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.

Reuters [5/1/2025 4:27 PM, Luc Cohen and Ted Hesson, 41523K] reports that a U.S. judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from using an 18th-century wartime law to deport some Venezuelan migrants, in the most sweeping ruling thus far against a key part of the Republican president’s aggressive immigration crackdown. In a 36-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez in Brownsville, Texas, ruled that the Trump administration exceeded the scope of the Alien Enemies Act by using it to speed up the deportations of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The government labels the gang a terrorist organization. Trump’s mid-March proclamation invoking the 1798 law to justify rapid deportations faces multiple court challenges. Judges in several states have temporarily blocked the administration from deporting migrants detained in their districts under the Alien Enemies Act, with a Colorado judge ruling last week that the administration must give migrants at least 21 days to challenge their potential removals in court. Rodriguez’s ruling went further. The judge, appointed by Trump during his first term in office, permanently barred the administration from deporting Venezuelans detained in the Southern District of Texas under the law. His ruling was also the first to outright reject Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, writing that Tren de Aragua’s actions in the U.S. did not amount to an "invasion" or "predatory incursion" that would justify the use of the law. "The President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful," wrote Rodriguez, whose district includes the detention facility from which at least 137 Venezuelan men were deported to El Salvador on March 15, immediately after Trump invoked the law. In a statement, White House spokesman Kush Desai said Trump’s election victory had given him a mandate to "deport terrorist illegal aliens." "The Trump administration is committed to unapologetically using every lever of power endowed to the executive branch by the Constitution and Congress to deliver on this mandate, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail," Desai said. Bloomberg [5/1/2025 7:07 PM, Erik Larson, 120K] reports "The historical record renders clear that the president’s invocation of the AEA through the proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms," Rodriguez said in the ruling. The ruling is the first on the merits of Trump’s effort to invoke the AEA to send Venezuelan nationals that the administration alleges are members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The judge didn’t block the administration from deporting individuals under other laws that are commonly used in such situations, namely the Immigration and Nationality Act. White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement that the judge’s ruling "is undoubtedly shocking to the over 77 million Americans who gave President Trump a decisive Election Day mandate to enforce our immigration laws and deport terrorist illegal aliens — and yet time and again we see federal courts try to stop the President from exercising his lawful authorities to protect the American people.” Vice President JD Vance, in a Fox News interview, signaled the administration would challenge any rulings that limit Trump’s ability to deport immigrants in the country illegally. "We’re aggressively appealing this stuff," Vance said. "We do think that the higher appeals courts, and in particular, the Supreme Court, is going to recognize immigration enforcement is a core function of the President of the United States. If you tell the president he’s not allowed to deport illegal criminals, then you’re telling the President he’s not allowed to be the president. We reject that.”

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FOX News [5/1/2025 9:34 PM, Alec Schemmel, 46189K] reports Trump’s comments came the same day a federal judge permanently barred his efforts to use the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport illegal alien gang members. "As you’ve been reading, the courts are trying to stop me from doing the job that I was elected to do," Trump said during his address to graduates. "They have to let us do the job that the voters want us to do. Judges are interfering, supposedly based on due process. But how can you give due process to people who came into our country illegally? They want to give them due process. I don’t know." Trump issued a proclamation in March asserting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua could be deported under the AEA. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration began deporting hundreds of alleged gang members, including one Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Opponents of Trump’s deportation efforts have insisted Abrego Garcia was illegally deported and is not a gang member. However, evidence has surfaced of Abrego Garcia involved in gang-like criminal activity. Body cam footage from troopers in Maryland show Abrego Garcia being involved in an alleged human trafficking incident in 2022. In the footage, officers can be heard building the case that Abrego Garcia was engaged in human smuggling, which the troopers refer to as "hauling" in the video. Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview with Fox News that the Trump administration is aggressively appealing the federal court order blocking their deportation efforts. "The judge doesn’t make that determination, whether the Alien Enemies Act can be deployed," Mr. Vance told Fox News anchor Brett Baier. "I think the President of the United States is the one who determines whether this country is being invaded."

The New York Times [5/1/2025 9:32 PM, Adam Liptak, 145325K] reports the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to let it remove protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants who had been allowed to remain in the United States without risk of deportation under a program known as Temporary Protected Status. In February, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, terminated an 18-month extension of T.P.S. protection that had been granted to Venezuelans by the Biden administration. People affected by the change sued, saying that the move violated administrative procedures and was influenced by racial bias. In March, Judge Edward M. Chen of the Federal District Court in San Francisco blocked the administration’s efforts to remove the protections for Venezuelans while the case moved forward. He said that the plaintiffs had demonstrated they were likely to succeed in showing that Ms. Noem’s actions were “unauthorized by law, arbitrary and capricious, and motivated by unconstitutional animus.” Judge Chen found that terminating the initiative would inflict irreparable harm “on hundreds of thousands of persons whose lives, families and livelihoods will be severely disrupted, cost the United States billions in economic activity and injure public health and safety in communities throughout the United States.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the administration’s request that it pause Judge Chen’s ruling. The Supreme Court has fielded several other emergency applications involving Mr. Trump’s aggressive immigration policies. In one, the court ordered the administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who had wrongly been sent to El Salvador, where he remains. In another, the justices temporarily blocked the removal of some Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law. The court is also set to hear arguments on May 15 on the scope of three rulings blocking an executive order seeking to do away with birthright citizenship. The Temporary Protected Status program, enacted by Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, allows migrants from nations that have experienced national disasters, armed conflicts or other extraordinary instability to live and work legally in the United States. President Trump has looked to end protections under the program as he seeks to make good on his campaign promise to deport millions of immigrants from the United States. His efforts would have terminated them for nearly 350,000 people in early April, and for hundreds of thousands more later this year. “The district court entered nationwide relief supplanting Secretary Noem’s assessment of the national interest — an area into which a district court is uniquely unqualified to intrude,” Mr. Sauer wrote. “The court thus wrested control of the nation’s immigration policy away from the executive branch and imposed the court’s own perception as to whether the government’s actions might ‘contradict U.S. foreign policies,’ ‘have adverse national security ramifications’ or ‘weaken the standing of the United States in the international community,’” he wrote, citing phrases from the ruling. The Wall Street Journal [5/1/2025 4:45 PM, Mariah Timms] reports that the historical record renders clear that the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms,” Rodriguez wrote. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, which it invoked in March to declare that members of Tren de Aragua, a gang that originated in Venezuela, are enemy aliens. Trump had previously designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization. The administration then took measures to remove alleged members of the gang from the U.S. to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Numerous lawsuits have been filed to challenge the removals. The judge in Thursday’s decision examined the proclamation issued by the Trump administration in March and found that Tren de Aragua members’ presence in the U.S. didn’t constitute an “invasion” or “predatory incursion” under the law. “While the Proclamation references that TdA members have harmed lives in the United States and engage in crime, the Proclamation does not suggest that they have done so through an organized armed attack, or that Venezuela has threatened or attempted such an attack through TdA members,” Rodriguez wrote. The administration has a mandate to enforce immigration laws and saw the ruling Thursday as another example of the courts trying “to stop the President from exercising his lawful authorities to protect the American people,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. Thursday’s order didn’t bar officials from detaining or deporting people under other relevant immigration laws, the judge noted. Politico [5/1/2025 7:31 PM, Josh Gerstein, 2100K] reports that the emergency appeal from Solicitor General John Sauer is the latest of about a dozen expedited requests the Trump administration has brought to the high court in the past three months. The requests typically seek to immediately reinstate aspects of Trump’s agenda — often related to his aggressive immigration crackdowns — in the face of preliminary adverse rulings from lower courts. Thursday’s appeal asks the justices to lift a court order blocking Trump’s plan to curtail or end so-called temporary protected status, or TPS, for Venezuelan nationals. People who are granted TPS get protection from deportation and are issued work permits. Sauer urged the high court to allow Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to proceed with actions that would have resulted in some Venezuelan TPS holders losing their protection last month. Noem is also seeking to cut back an extension the Biden administration gave to other Venezuelan TPS recipients. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen blocked the moves in March in a withering decision that found Trump’s rollback was based on racial discrimination and generalizations that many or most Venezuelans were involved in violent gangs. Chen, an Obama appointee, linked the administration’s actions to inflammatory social media posts in which Noem painted the U.S. as besieged by Venezuelan gang members, whom she excoriated as “dirt bags.” Sauer complained to the high court that Chen “cherry-picked” those examples and “wrongly portrayed those comments as racially tinged.”

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NPR [5/1/2025 4:23 PM, Michel Martin, 29983K] Audio HERE reports during his campaign, President Trump made immigration a cornerstone of his platform. Now, after 100 days in office, it has become arguably the most controversial promise he has kept. The administration has used familiar language — referring to "criminals," "gang members," and now "terrorist organizations" — to justify the deportation of a wide range of individuals, including college students on visas and green cards who protested the war in Gaza, parents of children who are U.S. citizens, and people like Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant from El Salvador the administration admitted to removing from the country by mistake. While Trump’s policies have drawn sharp criticism, courts have begun to weigh in on individual deportation cases, with mixed rulings on the legality of the administration’s actions. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that President Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals was "unlawful," blocking further deportations under the 1798 law. As part of NPR’s coverage of the administration’s first 100 days, Morning Edition host Michel Martin spoke with Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s top spokesperson and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. In the interview, McLaughlin defended what she described as the agency’s successful deportation efforts and criticized "activist judges" for interfering with enforcement. "That was actually a large-scale operation where we did interdict eight human traffickers," McLaughlin said. "It was this ultimately successful operation. Unfortunately, the warrant that the court did give was for a house that the targets had moved out of two weeks prior. So that was not an ideal situation, obviously." McLaughlin spoke to Martin about how the administration plans to ramp up enforcement and carry out what the Trump administration sees as the will of the American people. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Breitbart [5/2/2025 12:00 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2900K] reports during an interview aired on Thursday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” co-host Michel Martin responded to DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin saying that the administration knew it would deal with “activist judges” by stating that “I don’t know who you’re calling activist judges” and then cutting off McLaughlin when McLaughlin attempted to say exactly who she thinks those activist judges are. Martin asked, [relevant exchange begins around 2:15] “[T]here have been a number of judges complaining about the administration’s tactics, demanding more information, saying that the administration is being evasive in court proceedings. Is there an attempt to force a confrontation with the courts to define this authority and to define it in a more expansive fashion than has been interpreted in the past?” McLaughlin responded, “We knew we were facing an uphill battle with these courts. We knew that there would be activist judges as we entered this administration, and that is why the president is giving the American people and the government, who is executing on the mandate of the American people, every tool at our disposal to get out the people who have illegally entered this country.” Martin then stated, “I don’t know who you’re calling activist judges, because a number of the judges who have objected to the administration’s tactics in court have been appointed by Republicans, and, in some cases, by President Trump himself in his first term.” McLaughlin then cut in to say, “Sure. I can point [out] exactly who I’m talking about, if you’d like.” Martin then cut in to state, “Well, let’s not.”

NBC News [5/1/2025 3:42 PM, Gabe Gutierrez and Suzanne Gamboa, 44742K] reports the Trump administration’s promise to carry out the biggest deportation campaign in American history has a distinct and potent hallmark: speed. Officials have fast-tracked deportation proceedings so that some people are removed without speaking to an attorney, family members or without a court hearing at all. Trump’s immigration efforts have broken norms and bent the law as he enacts his agenda with dizzying fervor, seeking to show his supporters he’s delivering, even as the overall number of deportations in February lagged behind Biden administration during the same period last year. The administration is also ramping up its calls for undocumented immigrants to leave voluntarily — or risk being permanently barred from the country if immigration authorities find them first. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said the administration has given parents in the U.S. illegally the opportunity "to take control of their departure process with the potential ability to return the legal, right way and come back to live the American dream."

Latin Times [5/1/2025 1:49 PM, Demian Bio, 1500K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that President Donald Trump "forced" his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum, to prevent hundreds of thousands of migrants from reaching the U.S. border, and that those figures should be counted as deportations. Speaking at Trump’s cabinet meeting to mark his first 100 days in office, Noem said "Mexico has finally come to the table" and is now "going to take a lot more people that we are able to send back." "And she told me, sir, she turned around over half a million people before they even reached our border because you forced her to. We should be counting those as deportations. Those are all people who never even came here because they got the message because you were so aggressive. Thank you for what you’re doing," Noem added.

Bloomberg [5/1/2025 9:33 PM, Anthony Capaccio, 16228K] reports President Donald Trump will request a record $1.01 trillion in national security spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, more than 13% over the current year’s figure, according to administration officials familiar with the matter. The defense budget will fund the Golden Dome missile defense project, shipbuilding and nuclear modernization, border security among its top priorities. It includes a 3.8% military pay raise. One of the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing figures that haven’t been released, said the 13% increase echoes a defense buildup overseen by President Ronald Reagan. The Trump administration has sought to slash some spending at the Pentagon as part of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting efforts but says it wants a higher defense budget overall. The overall request, which includes defense-support funding at the Department of Energy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and others smaller agencies, totals about 3.2% of gross domestic product, similar to the fiscal 2024 figure. It’s up from $892.3 billion in overall national-security spending for this year. The figure will be unveiled as part of the “skinny” budget request for the 2026 fiscal year that Trump is set for release on Friday. It allows lawmakers to begin work on fiscal 2026 appropriation bills and offers a glimpse into the administration’s funding priorities. It’s a step up from a proposal in November from President Joe Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, who sought a defense-only five-year plan that started with $926.5 billion in fiscal 2026.

Wall Street Journal [5/1/2025 9:22 PM, Meridith McGraw, 646K] reports President Trump is expected to propose far-reaching cuts to federal environmental, renewable energy, education and foreign-aid programs in a budget blueprint that slashes nondefense discretionary spending by more than $160 billion, according to administration officials. The fiscal 2026 budget proposal, which the White House is planning to release on Friday, is a largely symbolic wish list that lays out the president’s spending and political priorities. Congress, which Republicans control by narrow majorities in both chambers, will spend months debating which elements of the proposed plan should be turned into law. The budget plan will propose $557 billion in nondefense discretionary spending, officials said. It would reduce nondefense discretionary spending by $163 billion, the officials said. The administration said that represents a 22.6% cut from projected spending in fiscal 2025, which ends Sept. 30. It wasn’t clear how the administration calculated that percentage. Nondefense discretionary spending represents the portion of federal money that must be reauthorized each year and includes funding for areas such as education, transportation and public health. It doesn’t include Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, or spending on defense. Trump’s budget proposal would also increase funding for border security and defense, officials said, as well as air and rail safety, veterans and law enforcement.

Washington Post [5/1/2025 1:10 PM, Arelis R. Hernández, 31735K] reports attorneys for a Palestinian woman who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after participating in a protest near Columbia University are demanding her release, and accused the Trump administration of violating her First Amendment rights after she was held for almost two months. Leqaa Kordia met with ICE agents March 13 near her New Jersey home when she was arrested for allegedly “overstaying” her student visa, and was swiftly flown to a Texas detention center. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem touted her arrest, saying the 32-year-old had been involved in “pro-Hamas protests” and that anyone advocating “violence and terrorism” should not be in the country. Kordia’s arrest was the among the earliest known ICE arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters who had participated in demonstrations in and around Columbia University last year. She is one of at least a dozen international students targeted by the Trump administration’s campaign in recent weeks to stamp out alleged antisemitism and remove activists critical of Israel from the country. Southern Poverty Law Center attorneys filed a writ of habeas corpus in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas after an immigration judge granted her bail more than two weeks ago. DHS appealed, saying Kordia, who has lived in the country for almost a decade, was a flight risk and a danger. Her defense team said there’s no evidence of that, adding that ICE agents at the time of her arrest conducted a risk assessment rating the young Muslim woman a “low risk,” with deep ties to the community. In a news release Wednesday titled “Fighting Fake News,” DHS wrote that Kordia “was another Columbia student who actively participated in anti-American, pro-terrorist activities on campus,” the statement read. “However, her arrest had nothing to do with her radical activities.”

FOX News [5/1/2025 1:15 PM, Anders Hagstrom and Alexis McAdams, 46189K] reports that the Columbia University student activist who was recently ordered released from ICE custody was interviewed by the FBI in 2015 after allegedly telling a gun shop owner that "I like to kill Jews." The activist, Mohsen Mahdawi, visited the gun store in the summer of 2015 and inquired about various firearms while in conversation with the store’s owner, according to court documents submitted by federal authorities last month. The federal government is appealing Mahdawi’s release as of Thursday. "The owner told Windsor, Vermont police officers that Mr. Mahdawi had visited his store twice, expressing an interest in learning more about firearms and buying a sniper rifle and an automatic weapon and that he ‘had considerable firearm experience and used to build modified 9mm submachine guns to kill Jews while he was in Palestine,’" the document reads. ""The store owner stated that Mr. Mahdawi took photos of the store and its merchandise. The store owner gave the police the name of a fellow gun enthusiast who stated that he had a similar conversation with Mr. Mahdawi at the ‘Precision Museum’ in Windsor," the document continues. "During that conversation, Mr. Mahdawi allegedly told the enthusiast, ‘I like to kill Jews.’" DHS Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin condemned Mahdawi’s release in a statement on social media. "When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country," McLauglin wrote. "We have the law, facts and commonsense on our side. No judge, not this one or another, is going to stop the Trump Administration from restoring the rule of law to our immigration system." Mahdawi, 34, was raised in the West Bank and has now lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years. He confirmed trips to the gun store and gun museum, but denied making anti-semitic comments to both the gun store owner and the museum guide in an interview with the FBI.

NPR [5/1/2025 11:04 AM, Leila Fadel and Obed Manuel, 29983K] Audio: HERE reports Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi walked out of a federal courthouse on Wednesday afternoon after a Vermont federal judge found that his two-week detention demonstrated "great harm" to someone not charged with a crime. Mahdawi, a lawful permanent resident detained over his pro-Palestinian activism, was greeted by a crowd of cheering supporters gathered outside the courthouse. "I am saying it clear and loud. To President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you," Mahdawi told supporters and the media. In his opinion, Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford wrote: "Legal residents not charged with crimes or misconduct are being arrested and threatened with deportation for stating their views on the political issues of the day." The judge likened this moment to the Red Scare and McCarthy Era. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in statements to the press that no lawsuit or judge would stop the administration from "restoring the rule of law to our immigration system.” But this case and a separate deportation case Mahdawi faces are far from over. One of Mahdawi’s lawyers, Luna Doubri, told Morning Edition that the legal team plans to continue fighting the federal government’s claims against him on the grounds that they are unconstitutional. "One of the bedrocks of this country is supposed to be the freedom to speak up," Doubri said. "And if courts don’t see that, or if we can’t uphold the Constitution in this way, then we all need to look, take a deep, hard look at ourselves and our Constitution.”

The Hill [5/1/2025 5:34 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 12829K] reports pro-Palestinian students detained by immigration authorities saw their biggest win to date this week with the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, though both his case and the fight at large have a long way to go. While the ruling is not the kind of slam dunk that would make advocates feel safer about the state of free speech on college campuses, it is the first major breakthrough in the courts for international students who have been besieged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Trump. Mahdawi, a green-card holder and 10-year U.S. resident, was released on bail Wednesday after he was arrested April 14 by plain clothes officers during what was supposed to be a naturalization interview, with video of the incident quickly going viral. The judge in the Columbia University student’s case cited First Amendment concerns in his ruling. "When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans and harass Jews, that [visa] privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country. We have the law, facts and commonsense on our side," Tricia McLaughlin, assistant Homeland Security secretary, said on social platform X after Mahdawi’s ruling. "No judge, not this one or another, is going to stop the Trump Administration from restoring the rule of law to our immigration system," McLaughlin added.

New York Times [5/1/2025 4:56 PM, Devlin Barrett, 145325K] reports a top Trump appointee in the Justice Department ordered an aggressive investigation in the last several months of student protesters at Columbia University, raising anger and alarm among career prosecutors and investigators who saw the demand as politically motivated and lacking legal merit, people familiar with the episode said. The demand for the inquiry into students who protested Israel’s conduct of the conflict in Gaza also prompted pushback from a federal magistrate judge, who believed some of the steps being sought by the official were unjustified and might violate the First Amendment, the people said. The breadth of the investigation, conducted by the Justice Department’s civil rights division, has not been previously reported. The ensuing clash highlights the tensions roiling the department as administration officials seek to enact President Trump’s agenda, including redirecting the civil rights division away from its traditional approach of protecting the rights of minority groups with a new mission to fulfill a campaign promise by cracking down on student protesters amid accusations of rampant antisemitism on college campuses.

Newsweek [5/1/2025 3:06 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports the Trump administration has revealed a second allegation of domestic abuse against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran immigrant mistakenly deported in March. In an August 2020 filing, the Maryland father’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said Abrego Garcia had kicked and slapped her, as well as verbally abused her. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this showed it was right to have deported him, despite a court order blocking the move in 2019. Vasquez Sura has made repeated pleas for her husband’s return from El Salvador’s CECOT prison and previously said they had worked on their issues through therapy. "After the trauma of his time in ICE detention and the struggles we faced during the pandemic, I sought a temporary protective order, but through counseling and faith, Kilmar and I healed, reunited as a stronger couple, and now our family needs him home," Vasquez Sura said in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday afternoon. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a press release: "The facts are clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a violent illegal alien who abuses women and children. He had no business being in our country and we are proud to have deported this violent thug. We have now found two petitions for protection against him, in addition to the fact that he entered the country illegally and is a confirmed member of MS-13. Our country is safer with him gone." Vasquez Sura, in a statement to Newsweek on April 16: "No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect. But that is not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from removal. Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him." USA Today [5/1/2025 9:51 PM, Nick Penzenstadler, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, and Eduardo Cuevas, 75858K] reports that for weeks, the White House and Homeland Security officials have defended deporting the 29-year-old Maryland father to a Salvadoran prison, after acknowledging in court that it was done in error and against an immigration judge’s court order. The Trump administration insists he is a member of the MS-13 gang, but a federal judge has questioned the strength of the government’s evidence. Abrego Garcia denies being a gang member and has no criminal convictions. Officials have recently turned to releasing information about his alleged domestic abuse. The audio file is from one of those court hearings. DHS officials used the newly surfaced allegations as more reason to bolster their deportation claims. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland has refuted evidence submitted by the government that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang.

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Newsweek [5/1/2025 3:41 PM, Dan Gooding and Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, has responded after the Trump administration revealed a second allegation of domestic abuse against the Salvadoran immigrant mistakenly deported in March. In an email to Newsweek on Thursday, Vasquez Sura wrote: "After the trauma of his time in ICE detention and the struggles we faced during the pandemic, I sought a temporary protective order, but through counseling and faith, Kilmar and I healed, reunited as a stronger couple, and now our family needs him home." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued the allegations, later rescinded, showed the Salvadoran did not belong in the U.S. On Wednesday, DHS released an August 2020 filing, which laid out multiple alleged instances of domestic abuse by Abrego Garcia. In the document, Vasquez Sura said he had been physically and mentally abusive towards her. When a similar filing from 2021 was released by DHS in mid-April, she said that the couple had worked through their problems, guided by their Christian faith and with the help of counseling. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a press release: "The facts are clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a violent illegal alien who abuses women and children. He had no business being in our country and we are proud to have deported this violent thug. We have now found two petitions for protection against him, in addition to the fact that he entered the country illegally and is a confirmed member of MS-13. Our country is safer with him gone."

DailySignal.com [5/1/2025 5:18 PM, Jarrett Stepman, 495K] reports it appears the legacy media and the Democrat narrative about the deported El Salvadoran "Maryland dad" is reaching its endgame as more information about his behavior comes to light. According to multiple reports, House Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has privately told fellow Democrats to stop taking junkets down to El Salvador to visit the deported man in prison to perform supposed "welfare checks." Jeffries has denied the report, but it wouldn’t be surprising. Democrats have been caught between two messages. The first is that Abrego Garcia’s due process rights were violated because a 2019 court order said he couldn’t go back to El Salvador due to threats from a rival gang (a gang that has since been nearly obliterated by the country’s tough-on-crime president). The even worse argument from Democrats and their media allies has been that Abrego Garcia was just a good, decent family man minding his own business when the mean old Trump administration nabbed him and deported him. Not only have law enforcement and the courts said that Abrego Garcia is likely a member of MS-13, but police have also alleged that he’s been involved in human trafficking. Now, more documents have been released about his wife’s 2020 protective order against him.

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Washington Examiner [5/1/2025 5:02 PM, Samantha-Jo Roth, 2296K]

CBS News [5/1/2025 6:37 PM, Staff, 51661K] Video: HERE reports President Trump claims that Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s tattoos suggest he is a member of MS-13, but the only actual court document tying Abrego Garcia to the gang is a now-defunct local police registry that was questioned for racial profiling. Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of "America’s Voice," joins "America Decides" to discuss.

Latin Times [5/1/2025 9:19 AM, Demian Bio, 1500K] reports the White House has reportedly stiffened its resolve to not bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador, after officials learned about new abuse allegations from his wife, who now claims they have overcome their issues. Axios reported on Thursday that the White House is now aware that, when seeking a protective order against him, Jennifer Vasquez Sura told local police that there were six instances of abuse from Abrego Garcia between 2019 and 2021. Vasquez Sura said back then that the man kicked, shoved, slapped and verbally abused her. He also detained her against her will and threatened to kill her in August 2020. He was never charged. "Let us be crystal clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia will never be on American streets again," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet. "The media continues to call him a victim while ignoring the real victims: the women he battered, the children he terrorized, and the communities he endangered," she added.

FOX News [5/1/2025 7:56 PM, Adam Sabes, 46189K] reports the Tennessee Highway Patrol released body camera footage of its 2022 encounter with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, where state troopers suspected he was involved in human trafficking. Garcia, 29, is a Salvadorian who illegally entered the United States in 2011 and in 2019 was issued a deportation order. Two previous judges concluded that Abrego-Garcia was likely affiliated with MS-13. He was deported in March and sent to the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. The Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled over Abrego-Garcia on November 30, 2022. Body camera video, obtained by Fox News Digital through a public records request, shows Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers pulling over Abrego-Garcia, who had eight other individuals in his car, for what was initially a speeding violation. All people in the car are male. "How many rows have you got in here? Four seats? Four rows of seats?" a state trooper can be heard saying. "Did y’all put an extra one in? Huh? Did yall put another one in no? They come like this I’ve never seen one with that many seats in it.” "He’s hauling these people for money," one state trooper said. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that there was a conversation in the redacted portion of the video where state troopers discussed calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The troopers called ICE, which didn’t come to pick up Abrego-Garcia. The source added that when state troopers entered Abrego-Garcia’s name into the National Crime Information Center, a warning appeared that showed he was suspected of being a gang member or terrorist. In the video, a trooper said Abrego-Garcia was in possession of $1,400 in cash, saying it was probably his payment. A trooper also noted that Abrego-Garcia had an invalid Maryland driver’s license. State troopers who pulled over Abrego-Garcia said they suspected he was involved in human trafficking, according to body camera video. A state trooper can be heard saying "This is a good stop.” The Washington Post [5/1/2025 10:42 PM, Steve Thompson and María Luisa Paúl, 31735K] reports Abrego García was stopped for speeding by Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers near Cookeville, Tennessee. Police said he was going 75 mph in a 65 mph zone along Interstate 40, according to the video released by the state’s Department of Safety & Homeland Security. There were about eight other people inside the SUV, and before the encounter was over police said they suspected Abrego García of carrying undocumented immigrants from Texas to the Maryland area for money. Despite those suspicions, both the officers and Abrego García struck a friendly tone during most of the 1-hour, 22-minute stop. At one point, Abrego García thanked the officer for letting him sit inside the car for warmth and joked about the cold. The stop has been highlighted by Trump administration officials during what has been an aggressive campaign to depict Abrego García as a dangerous gang member involved in crimes, reasons they give for not returning him from El Salvador after he was deported to a high-security prison there in March despite an immigration judge’s order barring his removal to that country. “Hello, sir,” Abrego Garcia said to the trooper in English after rolling down the window during the 2022 stop, and they exchanged pleasantries. “You’ve got a bunch of people in here, don’t you?” the trooper commented. Abrego García replied with a quip that was hard to make out in the video, and the officer laughed. During the stop, which occurred about 8 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022, Abrego García said he was coming from St. Louis, and the trooper, whose body camera was recording, asked for his driver’s license, registration and insurance. Abrego García told the trooper the men in the SUV, owned by his boss, were fellow construction workers he was driving back to Maryland. As other officers arrive at the scene, one tells the officer who pulled Abrego García over: “You know what you got here, right? He’s hauling these people for money. You got an ass hauler, is what he’s doing.”

Reported similarly:
New York Post [5/1/2025 10:06 PM, David Propper, 54903K]

Axios [5/1/2025 4:00 AM, Marc Caputo and Brittany Gibson, 13163K] reports the Trump administration’s resolve to prevent Kilmar Abrego Garcia from returning to the U.S. is stiffening amid newly released allegations that he abused his wife on several occasions, according to White House sources and court documents reviewed by Axios. Garcia’s mistaken deportation to a notorious El Salvador prison has become central to the legal and political fight over President Trump’s immigration policy and due process for undocumented immigrants. The administration has defied a court order to return him to the U.S., calling the ruling judicial overreach that intrudes on Trump’s powers to fight terrorism and carry out foreign policy. Trump’s team alleges that Abrego Garcia — a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2012 — was involved with the notorious MS-13 gang, though he’s never been charged with a crime. After Abrego Garcia was deported in mid-March, there were reports his wife had complained to police about domestic abuse. Unknown to the administration until this week: Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, actually had told local police in Maryland about a total of six instances of alleged abuse from 2019-2021, according to court documents filed when Vasquez Sura sought a protective order. (DHS released the documents Wednesday.) The White House, however, is signaling that it will use Vasquez Sura’s old allegations to redefine Abrego Garcia’s image as a victim of an overzealous deportation operation. "The media continues to call him a victim while ignoring the real victims: the women he battered, the children he terrorized, and the communities he endangered," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. "Let us be crystal clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia will never be on American streets again."

CNN [5/1/2025 2:52 PM, Michael Williams, 908K] reports the Trump administration this week continued digging in on its claim that symbols tattooed on the fingers of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – a cross, a skull, a smiley face and a marijuana leaf – are proof that the man they wrongly deported to El Salvador is a member of MS-13. But gang experts disagree, telling CNN that the tattoos alone are not proof of membership in the gang. “I see a bunch of symbols that could be interpreted any number of ways,” said Jorja Leap, a University of California, Los Angeles professor who has served as an expert gang witness in court, told CNN. “There is nothing in those tattoos that is definitively gang representative.” As part of its ever-evolving efforts to demonstrate Abrego Garcia’s alleged association with the notorious transnational criminal organization, which the Salvadoran national’s family and attorneys deny, the White House posted a picture on social media earlier this month of President Donald Trump holding a picture of Abrego Garcia’s finger tattoos while seated at his desk in the Oval Office. Above and below the tattoos appeared to be digitally added annotations: Above the cannabis leaf is the letter “M.” Below it is the word “marijuana.” The smiley face is framed by the letter “S” and the word “smile.” The cross lies between the number of “1” and the word “cross,” while the skull is bookended by the number of “3” and word “skull.” Other pictures of Abrego Garcia’s hand show just the symbols are tattooed, without letters, numbers or words. But in his interview with ABC on Tuesday to mark the 100th day of his second term, Trump appeared to indicate that he either didn’t know the picture he held was digitally altered, or didn’t care. “On his knuckles, he had MS-13,” the president told ABC’s Terry Moran. The journalist tried correcting the president. Trump waved the attempt off. “Don’t do that,” Trump interrupted. “It says ‘M, S, 1, 3.’” Trump scoffed when Moran said the letters were photoshopped onto the image. An attorney for Abrego Garcia said in a statement: “None of the material being cited publicly has been introduced in court.” “The government should bring him back and give him a full and fair trial in front of the same immigration judge who heard the case in 2019,” said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, referencing the judge who ordered Abrego Garcia not be deported to El Salvador. Asked on Wednesday whether it is the White House’s position that those exact numbers and letters are tattooed onto Abrego Garcia’s hand, a spokesperson did not directly answer. “Ask any law or immigration enforcement official who’s been on the ground about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s tattoos: they’re MS-13,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement. But experts with years of experience studying the gang tell CNN they disagree. “These are definitely NOT MS-13 tattoos,” Thomas Ward, a University of Southern California professor who spent years embedded with MS-13 researching the gang, and is the author of an ethnography that studies MS-13, said in an email. “Those tattoos do not prove that he’s a member of MS-13,” said Susan Phillips, a Pitzer College professor who has studied gangs and written a book on gang graffiti.

CNN [5/2/2025 4:00 AM, Staff, 22131K] reports the Trump administration has been examining whether it can label some suspected cartel and gang members inside the US as "enemy combatants" as a possible way to detain them more easily and limit their ability to challenge their imprisonment, according to multiple people with knowledge of the deliberations. The "enemy combatant" designation could also be applied to suspected narco-terrorists outside the US, the people said, as a way to potentially give the US a justification to conduct lethal strikes against them. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the US attached the label "enemy combatant" to anyone accused of being a part of or supporting the Taliban, al Qaeda, or associated forces engaged in hostilities against the US – and it used that sweeping definition to keep many of them in military detention on Guantanamo Bay indefinitely, without charge, trial, or judicial review. The discussions have revived a debate from President Donald Trump’s first term in 2018, when he wanted to apply the label to all migrants who had entered the US illegally, according to two books written by former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor. "Lawyers and policy folks like me said that it was nuts and that they’d never meet the legal definition, and if we started treating migrants like terrorists it wouldn’t just be a slippery slope – it would be a f**king mudslide into illegality and police state behavior," said a former Trump administration official who served at DHS during his first term. One of the people familiar with the current deliberations said this time around, the administration was only considering ways to use the label against suspected members of the eight groups Trump has designated as foreign terrorist organizations, including Tren de Aragua and MS-13. "This hinges on the idea that they are designated terrorists," this person said. CNN has asked the Pentagon, National Security Council and Department of Homeland Security for comment. The administration frequently tries to link migrants with terrorism. On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted on X that "the National Counterterrorism Center identified 600 individuals with ties to terrorists who came through our borders illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration, were paroled here within our borders.” But several migrants the Trump administration has accused in recent weeks of being members of MS-13, Tren de Aragua, or other groups now designated as foreign terrorist organizations have denied having any affiliation with them. Trump has expressed extreme frustration with federal courts halting many of those migrants’ deportations, amid legal challenges questioning whether they were being afforded due process. By labeling the migrants as enemy combatants, they would have fewer rights, the thinking goes.

FOX News [5/1/2025 11:41 AM, Stephen Sorace, 46189K] reports President Donald Trump had to "shame" most media into covering stories of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua violence in the U.S., White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Thursday, accusing some outlets of trying to "shill" for one accused MS-13 member. Miller railed against reporters during a scheduled White House briefing when he was asked about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the suspected MS-13 gang member being held in El Salvador after the Trump administration deported him from the U.S. Miller said evidence has shown Abrego Garcia has a history of violence, including "repeated threats and assaults against his spouse" and "had repeated documented human trafficking and human smuggling offenses." He cited an MS-13 tattoo on Abrego Garcia’s knuckles as some evidence of his "extensively documented membership in MS-13." Miller blasted the Biden administration for "importing" violent "illegals" into the country, saying the former president let two Tren de Aragua members go on supervised release before they were arrested in the sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in June 2024. "Most of your papers never covered her story when it happened, to the extent that you covered it at all, it was because President Trump forced you to cover it by highlighting it repeatedly over and over again," Miller said. "He had to shame you into covering it." "And each and every one of you that sides over and over again with these MS-13 terrorists, to the extent that you had the financial means to do so, you all choose to live in condos or homes or houses as far away from these kinds of gangbangers as you possibly can," he continued. Miller said that if he had offered the reporters present at the briefing a rent-free home with no taxes, but next-door to MS-13, Mexican Mafia or Sinaloa Cartel members, he believed the reporters would pass. "I couldn’t pay you to live there," Miller said. "But yet you, with your coverage, are trying to force innocent Americans to have these people as their neighbors and that one day their daughter may be abducted from their home and raped and murdered," he continued. "So you’re not going to get an ounce of sympathy from this administration or President Trump for the terrorists who’ve invaded our homes in our country." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

San Francisco Chronicle [5/1/2025 11:04 AM, David L. Di Maria, 5046K] reports that, in early April 2025, the Trump administration terminated the immigration statuses of thousands of international students listed in a government database, meaning they no longer had legal permission to be in the country. Some students self-deported instead of facing deportation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced that it would reverse the terminations after courts across the country determined they did not have merit. These moves come as the White House seeks to enhance vetting and screening of all foreign nationals. The State Department in March announced plans to use artificial intelligence to review international students’ social media accounts. As an administrator and scholar who specializes in international higher education, I know that international students in the United States have long been subjected to a high level of vetting, screening and monitoring. Inserting additional bureaucracy into current processes could make the U.S. a less attractive study destination. I believe this would ultimately hamper the Trump administration’s ability to achieve its “America First” priorities related to the economy, science and technology, and national security. The U.S. has long been the global leader in attracting international students. But competition for these students is increasing as other countries, such as Germany and South Korea, enact strategies for attracting international education. The U.S. hosts 16% of all students studying outside of their home country, down from 22% in 2014 and 28% in 2001, according to the Institute of International Education. Of the more than 1 million international students who were present in the U.S. during the 2023-2024 academic year, 54% came from just two countries, China and India. Most international students pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And, according to the National Science Foundation, international students make up a significant portion of enrollment at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Breitbart [5/1/2025 5:43 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2923K] reports that, on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) reacted to a report that the White House is talking with Libya and Rwanda about deporting migrants with criminal records there by stating that “It’s a demonization of immigrants.” But “Nobody thinks that convicted criminals who do not have documentation and are not citizens should remain in this country.” Host Anderson Cooper asked, “What’s your reaction to the new CNN reporting that the White House has approached Libya and Rwanda about potentially deporting migrants with criminal records to those countries?” Goldman responded, “It’s — look, it’s just more of the same. It’s a demonization of immigrants. There’s a process. Nobody thinks that convicted criminals who do not have documentation and are not citizens should remain in this country. But there’s a process that our laws have mandated that the administration has to follow. If they would like to change the laws, they’re welcome to come to us here in Congress and try to change those laws. But they don’t get to unilaterally change the law because they don’t like how it is. And that’s what they’ve been doing with government funding and the Impoundment Control Act. That’s now what they’re doing with immigration. That is what they’re doing on so many different issues that is just directly flouting the law and undermining our baseline democratic system.”

AP [5/1/2025 8:43 AM, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer, 2923K] reports that, to understand the Justice Department’s struggles in representing President Donald Trump’s positions in court, look no further than a quick succession of losses last week that dealt a setback to the administration’s agenda. In orders spanning different courthouses, judges blocked a White House plan to add a proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form, ruled the Republican administration violated a settlement agreement by deporting a man to El Salvador and halted directives that threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs. That’s on top of arguments in which two judges expressed misgivings to a Justice Department lawyer about the legality of Trump executive orders targeting major law firms and a department lawyer’s accidental filing of an internal memo in court questioning the Trump administration’s legal strategy to kill Manhattan’s congestion toll — a blunder the Transportation Department called “legal malpractice.” The Trump administration’s effort to reshape American civil society, including a crackdown on illegal immigration and downsizing of the federal government, is encountering resistance from judges across a broad spectrum of philosophical leanings as lawyers for the Justice Department in some cases have strained to answer straightforward questions from judges about the basis or rationale for a particular policy or about the mechanics of its implementation. In at least one instance, a government lawyer who became openly exasperated in court at the lack of information he’d been given from the administration was soon after fired by the Justice Department. Compounding the problem is an ongoing exodus from the department of experienced career lawyers accustomed to representing the federal government in court. Some of the key arguments in recent weeks have been handled by lawyers newly hired into political, rather than career, positions. Justice Department leadership has in recent months hired lawyers with conservative credentials from law firms in Washington and with past experience at state and local government agencies. “This is quite rare, if not unprecedented,” said Boston College law professor Kent Greenfield. “I can’t think of another instance in which the Justice Department has lost so many cases in a short period of time and the reason they’re losing is because they’re wrong — and obviously wrong.” According to an Associated Press tally, about 50 Trump executive actions have been partially or fully blocked by the courts while about 40 have been left in effect. Dozens of others are pending.

Washington Examiner [5/1/2025 5:00 AM, Mia Cathell, 2296K] reports a handful of Trump’s targets have already acquiesced to the president’s demands to end diversity programs and accept conservative clients, reaching settlements in recent weeks agreeing to "support the Administration’s initiatives" instead. Others, such as legal powerhouse Perkins Coie, are refusing to bend the knee and battling Trump’s executive orders head-on in civil court proceedings. As the litigation plays out, proponents of Trump’s pressure campaign against Big Law say this shakedown of an industry that’s become overwhelmingly liberal is long overdue. Some in the legal community see it as a course correction following years of one-sided lawfare waged in furtherance of leftist causes. Immigration court has been one such battleground. The BigLaw firms have fought both for individual illegal immigrants and against executive actions that have sought to curb illegal border crossings. Of the four holdouts taking Trump on in federal court, Seattle-based Perkins Coie is a progressive heavyweight fighting against the deportation of illegal immigrants for a consortium of activist partners. Perkins Coie deploys squadrons of pro bono lawyers to serve as foot soldiers in this fight. For example, during Trump’s first term, Perkins Coie "dispatched" a unit of lawyers and paralegals to the Karnes County Detention Facility, an immigration processing center southeast of San Antonio, Texas, according to a yearly pro bono report. There, the team of Perkins Coie attorneys prepared "as many [of the 400-plus detainees] as possible" for credit fear interviews, a crucial part of the asylum-claiming process, in partnership with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, or RAICES, a Texas nonprofit group providing free legal representation to asylum-seekers who have unlawfully entered the United States. According to InfluenceWatch, RAICES is the successor to the Refugee Aid Project, which was born out of the Sanctuary Movement, a network that helped foreign nationals from Central America enter the United States without authorization in the 1980s. Right before the Refugee Aid Project’s founding, two Sanctuary Movement members were convicted in federal court of conspiracy for transporting Salvadorans who were living in the U.S. illegally. Perkins Coie is also a longtime pro bono partner of the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, a legal services provider operating along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona and an abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement advocate.

Washington Examiner [5/1/2025 11:11 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports thousands of Americans and immigrants are expected to turn out to protest the Trump administration’s attacks on the working class as part of a demonstrations and rallies unfolding in cities nationwide on Thursday, known as May Day. Dozens of events are being held in the United States with countless more scheduled abroad as part of May Day, also called the International Workers’ Day. More than 250 local organizations have endorsed or helped to plan the events. "Trump and his billionaire profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom—on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself. This May Day we are fighting back," the website of May Day Strong states on its homepage. "We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes—public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics.” Protesters will take to the streets in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington to advocate for purged government workers, illegal immigrant workers being targeted for deportation, ending tariffs on imports, union rights, and more. Events will also include marches and rallies. "On International Workers Day, thousands of immigrant essential workers, union members, families, and advocates will rally in the nation’s capital to demand safety on the job, legal protections, and an end to unjust deportations," leaders of the Washington event at Franklin Park stated in a post. "This year’s May Day action underscores the essential role immigrant workers play in powering the economy and the devastating impact of immigration enforcement that rips families apart.” Two other May Day-related protests will unfold in the nation’s capital, including one on the National Mall, where attendees will call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In Philadelphia, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will speak at the Workers Over Billionaires rally, which is being put on by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations union. Los Angeles residents will gather in the Financial District downtown for a march "to fight for workers’ and immigrant rights and fight fascism.” May Day’s origins go back to 1886, when the American Federation of Labor planned a strike to demand an 8-hour workday. It has since continued every year on the first day of May. Trump marked his 100th day in office Tuesday, and the White House has held special press briefings this week to tout the administration’s accomplishments in implementing his immigration and economic agenda. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
Axios [5/1/2025 6:16 AM, Sabrina Moreno and April Rubin, 13163K]
USA Today [5/1/2025 6:06 AM, Christopher Cann, 75858K]

Washington Examiner [5/1/2025 7:00 AM, Mike Brest, 2296K] reports that, this "war on woke" has been particularly prominent in the military, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth being one of Trump’s most zealous acolytes. The battle has also expanded beyond the Pentagon as educational institutions and businesses are being held accountable. In Trump’s first 100 days, there have been successes and missteps in the battle to root DEI out of everyday life and restore "common sense.” Abolishing Pentagon and Homeland Security DEI offices. Trump signed Executive Order 14185 directing the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to abolish every DEI office in the Pentagon. The order included DHS because it has purview over the Coast Guard. However, that effort began prior to Trump’s reelection. A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024, which former President Joe Biden signed into law in December 2023, requires the department to make changes to its DEI workforce. As a result of its implementation, the department abolished 32 DEI positions and restructured another 115 positions to reduce the DEI requirements of the posts, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office released earlier this month. Following those cuts, the DOD maintained 41 filled DEI positions, including 25 held by military officers and 16 held by civilians. As a result of the executive order, the 41 positions that remained after the execution of the NDAA provision are not scheduled to exist after this month. "We’ve said goodbye to the harmful effects of woke culture and so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion programs," Hegseth said during an address at the U.S. Army College last week. "We’re removing DEI content, eliminating quotas, ensuring recruitment, retention, and promotions are based on performance, not immutable characteristics. DEI is dead at DOD. We’re building a merit-based culture that promotes and rewards individual initiative, excellence, and hard work.” Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow with the Heritage Foundation who supports Hegseth’s mission, was hesitant to grade the department for this effort but ultimately gave it an "A.” "I think, overall, this is a great thing that this is being done," he said. The DOD is comprised of almost 3 million people, including 1.3 million active-duty personnel, 800,000 service members in the National Guard and Reserve forces, and more than 800,000 civilians. This effort has been much greater than simply getting rid of these positions. The department is also attempting to remove any references to DEI from its online and social media platforms, universities, and military bases across the globe. "President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have initiated consequential change amidst a generational fight against wokeness in the military, a fight that until recently, has been ignored even by conservatives. The boldness and precision of these steps are critical," Gabriella Bucci, a spokeswoman for the group DOD Watch, told the Washington Examiner. "In Secretary Hegseth’s short time in office, he has rejected hollow and performative rhetoric and standards and has instead returned the military to a system of merit and equality unseen since the Truman administration.”

FOX News [5/1/2025 10:17 AM, Anders Hagstrom, 46189K] reports White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller touted President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Thursday. Miller appeared alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Thursday morning briefing, declaring that the administration is bringing a "system of merit" back to the U.S. "This administration is not going to let our society devolve into communist, woke, DEI strangulation," Miller said. "We are going to have a system of merit.” "It’s not just a social and cultural issue, it’s an economic issue. When you hire, retain and recruit based on merit as President Trump has directed, you advance innovation, you advance growth, you advance investment, you advance job creation," he continued. "When a citizen goes to, say, a hospital in a medical emergency, they don’t care what race or sex their doctor or their nurse is. They want the best treatment they can get in that emergency," he added. Trump’s administration has taken big steps to cut DEI programs throughout the federal government, from the Pentagon to the Department of Education. Trump shut down all DEI offices across the federal government during his first week in office and signed a number of executive orders to quickly undo former President Joe Biden’s efforts on the issue. The administration is also leveraging federal funding in an effort to force the nation’s top universities to eliminate DEI programs as well. In February, the Department of Education also warned state education departments that they must remove DEI policies or risk losing federal funding. The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership, as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism. Harvard has so far refused to comply.

FOX News [5/1/2025 8:27 AM, Andrew Mark Miller and Deirdre Heavey, 46189K] reports a pro-Trump legal nonprofit has filed an official complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for an investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at a prominent Midwest hospital system following a Fox News Digital report on criticism of those policies. The complaint, which was filed by America First Legal (AFL) to the Civil Rights Office of HHS, charges that Henry Ford Health (HFH) has "implemented and institutionalized an organization of race- and sex-based discrimination under the banner of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DEI") across its operations, including its employment practices, residency programs, and delivery of patient services.” The complaint comes after Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information, launched an ad campaign alleging the hospital’s DEI policies and transgender treatment for children had put "politics over patients," Fox News Digital exclusively reported. The AFL is demanding an "immediate investigation," as it accuses HFH of using federal dollars to promote DEI initiatives, including racial quotas in their hiring practice, prioritizing organ transplants based on race, elevating "identity-restricted" students for medical scholarships and awarding supplier contracts based on race and gender. "Failure to act in the face of such egregious and well-documented violations would not only signal tolerance of unlawful discrimination but would undermine the federal government’s duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to advance unconstitutional or ideologically driven practices," the AFL wrote in the complaint. The complaint accuses HFH of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gender or national origin, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits such discrimination within the healthcare industry. The AFL also alleges that HFH is violating President Donald Trump’s executive order signed this year that bans federal support for DEI mandates. "Since 2021, HFH has received nearly $1 billion in federally obligated awards containing DEI-related provisions that embed race and sex-based priorities into clinical, research, and administrative functions. These awards show that HFH operates federally funded programs that affirmatively integrate DEI into its internal governance, recruitment, clinical decision-making, and service delivery," the AFL said. The complaint described HFH’s "discriminatory programs and practices" as "flagrant, ongoing, and systematic violations of non-discrimination mandates" and an "unlawful misuse of federal taxpayer funds.” The complaint is addressed to leading Trump Cabinet members, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

ABC News [5/1/2025 8:30 AM, Will Steakin, 34586K] reports Elon Musk described his first 100 days in Washington as head of the Department of Government Efficiency as "very, very intense," saying he was proud of his team’s work but blaming an "entrenched set of interests" for limiting their progress so far. Seated on Wednesday at the head of the table in the Roosevelt Room in the White House dressed in all black, Musk and three of his top DOGE officials, Steve Davis, Antonio Gracias and Anthony Armstrong discussed their early months in Washington, pressed on claims of fraud, his future workload, DOGE’s shifting goals and Musk’s relationship with President Donald Trump. Reflecting on his first 100 days, Musk acknowledged that while his team had made progress, claiming to have saved the American taxpayers $160 billion so far, "we haven’t been as effective as I’d like.” "I think we’ve been effective, not as effective as I’d like, I think we could be more effective, but we made progress," he said. Musk initially said at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden that DOGE would save the country "at least $2 trillion" in federal spending, before later lowering the goal to $1 trillion. Asked whether DOGE could still reach its stated goal of cutting $1 trillion in federal spending, Musk said Wednesday the target remains "possible" but admitted "it’s really difficult" and he will need more support. "I think it’s possible to do that, but there’s that. It’s a long road to go and, you know, this, this, this really, it’s really difficult," he said. "But our rate of savings per day is pretty good. You know, we’re like, $1.6 billion a day, 100 days in.” Musk claimed that if DOGE is going to get to $1 trillion in cuts, it may come down to "how much pain is the cabinet and Congress willing to take. It can be done, but it requires dealing with a lot of complaints.” Musk criticized the structure of federal budgeting as a default to "spend what you did last year plus 5% indefinitely," comparing the challenge of reform to "changing the direction of a fleet of supertankers.” "We are making as much progress as we can there’s a lot of inertia in the government… So, it’s like, it’s not easy. This is, this is a way to make a lot of enemies and not that many friends.” Pressed again, Musk said success was "absolutely" possible -- but contingent on more political support. "Is there a sufficient political will in Congress and elsewhere to actually do that? It remains to be seen. If we can do it. We will, is it? Is it possible to do, yes.”

University Herald [5/1/2025 11:26 AM, Ethan Parker, 9K] reports the ruling freed 26-year-old Columbia University graduate student Mohsen Mahdawi after more than two weeks in immigration custody. He emerged from the Burlington, Vermont, federal courthouse to supporters chanting "No fear!" and raised peace signs while declaring, "We are pro-peace and anti-war," according to BBC News. The decision followed a petition from Mahdawi’s lawyers, who argued he was being punished for political speech. Crawford cited First Amendment concerns and "the public interest in his freedom,". "A light of hope, hope and faith in the justice system in America," Mahdawi said of the ruling. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers had detained Mahdawi on April 14, 2025, during what he believed would be the final step of his naturalization interview. He was held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. Born and raised in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he arrived in the United States on a student visa and co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union. Video recorded by a friend showed plain-clothes Department of Homeland Security agents escorting him while he flashed a V-for-victory sign. Government attorneys sought his removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act, arguing that his campus activism "could have serious consequences for U.S. foreign policy," BBC News reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed his actions might undermine the Middle East peace process, noted USA Today. "It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans, and harass Jews, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country," said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

(B) NBC News Daily [5/1/2025 1:30 PM, Staff] reports Harvard says it has shared information with the Department of Homeland Security in response to requests for international student records. In an email, Harvard’s executive vice president said they had released detailed that were required by law but did not specify what they actually share. This comes after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem threatened to take away Harvard’s ability to host international students and faculty.

CNN [5/1/2025 3:23 PM, Andy Rose, 22131K] reports Harvard University’s release this week of a long-awaited, 300-page report addressing antisemitism on campus is the latest milestone in an issue that has been incredibly painful for the campus community – and incredibly powerful for its biggest critic: the Trump administration. The Ivy League school doesn’t entirely disagree with the White House’s position that antisemitism is a major problem at the university, according to the task force report on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias, released alongside one on anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bias. But Harvard and the White House still strongly disagree over who should have the final say on what reforms are required and who should oversee them: federal officials or the university. The sticking points are at the heart of the school’s lawsuit seeking the release of $2.2 billion in federal money frozen this spring over its handling of antisemitism and a slew of other issues.

FOX News [5/1/2025 1:09 PM, Peter D’Abrosca, 46189K] reports a federal judge has cleared the way for a man described by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as MS-13’s leader on the East Coast to be deported. U.S. District Court Judge Claude Hilton dismissed criminal charges against Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, of El Salvador on Wednesday, according to his lawyer, Muhammad Elsayed. Villatoro Santos was arrested during a raid on his Woodbridge, Virginia, home on March 27 and was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He was considered one of the top three leaders of the vicious transnational MS-13 gang living in the United States, and federal authorities noted that they had found MS-13 indicia in his bedroom and garage. On April 9, Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a motion to dismiss the gun charges against Villatoro Santos in an effort to have him immediately deported to El Salvador, rather than standing trial and potentially spending years in a U.S. prison. That motion was briefly delayed by a federal judge on April 18, before Wednesday’s decision was handed down. Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that the gangs are "getting desperate," and that 2,394 illegal immigrant gang members were arrested in Trump’s first 100 days. "This is just the beginning," she said. "This is just 100 days. We want to get these arrest numbers up. We want to get MS-13, Tren de Aragua — these really bad actors — out of our country. And that’s what we’re going to deliver on," she said.

AP [5/1/2025 5:53 PM, Olivia Diaz and Bn Finley, 48304K] reports the Trump administration told a federal judge Thursday that a Georgetown University scholar’s lawsuit against deportation should be moved from Virginia, where it was filed, to Texas, where he’s jailed over allegations of “spreading Hamas propaganda.” U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles seemed skeptical of the government’s request, which would involve her dismissing the case in Virginia. She raised concerns that a dismissal in her court would void her order in March to keep Badar Khan Suri in the U.S. while his First Amendment case plays out. David Byerley, a Justice Department attorney, told Giles that he would need to talk to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement about the judge’s concern. Byerley said he didn’t see why ICE wouldn’t honor her order against deporting Khan Suri while the case is refiled in a Texas federal court. “OK,” the judge said. “I’m not going to rely on that. But thank you.” In a government filing before the hearing, U.S. attorneys argued that Khan Suri’s attorneys filed his suit in Virginia after he was already taken out of state. They said filing his case in Texas is “relatively straightforward application of well-settled law.” Khan Suri’s lawsuit was filed shortly after masked, plain-clothed officers arrested him on March 17 outside his apartment complex in Arlington, Virginia. His attorneys say he was unconstitutionally arrested and jailed because of his wife’s connection to Gaza. He and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, have been targeted because Saleh’s father worked with the Hamas-backed Gazan government for more than a decade but before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Khan Suri’s attorneys say. According to the U.S. government, Khan Suri has undisputed family ties to the terrorist organization, which Khan Suri “euphemistically refers to as ‘the government of Gaza.’” Khan Suri’s arrest also stems from his social media posts about the war in Gaza, in which he expressed support of Palestinian people. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on the social platform X that Khan Suri was accused of “spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” and was determined to be deportable.

Axios [5/1/2025 6:11 AM, Andrew King, 13163K] reports immigrants legally living in Columbus — and some of their attorneys — received emails last month from the federal government ordering them to leave the country within a week or face criminal prosecution and removal. The recipients are on humanitarian parole, a temporary status granted to people fleeing their home countries that grants work permits and protects them from deportation for two years. The Trump administration says it’s revoking the Biden-era program and moving forward with deportations, despite a federal judge temporarily blocking the move on April 14. Nearly three weeks later, immigrants and attorneys have little clarification, and the conflicting information leaves immigrants in limbo. Emails sent April 11 say parole and "any benefits" will be terminated, and warn of prosecution and fines. Vincent Wells, staff attorney with Community Refugee & Immigration Services, tells Axios many of the organization’s clients have received the notices. Wells worries many immigrants were erroneously ordered to "self-deport." Despite the judge’s ruling, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin claims DHS secretary Kristi Noem "has full authority" to revoke parole and tells Axios in an email that those who refuse to self-deport "will be found, removed, and permanently barred from reentry." McLaughlin did not reply to questions about the judge’s April 14 ruling, but admitted that "notices may have been sent to unintended recipients" if an immigrant had used an email address associated with someone else.

Federalist [5/1/2025 7:24 AM, M.D. Kittle, 1033K] reports the Milwaukee judge accused of helping a suspected violent illegal immigrant elude federal apprehension has been — for now — relieved of her duties. In an order issued this week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court notes that it has "learned" that the Department of Justice has charged Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan with interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest. "This court is charged in the Wisconsin Constitution with exercising superintending and administrative authority over the courts of this state. In the exercise of that constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties," states the order, obtained by WisPolitics.com. Dugan is "prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the state of Wisconsin … until further order" of the court. FBI agents arrested the liberal judge on Friday, a week after, the FBI alleges, Dugan misdirected federal agents from apprehending Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz so that he might evade arrest. The illegal immigrant was set to appear before Dugan for a pretrial conference on three misdemeanor counts of battery. He is accused of striking a man "in the face and body with a closed fist approximately 30 times" during an argument. Flores-Ruiz, according to the local complaint, also struck a woman who attempted to intervene in the domestic incident. The unidentified man and woman each went to the hospital for treatment of injuries. "Visibly angry" with a "confrontational, angry demeanor," Dugan demanded the federal law enforcement officials speak with the court’s chief judge, the complaint states. While the agents were preoccupied, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his legal counsel out of the courtroom through the "jury door," which leads to a non-public area of the courthouse, according to the charges. "According to the affidavit, Judge Dugan’s actions directly resulted in Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoiding federal custody. He was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse, following a brief foot pursuit," the Department of Justice stated in a press release.

FOX News [5/1/2025 11:24 AM, Brooke Taylor, 46189K] reports a father’s decade-long fight for accountability has finally led to justice for his 13-year-old daughter, who was killed by an illegal migrant in a 2014 Texas car crash. Chris Odette, a veteran and single father who now lives in New Hampshire, had just lost his wife to breast cancer 15 months earlier. He never imagined that the day he dropped his only daughter off at a sleepover would be the last time he would hug her. "My wife died 15 months before my daughter was killed," Odette said. "And then to have my daughter killed, I lost my entire family in the span of 15 months to a disease that couldn’t be prevented. And then, to a crime that was 100% preventable. I made a promise to my wife before she died that I would take care of my daughter, and I feel like I failed that promise." Odette recalls being hesitant to let his then 13-year-old daughter, Chrishia, attend a sleepover at a friend’s house. However, they had just moved to Rockwall, Texas, and she was excited about meeting friends at a new school. "I just kept hearing in my head, my late wife saying, ‘Don’t be so protective, let her enjoy life, let her experience life,’" Odette recalled. "So, I took her over. It was about 9 p.m. when I dropped her off." Minutes after he arrived home, Odette received a call: Chrishia had been hit by a car while crossing a street. According to police, she was crossing outside a legal crosswalk when the crash happened. The driver, Ramiro Guevara, was an illegal migrant from Mexico. He was arrested by the Rockwall Police Department for driving without a license and for not having an operator’s license. Records show he spent roughly 35 minutes behind bars before he posted a cash bond. According to ICE, Guevara was encountered by Border Patrol twice, with a voluntary return both times to Mexico in 1994 and 2004. At the time of the crash, there was also a 2010 warrant out for him from the Texas’ Mesquite Police Department for violation of driving without a license and for speeding. Despite this, Guevara was released back into the community following the deadly crash in 2014. A grand jury ultimately "no-billed" the case, meaning the jury decided there wasn’t enough evidence to support criminal charges. "They said that because he had no drugs or alcohol in his system, there was no proof of negligence in his ability to operate the vehicle," Odette said. "So, they wouldn’t charge him with any felonies. So, he was basically cleared of any wrongdoing for killing my daughter." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [5/1/2025 6:41 PM, Jazmine Ulloa, 145325K] reports the death of an 8-year-old migrant girl in 2023 while she was in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection prompted investigations and the removal of the agency’s chief medical officer. Now, two immigrant rights groups are seeking $15 million in damages on behalf of the girl’s family. In a wrongful death claim filed with the federal government on Thursday, lawyers for the family offer the most detailed public account yet of the life and death of the child, Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez, and her family’s efforts to obtain answers about her care in federal custody. Her death came during a record increase in migration, as the Biden administration struggled to curb illegal crossings and faced criticism about overcrowded detention facilities and the treatment of minors. Illegal crossings plunged in the final months of the Biden administration after a change in asylum policy, and have remained very low under President Trump. But the Trump administration has made families with children targets for detention and removal as President Trump seeks to fulfill a campaign pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, one of the groups that filed the claim, said Anadith’s family wanted to ensure there was accountability and transparency in Customs and Border Protection facilities, which she described as “one of the most obscure and opaque types of detention in our American immigration system. “They do not want their daughter to have died in vain,” Ms. Garza said. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment on the wrongful death claim. After Anadith’s death, Troy Miller, then acting head of the border agency, requested a review of CBP facilities and made recommendations to address the medical care issues. Anadith, a Panamanian national, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease and a heart condition at a young age. When she was 5, she traveled with her father to Spain for open-heart surgery and returned to Panama. The family made their way up through Mexico and sought to cross into the United States in May 2023 in hopes of providing safety and a better life for their daughter, according to the complaint.

FOX News [5/1/2025 8:25 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46189K] reports the Trump Department of Homeland Security is slamming Reuters for what it is calling "sob story" reporting about illegal gang members after the outlet reported on suspected Tren de Aragua members forming an "S-O-S" sign at a Texas detention center. The DHS released a statement on Wednesday saying that "the mainstream media’s latest attempt at a criminal gang sob story includes a self-admitted member of Tren de Aragua" and that "the real story here is that the previous administration was releasing gang members into American communities.” Tren de Aragua – also known as "TdA" – is a brutal international criminal group linked to Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. The group is linked to some of the most high profile migrant crime cases in recent years including the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the seizure of an entire apartment building in Aurora, Colorado. The Trump State Department has declared Tren de Aragua a "foreign terrorist organization.” Reuters reported on Wednesday that 31 Venezuelan illegals and suspected TdA members formed an SOS sign in the yard of the Bluebonnet illegal immigrant detention center in Anson, Texas. According to the outlet, the men at the facility are facing possible deportation and had been set to be deported to the high-security Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador before a judge’s ruling delayed that fate. Despite this, Reuters wrote that the "Venezuelan detainees in Texas fear the Trump administration will send them to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT maximum security prison.” The outlet identified two of the migrants in the detention center as Diover Millan Leon, 24, and Jeferson Escalona Hernandez, 19. Reuters interviewed Escalona Hernandez, who claimed, "I fear for my life here" and "they’re making false accusations about me.” Reuters also reported Millan Leon’s wife saying, "he is desperate" and that he "sat down and looked at the sky and asked God to get him out of there soon.” Commenting on the story, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that "Tren De Aragua is one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist gangs on planet earth," adding that "they rape, maim, and murder for sport.” "The previous administration released these gang members into our communities," she went on. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have ended catch and release and will not allow criminal gangs to terrorize American citizens.” McLaughlin called Reuters’ reporting "irresponsible," asking: "Why do they continue to peddle the sob stories of these gang members but ignore their American victims?".

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [5/1/2025 8:47 PM, Michael Katz, 4998K]

NewsMax [5/1/2025 4:46 PM, Michael Katz, 4998K] reports the Department of Justice has dropped federal charges against a South Dakota family that was accused by the Biden administration with theft of government property because of a property dispute over a 75-year-old fence line. The Maudes, a fifth-generation family of ranchers in the southwestern South Dakota city of Caputa, were alerted by the U.S. Forest Service that fencing on their property blocked access to the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. They agreed to a survey of the property lines, but after the survey was completed, they were charged with theft of government property because the Biden administration asserted that their fence was put over a boundary with federal grassland. The ranchers, Charles and Heather Maude, faced 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Rollins on Wednesday hosted the Maude family in Washington, where she announced the USDA is launching a web portal for "potential victims of ongoing lawfare originating under the Biden administration to submit their concerns and experiences." Also at the event were Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a former South Dakota governor, GOP Reps. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota and Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Larry Rhoden, Noem’s successor as South Dakota governor.

Federalist [5/1/2025 10:16 AM, Beth Brelje, 1033K] reports South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude are no longer bracing for their lives to be crushed by a terrifying federal government that attempted to imprison them for 10 years each, leaving their children essentially orphaned, over a simple land dispute. The Trump Administration announced this week it has dropped criminal charges of "theft of federal property" against the ranchers that were brought by the Biden Administration. It is a case that highlights the stark contrasts between how the Biden and Trump administrations treat citizens and solve problems. It was clear Wednesday during a Washington, D.C., press conference that this family’s liberty and livelihood hinged on which party won the White House. "We’re standing here with a fifth-generation rancher, with their two young children who are great Americans, who’ve never done anything wrong, that the Biden administration was actively working to put in prison," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during that press conference. "While at the same time, many of those same elected officials on the other side are actively working to get out of prison gang members, illegal aliens, etc. We are not the same.” Not far from Mount Rushmore in Pennington County, South Dakota, Charles and Heather Maude have a 400-acre cattle ranch that has been in their family for five generations. The family has managed the same land since 1910. The family has held a federal grazing permit through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for nearly 60 years and are permittees in good standing. The permit allows them to graze their cattle on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which reviews the map every time the permit is renewed. There has never been a problem before. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who was the governor of South Dakota at the time, said there are existing laws the Forest Service could have used to resolve the issue. "The Biden administration, they did not have to take this action. They chose to take the persecution of this family to the extent that they did," Noem said. "This was a purposeful attack on their family, their freedom, and their livelihood.” Noem said that while governor, she asked Vilsack to intervene in the Maude case. "I asked him to look into it, to stop the persecution, to give them the freedom to operate their land like so many had before them for many generations," Noem said. "That letter was completely ignored. I followed up with several phone calls. I spoke directly to Secretary Vilsack about it, and he completely ignored our pleas for justice.” To prevent or resolve government overreach, Rollins and Noem announced a new USDA website for "Farmers, ranchers, and USDA customers who have fallen victim to unfair and politically motivated lawfare originating under the Biden Administration," the website reads. Noem said they want to hear the public’s stories and take action.

AP [5/1/2025 6:49 PM, Staff, 48304K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday fought back against criticism over its handling of a raid of an Oklahoma City home as part of a migrant smuggling investigation, saying the people living there haven’t been ruled out as suspects. The updated statement by Homeland Security came after the agency initially said the home’s previous residents were the intended targets. The initial statement was followed by backlash from congressional Democrats and by the family that lives in the targeted home. The family — a mother and her three daughters — told KFOR-TV they had just moved into the home about two weeks earlier and had tried to tell the agents that the suspects listed in the search warrant did not live at the house. The television station did not name the mother, who said she and her daughters were traumatized by the experience, as a group of 20 armed men busted through their door early in the morning on April 24. The mother said the agents forced them out of the home, outside in the rain, wearing only their undergarments. She said the agents were dismissive as she tried to tell them they had recently moved into the home from Maryland and that the names on the search warrant were not hers or anyone in her family. The agents took their phones, computers, and life savings in cash, the mother said. In a previous statement, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said the search warrants had “included the location of an address where U.S. citizens recently moved. The previous residents were the intended targets.” But in the updated statement issued Thursday afternoon, a Homeland Security official said the raid was “targeting a property, that was a hub for human smuggling, not specific individuals.” The Homeland Security official said agents had conducted surveillance on the home and confirmed through utility records that a member of the Lima Lopez Transnational Criminal Organization was still paying utilities at the house. The official said the search warrant was issued by a judge and based on an 84-page affidavit that detailed how the address served as a “stash house” for human smuggling. The search warrant authorized “the seizure of evidence such as electronic devices and documents, regardless of who was present,” the official said.

FOX News [5/1/2025 5:04 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46189K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is setting the record straight after media reports claimed ICE raided "the wrong home" and targeted U.S. citizens, setting Democrats fuming. The raid in question occurred on April 24 at a single-family home in northwest Oklahoma City. When ICE agents, assisted by Oklahoma state police, carried out the raid they encountered a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Guatemala as well as three others, the youngest of whom was 17. A representative for DHS told Fox News Digital that the raid was a "lawful, court-authorized action explicitly targeting a property, which was a hub for human smuggling, not specific individuals as falsely suggested by media reports." The representative clarified that the warrant "targeted the property itself, not specific individuals, and its execution was not contingent on the presence of any person." According to the DHS spokesperson, the warrant, which was signed by a federal judge the day before, was based on an 84-page affidavit detailing probable cause that the address served as a "stash house" for human and drug smuggling. From its months-long surveillance of the property, including observations as recently as April 20, DHS had probable cause to believe that the primary targets of the warrant, Cidia Lima-Lopez and V. Lima-Lopez, illegal aliens from Guatemala, were continuing to use the house for illegal activities. The spokesperson said that Homeland Security Investigations agents further confirmed via utility records that a member of the Lima Lopez transnational criminal organization was still paying utilities at the residence. DHS said that the warrant authorized the seizure of evidence, including electronic devices and documents, "regardless of who was present." Though the family living in the home is no longer in federal custody, the spokesperson said that the investigation is still ongoing and "we have not ruled out current occupants’ involvement in the smuggling ring."

USA Today [5/1/2025 12:41 PM, Josh Kelly, Jessie Christopher Smith and Eduardo Cuevas, 75858K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said the previous residents were the intended targets for a search warrant in a human smuggling investigation. Federal immigration agents raided an Oklahoma family’s home and seized their belongings ‒ even though they are American citizens and weren’t either suspects or the subject of the search warrant. The intended suspects had apparently moved out two weeks earlier. Federal officials have stood by the April 24 incident, which comes as immigration raids have ramped up across the United States, sparking renewed debate over enforcement and community safety. KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City reported a woman and her three daughters said they were treated like "criminals" when roughly 20 armed federal agents raided their rental home in northwest Oklahoma City. The woman, who was not named, told KFOR the agents tore apart every inch of the house, seizing their phones, laptops and their life savings in cash as "evidence.” While the agents carried out the search warrant, the woman said the names listed on the document were not hers or her family’s, but likely those of former tenants whose mail was still arriving at the address. She and her daughters had moved from Maryland to Oklahoma about two weeks earlier. The woman told KFOR that the men identified themselves as agents from the U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI. She said the agents would not leave a business card, and she does not know whom to contact in order to retrieve her family’s possessions, according to KFOR. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the previous residents of the home were the intended targets for a court-authorized search warrant for a "large-scale human smuggling investigation." In addition to standing by the raid, officials blamed on the court where agents obtained a search warrant. "It was ultimately a successful operation," Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’ assistant secretary for public affairs, told NPR on May 1. "Unfortunately, the warrant that the court did give was for a house that the targets had moved out two weeks prior, so that was not an ideal situation obviously.” The investigation resulted in eight Guatemalan nationals indicted for their roles in smuggling people into the country, DHS’ statement said. Two of the people had criminal convictions for narcotics possession, identity fraud, money laundering and re-entry after deportation.

CBS News [5/1/2025 8:10 PM, Shanelle Kaul, 51661K] Video: HERE reports former high school teacher Ryan Walters was elected Oklahoma state superintendent of schools in 2022, but more than two years later, the state still ranks 49th in education. "I was elected to turn the state’s education system around," Walters told CBS News. "We were 49th when I was elected. We’re working to move all these things around, and it takes a dramatic shift in education.” As he works on addressing that problem, he has also turned a lot of his attention to President Trump’s mass deportation plans. "We should be utilizing all of our resources to make sure we are supporting what President Trump is wanting to do," Walters said. Earlier this year, the Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a proposal requiring students to submit their immigration status during school enrollment. Walters said he would share that data with federal authorities. The proposal must still receive the approval of the Oklahoma Legislature, which started considering it last week and could vote on it this month. "Well, we’re following their executive order," said Walters, in reference to an executive order Mr. Trump signed immediately after beginning his second term that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to make arrests near schools and places of worship. "So, when you have an executive order that says, no longer will churches and schools not give over information that they’re asked for, we took that seriously in Oklahoma. So we began to implement it. Well, if you need to get information from us and from our schools, you have to first collect the information.” Walters’ position on the issue has angered some students and teachers in the state. A visit to Carnegie Elementary School in Tulsa in late January drew dozens of protesters. But one of Walters’ loudest and most surprising critics is conservative Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who first met Walters at a tennis match and helped launch his political career. He doesn’t believe the Trump administration is actually requesting the immigration status of students. "Every time I’ve heard President Trump talk about this, he’s talking about making sure we know who’s coming in our country," Stitt told CBS News. "And then also making sure that we get the criminal element out. I’ve never once heard him say, ‘I want to go gather up 8-year-olds’ immigration status.” When asked about the issue, a White House official told CBS News that it doesn’t want undocumented immigrants "or gangs to take refuge and hide out in schools or churches because they know law enforcement can’t go inside.”

FOX News [5/1/2025 8:26 AM, Michael Dorgan Fox, 46189K] reports a federal judge in Idaho has temporarily blocked a state immigration bill aimed at allowing local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into the state illegally if they are involved in another crime. Federal judge Amanda Brailsford, a President Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction against parts of Idaho’s House Bill 83, which criminalizes state entry and reentry and was passed by the legislature in March. It also aims to assist the federal deportation process. The bill, also known as the Immigration Cooperation and Enforcement Act, mirrors a similar 2023 Texas law which faced pushback by the Biden administration. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill into law on March 27 and it became effective immediately, but Brailsford blocked Idaho from enforcing it through a temporary restraining order that she later extended in response to a lawsuit by the ACLU of Idaho, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. The ACLU argues that the law attempts to supersede federal immigration enforcement by allowing local law enforcement to act as immigration agents. On Tuesday, Brailsford issued a longer-lasting preliminary injunction, effectively halting its enforcement. In her ruling, the judge stated that the ACLU of Idaho had demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on several key claims, including that the new offenses established by the law may violate the U.S. Constitution’s due process clause. She also wrote that the law is likely preempted by federal immigration law and that the organizations and five unnamed individuals represented in the lawsuit could face irreparable harm if the law were enforced, per the Idaho Capital Sun. Under the law, entering the state unlawfully is classified as a misdemeanor. However, if the person is involved in another crime—such as theft—or is under investigation, the offense could be elevated to a felony and may trigger deportation by federal authorities, according to Idaho News. The preliminary injunction was welcomed by the ACLU of Idaho. "We are pleased the court recognized that enforcement of this law is harmful and unconstitutional," ACLU of Idaho Staff Attorney Emily Croston said in a statement, per the Idaho Capital Sun. "We are confident this lawsuit will succeed on its merits, and we hope it sends a message to Idaho’s lawmakers that passing anti-immigrant, unconstitutional legislation is not what Idaho needs.” The outlet reports that the state’s attorney general’s office said it is reviewing the decision to determine next steps.

San Francisco Chronicle [5/1/2025 8:10 PM, Bob Egelko, 5046K] reports one sign said, "I (heart) the Constitution." Another quoted Thomas Paine in 1776: "In America the law is king." A third riffed on President Donald Trump’s MAGA slogan — it read, "Making America Greatly Ashamed" — and called for Trump’s impeachment. They were on view Thursday as about 1,000 lawyers and supporters gathered outside the federal courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco for a rally to commemorate Law Day, a national observance since 1958 that is typically low-key, and support the law firms and judges Trump has attacked for litigating and ruling against him. It was sponsored by the Bar Association of San Francisco and was one of more than 40 such events held nationwide. The goal was "to sound an alarm for our system of government," Charles Jung, president of the 5,000-member bar association, told the gathering. "We are the last line of defense that shields against tyranny," he said, before leading the lawyers in chants of "Hands off our courts" and "If lawyers fear, our rights disappear.” Lawyers have sometimes held small educational sessions to mark Law Day in San Francisco, but Thursday marked "the first of its kind national mobilization," Jung said afterward. Trump has come under fire in the legal community for his responses to unfavorable court rulings. He has described judges who rule against his administration as "radical Marxist lunatics" and called for their impeachment. In some cases he has appeared to defy their orders, ignoring a judge’s command to return planeloads of Venezuelan immigrants who were being flown to El Salvador. On Thursday, another federal judge, Fernando Rodriguez Jr. of Texas, a Trump appointee, ruled that the president had illegally relied on a 1798 law, the Alien Enemies Act, to deport Venezuelan migrants based on unsubstantiated claims that they belonged to a gang that was invading the United States. Teresa Statler, an immigration lawyer from Portland, Ore., who flew to San Francisco for the rally, cited the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant who was deported in what the Trump administration admitted was a bureaucratic error. The Supreme Court has told the administration to enable his return but it has not done so. "The government must obey the law and facilitate his return, which is not happening," Statler said in an interview.

NewsMax [5/1/2025 11:34 AM, Mark Swanson, 4998K] reports that the Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned Mexican nationals and entities linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion over a "slew of criminal activities," including fentanyl trafficking. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued the sanctions over the hundreds of millions generated by CJNG through fuel theft and the smuggling of crude oil as well, it said. "Fuel theft and crude oil smuggling are cash cows for CJNG’s narco-terrorist enterprise, providing a lucrative revenue stream for the group and enabling it to wreak havoc in Mexico and the United States," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the release. CJNG is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced it sanctioned Cesar Morfin Morfin, CJNG cell leader for Tamaulipas, Mexico; his older brother Alvaro Noe Morfin Morfin, involved in narcotics trafficking; and younger brother Remigio Morfin Morfin, who operates in Hidalgo, Mexico. The office also designated two hazardous materials transportation companies for engaging in the transportation of fuel and crude oil between Mexico and the United States. In September nine Mexican nationals were sanctioned, including senior CJNG member Ivan Cazarin Molina, and 26 Mexico-based entities linked, directly or indirectly, to CJNG’s fuel theft activities. "As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked," Treasury said in a statement. The office coordinated sanctions with the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; FinCEN; and the Government of Mexico, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, Mexico’s financial intelligence unit. The Blaze [5/1/2025 12:00 PM, Staff, 1668K] reports that the CJNG network generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually and has been designated a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist. "President Trump promised the American public that he would ensure that their safety was at the forefront of every action that he took when he secured the border," Paul Anthony Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said in a statement. "Taking on the cartels and their illicit financial networks will have a devastating and crippling edict on their ability to operate in the United States," Perez added.

Breitbart [5/1/2025 11:10 AM, Randy Clark, 2923K] reports the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced financial sanctions on three Mexican nationals and two Mexico-based entities allegedly involved in a drug trafficking and fuel theft network linked to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). The sanctions have been coordinated through the Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in conjunction with multiple federal law enforcement agencies. The intent is to disrupt the CJNG cartel’s ability to continue reaping profits from fentanyl trafficking and large-scale fuel smuggling activities. According to the Department of the Treasury, the targeted network in the sanctions action generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, benefitting the CJNG cartel, through a slew of criminal activities, including fentanyl trafficking, fuel theft, and smuggling stolen crude oil from Mexico across the southwest border. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent commented on the whole-of-government effort to attack the cartel’s network operatives, saying, "Fuel theft and crude oil smuggling are cash cows for CJNG’s narco-terrorist enterprise, providing a lucrative revenue stream for the group and enabling it to wreak havoc in Mexico and the United States. Treasury, as part of the Administration’s whole-of-government effort, will continue to use all available tools to relentlessly target drug cartels and foreign terrorist organizations to Make America Safe Again.” The coordinated sanctions action, which included cooperation with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies, also involved the Government of Mexico. Several government agencies, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, worked with the Trump administration’s Department of the Treasury to implement the sanctions plan. The actions announced on Thursday will also benefit Mexico, according to the Treasury Department. The Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) as well as a violent Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. CJNG is responsible for a significant portion of fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States. Mexico-based drug trafficking cartels such as CJNG have turned to fuel theft and crude oil smuggling in recent years, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue for the Mexican government. Criminal schemes conducted by CJNG have grown into powerful revenue generators, enabling their campaigns of narcotics trafficking in the United States and violence against Mexican government forces along the U.S. southwest border. According to the Treasury, the theft of petroleum and fuel is the most significant non-drug revenue for Mexican drug cartels. The fuel theft operations involve a variety of means to steal large quantities of fuel and crude oil from Mexico’s state-owned energy company, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). The schemes primarily include bribing corrupt Pemex employees as well as illegally tapping into pipelines, stealing from refineries, hijacking tanker trucks, and threatening Pemex employees. Stolen fuel is sold on the black market around Mexico, the United States, and Central America.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [5/1/2025 12:59 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K]
AP [5/1/2025 12:54 PM, Fatima Hussein and Christopher Sherman, 48304K]
Reuters [5/1/2025 3:56 PM, Timothy Gardner, 41523K]

CBS News [5/1/2025 1:18 PM, Staff, 51661K] reports the Trump administration on Thursday imposed economic sanctions on three Mexican nationals — including one accused drug lord with a fondness for exotic animals and luxury cars — and two Mexico-based entities involved in a drug trafficking and fuel theft network linked to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel. It is one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says it has some 19,000 members in its ranks. The cartel developed rapidly into an extremely violent force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel after the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel capo Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal by the military. The new sanctions against Jalisco New Generation, including top members Cesar Morfin Morfin (dubbed "Primito") and his brothers Alvaro Noe Morfin Morfin and Remigio Morfin Morfin, target the group’s fuel theft network. U.S. officials allege Primito is involved in the transportation and distribution of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana into the United States. "Primito’s luxurious lifestyle has included ownership of exotic animals and dozens of luxury vehicles," the Treasury said in a news release, while releasing an image of a jaguar allegedly seized from Primito by Mexican authorities in December 2023. The Treasury Department says that network has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue to the Mexican government and also funds the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States.

NBC News [5/1/2025 4:51 PM, Carmen Sesin, 44742K] reports Heidy Sánchez was so distraught that she got on the rooftop of a house in Havana to get Wi-Fi connection and send her daughter a bedtime lullaby via WhatsApp. The Tampa-area mother was deported to Cuba last week without her 17-month-old U.S.-citizen daughter, who has a history of seizures and was still being breastfed, she and her lawyers told NBC News. Sánchez’s case illustrates the stepped-up pace of deportations of immigrants who don’t have criminal charges or convictions, even though President Donald Trump said during his election campaign the focus would be on deporting violent criminals. Sánchez’s deportation occurred around the time two other mothers were deported to Honduras with their U.S. citizen children, including one with stage 4 cancer. In those two cases, attorneys have said the mothers wanted their children to stay in the U.S. but were not allowed to make the arrangements.

Reuters [5/1/2025 4:06 PM, Bo Erikson, 41523K] reports several U.S. Democratic senators introduced a resolution on Thursday to potentially compel a State Department review of human rights issues in El Salvador, particularly concerning the imprisonment of men deported in recent weeks from the U.S. The resolution calls for a review of human rights in El Salvador, focusing on conditions at a maximum-security prison where migrants deported from the U.S. are being held and potentially having an impact on future U.S. security assistance to the Central American nation. The resolution, supported by Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, Tim Kaine and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, centers on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who was mistakenly deported from Maryland and remains in a Salvadoran prison. The resolution could potentially result in the termination of security assistance to El Salvador, depending on the report’s findings or if a report is not returned. Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “The facts are clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a violent illegal alien who abuses women and children. He had no business being in our country and we are proud to have deported this violent thug.” Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, said in an email: "The government needs to bring him back and give him a full and fair trial. They can introduce all of this evidence, and he can respond in his own voice."

Breitbart [5/1/2025 11:54 AM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2923K] reports communist dictator of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of committing "crimes against humanity" by deporting illegal migrants in the U.S. and lashed out against Trump’s tariff policies. Ortega abstained from publicly commenting on President Trump throughout the first 100 days of Trump’s new administration. The communist dictator broke his silence on Wednesday during his participation at an event commemorating the 13th anniversary of the death of Tomás Borge, one of the Sandinista commanders that ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s alongside Ortega. The event was also intended to serve as an "advanced" event to celebrate the "May Day" communist holiday. The Nicaraguan newspaper Confidencial pointed out that rather than refer to Borge or May Day, Ortega dedicated his Wednesday evening speech to lash out at Trump’s deportation and tariff policies and criticize dissidents of his communist regime. The dictator, in the company of his wife and "co-president" Rosario Murillo and high-ranking officials of his communist regime, addressed hundreds of soldiers of the Nicaraguan Army, uniformed police, paramilitary, firefighters, and state workers that were reportedly forced to participate in the event. In his rant, Ortega admitted that Nicaragua has been accepting U.S. deportation flights of illegal Nicaraguan nationals. Reports published in March indicated that the Ortega regime had been secretly accepting U.S. deportation flights since late January, omitting to include said flights on the logs of the nation’s EAAI airport authority. Ortega accused the United States of having a "criminal attitude" for allegedly "persecuting, imprisoning all those who have been working for years shedding sweat and blood so that this country could have more wealth.” "Thousands of emigrants, migrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America are imprisoned. Today Nicaraguan brothers and sisters who were imprisoned in Guantanamo arrived. They are imprisoned in the United States and sent to Guantanamo," Ortega said. The communist dictator accused Trump of allegedly committing "crimes against humanity" through the deportation of illegal migrants, justifying his accusation by referring to the case of a two-year-old child that the Venezuelan socialist Maduro regime claims the United States "kidnapped" after the child’s parents — both members of the Tren de Aragua terrorist organization — were deported. "How can you keep a two-year-old girl in prison there, the poor mother, kidnapped? And what is she waiting for? What is President Trump waiting for to send the child to that mother? Because that is a crime against humanity," Ortega said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained over the weekend that a two-year-old Venezuelan child was placed in foster care after the child’s parents were deported from the United States. Both parents entered the U.S. illegally and oversaw several Tren de Aragua-related criminal activities such as homicide, drug sales, extortion, sex trafficking, and kidnappings. Ortega also fiercely criticized President Trump over his tariff policies, which he described as "madness" and an "atomic bomb" that intends to "hurt the economy" of countries like China, whom the communist dictator largely relies on. Ortega asserted that in the end it will be Trump and the American People who will end up "disappearing.”

The Hill [5/1/2025 1:38 PM, Tara Suter, 12829K] reports the U.S. said it deported more than 130 Central Asian immigrants without documentation to Uzbekistan, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced. In a Wednesday press release, the DHS said Uzbekistan’s government has worked alongside the U.S. in the deportation of more than 100 Uzbek, Kazakh and Kyrgyz immigrants. The department also said that the Uzbek immigrants’ deportations were “fully funded” by their government. “We commend Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his leadership in sending a flight to return 131 illegal aliens back to their home country,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in the release. “We look forward to continuing to work together with Uzbekistan on efforts to enhance our mutual security and uphold the rule of law.”

Breitbart [5/1/2025 5:49 PM, John Binder, 2923K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has struck a historic deal, ensuring that Uzbekistan takes back its nationals on deportation flights funded by the Uzbek government. DHS officials announced this week that more than 100 illegal aliens from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan were deported to Uzbekistan on a deportation flight that did not cost American taxpayers a dime. Instead, Uzbekistan fully funded the deportation of its own nationals. "We commend Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for his leadership in sending a flight to return 131 illegal aliens back to their home country," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to work together with Uzbekistan on efforts to enhance our mutual security and uphold the rule of law." Likewise, reports have circulated that Trump’s DHS is looking to strike deals with Rwanda and Libya that would allow the United States to send illegal aliens on deportation flights to both countries — much like Trump’s deal with El Salvador.

New York Times [5/1/2025 5:03 AM, Staff, 145325K] reports the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term have done more damage to American democracy than anything else since the demise of Reconstruction. Mr. Trump is attempting to create a presidency unconstrained by Congress or the courts, in which he and his appointees can override written law when they want to. It is precisely the autocratic approach that this nation’s founders sought to prevent when writing the Constitution. Mr. Trump has the potential to do far more harm in the remainder of his term. If he continues down this path and Congress and the courts fail to stop him, it could fundamentally alter the character of American government. Future presidents, seeking to either continue or undo his policies, will be tempted to pursue a similarly unbound approach, in which they use the powers of the federal government to silence critics and reward allies. It pains us to write these words. Whatever our policy differences with other modern presidents, every one of them fundamentally believed in democracy. They viewed freedom, constitutional checks and balances and respect for political opponents as “the bulwark of our Republic,” as Ronald Reagan said in the opening of his first Inaugural Address, while praising his predecessor Jimmy Carter. The patriotic response to today’s threat is to oppose Mr. Trump. But it is to do so soberly and strategically, not reflexively or performatively. It is to build a coalition of Americans who disagree about many other subjects — who span conservative and progressive, internationalist and isolationist, religious and secular, business-friendly and labor-friendly, pro-immigration and restrictionist, laissez-faire and pro-government, pro-life and pro-choice — yet who believe that these subjects must be decided through democratic debate and constitutional processes rather than the dictates of a single man. The building of this coalition should start with an acknowledgment that Mr. Trump is the legitimate president and many of his actions are legal. Some may even prove effective. He won the presidency fairly last year, by a narrow margin in the popular vote and a comfortable margin in the Electoral College. On several key issues, his views were closer to public opinion than those of Democrats. Since taking office, he has largely closed the southern border, and many of his immigration policies are both legal and popular. He has reoriented federal programs to focus less on race, which many voters support. He has pressured Western Europe to stop billing American taxpayers for its defense. Among these policies are many that we strongly oppose — such as pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, cozying up to Vladimir Putin of Russia and undermining Ukraine — but that a president has the authority to enact. Elections have consequences.

Wall Street Journal [5/1/2025 5:36 PM, Staff, 646K] reports Mike Waltz is out as President Trump’s national-security adviser, and the race to replace him is on while Secretary of State Marco Rubio does double duty in the interim. A factional purge in early April had already depleted Mr. Waltz’s staff and left him weakened. Mr. Trump said Thursday he’ll nominate Mr. Waltz to a consolation post as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. There’s plenty of work to be done there speaking for U.S. interests, but that job means a loss of influence in White House debates. The surface explanation is that Mr. Waltz had to take the fall for accidentally adding a reporter to a Signal group chat on the Houthis. But if so, why keep Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared details of U.S. attack plans on the chat? Without that blunder, Mr. Waltz’s use of Signal to ask for his colleagues’ points of contact would have been a minor embarrassment. Mr. Trump needs a replacement for Mr. Waltz with national-security experience who can be an honest broker for his policy choices. And it wouldn’t hurt to understand the axis of adversaries—China, Russia, Iran, North Korea—building against America.

The Hill [5/1/2025 12:00 PM, Sheldon H. Jacobson, 12829K] reports an active shooter at Florida State University on April 17 created chaos across the entire campus, resulting in two people killed and five injured. Despite the tragedy of this event, it stood out because the first four months of 2025 have seen the number of high-profile firearm events plummet. The Gun Violence Archive defines as "mass murder" firearm shootings resulting in four or more people killed, excluding the shooter. "Mass shootings" are defined as firearm shootings with four or more people killed or injured, also excluding the shooter. From Jan. 1 through April 30, 2025, just three mass murders occurred, resulting in a total of 12 people killed. There were also 92 mass shootings (including the 12 mass murders), resulting in a total of 92 people killed. To put these numbers into perspective, for all of 2024, there were 30 mass murders (killing 130) and 502 mass shootings (killing 509). As a further point of comparison, during the first nine months of 2024, around 106 people were killed on average per day in traffic-related accidents. If these mass murder and mass shooting trends continue, 2025 will go on record as the safest year in more than a decade with respect to high-profile firearm events. Most agree that even one mass murder or mass shooting is one too many. Such a misuse of firearms unjustifiably gives all responsible firearm owners a bad name, with most saying they own a firearm for personal protection. The recent drop in high-profile firearm events has likely quieted firearm naysayers and suppressed gun-control political banter. This has not, however, kept some states from acting to limit or restrict some types of firearm purchases. The Supreme Court also recently upheld a ban on unregistered and untraceable "ghost guns," providing sensible policies without being unnecessarily restrictive to or burdensome on responsible gun owners. There is no way to know for certain the exact cause of this newfound calm, but it is worth asking whether it has to do with Trump’s election. For comparison, the last three months of 2024 saw seven mass murders and 92 mass shootings. Clearly, something is different, and it happens to coincide with the new administration, which has been mostly quiet about firearm policies except to show strong support for the Second Amendment. One change that occurred well before the current administration took office is a larger investment in mental health services. The COVID pandemic created mental health angst that is, finally, slowly calming. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022 provided funding to support and strengthen mental health services, with provisions to reduce access to firearms for those whose condition makes them a risk. An examination of 50 years of firearm data suggest that the people who use firearms in mass shootings and mass killings are highly varied. Research has shown that such events are random and unpredictable, making it difficult to forecast when and where they will occur. This means that law enforcement in all communities must be ready at any time to respond to such events. Indeed, law enforcement response is the critical factor to minimize the harm inflicted on those present. Given that there are around 400 million firearms in the nation, the downward trend of high-profile firearm events suggests that although firearms are a convenient and efficient weapon of choice in such events, the people who execute them are where the root problem lies.

NewsMax [5/1/2025 5:13 PM, Steve Levy, 4998K] reports the controversy boiling up over the deportation of suspected gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia illustrates just how difficult it will be to send packing the millions of individuals allowed by former President Joe Biden to cross the border illegally. Biden’s fellow Democrats and his judicial appointees facilitated his unlawful actions and are now gumming the works to make it nearly impossible to remove the vast majority of these illegal residents. Let’s not sugarcoat it: President Biden’s opening of our border on his first day in office was an offense to the safety and security of America, warranting forceful congressional responses. When it happened, this column noted that it was being done deliberately with the singular intent of bringing in millions of new potential voters who would likely vote Democrat. Biden and his minions cared little about the impact this flood of humanity was going to have on states, cities, and local communities throughout the nation. Veterans were kicked out of housing units to make room for illegal immigrants. Children had to give up their soccer fields so they could be used to handle the mass influx of newcomers. Homelessness soared by 18% for individuals and 39% for families, both records, due in part to the pressure these millions of new illegal immigrants placed on the housing market. All would have been fine if Biden simply maintained the Remain in Mexico policy that was implemented by President Trump. But Biden, the Democrats, and the media called it racist. So in comes Trump, and in a matter of weeks, he closes down the border by reinstituting Remain in Mexico, stopping catch and release, and no longer allowing people to falsely claim asylum to stay here. It sent a message that the border was no longer open, so they stopped coming. Simple as that.

FOX News [5/1/2025 7:08 PM, Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin, 46189K] reports Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said his agency will "ramp" up raids in sanctuary cities if they refuse to cooperate with his agents. Todd Lyons sounded off on the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda and a range of other issues, saying ICE agents were going to go after criminal illegal immigrants regardless of sanctuary policies. "The more they’re going to double down or triple down, we’re going to ramp it up more," he told Fox News. "We want to work with you, but if you don’t want to work with the federal government, if you don’t want to work with ICE, then we’re going to make sure that we’re doing all we can do to bring our law enforcement resources to that jurisdiction. And we’re going to take care of those public safety threats. "If you don’t want to work with us, we’re going to handle the problem," he added. Lyons, however, did praise California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently said his state will work with ICE. A sanctuary state, California generally doesn’t cooperate with immigration authorities, but Newsom said it would be willing to work with the agency to honor detainer requests. That followed outrage over a Fox News story about an illegal immigrant convicted of vehicular manslaughter who will be released from prison July 19, over six years before his full sentence is up. "I really applaud the governor for that," Lyons said. "When people see exactly the individual that ICE is dealing with, how could you not work with ICE in a case like that? "We actually saw the details behind this case," he added. "It’s a commonsense approach to work with ICE to get these public safety threats out of here.”

NewsMax [5/1/2025 11:55 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 4998K] reports House Republicans have rejected an amendment to their budget bill planning that would have blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining or deporting U.S. citizens for any reason. The amendment to the legislation President Donald Trump has referred to as "one big beautiful bill" was introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. and sought to block immigration officials from using federal money to deport U.S. citizens, but was killed in the House Judiciary Committee by Republicans, reports Newsweek. The legislation was proposed after Trump last month teased the idea of shipping U.S. citizens who are convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador. The administration has been accused of deporting migrants without the use of due process, with the Supreme Court ruling in April that deportees should be given due process through the courts. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that there are some "horrible criminals" who are from the United States, and added that he is "all for" deporting them, but he doesn’t "know what the law says on that.” He also floated the idea while meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office. "If he would take them, I would be honored to give them," Trump said. "I don’t know what the law says on that, but I can’t imagine the law would say anything different. If they can house these horrible criminals for a lot less money than it costs us, I’m all for it, but I would only do so according to the law.” Jayapal told the Judiciary Committee Wednesday that her amendment is "simple" and that she hoped it would have bipartisan support. "It simply states that none of the funds in this bill may be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain or deport U.S. citizens," she said. "Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, I hope we can all agree that U.S. citizens should never be detained by ICE or any agency conducting civil immigration enforcement. They certainly should not be deported.” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., commented Wednesday that it is "bat***t crazy" that Democrats felt they needed to introduce an amendment against deporting U.S. citizens. "This should not even be a discussion," he said on the House floor, reports Mediaite. "It is not even a question. U.S. citizens cannot be deported by ICE. It’s the law, it’s the Constitution. I will be astounded if Republicans vote no on this.”

USA Today [5/2/2025 5:07 AM, Trevor Hughes, 75858K] reports federal officials are building a sprawling new database system they’re calling "ImmigrationOS" to track and target millions of people living illegally in the United States. A $30 million no-bid contract with GOP megadonor Peter Thiel’s Palantir Technologies will help Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents build a sophisticated system to prioritize people for deportation, including accused gang members and people who have overstayed their tourist visas. The contract with the Denver-based company calls for rolling out a prototype this fall. Thiel, the founder and chairman of Palantir, is close to Vice President JD Vance and DOGE head Elon Musk, with whom he launched PayPal. The ImmigrationOS project reflects the approach DOGE has brought to the federal bureaucracy under Trump, as Musk’s deputies seek technology-focused solutions to make government more efficient. Palantir already runs the ICE system used for Homeland Security investigations, and the new ImmigrationOS will merge data from multiple databases from the government and private sources. "These transnational organizations’ ongoing campaigns of violence and terror in the United States and internationally are extraordinarily violent, vicious, and similarly threaten the American people," ICE officials said in justifying the no-bid contract with Palantir. "They present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” Palantir’s existing contract with ICE has already topped $88 million, and the new ImmigrationOS system will cost another $30 million, according to contract details reviewed by USA TODAY. Several of Musk’s DOGE deputies have previously worked at Palantir, according to postings on LinkedIn and other social media sites. The system will also track people who "self deport" or leave the United States voluntarily, to help prioritize ICE enforcement against those who remain. Trump wants to deport 1 million people annually, a dramatic increase requiring a vast, sophisticated and expensive targeting, detention and removal operation. Civil liberties groups warn systems like ImmigrationOS pose significant risks to the general public, in part because it’s unclear how the system would be limited only to people living illegally in the United States. Such a system, they warn, could easily be expanded to target any American. Trump has suggested that he wants to remove not just immigrants but U.S. citizens if they’re deemed dangerous, and said he’s ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate.

Axios [5/1/2025 6:00 AM, Alayna Alvarez, 13163K] reports Palantir, the Denver-based data software giant, is building a new tool to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement with enhanced capabilities to support deportation efforts, federal documents show. The company has been an ICE contractor for more than a decade, spanning the Obama and Biden administrations, but its new scope of work signals an escalating role in immigration enforcement under President Trump. In mid-April, ICE awarded Palantir a $30 million contract to deliver a new platform — the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System (ImmigrationOS) — by Sept. 25, per federal records. The prototype will give ICE "near real-time visibility" on people self-deporting from the U.S., according to those records. It will also help the agency track and manage deportations, monitor visa overstays and target transnational criminal organizations, such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. 404 Media reported obtaining a page of an internal wiki that says "Palantir has developed into a more mature partner for ICE." Palantir spokesperson Lisa Gordon did not answer Axios Denver’s questions about the company’s deepening role in federal immigration operations. In a publicly available contract justification document, ICE says it has an "urgent and compelling" need for the new system — and that Palantir is the "only source" capable of delivering it in time. "Palantir has deep institutional knowledge of ICE operations," the document reads. The company is "already ingesting and processing data" from multiple federal agencies, making it uniquely positioned to develop the prototype "in less than six months." Delays, the agency warns, would undercut enforcement mandates outlined in Trump’s executive orders.

Univision [5/1/2025 4:14 PM, Patricia Clarembaux, 5325K] reports here are days when América Pérez can’t eat or even speak. Keeping Yoselin, her 11-year-old American daughter, alive depends entirely on both of them being able to stay in the United States. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wants to deport this Mexican mother and her daughter: on May 8, they must appear at 8:00 a.m. with proof of Yoselin’s passport application, according to a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared by her lawyers. Deportation is planned despite doctors’ warnings that leaving would be "a death sentence" for the girl. Yoselin’s illness has been the reason América Pérez has received at least three deportation suspensions from ICE since July 2015, according to her attorney, Bridgette Bennett. She had never been denied one before, until Donald Trump returned to the presidency promising mass deportations. If America and her daughter are removed, the girl will become the fourth known American expelled from the country by the Trump administration. Border czar Tom Homan said Monday from the White House that in all the previous cases, the mothers "asked for their children to come with them."

(B) Good Morning America [5/1/2025 8:28 AM, Staff] reports that state police have signed up to help federal officers with immigration enforcement. According to ICE, local police have limited immigration authority but they can help identify migrants with criminal or pending criminal charges and execute warrants. Aside from state police, ten other New Hampshire law enforcement agencies are also participating in immigration enforcement.

NPR [5/1/2025 10:38 AM, Rachel Treisman, 29983K] reports that a woman from Haiti died after spending over two months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the agency announced on Tuesday. Marie Ange Blaise, 44, was pronounced dead on Friday night at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Fla. ICE says her cause of death is under investigation. Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., suggested that Blaise had not been provided adequate medical care. "Marie had been complaining about chest pain for hours," said Cherfilus-McCormick, who is the only Haitian-American in Congress. "They gave her some pills and told her to go lie down. Unfortunately, Marie never woke up." NPR has reached out to ICE for more information. In its Tuesday notice, the agency said that "at no time during detention" is a detainee "denied emergent care." "All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health screening and 24-hour emergency care at each detention facility," it said. Congress requires ICE to make public all reports about in-custody deaths within 90 days. In the meantime, Cherfilus-McCormick plans to visit the Pompano Beach facility and is calling for a "full, independent investigation" into Blaise’s death. "Her loved ones deserve answers," she said. "They deserve accountability — like so many immigrant families who have their loved ones missing and who are hurt." Another South Florida Democrat, Rep. Frederica Wilson, said in a tweet that she was "heartbroken and furious" to learn of Blaise’s death. She called on members of Congress to visit ICE facilities for themselves to increase oversight of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. "How many more stories do we have to hear of immigrants being mistreated at these black hole detention centers?" she wrote. "When are we going to get answers?" Blaise was transferred between multiple facilities ICE says Blaise entered the U.S. without admission or parole "on an unknown date and place." According to the agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered her on Feb. 12 at the international airport in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, attempting to board a flight to Charlotte, N.C. "On the same date, CBP issued Blaise a Notice of Expedited Removal, charging inadmissibility as an immigrant without a valid immigrant visa," it said. Two days later, CBP transferred her to ICE custody in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was sent to Louisiana the following week, where she spent over a month detained at the Richwood Correctional Center. On April 5, she was transferred to the detention center in Pompano Beach, Fla. She died there nearly three weeks later. Six other people have died in ICE custody since the start of the 2025 fiscal year, according to agency data, with half of those deaths occurring since January. On Wednesday, ICE announced it had arrested 66,463 people without legal status — and deported 65,682 of them — in Trump’s first 100 days in office. Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary of public affairs, told NPR’s Morning Edition that there will be more deportations ahead. "What we’re doing is a change in the culture this first hundred days, and we are seeing success," McLaughlin said. "But we’re going to see those numbers increase in the next hundred days." Trump’s immigration crackdown has not only rattled immigrant communities but sparked massive protests, numerous court challenges and broader concerns of a constitutional crisis.

The Washington Post [5/1/2025 5:07 PM, Lori Rozsa, 31735K] reports more than 1,100 people have been arrested in Florida over the last week as part of a sweeping immigration operation involving state and federal law enforcement agents, Department of Homeland Security officials and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on Thursday. Federal agents worked with local sheriffs and members of Florida’s highway patrol, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and National Guard to apprehend people across the state, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Dinise. Larry Keefe, who heads Florida’s new board of immigration enforcement, said the joint mission — dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave” — could be replicated in other states. He said it was the largest immigration operation in Florida history. “Florida looks forward to being the bellwether, the blueprint, the prototype of how state and locals work with their federal partners to make things happen and get things done in all settings,” Keefe said at a news conference at an ICE field office in South Florida’s Miramar. The 1,120 arrests “included 378 criminal illegal aliens with final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge,” according to a news release from DeSantis’s office. Many of the people arrested — 437 — are from Guatemala, followed by 280 from Mexico, the release states. Others are from Honduras, Venezuela and El Salvador, it said, while 178 were just listed as “from elsewhere,” with no specific countries given. The Florida Immigrant Coalition, which advocates for pathways to citizenship for immigrants, criticized the operation, saying in a statement that officials are not being transparent enough about the mass arrests. FOX News [5/1/2025 1:46 PM, Greg Norman, 46189K] reports Operation Tidal Wave is truly a first of its kind operation, utilizing 287(g) resources, integrating with the state and local law enforcement to assist in the day-to-day ICE mission." ICE describes the 287(g) program as one that allows local law enforcement agencies to "enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law." Sheahan also called Operation Tidal Wave "a model that we’re able to take to other states to make it a priority that the president has kept to the American people to make sure our communities are safe and continue to be safe." ICE said Thursday that the operation, which was carried out from April 21 to 26, resulted in a total of 1,120 arrests, 63% of which were of people who had existing criminal arrests or convictions. "Arrests included 378 criminal illegal aliens with final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge. Officers arrested various violent offenders, gang members, sex offenders, fugitives from justice and those who pose significant public safety threats. Arrests include members of several different notoriously violent foreign terrorist organizations such as MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Brown Pride Aztecas, Barrio Azteca, Surenos (sur-13) and 18th Street Gang," it said in a statement. Of those arrested, there were 437 from Guatemala, 280 from Mexico, 153 from Honduras, 48 from Venezuela, 24 from El Salvador and 178 from elsewhere, officials added. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
New York Times [5/1/2025 10:43 AM, Hamed Aleaziz, 145325K]
Bloomberg [5/1/2025 4:51 PM, Alicia A. Caldwell and Dasha Afanasieva, 16228K]
The Hill [5/1/2025 2:21 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K]
NewsMax [5/1/2025 4:36 PM, Jim Mishler, 4998K]

AP [5/1/2025 5:08 PM, Gisela Salomon And Kate Payne, 48304K] reports a record 1,120 people accused of being in the U.S. illegally were arrested in less than a week during sweep orchestrated by federal, state and local authorities in Florida, an operation officials credited on Thursday to the burgeoning number of local police departments and state agencies that have joined President Donald Trump’s drive for mass deportations. That cooperation was on display Thursday when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to tout the arrests. "We will continue to engage in broad interior enforcement efforts," said DeSantis at a joint press conference with federal officials. "This is just the beginning.” Local police can make immigration arrests and detain people for immigration violations under specific agreements. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 135 agreements across 21 states in December. That number has since jumped to 517 deals across 39 states, with an additional 74 agencies pending approval. As the Trump administration ramps up cooperation with state and local agencies, it is moving to retaliate against those that limit helping immigration authorities. On Monday, the president signed an executive order to publish a list of "sanctuary" jurisdictions and reiterated threats of criminal charges against state or local officials who thwart federal policy. Advocates who oppose local officials getting into immigration enforcement say the practice violates a clause in the U.S. Constitution that makes federal, not state, authorities responsible for it. "This is finding methods to terrorize communities," said Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, adding that local law enforcement officers aren’t trained to handle immigration issues "in any sort of just manner.” Trumps deportation goals may be too big for ICE alone. ICE, which has about 6,000 deportation officers, needs help achieving Trump’s goal of deporting many of the roughly 11 million people in the country illegally, a conservative estimate.

CBS Miami [5/1/2025 9:18 AM, Staff, 51661K] reports Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida is leading the way when it comes to immigration enforcement in an effort to assist President Trump’s drive for mass deportations. Local police can make immigration arrests and detain people for immigration violations under specific agreements. Florida officials say many local agencies are still waiting for federal training. However, the latest U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, part of what the agency calls "Operation Tidal Wave," show how state and local roles may grow. On Thursday, DeSantis will be joined by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to tout an operation that authorities say netted about 800 immigration arrests in less than a week. It involved about 80 state troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol and targeted people in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tallahassee, as well as in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, is leading the way in the crackdown on undocumented immigrants," Bill Smith, president of FHP’s chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, said. Authorities targeted people who faced final deportation orders and detained others on outstanding arrest warrants for previous offenses, like driving under the influence or without a license, Smith said. "Florida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations!" DeSantis said after ICE announced arrests Saturday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke about the operation during a briefing. "Among those arrested were a Colombian murderer, alleged MS14 and 18th street gang members and a Russian with a red notice for manslaughter. Operation Tidal Wave is a preview of what is to come around the country. A large-scale operation that employs our state and local enforcement partners to get criminal illegal aliens off our streets," she said. Some immigrant advocates said most arrests were by local police officers and state highway patrol troopers, not ICE. People were detained during traffic stops or when leaving work. Some had no criminal records and were seeking asylum, or had work permits, advocates said. Jessica Ramírez, general coordinator at the Florida Farm Workers Association, said that most of those arrested were men. In some cases, though not many, ICE officials knocked on the door of immigrants’ houses, she said. "People are extremely afraid to go out and drive, afraid of the police," said Ramírez. "The recommendation is to drive carefully, follow the rules, and not give the police a reason to stop them.”

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [5/1/2025 3:02 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2923K]

NewsMax [5/1/2025 5:19 PM, Theodore Bunker, 4998K] reports Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that 378 "violent offenders" and other criminals were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during widespread raids in the Sunshine State this week. DeSantis on Thursday joined with ICE officials to update the public about "Operation Tidal Wave," a series of ICE raids and arrests that took place from April 21-26 and detained 1,120 people, including 378 who are described as "violent offenders, gang members, sex offenders, fugitives from justice, and those who pose significant public safety threats."

Breitbart [5/1/2025 4:39 PM, John Binder and Matt Perdie, 2923K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) carried out a first-of-its-kind sting operation across Florida by enlisting local police departments to help swiftly arrest and deport gang members and criminal illegal aliens. Exclusive footage taken by Breitbart News gives an inside look at Operation Tidal Wave — the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) largest single-week operation from April 21 through April 26 in the agency’s history — which utilized the 287(g) program to have local police in Florida help locate and detain illegal aliens. In total, 1,120 illegal aliens were arrested by ICE agents as part of Operation Tidal Wave, 63 percent of whom had been arrested for crimes or had criminal convictions. Likewise, 378 of the illegal aliens arrested had final deportation orders but refused to leave the U.S. These illegal aliens, seen in Breitbart’s exclusive footage, face immediate deportation, while the remaining illegal aliens will stay in ICE custody pending their deportations. Those criminal illegal aliens arrested by ICE agents included gang members associated with MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Brown Pride Aztecas, Barrio Azteca, Surenos (sur-13), and the 18th Street Gang, as well as sex offenders, violent criminals, and fugitives running from the law. For Operation Tidal Wave, ICE worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service.

FOX News [5/1/2025 8:36 PM, Greg Wehner and Bill Melugin, 46189K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer against a Honduran man this week who was living in the U.S. illegally and now faces attempted murder charges after an alleged shooting spree in Memphis last week. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release that 24-year-old Enoc Martinez faces five counts of attempted murder. FOX 13 Memphis reported that Memphis police said the shooting spree began just after noon Saturday, when officers responded to a report of a shooting. One man was critically wounded in the incident before the suspect, later identified as Martinez, sped away. Nearly 15 minutes later, police responded to a second shooting. Then, three minutes after that, police spotted the suspect before he allegedly opened fire on two more vehicles. In the third incident, a man was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, while a woman was nearly wounded by gunfire, police noted. DHS said ICE lodged an immigration detainer for Martinez after the shooting. Martinez illegally entered the U.S. in June 2024 as an unaccompanied minor. At the time, he was apprehended by Border Patrol and turned over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) before being placed with a sponsor in Memphis. ICE issued a final order for Martinez’s removal in 2022. "With impunity, open-border policies have allowed violent criminal aliens to terrorize America’s towns and cities," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "Under President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s leadership, ICE is working around the clock to remove the worst of the worst from our communities. If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up.”

New York Times [5/1/2025 5:00 AM, Jack Herrera, 145325K] reports Juan Antonio Gomez Torres was earning barely $80 a week shaping mud into bricks in the dusty hills above San Felipe, Mexico. When his wife became pregnant with their fourth child, he decided to try his luck crossing into the United States to look for better-paying work. Weeks later, Mr. Gomez called his cousin from a jail in Kinney County, Texas, desperate for money. After swimming across the Rio Grande, Mr. Gomez had been arrested by armed state police officers on a trespassing charge, with bail set at $1,000 — more than a quarter of his yearly income. Mr. Gomez promised to repay his cousin after he appeared in court on the trespassing case, when under normal circumstances his bail money would be returned to him. But that never happened. No sooner had Mr. Gomez been released than Kinney County officials handed him directly over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities, who promptly deported him back to Mexico. Unable to show up in court, he was told his bail would be forfeited and the $1,000 deposited into Kinney County’s own accounts. He was not the only one. Since Gov. Greg Abbott stepped up the state’s own immigration operations during a surge in unauthorized border crossings in 2021, Kinney County has forfeited bail from hundreds of migrants, many of whom, like Mr. Gomez, were trying to escape poverty in their home countries. The arrests, which are continuing despite a significant reduction in border crossings, are part of a contentious and potentially lucrative new dynamic on the southern border as states like Texas attempt to take on a larger role in immigration enforcement, traditionally the purview of the federal government. More than 39,000 migrants have been arrested in counties along the border on charges of trespassing on private land and other state violations, part of Governor Abbott’s multi-billion-dollar effort to step up policing on the border, known as Operation Lone Star. Few counties have been as aggressive about enforcing trespassing laws as Kinney County, where ranchers complained that migrants were cutting holes in their fences and walking in groups outside their homes. The county has held some migrants in custody for as long as a year before trial. Over the past four years, the county has refused to return $1.7 million in bail from migrant trespass cases, according to a Times analysis of county budget records obtained through a public records request. The forfeitures are the equivalent of what it would take to pay for the entire sheriff’s department for a year, or the county judge and county attorney’s office combined for over three years. The border operations brought in additional state funding as well, and together with the bail forfeitures, provided a new source of revenue for the county.

Breitbart [5/2/2025 3:35 AM, Paul Bois, 2923K] reports an illegal migrant has been charged with shooting and killing a Texas man at point-blank range in front of his family. Andres Fernandez De La Paz, a Cuban national, allegedly murdered ex-brother-in-law, Ediesky Incencio Pineiro, at his home in Harris County. It was later revealed De La Paz stayed in the United States despite a prior arrest for credit card skimming, a prior murder case, and previously threatening to kill the family before fleeing to Mexico. Per KPRC2: “Three law enforcement sources told KPRC 2 News that Fernandez De La Paz was under FBI investigation connected to a credit card skimming scheme prior to his arrest for murder. The suspect’s criminal history includes a previous murder case from 2016, when he allegedly shot two men, killing one. Prosecutors dismissed that case the next year, writing in records that it couldn’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and citing self-defense issues. The Sour Lake Police Department arrested him in June 2023 after discovering skimming devices during a traffic stop in Hardin County. The police chief said officers stopped him just after he and two others had placed one at a gas pump.” Raiza Cedeño Sosa, the murder victim’s wife, described her husband as a “wonderful person.” “He was a wonderful person. I don’t have any bad memories of him. He was a good father and friend,” she told reporters. The wife’s sister, who previously had a relationship with De La Paz, had been staying at the house and said he had been toxic and violent. Though an immigration judge ordered De La Paz removed in 2019, he stayed in the United States after the Cuban government refused his return, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a lengthy statement: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encountered Andres Fernandez De La Paz, a 36-year-old criminal alien from Cuba, April 28, at the Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, following his arrest for homicide, and an immigration detainer was lodged with the jail. Fernandez was paroled into the United States Sept. 26, 2014, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Brownsville Port of Entry, for a period of two years. Fernandez failed to depart the United States on time violating the terms of his admission. Since that time, Fernandez has continued to remain in the U.S. illegally and has been convicted of several criminal offenses including evading arrest and twice for credit or debit card abuse. Fernandez is also currently charged in Fort Bend County, Texas, with allegedly committing credit or debit card abuse for a third time. An immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Fernandez removed to Cuba June 28, 2019, however, the Cuban government refused to accept his return at that time preventing ICE from carrying out his removal,” a spokesperson.”

Univision [5/1/2025 2:13 PM, Staff, 5325K] reports a new video has recently surfaced that tells the story of Raymundo Caal, the Guatemalan immigrant who climbed to the top of a tree in this city on April 29, fleeing ICE. The video, taken by Caal himself, the name by which his relatives identified him (the authorities had identified him as Raúl Ical), is a Facebook live that he himself broadcast while he was up in the tree. According to authorities, the Guatemalan immigrant was traveling in a car and detained during a traffic stop by officers from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The operation to get Caal down from the tree lasted nearly eight hours. According to the arrest warrant for Raymundo Caal, he was arrested in April 2024 for allegedly driving while intoxicated in San Antonio. The immigrant from Guatemala was released on bail shortly afterward, but with an immigration detainer. Under investigation, authorities said he entered the United States without authorization and was deported in 2013. On April 14, 2025, ICE and Texas DPS agents went to his residence to arrest him, but were unsuccessful.

FOX News [5/1/2025 5:41 PM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports an Army soldier who was arrested as part of a raid on an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last week is suspected of possessing and distributing cocaine while also trafficking firearms with high-capacity magazines to illegal aliens, according to a criminal complaint. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced Thursday that 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez has been charged with a single count each of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on Wednesday, the criminal complaint alleges that Orona-Rodriguez sold cocaine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent the week of April 21. Investigators executed a search warrant on the suspect’s cellphone and allegedly found text messages between Sept. 16, 2024, and April 9, 2025, that suggested he repeatedly purchased and sold cocaine to other individuals. The affidavit notes that Orona-Rodriguez is suspected of unlawfully trafficking firearms, including those with high-capacity magazines, to illegal aliens. It also says Orona-Rodriguez is assigned to Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. Along with serving in the Army, Orona-Rodriguez is employed by Immortal Security LLC, the affidavit claims, which provides armed security to nightclubs as well as an unlawful nightclub called Warike in Colorado Springs, which was the location of a major DEA raid early Sunday morning that resulted in the arrest of at least 114 illegal immigrants. During the raid, authorities uncovered drugs, including pink cocaine, as well as evidence of prostitution and multiple firearms during the operation, the DEA said. The same underground nightclub is frequented by Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gang members, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department were also involved in the operation.

FOX Business [5/1/2025 5:59 AM, Elizabeth Pritchett, 10702K] reports nearly 150 unauthorized workers have been accounted for among three businesses in Colorado following workplace audits, resulting in more than $8 million in fines. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its Denver office issued a notice of intent to fine CCS Denver, Inc.; PBC Commercial Cleaning Systems, Inc.; and Green Management Denver. The fines are a result of "widespread employment eligibility violations," ICE said. The largest fine – $6,186,171 – went to CCS Denver after ICE discovered a 100% substantive violation rate and evidence of knowingly hiring and employing at least 87 unauthorized workers. PBC Commercial Cleaning Systems had a 74% violation rate and at least 12 workers were hired and put to work without proper credentials, resulting in a fine of $1,599,510. Green Management Denver was fined $270,195 after 44 authorized employees were identified, along with a 100% violation rate. "The employment of unauthorized workers undermines the integrity of our immigration system and puts law-abiding employers at a disadvantage," said Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. "These penalties reinforce our commitment to uphold the law and promote a culture of compliance.” Homeland Security Investigations said its worksite enforcement efforts focus on making sure businesses are following federal employment laws, especially with I-9 audits, civil penalties and criminal prosecution. HSI said a three-prong approach of Compliance, Enforcement and Outreach is the most efficient way to handle worksite enforcement.

Daily Caller [5/1/2025 1:21 PM, Thomas English, 1082K] reports Colorado Democrats are pushing a sweeping bill that Republican lawmakers warn will block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cooperation, cost taxpayers millions, and invite federal retaliation. The bill, introduced in April, would prohibit sheriffs from honoring ICE detainers, restrict when public employees can share immigration data with federal authorities and roll back ID requirements for in-state tuition and driver’s licenses. It would also prevent out-of-state National Guard units from operating in Colorado without the governor’s explicit permission. “It’s a complete expansion of a sanctuary state, and we keep getting lied to multiple times, over and over again,” Republican state Rep. Ron Weinberg told the Daily Caller News Foundation, referring to Democrats who insist Colorado isn’t a sanctuary state. Colorado House Republicans estimate the state already spends more than $544 million annually on services for illegal immigrants, including public education, Medicaid, subsidized tuition, driver’s licenses and legal defense. Weinberg said the proposal adds to that burden while stripping law enforcement of tools to protect the public. “This bill literally puts the handcuffs on police officers who are trying to work with ICE,” he said.

New York Times [5/1/2025 1:24 PM, Jack Healy, 145325K] reports shattered glass and spilled beer coated the floors of the nightclub. More than 100 people had been taken into custody by federal immigration agents, and Colorado Springs’s mayor, Yemi Mobolade, had a decision to make. Law enforcement officials said their operation in the Sunday morning darkness cleared out a club that was rife with drugs, guns and prostitution. Liberal voters who helped elect Mr. Mobolade, a Nigerian-born pastor and political independent, to lead their historically conservative city were disturbed by the mass arrest of so many immigrants. Mr. Mobolade made his choice. “This immigrant mayor says, if you’re here illegally and you’re committing a crime, there should be consequences,” he said in an interview. “You should be deported.” The raid, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, came the week after a large-scale operation in Florida that led to the arrests of more than 1,100 people. But this one was conducted in Democratic Colorado, in an increasingly purple city, Colorado’s second largest. The aftermath of the raid reflects the deep divisions over President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Mr. Mobolade and other mayors in Colorado, New York and Massachusetts have faced frustration and criticism from voters over their response to record-breaking migrant arrivals under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Now they face a backlash from the left, as the Trump administration steps up its immigration crackdown and presses local officials to cooperate.

AP [5/1/2025 5:19 PM, Colleen Slevin] reports a soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody last weekend has been charged with distributing cocaine, court records show. Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson, an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs, was arrested Wednesday evening, the FBI said in a statement. Orona-Rodriquez has been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to an arrest affidavit. It said he allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration days before the raid. At the request of a federal prosecutor, Orona-Rodriguez will continue to be held until a hearing to discuss his detention on Tuesday. The FBI said the arrest followed an investigation by the DEA, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and officials at Fort Carson. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday’s operation at the nightclub, which had been under investigation for months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and "crimes of violence," said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division. Orona-Rodriquez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members who were at the club, known as Warike, when it was raided early Sunday, the affidavit said.

CBS Colorado [5/2/2025 2:05 AM, Chierstin Susel, 51661K] reports the Drug Enforcement Agency is shedding light on concerning details surrounding a Colorado illegal nightclub raid after which more than 100 people who are believed to be in the country illegally were arrested. It happened on Sunday in Colorado Springs. "There was drug trafficking. There was guns. There was prostitution. There was crimes of violence," explained Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge for the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. According to Pullen, the illegal drugs at the party were supplied by the Sinaloa cartel, and the DEA is putting their foot on the gas when it comes to getting drugs off the streets, especially when it comes to fentanyl. "In fact, we’ve seized enormous amounts of fentanyl this year," Pullen said. "I actually thought we would seize less. I thought with the border being tighter, we’d see smaller seizures. I was wrong. We have seized so much fentanyl this year." Although deaths related to the drug have dropped significantly in the state and across the country, the presence of fentanyl has increased. "We think there may be some stockpiling happening on the U.S. side from the Mexican cartels, and that’s why we’re seeing such large amounts right now," Pullen said. This particular bust also included the arrest of more than 100 people thought to be in the country illegally, but Pullen says that wasn’t the intent of the operation. "Quite frankly, we were there for the drug investigation," Pullen said. "We didn’t ask the illegal immigrants to come."

FOX News [5/1/2025 1:40 PM, Audrey Conklin, 46189K] reports a former New Mexico judge and his wife, who are accused of harboring a Venezuelan gang member in their home, have been released from jail on bond. Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were arrested last month on charges of tampering with evidence after federal agents raided their Las Cruces home. Court records show they were released on $10,000 bond each on Tuesday under certain conditions. In January 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials received a tip that Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an alleged member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, "was residing with other illegal aliens in the United States unlawfully at an address located in Las Cruces, New Mexico…and was in possession of firearms," a federal complaint states.

FOX News [5/1/2025 5:42 PM, Louis Casiano, Bill Melugin, 46189K] reports federal authorities on Thursday searched the California home of a suspect accused of doxxing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service served a search warrant on the Irvine home of the unidentified suspect, who was not home at the time. Authorities told Fox News the suspect lives with his parents and was previously arrested during an anti-Israel protest on the University of California, Irvine, campus last year. He is accused of posting fliers in various Southern California neighborhoods with the names, photos, phone numbers and locations of ICE officers working in the region. Earlier this year, anti-ICE activists began putting up posters featuring the personal information of ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers working in the Los Angeles and Southern California area.

Telemundo52 [5/2/2025 1:11 AM, Hetty Chang and Helen Jeong, 101K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Thursday conducted a search warrant in Irvine as part of a criminal investigation. The agency searched a home in the Turtle Rock neighborhood "with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service" as part of an ongoing investigation, during which ICE agents were targeted, an ICE spokesperson confirmed, clarifying that the raid was not immigration-related. The person, the subject of the search warrant, is a 29-year-old man who moved to New York a month ago, his parents told NBC Los Angeles. The family, who claimed to have been awakened at 6 a.m. Friday with a loud bullhorn, said they were told the search warrant was part of a privacy violation investigation. "They announced over the loudspeaker, ‘Residents of this house, please come out with your hands up,’" described Annie Yang and Yu Zong Chang, adding that officials also informed them that the Office of Homeland Security Investigations, a federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security, was involved in the operation. "It never happened. I feel like it was in a movie," Yang recalled. They later learned that agents traced the IP address to his home, related to a February doxing investigation. When someone faces accusations of doxing, they may have shared personal information about others on the Internet without authorization. The parents said they called their son, who informed federal agents that he is hiring an attorney. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CyberScoop [5/1/2025 2:03 PM, Matt Kapko] reports two alleged leaders of the child sextortion group 764 were arrested and charged for directing and distributing child sexual abuse material, the Department of Justice said Thursday. Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, and Prasan Nepal, 20, face charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Varagiannis, also known as “War,” and Nepal, also known as “Trippy,” are accused of running a core subgroup of 764, known as “764 Inferno,” that facilitated the grooming, manipulation and extortion of minors. Varagiannis, a U.S. citizen who joined 764 in late 2023, according to an affidavit unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was arrested in Greece on Tuesday. Nepal, who has been involved with 764 since the group’s inception in late 2020, was arrested in North Carolina on April 22, officials said. The Justice Department describes 764 as a “network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct in the United States and abroad, seeking to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors.” The group’s goals include “social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. government,” officials said. Members of 764 are affiliated with “The Com,” a global collective of loosely associated groups that commit financially motivated, sexual and violent crimes, according to threat researchers.

New York Times [5/1/2025 5:01 AM, Claire Fahy, 145325K] reports the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has fueled anxiety at airports, border crossings and other U.S. ports of entry, with visa holders and tourists concerned that they may be detained or deported. Even some green card holders have faced increased scrutiny. A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a legal authorization to live and work in the United States permanently. In the past, green card holders traveled in and out of the country with less worry than other foreign nationals, but the administration’s restrictive approach at the borders — and stronger enforcement against green card holders who have committed crimes — has changed all that. Michael Wildes, an immigration lawyer and law professor in New York, said that citizens and green card holders alike have contacted him since President Trump took office to inquire about his services if they get stopped at the border. Another immigration lawyer, Brad Bernstein, has taken to TikTok to debunk concerns and offer advice to travelers with green cards. Here’s what to know about the rights a green card holder is entitled to and how to travel on a green card. Lawful permanent residents, who are often referred to as “green card holders,” are allowed to live and work in the United States, receive Social Security, Medicare and college financial aid, and serve in the military, according to the Department of Homeland Security. They may also apply for citizenship after five years of legal permanent residency, or three years if they marry a U.S. citizen. Residents must be in the United States for at least 913 days in that five-year period to maintain eligibility for citizenship, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The department estimates that there were 12.8 million green card holders living in the United States on Jan. 1, 2024, an increase of 70,000 from the year before. Green card holders must carry their cards with them at all times. Any green card holder who commits a crime, ranging from speeding to a more serious offense, can be denied entry to the United States or deported, but the government usually hasn’t targeted those people unless they have committed major crimes, according to legal experts. Green card holders also must provide consistent information across travel forms. For example, the answers to questions on a green card form must match the answers provided in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the application required for most European travelers to the United States.

Telemundo52 [5/1/2025 8:39 PM, Luis Treto and Elizabeth Chavolla, 101K] reports the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced new measures against certain immigrants seeking to purchase a home through a popular government loan program. The new regulation will go into effect at the end of May and will affect first-time buyers seeking down payment assistance and low-interest loans. The American dream for many immigrants is to buy a home, but that desire will be more difficult starting May 25 when the Federal Housing Administration stops granting access to FHA loans, which will only be granted to those who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. "Anyone who has a work permit will not be able to qualify for these programs," said Mireya Chavarría, a real estate agent. The elimination of access to federally insured mortgages typically used by first-time buyers with lower credit scores will also affect DACA recipients. "Now we’re going to have to look at different options to qualify and it’s going to be very difficult," said Jesus Lauren, a DACA recipient. Immigrants covered under TPS, people with temporary status and asylum seekers will also be hurt. "The down payment and closing costs we are talking about a lot of money. These programs help with the down payment, if we are going to go in with the minimum down payment of 3.5%," Chavarría said. The Housing Department says the decision will give priority to citizens and taxpayers to obtain government-insured mortgages. "We have an ITIN. Our dream came to a standstill because we won’t be able to make any loans, buy a house," said Nancy Calco, an immigrant. Experts recommend that immigrants affected by this change buy their home through conventional loans that require a minimum credit of 620 points, and in many cases a 20% down payment to avoid having to purchase private mortgage insurance. "The American dream of owning a home kind of doesn’t look attainable anymore, it’s many years and a lot of money per month," said Adrian Avalon. Lending specialists recommend applying for a government-insured FHA mortgage before the May 25 deadline, so immigrants with or without temporary status could achieve a purchase closing by the end of May or in the month of June. "There are times when I have three generations buying a property, I always think don’t miss the opportunity," added Chavarría. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [5/2/2025 5:00 AM, Susan Svrluga, Maham Javaid and Mikhail Klimentov, 31735K] reports "I was freaking out, and I’m still kind of freaking out," she said, because the mentors she turned to for reassurance were worried about their own jobs. She had wanted to stay close to family in Baton Rouge. "But I’m just done," she said. "I’m tired.” College decision day — the May 1 deadline at many schools across the country for accepted students to commit to attend — coincided with a time of head-spinning upheaval, reversals and uncertainty in the first months of the Trump administration. Some students, like Moran, are turning down U.S. colleges for overseas options. And some international students are newly hesitant about studying in the United States amid news of visa revocations and deportations. "International students who have been admitted to colleges and universities in the United States are rethinking their choices," said Elora Mukherjee, a professor and director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. "These are among the best and brightest students in the world, and the United States may no longer be their top destination in light of immigration changes in recent months.” It’s too soon to know what enrollment will look like in the fall, experts agreed, but college presidents are concerned about both retention and recruitment. The U.S. has long been a global destination for higher education, drawing more than 1.1 million international students last academic year. International students contributed $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to the Commerce Department. Some colleges, such as New York, Northeastern and Columbia universities, each hosted more than 20,000 international students in 2023-2024. Some large public schools enroll many, too; Arizona State University had more than 18,000 international students that year, according to the Institute of International Education. But many college officials were anxiously anticipating the May 1 deadline, worried that students wouldn’t commit to attend this fall. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for DHS, said in response to questions about international students that it is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the U.S. "When you break our laws and advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.” State Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With the recent visa revocations and student record terminations, "there was no notification, no opportunity for discussion, no process to question, to appeal, to correct," said Miriam Feldblum, president and chief executive of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. "All that created for many students and campuses Kafkaesque situations.”

New York Times [5/1/2025 3:11 PM, Kurt Streeter, 153395K] reports the news of deportations arrived as a trickle. A member of the Bhutanese community in Texas was taken away. Another picked up in Idaho. Then, one in Georgia. “People started calling us in a panic to let us know ICE arrests have started,” said Robin Gurung, a community leader in Harrisburg, Pa., a major center of life for Bhutanese refugees in America. Given the limited information from immigration officials and a cultural reluctance within the Bhutanese community to discuss the loss of loved ones, Mr. Gurung could only estimate the number of people detained and deported from his area and the rest of the state. “At least 12 from here,” he said during a recent interview at a dumpling house near the Pennsylvania State Capitol. He paused, emphasizing the uncertainty, before continuing. A dozen “that we know of.” As the Trump administration accelerated its controversial deportation program, primarily targeting undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America, confusion became a common theme. What is happening in the community from Bhutan, a sliver of a country near India and Nepal, has a similar opaque uncertainty, and its own set of vexing circumstances. The Bhutanese who have been caught in this dragnet since March are not undocumented, but they all reportedly have criminal records with offenses that range from driving under the influence to felony assault. They are refugees who arrived legally in the United States through a humanitarian program initiated under former President George W. Bush. Beginning around 2007, the United States offered shelter to tens of thousands of mostly Nepali-speaking, Bhutanese Hindus who had fled ethnic cleansing in the kingdom of Bhutan, which is predominantly Buddhist. Information from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the recent deportations has been sparse. The lack of transparency has left community leaders, politicians and grieving families in Harrisburg and the surrounding Central Pennsylvania region — which has taken in some 40,000 Bhutanese refugees over two decades — grappling for answers and consumed by fear.

Iowa Capital Dispatch [5/1/2025 5:12 PM, Clark Kauffman, 144K] reports after being temporarily barred from deporting four international students at the University of Iowa who are suing the Department of Homeland Security for revoking their status as students, the agency is now contesting the students’ wish to remain anonymous. The students’ lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, identifies the plaintiffs only as John Doe No. 1 through 4. According to the lawsuit, each of the plaintiffs was admitted to the United States on an F-1 student visa. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has violated their due process rights by terminating their student status without legal justification or explanation. Named as defendants in the case are Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is a part. Also named as a defendant is Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons.

CBS News [5/1/2025 7:06 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51661K] reports that the number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border unlawfully continued to be at a historically low level in April, three full months into President Trump’s aggressive efforts to curtail illegal immigration, according to internal federal data obtained by CBS News. In April, Border Patrol agents recorded roughly 8,400 apprehensions of migrants who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization, according to the preliminary Department of Homeland Security statistics, which have not been officially published. April’s preliminary tally, which could be adjusted once the data is officially published, is a slight increase from March, when Border Patrol recorded 7,200 apprehensions at the southern border. And it is nearly identical to the 8,300 apprehensions the agency recorded there in February. The number of illegal crossings during Mr. Trump’s first three full months in office represents a seismic change at the U.S.-Mexico border. The apprehensions reported in February, March and April are the lowest tallies recorded by the Border Patrol in its public monthly dataset, which stretches back to fiscal year 2000. The last time Border Patrol averaged fewer than 9,000 monthly apprehensions along the southern border over a year was in the late 1960s, according to historical agency figures. The historically low levels of illegal crossings under Mr. Trump also stand in sharp contrast to the unprecedented influx in migrant arrivals at the southern border under the Biden administration. During a record-breaking spike in illegal crossings in December 2023, Border Patrol averaged 8,000 apprehensions per day, with the agency processing over 10,000 migrants on some days. Driving the dramatic drop in illegal entries at the southern border, Trump administration officials have argued, is the president’s far-reaching immigration crackdown. In the interior of the country, the administration has dramatically broadened who is eligible to be arrested and deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reversing Biden-era rules that largely limited immigration arrests to serious criminals, national security threats and recent arrivals.

Reported similarly:
NewsNation [5/1/2025 5:52 PM, Ali Bradley and Sean Noone, 6866K]

The AP [5/1/2025 10:36 PM, Staff, 5046K] reports the Defense Department said Thursday that it has designated a second stretch on the U.S. border with Mexico as a military zone to enforce immigration laws. The newest area is in Texas and is attached to the Fort Bliss Army base in El Paso. Like the first zone established last month in New Mexico, military personnel are authorized to take custody of migrants who illegally cross the border until they are transferred to civilian authorities in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “The establishment of a second National Defense Area increases our operational reach and effectiveness in denying illegal activity along the southern border,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the U.S. Northern Command. In New Mexico, people who entered the U.S. illegally were charged Monday with breaching a national defense area after the Army assumed oversight of a 170-mile (274-kilometer) strip that is treated as an extension of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, Arizona. A press release from the military didn’t say how large the second zone in Texas was and officials were unavailable to comment on its dimensions Thursday night. Border crossers in the military zones face potential prosecutions on two federal crimes — entering the U.S. illegally and trespassing on military property. The moves come as President Donald Trump’s administration has deployed thousands of troops to the border and arrests have plunged to the lowest levels since the mid-1960s. The military zones have allow the federal government to escape the reach of an 1878 law that prohibits military involvement in civilian law enforcement. “Any illegal attempting to enter that zone is entering a military base, a federally protected area,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on a recent visit to New Mexico. “You will be interdicted by U.S. troops and Border Patrol.” The New York Times [5/1/2025 6:16 PM, Eric Schmitt, 145325K] reports that last month, the Pentagon created a 60-foot-wide strip of land along 200 miles of the border between New Mexico and Mexico, effectively turning it into part of a U.S. military base there. Migrants entering the newly designated military installations, or national defense areas, will be considered to be trespassing and can be temporarily detained by U.S. troops until Border Patrol agents arrive, military officials said. A small group of migrants was charged on Monday with crossing into the military zone in New Mexico after an Army helicopter spotted them approaching the border and alerted the Border Patrol. “The establishment of a second national defense area increases our operational reach and effectiveness in denying illegal activity along the southern border,” Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, the head of Northern Command, said in a statement. General Guillot said that “service members who are already detecting and monitoring through stationary positions and mobile patrols nearby can now temporarily detain trespassers until they are transferred to an appropriate law enforcement entity.” The new Pentagon directives expand a military presence that has increased steadily along the southern border in recent months, even as crossings have already dropped precipitously during the Trump administration.

AP [5/1/2025 11:45 AM, Staff, 48304K] reports Systems Planning & Analysis (SPA), a leading global provider of data-driven analytical insight and technical innovation supporting critical national security objectives, has secured a prime award for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Acquisition (OA) Contract Support Services. The five-year contract, valued at $52.3 million, provides a range of systems engineering, digital engineering, modeling and simulation, test and evaluation, Integrated logistics and sustainment Life Cycle services, and intelligence analysis. Work will be performed not only for the Office of Acquisition but across the CBP enterprise as tasking is added. SPA CEO Rich Sawchak commented, “We are proud that CBP has entrusted SPA to provide essential enterprise acquisition support for CBP’s critical mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic security. This win reinforces our commitment to delivering innovative approaches that enhance DHS’s operational capabilities and mission success.”

CBS News [5/1/2025 12:05 PM, Melissa Quinn, 51661K] reports Chris Krebs, who led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency during President Trump’s first term, has had his membership in the Global Entry traveler program revoked, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Thursday. The move comes after Mr. Trump issued a memorandum last month that targeted Krebs for defending the integrity of the 2020 election, which the president has continued to baselessly claim was rigged against him. The directive instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to suspend security clearances held by Krebs and people working at entities associated with him, including at the cybersecurity company where he worked. Krebs, a CBS News cybersecurity expert and analyst, told the Wall Street Journal last month that he was resigning from that company, SentinelOne. Mr. Trump’s memo also directed his administration to investigate Krebs’ activities from his time in the federal government, including at CISA. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CBS News that Krebs is "under active investigation by law enforcement agencies. That is a fact disqualifying him for Global Entry." CNN first reported that Krebs’ Global Entry membership had been rescinded. Global Entry is a program run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows expedited clearance for travelers arriving in the U.S. who are pre-approved and low-risk. A person may not be eligible for the Global Entry program if they are the subject of an ongoing federal, state or local law enforcement agency, according to CBP. Krebs was fired by Mr. Trump in 2020 after he refuted the president’s unsupported claims that the election was rife was widespread voter fraud. CISA had released a joint statement days after the Nov. 3, 2020, election saying that it was the "most secure in American history" and that there was "no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.” In announcing his decision to remove Krebs from his role as CISA director, Mr. Trump claimed the statement was "highly inaccurate." While the president and his campaign mounted dozens of lawsuits challenging the integrity of the 2020 election, none were successful and claims of widespread fraud were refuted, including by Mr. Trump’s former attorney general, Bill Barr.

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New York Times [5/1/2025 9:32 PM, Eileen Sullivan, Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman, 145325K]
NewsMax [5/1/2025 11:34 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4998K]

UPI [5/1/2025 2:24 PM, Doug Cunningham, 1546K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday that agents in Chicago intercepted hundreds of counterfeit watches and counterfeit driver’s licenses. More than 4,345 counterfeit licenses were seized. Officers at O’Hare International Airport, the International Mail Facility, the Express Consignments Hub and the Cargo Examination Station seized 145 shipments of counterfeit watches and 340 shipments containing counterfeit driver’s licenses, according to CBP. All 485 shipments in April came from China and Hong Kong. The fake watches were branded as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Omega, Audemars Piguet, and others. According to CBP officials, the suggested retail price of the watches was more than $9.22 million. The thousands of fake driver’s licenses were addressed to destinations across the United States. "These counterfeit driver’s licenses can lead to disastrous consequences," Chicago Area Port Director Michael Pfeiffer said in a statement. "Foreign Terrorist Organizations, criminal organizations, and persons involved in fraud schemes use these counterfeit IDs to avoid attracting attention to their illegal activities. Our CBP officers were able to identify these very realistic counterfeits and stop them from reaching their destinations."

Telemundo 48 El Paso [5/1/2025 4:35 PM, Staff, 11K] reports U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison today announced the filing of 82 new Title 50 charges for unauthorized entry into the newly designated National Defense Area along New Mexico’s southern border. The newly filed Title 50 charges carry potential penalties of up to one year in prison, complementing existing immigration-related offenses. The charges are considered serious and relate to unauthorized entry onto federally protected military defense property, triggered by the recent transfer of control over a 170-mile stretch of border territory known as the Roosevelt Reservation from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Defense. This came after a visit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks.

San Diego Union Tribune [5/1/2025 11:27 PM, Alex Riggins, 1682K] reports that, ever since Maria Puga saw the cellphone footage nearly 15 years ago of her husband crying out in anguish while on the ground encircled by federal border officers, she has known that he was tortured before he died, she said Thursday. This week, in a first-of-its-kind decision, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights agreed, finding that federal law enforcement officers tortured Anastasio Hernández Rojas by beating him with batons, Tasering him multiple times and kneeling on him while he was handcuffed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The landmark decision marked the first time the commission, an international body that’s part of the Organization of American States and investigates massacres, extrajudicial killings and other rights violations across the Western Hemisphere, has issued such findings in a case concerning a death at the hands of U.S. law enforcement. The commission also found federal officials conducted a biased and incomplete investigation of Hernández Rojas’ death, used excessive force while he was restrained, discriminated against him and denied his family justice, all in violation of international protocols to which the U.S. has agreed. "The acts of police violence against Mr. Hernández at the San Ysidro Port of Entry were perpetrated intentionally, with the aim of intimidating, controlling and punishing, and … caused intense suffering to the victim, and (the commission) concludes that they constituted acts of torture," the commissioners wrote in the 43-page report released Wednesday. Hernández Rojas, who was 42 when he died, was a Mexican citizen who had lived in San Diego since he was a teenager. Shortly after being deported in May 2010, he was detained while trying to sneak back into the country and taken to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, where he was to be sent back to Mexico. Authorities have said he was confrontational and that at one point he allegedly tried to kick federal law enforcement officials. During the incident, two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents hit him with batons and another agent kneeled on his back. A Customs and Border Protection officer fired a Taser at him four times while others held him face down. Hernández Rojas stopped breathing during the encounter and was hospitalized for about two days before being taken off a ventilation machine. An autopsy by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide and found numerous factors contributed to a fatal heart attack, including methamphetamine intoxication, heart disease, the Taser shocks, the physical exertion and restraints. That autopsy concluded the methamphetamine played a key role in his death, while a second, independent autopsy concluded the methamphetamine was not a key factor. The FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and a grand jury all investigated the death. They concluded in November 2015 that no criminal charges would be brought against the officers involved. Hernández Rojas’ family sued the federal government, settling the civil suit in 2017 for $1 million.

Telemundo [5/1/2025 9:21 PM, Marinee Zavala, 41K] reports the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held the U.S. responsible for murder and withholding evidence in the case of Anastasio Hernandez, just the same day that Rodney Scott, former head of the Border Patrol in San Diego, was nominated to be the next commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Scott’s nomination has brought opposing views on his performance to take office. One of the questions was due to his participation in the investigation of the death of Anastasio Hernandez, who died on May 28, 2010 at the hands of Border Patrol agents in the city of San Diego, who repeatedly applied electric shocks and beat him, even though he was on the ground, subdued and unarmed, without posing a danger to the more than eight agents who were on the scene. "It is worrisome, because we know he is a person we should not trust," said Maria Puga widow of Anastasio Hernandez, who related how during Scott’s tenure it was difficult to access evidence in her husband’s case. "He put a black hand in my husband’s case, that’s why we lasted 15 years to get to this moment," said Maria. A key moment, where the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights indicated in a document that in Anastasio’s case "the State is responsible for the violation of the rights to life, personal integrity, health, justice and humane treatment during the arrest". "It is important for the public to ask whether a person who participated not only in the abuse by its agents but also in the impunity and cover-up of the evidence in the case, a person who cannot recognize the abuse of force," said Andrea Guerrero, director of Alliance San Diego.

San Diego Union Tribune [5/1/2025 2:08 PM, Caleb Lunetta, 1682K] reports a 54-year-old man was arrested and charged in San Diego federal court this week on allegations that he attempted to smuggle exotic parakeets across the U.S.-Mexico border by hiding the birds inside his cowboy boots. The alleged smuggler, a Mexican citizen, was arrested on suspicion of hiding the birds in nylon stockings concealed inside his boots. He was charged with illegal importation and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, federal prosecutors said. The arrest occurred shortly after the man crossed the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Tuesday, according to the criminal complaint filed against him. After identifying himself as a Mexican citizen with a Global Entry card, the man told the border inspection officer that he had nothing to declare and that he was heading to San Diego, prosecutors said. A computer-generated alert told the officer to send the man to a secondary inspection station, court documents read. While there, an officer noticed a bulge around the man’s ankles. During a pat down, the officer discovered six orange fronted parakeets hidden inside the man’s boots, prosecutors said. A photo from the arrest shows the birds tightly wrapped in pantyhose that are sticking out the backside of the man’s boot above his right ankle. "The birds were placed in a bird cage with food and water until they could be cared for by veterinary services," prosecutors said in the complaint. "Some of the birds appeared to have injuries on their feet where they were tied.” A day later, Customs and Border Protection staff said they could hear more bird cries from inside the vehicle, according to court documents. Six more parakeets were then found inside the seat cushion of the Jeep’s passenger seat.

Univision [5/1/2025 9:53 AM, Marcos Martínez Chacón, 5325K] reports Tom Homan, ‘border czar’ for Donald Trump’s administration, recently stated that Mexico is indirectly "paying" for the wall that the president had proposed for years. Homan said that, with its deployment of thousands of National Guard soldiers and other actions, Mexico is practically "helping" to finance the construction of Trump’s border wall. "They’ve done it in a roundabout way, haven’t they?" Homan told reporters at the White House. "By putting 10,000 troops on the northern and southern border (of Mexico)." "We save millions of dollars every day in detention, transportation and deportation processes," he added at a press conference this week. "We more than offset the cost of that wall because of Mexico’s actions." "Is Mexico helping to build it? Yes, because we save so much money, millions of dollars a day, that we can afford to build it." Trump’s idea of building a border wall is not new. But Homan’s statements revived a stale idea that the Republican used to boost his first presidential campaign in 2016: that of forcing Mexico to pay for his "great wall." Experts on many occasions have said that a "wall" is not really effective in curbing the irregular passage of immigrants. In practice, Mexico has not disbursed a single peso to directly finance the installation of barriers on the U.S. side. But it is true that, through his tariff threats in his first administration and now, Trump has pressured Mexico to install another "wall", which consists of the militarization of the border with the deployment of thousands of soldiers to stop the migratory flow, said to Univision Noticias, Tonatiuh Guillén, former head of the Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM). "The wall is at the border and the wall is in the militarization of that border," said Guillén, a professor at the University Program of Development Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). "It is something that we have never had in history, there has never been anything like this. Neither on the Mexican side, nor on the U.S. side. In 2019, after Trump threatened aggressive tariffs on all Mexican imports, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered a massive deployment of the National Guard to stop the passage of migrants. History repeated itself in 2025. Adding a demand to stop the flow of fentanyl to the United States, Trump again threatened Mexico with tariffs, which led the Mexican government, now under Claudia Sheinbaum, to deploy thousands of soldiers to the southern and northern border of the Latin American country. For Guillén, who headed the INM in the first phase of López Obrador’s government and resigned in protest against the military deployment against migrants, said that the real "wall" is precisely in the current militarization of the border. With its actions in 2019, during Trump’s first term, and now in 2025, Mexico has given in to Trump’s demands by implementing an aggressive immigration "containment apparatus" at the service of the United States, Guillén said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

ABC News [5/1/2025 11:01 AM, Staff, 34586K] Video: HERE reports Adam Stahl, TSA senior official performing the duties of the administrator, discusses essential details regarding Real ID.

CBS News [5/1/2025 12:53 PM, Emily Mae Czachor, 33298K] reports Southwest Airlines flight headed for Houston did not take off from El Paso, Texas, as planned Wednesday morning after one passenger’s cellphone caught fire as the aircraft prepared for departure, the airline said. The plane returned to its gate at El Paso International Airport around 7:50 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News in a statement Thursday, confirming it will investigate what went wrong. While the agency characterized the incident as a "passenger disturbance" that crew members reported during the flight’s departure taxi, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said in a separate statement to CBS News that the fire appeared to stem from the battery inside a passenger’s cellphone, which appeared to go up in flames as the plane moved down the tarmac. The flight crew was able to extinguish the fire and other passengers on the plane "disembarked normally" once it arrived back at the gate, according to the spokesperson. The statement said Southwest was working with federal and local agencies investigating the incident.

Politico [5/1/2025 6:00 PM, Arianna Skibell, 2100K] reports when a major natural disaster hits, the federal government’s assistance typically includes money to help states lessen the damage from future catastrophes. No longer. President Donald Trump is quietly scaling back a multibillion-dollar program that has for years helped insulate homes, hospitals and other structures from floods, hurricanes and earthquakes, writes Thomas Frank. The move is Trump’s latest attempt to cut federal spending that helps Americans withstand disasters, as he scales back (and weighs abolishing) the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At issue is the Hazard Mitigation and Grant Program, which has allocated nearly $18 billion to states to safeguard 185,000 properties since 1989. More than $11 billion has helped keep medical facilities, power plants, roads and bridges functional during disasters. It has also gone to efforts such as elevating or demolishing flood-prone homes, installing tornado-safe rooms and strengthening buildings in earthquake zones. Neither FEMA nor the White House responded to Tom’s requests for comment. The program also saves the government money on the back end. Beefing up infrastructure before a new disaster hits means less costly damage afterward. That could be especially important as the country is slammed with more frequent and intense storms, fires and floods as the planet warms. But Trump has taken several moves to cut mitigation efforts. Last month, the administration canceled a FEMA resilience program that Trump’s first administration had created, calling it a “wasteful, politicized grant program.”

HSToday [5/1/2025 6:14 AM, Staff, 38K] reports President Donald J. Trump has appointed several new members to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council, a bipartisan group tasked with reforming and streamlining the nation’s emergency management and disaster response system, according to a press release on April 28. Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will co-chair the council. The FEMA Review Council is charged with streamlining operations and ensuring FEMA delivers rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief to Americans in need.

Washington Post [5/1/2025 12:19 PM, Matthew Cappucci and Ian Livingston, 31735K] reports more bouts of heavy rain and flooding are expected as the potential for an expansive zone of severe weather stretches from the Ohio Valley to Texas on Thursday. The past 72 hours have featured relentless rains across the southern Plains, with wide swaths of 2 to 5 inches and totals in some spots exceeding half a foot. Walters, in southwest Oklahoma, has logged 10.14 inches since Sunday night, and another round of heavy rains is slated for Thursday night. The potential zone of severe weather spans from Cleveland to Amarillo, Texas. It also includes Columbus and Cincinnati in Ohio; Louisville and Bowling Green in Kentucky; Nashville; Jackson, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Oklahoma City. The zone carries a slight (Level 2 out of 5) risk. As the thunderstorms redevelop and expand overnight, there may be additional flood concerns in southwest Oklahoma and the Red River Valley of north Texas.

New York Times [5/1/2025 8:08 AM, Claire Moses and Nazaneen Ghaffar, 145325K] reports a slow-moving storm brought deadly flooding to Oklahoma on Wednesday, shutting down roadways and sweeping away cars. Parts of Oklahoma and Texas were expected to see more rain on Thursday that could cause more flash flooding, the National Weather Service warned, after several inches of rain fell in both states. One man was killed in Pottawatomie County in Oklahoma, the sheriff’s office said, after it received a report of a vehicle that had been swept off the road. A deputy sheriff tried to rescue the man, according to the sheriff’s office, but “was caught in a powerful current and became trapped in a life-threatening situation.” The deputy was transported to the hospital, and the man died at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. A second person died in neighboring Lincoln County when their vehicle was caught in floodwaters, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman, Sarah Stewart, told The Associated Press. Parts of central and southern Oklahoma received up to eight inches of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, with up to six inches falling in parts of Texas. The National Weather Service said areas in southwestern Oklahoma and across the Red River into Arkansas were expected to receive more than an inch of rain, and some spots just north of the river could get over two inches on Thursday. Rainfall could come down at a rate of one to two inches per hour, which would easily overwhelm the already soaked ground. The heaviest rain was expected on Thursday evening and overnight, according to forecasters. Flooding forced road closures in at least 32 counties in Oklahoma on Wednesday, the state’s department of emergency management said Wednesday evening. “Though the water has receded on some of the roadways, the condition of the infrastructure of the roads due to wash outs will need to be inspected for your safety,” Lincoln County’s emergency management department said. Oklahoma’s Highway Patrol warned drivers to avoid floodwater: “Be careful driving if you have to get out. Reduce your speed. And always remember — don’t drive into standing water.”

Univision [5/1/2025 8:47 AM, Staff, 5325K] reports at least two people drowned when their vehicles were caught in flooding in Oklahoma on Wednesday after slow-moving thunderstorms flooded highways in parts of that state and Texas, authorities reported. Heavy rains and severe thunderstorms mean an increased risk of flash flooding in the south-central United States through Thursday, the National Weather Service said. At least two people drowned when their vehicles were caught in flooding in Oklahoma on Wednesday after slow-moving thunderstorms flooded highways in parts of that state and Texas, authorities reported. Heavy rains and severe thunderstorms mean an increased risk of flash flooding in the south-central United States through Thursday, the National Weather Service said. A man drowned in Oklahoma after his vehicle was swept off a Pottawatomie County road, Police Chief Freeland Wood said. "My deputy went in to try to save him, and he got caught in the same problem," Wood said. The deputy was treated at a local hospital and released. Floodwaters closed nearly three dozen roads in the county. Another drowning was reported in neighboring Lincoln County after a driver’s vehicle became trapped in floodwaters along a highway northwest of Prague, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said. State officials reported that numerous drivers were rescued from floodwaters, while some residents in the small town of Lexington evacuated their homes as floodwaters rose. Oklahoma City set a record Wednesday with 11.94 inches of rain in April, surpassing the 1947 mark of 11.91 inches, Oklahoma state climatologist Gary McManus indicated. Meanwhile, Oklahoma was on pace to break the 1942 record for statewide average rainfall of 8.32 inches for the month of April. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Federal News Network [5/1/2025 12:52 PM, Michele Sandiford, 1089K] reports ederal firefighters within the Defense Department continue to struggle with significant workforce shortages. The DoD has been operating below the minimum required staffing level for firefighters since 2019. That’s according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. GAO said the staffing gaps partially stem from worse pay and work schedules than those offered by local fire departments. To address the issue, GAO said DoD should analyze the factors affecting staffing challenges and make a department-wide workforce plan.

Los Angeles Times [5/1/2025 10:40 AM, James Pollard, 13342K] reports the Campaign Against Hunger was already struggling to feed thousands of families a week when the Trump administration pulled more than $1.3 million in grants. Demand has only increased at the New York nonprofit since the city emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic insecurity. In a first for the pantry, however, it isn’t just the jobless lining up for its fresh produce and meats. It’s working people, too. Food banks typically see the most need during periods of high unemployment and yet the U.S. is facing down a hunger crisis during a relatively resilient labor market. The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture research showed there were 1 million more food-insecure households in 2023 than in 2022. Now, income stagnation and rising living costs are sending wage earners to food banks across the country — all as the federal government shuts off funding streams that provide millions with healthier, harder-to-get groceries. The squeeze comes as Republicans discuss budget plans that hunger relief groups fear will deepen the crisis by slashing food stamp spending. "We were already in a bad state. But now we have been plunged head-down into a crisis that should never have been," said Melony Samuels, executive director of The Campaign Against Hunger. "If major cuts like these continue, I would imagine that our doors will close.” Funding cuts began threatening food availability in March. The USDA halted $500 million of expected food deliveries and cut another $1 billion for hunger relief programs supporting local producers. The Department of Homeland Security also rescinded Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for local governments and nonprofits — including Campaign Against Hunger — to shelter and feed newly arrived noncitizen migrants after their release. "Secretary [Kristi] Noem has directed FEMA to implement additional controls to ensure that all grant money going out is consistent with law and does not go to fraud, waste or abuse, as in the past," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Samuels said her nonprofit is limiting normally twice-a-month food distributions to once a month due to the lost funds, which are being withheld amid what she called "baseless allegations" from DHS that the nonprofit might have broken laws against transporting migrants in the country illegally.

USA Today [5/1/2025 11:16 AM, Trevor Hughes, 75858K] reports a secretive underground FEMA base where congressional leaders hid following the 9/11 attacks is getting an upgrade. But what exactly are workers doing at Mount Weather? Well, that’s classified ‒ and the contractors who are doing the work have top secret security clearances. Buried in the Blue Ridge Mountains 64 miles west of Washington, D.C., Mount Weather is part of a network of underground facilities scattered across the United States designed to protect federal leaders during a crisis. It takes less than 30 minutes by helicopter to reach Mount Weather from Capitol Hill. "The breadth and depth of capabilities offered by Mount Weather make it a unique facility," FEMA said in a rare 2009 fact sheet about the site. "The (facility) supports a variety of disaster response and continuity missions, mostly classified." The "continuity of government" sites also include Colorado’s Cheyenne Mountain bunker, with buildings made from battleship steel sitting atop giant springs to help them weather a nuclear attack. The public generally cannot visit Mount Weather’s underground facility, but a USA TODAY reporter was permitted to tour Cheyenne Mountain in 2015. Mount Weather, which is also known as the High Point Special Facility, has both above- and below-ground facilities as part of its 564-acre site, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the complex in early April, posing for photos outside with the complex’s fulltime fire department and armed FEMA security guards. "This DHS Command Center is crucial to emergency relief and federal coordination in the face of disaster," Noem said in a social media post that showed her visiting a cozy living room with historical plaques and (unreadable) information signs on display beneath her photo, along with that of President Donald Trump. What Noem didn’t do, however, was reveal any details about the classified parts of the bunker system. But federal contracting details and historical announcements from FEMA provide tantalizing hints about the facility that started life as a weather and mining research site in the early 1900s.

Los Angeles Times [5/1/2025 6:00 AM, Carlin Stiehl, 13342K] reports "I’m going through all this," said Johnson, 62. "And I just came through a disaster.” With her struggles, Johnson was surprised to learn that there could have been another path to long-term housing. After major wildfires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other cataclysmic events, FEMA often directly rents apartments for disaster survivors who cannot find somewhere on their own. Yet the agency has not implemented the program in Los Angeles. Johnson said relying on FEMA for a home would have put her on a path to recovery rather than living in an "emergency mode" where she’s just trying to make it through each day. "It would stabilize you a lot faster," she said. Federal and state emergency officials said that they have not started the program, known as Direct Lease, because it’s not needed. Their analysis of available apartments in L.A. County shows more than 5,600 listed at prices within the limits of FEMA reimbursements. "The data does not support a rental shortage," said Monica Vargas, spokesperson for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. This stance baffles national and local disaster relief advocates who contend that the public agencies are overlooking precedents across the country and realities on the ground. Heavenly Hughes, co-founder of Altadena nonprofit My Tribe Rise, said she believes there are potentially thousands of Eaton fire survivors with insecure housing like Johnson, including those doubling up with relatives, sleeping on couches or packing into hotel rooms. Organizations like hers, she said, are straining to keep up with the demand. "If these agencies are set up to show compassion and care, to have these people have some type of normalcy, the first part would be helping people find housing," Hughes said. "It’s sad there has to be this much talking when they should know we need it.” After disasters, FEMA’s primary housing assistance comes through subsidies that survivors can use to find their own apartments. To supplement that, the agency frequently looks to lease properties not typically available for long-term stays, such as corporate and vacation rentals, where it can house people otherwise unable to find housing directly with rent covered for up to 18 months. In Maui, more than 1,100 households moved into apartments and condominiums through the FEMA program after that community’s devastating 2023 wildfires. Direct Lease provides a necessary backstop for people suddenly in need, said Noah Patton, manager of disaster recovery at D.C.-based nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition. "If they can’t find a landlord that’s willing to take the money that FEMA is paying, they’re out of luck," Patton said. "The idea is to have a list of eligible properties you could give to a disaster survivor and say, ‘Just go here.’".

FOX News [5/1/2025 3:30 PM, Lindsay Kornick, 46189K] reports a Maine high school English teacher’s Facebook posts went viral after she called on the U.S. Secret Service to "take out" people who support President Donald Trump’s "illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts" and also called for the president’s death. As of Thursday afternoon, the post remained public and pinned to the top of her Facebook page. In several follow-up posts, St. Germain stood by her comments, saying that she was not attacking all Republicans or MAGA but Trump and "those in the room" with him. She also said that she was not afraid of losing her job and had no shame over the backlash. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the U.S. Secret Service said it was made aware of St. Germain’s post but that it does not comment on matters "involving protective intelligence."

NewsMax [5/1/2025 5:51 PM, Solange Reyner, 4998K] reports a Maine teacher has called for President Donald Trump and members of his administration to be killed, according to news reports. JoAnna St. Germain, an English teacher at Waterville Senior High School, made Facebook posts on Tuesday calling on the Secret Service to "take out every single person who supports Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts.” "You are the ones with power. Coordinate," she said. "Look at the sycophants and give them what they’re asking for. "Every other country sees what’s happening and they are taking stands. If you step up, we can avoid a civil war," she added. St. Germain wrote that she would not view the act as "assassinating a president," because "a president is a person duly elected by the American people.” "If I had the skill set required, I would take them out myself," she said. "I’m making this post public for a reason, I promise you. Don’t waste time wondering if I’m okay. I’m not. If you’re okay, you’re lying to yourself.” The Secret Service told Maine’s Total Coverage it was aware of the posts.

Breaking Defense [5/1/2025 1:18 PM, Lee Ferran, 464K] reports reconciliation legislation worming its way through the Hill includes over $9 billion in funding for two major icebreaker programs, as the US races to rebuild its fleet to operate in ice-packed Arctic waters. The money is divided into two pots for the Coast Guard: $4.3 billion for the larger Polar Security Cutters and nearly $5 billion for medium-sized Arctic Security Cutters as well as “domestic” icebreakers, according to a reconciliation package [approved by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday. The potential influx of funding, highlighted Monday by USNI before being only slightly altered by lawmakers during mark-up, comes as the White House has made reconstituting America’s icebreaker fleet a priority. The US currently operates a single heavy polar icebreaker, a medium polar icebreaker, a recently acquired converted commercial polar icebreaking vessel, and more than two dozen smaller icebreaking-capable vessels down to tugboats that operate in the Great Lakes and elsewhere in North America. The new funding is expected to come through the overarching budget reconciliation process, which allows a party with a slight majority in both chambers to push through legislation without the threat of filibuster. Trump and congressional Republicans hope to use reconciliation to move ahead with White House priorities on defense, border security and sweeping federal spending cuts without having to make concessions to Democrats. The House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday passed the defense-focused reconciliation bill, which includes $150 billion in new funding. However, as the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, the icebreaker funding is included in a different part of the reconciliation package, which has yet to see a vote.

Maritime Executive [5/1/2025 6:35 PM, Staff, 325K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has signed off on the transition to full production of the first hull in the Polar Security Cutter series (PSC). The long-delayed project is a mission-critical replacement for the Polar Star, the United States’ sole remaining heavy icebreaker. The service said that the transition to production status allows the Coast Guard (and the Navy program office that supports it) to build momentum on the project. It also gives shipbuilder Bollinger the ability to ramp up hiring, which will allow it to deliver the ship as quickly as possible. The Polar Security Cutter is the first heavy icebreaker built in the United States in nearly 50 years, and all of the stakeholders involved in the project have had to relearn the skills required for constructing this uniquely demanding vessel class. The PSC’s ultra-thick hull is built of special cold-resistant steel to withstand polar temperatures, and the vessel is densely and heavily compartmentalized for strength. This adds considerable technical complexity and cost when compared to a typical Coast Guard cutter. A Congressional Budget Office report on the project found that it had also suffered from significant design issues, which the shipbuilder and the USCG have worked to address. The program started with a contract award to VT Halter, owned at the time by Singapore’s ST Engineering. Bollinger took over when it bought VT Halter in 2022. In March, the Coast Guard awarded Bollinger a $950 million contract modification to underwrite the extra expenses. According to Bollinger, the timeline for delivery is now in 2030, six years behind schedule.

NBC 6 Wilmington [5/1/2025 5:33 PM, Staff, 307K] reports the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and Sector North Carolina are searching for who is responsible for making fake distress phone calls. According to the Coast Guard, the individual made multiple fake distress calls from the Wilmington area, specifically the Leland and Brunswick County area. The Coast Guard says the calls included the individual calling out for help with various locations and descriptions of the vessels or nature of distress. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Maritime Executive [5/1/2025 8:09 PM, Staff, 325K] reports six days after a spill began at a marshland well site in the Pass a Loutre area of the Mississippi Delta, the Coast Guard has decided to federalize the response effort and tap the Oil Pollution Liability Trust Fund. As of Thursday, the well was still not under control and was continuing to spray an unknown amount of orange-brown oil mist into the surrounding water. The mixed oil and gas release began last weekend at a well near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility, an oil collection point near Pass a Loutre. Operator Spectrum OpCo LLC, the Coast Guard and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) set up a response team and brought in multiple contractors to begin a cleanup effort. A well control contractor arrived on scene early in the response, and their source intervention and well control operations continue. More equipment for that work - including cutting tools, a capping stack, piping, a crane and storage barges - are now en route and are being staged for an operation to shut off the flow. So far, the spill response contractors have collected about 33,000 gallons of oily water mixture, and the cleanup effort continues with support from 180 personnel, 12 skimming vessels and various collection equipment. About 12,000 feet of standard containment boom have been deployed, with more on standby as needed. No injuries or wildlife impacts are reported, and the spill is far enough from the main shipping lanes that it has not affected deep-draft marine traffic. A one-mile safety zone remains in effect around the epicenter of the spill.

USA Today [5/1/2025 11:10 AM, Jeanine Santucci, 75858K] reports the man driving a recreational boat that crashed into a ferry in the water near Clearwater, Florida, on April 27, killing one and injuring several others, denied that he fled the scene in a letter to investigators from his attorney, according to multiple news outlets. Jeff Knight, identified as a local businessman, stayed at the scene of the crash for several minutes until first responders arrived and tried to provide assistance, his lawyer J. Kevin Hayslett wrote in a letter to investigators that was published by CNN and WTSP. The Clearwater Police Department previously said that the boat "fled the scene." "(A)ny suggestion that Mr. Knight left the scene is wholly unsupported," Hayslett wrote in the letter dated April 29, published by CNN. USA TODAY has reached out to Hayslett and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is investigating. The collision happened near the Memorial Causeway bridge at about 8:40 p.m. on April 27, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. There were about 45 people on the ferry, many of whom were returning from a day of revelry at the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival on Clearwater Beach. Authorities said a blue and white recreational boat carrying six people hit the ferry with 45 people on board and then drove away from the scene. It was found 3.5 miles away, and officials said the driver was cooperative and took a breathalyzer test in which no alcohol was found present. Ten adults on the ferry had injuries ranging from broken bones to head injuries, officials said at a news conference. The Clearwater Fire Department declared the scene a mass casualty incident because of the number of injuries, six of which were declared trauma alerts with two taken to a hospital by helicopter. Hayslett said Knight complied with Florida law requiring him to try to help. Knight told one of his passengers to call 911 and tied his boat to the ferry to "stabilize it and render aid" and move it closer to shore so first responders would have easier access, Hayslett wrote. Knight also told the captain of the ferry he could transport passengers to a hospital on his boat, an offer that was declined, Hayslett said in the letter. Knight then realized his boat was taking on water and worried it would sink, and decided he needed to get it back to his dock so he could take it out of the water, the letter said. "Only after Clearwater Police Officers were in the water and ambulances had arrived did Mr. Knight leave in order to prevent his boat from sinking with an infant on board," Hayslett wrote.

Yahoo News [5/1/2025 10:09 AM, Ashley Suter, 59943K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa’s crew offloaded around 3,750 pounds of cocaine and marijuana during Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday in Port Everglades. The seized cocaine and marijuana are worth an estimated $12.3 million. According to the USCG, the seized drugs were a result of two interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crew of USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul and their embarked Navy helicopter and Coast Guard law enforcement. “We train diligently and stand ready to execute interdiction missions at moment’s notice,” said Cmdr. Steven Fresse, Minneapolis-Saint Paul commanding officer. “To be able to make an immediate impact so early on during our maiden deployment is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew.” “Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale was a great opportunity for our Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps crews to showcase our sea services to communities here in South Florida,” said Cmdr. Walter Krolman, Tampa commanding officer. “Today’s offload demonstrates the value of our collaborative joint force operations far out to sea in protecting and defending Americans here at home from threats abroad.

Yahoo! News [5/1/2025 5:06 PM, Alexa Daly, 52868K] Video: HERE reports Preparing for the worst — a mass rescue operation exercise was conducted on board NAS Pensacola Thursday, simulating a crash between a charter boat and a ferry in the Pensacola Pass. "Think a lot of people in the water at once. How do we all coordinate and get on scene and get as many people out of the water as we can as quickly as possible," Lt. Cmdr. Mike Francis, Search and Rescue Mission coordinator at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile said. Local first responders and the United States Coast Guard worked together to recover victims and get them the care they may need. "The ability for us to multiply our force on the water is critical. Especially in a situation where you’ve got you know ten people in the water, 20 people in the water," Francis said. While Thursday it was mannequins rescued from the water, it’s a scenario that could become real at any moment. "When you come out here on a weekend and you see the number of boats that are in the water, you just know that it’s not a matter of if it’s just a matter of when and being able to have these drills and work with these other agencies that just allows us to work better," Steve Boothe, battalion chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue said.

DVIDS [5/1/2025 2:41 PM, Clarabelle Knyzhov, 777K] reports U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile conducted a mass rescue operation exercise May 1 at Coast Guard Station Pensacola, simulating a large-scale maritime emergency. The exercise, designed to enhance regional emergency response capabilities, involved the deployment of rescue mannequins to simulate multiple victims in the water. During the operation, U.S. Coast Guard service members and Escambia County Fire & Rescue and Escambia County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) worked side by side to test real-time coordination, communication and rescue procedures. The training scenario emphasized the importance of interagency collaboration in responding to high-casualty maritime incidents. Participants included local, federal and military personnel, all focused on improving response speed, efficiency and teamwork under pressure.

Maritime Executive [5/1/2025 8:09 PM, Staff, 325K] reports six days after a spill began at a marshland well site in the Pass a Loutre area of the Mississippi Delta, the Coast Guard has decided to federalize the response effort and tap the Oil Pollution Liability Trust Fund. As of Thursday, the well was still not under control and was continuing to spray an unknown amount of orange-brown oil mist into the surrounding water. The mixed oil and gas release began last weekend at a well near the Garden Island Bay Production Facility, an oil collection point near Pass a Loutre. Operator Spectrum OpCo LLC, the Coast Guard and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) set up a response team and brought in multiple contractors to begin a cleanup effort. A well control contractor arrived on scene early in the response, and their source intervention and well control operations continue. More equipment for that work - including cutting tools, a capping stack, piping, a crane and storage barges - are now en route and are being staged for an operation to shut off the flow.

FOX News [5/1/2025 6:30 PM, Alexandra Koch, 46189K] reports two U.S. Coast Guard cutters snatched more than a dozen alleged illegal immigrants Wednesday off the coast of San Diego. Just before 4:30 a.m., the crew aboard one of the cutters intercepted a 20-foot cabin-style vessel carrying 15 alleged illegal immigrants about 10 miles northwest of Point Loma, according to a news release from the Coast Guard. There were 11 adult men and four adult women aboard the boat, all claiming Mexican nationality, according to the release. All 15 alleged illegal immigrants were taken into custody by the Coast Guard and transferred to U.S. Border Patrol personnel. The arrests come after a record-shattering immigration operation in Florida, which resulted in more than 1,100 arrests in just one week. Operation Tidal Wave, a massive immigration enforcement crackdown, involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami and multiple Florida law enforcement agencies. Just four days into the operation, officials announced there were nearly 800 arrests, including a convicted Colombian murderer, alleged MS-13 and 18th Street gang members and a Russian with an Interpol Red Notice for manslaughter. While there has been pushback amid arguments about due process, ICE arrested more than 66,000 illegal immigrants and removed more than 65,000 during the president’s first 100 days of his second term. Those arrests included 2,288 suspected gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. In addition to gang members, ICE said more than 1,300 of those arrested were accused or convicted of sex offenses, and 498 were accused or convicted of murder. "If you enter this country illegally, you are a criminal," ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said during a news conference Thursday. "You will be deported. You will have the opportunity to be able to come back into this country through the correct immigration processes.

FOX News [5/1/2025 10:00 AM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports that bipartisan lawmakers are introducing a bill on Capitol Hill Thursday focused on protecting the country’s water systems from foreign hackers, just months after China admitted behind closed doors that it was responsible for a series of attacks on U.S. infrastructure. Senators Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., authored the Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act to help protect public water systems and respond to cyberattacks, which have become more frequent in recent years. "In Arizona, we know better than most the importance of safe and secure access to water. But adversaries also understand the importance and are increasingly trying to undermine our water security," Gallego said. "It is critical that we ensure our public water systems have the resources they need to prevent and respond to cyberattacks. That’s exactly what this bipartisan, commonsense bill does." The bill would extend and expand a portion of the Safe Drinking Water Act, called the Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program, to provide technical assistance and grants to community water systems that can be used for training and guidance on cyberattack protections and responses. Cotton said cyberattacks on public infrastructure are a growing threat. "This bipartisan bill will strengthen our ability to protect essential services and support local water utilities in building stronger cyber defenses," he added. The bill comes less than a month after the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials acknowledged behind closed doors in December that their government was responsible for a series of attacks on U.S. infrastructure. In the exclusive report, those who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed Chinese officials connected the cyberattacks on U.S. ports, airports, utilities and other important targets to America’s support for Taiwan. The report noted that Biden administration officials learned of the attacks first hand during a summit in Geneva, as their Chinese counterparts blamed the campaign, referred to as Volt Typhoon, on a criminal organization. Chinese officials also accused the U.S. of blaming China based on their imagination.

CyberScoop [5/1/2025 8:05 PM, Greg Otto] reports the senior director for cyber at the White House’s National Security Council told an audience Thursday that he wants to “destigmatize” offensive cyber operations, seeing them as a vital tool in the government’s playbook in its battle with foreign adversaries. Alexei Bulazel told an audience at the RSAC 2025 conference that he views offensive cyber as “one arrow in the quiver” when weighing response options to an adversary’s actions against the country in the digital realm. “This isn’t offense for offense’s sake, but being able to respond in kind if we’re the victim of foreign aggression,” he said. His comments highlight a shifting perspective in the top levels of the Trump administration when compared to past administrations. What was once viewed as a controversial or escalatory tactic now appears poised to become a normalized aspect of the United States’ national security toolkit. While Bulazel noted that “it’s fun to talk about offensive cyber because it gets people’s attention,” he and his team at the National Security Council are looking at offensive cyber as an evolution to previous policies that have focused on deterrence.

Federal News Network [5/1/2025 7:09 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1089K] reports while much of the cybersecurity community’s attention was out west at the annual RSA Conference, the Justice Department announced yet another settlement in its pursuit of contractors who falsely attest to meeting cybersecurity requirements. DoJ announced today that Raytheon Company, RTX Corporation and Nightwing Group have agreed to pay $8.3 million to settle allegations that Raytheon violated the False Claims Act by falling short of contractually mandated cybersecurity standards. RTX sold its cybersecurity, intelligence and services business to Nightwing in 2024. DoJ’s case centered on conduct between 2015 and 2021, prior to the acquisition. The case is another feather in the cap for DoJ’s Civil-Cyber Fraud Initiative. Started under the Biden administration, the goal of the initiative is to enforce cybersecurity requirements that many contractors had been ignoring through the False Claims Act. "As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is critical that defense contractors take the required steps to protect sensitive government information from bad actors," Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a press release. "We will continue our efforts to hold contractors accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.” The government alleged Raytheon and its cyber subsidiary didn’t implement required cybersecurity controls on an internal system used to perform unclassified work on some Defense Department contracts. The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought forward by a former director of engineering with Raytheon. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers can sue on behalf of the government when they believe an organization submitted false claims for government funds. The whistleblower in the case received a $1.5 million share of the settlement. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called for a "smaller, more nimble" CISA during her January confirmation hearing, but has said little else about plans for the agency since. Meanwhile, the cyber agency has seen hundreds of employees either resign or get laid off as part of broader cuts across DHS. On Tuesday, Noem laid out a more expansive vision for CISA during a keynote address at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, Ca. But she still pointed back to conservatives’ contention that CISA’s efforts to combat mis- and disinformation was inappropriate. "We need to put CISA back to focusing on its core mission," Noem said. "They were deciding what was truth and what was not. And it’s not the job of CISA to be the ‘Ministry of Truth.’ It’s to be a cybersecurity agency that works to protect this country.” Noem said CISA "can play a big role" in helping state and local governments, and critical infrastructure plug holes in their cyber defenses.

NewsMax [5/1/2025 11:01 PM, Jim Thomas, 4998K] reports cybersecurity experts are warning Apple users to update their devices immediately after researchers uncovered a critical flaw in the company’s AirPlay system that could allow hackers to access private data, deploy malware, and even eavesdrop on conversations, the New York Post reported. A newly discovered vulnerability known as "AirBorne" is putting millions of Apple users at risk, according to cybersecurity researchers who say the flaw enables hackers to infiltrate devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network — including in public locations such as airports, cafes, and offices. The threat targets Apple’s AirPlay protocol and software development kit, or SDK, which are widely used to stream media between devices wirelessly. Experts say the flaw could give hackers backdoor access to various gadgets, including iPhones, smart TVs, and even car systems. "Because AirPlay is supported in such a wide variety of devices, there are a lot that will take years to patch — or they will never be patched," said Gal Elbaz, chief technology officer and co-founder of Tel Aviv, Israel-based cybersecurity firm Oligo, in an interview with Wired. "And it’s all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything." Researchers uncovered 23 flaws in the AirPlay framework, some of which affect devices users may not even be actively using. Bluetooth speakers or outdated set-top boxes still connected to the network can become gateways for attackers. "If a hacker can get on the same network as one of these devices, they can gain control and use it as a stepping stone to reach everything else," Elbaz warned. Apple has issued security updates for its devices, and users are encouraged to install the latest software immediately. But many third-party manufacturers that use AirPlay technology have yet to provide updates for their products — a delay that experts say could have serious consequences. "When third-party manufacturers integrate Apple technologies like AirPlay via an SDK, obviously Apple no longer has direct control over the hardware or the patching process," said Patrick Wardle, CEO of the Apple-focused security firm DoubleYou. "If third-party vendors drag their feet — or skip updates entirely — it could leave users exposed and might chip away at consumer trust in the entire ‘Apple ecosystem.’"

Chicago Tribune [5/1/2025 1:58 PM, Tess Kenny, 5269K] reports four days after a ransomware attack hit DuPage County computers, officials have offered little information about the incident — including whether there was any breach of data — but offered assurances that the government continues to function. "Thanks to extensive planning and preparedness efforts, we have been able to ensure the continuity of operations for the residents of DuPage County," Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton, Circuit Court Clerk Candice Adams and Sheriff Jim Mendrick said in a joint statement Wednesday in response to questions over where the situation stands. Asked whether any sensitive information was compromised by the attack, county spokesman Evan Shields declined comment, citing an active investigation. Initially described as a "cyber incident," the event was first detected about 2:30 a.m. Monday, according to county officials. By Monday afternoon, the county confirmed it had been the target of a ransomware attack that impacted the sheriff’s office, circuit clerk’s office and courthouse. The attack forced systems across the three offices offline while tech personnel worked to "determine the full extent" of the strike, officials said. The county contacted the FBI and U.S. Secret Service about the incident. Through the course of the event, courtrooms have remained open and judicial matters continue to proceed, officials said in their joint statement Wednesday. The county’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management provided back-up telephone and internet service to the sheriff’s office early Monday morning. IT staff have also been "working around the clock to assist these offices as needed," officials said.

CyberScoop [5/1/2025 8:02 PM, Matt Kapko] reports federal authorities extradited a Ukrainian citizen to the United States on Wednesday to face charges for participating in a series of ransomware cyberattacks on organizations based in the U.S. and multiple European countries. Artem Stryzhak, 35, was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and was scheduled to appear for arraignment Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Stryzhak is accused of conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity, including extortion. Prosecutors accuse Stryzhak and his co-conspirators of using Nefilim ransomware to encrypt computer networks in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland between late 2018 to late 2021. “As alleged, the defendant was part of an international ransomware scheme in which he conspired to target high-revenue companies in the United States, steal data, and hold data hostage in exchange for payment. If victims did not pay, the criminals then leaked the data online,” John Durham, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.

Washington Post [5/1/2025 1:53 PM, Ben Brasch, 31735K] reports the Education Department this week began cutting about $1 billion in mental-health-related grants created in response to mass school shootings, claiming that schools that want to diversify their pool of psychologists are misusing the funds. School psychology professionals across the country are scrambling to figure out how to move forward after being told funding for their multiyear programs will expire at the end of December if they don’t decide to appeal. The two grants affected received an additional $1 billion after President Joe Biden signed a sweeping bipartisan gun-control bill into law in 2022, a month after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The cuts that started Tuesday are in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order that seeks to eliminate programs that foster diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. Last month the administration canceled grants funding gun-violence prevention programs and crime-victim advocacy. Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann said some grants were being misused and not helping students or mental health professionals in schools.

Axios [5/1/2025 7:59 PM, Sareen Habeshian, 13163K] reports Luigi Mangione’s defense team is seeking to dismiss the New York state indictment against him, according to a motion filed Thursday. Mangione, who was charged with murder in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year, is potentially facing the death penalty. The 26-year-old was indicted on federal charges last month and has pleaded not guilty to state murder and terrorism charges in New York City. Mangione’s defense attorneys say in a notice to the N.Y. Supreme Court that the state indictment against him should be dismissed because "concurrent state and federal prosecutions violate the double jeopardy clause" of the Fifth Amendment. His legal team also cites the 14th Amendment’s due process clause and the constitutional right against self-incrimination. They argue the indictment’s two terrorism-related counts should be dismissed because the grand jury evidence did not meet the requirement. NewsMax [5/1/2025 8:41PM, Michael R. Sisak, 4998K] reports Mangione’s lawyers also want to exclude statements he made to police officers who took him into custody at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles west of New York City, after a five-day search. Among other things, prosecutors say the Ivy League graduate apologized to officers "for the inconvenience of the day," and expressed concern for a McDonald’s employee who alerted them to his whereabouts, saying: "A lot of people will be upset I was arrested.” Thompson’s Dec. 4 killing outside a Manhattan hotel "has led to a legal tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors as they fight for who controls the fate of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione," his lawyers, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan wrote in a 57-page court filing. They called the dual state and federal cases, plus a third in Pennsylvania involving gun possession and other charges, "unprecedented prosecutorial one-upmanship." They said prosecutors "are trying to get two bites at the apple to convict Mr. Mangione" of murder. "Yet, despite the gravest of consequences for Mr. Mangione, law enforcement has methodically and purposefully trampled his constitutional rights," his lawyers wrote. They allege officers questioned him without telling him he had a right to remain silent and searched his property without a warrant. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said it would respond in court papers. The defense’s demands to end or limit Mangione’s state case could preview his legal strategy for his federal murder case, where prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. The state charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. Mangione, who turns 27 on Tuesday, has pleaded not guilty in both cases. He has been held in a Brooklyn federal jail since authorities whisked him to New York by plane and helicopter after his arrest.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [5/1/2025 7:19 PM, Alice Gainer, 51661K]

FOX News [5/1/2025 1:06 PM, Stephen Sorace, 46189K] reports attorneys for the family of Tiru Chabba, one of two men killed during a mass shooting at Florida State University last month, have called for a transparent investigation as many questions surrounding the violence remain answered. Bakari Sellers, a national civil rights attorney with Strom Law, and his colleagues, Jim Bannister and J Robert Bell III, held a news conference on the university campus on Wednesday asking for answers about Chabba’s death. "The reason we’re here today is because the Chabba family just wants individuals to know their heartfelt sense of gratitude, but also we’re asking for a thorough and transparent investigation," Sellers said. "We believe that that’s necessary for healing." Chabba was on the FSU campus working as an employee for a campus vendor at the time of the mass shooting at the Tallahassee school just before noon on April 17. He was a 45-year-old father from Greenville, South Carolina. He is survived by his wife and two children. Sellers said the Chabba family wants accountability in the criminal process, and answers as to the shooter’s motive and how he obtained the firearm. "We’re looking for accountability from the university to see what, if anything, they could have done to prevent it or prevent these things from happening in the future," he said.

The Hill [5/1/2025 9:44 AM, Elizabeth Crisp, 12829K] reports an Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck at a Mesa, Ariz., dealership last month, federal authorities announced Wednesday. Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts of malicious damage to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration. The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal jury’s indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack. According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word "THIEF.” Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Moses’s pocket that had the letter "T" marking the dealership’s location. "There is nothing American about burning down someone else’s business because you disagree with them politically," Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. "These ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.” If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Moses’s indictment that there would be "no negotiating" on the charges. "If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," Bondi said. Bondi indicated earlier this year that vandalism targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles would be treated as "domestic terrorism.” "The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism," she said in a March 18 statement. "We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

CBS News [5/1/2025 8:40 PM, Jennifer Jacobs, Sara Cook, Kathryn Watson] reports national security adviser Mike Waltz is leaving his White House post, although soon after reports about his departure were published, President Trump announced he plans to nominate him to be ambassador to the United Nations. It was not clear whether Alex Wong, Waltz’s deputy, would remain at the National Security Council, as of Thursday afternoon, sources said. The president also said in a social media post that in the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as national security adviser. Waltz will need to be confirmed by the Senate for the ambassador role. "I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations," Mr. Trump wrote. "From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department." Waltz said on X, "I’m deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation." It was a last-minute decision to nominate Waltz to be U.N. ambassador, sources told CBS News. Mr. Trump decided Thursday morning, the sources said, but there had been previous discussions about moving Waltz out of the NSC. A number of factors led to the change. It was perceived at the White House that Waltz didn’t adequately vet NSC staff, sources said, in addition to the Signal saga and a lack of a good fit between Waltz and the senior team. But Mr. Trump respects Waltz, sources said, and, unlike some figures in Mr. Trump’s first term, Waltz wasn’t ousted unceremoniously. He was instead given a high-profile new post. Journalist Mark Halperin first reported the departures. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce learned of the president’s decision to appoint Rubio interim national security adviser during a briefing she was giving Thursday. Asked by a reporter about how long he might serve in the position, Bruce responded, "It is clear that I just heard this from you." The president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, had multiple conversations on the Waltz matter on Thursday, sources said. In March, Waltz came under scrutiny after he put together a Signal chat and mistakenly included The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, disclosing discussions with top national security officials about plans for a military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. Goldberg published his account, and he initially omitted operational details, but after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe denied any classified information had been shared on the chat, Goldberg published that information, too, which included the timing of the strikes and the weapons packages used. After Waltz admitted behind closed doors the authenticity of the reporting, White House officials debated whether he should resign, but Waltz never made the offer, and Mr. Trump did not ask him to step down at the time. Publicly, President Trump signaled his support for Waltz by calling him "a good man" who "learned a lesson." One source familiar with the situation at the National Security Council said the president thinks sufficient time has passed since the Signal incident that Waltz and Wong’s departures could be framed as part of a reorganization. The president had been hesitant to oust Waltz over the perception that doing so could be seen as bending to outside pressure. Wong, reached by phone, declined to comment.

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Roll Call [5/1/2025 2:55 PM, John T. Bennett, 503K]
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NPR [5/1/2025 7:23 PM, Franco Ordoñez, 29983K]
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CNN [5/1/2025 3:45 PM, Kaitlan Collins, Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny, Kristen Holmes, Zachary Cohen and Alex Marquardt, 908K]
FOX News [5/1/2025 2:23 PM, Emma Colton, 46189K]
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Washington Post [5/1/2025 3:58 PM, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung, Missy Ryan, and Adam Taylor, 31735K] reports President Donald Trump ordered the biggest personnel shake-up of his new administration on Thursday, replacing his national security adviser, Michael Waltz with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will carry out the job on an interim basis while also serving as the nation’s top diplomat. Trump said he is nominating Waltz as U.N. ambassador. The decision reflects Trump’s disappointment with Waltz over his inadvertent inclusion of a journalist on a group chat about military operations in Yemen, and broader frustration over Waltz’s appointment of staffers viewed as disloyal to the president. But in choosing to nominate him as U.N. ambassador, a job that requires Senate approval, Trump has set the stage for a contentious confirmation process that will allow Democrats to grill Waltz over the opening months of Trump presidency’s and compel sworn testimony on a range of sensitive matters including immigration, tariff policy, military operations and diplomacy. “I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said on social media. “In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN.” Trump’s announcement appeared to catch State Department officials off guard. At a briefing Thursday afternoon, spokesperson Tammy Bruce had just brushed off a question about Rubio potentially assuming the role when a reporter read out Trump’s announcement.

FOX News [5/1/2025 1:25 PM, Deirdre Heavey, 46189K] reports President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, sources confirmed to Fox News. Democrats quickly reacted to the news during a press conference Thursday afternoon. "I’m not surprised that there is turmoil after the Signal gate fiasco, but I think there’s a lot more. In the words of the late and great John McCain, there’s more shoes to drop off the centipede," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, told Fox News. "Mike Waltz has left the chat," the former Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn, said on X, in a nod to Waltz accidentally adding The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where war plans were reportedly discussed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Fox News on Thursday that the Trump administration "should fire him, but they’re firing the wrong guy." "They should be firing Hegseth," Schumer said before adding, "Everyone knew that Hegseth was the wrong guy for DOD, given his background, given his attitude towards women, but given the fact that he had no experience and had never shown an ability to run an organization." Hours after Waltz was ousted as national security advisor, Trump named the former U.S. representative as ambassador to the United Nations. "From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [5/1/2025 9:18 PM, Victor Nava, 54903K] reports Vice President JD Vance argued Thursday that the decision to attack the Houthis in Yemen, despite his apparent skepticism of the plan in leaked Signal chats, doesn’t mean he was "overruled" by others in the Trump administration. "If you go back to when those messages were leaked, what we were doing is having a private strategic conversation about how to message this to the American people," Vance told Fox News "Special Report" host Bret Baier in his most extensive remarks on the scandal from mid-March. "It’s always important to explain what you’re actually doing, how to ensure that some of, frankly, our allied countries that are underspending on their own defense are actually carrying some of the burden," the vice president continued. "That was a concern that I raised about this particular operation, but I wasn’t overruled.” In the messages published in March by Atlantic magazine editor Jeffrey Goldberg — who was inadvertently included in the chat group — Vance expressed to his colleagues, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz, that he thought the administration was "making a mistake" with the strikes. "[Three] percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does," wrote Vance. "There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.” "I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now," the vice president went on.

Wall Street Journal [5/1/2025 8:24 PM, Jane Lytvynenko and
Alan Cullison, 646K] reports the minerals deal signed by Ukraine and the U.S. is expected to boost relations between the two allies as they plan joint investments in critical resources. Senior Treasury officials declined Thursday to say how long it could take for U.S. companies to mine the rare earth minerals that President Trump has touted as a centerpiece of the deal. Some of those minerals are near the front lines in Ukraine, which is fighting to repel Russia. The officials said oil and gas projects in Ukraine were likely the first to come to fruition because they would be easier to execute. But a web of bureaucratic challenges remain. The agreement seeks to establish a fund into which both the U.S. and Ukraine invest and which is meant to benefit from Ukraine’s economic recovery. Before any money can start to flow, the deal needs to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament and the fund itself must be created. Only then can Ukraine begin attracting investors into its wealth of natural resources and minerals. The signing is nonetheless a diplomatic victory for Ukraine after a period of troubled relations with its most important benefactor. Ukraine relies on the U.S. for weaponry and intelligence-sharing it could scarcely do without. The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure to end the war. Ukraine has sought to present itself as a cooperative partner

Wall Street Journal [5/1/2025 8:24 PM, Jane Lytvynenko and
Alan Cullison, 646K] reports the minerals deal signed by Ukraine and the U.S. is expected to boost relations between the two allies as they plan joint investments in critical resources. Senior Treasury officials declined Thursday to say how long it could take for U.S. companies to mine the rare earth minerals that President Trump has touted as a centerpiece of the deal. Some of those minerals are near the front lines in Ukraine, which is fighting to repel Russia. The officials said oil and gas projects in Ukraine were likely the first to come to fruition because they would be easier to execute. But a web of bureaucratic challenges remain. The agreement seeks to establish a fund into which both the U.S. and Ukraine invest and which is meant to benefit from Ukraine’s economic recovery. Before any money can start to flow, the deal needs to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament and the fund itself must be created. Only then can Ukraine begin attracting investors into its wealth of natural resources and minerals. The signing is nonetheless a diplomatic victory for Ukraine after a period of troubled relations with its most important benefactor. Ukraine relies on the U.S. for weaponry and intelligence-sharing it could scarcely do without. The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure to end the war. Ukraine has sought to present itself as a cooperative partner

The Hill [5/1/2025 11:29 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio called officials in India and Pakistan in a push to defuse the escalating crisis between the neighboring countries after the deadly attack in Kashmir last week. Rubio spoke to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and to Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday and urged them to work together to "de-escalate tensions" in order to "maintain peace and security in South Asia," according to both State Department readouts of the phone calls. The April 22 attack left 26 tourists dead in part of Kashmir controlled by India, which accused Pakistan of endorsing the attack and has vowed to retaliate. India also responded by ending an important water-sharing treaty with Pakistan, while both countries have expelled diplomats and closed their borders. Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire along the border for the past six nights, according to The Associated Press. Rubio, in his call with Sharif, stressed the importance of condemning the April 22 attack and urged Pakistani officials to cooperate with the investigation, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. The secretary of state also pushed Sharif to re-establish direct communications with India. Bruce said, in the call, both Rubio and Sharif, "reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.” In his call with Jaishankar, Rubio "expressed his sorrow for the lives lost" in the attack and "reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism," Bruce said.

Breitbart [5/1/2025 10:15 AM, John Hayward, 2923K] reports Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that the “perpetrators, backers, and planners” of last week’s brutal terrorist attack in Kashmir “must be brought to justice.” Rubio reached out to both Indian and Pakistani officials on Wednesday to defuse escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations after terrorist gunmen slaughtered 26 people and wounded dozens of others in Pahalgam, a tourist resort area in the contested region of Kashmir. Indian officials say the attack was masterminded by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT), an Islamist terrorist organization based in Pakistan. India swiftly identified three suspects in the killings who were members of LT, and two of them were Pakistanis. Many Indians believe the Pakistani government either turned a blind eye to LT’s activities, or actively facilitated the Kashmir attack. Pakistan said on Wednesday it has “credible intelligence” that India is planning imminent military action against it, using the “false pretext” of the Pahalgam attack. Pakistani officials warned that “any act of aggression will be met with a decisive response.” The State Department said Rubio told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he needs to “condemn the terror attack” and fully cooperate with an investigation. Sharif responded by protesting India’s “escalatory and provocative behavior.” He said his government “categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident” in Pahalgam. Sharif asked Rubio to “impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly,” while Rubio told Sharif that Pakistan and India should “continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia.” The State Department said Rubio “expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism” in his call with Jaishankar. India closed its airspace to Pakistani air traffic on Wednesday, responding to Pakistan’s ban on Indian airliners last week. India said the ban would remain in effect until at least May 23. Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but each country controls only a portion of the territory at present. Officials in the Pakistan-administered segment of Kashmir suspended over a thousand Islamic religious schools on Thursday for at least ten days, “due to tensions at the border and the potential for conflict.”

CNN [5/2/2025 3:20 AM, Brad Lendon, 908K] reports the United States is stepping up pressure on India and Pakistan to avoid conflict in Kashmir after a tourist massacre in an Indian-administered area of the divided territory last week. US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Washington hopes Pakistan will help hunt down the militants behind the attack, who are based in Pakistan-controlled territory. And Vance urged India, which has accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack, to act with restraint so tensions do not explode into a war between the nuclear-armed neighbors. "Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a broader regional conflict," Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ "Special Report with Bret Baier.” "And we hope, frankly, that Pakistan, to the extent that they’re responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with.” Vance’s comments echoed those of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who on Wednesday spoke with top Pakistani and Indian officials and called on the two rivals to work with each other to "de-escalate tensions," according to State Department readouts of the two calls. Rubio "expressed his sorrow for the lives lost in the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism," in his call with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. In his call with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rubio "spoke of the need to condemn the terror attack on April 22," and urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in the investigation. "Both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence," the readout said. Fears of a broader conflict increased earlier this week when Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said his country had "credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours.” That timeframe has now passed. Militants on April 22 massacred 26 civilians, the vast majority tourists, in the mountainous town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, a rampage that has sparked widespread outrage. India and Pakistan have since engaged in tit-for-tat hostilities. India closed its airspace to commercial flights from Pakistan on Tuesday, matching Islamabad’s ban on flights from India, which was imposed last week in response to New Delhi’s cancelation of visas for Pakistani nationals and suspension of a key water sharing treaty. This week, New Delhi and Islamabad have both been flexing their military might. Pakistan shot down an Indian drone that was used for "espionage" in the disputed Kashmir region on Tuesday, Pakistani security sources told CNN. Two days earlier, India’s navy said it had carried out test missile strikes to "revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long range precision offensive strike.” Tensions have also been simmering along the de facto border, the Line of Control, in Kashmir, and gunfire was exchanged along the disputed border for seven straight nights. Kashmir, one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints, is controlled in part by India and Pakistan but both countries claim it in its entirety.

New York Times [5/1/2025 3:22 PM, Anupreeta Das and Salman Masood, 153395K] reports a week after a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir, diplomatic efforts to ease rising tensions between India and Pakistan have ramped up, as global jitters grow over the possibility of a military confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and the Indian foreign minister, S. Jaishankar. In his exchange with Mr. Jaishankar, Mr. Rubio “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to cooperation with India against terrorism” but also encouraged New Delhi to work with Pakistan to “de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security,” the State Department said in a statement. Mr. Rubio took a more pointed tack with Mr. Sharif, emphasizing the “need to condemn the terror attack” while urging Pakistan to work with India, according to the State Department. Shortly before that conversation, senior Pakistani officials condemned the attack during a news conference. But they added that India, which said last week that the attackers had “cross-border linkages,” had provided no credible evidence of Pakistani involvement. Pakistan has claimed that it has “credible intelligence” that India is planning an imminent attack, and officials said they would forcefully respond to “any military adventurism” by India. The Indian government has appeared to lay out a case to foreign diplomats for a strike against Pakistan. Talking the two sides down will most likely be difficult. Even before last week’s terrorist attack, Pakistani officials had riled up their Indian counterparts over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

FOX News [5/1/2025 6:30 AM, Caitlin McFall, 46189K] reports the parents of the American hostages still held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza have called on President Donald Trump to use his reputation for being "tough" and apply pressure on not only known enemies but one of his closest allies: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity. Itay Chen, 19, Omer Neutra, 21, Judy Weinstein Haggai, 70, and her husband, Gadi Weinstein, 73, are all believed to have been killed by Hamas in it’s attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose bodies were taken into Gaza. "I believe that the president is a very tough person, and he should be tough with the enemies and with friends as well," Adi Alexander, who is Edan’s father, told Fox News Digital in a direct reference to Israel. "We asked of the president to keep everybody accountable," Alexander, who sat next to his wife, Yael, described after the second phase of a ceasefire, which was supposed to begin in March but failed and Israel resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip to the immense frustration of mediators. In addition, the families urged Trump to keep Netanyahu "on a short leash" and to "get him back to negotiate as soon as possible and stop this thing.” Trump this week marked his 100th day in office, and the families of the five Americans still held hostage urged him to reflect on his strategy and apply pressure on both Israel and Hamas, through both economic and diplomatic means, to secure the release of all 59 hostages. "With the election results, we had such high hopes," Ruby Chen, father to Itay, told reporters during a press event on Wednesday. "We know he cares about the topic, and we saw, even before the inauguration, his comments on the topic with the ‘hell to pay’ and ‘all the hostages need to come out.’". "But I think the 100-day mark that we are at this moment, I think it’s a good time to reflect and say that the job’s not done," said Chen, sitting next to his wife, Hagit Chen.

FOX News [5/1/2025 8:49 AM, David Spunt, Jake Gibson, 46189K] reports the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is out with two Hollywood-style-produced videos aimed at recruiting Chinese dissidents to spy for the United States. Both videos are approximately three minutes in length and are in Mandarin. The goal is for the CIA to recruit Chinese spies who are looking to help the United States. "One of the primary roles of the CIA is to collect intelligence for the president and for our policymakers," CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News exclusively. "One of the ways we do that is by recruiting assets that can help us steal secrets.” The videos are now live on CIA social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and X. The first video is directed at senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders who U.S. intelligence officials believe may be willing to talk. Many of these leaders see their colleagues fired, jailed and, in some cases, they vanish altogether. The video closes by telling the viewer, "Grasp your fate in your hands.” "This video explains to them how they can contact the CIA through our dark website and have an ability to improve their safety and well-being and that of their family," Ratcliffe said. Ratcliffe said during his tenure as director of national intelligence during the first Trump administration that China was the United States’ most formidable adversary; economically, politically and militarily. The second video is directed specifically at more junior officers within the CCP. He said the lower-level workers do not have much of an upward career trajectory, and their work only benefits CCP government elites. The second video ends with the phrase "Heaven helps those who help themselves. Your fate is in your control.” Ratcliffe said he’s confident the videos will get past "The Great Firewall of China" and be seen by the right people in mainland China. The CIA previously released Mandarin-language instructions on how to connect with the agency through the dark web, which reached millions of people. Ratcliffe says the agency’s line is open. Now, he wants people in China to come forward, while understanding their conversations will remain confidential. "We’re moving forward and putting more distance between the United States and China early on in the Trump administration and that’s going to continue," Ratcliffe said.

NPR [5/2/2025 12:36 AM, John Ruwitch, 29983K] reports China says it is "assessing the situation" after what it says have been multiple overtures from the United States seeking trade talks, a potential sign that the two sides may be inching closer to a breakthrough. In a statement, however, China’s Commerce Ministry indicated that the Trump administration’s tariffs stand in the way. "If the U.S. side wants to talk, it must show sincerity and be prepared to correct its erroneous actions and cancel its unilateral tariff increases," it said. Chinese imports into the U.S. now face a crippling 145% tariff, after Washington and Beijing engaged in tit-for-tat tariff increases last month. With few exceptions, U.S. goods flowing into China are subject to tariffs of 125%. Exporters, importers, port officials and recent government statistics all suggest that trade in both directions is slowing sharply as a result, with cumulative effects for the economy. Neither side appears willing to be seen giving ground. Trump and administration officials have said they believe China wants to talk, and that tariffs will eventually be reduced. In an interview on Fox News on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said China wants to reach "some sort of short-term accommodation". "The Chinese are reaching out. They want to meet. They want to talk," he said, according to a transcript from the State Department. Trump has said at times in recent days that talks were already under way. Chinese officials deny that. "China’s position on the issue has been consistent: If it’s a fight, we’ll fight. If it’s talks, the door is open," the commerce ministry said in a statement. "In any possible dialogue or talks, if the United States side does not rectify its erroneous unilateral tariff measures, it will show that the United States side is totally insincere and will further undermine mutual trust between the two sides," the ministry added. "Saying one thing but doing another, or even attempting to engage in coercion and blackmail under the guise of talks, will not work on the Chinese side.”

Reuters [5/2/2025 3:04 AM, Anne Marie Roantree, Donny Kwok and Jessie Pang, 41523K] reports Beijing is "evaluating" an offer from Washington to hold talks over U.S. President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Friday, although it warned the United States not to engage in "extortion and coercion.” Washington and Beijing have been locked in a cat-and-mouse game over tariffs, with both sides unwilling to be seen to back down in a trade war that has roiled global markets and upended supply chains. The Commerce Ministry said the United States has approached China to seek talks over Trump’s tariffs and Beijing’s door was open for discussions, signalling a potential de-escalation in the trade war. The statement comes a day after a social media account linked to Chinese state media said Washington had been seeking to start talks, and a week after Trump claimed discussions were already underway, which Beijing denied. "The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China," the statement said, adding that Beijing was "evaluating this". "Attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work," it said. The U.S. should be prepared to take action in "correcting erroneous practices" and cancel unilateral tariffs, the Commerce Ministry said, adding that Washington needed to show "sincerity" in negotiations. The punishing U.S. tariffs on many Chinese products saw Beijing respond in April with levies on imports of U.S. goods of 125%, as Beijing labelled Trump’s tariff strategy "a joke.” The tit-for-tat increases stand to make goods trade between the world’s two largest economies impossible, analysts say, with import duties beyond about 35% potentially wiping out Chinese exporters’ profit margins and making American products in China similarly exorbitant. China has repeatedly denied it is seeking to negotiate a way out of the tariffs with the United States, appearing instead to be betting that Washington makes the first move.

Reuters [5/2/2025 12:12 AM, David Lawder and Lisa Baertlein, 41523K] reports the Trump administration ended U.S. duty-free access for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong on Friday, removing the "de minimis" exemptions availed of by Shein, Temu (PDD.O) and other e-commerce firms as well as traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit goods. The action restores an executive order from President Donald Trump in February that was quickly suspended due to a lack of screening procedures for sub-$800 shipments that sparked chaos at airports and caused millions of packages to pile up. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has "a massive task at hand" but is ready to handle the enforcement and collection of Trump’s tariffs on small Chinese shipments, a spokesperson for the agency said. "We are prepared and equipped to carry out enhanced package screening and enforce orders effectively as outlined" in Trump’s executive order ending de minimis treatment for China, the spokesperson added. The new procedures should not affect passenger wait times at airports and ports of entry, the spokesperson said. The packages are handled in the cargo section of airports, even when they arrive in the bellies of passenger planes. Under CBP’s latest guidance, shipments from China and Hong Kong regardless of size will now be subject to Trump’s new tariffs of 145% plus any prior duties, except for products such as smartphones which were excluded last month. These will largely be handled by express shippers such as FedEx (FDX.N), United Parcel Service (UPS.N) or DHL (DHLn.DE), which have their own cargo handling facilities. Items valued at up to $800 and sent from China via postal services are treated differently. They are now subject to a tax of 120% of the package’s value or a flat fee of $100 per package - an amount that rises to $200 in June. The U.S. Postal Service said it would not be involved in any duty collections. Instead, a USPS spokesperson said, airlines and vessel operators would need to work with shippers and Chinese postal authorities to pay the import taxes and show proof before the goods are transported out of China or Hong Kong. Although de minimis is a Latin term referring to matters of little importance, low-value shipments from China to the U.S. reached an estimated $5.1 billion in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That made it the seventh-largest U.S. import category from China, behind video game consoles, but just ahead of computer monitors.

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