliminating collective bargaining removes bureaucratic hurdles,” the statement said, adding that the union had “constrained” efforts to keep Americans safe. Everett Kelley, the union’s president, said in a statement that “this action has nothing to do with efficiency, safety or homeland security.” “This is merely a pretext for attacking the rights of regular working Americans across the country because they happen to belong to a union,” he added. The Washington Post [3/7/2025 6:18 PM, Lori Aratani, 31735K] reports that in making the unilateral decision, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem cited provisions in the original legislation, enacted during the Bush administration, that created TSA, giving agency management the power to set personnel rules, including for collective bargaining. “Eliminating collective bargaining removes bureaucratic hurdles that will strengthen workforce agility enhance productivity and resiliency, while also jump-starting innovation,” the agency said in a statement. Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA officers, called the administration’s actions an attack against workers aimed at punishing unions that have fought efforts to shrink the federal workforce. “Our union has been out in front challenging this administration’s unlawful actions targeting federal workers, both in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion,” he said. “Now our TSA officers are paying the price with this clearly retaliatory action.” Kelley vowed to challenge the action. Whether the union will prevail is an open question given the broad leeway that was given to the agency in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to set pay, hiring and work rules at the department. The AP [3/7/2025 8:55 PM, Rebecca Santana and Michael R. Sisak, 5269K] reports that it came amid a push by Homeland Security to improve the pay of frontline workers, which has historically lagged behind other government employees. Pekoske credited the pay increases with improving employee retention and morale. The union said the order would strip collective bargaining rights from roughly 47,000 transportation security officers, or TSOs. Those are the people responsible for staffing airports and checking to make sure passengers do not have weapons or explosives. The decision comes at a time of increasing passenger travel — screeners see an average of 2.5 million passengers a day. The union said the department and the Trump administration were violating the right of staffers to join a union. It also said that the reasons the Republican administration had given for the decision — specifically the criticisms of union activity — were “completely fabricated.” CBS News [3/7/2025 2:55 PM, Staff, 51661K] reports that the decision is "terrible for aviation security and everyone who depends on safe travel," the Association of Flight Attendants said. The group added, "This will take us back to the days of security at the lowest price with the highest costs for our country.” The American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing the TSA workers, said in a statement that the order would strip collective bargaining rights from roughly 47,000 transportation security officers, or TSOs. Those are people responsible for staffing airports around the country and checking to make sure that hundreds of thousands of passengers a day do not carry any weapons or explosives into the secure areas of airports. The union said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump’s administration were violating the right of staffers to join a union. It also said that the reasons the Republican administration had given for the decision — specifically the criticisms of union activity — were "completely fabricated.” The Washington Examiner [3/7/2025 1:00 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports that the DHS public affairs office characterized the move as DHS increasing efficiency, safety, and "organizational agility." DHS said that a "select few poor performers" had been taking advantage of the agreement’s family and sick leave policy. DHS’s press release also claimed that nearly 200 officers, out of TSA’s screening workforce of approximately 47,000, work "full time" on union matters. "Thanks to Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them," a DHS spokesperson wrote in the press release. "The Trump administration is committed to returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies. This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized workforce across the nation’s transportation networks. TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans," the spokesperson continued.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/7/2025 12:27 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12829K]
Reuters [3/7/2025 12:02 PM, David Shepardson, 41523K]

CBS Austin [3/7/2025 11:44 AM, Jamel Valencia, 602K]
FOX News [3/7/2025 8:31 AM, Bradford Betz, 10702K]
Federal News Network [3/7/2025 10:32 AM, Justin Doubleday, 1089K]
Government Executive [3/7/2025 2:51 PM, Erich Wagner, 819K]

Axios [3/7/2025 12:55 PM, Russell Contreras, 13163K] reports that nearly 100 U.S. immigration court professionals are resigning or retiring, on top of the around 30 immigration judges and senior staff recently fired by the Trump administration, a union for immigration judges said Friday. Why it matters: The staff reduction will likely add to the historic backlog of cases and slow President Trump’s mass deportation plan, even as he asks Congress for more resources. The nation’s immigration court system is how immigrants can make their case to stay in the U.S. The big picture: The Department of Justice said in a memo last month it is moving to consider all immigration judges at-will employees without any federal employee protections. That’s putting immigration judges and the Trump administration on a collision course likely to slow down the record pace of cases immigration courts heard as President Biden left office. Zoom in: About 85 immigration court professionals are resigning or retiring, the International Federation of Professional Engineers (IFPTE), the union representing the country’s roughly 700 immigration judges, says. This follows the firing of 29 judges and senior staff by the Trump administration. The union said no cause was given for the firing of judges.

Washington Examiner [3/7/2025 11:06 AM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports that more than 100 high-level immigration officials across the United States have been fired or taken the Trump administration’s resignation offers, which could complicate its plans to execute "mass deportations" in an already overwhelmed system. In total, 85 employees, including 18 judges, at the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review accepted the government’s deferred resignation or early retirement offer, and more than 29 judges were fired by the Trump administration. These judges are part of the administrative court system under the Justice Department, not the judicial branch, and they have the authority to make decisions about asylum claims and could order that someone be removed from the country. Losing this high volume of immigration judges is likely to cut into President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport millions of immigrants. Delays in adjudicating immigration claims are part of what contributes to the number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. while they wait for their cases to be resolved. Each immigration judge handles, on average, 500 to 700 cases a year. According to data collected by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, the court already has a massive backlog of more than 3.7 million cases.

The Hill [3/7/2025 4:46 PM, Ailia Zehra, 12829K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified two "criminal leakers" within its ranks and will refer them to the Department of Justice for felony prosecutions. The names of the individuals have not been revealed. Last month, Tom Homan, President Trump’s “border czar," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Colorado were hindered after a raid was "leaked," allowing the targets to escape. ICE officers were still able to carry out some arrests. FOX News [3/7/2025 3:14 PM, Louis Casiano, Bill Melugin, 46189K] Video: HERE reports that the names of the two alleged leakers were not disclosed. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that they are expected to face charges. Earlier this week, Noem said her agency wasn’t deterred by leaks after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid was leaked ahead of time. The leaks drew anger from ICE, with one official telling Fox they feared the result of an ICE agent being killed. Previous leaks to the news media have involved raids in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado. Last month, Border czar Tom Homan said the administration was closing in on the individual responsible for the leak of the Aurora raid. Noem had pointed the finger at the FBI. USA Today [3/7/2025 5:12 PM, Lauren Villagran, 75858K] reports Noem didn’t say what statute the leakers are accused of violating. High-level Trump administration officials are under enormous pressure to carry out the president’s "mass deportation" effort. Last month, several top officials began complaining that immigrant round-ups, including of alleged gang members, weren’t delivering the results expected. They alleged that people with knowledge of law enforcement plans have been leaking sensitive details ahead of the raids. The Aurora operation targeted more than 100 people, but an immigrant rights group told USA TODAY it was only able to track five detentions. In a video statement on X, Noem appeared to indicate the alleged leakers were working for the Department of Homeland Security, which is the parent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

FOX News [3/7/2025 6:00 AM, Emma Colton, 52868K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s legal team hit a South Dakota media outlet with a cease-and-desist letter demanding that it correct and end its knowingly "false and misleading" reporting that Noem allegedly racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars on a government-issued credit card when she served as governor, Fox News Digital has learned. "On behalf of former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in her personal capacity, I write out of concern that your website continues to publish false and misleading information about my client that you have known to be false since at least July 2024," an attorney representing Noem in her personal capacity said in a letter to the co-founders of a South Dakota outlet called The Dakota Scout. The letter was obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday. "Specifically, your website repeatedly, and inaccurately, refers to all charges on credit cards used by the Office of the Governor of South Dakota as charges of my client—allowing a conclusion by multiple commenters on the site and other news outlets that my client violated the laws of South Dakota or stole taxpayer funds for her personal use," it continued. "We demand that The Dakota Scout immediately cease spreading these false, misleading, and inaccurate statements and take immediate and significant steps to correct past inaccuracies."

Newsweek [3/7/2025 2:08 PM, Sonam Sheth and Gabe Whisnant, 52220K] reports the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it will relocate six regional offices from so-called "sanctuary cities" as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to crack down on cities with immigrant-friendly policies. President Donald Trump made immigration and border security a central theme of his successful 2024 campaign and pledged to start carrying out mass deportations of migrants on "day one." Trump has since taken a number of steps to deliver on his promises, including taking legal action against sanctuary cities and revoking federal funding. More than 200 cities and counties across the U.S. consider themselves sanctuaries. In a Thursday statement, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the agency’s offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City and Seattle will be moved to "less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration law." The SBA’s announcement comes after a heated congressional hearing on sanctuary cities earlier this week, during which Republican Representative James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, engaged in a shouting match with Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. The confrontation occurred when Comer tried to block Pressley from introducing data into the Congressional Record showing that Texas-born citizens have a higher rate of violent crime than migrants.

New York Times [3/7/2025 10:16 PM, Stacy Cowley, 145325K] reports President Trump signed an executive order instructing administration officials to alter a student loan forgiveness program for public servants to exclude nonprofit organizations that engage in activities that have what he called a “substantial illegal purpose.” His order to restrict the program appears to target groups supporting undocumented immigrants, diversity initiatives or gender-affirming care for children, among others, as the Trump administration has sought to eliminate federal support for efforts that have drawn right-wing ire. The order, made public on Friday, is the latest of many attempts to overhaul the loan forgiveness program, which has often whipsawed borrowers with rule changes and bureaucratic obstacles. The program, known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, was created by Congress in 2007 and cannot be eliminated without congressional action, but the Education Department has some leeway to determine how it operates. Mr. Trump’s executive order directed the secretaries of education and the Treasury to amend the program to exclude workers for organizations supporting illegal actions, listing several categories of examples, including “aiding or abetting” violations of federal immigration law. The Trump administration has taken a broad view of what it considers to be support of illegal activities. The order cited as examples organizations that support “illegal discrimination,” which the administration has previously said includes diversity and inclusion initiatives.

CBS News [3/7/2025 3:18 PM, Staff, 51661K] reports the son of a Mexican drug cartel boss was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison for his leadership role in one of the country’s largest and most violent narcotics trafficking organizations. Rubén Oseguera, known as "El Menchito", is the son of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera, the fugitive cartel boss of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which U.S. officials have described as "one of the world’s most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations." The son served as the CJNG cartel’s second-in-command before his extradition to the U.S. in February 2020. The younger Oseguera faced a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 40 years in prison when U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sentenced him in Washington, D.C. Howell also ordered a forfeiture of over $6 billion as part of the sentence. In September, a federal jury convicted the younger Oseguera of conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for U.S. importation and using a firearm in a drug conspiracy. Ruben Oseguera ordered the killings of at least 100 people, personally shot and killed at least two people and ordered subordinates to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter, killing at least nine people in 2015, prosecutors said.

Chicago Tribune [3/7/2025 1:38 PM, Alice Yin and Jake Sheridan, 5269K] reports that during his first year in office, Mayor Brandon Johnson infamously went on the offensive when pressed on his plans to visit the southern U.S. border. Instead of answering or brushing off questions, the rookie mayor chided reporters: "I have children who attend schools who have soccer games, y’all." "Do you understand that you have not had a mayor like me?" Johnson said in the October 2023 City Hall news conference. "I still have a budget that I have to address. And I’m doing all of that with a Black wife raising three Black children on the West Side of the city of Chicago. I am going to the border as soon as possible." The anxiety many Chicagoans felt when he accepted an invitation to testify Wednesday before U.S. Congress on the city’s sanctuary policy — and the relief once he finished — can be traced to earlier interactions like that. If he reacted as antagonistically to Republican congressmen hoping to goad him into an argument on Wednesday, the mayor’s appearance at the House Oversight Committee could have gone south fast. But a different Johnson appeared on Capitol Hill to testify in the hotly anticipated hearing on sanctuary policies for immigrants.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 1:51 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports Texas Governor Greg Abbott has not ruled out the possibility of deploying bounty hunters to assist law enforcement in apprehending suspected undocumented immigrants. When asked by Newsweek whether he would support such a policy, Abbott’s office indicated the governor is open to various enforcement measures. "Governor Abbott fully supports law enforcement using every tool and strategy to aid in the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal immigrants," Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said. Republican lawmakers in Mississippi and Missouri have proposed expanding powers for bounty hunters to carry out immigration enforcement, while Arizona has proposed offering law enforcement agencies incentives for catching migrants without legal status. It is part of a broader push by Republicans to expand the role of bounty hunters in immigration enforcement. Supporters argue that the measure strengthens border security, particularly as local police forces struggle with staffing shortages. The legislation has sparked fierce debate, with proponents arguing it strengthens immigration enforcement policy while critics warn it could lead to racial profiling and civil rights violations.

FOX News [3/7/2025 9:00 AM, Michael Lee Fox, 46189K] reports that a Colorado district attorney is arguing that those who are trying to dismiss the issue of Venezuelan gangs in the state have been taking an "ignorance-is-bliss approach to the law." "There were the two extreme positions. One was, ‘Hey, they’d taken over the city’... then you’d have the people on the far left in the mainstream media saying ‘there’s no such thing as a country of Venezuela. Venezuelans don’t exist. It’s all made up. It’s a figment of your imagination,’" Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler told Fox News Digital. "The truth is, Venezuelan gangs did take over the running of about 2 to 3 different apartment complexes… so to suggest that this isn’t an issue is fake. It is a giant issue. It is a growing issue. And this sort of ignorance is bliss approach to the law." The comments come as Colorado has recently entered the national spotlight as a result of the state’s sanctuary laws, which have limited local jurisdictions from being able to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The issue became even more controversial in the last few months after reports of the spread of the violent Venezuelan immigrant gang Tren de Aragua, which had taken over multiple apartment complexes in the Colorado city of Aurora.

AP [3/7/2025 8:05 PM, Colleen Slevin, 1682K] reports that Immigration authorities don’t need to revert to a Biden-era policy limiting arrests at schools after officials in Denver challenged new policies from the Trump administration, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said Denver Public Schools failed to prove that a drop in attendance was due to the Trump administration’s new policy. It wasn’t clear how much of the fear surrounding possible enforcement actions in schools was really due to the new rules as opposed to broader concerns of increased immigration actions, he said. The new policy has not yet been acted upon, according to a group representing large urban school districts across the U.S. Besides a drop in attendance, Denver Public Schools says it has had to divert resources to respond to fear among students and families over the lifting of longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and other sensitive locations. “This includes providing mental health support to students, diverting administrator attention from academics to immigration issues, and assisting students who miss school to catch up,” lawyers for the school district said in their request to block the new rules.

Miami Herald [3/7/2025 1:21 PM, Veronika Bondarenko, 3973K] reports that with Haiti rocked by ongoing gang fights and different militant groups trying to seize control of the government, several U.S.-based airlines recently witnessed the violence in the most direct way. On Nov. 11 a Spirit Airlines (SAVE) plane flying into Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport from Fort Lauderdale was hit with gunfire while attempting to land. While the gunfire only grazed the surface of the planes and did not result in any injuries, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and American Airlines (AAL) also found bullet grazings on some of their aircraft before both airlines and the FAA issued an emergency stop on all flights into Haiti. While the FAA ban for U.S. airlines is set to expire on March 12, JetBlue just confirmed that it would not be resuming its Haiti flights until at least midyear. "Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our customers and crew members," a JetBlue spokesperson confirmed to the Miami Herald on March 5. "Due to the ongoing civil arrest in Haiti, we have made the decision to suspend all flights to and from the country through at least June 11, 2025." As is typical in such situations, the airline added that it "will continue to monitor the situation closely and update [its] plans as necessary."

New York Times [3/7/2025 1:48 PM, Genevieve Glatsky, Julie Turkewitz, Annie Correal and Farnaz Fassihi, 145325K] reports Panama will release 112 migrants who had been deported from the United States last month and were being held in a remote jungle camp, a minister said on Friday, after lawyers and advocates said the conditions violated Panamanian and international laws. The migrants come from countries that the United States cannot easily return deportees to, often because those nations will not receive them. Panama was issuing 30-day temporary humanitarian passes to the migrants to give them time to arrange their return to their homelands, or to other countries willing to take them, Panama’s security minister, Frank Ábrego, told reporters on Friday. He said the passes have a possible extension of up to 90 days. The decision to release the migrants could represent another challenge to President Trump’s efforts to deport millions of migrants from the United States. In mid-February, when the United States began sending planeloads of people from Asia, Africa and the Middle East to Panama and Costa Rica — and then those countries began locking up the deportees — it appeared that he had enlisted two pliant nations to help with his ambitious deportation plans. The images of people locked in a hotel in Panama seemed a potentially powerful deterrent for those thinking about migrating to the United States. But the decision by Panama to release the migrants suggests that it may be harder than the Trump administration had hoped to press other nations into helping carry out mass expulsions. The decision to release the migrants did not involve the United States and was made solely by Panamanian officials, according to a person familiar with the discussion among those officials, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The release amounted to offering the migrants a form of temporary protected status, the person said. While the government would not offer the migrants hotels or other lodging after they left the camp, known as San Vicente, the migrants would be directed to options for shelter and other assistance, including petitioning for asylum in countries other than their own, the person said. He did not provide further details. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “It’s hard to outsource immigration policy because other countries have their own constraints,” said Andrew Selee, the president of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. “This was a bid by the Panamanian government to buy some good will with the Trump administration,” he added. “But it was not yet a developed strategy.”

Reported similarly:
AP [3/7/2025 3:50 PM, Alma Solís and Megan Janetsky, 10355K]

Wall Street Journal [3/7/2025 1:41 PM, Kejal Vyas and Vera Bergengruen] reports President Trump’s plan for mass deportations faces a new hurdle: The Venezuelan government has privately warned the administration that it won’t accept migrants after the White House rescinded Chevron’s license to pump oil there, said people familiar with the matter. Early last month, Trump touted a deal an envoy reached with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to accept tens of thousands of migrants who had fled the strongman’s regime because of economic upheaval and political repression. The deal would have smoothed the way for Trump’s deportation plans because Venezuelans are one of the biggest groups of unauthorized migrants in the U.S., and Maduro had long refused to accept them. But signs of difficulty emerged almost immediately, as Trump allies jockeyed over whether to engage with an authoritarian regime the U.S. has deemed illegitimate or take a more-hawkish stance. Caracas accepted about 360 returning Venezuelans in the weeks after the deal was announced, but no flights have taken place since Feb. 20. Now the deal appears to be unraveling after the Trump administration gave Chevron 30 days to wind down its operations in Venezuela, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said “shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime.” The move is expected to heighten the economic pressure on Maduro and lead more people to consider fleeing the country. “The people on the street are going to feel this fast,” said José Martínez, an accountant in Caracas. The move led to the recent Venezuelan warning, which could make it more difficult for Trump to deliver on his pledge of mass deportations of migrants. His deportation plans have faced legal and logistical challenges in recent weeks, as U.S. courts temporarily blocked the transfer of Venezuelan detainees to Guantanamo Bay and military deportation flights were paused because of cost concerns. The abrupt shift in the Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela has fostered uncertainty in both Washington and Caracas about which direction it will ultimately take. Other international oil companies are awaiting Treasury Department guidance on whether they need to leave Venezuela, too.

The Hill [3/7/2025 2:30 PM, John Mac Ghlionn, 12829K] reports President Trump’s announcement of a new $5 million "gold card" residency permit has raised eyebrows, and for good reason. At first glance, the proposal seems simple enough: foreign investors prepared to invest a significant amount secure access to the U.S. citizenship. But look closer, and the problems start piling up — from money laundering to soaring housing prices that push ordinary Americans out. Although golden visa programs bring in money, they have a messy track record. They let the wealthy buy their way in, often hurting the country more than helping it. Trump is pitching this as an economic win, but if history is any guide, it could lead to scandals, public outrage and eventual collapse — just like similar programs in Europe. But before looking overseas, consider the EB-5 visa, the very program Trump’s plan would replace. It was supposed to create jobs in struggling areas but ended up fueling luxury real estate booms in places like Manhattan and Beverly Hills. Instead of lifting up small towns, it became a loophole for billionaires to buy green cards, leaving working-class communities with empty promises and shattered dreams. Worse, the EB-5 was riddled with schemes and abuse. Investors and developers manipulated the system, fabricating job numbers or misusing funds. Some cases made national headlines, like the developers at Vermont’s Jay Peak ski resort who siphoned off millions for personal gain. Even with these scandals, the program dragged on for years, kept alive by deep-pocketed real estate interests.

The Hill [3/7/2025 11:00 AM, Elizabeth C. Matto, 12829K] reports that given the volume and magnitude of actions taken by the White House since Inauguration Day, it is understandable that most of America’s attention has been focused on the executive branch. What should not be lost in this flurry of activity, however, is legislation being advanced by the 119th Congress that could be just as consequential to the institution most fundamental in a representative democracy: the vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act, would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It passed in the House in July of 2024 but did not advance in the Senate. Recently reintroduced by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, the bill now has a heightened chance of success given partisan unity within government. The consequences of the SAVE Act belie its name by compromising access to the ballot for large swaths of the populace and complicating an already overly complicated process. Moreover, the act undermines the ideals of the "democratic experiment" begun nearly 250 years ago of a republican form of government — an experiment that, until recently, has trended toward expanding rather than restricting suffrage. The ostensible purpose of the SAVE Act is to curb voting in our federal elections by those who do not hold American citizenship.

US News & World Report [3/7/2025 4:54 PM, Leah Wread DeVere, 24727K] reports President Donald Trump has vowed to combat the drug overdose crisis in the United States, and he has demanded that Mexico, Canada and China crack down on fentanyl smuggling, citing the deadly drug as a key reason for imposing tariffs this week on our three biggest trading partners. I agree with Trump that we are facing a fentanyl crisis, with tens of thousands of people in the U.S. dying from drug overdoses each year, but there’s a much better way to fight this scourge. The obscure de minimis trade rule allows packages valued at $800 or less – everything from clothing and jewelry to electronics and prescription medication – to enter the U.S. with "expedited clearance processing" and minimal customs scrutiny, without paying import taxes. Unfortunately, this loophole has become a pipeline for drug smugglers to ship fentanyl, pill presses and precursors – substances used to manufacture illegal drugs – directly to the doorsteps of people like my son.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 11:05 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are preparing a new operation to detain migrant families with children, according to multiple reports. The raids are expected to focus on tracking down adults and minor children who entered the U.S. together and have deportation orders, according to NBC News. Another operation is also underway to track down children who entered the country unaccompanied and were released without court dates, the network said. Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE for comment. It comes after Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, confirmed in January that the Trump administration sees all migrants without legal status as "criminals." President Trump in January also granted ICE the authority to detain migrants suspected of being in the country illegally in or near sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and churches. ICE lawyers are reportedly now working to obtain warrants to enter the homes of migrants with children across the U.S. in order to carry out arrests and deportations, NBC reported. A DHS spokesperson said in a statement, according to Fox News: "These individuals have final deportation orders from a federal judge. This administration will not ignore the rule of law." NPR [3/7/2025 5:15 PM, Ximena Bustillo] reports the Trump administration has brought back the practice of detaining families with children as a part of an effort to crack down on immigration. The Department of Homeland Security is reopening the Karnes and Dilley detention centers in Texas and retrofitting them for families. Families have already been sent to the detention center in Karnes City, in southeastern Texas, DHS said. The Biden administration largely ended the practice of family detention, using the facilities to hold adults instead. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DHS agency that processes people for deportation, has been particularly constrained since the start of the administration in finding enough people to arrest and detain those without legal status. Its 20 field offices have been tasked with a quota of at least 75 arrests per day, despite limited staffing – even as the agency struggles to find space to hold those placed in detention.

Washington Post [3/8/2025 6:00 AM, Maria Sacchetti and Marianne LeVine, 31735K] reports that, two weeks ago, as White House officials complained about lagging immigration arrest numbers, the homeland security secretary demoted the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Caleb Vitello. The department spokeswoman said in a statement that Vitello “is no longer in an administrative role,” and his hometown paper in New York reported: “Kenmore native out at top ICE job after a month.” Some of his employees said they learned of the change from news reports, not an internal announcement. But a replacement has yet to be named, and Vitello is still listed at the top of the leadership chart on ICE’s website. He has continued to appear at immigration raids wearing a ballistic vest and has been featured in agency news releases. After his public demotion, he celebrated ICE’s 22nd anniversary with a post on LinkedIn: "I’m so honored to be leading the proud men and women of the only professional home I’ve ever known this many years later.” Days later, he posted a photo of himself on the job and wrote: "Love being in the field with my people.” The leadership reshuffle — on paper, if not in reality — has puzzled many workers at the 20,000-employee agency and baffled lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are unsure whether they should still send Vitello their official correspondence. Current and former colleagues say the uncertainty is injecting chaos into an agency that is under pressure to dramatically increase enforcement without additional funding. "We don’t even know who to direct our inquiries to," said Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (Mississippi), the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. "Maybe that’s by design, but it reeks of incompetence.” An ICE spokesman referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, who initially said that Vitello was reassigned to a senior role overseeing daily enforcement operations, did not answer questions about why he remains in the top job. President Donald Trump’s "border czar," Tom Homan, a former acting ICE director, also did not respond to questions. A White House official said Vitello is expected to serve as the acting director until the administration finds a new one. Trump named Vitello to the position in December, in a glowing announcement that commended Vitello’s "exceptional leadership, extensive experience, and commitment to ICE’s mission." Vitello previously held several leadership roles, including chief of staff for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. During Trump’s first term, Vitello served on the White House National Security Council as the director for interior immigration enforcement, a priority of Trump adviser Stephen Miller. But frustrations simmered as immigration arrest numbers underwhelmed some Trump officials, even as they frightened immigrant communities nationwide.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 1:37 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports that a United States citizen detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in northern Virginia says he is now questioning his vote for President Donald Trump last November. Jensy Machado, a naturalized citizen, said he was in a car stopped by agents while on his way to work in Manassas, in the D.C. suburbs, where a large-scale immigration enforcement operation took place earlier in the week. "They just got out of the car with the guns in their hands and say, turn off the car, give me the keys, open the window, you know. Everything was really fast," he told Telemundo 44 and NBC 4 Washington. Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email Friday afternoon. ICE has been empowered to conduct increased enforcement action across the country, including the raids in Virginia earlier this week, attended by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. With promises of mass deportations from President Trump, agents are coming under increasing pressure to deliver, with other reported incidents of U.S. citizens arrested. Machado, who said he voted for Trump in November, told NBC he was on his way to work with two other men when ICE agents stopped them Wednesday morning. Secretary Noem, on X following raids Tuesday: "Northern Virginia is safer this morning after a successful operation getting criminal aliens and gang members off our streets. Thank you to our brave enforcement officers." It was unclear at time of publishing if an investigation was underway into Machado’s temporary detention. Increased ICE activity continues to be reported across the country.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/7/2025 3:55 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K]
NBC News [3/7/2025 4:26 PM, Jackie Bensen, 44742K]

WSOC [3/7/2025 5:36 PM, Joe Bruno] reports House Speaker Destin Hall introduced a bill he says will close a loophole that he says some sheriffs are using to not notify ICE before suspects subject to a detainer are released. The bill was introduced, in part, because of a continued dispute between ICE and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Last month, Channel 9 was with ICE agents as they arrested Jose Napoleon Serrano. The twice-deported Honduran national was subject to a detainer. But ICE says the agency wasn’t notified before he was released, and that’s why they had to arrest Napoleon Serrano when he was on his way to work. Speaker Hall’s new bill would make that phone notification mandatory. Speaker Hall’s bill says the 48 hour detainer hold starts when the prisoner would otherwise be released from jail. Currently, the 48 hours start when the jail gets the detainer. It also says the jail has to give ICE a two-hour warning before that person is released. Speaker Hall says this closes a loophole being used by a handful of sheriffs in the state.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 7:32 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden has released a detailed timeline regarding the arrest of Erick Lopez-Hernandez. Lopez-Hernandez was arrested on February 20, following a shooting incident involving the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He is charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Despite an initial inquiry to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, no detainer was issued until February 28, which later expired on March 2 without any action from ICE. “I’ve been saying it repeatedly. This case is a clear example that the current deportation process is failing,” Sheriff McFadden said. On February 20, after being hospitalized due to a shooting involving CMPD, Lopez-Hernandez was arrested on outstanding warrants. An initial arrest query was sent to ICE at 1:43 p.m., and ICE confirmed his previous deportation in 2023 but did not issue a detainer at that time. On February 28, ICE issued a detainer at 7:35 a.m., and later that day, Sheriff McFadden received an email from ICE’s Atlanta Field Office requesting notification upon Lopez-Hernandez’s release. The detainer expired on March 2 at 7:35 a.m., with no pickup attempt by ICE. Sheriff McFadden suggested ICE charge Lopez-Hernandez with Re-Entry After Deportation, a federal crime under 8 U.S.C. 1326. On March 6, ICE informed MCSO that the case was being presented to the Assistant U.S. Attorney for criminal prosecution. Despite the outcome, ICE expected notification upon any release. By March 7, Sheriff McFadden checked for any new detainer or federal warrant but found none. He reiterated that MCSO would not hold detainees without proper judicial authorization, citing the need for a new detainer or warrant to comply with state law.

NPR [3/7/2025 4:51 PM, Greg Allen] Audio: HERE reports Florida is going all-in on President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Gov. Ron DeSantis has ushered in a new law that formalizes agreements between all 67 Florida sheriffs and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move enables local officers to enforce federal immigration laws. Florida has also imposed harsher penalties for offenses committed by people illegally in the U.S. than for everyone else.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 7:55 PM, Niraj Warikoo, 52868K] reports that, on Wednesday morning, Jose Guadalupe Jaimes dropped off his son at a middle school in Trenton, his children said. Moments later, the immigrant father driving a work van was approached by three vehicles with their lights flashing. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, some with guns drawn, hopped out to arrest Jaimes, 55, who now sits in St. Clair County Jail, the latest ICE arrest in Michigan that has unnerved immigrant advocates. Born in Mexico, Jaimes has lived for 30 years in the U.S., starting his own painting business that supports his wife and five children. Now, they’re scrambling to find out what may happen to him and how they will continue their lives without his support, both emotionally and financially. Records show Jaimes was booked in St. Clair County Jail, but with no criminal charges and an immigration hold. He appears to have no criminal record or cases pending in Wayne County courts, records show. "We just want him back home," one of his sons, Hector Jaimes, told the Free Press. Hector is a junior at a college in Tennessee, who drove eight hours back home Wednesday after hearing of his dad’s arrest from a Facebook post. "We’re worried about him.” The arrest was made outside Arthur Middle School in Trenton after Jaimes had dropped off his eighth grade son, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism. Hector said his father had a work permit obtained a few years ago and documentation to live in the U.S. A spokesman for ICE told the Free Press that he had been "ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2014." The spokesman said that ICE officers arrested Jaimes on Wednesday, describing him as an "an illegal alien from Mexico.” He "remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings," the ICE spokesman said. The case will now be handled by federal immigration courts.

Chicago Tribune [3/7/2025 5:17 PM, Maya Wilkins, 5269K] reports after the Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it always cooperated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, representatives from the Indiana attorney general’s office say the claim is inaccurate. In a Friday email to the Post-Tribune, Press Secretary Slayde Settle said a June 2024 report "clearly identified Lake County as a jurisdiction that does not honor ICE detainers." The Lake County Sheriff’s Department did not comply until February, Settle said ICE confirmed. Hammond City Jail was another jurisdiction listed as non-cooperative with ICE, according to the report.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 6:48 PM, Billal Rahman, 3973K] reports that a judge ordered a Chicago landlord last month to pay $80,000 to former tenants after the landlord threatened to call ICE agents on them during a verbal dispute in June 2020, according to court documents. According to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which filed the suit on behalf of the tenants, this marks the first judgment issued under Illinois’s 2019 Immigrant Tenant Protection Act. On February 19, Cook County Circuit Judge Catherine A. Schneider ruled that former landlord Marco Antonio Contreras and his wife, Denise Contreras, must pay over $80,000 in damages, along with attorneys’ fees and legal costs, for violating state law. The judge also ordered a smaller payment to compensate the tenants for being denied access to their belongings. The former tenants made a statement through their attorney. "We decided not to stay silent because our landlords threatened us with calling immigration, and we do not believe that anyone has a right to threaten us," the couple said. "No one should feel or act superior to others. We are all equals and deserve respect. Just because someone is your landlord does not mean that they get to do whatever they want to you."

Border Report [3/7/2025 3:44 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 117K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have sent back to Mexico a Mexican national wanted for kidnapping and organized crime in connection with the disappearance and abduction of 43 students in Mexico in 2014, the agency said Friday. Ariel Nuñez Figueroa, 30, was transported Thursday from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas, and turned over to Mexican authorities, ICE says. ICE fugitive operations officers located Nuñez after receiving information that he was potentially residing in the Houston area. They took him into custody on Sept. 9 after they say he illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. A U.S. immigration judge on Jan. 22 ordered him sent back to Mexico.

Yahoo! News [3/6/2025 11:53 AM, Terrian Spurs, 52868K] reports that in an operation on Tuesday, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took 20 undocumented migrants into custody in Spring. ICE reports they discovered discrepancies during an I-9 audit for a local business and were investigating. 20 migrants in custody after ICE operation in Spring. According to the agency, officials conducted a worksite enforcement operation at Texas Couplings LLC for alleged violations of US employment law. The operation followed the discovery of substantial discrepancies during an I-9 audit. At the location, they found 20 migrants and took them into custody for administrative immigration violations. They were taken to Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe. ICE Homeland Security Investigation’s worksite enforcement strategies. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 requires employers to verify the identity and work eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. Part of ICE Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) strategy is using the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law and prevent illegal employment, the agency stated. ICE HSI focuses on looking into employers who knowingly break the law. They use I-9 audits and civil fines to encourage compliance. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 6:07 AM, Claudia Levens, 52868K] reports that the Washington County Sheriff’s Office has agreed to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an agreement that immigrants’ rights groups have been and continue to be critical of. It’s not the only Wisconsin agency looking to work with ICE to crack down on immigration. According to data kept by the Department of Homeland Security webpage, both the Washington County and Winnebago County sheriff’s departments entered into agreements on March 3 to participate in what is known as the 287(g) program, which authorizes certain local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative warrants to noncitizens in their jails. The agencies are joining seven others in Wisconsin and 300 others across the country which have signed onto the program since 2019. The Journal Sentinel made three attempts to reach each county’s sheriff March 5 and 6 to ask about how this program would alter their activity but were unsuccessful. The decisions by the two agencies to join the program come as President Donald Trump has been taking action on his promises to crack down on immigration and ramp up deportations. Wisconsin’s American Civil Liberties Union condemned local law enforcement agreements with ICE.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 7:06 AM, Daniel Gonzalez, 52868K] reports that a 61-year-old man arrested by ICE agents using an armored vehicle in February during the start of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of illegally re-entering the U.S. after previously being deported, court records show. Alfonso Garcia Vega was arrested Feb. 2 after a large contingent of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers showed up in a quiet residential neighborhood in north Phoenix and used an armored vehicle and stun grenades to get him to surrender when he refused to come out of his home. Garcia Vega’s arrest was among a number of attention-grabbing arrests by ICE officers around the country as the Trump administration ramped up an immigration crackdown within days of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. ICE’s use of force to arrest Garcia Vega was condemned as excessive by a family member who downplayed his criminal history and by immigrant advocates. Garcia Vega faces a sentence of up to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a felony charge of re-entering the U.S. after previously being deported, according to court documents. Garcia Vega remains in custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for Arizona.

NPR [3/8/2025 12:01 AM, Jennifer Ludden, 29983K] reports that on his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, citing concerns over the country’s ability to absorb large numbers of refugees. That stranded about 10,000 people who were barred from boarding flights to the U.S., including Afghans who had risked their lives working for the American government or military. A few days later, the administration issued a stop work order that ended services for refugees already in the U.S. That, along with the funding freeze, has hobbled resettlement agencies nationwide, forcing them to lay off hundreds of staff and even shut down offices. Refugee resettlement agencies have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the Trump administration actions. A U.S. Supreme Court decision on Wednesday could lead to reimbursement for some services already rendered. But the State Department also has terminated all contracts with resettlement groups. For now, those groups are scrambling to help recently arrived refugees most in need. NBC News [3/7/2025 3:38 PM, Nicole Acevedo, 44742K] reports the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, or CHIRLA, is one of a number of organizations that serve immigrants by helping lawful permanent residents earn U.S. citizenship. But those services were jeopardized last month, when the coalition got a notification from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stating that their congressionally approved funding had been put on hold. The funding freeze meant disruptions to students receiving civics instruction, taking classes to learn English and getting ready for citizenship interviews and exams. On Friday, 35 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to USCIS Acting Director Kika Scott and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem seeking answers on the funding freeze. If USCIS funding is not reinstated to this program, it will erase the progress made in reducing naturalization backlogs in recent years, the lawmakers said in the letter, spearheaded by Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., whose parents immigrated from Mexico. If backlogs grow, the time it takes to process citizenship applications will likely double.

FOX News [3/7/2025 12:50 PM, Adam Shaw, 46189K] reports that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is estimated to have surged to more than 18 million after the Biden-era border crisis, according to a new research report by a hawkish immigration group, which also found an 11% increase in less than two years. The report was produced by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which argues for lower levels of immigration overall. It estimates that, as of March 2025, there are approximately 18.6 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. That is 11% higher than an estimate the group published in June 2023, when it found that there were 16.8 million illegal immigrants. Overall, it estimates that the population has grown by 4.1 million or 28.2% since December 2020. "As of 2025, American population growth comes almost entirely from unsustainably high levels of immigration, both legal and illegal," the report says. FAIR estimates that there were around 11.7 million illegal immigrants in 2013. The group includes, as an illegal immigrant, anyone who does not have legal status like a visa or permanent residency, and notably also includes those who may be in the country illegally but given a lawful presence, like Temporary Protected Status or humanitarian parole.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 1:42 PM, Reed Albergotti, 52868K] reports key figures in the US tech industry have softened their support for the H-1B program that brings up to 85,000 skilled workers to the US every year after a revolt from President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration MAGA political base. Now calls for reform of the program include tech titans like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen, as well as their Democratic ally Rep. Ro Khanna of California and a broad coalition that includes Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The shift began in December, when the Trump administration hired an Indian American venture capitalist, Sriram Krishnan, to a key AI policy position, drawing a vitriolic and sometimes racist backlash on Musk’s X. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon called the program "a total and complete scam to destroy the American worker" and demanded "reparations for tech workers.” A wave of tech industry figures immediately showed support for immigrant tech workers, many of whom have founded or now run the industry’s most successful companies. But after saying he’d go to war for the H-1B program, Musk tweeted, "I’ve been very clear that the program is broken and needs major reform.” Andreesen, whose iconoclastic views are often a leading indicator of Silicon Valley thinking, said on the Lex Fridman podcast last month that the social media controversy prompted him to think deeply about the issue. The venture capitalist has long expressed unequivocal support for the H-1B program, even visiting Washington to inform lawmakers. "We have been in a 60-year social engineering experiment to exclude native-born people from the educational slots and jobs that high-skill immigration has been funneling foreigners into," he concluded.

Telemundo52 [3/7/2025 9:24 PM, Luis Zaragoza, 101K] reports U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) unveiled Wednesday, a proposal that seeks to access the social media accounts of anyone applying for citizenship, permanent residency or asylum, a move necessary to align with President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration. "If this happens they can review applicants’ social networks in a subjective and discretionary manner, as there is currently no clear process on what type of content could be considered grounds for denial of an application," said Jazmín Mercado, legal representative for Justice for Immigrants. According to USCIS data some 3.5 million people are going through some immigration process. The agency also made changes to several immigration forms, such as the I-485. "In my opinion, this administration is going to look for a reason to deny an application, those immigration agents who are interviewing us to make the decision of a legalization or immigration benefit," said Rosa Elena Sahagún, immigration attorney. Jaime Jáuregui said he is concerned about the proposal, since next year he will apply for his citizenship, and he considers that he would not like to share that information. "It has nothing to do with an immigration process, I just don’t see it right on the part of the government and the administration," said Jáuregui. Although there are those who agree with the measure that requires social networks to be reviewed. "If you have nothing to hide or nothing wrong you would have to show your networks, if you really want to be here," said Victor Barrios, a resident of Los Angeles. However, the measure to request the review of social networks for those who wish to apply for a visa from abroad to enter the United States, already exists at the consular level since May 31, 2019. This proposal will be open for public comment for 60 days, and if approved, applicants who object to showing their social media accounts could be denied their immigration petition.

The Hill [3/7/2025 10:49 AM, Elizabeth Crisp, 12829K] reports that President Trump is offering an expedited pathway to U.S. citizenship to some South African farmers, calling their treatment in the country "terrible." "They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT," he wrote in a Friday morning post on Truth Social. Trump signed an executive order last month halting federal aid to South Africa over property laws he said impose "unjust racial discrimination" against white Afrikaner farmers. "To go a step further, any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship," he wrote Friday. "This process will begin immediately!" He didn’t provide additional details about the immediate plan, but Trump wrote in his February order that the U.S. would "promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation" and directed his Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to prioritize their resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program." The South African government has rejected claims of racial discrimination and accused Trump of having a distorted take on its land law that went into effect in January.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 5:26 AM, Staff, 52868K] reports that US President Donald Trump confirmed on 6 March that he plans to consider whether to extend or revoke the legal status of Ukrainians in the United States who fled Ukraine due to the war. Quote: "We’re not looking to hurt anybody, we’re certainly not looking to hurt them [Ukrainians in the US – ed.], and I’m looking at that... There were some people that think that’s appropriate, and some people don’t, and I’ll be making the decision pretty soon." Details: Four sources cited by Reuters – an administration official and three other sources – say that a decision on Ukrainians could be made in April. The issue was raised even before the US leadership met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, a meeting that ended in a dispute. The issue arises amid one of Trump’s key campaign promises, which was cracking down on illegal immigration and deporting migrants who are in the US without proper legal grounds, including those admitted under temporary humanitarian programs introduced by the Biden administration.

NPR [3/7/2025 5:00 AM, Betsy Joles, 29983K] reports that around midday one recent Wednesday, in a drab apartment block on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital, neighbors rushed to warn each other they’d seen police nearby. The building is inhabited almost entirely by Afghan families, and the alarm sent children who were playing in the hallway dashing into their apartments. A woman discreetly pulled her door shut, letting a neighbor padlock it from the outside. Another urged visitors to come in and told them to stay quiet. Several minutes later, word spread that the coast was clear. Doors were unlocked and people reemerged from hiding. But for many Afghans like these, who fled across the border to Pakistan after the Taliban took power in August 2021, now is an especially precarious time. The Trump administration has halted the U.S. refugee program, Pakistan wants them out, and their lives may be at risk if they return to their own country. Pakistan issued an internal directive in late January ordering the deportation of Afghans awaiting resettlement to third countries if their cases are not processed by March 31, according to an official document from the prime minister’s office shared by a Pakistani official and reviewed by NPR. The official did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to share the document, which specifies that "no public announcements shall be made" about the new policy.

Washington Post [3/8/2025 2:00 AM, Rick Noack, 31735K] reports that after 2½ years of anxious waiting, 36-year-old Shirzad and his family were booked on a Feb. 3 resettlement flight from Pakistan to the United States. Two weeks before they were due to depart, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending America’s refugee program. “Now, we’re living as if we’re under house arrest — we don’t leave our home anymore for fear of being detained,” said Shirzad, a former Afghan aid worker for a U.S.-founded organization. Thousands of Afghans who were set to be relocated to the United States before Trump halted refugee admissions are at risk of being forced out of their homes in Pakistan — and potentially sent back to Taliban-run Afghanistan. Pakistani authorities were already gearing up for a major deportation campaign targeting hundreds of thousands of Afghans with no path to resettlement in Europe or the United States. Now, even those who had been promised a new life in America have been told they must leave Pakistan’s capital region by the end of the month, which they fear is a pretext for arrest and deportation. While Pakistan has long respected Western requests to spare Afghans with ties to NATO countries, the upcoming campaign is expected to target anyone without a valid visa — including many like Shirzad, who, after being in limbo here for years, have recently been unable to pay surging visa extension fees. Hiding inside their cramped apartment on the outskirts of Islamabad has been particularly hard on his two children, Shirzad said. But going back to Afghanistan is not an option: “It’s like inviting death into your home,” he said. Like others in this story, he spoke on the condition that he be identified by his last name, fearing unwanted scrutiny from the Taliban. Afghans interviewed for this story said the uncertainty has taken a growing mental toll. Some said they were battling depression and suicidal thoughts.

CBS News [3/7/2025 2:12 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez and Suvro Banerji, 51661K] reports on a recent afternoon, CBS News accompanied U.S. Border Patrol agent Claudio Herrera along this rugged stretch of the U.S. southern border. Herrera said the area, located within Border Patrol’s sprawling El Paso sector, has long been a hotspot for the illicit movement of people and drugs. But the situation there has changed markedly in recent weeks. "The activity is very slow," Herrera said along the New Mexico border, which is patrolled by El Paso sector agents. "There’s multiple factors attached to why we have seen a significant drop in apprehensions recently.” He continued: "One of them, of course, is consequences," referring to deportations of those entering the U.S. unlawfully. President Trump has moved aggressively to carry out the large-scale crackdown on illegal immigration he promised on the campaign trail. Since his inauguration, illegal border crossings, which were on the decline during the last year of the Biden administration, have plunged even further. In February, Border Patrol recorded roughly 8,500 apprehensions of migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, the lowest level in at least 25 years, according to government figures obtained by CBS News. At a shelter in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez, Eduardo Medina and his wife Joanna Cortes described how they had brought their three children to northern Mexico last year after fleeing the high levels of crime and violence in the southern state of Michoacán. The young family said they had been staying in a small room for six months, hoping to get an appointment to enter the U.S. with the government’s permission. But the app the Biden administration set up to distribute entry appointments to migrants in Mexico, known as CBP One, was quickly terminated after Mr. Trump returned to the White House. While her dream involved opening a restaurant in the U.S. and enrolling her children in American schools, Cortes said her family is thinking of "returning to the land where we were born" due to the suspension of the CBP One system. Breaking down in tears, Cortes said she and her husband "sold everything" to ensure their children could have a "different life" away from the "hell" in Michoacán. But that dream, she said, has "ended.”

FOX News [3/7/2025 10:16 AM, Adam Shaw, 46189K] reports that a border state lawmaker is pushing to ensure that Border Patrol agents are paid in the case of a government shutdown -- just as funding deadlines are looming in Washington, D.C. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, is reintroducing the Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act, which would ensure that the salaries of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees are paid in the case of any government shutdown in FY 2025. Specifically, it would cover the salaries and expenses of any Border Patrol agents and the Office of Field Operations, which staffs ports of entry. "Border Patrol Agents go above and beyond to ensure our communities are protected and our border is secure," De La Cruz said in a statement. "Under President Trump’s leadership, Border Patrol Agents can fully carry out their duties and, as a result, are reporting historically low numbers of illegal crossings. We cannot let politics jeopardize their hard-earned paycheck," she said. The bill has 16 co-sponsors, including lawmakers from states along the border. The bill’s reintroduction comes amid concerns about whether there could be a government shutdown in the coming weeks. Congressional negotiators punted FY 2025 funding twice since October by passing a continuing resolution.

FOX News [3/7/2025 11:51 AM, Staff, 10702K] reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection senior advisor Ronald Vitiello on military ‘heroes’ helping to secure the southern border and plan to finish building the border wall. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

UPI [3/7/2025 1:52 PM, Ian Stark, 3973K] reports the U.S. Customs and Border Protection renamed one of its Air and Marine Operations units Thursday in honor of an agent who died in the line of duty. In a press release, the federal law enforcement agency announced that its now-formerly named Mayagüez Marine Unit has been dedicated the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit. Agent Michel Maceda was one of three agents who stopped a vessel off Puerto Rico in November of 2022, and allegedly discovered the people onboard were attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States. The traffickers opened fire on Maceda and his fellow agents, striking all three. Of the three agents, Maceda’s life couldn’t be saved. The Michel O. Maceda Memorial Act was passed by Congress in September of 2024, which designated the renaming of the Mayagüez Marine Unit as the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit, and the dedication was made official in Puerto Rico at the San Juan Custom House. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was present and bestowed the two agents who survived the incident, Customs and Border Protection agents Jorge Santiago and Mark Lamphere with the Medal of Valor and Purple Cross awards.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 2:10 PM, Kenya Anderson, 52868K] reports for the second time within a couple of months, Fort Campbell soldiers have been deployed to the U.S. Southern border. On Thursday, March 6, about 300 Fort Campbell soldiers assigned to the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade were deployed to the southern border as a part of the U.S. Northern Command’s mission. The soldiers were deployed to three locations: Fort Huachuca, AZ, Fort Bliss, TX and Joint Base San Antonio, TX. On Saturday, Jan. 25, the 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were deployed to California following President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a national border emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. Soldiers will support the Joint Task Force for southern border operations by managing sustainment units, coordinating logistics, providing field feeding and controlling logistical movement. "The Soldiers of the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade are always ready to answer the call, and this mission is no different," said Col. Josh Porter, 101 DSB Commander. "Their expertise in logistics and support operations will be critical in ensuring the success of border security efforts. I have full confidence in their professionalism, dedication, and ability to execute this mission with the highest standards of excellence in service to the American people.” In February, soldiers assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion and 101st Airborne Division deployed to the U.S. southern border in California, following President Donald Trump’s executive order and deportation plan. Those soldiers are working with the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection and military forces already present at the border.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 12:03 PM, Jesus Mesa, 3973K] reports that for weeks, President Donald Trump has blamed Canada and Mexico for failing to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., vowing to impose sweeping tariffs on both neighbors as a way to induce them to do more to stop the movement of the lethal synthetic opioid that has devastated American communities for years. "They’ve allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens," Trump said during his joint address to Congress on Tuesday. He highlighted the "extraordinary threat" posed by the drug, which has contributed to more than half-a-million American overdose deaths since 2012. On Thursday, Trump postponed the tariffs for the second time since first announcing them in early February. While Canada and Mexico have scrambled to show cooperation, the threat of economic penalties still looms. And while Trump continues to focus on foreign suppliers, analysts argue that the U.S. plays a much larger role in the fentanyl trade than it admits. Although the U.S. has cast Canada as a major supplier of fentanyl, accusing Canadian enforcement agencies of failing to stop illicit opioids from crossing the border, the situation is far more nuanced. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, around 43 pounds of fentanyl were intercepted coming from Canada into the U.S. last year, whereas Canadian authorities intercepted about 11 pounds going the opposite way during the same period. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported six fentanyl seizures last month alone, all originating from the U.S. In one of the seizures, 56.1 grams of fentanyl were discovered by agents at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel port of entry, including 20 fentanyl pills and 23 grams of a substance suspected to be fentanyl, all brought in by a pair U.S. citizens.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 10:21 AM, Frank O’Laughlin, 52868K] reports that a JetBlue pilot who was arrested on sex charges last month at Boston’s Logan Airport fatally shot himself outside of an MBTA station on Friday morning, officials said. The Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section found 33-year-old Jeremy Gudorf, of Ohio, in his parked car at the Wonderland station garage in Revere, according to a state police spokesperson. When troopers approached him, state police say Gudorf pulled out a gun and "abruptly shot himself." Troopers entered Gudorf’s vehicle and rendered aid before he was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. "Pending official identification by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, state police believe the identity of the individual to be Jeremy Gudorf," the spokesman added. Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Kyle Neyman said during the arraignment that Gudorf was wanted in Huntersville, North Carolina, on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor for service. U.S. Customs and Border Protection learned of the warrant for Gudorf’s arrest while conducting a standard review of the manifest of a Boston-to-Paris flight and requested help from troopers assigned to the airport, state police said.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 7:57 PM, Corey Elam, 52868K] reports that nearly 300 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division have been deployed to the U.S. southern border. According to an announcement on Thursday, the soldiers will reportedly join military forces there and work with the Department of Homeland Security as well as customs and border protection agencies. In January, several soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell had been deployed following an executive order from President Trump declaring a national emergency. The division posted on Facebook that soldiers will be based in three locations: Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. “The Soldiers of the 101st Division Sustainment Brigade are always ready to answer the call, and this mission is no different,” said Col. Josh Porter, 101 DSB commander. “Their expertise in logistics and support will be critical in ensuring the success of border security efforts. I have full confidence in their professionalism, dedication, and ability to execute this mission with the highest standards of excellence in service to the American people.”

Border Report [3/7/2025 5:53 PM, Julian Resendiz, 117K] reports transnational criminal organizations are using drones to track the movement of U.S. Border Patrol agents near the border wall on a daily basis, according to a federal official in El Paso. The practice was first disclosed to the public last September, when Mexican authorities acting on a tip from U.S. officials arrested two drone operators near the border wall in Juarez, Mexico. Slosar said agents in El Paso are working with partner agencies in Mexico to tighten security on the ground, in the air and under the ground. Federal officials and security experts also have expressed concern about the possible existence of additional cross-border tunnels in the region following the Jan. 9 discovery of a quarter-mile long structure leading from Juarez to Gate 28 of the U.S. border wall. In El Paso, Mexican and U.S. law enforcement have confirmed to Border Report drones have been used by local gangs to air drop drugs in El Paso neighborhoods.

The Hill [3/7/2025 8:01 AM, Ali Bradley, 52868K] reports that aiming to prevent more people from crossing the border illegally, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has doubled the size of a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande in the last couple of years. Around 1,000 feet has been added to the barrier, which has previously been challenged in court. It was created in July 2023. Border crossings can be dangerous. In November 2023, hundreds of migrants attempted to cross the border in Eagle Pass, Texas. Several people, even babies, were swept away. NewsNation witnessed one man who was unconscious and required CPR to resuscitate him. Crossings have dropped this year, reportedly by 94 percent compared to 2024. Officials have attributed this to several factors, including mass Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations done under President Trump’s administration. Federal officials, including Vice President Vance, made a stop in South Texas on Wednesday at a location that was once a hot spot for migrant crossings. NewsNation went out on a boat with Border Patrol during Vance’s trip. During his visit, Vance urged people in the U.S. without authorization to return to their countries voluntarily and return only through legal pathways to avoid deportation. He also said the administration hopes to build the entire border wall by the end of the term.

Washington Examiner [3/8/2025 6:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports the water buoys that Texas installed at the Mexico border, once a major legal headache for the Biden administration, could soon be a welcome gift to the Trump administration. The state government of Texas is in the process of shifting control of a line of buoys that divide the United States and Mexico in the Rio Grande to be under federal control by the Trump administration. The change of command reflects the positive partnership between the state and President Donald Trump, according to the office of Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). "The floating marine barriers deployed by Texas were originally designed by Border Patrol to deny illegal entry. When former President Biden refused to use them, Texas stepped up and deployed the barriers to deter and repel illegal river crossings — these have been so successful that not a single migrant has attempted to cross over them," Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement to the Washington Examiner Friday. "President Biden was hostile to these border security efforts, but now we finally have a partner in the White House who is working with Texas to protect our state and nation.” The Texas Department of Public Safety, the police force that has overseen the installation and management of the buoys, recently declared that the 2,000-foot floating barrier will soon be entrusted to the Trump administration. "In a conversation with the federal government, just in the last couple of days, they love the idea, and they’re going to make a large investment and take over the buoy barrier operations in Texas, which is going to be a huge benefit to us," said Texas DPS Director Freeman Martin in a statement on Feb. 28. The idea of using buoys as a barrier was developed by the Border Patrol but was not supported by officials in the Biden administration. Shortly after, Texas latched on to the buoy idea and developed the red balls that now float between Eagle Pass and the Mexican border city of Piedras Negras. White House border czar Tom Homan touted Friday that Abbott had been a "great governor," "great partner," and "great friend" through the Biden years and proven to be aligned with Trump’s border policies. "Governor Abbott did more to secure the border than the entire Biden administration did. He had illegal immigration in Texas down, what, 76%? And that’s just the state of Texas working," said Homan to reporters outside the White House. "What Governor Abbott did not only saved the citizens of Texas but all the fentanyl that comes across. I look forward to working with Governor Abbott.”

CBS Austin [3/7/2025 12:12 PM, Jordan Elder, 602K] reports that Bill Martin’s family has been ranching in Carrizo Springs for generations, but his morning routine around the ranch is very different from that of his ancestors. Martin still checks on the cattle and completes the usual ranch tasks, but he also picks up trash left behind by migrants. He ensures no structures have been broken into. As he drives his truck around the property, he checks gates and fences for holes left by people trying to sneak across the land. Ranchers along the Texas border, including Martin, are trying to keep smugglers, drug mules, and migrants off of their properties. They’re constantly having to evolve their security measures to do it. "This is the holy grail of gates now. This is the template or the blueprint everybody’s gonna follow," Martin said, showing us a grey gate with orange spike mechanisms meant to take out a radiator if a vehicle tries to push it open. It also has a specially designed lock, too small for bolt cutters. "It looks like something out of a Mad Max movie," Martin joked. "I refer to this as like a chess game, and this is just the last move on our side. There will be a countermove on the other side." "How long has that chess match been going?" reporter Jordan Elder asked. "Probably about 20 years," Martin said. It’s an expensive and dangerous game. He says he still needs to upgrade four gates on his property to this latest model, which could cost up to $15,000 out of his pocket. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

KFOR [3/7/2025 6:21 PM, Terré Gables] reports the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced on Friday, that 2-year-old Anthony Stroder has been found and is set to be reunited with his father. OHP says Stroder was located at 10:30 a.m. on Friday while crossing into the United States from Mexico with his mother, Katelyn Thornton. Previously, Stroder was the subject of an Endangered Missing Advisory issued on February 8. According to OHP, 2-year-old Anthony Stroder was with his non-custodial mother, Katelyn Thornton, and her boyfriend, Aurelio Cardenas. Thornton and the child were stopped by Customs and Border Patrol at a border crossing station in El Paso, says OHP officials. Thornton is currently detained by the El Paso Police Department. The child’s father is headed to El Paso to reconnect with his son. Authorities say Cardenas is a registered sex offender according to the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry. Cardenas, who was also included in the advisory, is wanted out of Potter County, Texas.

San Diego Union Tribune [3/7/2025 1:09 PM, Caleb Lunetta, 1682K] reports that a boat carrying nine undocumented immigrants near the coast of San Diego was stopped after agents fired rounds at the engine, disabling the vessel, federal officials said. The incident was reported after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection airplane spotted a panga crossing the maritime boundary line around 9:35 p.m. on Tuesday, CBP spokesperson Michael Scappechio said. The aircraft radioed other members of Air and Marine Operations, a component of CBP, who scrambled a boat to intercept the panga, Scappechio said. Just after midnight, the intercepting boat found the panga, officials said. The panga crew refused to follow the agents’ orders to turn their engine off, according to CBP. "After exhausting all avenues to stop the vessel, (the agents) moved into position and deployed disabling rounds to successfully stop the panga," Scappechio said. Four Brazilians, two Mexicans, two Nepalese and one Chinese national were discovered on the panga and taken into custody.

Border Report [3/7/2025 3:13 PM, Salvador Rivera, 117K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials says the U.S. is deporting a daily average of 135 migrants on flights to Mexico. CBP Deputy Director Ricardo Moreno told El Sol Newspaper in Mexico City that since President Donald Trump took office, they have flown more than 4,000 people to the interior of Mexico. Moreno stated this also guarantees the safety of migrants. As of March 3, Mexico’s government says it has received a total of 19,663 deported migrants since Jan. 20 when Trump took office. That includes 4,052 who were not Mexican nationals.

The Hill [3/7/2025 4:47 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K] reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it fired three people who were associated with a supervisor’s directive to skip homes with President Trump’s campaign signs while facilitating Hurricane Milton disaster relief efforts following an investigation. The agency fired Marn’i Washington in November of 2024 for directing her subordinates to avoid homes with Trump signs, which the Office of Special Counsel said was a direct violation of the Hatch Act’s regulations on electioneering. Washington claimed she was acting on FEMA’s policy to direct employees to avoid homes where there are hostile encounters which former administrator Deanne Criswell vehemently denied. Criswell left FEMA in January after facing pushback for the agency’s response to Hurricane Helene and Milton which devastated communities in the southeast. Hamilton, who was selected to serve in her absence, said he has since directed team members to undergo additional training to ensure FEMA’s staff provides impartial assistance regardless of political affiliation.

Reported similarly:
Washington Times [3/7/2025 12:02 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1814K]

Washington Examiner [3/7/2025 4:29 PM, Emily Hallas, 2296K] reports the former chief financial officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after she was fired for sending funds to house illegal immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security fired Mary Comans last month over an $80 million grant to New York City that was meant to reimburse the city for housing illegal immigrants in hotels — an action the Trump administration called illegal. However, in a lawsuit filed against DHS and FEMA on Tuesday, Comans said she was "unlawfully terminated from her position" without due process or the opportunity to "appropriately respond" to the charges leveled against her. She further alleged that personnel from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which later slammed her for sending out the funds, had reassured her that distributing them was the right course of action.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 5:33 PM, Kiley Hill, 52868K] reports February’s devastating floods are a sad reality many Kentuckians are still coming to terms with. On top of that, scammers are trying to take advantage of victims. “We do see scams and bad actors that come out into a disaster area directly after an event happens,” said FEMA spokesperson Craig Browning. “And it’s very unfortunate that they try to take advantage of people who have already lost everything.” That’s why FEMA is warning people of these potential scams, saying if something seems too good to be true, it likely is. “In most cases, they are looking for some type of financial contribution or some type of money to be taken for some type of service given,” Browning added. He said FEMA representatives will never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections, or help in filling out our applications. According to a FEMA press release, if a FEMA inspector comes to your home and you did not submit a FEMA application, your information may have been used without your knowledge to create a FEMA application. If that happens, you’re asked to tell the inspector you did not apply for FEMA assistance; that way, the inspector can submit a request to stop furthering the application process. Also, if you did not apply for assistance but received a letter from FEMA, you’re asked to call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline will then submit a request to stop further processing of that application. If you’re unsure if the person knocking on your door is with FEMA, Browning said there are a few things you need to do. “Do not give away any of your personal information to also include your application number in the event that you applied for federal assistance.” He also told Fox 56 that all FEMA employees have their federal IDs on them at all times, and if someone is refusing to show identification, then close your door.

Newsweek [3/7/2025 6:15 PM, Martha McHardy, 3973K] reports that drinking water restrictions in California put in place during the Palisades wildfires are set to be lifted. Wildfires in Los Angeles in January burned more than 47,900 acres, destroyed more than 16,250 homes and businesses, and killed 29 people. The most significant incidents included the Palisades Fire, which consumed nearly 24,000 acres in Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu. The wildfires also saw local water systems contaminated with toxins, including benzene and other volatile organic compounds. In response, the California Department of Water and Power issued a "Do Not Drink" notice for specific areas, cautioning residents against using tap water for drinking or cooking until further notice due to potential contamination. Exposure to contaminants like benzene can have serious health consequences, including an increased risk of cancer and other long-term illnesses. Unlike bacteria, these toxins cannot be removed by boiling or filtering, making the situation especially dangerous for affected communities. Ensuring access to clean drinking water is essential for public health. The restrictions are set to be lifted for residents in the burn zone in Los Angeles County on Friday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/7/2025 4:59 PM, Rachel Wolf, 46189K] reports Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump in September 2024, appeared in court as his team battled with the Justice Department over evidence. The defense team and the DOJ lobbed accusations back and forth over alleged withholding of evidence as they prepared for the Sept. 8, 2025, trial. A major point of contention between the defense and the prosecution is the issue of firearm testing. The defense is calling for the firearm, which is in the DOJ’s position, to be tested. The defense’s reason for testing is that they believe the gun was too old to fire the distance the DOJ claims it would have. However, the prosecution maintains that firearm testing is unusual, and it could destroy evidence. President Trump said he would be willing to release findings on the two assassination attempts made against him during the 2024 campaign. However, there are no firm details at this time.

USA Today [3/7/2025 4:01 PM, Chris Mueller, Karen Madden] reports Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor, became an honorary member of the Secret Service during President Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday to a joint session of Congress. But, in 2022, a Wood County Sheriff’s Department officer was one of about 50 officers from departments across the United States and the world who took a day to honor DJ at the FBI National Academy in Virginia. Lt. Nathan Dean was going through an intensive three-month training at the academy during October through December 2022 when one of the instructors, who had heard about DJ, came up with the idea to have a DJ Daniel Day. DJ spent the day with the class going to trainings and hanging out, Dean said. DJ even got the opportunity to have lunch with the FBI director, Dean said. At one point, they took DJ to a large auditorium and each member of the class was called up to the front and given the opportunity to make DJ a member of their department. Dean got his chance to make DJ an honorary Wood County deputy.

FOX News [3/7/2025 5:00 PM, Lindsay Kornick, 46189K] reports an upcoming book sheds further light on security lapses long before the first assassination attempt against President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Vanity Fair released an excerpt of Axios Senior Political Reporter Alex Isenstadt’s new book "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power." The excerpt largely focused on the circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally in July. The shooting in Butler and subsequent attempt at a Florida golf course were major security failures that put a spotlight on the U.S. Secret Service, especially. But prior to the attempt, Isenstadt reported that members of Trump’s team were concerned about his safety, particularly when he began campaigning. One example included when Trump appeared at a Washington courthouse for an arraignment in August 2023. The Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals reportedly had "neglected to shut off the public’s access to the elevator Trump was using, leaving him exposed to whoever was in the building."

CBS Austin [3/7/2025 10:13 AM, Robert Locklear, 602K] reports that after several Wal-Mart stores in Central Virginia found credit card skimmers at customer check-outs, officials announced that a suspect has been arrested. But the problem goes far beyond just the ABC13 viewing area in Central Virginia. According to officials, the same person is responsible for card skimmers throughout Virginia and up the East Coast. And the man suspected of the crime hails from much further away: the country of Romania in Europe. The incidents began on Feb. 26, when the Bedford Police Department said they received the report of a credit card skimming device recovered from the Wal-Mart in Bedford. The device was found by personnel checking the credit card kiosks for skimming devices. An investigation began after police heard about what happened. BPD said the trail led them to a male suspect matching the description of the suspected Bedford culprit. According to police, he had placed skimming devices at several other Wal-Marts through Virginia and several other states. BPD worked with other law enforcement to share the evidence they had; Wal-Mart Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, law enforcement from Lynchburg and Chesterfield County, and BPD worked together to locate the suspect in the Richmond area. "The suspect was subsequently taken into custody by law enforcement without incident," BPD said. "The suspect in this matter has been identified as Florin Doroiman, a citizen of Romania." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 12:24 PM, Dennis Bright, 52868K] reports that a 48-year-old Florence man is being held with bond on two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. James Everette Nesbitt was booked into the Florence County Detention Center on Wednesday after his arrest by members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Nesbitt allegedly distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material, the attorney general’s office said. He was arrested after authorities received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. According to arrest warrants, Nesbitt distributed sexual sexual abuse materials using a social media app on Sept. 17, 2024. Authorities also found sexually explicit images on his electronic device on Wednesday during a search at his home. Nesbitt is charged with one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Each carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years if he is convicted. In addition to the attorney general’s office, investigators with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Florence Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Secret Service are a part of the task force and assisted in the investigation.

South Carolina Daily Gazette [3/7/2025 3:16 PM, Shaun Chornobroff] reports an Irmo man accused of threating to kill President Donald Trump faces a federal charge punishable by up to five years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina. Travis Keith Lang, 47, pleaded not guilty Friday in his first appearance at the federal courthouse in Columbia and was denied bond. He will be back in court for a bond hearing March 14, said Veronica Hill, a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Lang did "knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States," the indictment reads. It says Lang specifically said he "would kill Donald Trump." It’s not the first time Lang has threatened the nation’s chief executive, according to federal prosecutors. U.S. Assistant Attorney Scott Matthews told the judge that Lang made multiple threats to both Trump and former President Joe Biden. Secret Service agents visited Lang and warned him to stop making threats, but he didn’t, The State newspaper reports Matthews said at Friday’s hearing.

ABC News [3/7/2025 1:12 PM, Luke Barr, 52868K] reports that the United States Secret Service said it has seized a Russian cryptocurrency exchange website, according to court documents unsealed on Friday. The Justice Department also charged the two administrators of that website with a multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme, court documents said. Between 2019 and 2025, Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda, 40, a Russian national, allegedly controlled and operated Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Moscow. The two allegedly "operated Garantex to launder the proceeds of criminal activity, including ransomware, computer hacking, narcotics transactions, and sanctions violations, and profited from the laundering. Garantex offered its services to the public first through the website Garantex.io and then through Garantex.org. Garantex also misled law enforcement, including the Russian police, about the identities of its customers," the documents said. "The seizure of website domains associated with Garantex’s operations and the freezing of over $26 million in cryptocurrency strikes a serious financial blow to cybercriminals worldwide," said Michael Centrella, assistant director of the Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations. "Alongside our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, this coordinated action will prevent additional funds from falling into the hands of criminals."

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 9:30 AM, Kelsey Baker, 52868K] reports that there’s been a lot of talk about rusty US Navy warships and shipyard struggles lately, but the Navy’s not the only maritime service with troubles. The US Coast Guard desperately needs shore infrastructure improvements, according to a new government watchdog report. The problems aren’t just piers and lighthouses either. It’s also airfields that need repaving, rundown family housing in remote locations, and shoddy centers that can oversee search and rescue operations. Part of the problem can be chalked up to years of deferred infrastructure maintenance, the Government Accountability Office report said, resulting in a painful backlog for the service that secures over 100,000 miles of US coastline and inland waters. The work backlog is at least $7 billion, more than twice what it was five years ago, signaling the problem is worsening. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to request for comment from Business Insider. Budget requests for the Coast Guard have been insufficient since at least fiscal year 2019, the GAO said, adding that such gaps have plagued the service for years. It doesn’t help that the service has not analyzed the trade-offs of foregoing infrastructure maintenance, the report noted.

Yahoo! News [3/8/2025 3:02 AM, Jimmy Alexander, 52868K] reports that the next step in replacing the Francis Scott Key Bridge happened Wednesday, thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District. The corps issued a permit for the rebuild, which grants the Maryland Transportation Authority the ability to construct the bridge that will reconnect the Interstate 695 Beltway. The announcement came only three weeks before the one-year anniversary of the day the cargo ship Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it collapsing into the Patapsco River on March 26, 2024. A total of six construction workers were killed in the incident. “Less than one year after the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore District is proud to have provided fair and efficient permitting efforts to enable the construction of a new bridge,” Baltimore District Cmdr. Col. Francis Pera said. “To have both removed the bridge wreckage and issued relevant permits for its reconstruction on this timetable is a testament to our dedicated regulatory branch and our commitment to support an energetic economy across the Mid-Atlantic.” In a press release from the USACE, the regulatory branch stated geotechnical investigations are ongoing, adding that test pile operations, pier demolition and trestle construction are expected to begin over the summer. In-water construction of the new bridge will begin by early fall 2025. The project will also require similar permit verification from the U.S. Coast Guard, according to USACE. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke to WTOP about the bridge design, which is estimated to cost somewhere in the ballpark of nearly $2 billion and be completed by 2028. “This spring, we’re going to finish the demolition for the parts of the bridge that were still standing and begin the construction,” Moore said. He showed gratitude to the bipartisan congressional delegation, which he said “negotiated that 100% cost share.” “We’re already beginning the work,” Moore said. “We plan on getting that bridge on time and on budget.”

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 10:49 AM, Ben Newhouse, 52868K] reports that the United States Coast Guard will officially begin ice-breaking operations in the bay of Green Bay starting next week. Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard stated on Friday that the schedule of operations will include all navigable waters in and around the ports of Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Marinette, Menominee, and Escanaba, Michigan. Crews will begin ice-breaking operations during the week of March 10, noting that efforts will expand and increase in frequency after March 15, as ice conditions and demands of commercial shipping require. The waters of southern Green Bay are scheduled to reopen to commercial vessel traffic at 8 a.m. Monday, March 10. In the Coast Guard’s release, officials also reminded all recreational ice users to plan activities carefully, dress appropriately, and stay away from shipping channels. Members of the public that fish, snowmobile, use ATVs, ice boats, or otherwise recreate on the bay of Green Bay during periods of ice cover should be aware of this activity.

CyberScoop [3/7/2025 1:41 PM, Derek B. Johnson and Colin Wood] reports that, when the Trump administration began sidelining and laying off personnel at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, it started by targeting employees who worked on election security and disinformation. At the same time, the Department Homeland Security announced it would conduct a comprehensive review of CISA’s election security mission. This week, the agency confirmed that it has completed the review, but said that its findings won’t be released to the public. “The assessment that CISA has undertaken is internal and will help inform how the agency moves forward to best support critical infrastructure,” a CISA spokesperson said. “This is an internal document that is not planned to be released publicly.” A DHS spokesperson told CyberScoop in an email that the department had nothing else to share at this time. Critics argue that withholding the review and its conclusions creates broad uncertainty among election security stakeholders and jeopardizes the collaboration between the federal government, states and local governments, which relies on CISA’s resources and technical expertise. Every year, CISA provides hundreds of vulnerability assessments and technology improvements to financially strained election jurisdictions. It also oversees sensors that can detect malicious attacks, trains thousands of state and local election workers, and shares the latest threat information. As the threats to election workers have increased over the past four years, CISA has also helped state and local officials shore up physical security at polling places and election offices and expanded de-escalation training. Meanwhile, the nonprofit Center for Internet Security, which manages the federally funded Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, stated this week that “due to the termination of funding by the Department of Homeland Security, the Center for Internet Security no longer supports the EI-ISAC.” The move was expected, as a Feb. 14 DHS memo obtained by StateScoop indicated the department intended to “partially” terminate its cooperative agreement with CIS, with the White House saying the EI-ISAC no longer aligns with DHS’ mission. The order technically leaves the New York nonprofit free to provide services to state and local governments, but without its prior designation, a majority of states are now legally barred from accepting its services.

CBS News [3/7/2025 10:13 AM, Nicole Sganga, 51661K] reports that for Kelly Shaw, unemployment is unfamiliar territory. "I’ve never been in this situation before. I’ve never been fired," Shaw said, suddenly quiet, while seated at her kitchen table in Northern Virginia. Nearly three years ago, the longtime senior intelligence analyst left the Navy, after being recruited by the nation’s top cyber defense agency and rising up through the ranks. Eventually, Shaw helped establish a congressionally mandated program designed to continuously monitor and detect cyber breaches of the nation’s power grid, pipelines and water system – installing sensors across critical infrastructure designed to detect insider threats and foreign adversaries like China, Russia and Iran. "It was all about the information we can get within networks to find the bad guys – any indicators of compromise, evidence of the adversary, moving through a network and attempting to do bad things. That’s what we did," Shaw said, pausing. "Well, that’s what some will still do." The former manager for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency’s "CyberSentry" program, Shaw was also among the 130 probationary CISA workers mass fired in the "Valentine’s Day Massacre" during the holiday weekend last month. For his part, Thompson has started a hotline to encourage fired employees at the Department of Homeland Security and its components to share their stories.

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 11:00 PM, Cody King, 52868K] reports that a cyberattack on a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) technology vendor exposed personal data of current and former students, including names, birthdates, and student ID numbers, officials said. Late last year, Cleo, a CPS technology vendor, was attacked, compromising a server that stored student data. On Feb. 8, CPS was notified that student data had been accessed in the breach. The exposed data included students’ names, birthdates, genders, and student ID numbers. For students enrolled in Medicaid, their program ID numbers and eligibility dates were also compromised, according to CPS. CPS said all current students and former students dating back to the 2017-2018 school year were likely affected. No Social Security numbers, financial details, health data, or staff information were involved. No Social Security numbers, financial information or health data were involved in the cyberattack. No staff information was accessed either. CPS encourages victims to request a free credit report and consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze with consumer reporting agencies. "CPS is deeply committed to the security of student information, and we expect the same level of care and commitment from our vendors. As an organization, CPS takes proactive measures to limit exposure by continuously strengthening our defenses and including strong provisions in vendor contracts to ensure our data is protected. Through ongoing diligence and improvement, we will continue to adapt our security posture to reduce the risk of future breaches," a statement from CPS Chief Information Officer Norman Fleming reads. "Please know that the protection of your child’s personal information is a top priority, and we sincerely regret any concern or inconvenience that this matter may cause you."

MeriTalk [3/7/2025 9:42 AM, Jerry Markon, 45K] reports that the Trump administration is determined to mount offensive cyber operations to combat escalating threats from China, a leading House Republican said on March 5. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said the new administration "has already shown a willingness to take a more aggressive stance in cyberspace." Top Trump advisors and the White House National Security Council, Moolenaar said, are "signaling that America is no longer only playing defense. We are actively engaging to erode our adversaries’ cyber capabilities." His comments, which came at a committee hearing on deterring Chinese cyber threats, represented what Moolenaar called "one glimmer of good news" in an otherwise foreboding security landscape. "As we speak, the Chinese Communist Party is waging a full-scale cyber war against the American people, an attack on our security, our infrastructure, and our way of life," Moolenaar said. "The CCP has targeted the grids that power our homes, facilities that treat our water, and the hospitals that care for us."

Houston Chronicle [3/7/2025 5:06 PM, John Lomax V, Nicole Hensley, 1769K] reports a 17-year-old was indicted on a terrorism charge — the first of its kind in the county, based on a recent state law — allegedly plotting last year to carry out a mass shooting with an incarcerated ISIS fighter, according to officials and court documents. The teen, Laith Adil Shehzad, is accused of making a threat that led FBI agents to his home on Aug. 18, according to court records. A Harris County prosecutor, Cameron Calligan, said Friday that Facebook first alerted authorities to his plan last July, showing that a mass casualty attack was purportedly imminent. The social media website provided copies of Facebook messages between him and an ISIS fighter jailed in the Philippines. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office announced a grand jury indictment against Shehzad late Thursday with few details then about the allegation. Shehzad was booked into the Harris County jail Friday morning. He claimed to be self-radicalized as early as 2021, according to court records. He was accused as a juvenile of possessing homemade explosives and plans to use them. Authorities also caught him with a journal with "extremist propaganda advocating the use of violence, " bail paperwork shows. The journal had diagrams and instructions on building explosives. The alleged plot was foiled when Shehzad could not hail an Uber ride to the scene of the planned attack because his account was suspended, the prosecutor said, without identifying the proposed locale of the attack. The charge, the first of its kind in Harris County, stems from a state law, written by a north Texas lawmaker, enacted in 2023 that allows prosecutors to accept charges related to terrorism. The offense carries a punishment range of 15 years to life imprisonment.

AP [3/7/2025 9:56 AM, Kerry Breen, 52868K] reports that two active-duty U.S. soldiers and one former soldier were arrested after being accused of selling state secrets to foreign countries, including China, the Department of Justice said Thursday. Active-duty soldier Li Tian and former soldier Ruoyu Duan were charged in Oregon with conspiring to commit bribery and the theft of government property. Active-duty soldier Jian Zhao was charged in Washington state for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and for bribery and theft of government property. Attorney General Pam Bondi said all three men are "accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China." "They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice," Bondi said. Duan and Tian, along with other conspirators, allegedly worked together to "surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities" from late November 2021 until December 2024, the Justice Department said. The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Department of Justice said.

CBS Minnesota [3/7/2025 1:01 PM, Melissa Quinn, 51661K] reports that President Trump said Friday that he is "strongly considering" imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until it agrees to a ceasefire and peace deal that would halt Moscow’s three-year war with Ukraine. Mr. Trump’s post on his social media platform, Truth Social, appears to be in response to drone and missile attacks launched on Ukrainian energy facilities Friday. The president said that because Russia is "absolutely ‘pounding’" Ukraine, "I am strongly considering large scale banking sanctions, sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease fire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached." "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late," Mr. Trump wrote. The president’s threats of tariffs and sanctions are the first indication he is weighing adverse action against Russia since his tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House one week ago. But Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he is "finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards." "I find that in terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia — which is surprising — because they have all the cards," he said.

Washington Post [3/7/2025 8:18 PM, Alex Horton and Siobhán O’Grady, 31735K] reports Ukrainian commanders have relied on the service to have a technological edge against Russian forces. U.S. partners and allies use the system to access the imagery through its orbital imaging services known as Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery. U.S. officials said the suspension affected multiple companies that deliver imagery through the program. The suspension was immediately felt by soldiers in the Ukrainian military, which relies on fresh imagery to plan attacks, study terrain and assess the efficacy of artillery strikes. Maxar, a leading U.S. provider of commercial satellite imagery, said it was part of that decision by the Trump administration. "Each customer makes their own decisions on how they use and share that data," said Gia DeHart, a spokesperson for Maxar Intelligence’s U.S. government business. "We take our contractual commitments very seriously, and there is no change to other Maxar customer programs.” Ukraine can still access such imagery with their own purchased accounts. The suspension follows a recent decision by President Donald Trump to pause intelligence sharing and halt future deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, with the intent of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into peace negotiations with Russia. Trump said Friday that he is also considering imposing "large scale" sanctions on Russia to further compel talks.

FOX News [3/7/2025 12:02 PM, Morgan Phillips, 46189K] reports that the U.S. is continuing to share some defensive intelligence with Ukraine to protect against incoming Russian strikes, despite an announced pause in intel sharing that raised alarm bells, Fox News Digital has learned. Three sources familiar with the decision confirmed that intelligence related to force protection and incoming threats would continue. Federal intelligence, the work of the CIA, FBI and human intelligence, has ceased, as has data that helps with offensive Ukrainian strikes against Russians. Another intelligence source said to expect the pause to be "very temporary in nature," and that the sharing of all data could resume in the coming days. The intelligence pause had prompted confusion and alarm from Ukraine and its allies, as its parameters were not entirely clear. However, U.S. intelligence has been a lifeline for Ukraine’s forces: defense experts say that ceasing all data-sharing would be a bigger blow to Ukrainian forces than losing military aid from the U.S. "Ukraine had one single advantage on Russia: information superiority. With that gone, Kyiv would be in trouble," said Can Kasapoglu, a defense fellow at the Hudson Institute. "Europe does not have enough strategic enablers capacity to fill in the vacuum," said Kasapoglu. The National Security Council declined to comment on what military intelligence was still being shared, as did the Pentagon.

Washington Post [3/7/2025 3:43 PM, Michael Birnbaum, Sabrina Rodriguez, and Kostiantyn Khudov, 31735K] reports that President Donald Trump expressed understanding Friday for Russia’s stepped-up attacks on Ukraine after the White House halted military and intelligence aid to Kyiv this week, saying that he would resume help for the beleaguered country only when Ukrainian leaders agree that “they want to settle.” The U.S. cutoff of aid to Ukraine has made the country significantly more vulnerable to Russian attack. With Kyiv no longer able to depend on U.S. intelligence assistance to aid its targeting or give it warning about Russian attacks, the Kremlin unloaded a massive missile assault on Ukraine overnight Thursday into Friday. “I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday, when asked whether he was upset that Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. halt in aid for Ukraine. “Probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now. He wants to get it ended. And I think Ukraine wants to get it ended, but I don’t see. It’s crazy. They’re taking tremendous punishment. I don’t quite get it.” Trump was asked whether he would consider stepping up help for Ukraine in the face of the Russian assault by giving Kyiv more air defense munitions. That form of assistance would not enable further Ukrainian attacks on Russian positions but would be purely defensive.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [3/7/2025 7:01 PM, Erica L. Green, 145325K]
AP [3/7/2025 2:30 PM, Aamer Madhani and Chris Megerian, 5269K]
Newsweek [3/7/2025 6:27 PM, Barney Henderson, 52220K]

New York Times [3/7/2025 10:14 PM, David E. Sanger, Farnaz Fassihi and Luke Broadwater, 145325K] reports President Trump said on Friday that he had sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader offering to reopen negotiations over the country’s fast-advancing nuclear program, but warned that the country would have to choose between curbing its fast-expanding program or losing it in a military attack. Speaking on Friday in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump suggested that Iran’s nuclear capabilities — which now include enough near-bomb-grade fuel to produce about six weapons — were reaching a critical point. “We’re down to final strokes with Iran,” he told reporters. “We can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.” Earlier on Friday on FOX News, Mr. Trump said: “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.” He said the letter was sent Wednesday and addressed to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. The White House did not provide the text or describe its contents with any specificity. It was unclear if it was sent through the Swiss — the traditional intermediary for communications between Washington and Tehran — or through Russia or another nation. Mr. Trump’s offer echoes a similar message to Iran during his first term, after he announced in 2018 that he was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal that had been negotiated three years earlier by the Obama administration. But he never got talks started, and an effort by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. collapsed. Now, the strategic environment has changed radically. The Justice Department has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of seeking to assassinate Mr. Trump last year; it issued indictments before Mr. Biden left office. Iran’s nuclear facilities are now exposed to attack, after Israel destroyed almost all of the air defenses protecting them in October. And Iran’s regional proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, are in no condition to threaten Israel with retaliation should the Iranian facilities come under attack. Some senior Israeli officials have argued that there will never be a better moment to take out the major nuclear facilities, though American military officials believe that the Israelis would almost certainly require American equipment and support to do a thorough job. Mr. Trump’s letter appears to be the opening bid to see if Iran’s new vulnerability will make it open to negotiations.

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [3/7/2025 2:19 PM, Barney Henderson, Amir Daftari, and Tom O’Connor, 52220K]
Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 1:55 PM, Connor Stringer, 52868K]

CNN [3/7/2025 7:18 PM, Jennifer Hansler, 908K] reports the US State Department is “undertaking a full review of all visa programs,” a department spokesperson confirmed amid reports of an impending new travel ban, and a US official familiar with the situation told CNN that Afghanistan could be among the countries included. The official said the ban could come as soon as next week but noted it was unclear if final decisions on countries and timing had been made. In an executive order issued on January 20, President Donald Trump directed cabinet members, including the Secretary of State, to compile a list of countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.” The executive order calls for this to be done within 60 days. “The Department is undertaking a full review of all visa programs as directed under this EO and executing on administration priorities,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson would not give further details, saying they do “not comment on internal deliberations or communications.” A White House official told CNN, “No decisions regarding possible travel bans have been made, and anyone claiming otherwise does not know what they are talking about.” In his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US, a policy that saw court challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it when he took office in 2021. If Afghanistan is included in the new travel ban, it could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside the US during its two decades of war there, as it would block Afghan nationals from coming to the US. Tens of thousands of Afghans have already been caught in limbo due to other Trump administration executive orders suspending the US refugee admissions program and the suspension of foreign aid funding for flights of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. On Wednesday, AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations that has been working to bring Afghan allies to safety since the end of the war in Afghanistan in 2021, urged “all Afghan nationals holding valid U.S. visas to travel as soon as possible amid credible indications that a travel ban affecting Afghan nationals may be imminent.”

Yahoo! News [3/7/2025 9:01 AM, Leilani Chavez, 52868K] reports that China banned 25 more U.S. firms, the latest addition to a bourgeoning list of American defense firms barred from conducting economic activity there. The Ministry of Commerce stated in a press release this week that the ban aims to protect the country’s "national sovereignty and security." It effectively halts existing export activities, blocks imports, and prohibits companies from making new investments in China. China’s response comes as President Donald Trump’s moves to increase trade tariffs against China take effect. The list was released by the commerce ministry a day ahead of President Trump’s two-hour speech to Congress in Washington on March 4. In his speech, Trump pledged to impose "reciprocal tariffs" to take effect on April 2. "Whatever they tariff us – other countries – we will tariff them. That’s reciprocal, back and forth. Whenever they tax us, we will tax them. If they give non-monetary barriers to keep us out of their markets, then we will do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market," Trump said. China’s ban list includes some 25 American firms; 10 companies are listed in the unreliable entity list while 15 are added to the export control list. Companies in China’s expanding unreliable entity list include Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc, America’s largest military shipbuilder; S3 AeroDefense; Cubic Corporation; defense and space company ACT1 Federal; AI companies TextOre and Exovera; TCOM Limited Partnership; Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC; and Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. The statement also included US biotech firm Illumina Inc. which was ushered into the unreliable entity list last month.

FOX News [3/7/2025 12:00 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 46189K] reports that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are coming together to crack down on Chinese-backed companies’ ownership of land in the continental U.S. It comes as the Trump administration appears on the precipice of a trade war with Beijing, as China promises to retaliate against what its foreign minister called "arbitrary" tariffs from Washington. "It is in the interest of the United States to review purchases of American farmland by foreign entities to protect our farms and agricultural production from our foreign adversaries, especially China," Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, the House Republican leading the bill, told Fox News Digital. "But for far too long, our government has repeatedly failed to enforce the laws on the books, monitor foreign purchases of our farmland, or assess financial penalties on those who break our laws." The bill is also being led by Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., and in the upper chamber by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. The bill is also aimed at establishing a public database on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to partner with the Secretary of Homeland Security on an annual threat assessment report on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

New York Times [3/8/2025 4:12 AM, Keith Bradsher, 145325K] reports China announced tariffs of up to 100 percent on canola, pork and other foods from Canada on Saturday, in retaliation for Canada’s decision last August to collect steep taxes on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. The Chinese tariffs, which take effect on March 20, were also a clear warning to Canada — and, indirectly, Mexico — not to cooperate with the United States on trade. The Trump administration, like the Biden administration before it, has been demanding that Canada and Mexico not serve as back doors for low-cost Chinese goods to enter the U.S. market under North American free trade agreements. China’s State Council Tariff Commission announced on Saturday that it would impose tariffs of 100 percent on canola oil and canola meal, which are among Canada’s largest exports to China, and on peas; and 25 percent on Canadian pork and seafood. The commission said the measures were in response to Canada’s 100 percent tariffs on electric cars from China and its 25 percent tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, which took effect in October. China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a separate statement that “China urges Canada to immediately correct its wrong practices, lift restrictive measures and eliminate adverse effects.” The Canadian government had no immediate comment. The Chinese agencies’ statements were carefully worded to comply with World Trade Organization rules and did not mention any effort to influence Canada or Mexico during their current trade discussions with the United States. But a commentary released by China’s state television left little doubt that a key goal for China is dissuading officials in Ottawa and Mexico City from acceding to American pressure for higher Canadian and Mexican tariffs on Chinese goods.

AP [3/8/2025 5:58 AM, Hyung-Jin Kim, 52868K] reports North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S. State media on Saturday released photos showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine,” as it reported leader Kim Jong Un’s visits to major shipyards where warships are built. The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, didn’t provide details on the submarine, but said Kim was briefed on its construction. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University. He said the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. “It would be absolutely threatening to us and the U.S.,” Moon said. A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Kim vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called escalating U.S.-led military threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles. North Korea has since performed a run of testing activities to acquire them. North Korea obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because it’s difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance. Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced. Moon, the submarine expert, said North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine. He also said North Korea could launch the submarine in one or two years to test its capability before its actual deployment. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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