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

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

The Chicago Tribune [5/7/2025 7:32 PM, Jeremy Gorner, 92K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem came to town Wednesday to blast Illinois policies that limit local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, setting off a war of words with state Democrats led by Gov. JB Pritzker and further illustrating the stark partisan divide over immigration. After a stop at a local federal law enforcement facility, Noem met with reporters on a Springfield street corner near where Emma Shafer, a 24-year-old community organizer, was stabbed to death in July 2023. The alleged killer, who Noem said was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the crime, remains at large. “People are dying every day because of these policies. People are evading justice,” Noem said. “Governors like JB Pritzker don’t care if gangbangers, murderers, rapists and pedophiles roam free in his state.” The State Journal-Register in Springfield, citing federal records, has reported that Shafer’s alleged killer was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status at the age of 15, but that the status expired in May 2019. “This … illegal alien has now been on the run for two years,” Noem said. “He has not been brought into incarceration and we need, not just the governor of this state, but also the partnership of local law enforcement to get this family justice for losing their daughter, Emma.” Noem, who was accompanied by several Republican state lawmakers as well as individuals who said their family members had been victimized by people in the country illegally, was met by about a dozen protesters, including one who shouted, “How dare you use Emma for your racist agenda.” Breitbart [5/7/2025 3:52 PM, John Binder, 2923K] reports that during a press conference in Springfield, Illinois, on Wednesday, Noem accused Pritzker of perpetuating "violence and criminality against his citizens in this state," through the state’s sanctuary policy that seeks to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from getting custody of criminal illegal aliens sitting in local jails. Alongside Noem was the brother of 66-year-old Denny McCann, killed by illegal alien felon Saul Chavez, who hit and dragged McCann nearly 300 feet to his death in a drunk-driving crash in 2011, and the father of 21-year-old Marine Lance Corporal James Ray Walden III, killed by an illegal alien in a crash in 2017. Kathy Zander, whose son John was killed by fentanyl poisoning, and Nancy Pletania, whose son Nick similarly died of fentanyl poisoning, also joined Noem at the press conference. ABC 7 Chicago [5/7/2025 7:08 PM, Karen Jordan] reports Pritzker quickly sent out a statement blasting Noem’s event as a publicity stunt. "The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors - including children who are U.S. citizens," Pritzker said in a statement. About an hour after Noem’s event, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias joined a rally in Springfield organized by the Latino Policy Forum to condemn Noem’s remarks. "So on a day when Kristi Noem should be doing her job and helping us with REAL ID, she’s traveling the country doing political stops, publicity events a vanity tour," he said. NBC 5 Chicago [5/7/2025 4:13 PM, Rose Schmidt] reports that the DHS secretary was scheduled to speak in front of the Governor’s Mansion but instead moved her news conference near the scene of Emma Shafer’s murder. Shafer was a 24-year-old community organizer who was fatally stabbed in her Springfield apartment in July 2023. The suspected killer, Gabriel P. Calixto, remains at large. Noem said he was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the crime. Springfield police and the U.S. Marshals Service said they are cooperating on the case. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 1:52 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lambasted Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) for how she said he had "invited" criminal illegal immigrants to the state through sanctuary policies
Standing down the block from where 24-year-old Emma Shafer was allegedly killed in July 2023 by illegal immigrant Gabriel Calixto Pichardo, Noem and more than a dozen elected officials and loved ones of crime victims sought to draw attention to the state’s immigration policies. "Since 2017, Illinois has been a sanctuary state. The results have been absolutely disastrous for people who live here," said Noem, who held up a binder of names and pictures of illegal immigrants whom Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been unable to get turned over from state and local police. She blamed Illinois’s sanctuary policies that block the transfer of people in local police custody to federal immigration authorities. "Shame on Gov. Pritzker for what he’s done to Illinois. This is a beautiful state with beautiful people, and to allow this kind of criminal activity to go on should never happen," Noem said. "I’m calling on Gov. Pritzker and all the other leaders of this state to abandon their dangerous sanctuary policies."

CBS News [5/7/2025 2:22 PM, Beth Godvik, 51661K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited Springfield, Illinois, on Wednesday, and slammed the state’s Democratic leaders for Illinois’ sanctuary policies protecting undocumented immigrants. Before she spoke, Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said Noem’s office does not communicate with them, and has not asked for support or coordination to enforce immigration laws. Noem stood in front of families who’ve lost loved ones after incidents involving immigrants who lack legal status. Standing alongside a handful of Illinois Republican state lawmakers, Noem criticized Pritzker, claiming Illinois doesn’t protect its citizens, and demanded the state change. "I’m calling on Gov. Pritzker and all the other leaders of this state to abandon their dangerous sanctuary policies," she said. "I’m thankful for all the state leaders that are standing behind me who agree as well. They have been fighting an uphill battle with this governor, and I’m proud of them that they’re standing here with us today and with these angel families, and saying enough is enough. We have to change as a state." In response to Noem’s visit, the governor criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, saying some of their efforts to deport migrants have been unconstitutional. "The Trump Administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors – including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process," Pritzker said in a statement. Pritzker’s office has defended the state’s sanctuary law, known as the Illinois Trust Act. "The Illinois Trust Act – which was bipartisan and signed into law by a Republican – is fully compliant with federal law. Despite the rhetoric of Republicans in Congress, this public safety law ensures law enforcement can focus on doing their jobs well while empowering all members of the public, regardless of immigration status, to feel comfortable calling police officers and emergency services if they are in need of help," Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said. The Illinois Trust Act largely prohibits state, county, and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases of civil immigration enforcement activities, but not in cases involving a criminal warrant or other court order. In cases where an undocumented immigrant has been arrested, ICE officials might issue a detainer asking police to hold them for 48 hours until ICE agents can take them into federal custody, but the Illinois TRUST Act prohibits such cooperation, except in cases where the person faces a federal criminal arrest warrant. In a statement, Pritzker called Noem’s visit a publicity stunt that does "not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter." "Illinois doesn’t need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the Secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the Homeland," Pritzker said. "Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community. Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois. Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance."

NewsMax [5/7/2025 1:13 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 4998K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday called out Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker for "protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing the American citizens.” During a press conference in Springfield, Illinois, Noem said her presence in the state capital intended "to draw attention to the dangerous policies of Illinois and the Illinois governor and what he has perpetuated as far as violence and criminality against his citizens.” "Springfield needs attention specifically because of the victims that have been here but also because of the laws that come out of this city that impact the entire state. That is: protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing the American citizens and the citizens of this great state," said Noem, who was surrounded by people who had lost family members at the hands of illegal migrants or due to fentanyl, much of which entered the U.S. at the southern border. The former South Dakota governor cited numerous examples of alien criminals who had been arrested during Pritzker’s time in office only to be released in the sanctuary state. She cited one alien who had been arrested 16 times in Chicago and had been continuously released. "Governors like JB Pritzker don’t care if gangbangers, if murderers, rapists and pedophiles roam free in his state," Noem said. "If they are here illegally, he’s going to protect them.” Noem accused Pritzker of breaking the law to protect illegal migrants. "This governor has bragged about Illinois being a firewall against President [Donald] Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda," she said, "and it is very clear that he is violating the Constitution of the United States because it is a federal law that the federal government and president set and enforce immigration policies.” Noem mentioned that Pritzker, in 2020, cost his taxpayers $1.6 billion by expanding access to free healthcare to aliens. In 2021, he ordered state officials to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. She added that between 400,000 and 500,000 illegal aliens lived in Illinois in 2022, and "we know there are more here today.” On Tuesday, in anticipation of Noem’s visit, Pritzker’s office attacked the DHS secretary and the Trump administration, CBS News reported. "Despite the Trump administration being in office for more than 100 days and falsely accusing Illinois of not following federal and state law, Secretary Noem and her team does not communicate with the State of Illinois and has not asked for support or coordination to enforce immigration laws," Pritzker’s office said.

FOX News [5/7/2025 4:30 PM, Cameron Arcand, Bill Melugin, 46189K] reports families who lost loved ones to crimes committed by those in the country illegally took aim at sanctuary policies in Illinois and across the country at a press conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Wednesday. Among the speakers was Jim Walden, an Illinois resident who lost his son, Jimmy, several years ago in a motorcycle incident while Jimmy was stationed in Maryland. Noem said she did the press conference there at the "direction of President Trump today to draw attention to the dangerous policies of Illinois and the Illinois governor and what he has perpetuated as far as violence and criminality against his citizens here in this state." She also noted that the location of the event had a special meaning. Pritzker called the event a "publicity stunt" and took aim at the administration’s immigration policies.

FOX News [5/7/2025 1:51 PM, Deirdre Heavey, 46189K] reports Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., promised President Donald Trump’s administration "resistance" on Wednesday following Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s immigration press conference near the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, Illinois. "Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community," Pritzker said in a press release. "Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois. Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance." Noem hosted the Illinois press conference "to call out the state’s sanctuary policies that undermine the rule of law and endanger fellow Americans," urging Pritzker and his fellow Illinois Democrats to "abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies" and "return to law and order." Noem was joined by two "Angel Families," who had family members killed by illegal immigrants in Illinois.

(B) NBC News Daily [5/7/2025 2:53 PM, Staff] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke in Springfield this morning addressing Illinois sanctuary policies. Illinois has been a sanctuary state since 2017. Noem’s visit drew protests from various groups in the capital city.

FOX 27 Springfield [5/7/2025 9:12 PM, Monique Davis] reports the U.S. Homeland Security’s Secretary, Kristi Noem, is calling on Governor Pritzker to end what she calls dangerous sanctuary policies. The secretary made a stop in Springfield today. During her trip she stopped by the local Homeland Security office to process two Guatemalans for deportation before holding a press conference. During her 20 minute speech she fired shots at Governor Pritzker, saying he’s protecting illegal criminals and not prioritizing citizens. “Governors like JB Pritzker don’t care if gang bangers, if murderers, rapists and pedophiles roam free in his state,” Noem said. “If they are here illegally, he’s going to protect them.” During her press conference, Secretary Noem was flanked by Republican Lawmakers and what she called “angel families.” “Where’s the compassion for Emma who died on this street and her killer is still roaming free,” Noem said. “With no consequences for his actions.” Noem said Governor Pritzker’s sanctuary laws are protecting Calixto from being punished. Noem said her office has been trying to reach out to Emma’s family but have not received a response. Emma’s family was reportedly across town, protesting Noem’s speech. Additional protestors showed during the press conference. “HOW DARE YOU USE EMMA FOR YOUR RACIST AGENDA, “protestors screamed. Those protests spread to the steps of the Illinois State Capitol as more than 100 people gathered to protest Noem’s visit.

Reported similarly:
ABC 20 Springfield [5/7/2025 4:25 PM, Staff]

Axios [5/7/2025 8:34 PM, Carrie Shepherd, 13163K] reports the parents of Emma Shafer are admonishing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for using their daughter to push a "cruel and heartless political agenda." Noem attacked Gov. JB Pritzker’s stance on immigration and Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state during a press conference Wednesday near Shafer’s home where she was stabbed and killed in July 2023. Noem referred to the suspected killer, Gabriel Calixto, as an undocumented immigrant several times. No one from Shafer’s family spoke at Noem’s event, and several outlets reported her parents were at a protest against Noem’s visit. "Noem’s words are in direct conflict with who Emma was as a person. Emma built up community and stood with all members, including immigrants," Cathy Schwartz and John Shafer said in a statement. "Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter," Pritzker said in a statement. "Illinois doesn’t need to abuse power or ignore the Constitution to keep our people safe. Like the millions of Americans asking for sensible, humane immigration reform, I encourage the Secretary to spend less time performing for Fox News and more time protecting the Homeland." The other side: "Secretary Noem went to Illinois to join Angel families to call for an end to dangerous sanctuary city policies under JB Pritzker and bring attention to an at-large illegal alien murderer who has been evading justice for two years," assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Axios in a statement. NBC 5 Chicago [5/7/2025 5:20 PM, Rose Schmidt] reports Schafer was a 24-year-old community organizer who was fatally stabbed in her Springfield apartment in July 2023. The suspected killer, Gabriel P. Calixto, remains at large. Noem spoke near the site of Shafer’s murder, using it to emphasize her criticism of Illinois’ “sanctuary” policies and saying Calixto was in the U.S. illegally at the time of the crime. Springfield police and the U.S. Marshals Service said they are cooperating on the case. "Our daughter Emma radiated love and light everywhere she went and for all people. Even as a child, she was a friend to everyone and someone who spoke up for the less fortunate. She dedicated her life - her career and her free time - to causes of social justice and equity. That was just who she was. To see her used by Secretary Noem and others to advance a cruel and heartless political agenda is not just deeply painful to us - it is an insult to her memory," Cathy Schwartz and John Shafer said in a statement hours later. Noem had been scheduled to speak in front of the Governor’s Mansion, but instead moved her news conference in a move Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said was done to avoid demonstrations protesting her visit. Shafer’s parents did not attend Noem’s news conference and instead were blocks away protesting

FOX News [5/7/2025 8:56 PM, Preston Mizell, 46189K] reports protesters gathered outside Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s mansion on Wednesday thinking that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was holding a presser around the property. Secretary Noem did hold a press conference in Illinois on Wednesday, but it was more than half a mile away from the governor’s mansion, leaving the protesters "screaming" into the wind. "While we aren’t entirely sure what the protesters were protesting (we aren’t sure they know either), or why they were screaming in front of their governor’s mansion, we stand with every victim of illegal immigrant crime," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "Secretary Noem went to Springfield, Illinois to join Angel families to call for the end of dangerous sanctuary city policies under J.B. Pritzker and bring attention to an at-large illegal alien murderer who has been evading justice for two years for the stabbing of Emma Shafer.” As protesters shouted outside Pritzker’s mansion, Noem’s presser was held at the site where Emma Shafer, 24, was stabbed to death by Grabriel Calixto Pichardo, 25, an illegal migrant who is wanted on three first-degree murder charges and an aggravated domestic battery charge. Pichardo was reportedly dating Shafer at the time of the murder. Noem was also joined by the "Angel families" of Denny McCann and Jimmy Walden, who both lost their lives to illegal migrant crime.

Reported similarly:
NBC 17 Decatur [5/7/2025 11:12 PM, Caryn Eisert]

Chicagoland Journal [5/7/2025 11:59 PM, Staff, 2K] reports IL Freedom Caucus Joins Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem On Failed Sanctuary State Policies and Immigration (Springfield, IL) – Today, all members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus were honored to stand with Secretary Noem at a press conference in Springfield highlighting Illinois’ dangerous defiance of federal immigration law. The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are issuing the following statement: “Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Democrats are hell bent on protecting and concealing criminal illegals and spending your tax dollars to take care of them. As Secretary Noem highlighted today, we are talking about criminal illegals who are committing violent acts in our communities and trafficking dangerous drugs into the hands of our youth. The Freedom Caucus has been calling for an end to the Sanctuary State policies for years; and we are thankful to have President Trump’s support in this fight. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to enforcing federal law, and where necessary, imposing federal sanctions against JB Pritzker and his state government for refusing to comply. It is time for the Democrats to make a choice; are they going to support our taxpayers and working families in Illinois, or are they going to support illegals? It is time for all Illinois government officials to put the interest of Illinois citizens first.”

Chicagoland Journal [5/7/2025 11:59 PM, Staff, 2K] reports Rep. Adam Niemerg joins Sec. Kristi Noem in calling for compliance with federal immigration laws (Dieterich, IL) – State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) today joined US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in calling on state leaders in Illinois to comply with federal immigration laws. Secretary Noem was in Springfield today to call attention to the state’s sanctuary state policies that are putting Illinois families in harm’s way. “Governor Pritzker and his allies in the House and the Senate have put their far-left ideology above the needs of Illinois citizens,” Niemerg said. “They are spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on people who are in our country illegally. The State of Illinois cannot solve the immigration crisis. This is a federal issue, and we need to let the federal government solve it. We need to end these terrible policies and put the interest of Illinois citizens first.” Niemerg spoke with the Illinois families at the press conference whose lives have been impacted by criminals in Illinois illegally. “What has happened to these families is wrong,” Niemerg said. “Instead of working with the federal government to prevent illegal immigration and preventing senseless acts of violence, the Governor and his allies in the House and the Senate have decided to side with criminals against their own citizens. It is time to stop playing politics with people’s lives. It is time to end our Illinois’ sanctuary state policies.”

Roll Call [5/7/2025 1:27 AM, Chris Johnson, 503K] reports the chairman of a House Appropriations panel told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday that he would welcome more justification for the Trump administration’s proposed spending decisions, such as cuts to cybersecurity and transportation security. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev. concluded the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee hearing by asking what the plan was for delivering that sort of information, such as for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. "When someone goes, ‘Hey, you guys presided over cutting a half a billion dollars in CISA to do other stuff,’ what was that based on?" Amodei said. "Clearly, we don’t want to be in the position, and won’t be in the position of, ‘Well I don’t know that’s what they said they needed.’". Amodei mentioned a further potential cut for the agency in President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 so-called skinny budget released May 2, and said the committee would like an answer about how those decisions were made, even if it was by someone at the Office of Management and Budget. "Well then tell us who at OMB so we can go to them and say, ‘We’d like to know why you did that,’ which I think is a legitimate thing," Amodei said. That information is needed, Amodei said, "because when it comes to markup for this committee to transmit it to the bigger committee, we need solid ground for that sort of stuff.” The comments came at the end of a 2.5-hour hearing where Noem defended the spending by the Trump administration in federal immigration enforcement as well as cuts to initiatives within her department. Noem took the opportunity to check off the achievements on immigration claimed by the Trump administration, including the drastic reduction in illegal crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border, designation of drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and reinvigoration of the Secret Service. Noem also asked lawmakers to keep in mind the many missions of DHS when making funding decisions, saying it "is one of the largest agencies in the federal government, but has one of the smallest budgets.” The skinny version of the White House’s budget blueprint would provide $107.4 billion for DHS in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, an increase of $42.3 billion, or 64.9 percent, from the $65.1 billion fiscal 2025 enacted level. That number assumes enactment of a budget reconciliation package Republicans have begun drafting with $175 billion for border security, including $43.8 billion allocated for fiscal 2026, according to the document. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla,, chair of the full House Appropriations Committee, at the hearing lauded the Trump administration for the immigration efforts of its first 100 days. "From day one, the Trump administration has made clear that protecting America is not negotiable, and this White House has taken immediate action to strengthen the security of our nation’s borders and enforce existing immigration laws," Cole said.

The Hill [5/7/2025 7:19 AM, Ali Bradley, 12829K] reports Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks exclusively told NewsNation his agency is ready for a possible onslaught from the cartel despite record-low crossings and decreased fentanyl seizures. Banks explained that the more the U.S. invests in security along the southern border, the more traffic is being pushed to the coast. Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem has Coast Guard and destroyers monitoring and patrolling those areas. Per U.S. Customs and Border Protection, total fentanyl seizures across March and April totaled 1,371 pounds. During the last fiscal year, 21,900 pounds were seized. It is the first time in nearly 3 years that any month has had less than 1,000 pounds of fentanyl seizures. Due to the U.S.’s improved border security, Banks says the cartels are looking to traffic fentanyl and other hard narcotics into other areas more frequently, specifically Canada, Central and South America and Europe. "Instead of being pushed north into the United States, they’re looking for new markets, because we’re closing the market on the United States," the border chief said. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday afternoon the largest fentanyl bust in U.S. history, with 11.5 kilos (25.4 pounds) seized, approximately 3 million fentanyl pills. The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates. It was a multiagency operation headed by the DEA, which saw 16 people arrested, including high-ranking Sinaloa cartel member Alberto Salazar Amaya, who was living illegally in Salem, Oregon. The drugs were found in New Mexico, as well as Arizona, and Utah. "More arrests are coming, I guarantee you that," Bondi said in a media conference Tuesday. "And these dealers, these sellers, these street-level sellers, better look out, because we will not be negotiating with you," she added. "We will bring you to justice, and we will not stop until this poison is off our streets in our country.”

NewsNation [5/7/2025 5:42 AM, Sandra Sanchez, 6866K] reports four bipartisan lawmakers from the Southwest border questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tuesday on border spending, and suggested ways her agency can improve border security. Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Veronica Escobar, and Republican Reps. Tony Gonzales, all of Texas, and Juan Ciscomani, of Arizona, took turns questioning, and at times grilling Noem, during the nearly 3-hour-long hearing Tuesday by the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. Cuellar told Noem that only one-third of cameras on the border operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection are working "Two-thirds are not working. That’s not right," he said. And "dead zones is a real problem. There are areas they can’t even talk or communicate," he said. Cuellar said despite billions of dollars spent on border technology, "there are certain areas and dangerous areas that Border Patrol don’t have technology that’s working.” Noem went before lawmakers to advocate for over $175 billion in funding for DHS in Fiscal Year 2026, which starts Oct. 1. This includes increases in funds to build more miles of border barrier, increased border technology, more officers, and collaboration with local law enforcement at the border. The Trump administration is requesting a reconciliation bill, which is a fast-track process that would allow passage in the Senate by a simple majority, instead of 60 votes. "Reconciliation would empower the DHS to implement the president’s mass removal campaign and secure the border," Noem said in her written statement. She told the committee that under President Donald Trump’s second-term daily border encounters in March were down 93% by Border Patrol agents. She said that equates to under 200 migrants encountered by agents per day, down from over 15,000 per day at times during the Biden administration. In March, she said trafficking of fentanyl dropped by 54% from March 2024 at the border. But she said in order to continue to carry out the Trump administration’s goals, Congress needs to fund border security missions in Fiscal 2026. She specifically stressed the need for increased funding of the U.S. Coast Guard – which is under DHS. She says maritime drug and human trafficking encounters have drastically increased recently. "The Coast Guard has already surpassed its funds for Fiscal Year 2025 with the number of drug interdiction coastal encounters and search and rescue and illegal interdictions," Noem said.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 5:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) anticipates that Congress will need to pass a bill that locks in conservative border and immigration policies before President Donald Trump leaves office. Lankford, one of three co-authors who spent months in late 2023 drafting a bipartisan border bill that ultimately failed to make it through the Senate, said legal challenges in court are part of the reason that Republicans in Congress ought to be thinking now about legislation, during an interview with the Washington Examiner. "There will be a need for some legislation," Lankford told the Washington Examiner during a phone call. "Right now, there’s not a need for it. I think once the court makes some rulings, then we’ll see what authorities are still needed to be able to make clear so that no one has to question again the power of the president to be able to protect the nation. Lankford said regardless of how the courts rule in the more than 50 immigration-related lawsuits that plaintiffs have brought against the Trump administration since Jan. 20, concrete plans will need to be put into place to ensure the border does not see the millions of illegal crossings that it did under President Joe Biden. "Who is president five years from now? How are they going to handle the border issues?" said Lankford. "I want to make sure the law is strong and the authorities are there — that no matter who is there, we don’t have another experience like what we had in 2021, 22, 23.” Since taking office, Trump has declared a national emergency at the border, dispatched 10,000 troops, restarted "Remain in Mexico," restarted border wall planning and construction, designated criminal cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, started expeditious removals of illegal immigrants, declared an invasion at the border, and taken other actions. The legal blowback has been significant with three of the immigration-related lawsuits against Trump already having made it before the Supreme Court for review. Lankford said some of these legal challenges and potential changes to border security during the Trump administration could have been prevented if the bill that he worked on with Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) had been passed in 2024.

Washington Times [5/7/2025 5:34 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1814K] reports a federal judge told the Trump administration Wednesday that it cannot evade his new rules on carrying out deportations by having them done by the Defense Department rather than Homeland Security. Judge Brian E. Murphy, a Biden appointee to the court in Massachusetts, said such a warning shouldn’t even be necessary. But he said it was needed after news reports that the administration is planning to use the Pentagon to fly deportees to Libya. Lawyers for illegal immigrants rushed to Judge Murphy with an emergency request Wednesday to block the flights, saying Libya isn’t a safe country. Lawyers, in emails filed with the court, said Homeland Security employees were pressuring migrants to sign forms agreeing to accept the deportations. Judge Murphy had previously ruled deportations that would send illegal immigrants to so-called third countries, or nations where they aren’t citizens, must follow new court-imposed rules. That includes a formal notice in a language the potential deportee can understand, and enough time for a "meaningful opportunity" for the migrant to raise a claim of protection. Administration officials had said this applied to Homeland Security deportations. But the judge said an April 30 order he issued made clear it applies to all third-country deportations in the case in front of him, no matter who carries them out. He specifically said that includes the Defense Department. "If there is any doubt — the court sees none — the allegedly imminent removals, as reported by news agencies and as plaintiffs seek to corroborate with class-member accounts and public information, would clearly violate this court’s order," he wrote. The administration last month had informed the judge that it had carried out some deportations via the Defense Department. That included a registered sex offender and a "chief" and two members of the Tren de Aragua gang. They were sent to El Salvador on March 31 by the Department of Defense on "a flight with no DHS personnel onboard.” "DHS did not direct the Department of Defense to remove" the migrants, the government said.

FOX News [5/7/2025 3:06 PM, Peter Pinedo, 46189K] reports House Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday, the Punishing Illegal Immigrant Felons Act, which would dramatically increase penalties for criminal activity by illegal immigrants, something the bill’s sponsors believe can help deliver a death blow to organized crime by illegals in the U.S. If passed and signed into law, Knott’s bill would increase the punishment for any crime committed by an illegal alien that is punishable by more than one year from a maximum of two years to a minimum of five years. Illegals who are removed and then reenter the country illegally can also face up to ten years in prison under the law. For illegal felons who have been previously removed from the country and returned again to commit more crimes, the bill would increase the punishment to a minimum of ten years and up to life in prison. Knott explained that the bill still leaves flexibility to federal authorities, leaving the option of deportation on the table while simultaneously increasing the legal penalties available to erase the incentives for illegally entering the country to commit crimes.

FedScoop [5/7/2025 12:20 PM, Staff, 56K] reports the Department of Government Efficiency has arrived at the Office of Biometric Identity Management, a quiet but powerful component of the Department of Homeland Security that handles a critical database of fingerprint, facial, and iris data used throughout the federal government. Three people, including one person within DHS and two more familiar with the matter, confirmed that DOGE now has a presence at the agency. Two of those sources added that DOGE seems to have restarted conversations about the future of the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) program, which DHS has long hoped would replace the agency’s current biometrics database — the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), one of the world’s largest known systems of that kind. OBIM was created more than a decade ago to manage the biometric information used to make border security decisions. As a relatively small office, OBIM provides assistance to DHS and federal agencies, including the State Department. OBIM also sometimes exchanges biometrics with other countries. OBIM’s biometric database stores hundreds of millions of biometric data points. A DHS website notes that a single query of the system “can retrieve data for an individual tied to a Department of State visa application, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection log of an entry into the United States, and an immigration status change logged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

FOX News [5/7/2025 11:53 AM, Stephen Sorace, 46189K] reports a federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to immediately resettle some 12,000 refugees into the U.S. under a court order that partially blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at halting the refugee admissions program. U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a 2023 appointee of former President Joe Biden, issued the order despite the Trump administration saying during a hearing last week that it should only have to process 160 refugees into the country and would likely appeal any order requiring thousands to be admitted. "This Court will not entertain the Government’s result-oriented rewriting of a judicial order that clearly says what it says," Whitehead wrote Monday. "The Government is free, of course, to seek further clarification from the Ninth Circuit. But the Government is not free to disobey statutory and constitutional law — and the direct orders of this Court and the Ninth Circuit — while it seeks such clarification.” Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S.

Washington Post [5/7/2025 5:00 AM, Reyes Mata III, Maria Sacchetti and Dan Lamothe, 31735K] reports the swift expansion of the Trump administration’s new “national defense areas” on the southern border — enabling U.S. troops to detain migrants so that prosecutors can charge them with trespassing on military property — is sowing confusion among defendants, their lawyers and judges, one of whom called the move “unprecedented.” The Defense Department in recent days has taken control of most of the southern boundary of New Mexico as well as part of the border in West Texas, transforming a 60-foot-wide strip of borderland into a military zone and warning that anyone who enters it risks criminal charges. More than 200 migrants have been charged with at least two crimes, for unauthorized entry into the United States and a military installation. Some also face an additional charge. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the expanded prosecutions in April during a visit to New Mexico as part of the Trump administration’s quest to obtain “100 percent” operational control of the border, where illegal crossings have plunged since Inauguration Day. But defense lawyers say the criminal charges are excessive, because most migrants were unaware that the rugged and remote terrain they stumbled into had recently been transformed into military territory. Defense lawyers said it is unclear whether migrants could even see the warning signs Hegseth said would be posted in English and Spanish. “People have no idea they are committing this new offense,” Rosanne Camunez, a defense attorney, said in an interview Friday as dozens of migrants appeared in court in Las Cruces to face the new criminal charges. The military-related charges are so unusual that Chief Magistrate Judge Gregory B. Wormuth in New Mexico ordered government lawyers last week to submit a brief explaining, in their view, the legal standards required to convict someone of trespassing on military property. “As with all criminal offenses, the government must establish that a defendant possesses the requisite mens rea,” Wormuth wrote in his order Thursday, referring to the Latin term for the defendant’s state of mind and the requirement for most federal crimes that prosecutors prove the defendant intended to break the law. “The scarcity of case law relating to these offenses, particularly given the unprecedented nature of prosecuting such offenses in this factual context, leaves the Court unclear about the mens rea standard as applied in these cases.” In his order, Wormuth asked whether, to be found guilty, defendants must have known that the property they trespassed on is under military control and restricted from the public and that the migrants intended to violate the rules anyway. In a response Monday, U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison in New Mexico said that anyone who crosses into the border zone is “now unlawfully entering both the United States and a restricted military area.” His office vowed in a news release last week to prosecute the cases aggressively, and said the effort is the “first large-scale use of a novel criminal statute” targeting undocumented immigrants. “Trespassers into the National Defense Area will be Federally prosecuted — no exceptions,” Ellison said in a statement last week.

FOX News [5/7/2025 7:00 PM, Breanne Deppisch and Jake Gibson, 46189K] reports U.S. District Judge James Boasberg pressed Justice Department lawyers Wednesday evening over public comments President Donald Trump and other Cabinet officials made about deportation proceedings under the Alien Enemies Act and floated the idea of moving some migrants to Guantánamo Bay. During the hearing, Boasberg specifically pressed Justice Department lawyers about statements made by Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the U.S. has deported hundreds of migrants, and the White House’s ability to secure someone’s release. He asked specifically about Trump’s remarks in an interview with ABC News, in which Trump told ABC News he "could" secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran and alleged gang member, back to the U.S. from El Salvador if he chose to. "Is the president not telling the truth?" Boasberg asked Justice Department lawyer Abhishek Kambli. "Or could he secure his release?". The question goes to the heart of whether El Salvador has custody of the deported migrants, a major question at the heart of the case. Another key part of the hearing focused on the lawfulness of the Alien Enemies Act proclamation used by Trump to quickly deport migrants from the U.S. to the Salvadoran prison. Boasberg asserted that the Supreme Court had not, in fact, upheld Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport certain migrants, quoting from the high court’s ruling before noting to Justice Department lawyers that the Supreme Court "did not decide one way or another" on the validity of Trump’s proclamation. Boasberg floated the idea of moving the migrants detained at CECOT to the U.S. Guantánamo Bay detention center, where the government could then ascertain if they are members of Tren de Aragua, the violent Venezuelan gang the Trump administration said prompted its use of the Alien Enemies Act. He also grilled Kambli over Noem’s comment that CECOT is "one of the tools in our toolkit" the U.S. "can use" against individuals who commit crimes against the American people, and comments from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the U.S. has provided $6 million to El Salvador to house migrants at the CECOT prison. In response, Kambli said these remarks sometimes "lack nuance" and described the payments to El Salvador as "grants.”

Reported similarly:
Politico [5/7/2025 7:55 PM, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, 11599K]

AP [5/7/2025 7:07 PM, Michael Kunzelman and Nicholas Riccardi, 1769K] reports a federal judge on Wednesday said he’ll order the Trump administration to provide more information about the terms under which dozens of Venezuelan immigrants are being held at a notorious prison in El Salvador, moving a step closer to deciding whether to require the men to be returned to the United States. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg said he needed the information to determine whether the roughly 200 men, deported in March under an 18th century wartime law, were still effectively in U.S. custody. Boasberg noted that President Donald Trump had boasted in an interview that he could get back one man wrongly imprisoned in El Salvador in a separate case by simply asking. The government’s lawyer, Abishek Kambli, said that and other public statements by administration officials about their relationship with El Salvador lacked "nuance.” Kambli would not give Boasberg any information about the administration’s deal with El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, who once called himself "the world’s coolest dictator" and is holding immigrants deported from the U.S. at his country’s CECOT prison. He would not even confirm the terms of the deal, which the White House has said are a $20 million payment to El Salvador. Boasberg wants the information to establish whether the administration has what’s called "constructive custody" of the immigrants, meaning it could return them if he ordered it. The ACLU has asked that Boasberg order the return of the men, who were accused of being members of a gang Trump claimed was invading the country. Minutes after Trump unveiled his proclamation in March, claiming wartime powers to short-circuit immigration proceedings and remove the men without court hearings, the immigrants were flown to El Salvador. That happened despite Boasberg’s ruling that the planes needed to be turned around until he could rule on the legality of the move, and he is separately examining whether to hold the government in contempt for that action. After the March flights, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that no one could be deported under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 without a chance to challenge it in court. Since then, three separate federal judges have ruled that Trump’s invocation of the act was illegal because the gang he named is not actually at war with the U.S. It’s likely that those rulings will be appealed all the way back up to the Supreme Court.

Reported similarly:
Politico [5/7/2025 7:55 PM, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, 2100K]

ABC News [5/7/2025 8:27 PM, Peter Charalambous, Katherine Faulders, and Laura Romero, 34586K] reports a federal judge pressed a Justice Department attorney Wednesday about conflicting statements from the Trump administration regarding the more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members that were sent to an El Salvador mega-prison. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg heard arguments Wednesday about a proposed order to facilitate the return of the migrants from the notorious CECOT prison. During the hearing, Judge Boasberg brought up President Donald Trump’s interview last month with ABC News’ Terry Moran in which the president said he could secure the return of wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia. "Was the president telling the truth when he said he could pick up the phone and have Mr. Albrego Garcia be released, or not?" Boasberg asked. "Your Honor, that goes towards the president’s belief about the influence that he has," replied DOJ attorney Abishek Kambli. Judge Boasberg brought up Abrego Garcia during his discussion of "constructive custody," referring to the custody of a person not under the government’s physical control. He noted that Trump said he had the power to release Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act -- an 18th century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process -- to deport more than 200 alleged migrant gang members to CECOT by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a "hybrid criminal state" that is invading the United States. The migrants were sent to CECOT as part of a $6 million deal the Trump administration made with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for El Salvador to house migrant detainees as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown. When asked by Judge Boasberg if the U.S. paid El Salvador to house the migrants, Kambli said that "there is no agreement or arrangement whereby the United States maintains any agency or control over the prisoners.” Kambli added that El Salvador "makes its own sovereign decisions including with respect to detention" and said that the funds provided to the country were grants to be used for law enforcement and "anti crime purposes.” "White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt said it was approximately $6 million to El Salvador for the detention of these foreign terrorists ... so was she wrong?" Boasberg asked. When Kambli said again that the U.S. provided grants to El Salvador, Judge Boasberg brought up comments from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in which she said that CECOT "is one of the tools in our toolkit if you commit crimes against the American people.” "Is she wrong about that?" Boasberg asked. "‘I’m not going to necessarily parse out every statement, and sometimes public statements lack nuance of any given situation," Kambli replied.

NBC News [5/7/2025 7:50 PM, Gary Grumbach and Ryan J. Reilly, 44742K] reports the words of President Donald Trump and members of his administration undermined the government’s contention at a court hearing Wednesday that the men deported from the country under the Alien Enemies Act and delivered to El Salvador were not in the constructive custody of the United States. At a hearing Wednesday evening, Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg questioned a Justice Department attorney over whether Trump was telling the truth when he said he could secure the release of Abrego Garcia from the CECOT facility in El Salvador. Boasberg used Trump’s own words, as well as statements from press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, to chip away at the government’s contention that those incarcerated at CECOT in El Salvador were not in the constructive custody of the United States. "Constructive custody" refers to the legal notion that people can be held at the behest of the government even if they are not held in its physical custody. Trump said last week that he "could" have Garcia returned to the United States with a phone call, while Leavitt said the United States was paying El Salvador "approximately $6 million" to keep the men and Noem said CECOT was "one of the tools in our tool kit" that the United States could use. "Is the president not telling the truth, or could he secure the release of Mr. Abrego Garcia?" Boasberg asked Deputy Assistant Attorney General Abhishek Kambli, who was representing the government Wednesday. "Was the president telling the truth" when he said he could pick up the phone and secure Garcia’s release or not? Boasberg asked. "That goes towards the president’s belief about influence he has," Kambli responded, saying, "Influence does not equate to constructive custody.”

Reuters [5/7/2025 7:23 PM, Luc Cohen and Blake Brittain, 41523K] reports A U.S. judge pressed a government lawyer on Wednesday on whether Republican President Donald Trump was telling the truth when he said he could secure the return of wrongly deported migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia with a phone call to El Salvador’s president. Washington D.C.-based U.S. District Judge James Boasberg asked the question of Justice Department lawyer Abhishek Kambli at a hearing in a different case, in which the government is arguing it cannot obtain custody of some 137 Venezuelan migrants being held in a Salvadoran mega-prison after being deported under an 18th-century wartime law. “Didn’t the president say just last week that he could secure the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia simply by picking up the phone and asking the president of El Salvador to release him?" Boasberg said, referring to Trump’s comments in an April 30 ABC News interview. "So is the President not telling the truth?" Kambli said that the U.S. having influence over the migrants’ potential release did not mean they were in U.S. custody. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the Venezuelans, has asked Boasberg to order Trump to facilitate their return because they were not given an adequate chance to challenge their deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The case is one of the primary legal challenges to Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, which critics say are violating migrants’ constitutional rights. Boasberg did not immediately rule on the ACLU’s request, but said the rights group had likely established that the U.S. was still ultimately responsible for their incarceration despite them being held in El Salvador. They are being held in the Central American country’s Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in a deal in which Washington is paying San Salvador $6 million. The judge asked Kambli about other officials’ statements that suggested El Salvador was holding the migrants at U.S. behest, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s confirmation of the $6 million deal and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s assertion that CECOT was "one of the tools in our toolkit." Kambli said some public statements had lacked nuance. “Is that another way of saying that a number of these statements just aren’t true?” Boasberg said. Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to requests for comment.

Politico [5/7/2025 4:51 PM, Kyle Cheney] reports the Trump administration has invoked the state secrets privilege in response to a federal judge’s demand for details about the improper deportation of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis revealed the development in an order Wednesday, asking for a detailed legal briefing on the decision and how it might affect her intensive inquiry into the Trump administration’s handling of Abrego Garcia’s case. It’s the second time in recent weeks that the Trump administration has invoked the state secrets privilege in order to frustrate judges’ demand for information about potential violations of court orders related to summary deportations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi endorsed the invocation of the state secrets privilege in March after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg demanded information about the timing of flights to El Salvador carrying migrants deported under a rarely used presidential war power. Boasberg has not yet ruled whether he considers the privilege assertion to be valid, though he has expressed doubts. And judges, he noted, routinely review sensitive national security information in secure spaces, even if the materials remain sealed from public view. Xinis, an Obama appointee, is asking the administration for detailed legal arguments on the matter by Monday and will hold a hearing in her Maryland courtroom next week on the issue. The discussion comes as lawyers for Abrego Garcia have been deposing Trump administration officials about the circumstances surrounding Abrego Garcia’s deportation.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [5/7/2025 6:54 PM, Jim Thomas, 4998K]
Axios [5/7/2025 6:21 PM, Sareen Habeshian, 13163K]
CBS News [5/7/2025 5:12 PM, Melissa Quinn, 51661K]
The Hill [5/7/2025 5:03 PM, Zach Schonfeld, 12829K]

CNN [5/7/2025 7:15 PM, Tierney Sneed, Devan Cole and Emily R. Condon, 908K] reports a federal judge pressed the Justice Department on President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he could secure the return of migrants deported to a Salvadoran super prison, during a Wednesday evening hearing where the judge approved more fact-finding into whether the US has custody over the migrants it sent to the prison. US District Judge James Boasberg is considering a dispute stemming from Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, but he brought up the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – who was wrongly deported to El Salvador under a different immigration authority and whose case is in front of a different judge – as he weighs a request from the migrants before him that they be returned to the US so they can have the opportunity to challenge Trump’s use of the sweeping wartime authority against them. "Didn’t the president say just last week that he could secure the return of Abrego Garcia just by picking up the phone and asking El Slavador to release him – so is the president telling the truth?" Boasberg asked an attorney for the Justice Department. DOJ attorney Abhishek Kambli did not answer the question directly, prompting frustration from Boasberg. He instead claimed that Trump’s comments spoke to "the president’s belief of the influence he has.” The belief doesn’t negate the idea that El Salvador ultimately has control, Kambli argued.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [5/7/2025 8:47 PM, Alan Feuer, 145325K]

Bloomberg [5/7/2025 7:22 PM, David Voreacos, 16228K] reports a federal judge posed a new threat to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, telling government lawyers he may order the US to facilitate the return of alleged Venezuelan gang members who were deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. At a hearing Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg said he is weighing whether he has the power to order the Trump administration to seek the return of more than 100 Venezuelans deported in March under a wartime law invoked only three times in US history. He’s the first judge to consider the thorny question of how deportees can be brought back. The hearing came amid several setbacks for Trump over his March 15 proclamation, which invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled the men must get a “reasonable time” to challenge their deportation in court. Twelve days later, the Supreme Court intervened again, blocking use of the law to deport immigrants “until further order of this court.” Many of the detainees say they aren’t gang members, and they contend Trump can’t deport them by invoking a law that previously had been used only in wartime. The Supreme Court hasn’t resolved whether Trump’s use of that law is legal. But federal judges in New York, Texas and Colorado have recently blocked its use. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging Boasberg to seek the return of the men even from the CECOT prison in El Savador, though the Trump administration argues they’re not in US custody and only the president — not a judge — has the power to take such an action. The ACLU argues that the US has “constructive custody” of the men and the ability to seek their return. At the hearing, Boasberg pressed Justice Department lawyer Abhishek Kambli to concede that the deported men didn’t receive the due process that the Supreme Court says they deserve. “They got some notice,” Kambli said. “I’m not sure of the precise contours of that. But it wasn’t the 12-hour notice they’re getting now.” “You’ve essentially admitted that their rights were violated — then what’s the remedy?” Boasberg said. The judge said he will order lawyers for the ACLU and the Justice Department to answer questions over the next week before he issues a decision.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 3:04 PM, John Binder, 2923K] reports Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien who was deported to his native El Salvador by the Trump administration, is being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) after a convicted human smuggler told Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents that he hired Abrego Garcia to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States, a new report reveals. Abrego Garcia has for years been accused of being an MS-13 gang member as well as beating his wife at his former residence in Maryland — to the point that she sought two orders of protection against him. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop by the Tennessee Highway Patrol where troopers can be seen pulling over Abrego Garcia, who was driving a vehicle that belonged to 38-year-old Jose Ramon Hernandez-Reyes. FBI agents, according to ABC News, are interviewing Hernandez-Reyes, who reportedly told them that he hired Abrego Garcia to help smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. interior. The DOJ is now investigating the alleged human smuggling incident involving Abrego Garcia out of Tennessee, allegedly hired by Hernandez-Reyes.

Blaze [5/7/2025 4:45 PM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1668K] reports Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Robert Garcia (Calif.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.), Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), and Maxine Dexter (Ore.) are among the Democratic lawmakers who decided to champion the cause of MS-13 associate Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national the Trump administration sent packing on March 15. Abrego Garcia’s illegal entry into the U.S., his failure to appear for hearings on traffic violations, the domestic abuse allegations lodged against him, his links to a terrorist gang, and his identification by two immigration courts as a danger to the community were likely already cause enough to justify his deportation and to question his Democratic defenders’ judgment. However, more damning information has come to light. In the wake of the Tennessee Star’s publication of footage showing Abrego Garcia’s Nov. 30, 2022, encounter with Tennessee Highway Patrol and confirmation of the Department of Justice’s investigation into the traffic stop, ABC News reported that the Salvadoran’s boss has outed him as an human trafficker. The black 2001 Chevrolet Silverado that Abrego Garcia was driving was reportedly flagged by the Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore field office as belonging to Jose Ramon Hernandez-Reyes — an illegal alien from Mexico who Abrego Garcia told a state trooper was his boss. Federal investigators looking into Abrego Garcia’s 2022 traffic stop recently spoke with Hernandez-Reyes at the Federal Correctional Institution in Talladega, Alabama, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

CNN [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Michael Williams, Merlin Delcid, Priscilla Alvarez and Angélica Franganillo Díaz, 22131K] reports that, in the weeks since Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s mistaken deportation to El Salvador, the federal government and his family have presented divergent portraits of the man who has become the face of President Donald Trump’s crackdown against immigration. In the government’s description, Abrego Garcia is a gang member — and now a terrorist — with a history of violence and shady associations who "belongs behind bars and off American soil." The government also released documents showing that his wife told police he had been violent with her multiple times. But she and others in his family also described him as a hardworking man and caring father who fled gang violence as a teenager to start a new life in the US and who remained dedicated to providing for his family until his arrest on March 12. "It’s been 50 days," Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Abrego Garcia, told an audience in Washington’s Lafayette Square on Thursday. "Fifty days of pain and suffering, 50 days of uncertainty." She called on the US and Salvadoran governments to "stop playing political games with my husband’s life.” Trump, for his part, told ABC News in an interview last week that Abrego Garcia was an "MS-13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife, and the wife was petrified to even talk about him, OK? This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland.” At least initially, both sides agreed that Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador — and subsequent imprisonment in the country’s notorious mega-prison — was a mistake, the result of a clerical error that moved him up on a list to land on a flight manifest. A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official called it an "administrative error" in a court declaration. But other Trump administration officials have since publicly abandoned that position and called him "a terrorist," because the US has designated MS-13 a terrorist organization. Abrego Garcia’s deportation has been the basis of a fraught legal battle that’s included tense confrontations between a federal judge in Maryland and the Justice Department, eventually landing at the Supreme Court, which has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return. "The government asserts that Abrego Garcia is a terrorist and a member of MS-13. Perhaps, but perhaps not. Regardless, he is still entitled to due process," the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a recent ruling in the case. To report a fuller picture of Abrego Garcia’s life not presented in court documents or descriptions from his lawyers, CNN spoke to more than a dozen people who know him, reporting from the neighborhoods in El Salvador where he spent his formative years working for his mother and dodging gang threats and from towns in suburban Maryland where he would eventually settle and begin building a life in the United States.

Reuters [5/8/2025 5:01 AM, Andrew Chung, 41523K] reports U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts underscored his defense of the American judiciary on Wednesday amid verbal attacks by President Donald Trump and his allies on judges who have impeded aspects of his sweeping agenda, again stating that impeachment is an inappropriate response to unfavorable rulings. Trump, some fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have advocated impeaching some of the judges who have issued decisions against the president’s policies since he returned to office in January, a process in Congress that could lead to removal from the bench. "Impeachment is not how you register disagreement with decisions," Roberts said during remarks at a judicial event in Buffalo, New York. Roberts, who leads the Supreme Court and its 6-3 conservative majority, did not mention Trump by name. But his comments echoed the rare rebuke issued by Roberts of the president in March after Trump called for the impeachment of a judge who had ordered his administration to halt the removal of Venezuelan migrants under a 1798 law called the Alien Enemies Act. Trump also labeled the judge a "Radical Left Lunatic.” The Supreme Court increasingly is being called upon to intervene in major legal disputes involving the president, whose aggressive agenda and flurry of executive orders often have been stymied by lower courts. Critics have accused the administration of defying lower court orders and even a Supreme Court ruling involving Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Roberts on Wednesday indicated that the appeals process - not impeachment - is the proper way to deal with adverse rulings. "That’s what we’re there for," Roberts said, answering questions posed by a federal judge before an audience of lawyers and other members of the judiciary. Roberts, who was born in Buffalo and raised in Indiana, also spoke about the importance of the independence of judges in the U.S. system of government that separates the powers of the president, Congress and the judiciary. "This job is to obviously decide cases, but in the course of that, to check the excesses of Congress or the executive, and that does require a degree of independence," Roberts said, drawing applause from the crowd.

U.S. Department of State [5/8/2025 12:30 AM, Staff] reports Greetings from the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub. I would like to welcome journalists to today’s on-the-record briefing with Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Sean O’Neill, Senior Bureau Official for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Assistant Secretary McLaughlin and Senior Bureau Official O’Neill will discuss countering illegal immigration. The discussion will feature the CBP Home program, which offers unlawfully present aliens the opportunity to voluntarily depart the United States. With that, let’s get started. Assistant Secretary McLaughlin, thank you for joining us, and I’ll turn it over to you for your opening remarks. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Washington Times [5/7/2025 12:00 PM, Alex Swoyer, 1814K] reports C-SPAN has asked the Supreme Court for permission to televise next week’s oral argument over President Trump’s move to limit birthright citizenship, saying the case is so important the justices should make an exception to their no-cameras policy. The April 23 letter was sent to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and has gone unanswered, the network said. The case involves Mr. Trump’s executive order instructing federal agencies not to recognize automatic citizenship for children born to illegal immigrant parents or parents here on temporary visas. Lower courts have ruled Mr. Trump acted in defiance of the Constitution and issued nationwide injunctions against his policy. The Justice Department has defended Mr. Trump’s policy as legal and is asking the Supreme Court to let it take effect in regions of the country that aren’t part of the lawsuits still winding their way through the lower courts. C-SPAN already carries live audio of Supreme Court cases, but said the weighty issues involved in birthright citizenship deserve cameras. “This case holds profound national significance. Its implications — legal, political, and personal — will affect millions of Americans. In light of this, we believe the public interest is best served through live television coverage of the proceedings,” the C-SPAN letter reads. A spokesperson for the Supreme Court didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 4:24 PM, Olivia Rondeau, 2923K] reports a new bill aimed at holding sanctuary cities "accountable" has been introduced by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), with Breitbart News obtaining exclusive access to the proposed legislation as well as the congresswoman’s letter to President Donald Trump pledging to help him stop Democrat-controlled jurisdictions from harboring illegal migrants. The "No Student Visas for Sanctuary Cities Act," introduced Wednesday, would "hold sanctuary cities accountable for their violation of federal law and for their aiding of illegal aliens" by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit student visas being granted for institutions in such jurisdictions, Hageman’s office told Breitbart News.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 7:00 AM, Ashley Oliver, 2296K] reports President Donald Trump has been carrying out his deportation plans forcefully and rapidly, pleasing his base while alarming some advocates who say the administration is ignoring due process rights of deportees. Recent high-profile deportation cases that have attracted the legal services of well-funded liberal immigration groups have put a spotlight on due process and how much a person living in the country illegally should receive. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that the Constitution extends due process to anyone on U.S. soil, but illegal immigrants do not have the same rights as citizens to it. Trump aide Stephen Miller declared on Monday that an "illegal alien facing deportation" is not guaranteed due process, a remark that followed the president himself conveying uncertainty about the matter in a television interview. Asked by the interviewer if he believed citizens and noncitizens alike deserve due process, Trump replied, "I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know.” The Constitution "might say that, but if you’re talking about that, then we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials," Trump said, later adding that he would follow Supreme Court orders. In Reno vs. Flores, a Supreme Court decision about detaining migrant children, the late Justice Antonin Scalia was unequivocal. "It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings," Scalia wrote in 1993. The Supreme Court reiterated Scalia’s words in April in an order directing the Trump administration to give "reasonable" notice to alleged transnational gang members the government planned to deport under the Alien Enemies Act. They must have the opportunity to "seek habeas [corpus] relief" before they are deported, the high court said, referencing the legal recourse available to those who believe they have been wrongly detained. Attorney Neama Rahmani, a California-based former federal prosecutor, highlighted how illegal immigrants appearing in courts, including immigration courts, are not entitled to a lawyer. Many groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Immigration Project, have made it their mission to volunteer their legal services to help illegal border crossers navigate the U.S. legal system, but recipients of those services are in the minority. "The vast majority of migrants don’t have lawyers in these proceedings," Rahmani told the Washington Examiner.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 3:25 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2923K] reports organizations and nonprofits that cater to illegal aliens are begging for money from donors after losing most of their funding when the Trump administration cut their federal subsidies. Soon after coming to office, Trump’s agencies paused funding for organizations that pay for housing, food, education, and legal expenses for the millions of illegal aliens allowed to flood the border during the Biden era. And in some cases, these organizations lost 75 percent or more of the money they were spending on catering to migrants. Now, these groups are pleading for people to dig deeper into their pockets. Many of these groups are not leaving their budgets to mere donor chance and have filed a flurry of lawsuits attempting to force the federal government to hand over hundreds of millions in tax dollars to organizations that cater to migrants who broke the law to sneak into the country.

Washington Post [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel, 31735K] reports the U.S. DOGE Service is racing to build a single centralized database with vast troves of personal information about millions of U.S. citizens and residents, a campaign that often violates or disregards core privacy and security protections meant to keep such information safe, government workers say. The team overseen by Elon Musk is collecting data from across the government, sometimes at the urging of low-level aides, according to multiple federal employees and a former DOGE staffer, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The intensifying effort to unify systems into one central hub aims to advance multiple Trump administration priorities, including finding and deporting undocumented immigrants and rooting out fraud in government payments. And it follows a March executive order to eliminate “information silos” as DOGE tries to streamline operations and cut spending. At several agencies, DOGE officials have sought to merge databases that had long been kept separate, federal workers said. For example, longtime Musk lieutenant Steve Davis told staffers at the Social Security Administration that they would soon start linking various sources of Social Security data for access and analysis, according to a person briefed on the conversations, with a goal of “joining all data across government.” Davis did not respond to a request for comment. But DOGE has also sometimes removed protections around sensitive information — on Social Security numbers, birth dates, employment history, disability records, medical documentation and more. In one instance, a website for a new visa program wasn’t set up behind a protective virtual private network as would be customary, according to a Department of Homeland Security employee and records obtained by Washington Post. The administration’s moves ramp up the risk of exposing data to hackers and other adversaries, according to security analysts, and experts worry that any breaches could erode public confidence in government. Civil rights advocates and some federal employees also worry that the data assembled under DOGE could be used against political foes or for targeted decisions about funding or basic government services. “Separation and segmentation is one of the core principles in sound cybersecurity,” said Charles Henderson of security company Coalfire. “Putting all your eggs in one basket means I don’t need to go hunting for them — I can just steal the basket.”

New York Times [5/7/2025 4:08 PM, Karoun Demirjian, 145325K] reports the Trump administration says foreign soccer fans considering attending next year’s FIFA World Cup are welcome to visit for a good time, but not a long time. At a meeting of the World Cup task force at the White House on Tuesday, administration officials extended a conditional welcome to those who would attend the tournament, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. “Everyone is welcome to come and see this incredible event,” Vice President JD Vance said. “But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home. Otherwise, they’ll have to talk to Secretary Noem,” he added, referring to Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, another member of the panel. Ms. Noem, speaking next, did not pick up Mr. Vance’s refrain. But Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, soon echoed his sentiments. The blunt warnings to tourists not to overstay their visas is in keeping with the Trump administration’s approach to foreigners over the last few months, which has included not only deporting immigrants illegally present in the United States, but also efforts to expel or turn away some authorized to be in the country.

Reported similarly:
AP [5/7/2025 9:13 AM, Staff, 48304K]

USA Today [5/7/2025 11:19 AM, Kathryn Palmer, 75858K] reports federal law enforcement officials announced May 6 they arrested over a dozen people and seized millions of fentanyl pills in a multi-state operation against a major drug trafficking ring. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted in a press conference it amounts to a takedown of one of the largest fentanyl trafficking operations in the country’s history. Officials allege the leader of the network, who they identified as 36-year-old Heriberto Salazar Amaya, has ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. Of the 16 arrested on conspiracy and drug charges, he was one of six that Bondi says were living in the United States illegally. "This historic drug seizure, led by the DEA, is a significant blow against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl," Bondi said in a statement. However, in court documents, including a motion by prosecutors to detain Salazar Amaya before trial, there is no allegation of a connection to the cartel, according to Reuters. The State Department in February designated the Sinaloa cartel a foreign terrorist organization. It is one of the oldest and most powerful organized crime groups in North America and a significant player in fentanyl trafficking. The network allegedly operated across six western states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah, law enforcement said. In addition to fentanyl pills and powder, authorities say they seized cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, dozens of firearms, millions in cash and several vehicles in five of those states. Fentanyl is a controlled substance that is similar to morphine, but about 100 times more potent, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, with most illegal fentanyl manufactured in foreign labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico. Bondi has sought to bolster Trump administration assertions that illegal migration poses a large-scale public safety threat to the U.S., and added in the press conference that "they’re flooding our cities with a weapon of mass destruction, fentanyl.” Bondi said she wants those arrested to stay in American prisons if convicted, alleging they were crossing the southern border illegally, even suggesting the notorious Alcatraz prison President Donald Trump floated reopening earlier this week. "No longer will they be able to do that. But, the amount of drugs, the amount of money, the amount of weapons − most of these individuals, if convicted, will remain in American prisons," Bondi said. "Perhaps Alcatraz.”

NPR [5/7/2025 1:36 PM, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, 29983K] reports a federal appeals court in New York Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to transfer Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student, from Louisiana to Vermont to continue her immigration detention in that state while a judge there decides whether to release her on bail. The Trump administration has one week to comply with the transfer, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. "The District of Vermont is likely the proper venue to adjudicate Öztürk’s habeas petition because, at the time she filed, she was physically in Vermont," the panel wrote in its ruling. Öztürk has been detained at a federal facility in Louisiana after being arrested on the street in Sommerville, Massachusetts on March 25 by six federal plainclothes immigration agents. The Department of Homeland Security later accused her of engaging "in activities in support of Hamas.” Last year she wrote an opinion essay in a university paper criticizing the school for its handling of a handful of resolutions passed by the student senate related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, including one calling on the university’s president to acknowledge and condemn "the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza.” Her attorneys say she’s being held in violation of her free speech and due process rights and that the government has not shown any evidence she supports terrorism. She has not been charged with any crime. "No one should be arrested and locked up for their political views," said Esha Bhandari with the ACLU, which is representing her in federal court. "We’re grateful the court refused the government’s attempt to keep her isolated from her community and her legal counsel as she pursues her case for release.” The New York Times [5/7/2025 4:35 PM, Vimal Patel, 145325K] reports the court gave the administration one week to move Ms. Ozturk, a Turkish citizen with a student visa. In a statement on Wednesday after the court ruling, the Trump administration said that “a visa is a privilege, not a right.” “Today’s ruling does not prevent the continued detention of Ms. Ozturk,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a Homeland Security spokeswoman, “and we will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.”

Reported similarly:
FOX News [5/7/2025 1:16 PM, Alexandra Koch and Maria Paronich, 46189K]

AP [5/8/2025 12:04 AM, Holly Ramer, 48304K] reports a Palestinian student arrested during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship is helping to launch an initiative to help other immigrants facing deportation in Vermont on Thursday, a week after a federal judge freed him from custody. Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, who led protests against Israel’s war in Gaza at Columbia University, spent 16 days in a state prison before a judge ordered him released on April 30. The Trump administration has said Mahdawi should be deported because his activism threatens its foreign policy goals, but the judge ruled that he has raised a “substantial claim” that the government arrested him to stifle speech with which it disagrees. Immigration authorities have detained college students from around the country since the first days of the Trump administration. Many of them participated in campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, which has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians. Mahdawi was among the first to win his freedom after challenging his arrest. “Justice is inevitable. We will not fear anyone because our fight is a fight for love, a fight for democracy, a fight for humanity,” Mahdawi told supporters outside the courthouse last week. He will join Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale and community advocates at the Statehouse to announce the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund. The group, which also includes lawyers and philanthropists, says the goal is to improve access to legal advice for immigrants and build long-term infrastructure within the justice system as it pertains to immigration law. Members of Vermont’s congressional delegation have spoken up on Mahdawi’s behalf, as have state politicians. Vermont’s House and Senate passed resolutions condemning the circumstances of his detention and advocating for his release and due process rights. Republican Gov. Phil Scott has said there is no justification for the manner in which Mahdawi was arrested, at an immigration office in Colchester. “Law enforcement officers in this country should not operate in the shadows or hide behind masks,” the governor said the next day. “The power of the executive branch of the federal government is immense, but it is not infinite, and it is not absolute.”

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 10:24 PM, Joseph Pisani and Sadie Gurman, 646K] reports pro-Palestinian protesters took over the main library at Columbia University, hanging Palestinian flags from the walls, the first major demonstration on the campus since the ones that overwhelmed the school last spring. Protesters wore masks and kaffiyeh scarves, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, according to video and photos on social media. People were standing on tables shouting on bullhorns, “Free Palestine.” The New York Police Department took into custody several individuals who didn’t comply with verbal warnings to disperse, a spokeswoman said. The protest comes as Columbia is under pressure from the Trump administration. In March, the administration threatened to cut $400 million in federal funding for what it said was a failure to protect Jewish students during protests last year. Free-speech proponents have criticized the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests as interfering with students’ First Amendment rights. Some foreign students who engaged in the protests, such as Mahmoud Khalil, have been held in detention facilities in Louisiana while the government seeks to deport them. “We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X on Wednesday evening. “Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation,” he added. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a television interview that Wednesday’s protest was “unacceptable” and said the city’s police department was en route. He asked parents of those participating to call their children and tell them to leave. Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said two Columbia safety officers were injured as protesters forced their way into the library. She said she has asked the NYPD to help with securing the building. “Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies,” Shipman said.

AP [5/7/2025 11:17 PM, Staff, 24727K] reports police officers in helmets streamed into Columbia University early Wednesday evening to remove a group of mask-clad protesters who staged a Pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the school’s main library. Videos shared on social media showed the long line of NYPD officers entering the library hours after dozens of protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced into the building, then hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves in an ornate reading room. Some protesters also appeared to have scrawled "Columbia will burn" across framed pictures. Other videos showed campus security officers barring another group of protesters from entering the library, with both sides shoving to try and force the other group aside. The university’s president, Claire Shipman, said in a statement Wednesday evening that the protesters who had holed up inside a library reading room were asked repeatedly to show identification and to leave, but they refused. The school then requested the NYPD come in "to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community," she said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams subsequently said officers were entering the campus "to remove individuals who are trespassing.” The demonstration and effort to break it up came the same evening that the U.S. Justice Department announced it had brought hate-crime charges against a man who had been repeatedly arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the past year, including one held near Columbia. An indictment charged Tarek Bazrouk, 20, with assaulting Jewish people at the demonstrations. Columbia University in March announced sweeping policy changes related to protests following Trump administration threats to revoke its federal funding. Among them are a ban on students wearing masks to conceal their identities and a rule that those protesting on campus must present their identification when asked. The school also said it had hired new public safety officers empowered to make arrests on campus.

USA Today [5/8/2025 12:28 AM, Eduardo Cuevas, 75858K] reports police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who took over part of Columbia University’s main library on May 7. Ahead of finals week at the Ivy League campus, student activists clashed with campus public safety officials and contracted security guards inside and outside Butler Library. Videos posted to social media showed confrontations between university officials at the entrance to a reading room inside the library. Outside, scores of students gathered, with some trying to force their way into the building. Dozens of people donning masks and keffiyehs could be seen chanting and hoisting signs in support of Palestinians and Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student who has been held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention over his pro-Palestinian advocacy. Claire Shipman, Columbia University’s acting president, said in an update that the university asked New York City police to assist in securing the building. “Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies; this is especially unacceptable while our students study and prepare for final exams,” Shipman said. “Columbia strongly condemns violence on our campus, antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today." In the evening, the university sent a campus text alert that the library is closed and the area must be cleared. Shipman said two campus public safety personnel were injured in a crowd rush. The student radio news station WKCR reported demonstrators had also been injured. NYPD officers wearing helmets and face shields entered the campus from a closed-off street. "At the written request of Columbia University, the NYPD is entering the campus to remove individuals who are trespassing," Mayor Eric Adams said in a social media post. "We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city." An NYPD spokesperson said police made multiple arrests but declined to provide an exact amount. Police officers escorted dozens of people cuffed in zip ties onto NYPD buses and vans, Reuters reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted that officials would review visa statuses for those who took over the library.

NBC News [5/7/2025 10:47 PM, Rebecca Cohen, 44742K] reports several people were arrested Wednesday night after protesters took over a room of a Columbia University library in a resurgence of the on-campus pro-Palestinian demonstrations that rocked the nation last spring. A New York police spokesperson could not provide the number of arrests, which came hours after demonstrators, many wearing keffiyehs, stormed into Butler Library, chanting slogans and facing off with police and campus security officers. Two Columbia Public Safety Officers were injured in a "crowd surge" as people tried to "force" their way into the library, the university said. Officers later ushered around 76 protesters in zip ties out of the building, an NBC News crew witnessed Wednesday night. Columbia University said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that it was "dealing with a disruption in reading room 301 of Butler Library," saying its public safety team was "working to mitigate the situation." Columbia waited hours after the disruptions began to request police assistance, with officers responding at around 7:10 p.m. Multiple people who did not comply with verbal warnings from police to disperse were taken into custody. Israel’s security Cabinet approved a plan to seize all of the Gaza Strip on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the plan an intensive military operation aimed at defeating Hamas. The Trump administration is also seeking to block federal funding from some universities, including Columbia and Harvard, for what it says is their failure to quell last year’s protests and combat antisemitism on campus. The administration is reviewing the status of "the trespassers and vandals" who were involved in Wednesday’s demonstration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. Columbia had asked protesters to identify themselves and leave. It said that it repeatedly asked the protesters for their identification and that they "were repeatedly told that failure to comply would result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest for trespassing." The demonstrators were barred from leaving the library without presenting public safety officers with their identifications. A large group of protesters, their faces obscured by keffiyehs, appeared to try to force their way through a set of doors where a group of what appeared to be security officers was standing, video on social media shows. Officers appeared to resist and push the group back as someone on a megaphone pleaded with the group to "stop pushing, please," the video showed. The speaker says the protesters would be allowed to go if they took out their ID cards, to which the group responded with a resounding "No!" and a chant of "Let us go!" The university allowed others in the library who were not involved in the protest to leave. In an alert sent to students, it said that the library was closed and that the area should remain clear.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 5:35 PM, Kaelan Deese, 2296K] reports a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to provide a full account of the legal basis for its attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student whose case has become a political flashpoint over free speech and immigration enforcement. Judge Michael Farbiarz of the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, instructed the Trump administration on Wednesday to submit by Thursday morning a list of every known instance where federal officials have invoked what Khalil’s lawyers say is a "rarely used" immigration law being used against Khalil. The judge’s demand for detailed historical records signals growing scrutiny of the administration’s use of foreign policy-related deportation powers against U.S.-based activists.

Daily Mail [5/7/2025 11:09 AM, Kelly Garino, 62500K] reports US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made yet another high-profile arrest of an MS-13 gang member in Maryland, just months after the deportation of El Salvador man Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Another illegal immigrant from El Salvador, Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, was apprehended with ‘validated’ membership to the notorious gang and no visa ‘approved or pending’ to be in the United States, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. The latest arrest comes despite Democratic establishment officials insisting deported gang members are simply ‘Maryland men’ rather than criminal illegal immigrants, with junior Senator Chris Van Hollen recently visiting Abrego Garcia in the El Salvador’s CECOT prison in an attempt to secure his return to the US. ‘This criminal illegal gang member and suspected terrorist should have never been released into our country,’ DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said of Mejia-Benitez’s arrest in a statement to Fox News. ‘Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, he is off our streets and will soon be out of the country.’

AP [5/7/2025 3:51 PM, Olivia Diaz] reports a federal judge has ruled that a Georgetown scholar’s petition challenging the constitutionality of his arrest should be heard in Virginia, denying the Trump administration’s request to move the case to Texas. U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles said she would hear arguments in mid-May on whether Badar Khan Suri should be returned to Virginia while his deportation case proceeds in Texas, where he’s now detained. His next hearing in the immigration case is in June. The judge’s late Tuesday memo says that by swiftly moving Khan Suri from Virginia to Louisiana and then Texas within days of his arrest, the government appeared to be trying to thwart his lawyers’ efforts to challenge his detention in the jurisdiction where it happened.

NBC 4 Nashville [5/7/2025 4:03 PM, Caleb Wethington, 815K] reports Metro Law Director Wally Dietz has released a full timeline of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation that led to several people being arrested throughout Nashville over the weekend. Inspector Jackson Sanders with the Federal Protective Service of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called the Department of Emergency Communications to request extra police patrols at Nashville’s ICE facility on Sunday. Sanders said that there would be operations throughout the weekend and there was concern of backlash by families coming to the ICE facility on Sunday. THP and ICE conduct a joint operation in Nashville, resulting in about 150 traffic stops and “a few” arrests. The Department of Homeland Security reported that ICE agents arrested a child sex predator, a member of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, a person convicted of aggravated assault, and others with drug charges. “During the operation in Tennessee, ICE agents arrested a convicted child sex predator, a member of Tren de Aragua, an individual convicted of aggravated assault, and multiple aliens with drug charges. No one should want these criminal illegal aliens to be loose on American streets,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [5/7/2025 4:24 PM, Jessica Priest and Ayden Runnels] reports a bill that would make college less affordable for undocumented students, including those who have called the state their home for most of their lives, is advancing in the Texas Senate. The Senate’s K-16 committee voted 9-2 on Tuesday to bring Senate Bill 1798 to the chamber’s floor for a full vote. It would eliminate undocumented students’ eligibility for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition. State Sen. Mayes Middleton, who authored the bill, said taxpayers are subsidizing higher education for people in the country illegally, which he estimated cost $150 million in the 2024-2025 academic year. The House is contemplating similar legislation. House Bill 232 by state Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton, would require students 18 or older to provide proof that they had applied to become a permanent U.S. resident to be eligible for in-state tuition. Both bills would also make the students liable for covering the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition should their school determine they had been misclassified or if their application for permanent residency in the U.S. is denied. The Senate’s measure would go further by allowing universities to withhold a student’s diploma if they don’t pay the difference within 30 days of being notified and if the diploma has not already been granted. The Senate bill also bars universities and colleges from using any state money on financial aid to help undocumented students, requires them to report students whom they believe have misrepresented their immigration status to the Attorney General’s Office, and ties their state funding to compliance with the law.

CBS News [5/7/2025 6:24 AM, Staff, 51661K] reports sixteen people have been arrested and three million pills laced with fentanyl were seized in what federal prosecutors said Tuesday was the "largest fentanyl bust in DEA history.” The operation, which spanned several states along in the West, "marks the most significant victory in our nation’s fight against fentanyl and drug trafficking to date," Attorney General Pam Bondi said. Among those arrested was a Sinaloa cartel leader, Heriberto Salazar Amaya, 36, a Mexican national, who was taken into custody in Salem, Oregon, Bondi said at a press conference. In February, the State Department designated the Sinaloa cartel as a foreign terrorist organization. Asked whether any of those arrested would be deported to Mexico, Bondi said "I want them to stay in our prisons as long as possible.” "Most of these individuals, if convicted, will remain in American prisons, perhaps Alcatraz," the attorney general added in reference to the shuttered California prison that President Donald Trump said he wants to reopen. The Justice Department said law enforcement officials seized more than 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of fentanyl pills, 11.5 kilos of fentanyl powder, 80 kilos of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilos of cocaine and 4.5 kilos of heroin. The bust also netted $5 million in cash and 49 rifles and pistols, U.S. officials said, while releasing several images of the seized items. "This case represents DEA’s largest single seizure of fentanyl pills," said Robert Murphy, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Bondi said 75,000 Americans are dying each year because of fentanyl and it is the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 18 and 34 in the United States. "They are flooding our cities with a weapon of mass destruction, fentanyl," she said.

FOX News [5/7/2025 10:00 AM, Deirdre Heavey, 46189K] reports despite President Donald Trump’s administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious "distraction.” "From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities," White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. "At President Trump’s direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again.” As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is "not a serious one.” "Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.," a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not a serious one," Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. "I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal," Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail.

Telemundo [5/8/2025 12:22 AM, Staff, 2454K] reports the Secretary of Homeland Security comes out dubbed in Spanish threatening undocumented immigrants with serious consequences if they decide to enter the United States and also promotes the CBP Home app for people to self-promote. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [5/7/2025 11:58 AM, Morgan Phillips, 46189K] reports Republican leaders in the House are increasingly concerned about China’s presence in Cuba and its capacity to spy on the U.S. from the island. A new report analyzing open-source intelligence found the addition of what appears to be a circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA) at the Bejucal signals intelligence site near Havana, Cuba. The antenna could pinpoint radio signals from between 3,000 and 8,000 miles away, putting key U.S. military installations and even Washington, D.C., well within range. "The CCP’s poisonous alliance with Cuba has posed significant threats to U.S. national security for decades," House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. "Their alleged involvement in signals intelligence hubs in Cuba is outward, unconcealed adversarial behavior against the U.S. The CCP’s actions are becoming increasingly more bold and thereby detrimental to Western Hemisphere security.” The chairman called on the U.S. and its partners to work to thwart CCP influence in the Western Hemisphere. The report’s authors at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said work on the CDAA is ongoing, but satellite imagery shows it is "already easily identifiable as a CDAA by its circular shape.” A group of House leaders requested a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on the matter on Tuesday. "The PRC is positioning itself to systematically erode U.S. strategic advantages without ever firing a shot," read a letter penned by Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., China Committee Chair John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Transportation and Maritime Security subcommittee Chair Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., and Rep. Sheri Biggs, R-S.C. "The geographic proximity of suspected PRC-linked facilities in Cuba to sensitive U.S. installations, including Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Kennedy Space Center, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, may enable the PRC to monitor American detection and response capabilities, map electronic profiles of U.S. assets, and prepare the electromagnetic environment for potential future exploitation," the lawmakers wrote.

NewsMax [5/7/2025 1:55 PM, Staff, 4998K] reports Cuba has reportedly upgraded several intelligence facilities in the last year in what may be a collaborative effort with China to spy on the United States, according to a new report from a major foreign policy think tank. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a D.C.-based think tank, used satellite footage to identify four suspected signals intelligence facilities that have received significant upgrades in the past few months. One site, located near the town of Bejucal, has been used to conduct surveillance since the Cold War and with new equipment could monitor military and commercial activity inside the U.S. The report, released on Tuesday, prompted the House Homeland Security subcommittee on transportation and maritime security to convene a hearing on the development. "This collaboration represents one of the most brazen intelligence operations ever attempted near the American mainland," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the chair of the subcommittee, in a statement. Gimenez said during the hearing that the report is evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is working with Cuba to spy on the U.S.

NBC News [5/7/2025 5:36 PM, Daniella Silva, 44742K] reports Andry Blanco Bonilla, 40, was among the nearly 240 Venezuelan immigrants who were boarded onto planes and taken to a mega-prison in El Salvador on March 15, in a case that has spurred multiple legal battles and reached the Supreme Court. Families and attorneys told NBC News they haven’t heard from the men since, and that the United States and Salvadoran governments have given them little to no information. The Trump administration’s action taken nearly two months ago has rippled across continents, leaving loved ones broken and in the dark, they said. They said that their family members have been wrongfully caught up in the administration’s agenda to deport immigrants en masse. The men are expected to be held in El Salvador for at least a year, in a prison system that has faced multiple allegations of human rights abuses. The president of El Salvador has said that the one-year sentence is "renewable." It remains unclear what will happen to the men after a year spent in the prison. Bonilla and other families are praying they are somehow released before then, but legal pathways for that are also still uncertain.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 12:19 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports the Trump administration is moving forward with efforts to deport illegal immigrants in the United States to the Eastern Hemisphere, including Libya in North Africa and possibly Ukraine in Eastern Europe. The deals and flights would mark a further expansion in the number of countries that have agreed to accept their citizens amid the White House’s efforts to broker agreements with countries that have historically refused to do so. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Uzbekistan agreed not only to take back its citizens from the U.S but to pay the costs of their flights, lifting the burden on U.S. taxpayers. The U.S. military was expected to fly the first plane of illegal immigrants from the U.S. to Libya on Wednesday, according to Reuters. However, Libya’s Government of National Unity was reported on Wednesday to have stated that it would not allow the arrivals of deported citizens without its consent or knowledge and that there had been no plan to receive deported immigrants from the U.S. Russia has been at war with Ukraine since February 2022, but a new report by the Washington Post revealed that the Trump administration was reported to have pushed the country in January to accept back an unspecified number of Ukrainian citizens. It is not clear how Ukrainian government officials in Kyiv responded to the request. The Trump administration signed an economic minerals deal with Ukraine and has pushed for an end to the war, which could be used as grounds for negotiation over deportations. Ukrainian immigrants residing in the U.S. are also eligible to apply for protection from deportation and work documents through Oct. 19 as part of a government process known as temporary protected status. It is not clear whether the Trump administration would rescind TPS for Ukraine to be able to deport more Ukrainians. Trump officials are said to be in talks with roughly 30 countries around the world about taking back their citizens from the U.S., according to a recent report.

AP [5/7/2025 7:53 PM, Rebecca Santana, Lindsay Whitehurst, and Samy Magdy, 48304K] reports U.S. authorities informed some migrants of plans to deport them to Libya, a country they are not from and that has a history of human rights violations, attorneys said Wednesday. A judge said they can’t be deported without a chance to challenge such a move in court. The legal scramble comes as the Trump administration is pushing forward with plans to carry out mass deportations, including efforts to send migrants to a country where they are not a citizen. The most controversial example of so-called third-country removals has been sending Venezuelans to a notorious El Salvador prison. Sending deportees to Libya, a country with a documented history of migrant abuse, would mark a major escalation of the administration’s push for third countries to take in people being removed from the United States. A U.S. official said earlier Wednesday there were plans to fly migrants to Libya on a military plane but did not have details on the timing of the C-17 flight. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Immigration attorneys say some of their clients, including people from Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines, were told by immigration enforcement agents that they were going to be deported to Libya. Some were told they were going to Saudi Arabia, they said. President Donald Trump directed questions to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference in Illinois that she “can’t confirm” media reports of plans to send people to Libya. The State Department said it does not “discuss the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.”

Reuters [5/7/2025 6:52 AM, Hani Amarah, 41523K] reports Libya’s Government of National Unity said on Wednesday it rejects the use of Libyan territory as a destination for deporting migrants without its knowledge or consent. The government also stated there is no coordination with the United States regarding the reception of migrants. The statement comes after U.S. officials indicated that President Donald Trump’s administration may deport migrants to Libya. The Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 7:14 PM, Jared Malsin, Mariah Timms, and Alexander Ward, 646K] reports Libya’s two rival governments on Wednesday said they had not agreed to accept migrants from the U.S., disrupting Trump administration plans to fly deportees there. The Libyan government in Tripoli disputed that it had reached a deportation deal with the Trump administration, saying “parallel authorities” acted without authorization. That appeared to be a reference to officials aligned with a militia leader in the country’s east, who said they were not taking deportees either. Trump administration officials said they had planned to send migrants to Libya as soon as Wednesday. Asked about the plan, President Trump said he knew nothing about it and referred questions to the Department of Homeland Security, which didn’t respond to requests for comment. A State Department spokeswoman said regarding possible talks with Libya to accept deportees: “We are working globally to implement the Trump administration’s immigration policies.” Initial administration planning included deporting people from several countries who have criminal records—some violent—to the North African country, a U.S. official said, after senior Libyan officials said they were open to accepting migrants.

Washington Post [5/7/2025 4:31 PM, Maria Sacchetti, Adam Taylor, Marianne LeVine and Dan Lamothe, 31735K] reports lawyers representing a number of immigrants asked a federal judge on Wednesday to “urgently” block the Trump administration from deporting a group of people to Libya, Saudi Arabia or any other country where they are not citizens until the U.S. government gives them a chance to contest the removals. The lawyers asked Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston to rule quickly after reports that federal immigration officers were preparing to expel people from Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines to Libya, a troubled North African nation “notorious for its human rights violations, especially with respect to migrant residents,” their emergency motions says. In their filing, the lawyers said they feared the removals were "imminent" and argued that such a move would violate the judge’s prior orders barring the Trump administration from sending anyone with a final deportation order to a country where they are not a citizen without first giving them a "meaningful opportunity" to seek protection in the United States.

Politico [5/7/2025 5:27 PM, Myah Ward, Kyle Cheney, and Josh Gerstein, 2100K] reports the Trump administration’s reported plan to hurriedly deport immigrants to war-torn Libya would “clearly violate” an earlier court order barring such summary deportations, a federal judge warned Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s assessment followed an emergency motion filed by lawyers for a group of Asian immigrants seeking to block a military flight that appeared to be on the verge of taking off from Texas — even as the two competing governments that control portions of Libya reportedly indicated they would reject deportation flights from the United States. Citing “alarming reports” in the media and accounts from some of their clients — nationals of Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines — the lawyers said the immigrants are at risk of being sent to Libya in defiance of an earlier injunction, issued by Murphy, prohibiting deportations to so-called third-party countries without notice and a chance to make a legal challenge. They asked Murphy to quickly prevent any deportation flights to Libya and to ensure the Trump administration is complying with his earlier order. They also asked Murphy to block flights to potential “stopover” nations like Saudi Arabia. Less than two hours after the emergency motion, Murphy issued a brief “clarification” stating that, if the reports of the imminent deportations are accurate, they would “clearly violate” his April 18 injunction. In that injunction, Murphy ruled that any immigrant expelled to a country “not explicitly provided for on the alien’s order of removal” be given written notice and a “meaningful” chance to contest their deportation to that country if they fear they may face torture or persecution there. ABC News [5/7/2025 5:13 PM, Katherine Faulders, Peter Charalambous, James Hill, and Laura Romero, 34586K] reports that in his order Wednesday, Judge Murphy clarified that any "allegedly imminent removals" to a country like Libya or Saudi Arabia would violate the preliminary injunction he issued last month. To support their application for the emergency order, lawyers representing the noncitizens included a series of exhibits showing the scramble that played out over the last day as the attorneys sought to determine if any of their clients were bound for Libya. According to the lawyers, Laotian, Vietnamese and Philippine immigrants are at risk of removal. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was asked about potential plans Wednesday morning prior to Trump’s comments, said, "I can’t confirm anything."

Reported similarly:
New York Times [5/7/2025 11:48 AM, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, 145325K]
The Hill [5/7/2025 10:25 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K]

Axios [5/7/2025 8:37 PM, Sareen Habeshian, Rebecca Falconer, 13163K] reports the Trump administration can’t immediately deport undocumented immigrants to Libya as it would "clearly violate" an earlier order blocking U.S. officials on sending people to countries they’re not citizens of, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. Sending people to Libya, which a 2023 U.S. State Department report says has "harsh and life-threatening prison conditions," is a sign the Trump administration is stepping up its hardline immigration policy of deporting people to third countries, even in the face of court orders. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued granted the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order "to prevent non-citizen removals to third countries, including but not limited to Libya and Saudia Arabia, without prior written notice and a meaningful opportunity to raise fear-based claims." Among those affected are people from the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos, per a motion, filed in U.S District Court in Massachusetts. They’re being set for removal "without any reasonable fear screening, let alone a fifteen-day window to file a motion to reopen with the immigration court to contest any negative reasonable fear determination," the plaintiffs argue. Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on Wednesday evening. The Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah said in a statement posted on social media it "firmly denies the existence of any agreement or coordination with US authorities regarding the deportation of migrants to Libya."

The Hill [5/7/2025 4:03 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12829K] reports a group of migrants is asking a federal judge to block the Trump administration from sending migrants to Libya as well as Saudi Arabia amid reports the White House plans to deport migrants to new overseas locations. Two of the plaintiffs said they were informed by immigration agents that they were to be imminently removed to the two locations despite being protected by a court order barring their removal. The filing was made in an ongoing case where a judge initially barred the removal of the migrants held in detention in Massachusetts. The filing indicates the Trump administration plans to send Laotian, Vietnamese and Philippine migrants overseas. The plaintiffs in the case argued they should have an opportunity to apply for protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture — scoring an initial win before a U.S. District Court judge, though the Trump administration has since appealed.

Reuters [5/7/2025 4:11 PM, Staff, 24727K] reports immigrant rights advocates asked a federal judge in Boston on Wednesday to block the Trump administration from sending migrants subject to final orders of deportation to Libya or any country en route to there, including Saudi Arabia. The advocates made the request to a federal judge who had barred the administration from swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own without first hearing any concerns they had that they might be tortured or persecuted if sent there.

NewsMax [5/7/2025 10:44 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4998K] reports Ukraine was among the countries asked to accept U.S. deportees by the Trump administration, it was reported. President Donald Trump’s focus on stopping the migrant crisis at the southern border and rectifying the Biden administration’s refusal to adequately vet people entering the country has led to aliens with criminal backgrounds being deported. Besides coming to agreements with several Latin American countries to accept non-citizens, the administration has sought deals with other nations. Earlier this year, Ukraine was among the countries asked to accept an unspecified number of U.S. deportees, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. Documents reviewed by the newspaper did not indicate how Ukrainian government officials responded to the late-January proposal, relayed by a senior U.S. diplomat. Trump took office on Jan. 20. The U.S. Embassy was informed by a Ukrainian diplomat that an official response would come only after a position on the issue had been decided, the Post said. Two Ukrainian officials told the newspaper that the issue never reached the highest level of their government. Also, one of the officials said he was unaware of any "political demands" to influence Ukraine to accept deportees. Unlike most other countries contacted by the U.S., Ukraine has been at war since unprovoked Russia attacked in February 2022. Ukraine has not accepted any third-party nationals from the U.S., the Post added. The State Department told the newspaper in a statement that "ongoing engagement with foreign governments" was "vital to deterring illegal and mass migration and securing our borders." Questions concerning the Ukraine proposal were referred to the Department of Homeland Security.

Houston Chronicle [5/7/2025 7:00 AM, Staff, 1769K] reports Tren de Aragua is a notorious gang. Its members traffic in people and drugs. They torture and kill with impunity in countries where they operate. They are despicable and dangerous criminals. But they’re not what the White House makes them out to be: an invading military force. An invading military force looks like the Russian army, invading Ukraine. Or Allied soldiers, storming the beaches of Normandy. Listen to someone like White House advisor Stephen Miller, and you’d expect Tren de Aragua soldiers to be scrambling onto Padre Island beaches in their own version of D-Day. So how are we meeting this supposedly clear and present danger? Are Miller and company urging the president at least to call out the Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force’s civilian auxiliary? Armed with high-powered binoculars, Civilian Air Patrol members and young cadets could rush to the shores of the Gulf of — Mexico? America? — and scan sea and sky for jets flying in formation from the south, for submarine conning towers on the horizon. Of course, the White House crew doesn’t actually believe we face a military tanks-and-commandos invasion. When they use the word "invasion," they mean something different. Usually, they’re talking about the huge number of people who either presented themselves at the border or crossed illegally during the first years of the Biden administration. Those people look nothing like an organized army, or even a rag-tag militia, bent on some military objective. They’re a mix of individuals. Some are legitimate asylum seekers fleeing persecution; some are people simply seeking better jobs; and yes, some may be dangerous criminals. The dangerous criminals should be deported; that’s a no-brainer. And that’s regular old law enforcement, not warfare. But rather than sort through these people, to do the hard, slow work of separating the vicious from the well-meaning, the Trump administration is whipping up an emergency to justify acting in bad faith. The president has effectively closed paths to asylum and terrified would-be migrants by sending immigrants to a Salvadoran prison known for its cruelty, and without so much as a charge, trial or sentence. It took a federal judge from Texas — a Trump appointee, in fact — to call the administration on its absurd and blatantly unconstitutional misuse of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. It’s a wartime authority enacted during the presidency of John Adams. The act allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation with whom we’re at war. Presidents have invoked the act three times: The War of 1812, World War I and World War II. It’s probably best known as the dubious rationale for the incarceration of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

Los Angeles Times [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Gustavo Arellano, 13342K] reports that, when Donald Trump signed an executive order last week cracking down on truckers who don’t speak the best English, there was one industry expert I needed to call: my dad. Lorenzo Arellano drove big rigs across Southern California for 30 years before retiring in 2019. His six-day workweeks kept us well-fed and clothed and allowed him to afford a three-bedroom Anaheim home with a swimming pool, where he and my youngest brother still live today. "Why does that crazy man want to do this?" he asked me over the phone in Spanish before answering his own question. "It’s because [Trump has] always had a lack of respect for the immigrant. We truckers don’t deserve this. He’s just trying to harm people. He wants to humiliate the whole world.” Federal regulations punishing immigrant truckers for their limited English dates back to the 1930s. Trump’s order calls for the enforcement of an existing requirement that truckers be proficient in English, overturning a 2016 policy that inspectors shouldn’t cite or suspend troqueros as long as they could communicate sufficiently, including through an interpreter or smartphone app. Conservatives have long tied that Obama-era action and the rise of immigrant truckers — they now make up 18% of the profession, according to census figures — to a marked increase in fatal accidents over the last decade, which Trump alluded to when he insisted that "America’s roadways have become less safe.” Trump’s move is the latest dog whistle aimed at people who don’t like that the United States ain’t as white as it used to be. It follows similarly xenophobic actions, like declaring English the official language, severely curtailing birthright citizenship and renaming the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America.” The English-for-truckers push has particularly angered me, though. Presuming that a more-diverse trucking industry is the main culprit behind the increase in fatal truck crashes ignores the fact that there are more trucks on the road, driving more miles, than ever before. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the rate of fatal crashes is three times less than in the late 1970s, when cultural touchstones like "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Convoy" seared the image of the good ol’ white boy trucker into the American psyche. It’s also an insult against people like my 73-year-old dad.

San Diego Union Tribune [5/7/2025 9:03 AM, John W Granquist, 1682K] reports on April 10, two U.S. citizens — both legal professionals working with immigrant communities in San Diego — received chilling emails from the Department of Homeland Security. The message was blunt and unmistakable: "It’s time for you to leave the United States." That’s not a typo. These are American citizens, born and raised in this country. And yet they were told to get out. This isn’t just a bureaucratic error. This is an outrage. Attorney Adam Peña, born in El Paso, Texas, and immigration court legal representative Aldo Martínez Gómez, born in National City, were among several U.S. citizens nationwide who were mistakenly — or perhaps carelessly — sent parole termination notices meant for non-citizens. The emails threatened swift federal enforcement if the recipients did not leave the country. They were not personalized. They offered no recourse. And they instilled fear. It’s deeply offensive that the federal government, under the Trump administration, would allow such a reckless breach of due process and personal security to happen, especially during a time of aggressive immigration enforcement and racialized political rhetoric. It’s not just incompetence. It’s a warning shot — intentional or not — that no one is truly safe when the government weaponizes its systems against its own people. Let’s be absolutely clear: U.S. citizens have the unalienable right to remain in their country. The moment that right is threatened — even "accidentally" — we must all take notice. Customs and Border Protection has since acknowledged that notices "may have been sent to unintended recipients." But this kind of "error" is not minor when the stakes are this high. These are people who fight daily for justice in a system already stacked against the vulnerable. They now carry their passports and birth certificates in fear that the next "mistake" might lead to detention — or worse. This is how civil liberties erode — not with dramatic declarations, but with quiet, unaccountable messages in your inbox telling you that you no longer belong. This is not just about immigration anymore. It’s about citizenship, power, and the dangerous ease with which Americans — particularly Latinos and those tied to immigrant communities — can be profiled, threatened and ignored.

NPR [5/8/2025 4:08 AM, Zane Irwin, 29983K] reports a troubled private prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, was shut down in 2021. Now, that facility and other prisons closed because of serious problems are set to reopen as migrant detention centers. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Axios [5/7/2025 4:30 AM, Emily Peck, 13163K] reports the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is sparking employer worries over workplace raids and staffing challenges, a new survey of executives out Wednesday finds. A drastic reduction in immigration could lead to labor shortages, especially in some critical roles — building houses, taking care of the growing elderly population, or staffing farms and meatpacking plants. There’s the potential for a longer-term slowdown in economic growth, as well. 75% of executives surveyed by the employment law firm Littler said the administration’s immigration policies were among their top concerns — the only other topic that drew more worry was diversity, equity and inclusion policy. 70% of executives said they expect immigration enforcement actions from ICE and DHS will have a significant or moderate impact on their workplaces over the next 12 months. 58% expressed concern that Trump’s immigration policies will create staffing challenges. Companies in manufacturing and hospitality expressed even more worries. Littler surveyed 349 executives at U.S. firms from late February to mid-March — 60% in-house lawyers, and the rest HR or others in the C-suite. Nearly three-quarters of the execs surveyed are at companies with more than 1,001 workers. "I was just flabbergasted by how high the concern was among our clients," said Jorge Lopez, a shareholder at the firm who chairs its immigration and global mobility practice group. The results show you where the mindset is for American companies, he says. Businesses aren’t simply worried about their own employees, but also ripple effects (like citizen workers who have family members deported). "Over one in ten young adults in America are neither employed, in higher education, nor pursuing some sort of vocational training. There is no shortage of American minds and hands to grow our labor force, and President Trump’s executive order to modernize workforce training programs represents this Administration’s commitment to capitalizing on that untapped potential," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in an emailed statement There’s little doubt that the immigration crackdown will hit certain sectors and companies, but whether or not it affects employment growth is an open question that hinges on the state of the overall economy. If the U.S. falls into recession later this year, as many economists fear, then it would mitigate the impact of a smaller labor force — there would literally be fewer jobs to fill.

Los Angeles Times [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Andrea Castillo and Melissa Gomez, 13342K] reports that, when immigration agents recently began conducting welfare checks on youths who had arrived at the border unaccompanied by their parents, advocates grew alarmed, fearing the tactic was a cover to target the minors, their adult sponsors and possibly others for deportations. Stories of these unannounced visits popped up around the country — agents who attempted to gain access to two elementary schools in Los Angeles; agents who showed up "five deep and armed" at the home of an immigration lawyer’s 19-year-old client in Virginia; agents who interviewed a terrified 16-year-old Honduran girl at her uncle’s house in Washington state. Department of Homeland Security officials have said the welfare checks are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that unaccompanied children "are safe and not being exploited, abused, and sex trafficked.” Immigrant advocates say some visits have led to children being forced to leave the country with their deported parents or being removed from their sponsors and placed in federal custody. Advocates point to the case of a 17-year-old Honduran in Hawaii whose older brother had been detained by federal agents. The boy was transported to a facility for unaccompanied youths in California. "This is just par for the course for an administration that has staked their claim on making life so incredibly difficult for immigrants at large that they think people will leave and not come to the U.S.," said Jen Smyers, former chief of staff under the Biden administration for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for the care of unaccompanied children. Fear of the welfare checks "drives people underground, increases exploitation and trafficking," Smyers said. "And they’re doing it with this perverse narrative by saying that they care about kids. But all they’re doing is wrecking these kids’ lives.” The Trump administration has placed under review the roughly 450,000 children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents during President Biden’s term. Children who arrive unaccompanied by a parent are placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is under the Department of Health and Human Services. The department is required to screen adult sponsors who volunteer to care for the children, usually their parents or other relatives.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 1:50 PM, John Binder, 2923K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now arresting criminal illegal aliens at courthouses around the United States, reversing a Biden-era policy that gave illegal aliens “protected areas” from federal immigration enforcement. This week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the agency had restarted arresting illegal aliens at courthouses after former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had imposed a “sanctuary courthouses” policy in April 2021 that shielded illegal aliens from the law so long as they were inside a courthouse. “The ability of law enforcement to make arrests of criminal illegal aliens in courthouses is common sense,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: It conserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be. It is also safer for our officers and the community. These illegal aliens have gone through security and been screened to not have any weapons. Secretary Noem is empowering law enforcement to use common sense to remove criminal illegal aliens from American communities. DHS officials say arrests inside courthouses are the safest way to detain illegal aliens, considering they are screened beforehand for weapons and firearms. The arrests are vital, officials say, as assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have increased 413 percent.

CNN [5/7/2025 1:23 PM, Gloria Pazmino, 908K] reports the New York Police Department has opened an investigation into whether it improperly shared some information about a Palestinian woman’s arrest with federal immigration authorities in possible violation of departmental policy and the city’s sanctuary laws. Speaking with reporters during an unrelated media briefing Tuesday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch acknowledged the department shared some information with Homeland Security Investigations, but said it was not clear why sealed information was also provided. "The thing that we are looking at is, as part of that document request, which we handed over, how a summons record associated with a sealed case was also provided," Tisch said. Leqaa Kordia, a 32-year-old Palestinian resident in New Jersey, was taken into custody by immigration officers on March 13 during a voluntary check-in with immigration officials in Newark. She was then transferred to an immigration detention center in Texas, where she remains in custody, according to court documents. Kordia’s arrest came days after federal immigration officers took Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil into custody. Khalil’s arrest was the first of a wave of high-profile detentions among students and noncitizens who participated in protests. Little had been known about her Kordia’s case until this week, after attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition in court challenging the legality of her detention and seeking her release. Following her arrest in March, the Department of Homeland Security issued a news release which appeared to identify her as a Columbia student, but Kordia has never been affiliated with the school and was not enrolled in any school at the time of her arrest, according to court documents and her attorneys. According to court documents filed in Texas, federal officers arrested Kordia nearly a year after she made a day trip to New York City to participate in a protest outside the gates of Columbia University. "Ms. Kordia was moved to join this demonstration and others because of the sense of loss she felt, and still feels, from losing an entire generation of her family in Gaza. This helped her begin to mourn for the family she had lost," Kordia’s attorneys wrote. While Kordia was at the demonstration, the NYPD ordered protesters to disperse, but before she could leave the area, Kordia was arrested with dozens of other people and released the following day, according to her attorneys and court documents. "Ms. Kordia was initially given a court date but was later informed that the charges had been dismissed without her ever having to appear in court," the attorneys wrote. Kordia’s attorneys told CNN Tuesday an NYPD-generated report of Kordia’s arrest was issued on March 14 – a day after her arrest by immigration officials in Newark. The report was shared with the Department of Homeland Security, which has since included it as evidence in Kordia’s immigration proceedings. CNN has obtained a copy of the report, which bears the NYPD seal and a summary of information about Kordia including her home address, date of birth and a brief description of her arrest. The report shows Kordia had no previous criminal record or arrests. Attorney Arthur Ago, director of strategic litigation and advocacy at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is representing Kordia, told CNN he does not know why Kordia became a target for the Department of Homeland Security and whether the NYPD’s arrest report ultimately helped immigration officers execute her detention in Newark. According to court documents filed by Kordia’s attorney, Homeland Security Investigations agents spoke with multiple people related to Kordia as part of an investigation into alleged "national security violations," in the days leading up to her arrest.

Blaze [5/7/2025 3:40 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1668K] reports a group of roughly a dozen young thugs linked to Tren de Aragua reportedly assaulted two New York Police Department officers in Times Square on Friday evening. The culprits have reportedly been tied to Los Diablos de 42, a young subset of the violent Venezuelan gang TDA. The youngest suspect was just 12 years old. Fox News reported that five of the 11 suspects are illegal aliens from Venezuela. Those individuals have been arrested. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) and NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch detailed the brutal assault during a Tuesday press briefing. Tisch also stated that no officers sustained any major injuries. On Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrived at a NYPD station, where one of the teen suspects was being held, but the agents were turned away.

AP [5/7/2025 3:46 PM, Mike Catalini] reports President Donald Trump ‘s administration expanded its capacity to detain immigrants not legally in the country by opening a facility in New Jersey’s largest city this month, spurring protests outside the fenced-in building including from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility along an industrial stretch of Newark Bay, opened May 1, according to the private prison company that operates the center. The administration’s announcement came amid a headline-grabbing crackdown on immigration around the country and as it ramped up its efforts to deport certain immigrants. The situation is playing out in Newark and in federal court as the mayor litigates against the company running the facility. The city says it shouldn’t be open yet because of building permit issues. The conflict underscores the divide between what Trump views as an election mandate to deport people not lawfully in the U.S., and Democratic officials who question the administration’s methods as well as the necessity of cracking down.

BizPac Review [5/7/2025 1:59 PM, Vivek Saxena] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a high-profile MS-13 gang member from El Salvador on Monday. “ICE Baltimore arrested Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, an MS-13 gang member with an Interpol Red Notice,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed to Fox News. “He first entered the country illegally in 2005 and was deported. He then reentered our country at an unknown date before he was arrested by HSI Baltimore in 2014. He was issued a notice to appear and released back into Silver Spring, MD,” she added. “This criminal, illegal gang member, and suspected terrorist should have never been released into our country,” McLaughlin continued. “Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, he is off our streets and will soon be out of our country.” It’s not clear what’ll happen to him next — whether he’ll just be deported home or imprisoned in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. The administration has been sending some alleged illegal alien gangbangers to CECOT to stay for a term of at least a year.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 10:15 PM, Staff, 2923K] reports that, Merwil Gutierrez, 19, was among 200 Venezuelans controversially deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador in March without due process or any criminal charges, says his father who has heard nothing for weeks. "I don’t know if my son is okay, if he is sick, I don’t know if he is eating at all," Wilmer Gutierrez, Merwil’s father, told AFP. "The relatives of all those who are there" have the same concerns, he said. Merwil does not know why he was taken to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in a wave of deportations that has stirred legal debate in the United States over a lack of due process and alleged human rights violations, his father said. Merwil was arrested by agents around 11:00 pm on February 24 from the door of the Bronx building where he lived, after buying dinner and socializing with neighbors. The agents initially asked for another man with a different name, his father said. After checking his identity, one agent told him he could go, but another decided to detain him, along with two others, said Wilmer in a park in front of their building. He last spoke to his son while Merwil was detained in a Texas processing center where he learned that he would be deported the next day. Both men assumed it would be to their native Venezuela. "When we found out that those flights had arrived in El Salvador… we weren’t sure about whether they had sent him to Venezuela, because no flight was due to leave for there," said the 40-year-old father of three. Until US authorities issued a list of those deported to El Salvador some days later, Wilmer was in the dark about his son’s whereabouts. The removals conducted by the Trump administration sparked condemnation and allegations he has run roughshod over the law, court orders and human rights in his push to conduct the "largest deportation effort in US history.” One of the most publicized was the removal of Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was apparently deported to his native El Salvador by accident.

New York Post [5/7/2025 6:37 AM, Emily Crane, 54903K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided a Washington, DC restaurant owned by CBS News star Norah O’Donnell’s husband as part of a crackdown on illegal migrants. Chef Geoff’s, a small chain owned by O’Donnell’s spouse Geoff Tracy, was among the handful of eateries targeted by the feds on Tuesday, FOX5 reported. Nearly a dozen ICE and law enforcement agents went to one of the locations at about 10:30 a.m. and spent roughly 90 minutes asking to see workers’ I-9 forms — the employment verification record used to ensure employees are legally allowed to work in the US. No one was taken into custody at the location. Meanwhile, about nine immigration officials raided another well-known establishment — Millie’s — just as it was opening for lunch. At least seven other DC eateries were also targeted throughout the day — including Officina and Mi Vida, Jaleo, Santa Rosa Taqueria, Pupatella Call Your Mother and Clyde’s. Some of the restaurants were given advanced notice of the looming I-9 inspections, NBC4 reported. Others, however, said they were only given verbal warnings that ICE agents would return to inspect forms in a few days.

Washington Post [5/7/2025 5:51 PM, Tim Carman, Warren Rojas and María Luisa Paúl, 31735K] reports agents with the Department of Homeland Security visited restaurants across Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, serving them with demand letters to produce documents proving their employees are eligible to work in the United States. The government actions produced waves of fear, anger and confusion in an industry that has long run on immigrant labor. The Washington Post confirmed visits to seven restaurants that span the District: Millie’s in Spring Valley near American University; Central Michel Richard downtown near the National Mall; Pupatella in Dupont Circle; Ghostburger and Zeppelin in Shaw; Absolute Thai Restaurant in Chinatown; and Cynthia Bar & Bistro on H Street NE. Many other establishments were rumored to have been visited by agents, but those visits could not be confirmed. In a statement to The Post on Wednesday, ICE said more than 100 local businesses were served inspection notices. Restaurant owners reported that agents arrived in groups ranging from three to eight, with some in plainclothes and some in uniforms and carrying firearms. Many operators were prepared for the actions after being alerted by a local mutual aid group and an immigrant news outlet, among other sources. Chefs and restaurateurs also started text threads to warn one another when agents were in their neighborhoods. The DHS agents did not take the same approach with every restaurant, according to multiple people.

Univision [5/7/2025 5:53 PM, Federica Narancio Genesi and Patricia Clarembaux, 5325K] reports news and photos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in buildings, markets, and restaurants are circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook groups in communities across the United States capital. Univision News confirmed that immigration agents visited at least three restaurants in the capital on Tuesday. According to sources, these were not raids, but rather "friendly visits" in which Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials requested employees’ I-9 forms—for identity verification and work permits. In one restaurant, the information will be sent next week; in others, the deadline to consolidate these documents expires Friday.

FOX News [5/7/2025 5:48 PM, Alexandra Koch, 46189K] reports during a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) operation in coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), authorities say nearly a hundred people were detained — including a convicted child sex predator and a known Tren de Aragua gang member. During the operation, ICE detained 94 people for further investigation and transport, according to a news release from THP. Several encounters involved suspected gang members, including Tren de Aragua affiliates, and led to the recovery of illegal drugs and guns, according to ICE. In nearly 370 stops for traffic violations, THP noted four people were wanted for felonies, two were arrested for drugs, one was arrested for child endangerment and two people were arrested for driving under the influence. At ICE’s request, Tennessee troopers are continuing to support a coordinated public safety effort focusing on traffic enforcement, according to the release. THP’s role is to observe driving behavior and conduct lawful stops based on violations of Tennessee traffic laws. In the cases involving people who were found to be in the country illegally, ICE investigated separately, in accordance with federal laws. "THP’s role is to enforce Tennessee traffic laws fairly and consistently, and our troopers continue to make lawful stops, based solely on traffic infractions, in an effort [to] keep Tennesseans safe," TSP wrote in the release. "We do not enter neighborhoods or stop vehicles based on who someone is – we stop based on what they do behind the wheel.”

NewsNation [5/7/2025 11:54 AM, Alicia Patton, 6866K] reports more than 80 people have been arrested since ICE operations began in South Nashville over the weekend, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol reportedly conducted approximately 150 traffic stops in Nashville over the weekend during a "public safety operation.” Immigrant rights groups said at least 100 people were detained by law enforcement following the stops. On Tuesday, an ICE spokesperson told NewsNation affiliate WKRN that 84 people have been arrested since the operations began on May 3, but was unable to provide a list of names due to privacy laws. One woman told WKRN that she and her fiancé were stopped over the weekend for their window tint by personnel who identified themselves as ICE. She detailed that they were put into separate vans and taken to the Homeland Security field office in Nashville on Sunday.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 3:17 PM, Randy Clark, 2923K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, jointly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other law enforcement partners, executed search warrants in Southern Mississippi that resulted in multiple arrests involving illegal immigration, cockfighting, and other criminal activity. The search warrants were part of an ongoing undercover investigation into the unlawful cockfighting in Harrison County, Mississippi. The arrests included United States citizens and suspected illegal aliens found at the site of the makeshift animal fights attended by some people from outside Mississippi. Two defendants, Alvin Smith III and Herbert Kasey Smith, were charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act for hosting the cockfights bi-weekly on their property at 16478 Northup Cuevas Road, according to court documents. In addition to the Smiths, several others were charged with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act for participating in activities related to the illegal game-fighting scheme. Those apprehended who were found to be illegally in the United States are now facing immigration-related charges. ICE Gulfport special agents and deportation officers are in the process of positively identifying all individuals they encounter and checking immigration records. They have not released the identities of several people arrested during the operation. The ICE Homeland Security Task Force and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force led the investigation. In addition to possible state and federal charges relating to animal fighting and gambling, other investigative areas included illegal aliens, narcotics, and weapons. Partners in the operation include ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI.

AP [5/7/2025 8:09 PM, Andrea Rodríguez and Milexsy Durán, 24727K] Video: HERE reports ten times a day for the past two weeks, Heidy Sánchez has made the same two-block trek from her parents’ home in Havana looking for an internet signal to video call her family and sing her daughter to sleep. And every single time she has ended up crying. Cuban-born Sánchez, 44, was detained in Florida in April during a routine check-in appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, office. Two days later, she was deported to Cuba. A breastfeeding mother to a 1-year-old and wife of a U.S. citizen, Sánchez is pleading with U.S. President Donald Trump to help her go back and reunite with her family. "To president (Trump) who has a family, he says he believes in God, and I believe in God too...I would like him to put his hand on his heart and please help us reunite our family," she told The Associated Press. "My baby is little, she needs me.” Sánchez’s story has raised questions among lawyers and activists about the Trump’s administration crackdown against illegal immigration, including who is being deported, the legal basis for people’s removal and if the expulsions have followed the proper procedures. The Trump administration has made it a top priority to deport about 1.4 million people who have been ordered by a judge to leave the country, arguing that they have exhausted all avenues to a legal challenge regardless of individual circumstances.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 2:15 PM, Emily Hallas, 2296K] reports ACLU of Ohio cited cases where Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed 287(g) agreements with schools, expanding local officials’ authority to identify and arrest students by allowing them to effectively act as immigration agents. In Florida, at least 15 educational institutions have signed such agreements with ICE to allow their campus police departments to enforce immigration law, according to Inside Higher Ed. "Please be aware that your institution is under no legal obligation to enter into 287(g) or similar agreements, or to conduct immigration enforcement on behalf of the federal government," ACLU of Ohio said in the letter. ACLU of Ohio’s campaign to block ICE came as a wave of states, institutions, and organizations have ramped up similar efforts. Schools across the country have also sought to stall or block ICE from entering campus buildings. The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to remove students in the country on green cards accused of illegal or antisemitic behavior or of otherwise being a national security threat. Last month, Princeton University faculty sent students emails providing tips on how to restrict ICE from academic buildings and dorms. Federal agents could be blocked unless they had a warrant reviewed by the school’s legal team, the emails said, according to the Daily Princetonian. In another case, Denver Public Schools sued Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in February over a Trump administration immigration policy allowing raids at "sensitive" locations such as schools. However, a judge ruled against the school system the following month.

CNN [5/7/2025 11:14 PM, Gloria Pazmino, Caroll Alvarado, 908K] reports a federal district court judge in Minnesota ordered the release of a detained international student Monday after finding the Trump administration failed to show it didn’t target him for speaking publicly about Palestine. Minnesota State University-Mankato student Mohammed Hoque, a Bangladeshi national who entered the United States on a valid F-1 visa in 2021, was arrested by Department of Homeland Security officers outside his home in March, according to court documents. Officers had followed the student home after class and arrested him – purportedly due to a visa revocation – in front of his parents who were there for a visit, documents show. Hoque was detained until US District Judge Jerry Blackwell ordered his release this week, saying his arrest matched a pattern of activity by the Trump administration targeting non-citizens who engaged in protest activity against the war in Gaza, raising concerns about First Amendment violations. "The record contains sufficiently clear evidence of viewpoint-based targeting for (Hoque’s) exercise of protected speech on a matter of public concern," the judge wrote in his order, adding that the arrest "aligns with the publicly stated executive policy of targeting social media users who express support for Palestinian human rights and criticize violence in Gaza, as Petitioner had done.” Blackwell added the Department of Justice failed to present any evidence to justify Hoque’s initial arrest and his continued detention. Hoque, a student of management information systems, has argued in court filings he was targeted for his political speech and not any immigration violations or criminal activity. Attorneys told the court Hoque’s student visa and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record were terminated. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the judge’s order. Hoque’s case is among a string of recent student visa cancellations and revocations of statuses from SEVIS that have affected thousands of students across the United States amid a larger Trump administration immigration crackdown. In many instances, students and their attorneys said they believed their statuses were revoked because of minor entanglements with law enforcement like traffic violations or underage drinking.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 11:20 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2923K] reports that, on Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) said he and other Democrats are “absolutely” attempting to avoid the larger issue of deportation and focusing on the methods the Trump administration uses. Host Jake Tapper asked, “So, you just signed on to a letter, alongside dozens of Democrats, asking for a Department of Homeland Security investigation into the conditions at migrant detention facilities. The Bulwark was first to report this and says the letter, ‘represents the latest example of a bank-shot strategy that the party is taking’ — the Democratic Party — ‘when it comes to attacking Trump’s immigration record: avoiding the larger concept of deportation and instead focusing on the brutality and harshness of Trump’s methods.’ Is that an accurate description, you think?” Castro answered, “Well, absolutely, if you look at what’s going on, Jake, first of all, they’re picking up people off the street. They’re forcing mothers to choose whether to keep kids with them, including a few kids that have had cancer, giving them less than 24 hours sometimes to make that decision. And, at this specific facility in Louisiana, people are not able to talk to their lawyers, oftentimes. They’re not getting the medical treatment they need. And there are huge overcrowding issues. And so, for all those reasons, we were asking for an investigation.”

CBS Austin [5/8/2025 1:05 AM, Andrew Freeman, 602K] reports attorneys say an Austin family has been deported to Mexico following a traffic stop last week, including two children who were U.S. citizens. Denisse Vargas and her husband were pulled over near Dobie Middle School for expired tags last Thursday. While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the husband into custody immediately, Vargas was released with an ankle monitor so she could pick up her children from school. Authorities detained them all at a later appointment. "The children don’t understand what’s happening, they just want to go home now." Vargas’ sister-in-law, who doesn’t want to be identified, said. "It’s something we can’t explain because we were used to being all together. My mother is devastated.” Ages 9, 5 and 4, two of the children are U.S. citizens. Attorney Cori Hash with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was even aware of this but deported them anyway. "These actions are clearly illegal, and we should all be concerned that ICE continues to detain and deport U.S. citizen children and begs the question of who is safe from their constant and ever-evolving disregard for the law." Hash said in a statement. Vargas and her husband were detained following a traffic stop for expired tags outside Dobbie Middle School off East Rundberg Lane Thursday. The civil rights nonprofit Grassroots Leadership says Vargas was allowed to go pick up her children from school but was told to report to a processing center in Pflugerville the following Tuesday. Immigration Campaigns Director Sulma Franco says she arrived with her three children, unaware she or her children would be deported. "And those were lies from the ICE officers, and she, unfortunately, believed it," Franco said. "She’s a very vulnerable person, and she was scared.” Late last month Border Czar Tom Homan went on the record defending these kinds of removals at a press briefing. "If you choose to have a U.S. Citizen child and you are in this country illegally, you put yourself in that position," Homan said. "You put your family in this position.” For Vargas’ family, it’s unthinkable. "They have no conscience about anything, not even about the children." Her sister-in-law said. "Take care of them, I don’t know, to have their children’s rights assigned to a trusted person, because it’s very difficult not to have information about this.” Franco says never drive illegally, know your rights, and seek the support of immigration attorneys. "It’s terrible to know that they didn’t even have the opportunity to decide, and that these two children didn’t either," Franco said. "It’s unfortunate.” Right now, the entire family is back in Mexico but have not yet been reunited. The family says its uncertain of next steps due to the challenges associated with the immigration system. Grassroots is calling for more transparency from ICE and a return of due process. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS Austin [5/7/2025 4:57 PM, Kristine Frazao, 602K] reports across the country, there has been an aggressive effort to find and arrest criminals living in the country illegally. The KRNV news team in Reno, Nevada, tagged along for an ICE Enforcement operation on Tuesday that resulted in 16 arrests. In an interview during the ride-along, agents shared details about one of the people arrested. "He has criminal history for manslaughter. I believe it’s vehicular manslaughter. It says a weapon on his rap sheet and a parole violation," said Ken Porter, the ICE Assistant Field Director from Las Vegas. President Trump has vowed to deport as many people as possible and has expressed frustration that the process is moving more slowly than he would like. At the White House on Monday, he said, "We have millions of people that have come into this country illegally - murderers, drug dealers, the biggest drug dealers in the world; actually, terrorists come in.” One video captured Friday night in New York’s Times Square has gone viral, showing police officers being attacked with scooters, basketballs and other objects, as they tried to intervene in a robbery. Five suspects have since been arrested, all linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to the Mayor’s Office. During a news conference Tuesday, NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, "This is not low-level crime, it’s organized violence carried out by gang members that we’ve already taken off the streets for preying on New Yorkers and now they’re back ambushing cops in the middle of Times Square.” Outside of Nashville this past weekend, Tennessee highway patrol officers worked with ICE to conduct traffic stops, resulting in more than 80 arrests, including an alleged Tren de Aragua member and a convicted child molester who’s been deported several times, though immigrant advocates say the vast majority were not criminals, and some were racially profiled. As the Trump Administration ramps up its efforts, it’s getting support from Republicans on Capitol Hill. They are continuing to push back against elected officials whom they insist are not cooperating with the Trump Administration’s efforts.

Univision [5/7/2025 3:28 PM, Staff, 5325K] reports relatives of the day laborers detained in Pomona by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are demanding justice and the release of those still in custody. The raid, which took place on April 22 in a Home Depot parking lot, resulted in the arrest of ten workers and the immediate deportation of most of those arrested, all of whom were originally from Mexico. However, three of the laborers: Johnny Jacinto García, Jesús Domingo Ross, and Edwin Roberto Juárez, originally from Central American countries, remain in custody in detention centers in Southern California. His family members claim the arrests were arbitrary and carried out without a court order. The case gains further relevance after a federal judge issued an order limiting the Border Patrol’s power to detain immigrants without a warrant, a rule that advocates say was violated in this case. The final hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 9. The evidence will be reviewed and a determination will be made as to whether the three Central Americans can remain in the country while awaiting an immigration resolution.

NPR [5/7/2025 8:00 AM, Andrew Schneider, 29983K] Audio HERE reports Sayedyaqoob Qattali spent years aiding U.S. forces as a security commander for the Afghan Interior Ministry in Herat province. He was caught there when Afghanistan’s government fell to the Taliban in August 2021 and was unable to get U.S. help to evacuate. "I went to Iran, and I applied for Brazil, [to get a] humanitarian visa. That was just the option that was left. Then, after one year, I got the visa, humanitarian visa," Qattali said. What happened next was an odyssey. From Brazil, he and his family went to Peru, then to Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and finally Mexico. Most of the time, they walked. "In all these countries, we got … the legal paper that [said] When they arrived in Mexico in November of 2023, Qattali and his family used the CBP One app to apply for U.S. humanitarian parole.we can stay there," Qattali said. Even Afghans who have legal permanent residency in the U.S. worry what Trump’s policies mean for them. Roughly 200,000 Afghan immigrants and refugees came to the U.S. after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021. That includes about 10,000 in Greater Houston. While some of them have since received green cards or even U.S. citizenship, many have more tenuous legal status, such as humanitarian parole or temporary protected status (TPS). Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS,) issued the following statement explaining the decision to end TPS for Afghans: "Secretary Noem made the decision to terminate TPS for individuals from Afghanistan because the country’s improved security situation and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country," McLaughlin wrote. "Additionally, the termination furthers the national interest and the statutory provision that TPS is in fact designed to be temporary. Additionally, DHS records indicate that there are Afghan nationals who are TPS recipients who have been the subject of administrative investigations for fraud, public safety, and national security." [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

NBC News [5/7/2025 4:40 PM, Albinson Linares, 44742K] reports Evenezer Cortez Martínez said he’s still scared and finds it hard to believe he’s back home in Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife and children, after being deported to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities in March. Cortez Martínez, a 40-year-old father of three and maintenance worker in the Shawnee Mission School District, was born in the Mexican state of Cuernavaca but came to the U.S. with his family when he was 4. Despite obtaining the travel permit and having valid DACA status, when Cortez Martínez returned to the U.S., immigration authorities at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport prevented him from re-entering the country and deported him to Mexico on March 23.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Ken Cuccinelli, 2296K] reports the H-1B visa program is designed to displace middle-class American workers and facilitate the exploitation of cheap foreign labor, and it has been sadly successful in both respects. Congress should eliminate it. Big companies and their lobbyists in Washington have long sold the H-1B program as necessary to maintain the labor supply and a "modern" workforce. Decades after its implementation, the trail of this lie is littered with more displaced workers than anyone can count. Given historically low labor participation levels, the necessity of reconstituting domestic production and manufacturing capabilities, and the H-1B program’s known history of fraud and exploitation, it is past time for lawmakers to repeal the divisive and harmful program. The societal, economic, and domestic workforce benefits of repeal far outweigh the merits of continuing to exploit cheap foreign labor. It is time for lawmakers to prioritize American workers, families, and communities. The H-1B visa program traces its origins to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which established a specialized visa for immigrants who possess "distinguished merit and ability" and who come to the United States to provide services of an "exceptional nature" temporarily. Importantly, the legislation specified that those eligible for the H-1B visa must also have no intention of abandoning their residency and citizenship status with their home country. Over time, the program’s purpose transformed, and it seems every change created new and bigger loopholes that disadvantaged middle-class American workers. There is no shortage of examples of U.S. companies exploiting foreign labor and discriminating against American workers through the H-1B program. Sun Microsystems bragged in 1992 that it had employed programmers in Russia "at bargain prices." In 1993, Microsoft turned down nearly 50 experienced American applicants to hire a young Malaysian national with less than two years of experience to help customers troubleshoot Windows. Hewlett-Packard was found to have employed dozens of Chinese, Russian, and Indian programmers through the H-1B program at a "fraction of the cost" of an average American worker. Repeal of the H-1B visa program would end the single most brazen practice of government-sanctioned worker exploitation. The frequent abuse of foreign labor to avoid employing Americans cannot be denied, even by proponents of the H-1B program. A repeal of this program would not only bring that practice to a halt but also close a major statutory loophole for fraud that has allowed businesses to engage in corrupt practices with minimal punitive consequences. Secondly, repealing the H-1B program would restore a healthier employer-employee relationship in companies that currently use such visas. In the current system, H-1B employees are modern-day serfs. The terms of their visas leave them unable to protect themselves from exploitative employers using them to reduce their corporate bottom line at the expense of American jobs and opportunities while disrespecting the basic human dignity of the H-1B employees themselves. Importantly, eliminating the H-1B program will provide labor support to President Donald Trump’s concerted efforts to restore domestic production and manufacturing capability so that the U.S. is no longer reliant on foreign supply chains for essential goods and services. The exploitation and fraud of large companies using and abusing H-1B visas eventually attracted scrutiny even from the mainstream press, generating reports by both New York Times and 60 Minutes outlining tech company abuse of the H-1B program to acquire cheap foreign labor to maximize profits and cut business expenses.

NewsNation [5/7/2025 12:37 PM, Marisa Rodriguez, 6866K] reports over $6 million worth of counterfeit watches were seized at O’Hare International Airport over the weekend. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at a Cargo Examination Station near the airport inspected a shipment which contained a total of 243 different designer brand watches. According to CBP, the shipment arrived from China on May 4 and had an ultimate destination of an address in Bensenville, Illinois. Cartier, Rolex were some of the counterfeit watches. CBP says the shipment was seized for containing counterfeit versions of the following brand names: CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise deemed the items to be counterfeit, and if genuine, would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $6.64 million. "The distribution of counterfeit goods defraud U.S. consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses by robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. "CBP is the first line of defense, and our officers intercepted this threat before these fake items were introduced into the commerce and reached consumers, which provides economic security for our nation.”

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/7/2025 6:54 PM, James Powel, 75858K]

Telemundo 48 El Paso [5/7/2025 6:31 PM, Staff, 11K] reports the historic "Hugs Not Walls" event will not take place this year by order of the Donald Trump administration. For many years, this important event has been held in the El Paso and Ciudad Juárez region in May to allow children and families separated by border policies to physically reunite and embrace for a few minutes after years of separation. The event was held in collaboration with the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) and the Texas Immigration Reform Alliance (RITA), in coordination with other local organizations and federal immigration agencies along the southern border.

USA Today [5/7/2025 6:02 AM, Raphael Romero Ruiz, 75858K] reports Erika Mateo resigned herself to the grim reality that she would die in the desert. Worse was the thought of losing her unborn daughter. The 24-year-old was nearing the final month of her pregnancy and wandering alone through the Sonoran Desert south of the United States-Mexico border. She had been separated from her group, unable to keep up because of her condition. “Some of them tried to help me, but they were also afraid of being caught,” Mateo said in a Phoenix hotel room, shortly after her release from Department of Homeland Security custody. "That’s when I suddenly found myself lost, not knowing where to walk or where the path was,” she said in Spanish to a reporter from the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. In the week since her desert ordeal, Mateo’s story has become a flashpoint, sparking community outrage, drawing international attention and pushing local elected officials to help save her from having to choose between quickly leaving the United States with her newborn or leaving her behind under state care. Thanks to that attention, Mateo has avoided expedited deportation proceedings, becoming one of a handful of people to receive a “Notice to Appear” from the Border Patrol – the first step in the process to petition for asylum, which has been rarely afforded since President Donald Trump returned to office. In February and March, the first two complete months of this Trump administration, only three people have been issued this form after being held in Border Patrol custody, as reported by CBP’s open data portal. The figures for April remain undisclosed. By comparison, in December, the last full month of President Joe Biden’s tenure in office, more than 7,000 Notices to Appear were issued. Mateo had traveled from her home in Guatemala, now more than 2,000 miles away from the maze she was traversing to enter the United States. Mateo left behind a large family: her mother and father as well as her brothers and sisters. She remained in contact with them along her journey. In the interview, she did not say why she left her home country. Her attorney told The Republic her migration was "for fear of violence.” Allan Perez Hernandez, the Guatemalan consul of Tucson, described Mateo’s mother as an Indigenous woman from the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala, an area in the country’s impoverished Western Highlands from which hundreds have fled. According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, widespread violence, organized crime, socioeconomic instability and poverty are the primary reasons why people are leaving Guatemala and other nations in the Northern Triangle of Central America.

The Hill [5/7/2025 1:25 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12829K] reports the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said 81 percent of air travelers already present forms of identification that comply with REAL ID requirements, which went into effect on Wednesday. A TSA spokesperson said the agency started “full enforcement of the REAL ID law” on Wednesday, noting those who present non-compliant IDs will “receive a warning” and “may be directed to a separate area” to undergo additional screening. But the spokesperson also stressed the agency’s commitment to minimizing travel delays, saying, “TSA is planning accordingly to ensure no impact to wait times or TSA screening operations​.” “The good news is that 81 [percent] of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms so we do not expect there to be any inconveniences or wait times at all,” the spokesperson said. “TSA will enforce REAL ID in a manner that minimizes the impact to overall operations and especially for those passengers who are prepared with their REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of ID,” the spokesperson continued. The sentiment echoes testimony on Tuesday from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said people who don’t have REAL IDs or acceptable alternatives will still be allowed to fly but might need to undergo additional steps. “What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line, and [they] will issue their ID and show it. If it’s not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly,” Noem told lawmakers Tuesday.

FOX News [5/7/2025 8:00 AM, Cameron Arcand, 46189K] Video: HERE reports TSA Administrator Adam Stahl explained what Americans without REAL ID should do if they have an upcoming flight, and he addressed concerns about the potential for long lines as a result. Enforcement of REAL ID went into effect on Wednesday in order for people to fly domestically within the United States and enter some federal buildings, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Stahl told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that people who "do not have a compliant REAL ID will experience possibly additional vetting, additional screening at the checkpoint. Those that do not – We’ll be working pretty aggressively to minimize any sort of impacts to the checkpoint, to travel to the checkpoint." He noted that a military ID, a passport, and global entry are alternatives that somebody can use, but if they do not have any of those, they will make their flight. "You will still get through the checkpoint. You’ll be okay. You may face some additional screening measures, and that’s why we’re really underscoring to folks to please go to the airport early. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 6:21 PM, Dawn Gilbertson, Jacob Passy, and Alison Sider, 646K] Video HERE reports high winds, tech glitches, broken airplane toilets. Plenty of things can snarl air traffic these days. A nationwide overhaul of the IDs that travelers need to get through security isn’t one of them. The big switch to REAL IDs—those security-enhanced driver’s licenses and ID cards with a star or flag in the corner—was supposed to make May 7 the day of travel Armageddon. Instead, it turned out more like a modern-day Y2K. At airports across the country, travelers who had been bombarded with dire warnings encountered little resistance. People who didn’t have the newly required documentation were handed slips of paper and redirected to lines that were often shorter. In Phoenix, our travel columnist made it through security without any ID, REAL or not. Even Newark was calm. The enforcement start date, during a typical midweek travel lull and outside of peak periods like spring break, may have provided some reprieve. Troubles could escalate as a crush of summer vacationers head for the airports in coming weeks. And DMVs are another story. Airport staff were prepared to handle a potential onslaught of questions from confused fliers. Two decades after the law requiring the IDs was passed and numerous deadline extensions later, some travelers have grown immune to REAL ID warnings—as some DMVs, with long lines and limited appointments, can attest. States including Illinois have been inundated with appointment requests. Airlines have been alerting passengers to the coming change, posting notices to their websites, social-media accounts and mobile apps. Some have added reminders when people book their travel, in pre-departure emails and during the online check-in process. The blitz of advertising and publicity worked. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

(B) 7News ON YOUR SIDE at Noon [5/7/2025 12:39 PM, Staff] reports that travelers were told that starting today, a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or a sufficient alternative like a passport is needed to fly domestically. But Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem clarified that travelers without REAL ID may be diverted to a different line as part of an extra security process.

CBS News [5/7/2025 10:51 AM, Mary Cunningham, 51661K] reports as of Wednesday, U.S. travelers flying domestically are required to show a Real ID at airport checkpoints. The May 7 deadline for Americans to switch to the federally compliant identification comes after being delayed for more than 20 years. In the weeks before the new ID requirement was set to take effect on Wednesday, travelers gathered outside of state driver’s license agencies across the country to secure their Real ID, which has a star marking at the upper-right part of the card. Five states — Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Vermont — also issue what is called an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), or Enhanced ID. This is considered an acceptable alternative to a Real ID card. CBS News captured long wait times at the Real ID Supercenter in downtown Chicago and the DMV in Pomona, California, with lines snaking around the block. While the cards are required for domestic air travel starting Wednesday, officials have emphasized that May 7 is not the last day Americans can get a Real ID. "The vast majority of people do not need a Real ID before Wednesday," Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias told CBS News Chicago. People who aren’t flying until later in the year can wait to make an appointment. Air travelers are also allowed to bring an alternative form of identification, such as a passport, to get through security checkpoints, according to the TSA. A list of alternative forms of identification that will be accepted at security checkpoints can be found on the TSA’s website here. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a congressional panel on Tuesday, said that air travelers who haven’t yet secured a Real ID will still be able to fly, although they may face extra security hurdles. Such travelers "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step," Noem said, according to the Associated Press. "You need to get there three hours ahead of your departure time for the domestic flight for this extra level of security," AAA senior manager Robert Sinclair told CBS News New York.

New York Times [5/7/2025 1:51 PM, Christine Chung, et al.,145325K] reports the signs inside Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport told the story on Wednesday morning: “Real ID, Enhanced, Passport” with an arrow pointing to the right, and “All Others” with an arrow pointing to the left. After years of warnings and postponements, “all others” are no longer enough to make it past airport security checkpoints. Travelers are now required to flash a federally compliant Real ID, a passport or another approved form of identification to board domestic flights. Deadline day started off calmly at LaGuardia, with many passengers arriving up to three hours early, heeding warnings of delays or complications from the Real ID rollout. A large number of Transportation Security Administration employees, airport staff and police officers flanked the security entrance, advising travelers to prepare their IDs. Arthur Perlman, 61, a former teacher from Queens who described himself as “slightly worried,” came four hours early for his flight to Texas. He had recently gotten a state ID card and presumed it was a Real ID. But it had neither a star nor an American flag, meaning it was not compliant. “A week ago, I thought about it and went, ‘Oh my God!’” he said. “I did a reality check.” He briefly panicked, until he learned that a passport is also valid. He had brought that to LaGuardia. States reported varying rates of Real ID compliance ahead of Wednesday’s deadline. In California, it was more than half of all driver’s licenses or ID cards. In Pennsylvania, it was 28 percent. Travelers also received mixed messages about what to expect at airport security checkpoints when the deadline arrived. While the Transportation Security Administration repeatedly stated that full enforcement would begin on Wednesday, Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, said on Tuesday that travelers who didn’t have a Real ID-compliant document would still be allowed to fly, after additional screening.

Los Angeles Times [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Hannah Fry, 13342K] reports that, after two decades marked by delays, Americans planning to board an airplane for a domestic flight Wednesday will need a Real ID. Well, sort of. What appears to be a soft launch of the program aimed at enhancing security at airports nationwide began at midnight amid questions about how the new requirement — and lack of compliance by travelers in many states — will affect air travel. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers Tuesday that travelers without the Real ID cards will still be able to board their flights — for now — after undergoing additional identity verification steps at airport security checkpoints. If people show up without a Real ID at airport security "they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will still be allowed to fly," Noem told a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday. "We recognize this is a security issue.” The Real ID rollout has been years in the making in the United States. Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005, establishing specific requirements for states issuing IDs that make them harder to counterfeit and calls for enhanced verification of the information contained on the cards. The law stems from a 9/11 Commission recommendation that the federal government establish a nationwide standard for identification at a time when national security was top of mind for many Americans. "I think it’s going to enhance security at our airports because before, you could board a plane with a regular old driver’s license and it’s been possible for people to get driver’s licenses in false names," said Michael O’Rourke, chief executive of Advanced Operational Concepts, a global security consulting firm. "This has a more stringent requirement to prove you are who you say you are.” But not all states were on board with the approach at first. Many state governments pushed back, citing increased costs, privacy concerns and the burden that the IDs would place on certain groups, such as the unhoused, to provide the extra documentation necessary to get the identification. The initial deadline of May 2008 was pushed back as the federal government negotiated with the states. By 2020 most states, including California, had started rolling out Real IDs. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the deadline was delayed once again. In late 2022, the Department of Homeland Security said state motor vehicle departments needed more time to deal with the backlog of applications and set the final deadline for May 2025. Despite years of messaging, some citizens have resisted applying for the new IDs, wary of handing over that much data to the government. "When a government implements any kind of policy from the top down, which is the federal level, and it’s not explained from the bottom up, then there is a lot of distrust," said Faith Bradley, a teaching assistant professor of information systems at George Washington University. Bradley, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on the Real ID Act, suspects that many Americans will opt to travel with their passport or other forms of acceptable identification rather than obtain a Real ID. Transportation Security Administration officials said last month that 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints presented acceptable identification, including a state-issued Real ID.

FOX News [5/7/2025 12:07 PM, Ashley J. DiMella, 46189K] reports the implementation of REAL ID as of Wednesday, May 7, has some Americans sharing their thoughts and concerns about the new travel requirement. Even as the TSA has had a "Be your REAL ID self" campaign and shared that personal identification "must be a REAL ID to travel," some passengers have noted the most recent messaging about the current airport policy. One Redditor said on social media, "Rhetoric has been dialed back on the REAL ID situation.” "Went from ‘must be REAL ID compliant’ to ‘may be subject to additional screening.’ Still go out and get your REAL IDs, people," read the post. "OK, give me the extra screening then," joked another user. Another added, "It’s in everyone’s best interest to have a passport or REAL ID / other accepted documents.” A TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance.” "[They] may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening," said the spokesperson.

FOX News [5/7/2025 10:54 AM, Breanne Deppisch, 46189K] reports the month of May kicks off the start of the U.S. summer travel season – and nowhere is that felt more acutely than on college campuses, where students are closing laptops, submitting finals and streaming off campus in droves. However, some may not get past the airport, thanks to a federal ID rule taking effect just as school’s out. The Department of Homeland Security set the May 7 enforcement date for REAL ID last year, but the law itself has been delayed for nearly two decades. Congress passed it in 2005 – before most current college freshmen were even born. With the deadline landing right after spring semester ends, there is real concern that students heading home could be confused or caught flat-footed by the new requirements. "We have tens of thousands of folks weekly that are showing up at our driver’s license centers to get the REAL ID," Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said at a press conference this week. "It’s a real challenge for us right now, because folks have waited until the last minute.” On campuses, the buzz in the air is almost palpable as first-year students clamor to share their summer plans, either to far-flung destinations or to visit friends and family. For many, their "plans" include simply packing a carry-on, grabbing friends and escaping as soon as possible to a beach for sun-drenched surf and relaxation. However, for some travelers lacking a REAL ID – or confused about what the law means for them – this update could pose some very real, very unexpected barriers to summer travel. Some students were prepared. Riley Davis, a junior at the University of Alabama, said she obtained a REAL ID-compliant license earlier this year. "I first heard about Real ID on social media last year, and got the star added when I renewed my license this year," Davis told Fox News Digital. She praised her state’s process as "super fast" and easy, noting that she was also able to register for the appointment online at her local DMV – an option available in some states. Most college freshmen just wrapped up two intense semesters, adjusting to academic pressures, building new friendships and navigating the quirks of dorm life – all while living away from home for the first time. Many also turned 18 just before or during their first year, meaning they may have only recently become eligible for a REAL ID, which is issued to U.S. residents 18 and older. It is unclear how many college-aged Americans are currently in compliance with REAL ID requirements. Current estimates are limited and vary from state to state. New Jersey’s REAL ID compliance is the lowest in the country at 17% last month, according to data compiled by CBS News. Pennsylvania and New York reported compliance rates of just 26% and 43%, respectively. College students have cited confusion in recent conversations with friends and family about the new IDs and enforcement, as well as whether other documents, such as a passport, would be sufficient.

New York Post [5/7/2025 4:35 PM, Steven Vago and Natalie O’Neill, 54903K] reports New York DMVs were even more hellish than normal Wednesday as people scrambled to get REAL IDs on deadline day. Walk-in customers were handed slips of paper with weeks-away appointments Wednesday, with one man saying he couldn’t get one until July 2. Others were frustrated by clerical headaches. DMVs nationwide, including ones in South Carolina, California and Washington State, also reported longer wait times as thousands flocked to the government centers. Meanwhile, the transition was reportedly smooth with minimal passenger disruptions at airports nationally, according to USA Today and other outlets. Lines at Laguardia Airport were also moving without trouble when a Post reporter visited Wednesday. Travelers without proper IDs could face additional screening or be denied boarding, Transportation Security Administration officials have said. Other forms include a U.S. passport, Permanent resident card and other documents.

FOX News [5/7/2025 5:34 PM, Charles Creitz, 46189K] reports as airports across the country are reporting relatively few issues on the first day of REAL ID enforcement, at least one aviation expert and former pilot tells Fox News Digital he doesn’t expect that kind of peace to last. The official added that Texas law enforcement began issuing REAL IDs nine years ago and that the Lone Star State is well covered with 90% of its population listed as having a REAL ID. On the other side of the country, an official with the Port Authority, which operates JFK, La Guardia and Newark-Liberty in the New York City area, said there were "no issues" at the latter. A Fox News producer reporting from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was able to go through security with an escort to get lunch without issue. Officials at Newark Liberty were giving a slip of paper to passengers not yet REAL ID compliant as part of phase 1 of the rollout. Moving down the Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia, an official said they are having a "smooth REAL ID Day." At the other end of I-95, Miami International Airport reported normal traffic at checkpoints and underlined that over the past year, the hub has partnered with the TSA to communicate with passengers, including terminal-wide signage, about the REAL ID deadline and alternate forms of identification. At Charlotte-Douglas in North Carolina, wait times averaged 10 minutes throughout the day, and an official said its staff had been "well-prepared" for the adjustment. At the busiest airport in the U.S., an official said everything was running smoothly. Boston-Logan officials echoed that assessment, adding they also utilized the same advertising strategy as Miami for its REAL ID deadline preparation. However, former commercial and private pilot Ryan Tseko told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview that any lull won’t last for long.

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 9:56 AM, Jacob Passy, 646K] reports time is up: Starting Wednesday, most U.S. travelers without a passport are required to have a REAL ID to board domestic flights. After more than a decade of warning this day would come, the Transportation Security Administration says every flier over the age of 18 is expected to have the security-enhanced REAL ID or an approved alternative to pass through airport security checkpoints. If they don’t, they face extra scrutiny at the airport though will still be allowed to fly, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday. “We intend to follow the law,” Noem told lawmakers during a House committee hearing. Still, “we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary.” As of April, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints were presenting a state-issued REAL ID or other acceptable identification, according to the TSA.

ABC News [5/7/2025 1:21 PM, Aaron Katersky, 34586K] reports when Svetlana Dali snuck onto a Delta flight from New York to Paris in November it was not the first time she had successfully evaded airport security measures, federal prosecutors said Wednesday in a new court filing. Two days before Dali, 57, allegedly went through security at JFK Airport and walked onto the Delta plane without a boarding pass she accessed a secure area of the departures terminal at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, prosecutors said. "The investigation uncovered that, just like at JFK, the defendant similarly tried twice to enter TSA security checkpoints at BDL without a boarding pass—the first time unsuccessfully, and the second time successfully—wearing what appeared to be the same boots and backpack that she was wearing at JFK," prosecutors said. There is no evidence Dali boarded a flight from Bradley but the filing said she "bypassed BDL security checkpoints in a manner that is strikingly similar to her conduct at JFK" where she was able to sneak past identification checks by comingling with other passengers.

Axios [5/7/2025 6:19 AM, Alex Fitzpatrick, Ryan Deto, 13163K] reports that, nearly half the country, and an even higher percentage of Pennsylvanians, may need Real IDs to board domestic flights starting today. After years of delays, the Real ID deadline appears to be finally, actually happening — and it could cause chaos at airports this week even after tons of warnings from the government, airlines, etc. Congress passed the Real ID Act back in 2005 to beef up aviation security post-9/11, but the deadline for actually requiring compliant ID cards has been repeatedly delayed. Now that it’s happening, Americans without a passport or a few other acceptable documents will need a Real ID to board domestic flights. About 54% of Pennsylvanians lack a valid passport as of fiscal year 2024, per estimates from the Center for American Progress. Only about 28% of Pennsylvanians have received Real IDs, PennDOT told Axios last week. Nearly 47% of Americans lack a valid passport. Neighboring West Virginia (79.3%) has the greatest share of citizens lacking a passport, while another neighbor, New Jersey (20.1%), has the smallest. Many Americans don’t fly regularly or at all, so they may have no immediate need for a Real ID. Most states, like Pennsylvania, do not require Real IDs, so it is up to residents to acquire them if they want to fly or enter some federal buildings without a passport. There are alternatives, including "enhanced" driver’s licenses meant for international land or sea crossings. Passengers without a Real ID or viable alternative may still be allowed to fly once the rule takes effect, but "will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening," per a Transportation Security Administration info page.

Axios [5/7/2025 6:12 AM, Mike D’Onofrio, Kelly Tyko, 13163K] reports the Real ID deadline is today … sort of. You now need a Real ID-compliant license — or another acceptable document — to board a commercial airplane in the U.S., or enter federal facilities, like courthouses. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday those without identification that complies with the law "will be allowed to fly." Noem told a Congressional panel that those who still lack an identification that complies with the Real ID law "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step," the Associated Press reports. Passengers at Philadelphia International Airport who only have a state-issued identification that’s not a Real ID may be directed to a separate area or receive additional screening, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tells Axios. "TSA is planning accordingly to ensure no impact to wait times or TSA screening operations," she said. TSA accepts more than a dozen forms of alternative IDs. Pennsylvanians aren’t flocking to get a Real ID. Only 28% of residents have signed up for one, as of May 1, per WHYY. Real ID is optional, which helps explain the lower adoption rate.

Axios [5/7/2025 1:50 PM, Sabrina Moreno, 13163K] reports roughly 40% of Virginians didn’t have a valid passport as of fiscal year 2024, per estimates from the Center for American Progress, a think tank. Starting Wednesday, a passport will be the only alternative for a Real ID when flying domestically — though people without either will still be allowed to fly. Congress passed the Real ID Act back in 2005, but the federal deadline for actually requiring compliant ID cards has been repeatedly delayed until now. And more than 40% of Virginians with an active license or ID haven’t gotten one yet. Threat level: If you’re planning to fly soon without a Real ID or U.S. passport, Richmond airport spokesperson Troy Bell tells us you should "allow extra time for TSA security screening." TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez told Axios passengers without an acceptable form of ID should arrive "up to an hour earlier than their normal time." Velez said TSA might "direct them into another area." The agency might also ask for additional information to confirm your identity, like name and current address.

Axios [5/7/2025 7:20 AM, Jason Clayworth, 13163K] reports that, starting Wednesday, you’ll need a Real ID to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building quickly — and if you don’t have one yet, buckle up for a wait. The federal Real ID requirement is finally kicking in after years of delays. While just over 76% of Iowa drivers are already compliant, thousands are still scrambling to make the cut. You can use a valid passport instead of a Real ID at the airport, but nearly 60% of Iowans don’t have one, according to the Center for American Progress. Real ID standardizes U.S. identification rather than accepting state-specific driver’s licenses. Compliant IDs are typically marked with a star in the upper right corner, like Iowa’s, though the specific design may vary by state. As of Tuesday, people could board domestic flights with a license that is not a Real ID, but starting today, a Real ID, passport or similar document is needed. You can still board a plane without a Real ID, but you will need to undergo additional screening and face potential delays, according to Des Moines International Airport. Those who lack an identification that complies "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step" but ultimately will be able to fly for now, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel Tuesday. Iowa is ahead of the national 61% Real ID rate because the state started issuing them in 2013, years before many other states, Kathleen Meradith-Eyers, director of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s motor division, tells Axios. More than 2 million Iowans already have their Real ID, but appointments for those who don’t are nearly two months out at some driver’s license stations. The earliest online appointment available yesterday at the Polk County Place station was June 30. DOT staff members try to accommodate walk-in appointments when possible and frequently open additional time slots when staffing is available. The DOT served 20,000 people at its license centers last week, up more than 40% from the typical 14,000, Meradith-Eyers said. If you’re not Real ID-ready, your summer travel plans may have hiccups.

The Hill [5/7/2025 1:00 PM, Staff, 12829K] reports that, Cameron Hamilton, the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will testify before a House Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday afternoon on oversight of the agency. The hearing comes as Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem has vowed to shutter much of the agency, citing President Trump’s wish for states to have more control over emergency response efforts. She defended the push, which has sparked scrutiny from experts who say it could leave vulnerable communities at risk, during a DHS oversight hearing Tuesday. Hamilton took the reins from former director Deanne Criswell, who resigned in January following turmoil in the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which battered the southeastern U.S. last year. The event is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EDT. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [5/7/2025 6:06 PM, Rachel Frazin, 12829K] reports Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told lawmakers Wednesday that he does not believe the agency should be eliminated — breaking with musings from the president and a recent declaration from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "As the senior adviser to the president on disasters and emergency management … I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing. However, he said that ultimately the decision is not up to him, but rather Congress and the president. Hamilton also said he does not believe that federal assistance is going away, but he said the administration is coming up with a new way to categorize disasters. "We want to find thresholds whereby the states can manage reasonable outcomes and lower level disasters may not incur and push FEMA and federal resources … unless they meet a very very high standard and burden. … We’re not looking at a future without federal assistance," Hamilton said. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) asked him if this meant the agency was going to categorize disasters as "low," "medium" and "high" to determine if their funding should come from states or the federal government. USA Today [5/7/2025 5:06 PM, Zac Anderson, 75858K] reports lawmakers raised concerns about FEMA’s future during a pair of House committee hearings this week as they reviewed the president’s budget for the disaster relief agency. The budget proposes a $644 million cut, drawing criticism from Democrats. But their larger concern is Trump’s comments suggesting he could eliminate the agency. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, pressed acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton about abolishing the agency. To her relief, Hamilton said he didn’t support doing away with FEMA. Hamilton’s comments were a notable break from the rhetoric of Trump and other administration officials. Hamilton, the FEMA administrator, noted that the agency’s future isn’t up to him. He said it’s a question for Trump and “this governing body” to decide “what is prudent for federal investment and what is not.” And while Hamilton opposes eliminating the agency, he made the case for significant reforms and said it should be involved in fewer disaster relief efforts. He said the agency was established to help with “truly catastrophic disasters.”

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 5:57 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K] reports Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told House lawmakers he does not believe the agency should be abolished. This marked a break from President Donald Trump, who has called for the agency’s dismantling. Hamilton testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on Wednesday afternoon. During the hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) asked him whether the Trump administration planned to eliminate FEMA and whether he believed it ought to be dismantled. Hamilton responded that FEMA was necessary and could not be replaced by state efforts. "As the senior adviser to the president on disasters and emergency management and to the secretary of homeland security, I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Hamilton said. "Having said that, I am not in a position to make decisions and impact outcomes.” The comments broke with Trump and his cohort’s staunch opposition to FEMA. Trump told reporters during a Jan. 24 trip to see damage in North Carolina from Hurricane Helene that he would soon "begin the process of reforming FEMA or getting rid of FEMA.” "I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) brought up previous comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "When it comes to FEMA, Secretary Noem said that she wants to eliminate it, and President Trump said that it could, ‘Go away,’" Underwood said. "Let me be clear, eliminating FEMA would cause catastrophic and needless suffering to the American public.” Hamilton previewed changes he would make to the agency, including having local and state governments lead disaster response efforts, using innovative methods to reach survivors, and enhancing FEMA’s internal operational readiness. "Red tape, bureaucratic inertia, and top-down micro management have turned this disaster recovery into slow, costly, and frustrating processes," Hamilton said. "It was for this very reason I was hired to refocus this organization in order to better serve the American people under President Trump’s mandate.”

Axios [5/7/2025 3:49 PM, Kathryn Varn, 13163K] reports Pinellas residents have two more weeks to weigh in on how the county plans to spend more than $800 million in hurricane recovery grant funding. The money will fund programs to help with home rehabilitation, resident relocation, small business and nonprofit assistance, and more, according to a draft plan published last month. The $813,783,000 disaster recovery fund was allocated to the county by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help with recovery from Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and hurricanes Helene and Milton last year. At least 70% of the funds will be designated for low- and moderate-income households countywide, except for residents in St. Petersburg, which received its own grant. Housing assistance was by far the biggest need, county officials determined. If the federal government approves the plan as expected in June or July, the earliest county officials can start rolling out programs is this fall. Along with St. Pete, Tampa Bay governments including Hillsborough, Pasco, Sarasota and Manatee counties were also awarded HUD funds for hurricane recovery. Some are still working on their spending plans and accepting public input.

Univision [5/7/2025 7:33 PM, Staff, 5325K] reports the Puerto Rican territory is facing a crisis after two weeks of heavy rains that have caused flooding, landslides and widespread damage in several of its localities. So far, ten municipalities have been declared in a state of emergency due to the devastating effects of the rains. The most tragic toll has been the death of two people: one while trying to cross a flooded area and another due to a tree that fell on his vehicle in the city of Toa Baja. On Monday, three additional cities, Caguas, Lares and Vega Alta, were added to the list of affected municipalities. The rains, which began on April 18, have not only caused the loss of human lives, but also caused millions in damages to infrastructure. In Vega Alta, in the north of the island, damages are estimated at $7 million, while in Cidra, a town in central Puerto Rico, they are estimated at $3 million. The situation is complicated by local authorities’ assurances that the financial aid available, which amounts to $100,000 for each affected municipality, barely covers a fraction of the cost of repairing the damaged infrastructure. The rains have not only affected the municipalities closest to the coast, but also mountainous areas such as Aguas Buenas, where a landslide left 26 families isolated. Local authorities have provided food and basic necessities to neighbors, who are also facing problems with the supply of drinking water. In the municipality of Ceiba, on the east coast, the collapse of a water pipe due to a landslide has left the population without access to running water, so water tanks are being distributed. Damage to drinking water systems has also been severe in other municipalities. In Caguas, south of San Juan, a water main break and the temporary closure of a filtration plant have left the population with limited access to drinking water. Authorities have asked residents to boil water before consuming it while they work to restore service. Last Saturday, a 44-year-old man lost his life when a tree, brought down by a landslide, fell on his vehicle while he was traveling on the roads of Toa Baja, in the northern region of Puerto Rico. This incident is in addition to the death of another man on Monday when he tried to drive through a flooded area in Bayamon, bringing the death toll to two from this month’s rains. The Puerto Rico government has allocated emergency funds and declared a state of emergency in several municipalities. It is expected that, in addition to the $100,000 per municipality, more resources will be allocated as damage continues to be assessed. In the capital, San Juan, Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo visited families affected by the floods and supervised the distribution of aid, including mattresses and gas stoves. The outlook remains uncertain as the rains continue, and authorities have issued flood warnings in several areas. Streets remain submerged in brown water, fallen trees block roads, and families remain trapped in their homes, waiting for assistance as conditions worsen. The island, already facing a complicated economic situation, is now grappling with the weather crisis that further aggravates the precariousness of many of its communities.

Car Experts [5/8/2025 4:52 AM, William Stopford] reports the US Secret Service is best known for its work protecting the president and other high-ranking politicians and their families, and its agents need to be ready for anything – and that includes vehicles outside of its traditional fleet. General Motors this week sent 10 vehicles to the federal law enforcement agency’s James J Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Laurel, Maryland in order for the company to not only get feedback from agents, but also to give them experience driving different vehicles. The fleet of 10 vehicles is diverse. It includes three SUVs (a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Suburban, and a Chevrolet Tahoe with a police package), as well as two Chevrolet Corvettes. GM also sent the Secret Service four Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans, two of which have manual transmissions. That would make them hot twin-turbocharged V6-powered CT4-V Blackwing and supercharged V8-powered CT5-V Blackwing models. You might think it’s pointless for a government agency to be driving supercars and manual sports sedans, but the Secret Service has explained the rationale. “Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,” said Mark Armstrong, a driving instructor at the RTC for 10 years. “Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.” These overseas trips can include visits to foreign field offices or protective duties, so agents need proficiency in a range of driving skills and vehicle types. “Experience with different types of vehicles can help instructors teach students how to adapt their driving techniques based on the vehicle they are operating,” added Scott Simons, the special agent in charge of the RTC. “Because each vehicle handles differently in any given situation, exposure to new cars will challenge instructors and give them an opportunity to develop more realistic training scenarios.

ABC News [5/7/2025 6:58 PM, Anne Flaherty and Luke Barr, 34586K] reports the United States Army is expecting to spend anywhere from $25 million to $45 million on its 250th birthday celebration this June on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., officials told ABC News. But that number that is likely to grow when factoring in costs from other federal agencies. According to officials familiar with the plan, the Army’s estimate would cover the cost to fly in some 6,600 soldiers for the event and provide them food and housing. It also would cover the cost of transporting the 150 vehicles -- including tanks -- along with 50 aircraft. Fireworks, military flyovers and musical performances also are planned. Despite these projections, the total cost to the government for the June 14 event – which falls on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday – is likely to be higher, given the scope. Officials say the parade and festival is being deemed a National Special Security Event, a designation that puts it on par with other large-scale national events like the Inauguration or State of the Union. When asked what security might cost during a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers she wasn’t sure and would have to get back to them.

Yahoo News [5/7/2025 8:55 AM, Sarah Sharkey, 59943K6] reports you can’t track cash — so if someone takes it, you’re out of luck. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that on Sunday, April 20, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse was stolen. She was dining with her family at a popular downtown Washington restaurant called The Capital Burger when the theft happened. CNN, one of the first news outlets to report the story, said that her purse contained Noem’s medication, driver’s license, passport, apartment keys, makeup bag, $3,000 in cash, blank checks and her DHS access badge. Noem herself noticed the purse was missing — it wasn’t spotted by her Secret Service detail. Since then, the Secret Service has reviewed security footage to determine what happened. NBC also reported that a witness said the restaurant wasn’t busy at the time, and at least two plainclothes Secret Service agents were on duty. They were seated between the front doors and the bar where Noem was sitting. “Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren — she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities and Easter gifts,” a DHS spokesperson said. Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN law enforcement analyst and former Secret Service agent, told CNN the incident may point to a lapse in security. “This is a security breach that actually has high consequences, and it needs immediate and further review,” he said, adding that the Homeland Security Secretary is “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors.” Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, confirmed Noem had withdrawn the cash to treat her visiting family during the Easter holiday.

ABC 13 Lynchburg [5/7/2025 7:43 PM, Alexia Stanbridge] reports the Secret Service is encouraging people to be aware of card-skimming devices when using their cards. Agencies found skimming devices on Walmart card readers across our region earlier this year. Law enforcement arrested Florin Doroiman, a Romanian citizen, in connection with the incidents Doroiman has over 20 charges across at least 6 localities, including Lynchburg, Bedford, Danville, Halifax County, and Colonial Heights. ABC 13 investigated how to stop a simple swipe from draining your bank account. im Kingsley, the Assistant Special Agent in charge of the Secret Service Richmond Field Office, said criminals can put the devices up very quickly. Sometimes they’ll use a distraction to draw an employee’s attention elsewhere. “Most stores now are trying to use security footage. A lot of their cameras to point towards, whether it’s an atm or a point of sale terminal, to try to capture an individual, maybe placing one of these devices on them,” he said. Kingsley said card skimming is not a common crime, but it does happen. There are some things you can do to protect yourself.

The Sun [5/7/2025 2:12 PM, Debbie White] reports a glamorous Trump, 43, and Kushner, 44 were filmed holding hands on the red carpet while leaving the posh Carbone Beach venue in Miami on Saturday night. The couple, who live near Miami Beach in an exclusive neighborhood dubbed Billionaire Bunker, had been attending one of a series of occasions in celebration of the F1 event, which was won on Sunday by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. However, an unknown man then suddenly tried to approach the couple from the street, as they walked towards their parked SUV. The man - wearing a black T-shirt and tan shorts - was carrying what appeared to be a large brown folder in his left hand, according to a video shown on Instagram. But the couple’s bodyguard refused to allow the bystander to hand Trump the folder. Video captured the speedy reaction of the Secret Service agent who immediately shielded the pair. He swiftly placed himself between Trump and the bystander, blocking him from the first daughter. The burly bodyguard initially stopped the man’s advance by holding his left arm out to him - to keep him at a safe distance from Trump and Kushner. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Border Report [5/7/2025 11:47 PM, Salvador Rivera, 117K] reports Coast Guard Station San Diego’s motto is “Guardians of the Southwest,” but Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says it doesn’t have the proper amount of resources to properly guard the maritime border with Mexico. Noem made those comments Tuesday morning during a congressional appropriations meeting calling for $21 billion to help the Coast Guard fulfill its mission. “The Coast Guard has been neglected for many, many years,” Noem told the committee. She testified the agency needs the money for technology, equipment and personnel to be able to interdict drugs and undocumented migrants coming into the U.S. via the water. “The Coast Guard is seeing much more traffic, they’re also seeing the cartel activity out there trafficking of drugs and human beings and the technology they’re having a difficult time keeping up with — we can’t neglect the fact that we have needs there and we don’t have the airframe and we don’t have the cutters to keep up and even to manage and maintain the horsepower to catch and interdict some of the smuggling activities that are going on.”

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 3:55 PM, Emily Hallas, 2296K] reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California announced Tuesday it is charging five Mexican nationals in connection with a boat of migrants that recently capsized in San Diego. At least three migrants died and one missing person is "presumed dead" after the maritime smuggling incident occurred on Monday. Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna and Jesus Juan Rodriguez-Leyva were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. The pair face a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Melissa Jennelle Cota, Gustavo Lara, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa were charged with transporting illegal aliens, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Rojas-Fregosa was also identified as an illegal immigrant who had previously been deported in December of 2023, DOJ officials said. Gordon pushed for the death penalty after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem weighed in on the matter on Tuesday. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Sappey said the people in the boat, which carried over a dozen passengers, "were not tourists."

Los Angeles Times [5/7/2025 6:00 AM, Clara Harter, 13342K] reports five Mexican citizens have been charged with participating in human smuggling after a small boat carrying migrants capsized off San Diego on Monday, killing four people including two children, authorities said. Tragic new details about the deadly smuggling incident came to light Tuesday. The body of a 14-year-old boy from India was among three recovered following the accident, and his 10-year-old sister remains missing at sea and is presumed dead, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The siblings’ parents were rescued, but the father is now in a coma, and the mother remains hospitalized. "The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business," U.S. Atty. Adam Gordon said in a statement. "We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.” The U.S. Coast Guard received a call around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday reporting that a small panga-style boat with an estimated 16 people on board had overturned just north of Torrey Pines State Beach, said Hunter Schnabel, a Coast Guard public affairs officer. Bystanders and San Diego lifeguards were able to rescue four people. Three bodies were recovered from the scene, and nine people were initially unaccounted for. Two of the smuggling suspects — Jesus Ivan Rodriguez-Leyva, 36, and Julio Cesar Zuniga-Luna, 30, both of Mexico — were arrested on the beach, prosecutors said. They have been charged with bringing in migrants resulting in death, which has a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. Although the death penalty remains legal in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a moratorium on executions, in effect halting them during his tenure. They are also charged with bringing in migrants for financial gain, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Three additional arrests were made Monday night after Border Patrol agents spotted a car, which had been seen earlier near the accident scene, some 25 miles south in Chula Vista, which is just 10 miles north of the Mexican border. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene. Agents continued their investigation and successfully stopped two other vehicles involved in the smuggling incident, authorities said. Inside the vehicles, they discovered eight of the nine missing migrants, with the exception of the 10-year-old girl, prosecutors said. The drivers of the vehicles — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregoso, 31 — were arrested and charged with the transportation of undocumented immigrants, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Rojas-Fregoso faced an additional charge for being in the country illegally after having been previously deported in December 2023, prosecutors said. This charge is punishable by up to two years in prison. "Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities," Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego, said in a statement. "Yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed.”

(B) NBC News Daily [5/7/2025 3:24 PM, Staff] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wants to pursue the death penalty against two alleged human smugglers. Prosecutors say they were piloting the boat that overturned off the coast of Del Mar Monday. This comes as several people were arrested in connection with the incident and a fourth passenger is now presumed dead. 11 hours after the panga boat overturned on Monday, officials arrested five people in Chula Vista. Two will face human smuggling charges. Court records show at least two of those smuggled paid more than $10,000.

The Hill [5/7/2025 5:47 PM, Lauren Irwin, 12829K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem is calling for the death penalty against two Mexican nationals charged with human smuggling after a boat capsized near San Diego, killing three people and leaving seven others missing. "Yesterday, off the coast of southern California, a panga-style boat capsized that was operated by Mexican nationals attempting to smuggle 14 aliens into the U.S.," Noem said in a statement Wednesday. "Tragically, three people were killed and seven are still missing. Their deaths were not only avoidable but were also the direct result of greed and indifference of smugglers who exploited them. Maritime smuggling is not just illegal–it is a violent and inherently dangerous crime," she said. "Those who knowingly place human lives at grave risk in furtherance of such crimes must be held fully accountable." Noem said she was requesting the death penalty under the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Federal Death Penalty Act. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and local authorities responded to the overturned boat that washed ashore near San Diego on May 5. Border Control confirmed through surviving individuals that 14 adults and two minors were on the boat. The three deceased individuals were recovered and identified as Indian nationals, DHS said. Two surviving individuals were identified as Mexican nationals: Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leya, 36. They were detained "on suspicion of smuggling illegal aliens" into the U.S. Three others were later arrested and face related charges for "participating in a human smuggling event that led to the deaths of at least three migrants." One of the deaths was a 14-year-old boy from India. His 10-year-old sister is still missing and presumed dead, and their parents are hospitalized, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California said.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [5/7/2025 9:01 AM, Bob Price, 2923K]
USA Today [5/7/2025 1:32 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 75858K]

Telemundo52 [5/7/2025 8:25 PM, Ana Milena Male, 101K] reports the deadly shipwreck of a fragile California boat carrying more than a dozen immigrants, including children, evidences according to experts consulted by EFE, the encirclement of the harsh policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, these foreigners, who do not stop and risk their lives even further. Monday’s tragedy on a dangerous route off the coast of Southern California resulted in the deaths of at least three migrants, and the disappearance of at least seven people in the waters of Del Mar in San Diego County. The Coast Guard (USGC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) moved a large amount of resources to this border area with Mexico to find the missing. The search was suspended about 20 hours after the emergency call. At least 16 people were travelling on the panga-type boat, according to the accounts of four of the survivors - three women and a minor - who were rescued and taken to hospital. One of them is in critical condition. Authorities arrested and charged two Mexicans who were travelling on the boat, on immigration trafficking charges resulting in death. Two other alleged persons involved in the case, who picked up some immigrants who managed to leave on their own, were also arrested for this incident. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it will seek the death penalty for the two involved.

NBC News [5/7/2025 5:48 PM, Kevin Collier, 44742K] reports one of the largest providers of education tech paid off hackers so that they wouldn’t publish tens of millions of children’s personal information. But school districts are facing extortion attempts anyway. The company, PowerSchool, missed a basic cybersecurity step, according to a cybersecurity audit obtained by NBC News, and was hacked last year, leading to one of the largest breaches to date of American children’s personal data. PowerSchool reportedly paid an undisclosed sum to the hackers in exchange for a video of them purporting to delete the files they had stolen, which included some students’ Social Security numbers and other information, like health and disciplinary records. But "a threat actor" is using that stolen data to try to extort schools and school districts in both the U.S. and Canada, according to statements from PowerSchool and various school districts issued Wednesday. The threat actor appears to have students’ and staffers’ names, contact information, birthdays, medical information, parental information, and in some cases Social Security numbers, he said. It was not immediately clear who was behind the current extortion attempt. CyberScoop [5/7/2025 6:17 PM, Matt Kapko] reports five months after education software vendor PowerSchool paid an unnamed threat actor a ransom in exchange for the deletion of sensitive stolen data, some of the company’s customers are now receiving extortion demands. A threat actor, who may or not be the same criminal group behind the attack, has contacted four school district customers of PowerSchool in the past few days, CyberScoop has learned, threatening to leak data if they don’t pay. The downstream extortion attacks highlight the ongoing risk organizations confront when a vendor is hit by a cyberattack, exposing not just their data but also that of others in their supply chain. The follow-on extortion attempts also underscore that paying ransoms for data does not guarantee stolen data won’t be leaked. “PowerSchool is aware that a threat actor has reached out to multiple school district customers in an attempt to extort them using data from the previously reported December 2024 incident,” a company spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement. “We do not believe this is a new incident, as samples of the data match the data previously stolen in December.” The company did not say how much it paid in ransom. “We made the decision to pay a ransom because we believe it to be in the best interest of our customers and the students and communities we serve,” the spokesperson said. “We thought it was the best option for preventing the data from being made public, and we felt it was our duty to take that action,” the spokesperson added. “As is always the case with these situations, there was a risk that the bad actors would not delete the data they stole, despite assurances and evidence that were provided to us.”

Reported similarly:
Reuters [5/7/2025 6:00 PM, A.J. Vicens, 41523K]

Axios [5/7/2025 5:41 PM, Sam Sabin, 13163K] reports PowerSchool, the popular education technology vendor that works with 75% of U.S. school districts, said it paid a ransom to hackers during its December data breach. It’s rare for ransomware victims to admit that they’ve paid hackers, and security experts often frown upon the practice because it could further embolden the cybercriminals behind the attacks. PowerSchool said in December it was the victim of a data breach that affected several school districts. The specific information hackers stole varies by school district, but in many cases, hackers accessed student ID numbers, birth dates, home addresses, medical alerts and even free and in some cases even reduced meal status information. Ransomware victims often pay a ransom either to unlock the systems the hackers have locked them out of or prevent the hackers from publishing stolen sensitive data on the dark web. PowerSchool said in the statement sent to reporters Wednesday that it made the "very difficult and considered decision" to help prevent a data leak. "It was a difficult decision, and one which our leadership team did not make lightly," the company said.

Federalist [5/7/2025 5:53 AM, Logan Washburn, 1033K] reports the FBI used "false statements, manipulation of known facts, and biased and butchered analysis" to claim that the man who shot Republicans while they were practicing baseball in 2017 had no connection to domestic terrorism, according to a new report. "This report definitively shows the FBI completely mishandled the investigation into the Congressional baseball shooting of 2017 — ignoring crucial and obvious facts in order to sell a false narrative that the shooting was not politically motivated," said Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot during the attack, in a press release. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the report on May 6, explaining that the FBI "completely botched" its investigation into the 2017 shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice. The assailant, who shot and injured Scalise and four others, was Democrat activist and Bernie Sanders volunteer James Hodgkinson, as The Federalist reported at the time. In its ensuing investigation, the FBI was quick to dismiss the shooter’s motives. As The Federalist’s Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway wrote, agents admitted the attacker was a radical leftist who hated Republicans, but suggested he had no particular target, was acting alone, and could have "spontaneous[ly]" launched the attack. They even went so far as to claim there was "no nexus to terrorism.” The recent report suggests otherwise. It found that the FBI "failed to substantively interview the shooting victims and other eyewitnesses" and "failed to develop a comprehensive timeline of events." Furthermore, its "case file was improperly classified, which may have assisted FBI in obfuscating substandard investigative efforts and analysis," according to a House Intelligence release. "FBI’s case file includes fact after fact indicating Hodgkinson was carrying out a plan to impact government policy or the political system by targeting Republicans. That was Hodgkinson’s motive, not simply to die by a cop’s bullet," the report reads. "[O]ther evidence within the FBI case file supports a conclusion that Hodgkinson was a domestic terrorist.” The report found that the shooter was a "radical, left-wing political extremist." Hodgkinson was "upset" by Trump’s 2016 victory, and he participated in a concealed carry class. He "told friends and family they may not see him again," left Illinois with guns, headed for Washington, D.C., "to protest," "cased" the baseball field for two months, and then made sure that Republican congressmen were present before launching the attack.

NewsMax [5/7/2025 9:14 PM, Michael Katz, 4998K] reports federal law enforcement is sounding the alarm over an online child predator network called "764," with the FBI saying it has opened 250 investigations across all of its 55 field offices into a group an agent said looks to "sow chaos" and "bring down society." The loose network of violent predators befriend teenagers through popular online platforms and then coerce them into escalating sexual and violent behavior, ABC News reported Wednesday. "We see a lot of bad things, but this is one of the most disturbing things we’re seeing," FBI Assistant Director David Scott told ABC News. He heads the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, which is now leading many of the government’s investigations tied to 764. On April 30, the Department of Justice announced the arrests of two alleged 764 leaders. Leonidas Varagiannis, 21, a U.S. citizen residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, 20, of North Carolina, were charged with operating an international child exploitation enterprise. Varagiannis was arrested April 29 in Greece; and Nepal on April 22 in North Carolina. Court hearings in Washington, D.C., are pending for both defendants. "These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered – a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children," Attorney General Pam Bondi said April 30 in a statement. "We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation." Scott said the FBI has seen victims as young as 9, and federal authorities have indicated there could be thousands of victims from around the world, according to ABC News. Prosecutors alleged that Varagiannis and Nepal exploited at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, with some content traced back to children as young as 13. The network’s activities spanned from late 2020 through early 2025, with core leadership roles attributed to both defendants throughout that time.

USA Today [5/7/2025 11:02 PM, Anthony Robledo, 75858K] reports more than 200 suspected child sexual abuse offenders were arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on May 7. Over the course of five days, authorities arrested 205 alleged offenders, rescuing 115 children as part of an FBI-led effort called Operation Restore Justice, the Justice Department said. FBI field offices from across the country participated in the operation. "If you harm our children you will be given no sanctuary," FBI Director Kash Patel said at a May 7 news conference. "There is no place we will not come to hunt you down. There is no place we will not look for you. And there is no cage we will not put you in should you do harm to our children." The department said it is seeking the maximum sentence for every suspect arrested during the operation. Seven cases have been brought forward with criminal charges, pleas or sentences in the Western District of Washington, according a news release. Of the 115 rescued child victims, some were lured in-person and others online, the Justice Department said. The alleged crimes include the "production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking," the Justice Department said. "This kind of work takes the toll on the FBI agents and the prosecutors who are doing this every day," Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the news conference. "They are working tirelessly online dealing with the drugs of our society. The worst of the worst. The people that hide behind a computer and target our children."

Washington Post [5/7/2025 6:31 PM, Salvador Rizzo, 31735K] reports a Virginia man who was convicted of sending at least $185,000 to the Islamic State’s coffers as the terrorist organization struggled to rebuild its depleted operations in Syria was sentenced Wednesday to more than 30 years in prison after a heated exchange with a federal judge. An attorney for Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, started off by describing him as a lonely and despondent man who was “longing for belonging” and took on a “blusterous” online persona."Mr. Chhipa is figuring out that he needs help," defense attorney Zachary Deubler told U.S. District Judge David J. Novak, requesting a prison term of eight years at most. "We’re seeing the page turn here, your honor.” The hearing veered off the rails once it was Chhipa’s turn to speak. Chhipa, who a prosecutor said "transmitted a huge amount of money to ISIS" after the FBI let him off with a warning in 2019, immediately denounced the government as "evil and oppressive." He described his wife, Allison Fluke-Ekren, as another victim of injustice. She pleaded guilty in a separate case and is serving two decades in prison for leading an all-female Islamic State battalion that trained women and girls to use rifles and suicide vests. Reading from prepared remarks, Chhipa complained that neither he nor his wife was allowed to speak to her children. "All right, hold on a second. This is nonsense," Novak said, admonishing Chhipa to focus on his case. "Why don’t you talk about the crime?". "I didn’t commit any crime," Chhipa replied. He continued criticizing the government as "evil," "hypocritical," "tyrannical" and "unjust," until the judge cut him off again. "This is not a forum for you to complain about the United States of America," Novak said, noting that Chhipa had been granted U.S. citizenship after immigrating with his family at age 4 from India. The judge sentenced Chhipa to 30 years and four months in prison, describing him as a "key middleman" who rounded up funds from Islamic State supporters in the United States and sent the money overseas, destined for male Islamic State fighters and women trying to break out of the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, which the FBI assessed to be a "stronghold of ISIS ideology.” The hearing concluded on an acrimonious note, as two of Chhipa’s brothers, who had been sitting in the courtroom gallery for the proceedings, refused to stand for the judge as he exited the courtroom. Novak told the deputy U.S. marshals not to press the issue because Chhipa’s family had registered a "religious objection" to the practice during his trial last year.

Reuters [5/7/2025 5:28 PM, Ricardo Brito, 41523K] reports the Brazilian government rejected a request by the U.S. State Department to designate two major criminal gangs that officials believe to have members in the United States as terrorist organizations, Mario Sarrubo, Brazil’s national secretary of public security, told Reuters on Wednesday. He said the request was made on Tuesday during a meeting between David Gamble, who leads the sanctions strategy for the U.S. State Department, six other officials from President Donald Trump’s administration, and eight Brazilian officials in Brasilia. Gamble was concerned about the gangs Primeiro Comando da Capital, known as PCC, and Comando Vermelho, known as CV, which control territories in several Brazilian cities. At the meeting in Brasilia, U.S. officials informed their Brazilian counterparts that their request was part of an effort to address immigration and criminal gangs with a transnational presence, saying they were priorities to the Trump administration, one source who was present said. U.S. officials said a terrorist designation could help the government apply sanctions, raise resources and target criminal supply chains, the same source added. According to this source, U.S. officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reported the PCC and the Comando Vermelho had cells in 12 U.S. states, mainly Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Connecticut and Tennessee. Those reports, the source added, alleged that the gangs trafficked guns and laundered money through Brazilians who traveled to the U.S., adding that 113 people were denied visas to enter the country because of connections to organized crime in 2024 alone.

Axios [5/7/2025 5:30 AM, Tina Reed, 13163K] reports President Trump’s threat of pharmaceutical tariffs is driving a surge of exports of drugs and medical products from Europe to the U.S. as manufacturers look to build up stockpiles before duties hit. The explosion in shipments helped swell the U.S. trade deficit by 14% in March as drugmakers joined other industries bracing for the impacts of the trade war, the Commerce Department reported on Tuesday. Imports from Ireland, a manufacturing hub for pharma giants like Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, not only hit a record in March, but were double the previous high. "The race is on. Everyone wants to get in before they can’t get in anymore," said Marc Busch, an expert in international trade policy from Georgetown University. "I’m expecting a lot of disruption and a lot of questions about ‘to what end?’," he said of the threat of industry-specific duties. "This is not your typical industry and, in particular, there’s going to be a major jolt to the U.S. health care system." The international trade deficit increased to $140.5 billion in March 2025 from $123.2 billion in February, according to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau. Virtually all of the $22.5 billion increase in imported consumer goods came from pharmaceutical products. Imports from Ireland — a major source of cancer drugs, insulin, Viagra and Botox — surged to nearly $31 billion in March. That’s nearly four times the $8 billion exported in March 2024 and more than double February’s imports of $15.3 billion. Imports from Denmark — home of Novo Nordisk, which makes blockbuster GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy as well as much of the U.S. insulin supply — swelled to $1.2 billion in March 2025 from $810 million in March 2024. That’s also up from $825 million in February. President Trump has said he expects to make a decision on pharmaceutical tariffs within the next two weeks as part of a strategy to increase domestic manufacturing of medicines. The administration announced last month a national security investigation into the effect of pharmaceutical imports. The expectation still is that Trump will invoke emergency economic powers in announcing pharmaceutical tariffs, similar to when he announced "reciprocal" tariffs on goods from Europe, Japan and China in April. It’s hard to understand a national security rationale for tariffs over lifesaving products like branded drugs, upending a long-held World Trade Organization agreement that ensured no tariffs among wealthy countries on drugs, Georgetown’s Busch said. "That’s why this is going to be such a tremendous shock. And not a shock where you pick between Car A and Car B," he said. "This is going to be a shock where a patient may go without a drug because they can’t afford it.

Washington Post [5/8/2025 3:43 AM, Natalie Allison, Michael Birnbaum and Jeff Stein, 31735K] reports President Donald Trump will announce a trade agreement with the United Kingdom on Thursday morning, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal is the first the administration hopes to sign with dozens of trading partners across the world. Trump in early April announced tariffs on more than 70 countries worldwide, but then implemented a 90-day pause to allow for negotiations before they went into effect. Details of the expected agreement with Britain were not immediately available but were confirmed by a person with knowledge of the agreement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Trump teased the announcement in a Truth Social post Wednesday night. “Big News Conference tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M., The Oval Office, concerning a MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!” Trump wrote. The White House and British officials declined to comment. An agreement would mark a major achievement for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has tried to keep on Trump’s good side even as the president has infuriated European allies with new tariffs and a tilt toward Russia. Experts have been skeptical that any agreements reached in such a short amount of time will significantly alter trading barriers between the U.S. and other countries. Administration officials have suggested Trump might first reach agreements that would serve as frameworks for future negotiations. The agreement, first reported by New York Times, was a victory for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who visited the White House in February armed with charm and a signed invitation to a royal audience with King Charles III. British leaders have long sought to bolster economic ties to the U.S. to make up for the trade losses of their 2020 departure from the European Union. Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, made the bet he could cross political lines to build a partnership with Trump.

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 10:38 PM, Liza Lin, Amrith Ramkumar, and Corrie Driebusch, 646K] reports the Trump administration plans to overhaul controversial regulations that would limit how many artificial-intelligence chips individual countries can buy, giving companies such as Nvidia a potential reprieve from tight export controls. The Commerce Department plans to replace the rule, which imposed caps on how many chips could go to countries such as India, Switzerland, Mexico and Israel, a spokeswoman said. “The Biden AI rule is overly complex, overly bureaucratic and would stymie American innovation,” she said. The decision is at least a temporary boon for tech titans that have fought the rules and been buffeted by a wave of export restrictions in recent years. Seamless chip sales to countries friendly with the U.S. are critical to their businesses but would be jeopardized by the new regulations, they have said. The rule, commonly known as AI diffusion, had been set to go into effect May 15. Focus will now turn to the Trump team’s plan to remake it, which could take a couple of months, people familiar with the matter said. Policymakers are weighing how to block adversaries such as China from accessing advanced chips without hurting American technology companies. Thursday’s announcement came ahead of Trump’s planned visit to the Middle East. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also would have faced limits on chip purchases under the Biden-era rule, fueling speculation that the Trump administration will discuss access to advanced chips on the trip. “We might be doing that, yeah,” Trump said Wednesday when asked by reporters about easing chip restrictions. “And it will be announced soon.” The U.A.E. announced a $1.4 trillion commitment to invest in the U.S. in late March.

Breitbart [5/7/2025 6:31 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2923K] reports that, on Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Kudlow,” host Larry Kudlow said that he doesn’t understand President Donald Trump’s 51st state push with Canada and “Canada’s not the enemy. They are a longtime partner and ally.” And while there are some issues with Canada, we need their oil at the moment and “I’d like to see Mr. Trump save the vitriol for China, which is our worst enemy.” Kudlow said, “Canada’s not for sale, according to Prime Minister Carney. And polls show, by a huge margin, the vast majority of Canadians agree with their new Prime Minister. Indeed, that issue was one of the deciding issues in the campaign that elected Mr. Carney in the first place. So, I never really understood President Trump’s logic constantly pursuing this 51st state business, except it may as well have been a hangover from the Justin Trudeau era, where Mr. Trump had a very strong dislike for Trudeau, and rightly so. … But stepping back from all of that for a moment, I dare say Canada’s not the enemy. They are a longtime partner and ally. Now, they have weaknesses. We’ll get to that in just a moment. But when it comes to pouring it on, I’d like to see Mr. Trump save the vitriol for China, which is our worst enemy.” He continued, “[A]fter negotiating for two and a half years…then signing the phase one China trade deal, the Chinese went out and adhered to none of it. That’s right, none of it, especially damaging lies about their failure to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl that they flood us with on a constant basis. Sometimes, Mr. Trump says the U.S. has a 200 billion trade deficit with Canada, but the numbers don’t bear that out. Canada supplies about one-quarter of the refined oil used in America. And so, if you exclude oil imports, the U.S. actually has about a $35 billion trade surplus in goods with Canada. It’s a rare surplus country. By the way, we do need their oil, at least at the moment we need it.” Kudlow added, “Now, Canada’s got problems with unfair banking regulations, a digital services tax on American companies, and a revenue tax on U.S. online streaming companies. And we have age-old differences on things like lumber and dairy, so I get all that. And the USMCA trade deal, well, that’s going to be under review. Hopefully, that review will be completed about a year from now when it’s due in May 2026. So, I am glad the Carney-Trump meeting was cordial and calm. Somehow, I don’t think Canada is America’s real enemy, and I still believe that the Ronald Reagan vision of a North American free trade zone, Canada, U.S., and Mexico, I still believe that’s possible if some of the kinks and glitches can be worked out. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But I also believe this: China is our real enemy. And we should focus on that one.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 2:48 PM, Tom Rogan, 2296K] reports Sen. James Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, must speak more urgently against President Donald Trump’s escalating intimidation of the Danish territory of Greenland. As the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, the Trump administration has tasked the intelligence community with learning “more about Greenland’s independence movement and attitudes on American resource extraction on the island.” Another mission will be to identify “people in Greenland and Denmark who support U.S. objectives for the island.”
The directive follows Trump’s refusal last weekend to rule out using military force to secure U.S. control over Greenland. This is bad stuff. After all, Denmark is not China, Russia, or Iran. Instead, it is a close and historic U.S. ally that saw 43 of its young men fight and die alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan (applied to the U.S. population, this casualty rate would amount to 2,365 deaths). Unlike other European North Atlantic Trade Organization allies such as Italy, which somehow gained Trump’s deference, Denmark has significantly increased defense spending. In 2022, Denmark spent just 1.37% of GDP on defense. In 2025, however, it will spend more than 3% of GDP on defense — a higher proportion than all but a few NATO allies, including the United Kingdom. All of this explains why Denmark is fearful and angry. In response to the report, Denmark summoned the U.S. Ambassador for a diplomatic rejoinder. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen says he doesn’t "know if it’s true because it’s in a newspaper. But it doesn’t seem to be strongly rejected by those who speak out. That worries me." Yet, the report did gain effective confirmation via Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s rebuke to the Wall Street Journal for reporting on what she said was classified information.

AP [5/7/2025 2:53 PM, Michelle Price, 48304K] reports Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that Russia was “asking for too much” in its initial peace offer as the United States looks to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine. The vice president, speaking at a Washington meeting hosted by the Munich Security Conference, did not elaborate on Moscow’s terms, but said he was not pessimistic about the possibility of a peace deal. That is a more sanguine assessment than President Donald Trump’s recent skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war that begin in February 2022 when Russia invaded. “I wouldn’t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution,” Vance said. “What I would say is right now: the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much,” he said.

Reuters [5/7/2025 7:58 AM, Felix Light, 24727K] reports the Kremlin said on Wednesday that attempted overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow ahead of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany showed Kyiv’s tendency to commit "acts of terrorism.” Russian air defence forces downed 14 Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, the city’s mayor said, as Kyiv targeted the Russian capital for the third consecutive day. The drones forced most of the Russian capital’s airports to close hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to fly in for a visit that Kyiv has made clear it opposes. In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The Kyiv regime continues to demonstrate its essence, its propensity for terrorist acts.” Peskov said that Russia was doing everything it could to ensure the security of the commemorations, which world leaders, including the presidents of Brazil and China, are due to attend this week. The centrepiece - a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square - is due to be held on Friday. "All necessary measures are being taken by our intelligence services and our military to ensure that the celebration of the Great Victory is held in a calm, stable and peaceful environment," he said. Asked how Russia would respond to the attempted drone strikes, Peskov said that a Russian proposal for a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine around the celebrations was still in force. The Kremlin has said it will abide by the ceasefire itself, but respond if Ukraine attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the proposed ceasefire pointless, and instead offered an unconditional ceasefire over at least 30 days in line with a U.S. proposal launched in March. Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Russia had launched an intense drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing a mother and her son in the capital.

Reuters [5/7/2025 7:58 AM, Staff, 41523K] reports the Kremlin said on Wednesday that attempted overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow ahead of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany showed Kyiv’s tendency to commit "acts of terrorism.” Russian air defence forces downed 14 Ukrainian drones on Wednesday, the city’s mayor said, as Kyiv targeted the Russian capital for the third consecutive day. The drones forced most of the Russian capital’s airports to close hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to fly in for a visit that Kyiv has made clear it opposes. In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The Kyiv regime continues to demonstrate its essence, its propensity for terrorist acts.” Peskov said that Russia was doing everything it could to ensure the security of the commemorations, which world leaders, including the presidents of Brazil and China, are due to attend this week. The centrepiece - a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square - is due to be held on Friday. "All necessary measures are being taken by our intelligence services and our military to ensure that the celebration of the Great Victory is held in a calm, stable and peaceful environment," he said. Asked how Russia would respond to the attempted drone strikes, Peskov said that a Russian proposal for a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine around the celebrations was still in force. The Kremlin has said it will abide by the ceasefire itself, but respond if Ukraine attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the proposed ceasefire pointless, and instead offered an unconditional ceasefire over at least 30 days in line with a U.S. proposal launched in March. Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Russia had launched an intense drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing a mother and her son in the capital.

Reuters [5/7/2025 6:32 AM, Staff, 75858K] reports a ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the U.S. does not include sparing Israel, the group said on Wednesday, suggesting its shipping attacks that have disrupted global trade and challenged world powers will not come to a complete halt. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the U.S. would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop attacking U.S. ships. After Trump made the announcement, Oman said it had mediated the ceasefire deal to halt attacks on U.S. vessels. There have been no reports of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea area since January. "The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form," Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief Houthi negotiator, told Reuters. "As long as they announced the cessation (of U.S. strikes) and they are actually committed to that, our position was self-defence so we will stop.” While tensions may have eased between the United States and the Houthis, a resilient force that withstood years of heavy Saudi-led bombing in Yemen’s civil war, the agreement does not rule out attacks on any other Israel-linked vessels or targets. The U.S. intensified strikes on the Houthis this year, to stop attacks on Red Sea shipping. Rights activists have raised concerns over civilian casualties. "They said ‘please don’t bomb us any more and we’re not going to attack your ships’," Trump said of the Houthis during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. "And I will accept their word, and we are going to stop the bombing of the Houthis effective immediately.” The Houthis have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea since Israel began its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The U.S. military has said it has struck more than 1,000 targets since its current operation in Yemen, known as Operation Rough Rider, started on March 15. The strikes, the U.S. military said, have killed "hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders". Tensions have been high since the Gaza war began, but have risen further since a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port on Monday.

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 10:06 AM, Michael R. Gordon, 646K] reports When President Trump began his military campaign against Houthi militants in mid-March, he vowed to pull out all the stops to end the militants’ attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and nearby waters. “It isn’t even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated,” Trump declared on social media in the first week of the operation. Yet it wasn’t until Monday, after weeks of U.S. bombardment, that the Houthi militants finally acceded to Trump’s demands to halt their missile and drone attacks on shipping. Even then, it was less than clear whether the Houthis had entirely “capitulated,” as Trump claimed, or had agreed to something short of that. After Trump’s Oval Office announcement of a truce in which the two sides agreed not to target each other, the Houthis immediately vowed to continue attacks against Israel. International shipping would be safeguarded, according to a statement by Oman, which mediated the agreement that left ambiguous whether a Houthi pledge to halt attacks applied only to American vessels. A Houthi spokesman later told Al Jazeera the group would continue to target Israeli ships, which in the past have also led to attacks on ships with limited or no connection to Israel. In another sign that a truce might be fragile, the Navy was investigating whether one of the two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region might have been targeted Tuesday in an unsuccessful missile attack, a defense official said. Trump’s announcement came as a surprise to Israel, an Israeli official said. Israel is concerned about the development, but it is too early to assess the implications, the official said.

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 5:12 PM, Laurence Norman and Michael R. Gordon, 646K] reports President Trump said Wednesday that he hasn’t decided whether Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium under a new nuclear deal, signaling that the White House might be flexible on a central issue in the talks. Asked if Iran can have a civilian enrichment program if it didn’t produce weapons-grade material that could be used in a bomb, Trump said: “We haven’t made that decision yet.” Trump’s comments in the Oval Office are the latest in a series of mixed messages the administration has sent about what nuclear work Iran would be allowed to do under a potential deal. Earlier in the day, Vice President JD Vance said Iran couldn’t have an enrichment program that could enable Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon. “We don’t care if people want nuclear power,” he said at a conference in Washington. “But you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon and that’s where we draw the line.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ruled out any Iranian uranium-enrichment program, telling an interviewer last month that Tehran would be required to “import enriched material” if it wanted to run nuclear reactors for power and other civilian purposes. A National Security Council spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment on Trump’s statement on enrichment but pointed to remarks the president made in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that any agreement would require “total verification” and would need to be “strong.” Trump has repeatedly said that if the U.S. cannot reach a nuclear deal with Iran, he would consider military action to knock out Tehran’s nuclear program. Vance said Wednesday the talks with Iran were on a good path. “I will say so far so good. We have been very happy by how the Iranians have responded to some of the points that we’ve made,” Vance said. Talks between the U.S. and Iran could resume this weekend in Oman, according to a person involved in the discussions. Oman has so far mediated between the two sides.

NewsMax [5/7/2025 8:03 PM, Michael Katz, 4998K] reports President Donald Trump said Wednesday the military conflict between India and Pakistan is "so terrible" and that if he can do anything to ease the tensions, "I will be there.” India earlier Wednesday fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, calling it retaliation for last month’s massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack in Pahalgam, which Pakistan has denied. The Kashmir region has been split between the nations since 1949 and is claimed by both in its entirety. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the strikes an act of war and has vowed his country will avenge the 26 people his government said were killed by the airstrikes. "Oh, it’s so terrible," Trump told reporters in a news conference following his announcement of former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., as his pick to be the U.S. ambassador to China. The event aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform. "My position is I get along with both," Trump said. "I know both very well and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop, and hopefully they can stop now.” The State Department wrote earlier Wednesday in a post on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to the national security advisers of both nations and "urged both to keep lines of communication open and avoid escalation." Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors in their worst confrontation since 2019, when they came close to war. "They’ve gone tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now," Trump said.

Wall Street Journal [5/7/2025 9:00 PM, Lingling Wei, Brian Schwartz, and Alex Leary, 646K] reports Beijing’s outreach to Washington over fentanyl created an opening for trade talks between the two nations, according to people in both capitals who are familiar with the matter, paving the way for a bilateral meeting in Switzerland this weekend. For weeks, the U.S. and China have been looking for ways to walk back from what were essentially tit-for-tat trade embargoes. The Chinese in late April sent the Trump administration questions seeking clarity on how the president wants China to crack down on trafficking of the chemical ingredients used to make fentanyl, the people said. In response, the White House gave Beijing a list of suggestions. Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s security czar, Wang Xiaohong, had privately expressed interest in further engaging with Trump officials to address the issue by potentially meeting with them in the U.S. or another country. The Trump team’s list included a request that Beijing send a strong message to those involved in trafficking the chemicals, known as precursors, according to the people familiar with the matter. Such messages could involve warnings of severe punishment. Precursors produced by Chinese companies, often sold over the internet, flow from China to criminal groups in Mexico and elsewhere that produce fentanyl and traffic it into the U.S. Now both sides are readying for what will be the first direct talks over trade between senior officials on both sides during President Trump’s second term. “The United States has been clear about our expectations with regards to stopping the flow of chemical precursors from China to illicit drug producers in Mexico,” National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said. A White House spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg [5/7/2025 7:00 AM, James Mayger, 16228K] reports China and the US will hold their first trade talks since President Donald Trump took office and more than a month after the two sides imposed tariffs of more than 100% on each other. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel later this week to Switzerland for talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, seeking to dial down a tariff standoff that has threatened to hammer both economies and other nations. The announcements early on Wednesday Beijing time boosted hopes that the two largest economies in the world might pull back from their actions which had threatened to effectively eliminate bilateral trade. China said that it had to talk after approaches from US officials, but the Ministry of Commerce emphasized that “any dialogue and negotiation must be carried out under the premise of mutual respect, equal consultation, and mutual benefit,” adding that the US needed to “show sincerity in talks, correct wrong practices, meet China halfway, and resolve the concerns of both sides through equal consultation.” The US is looking to “de-escalate” tensions, Bessent said on Fox News, calling the current level of tariffs “unsustainable” and saying the US doesn’t want to break completely with China. However, the US does “want to decouple over strategic industries,” he said, mention steel, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals as examples of sectors where the US wants to reshore manufacturing from China and elsewhere. How damaging the tariffs have already to bilateral trade will become clearer this Friday when China released April trade figures, but high-frequency data is already showing that overall the effect has been muted so far, with Chinese ports processing more cargo in the final week of April than in any other week since the start of 2023. Shanghai port, one of the largest in the world, processed 4.5 million containers last month, according to data released on Wednesday, the most since August 2024.

Bloomberg [5/8/2025 4:21 AM, Staff, 16228K] reports Beijing reiterated its call for the US to cancel unilateral tariffs on China, underscoring a standoff between the world’s largest economies as they prepare for initial trade talks. The US should be prepared to revoke punitive tariffs placed on China, Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said at a regular press briefing Thursday. The US “needs to show sincerity to talk and be prepared to rectify its wrongdoing and cancel unilateral tariffs,” he said. His reiteration of the Chinese stance came hours after President Donald Trump said he was unwilling to lower levies on China — currently at 145% for most goods — in order to unlock more substantive negotiations with Beijing on trade. Both sides are outlining strong stances to maximize their negotiating positions ahead of their first trade talks this weekend in Switzerland. Those meetings will see Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer sit down with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Before talks were announced, Trump had said he was willing to lower tariffs on China at some point. The clash underlines the massive divide between the US and China on trade and the difficult path they face to a possible agreement on lower tariff levels. The announcement of formal talks, however, has generated some optimism the spat could be resolved before it causes lasting economic damage. Both countries are under pressure to reach a deal. The US economy contracted at the start of the year for the first time since 2022 on a pre-tariffs import surge and more moderate consumer spending. In China, factory activity slipped into the worst contraction since December 2023, the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index showed. “In principle, China’s resolve to safeguard its rights and interests will not change,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a separate briefing Thursday. “Our position and objective to uphold international fairness and justice will not change.”

The Hill [5/7/2025 8:02 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12829K] reports President Trump said Wednesday he was not considering softening the 145 percent tariff on imports from China. Reporters in the Oval Office asked if the president would consider reducing levies on the foreign nation, to which he succinctly responded, "No.” In early April, the Trump administration announced tariff exemptions on electronics such as phones, computers and other electronics coming from China and other nations. Trump was asked Wednesday if he would consider further exemptions on products like car seats, but he shot down the idea. "I want to make it nice and simple," he told journalists of tariffs on China during the swearing-in ceremony for David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador to China. His comments come days ahead of a scheduled meeting with Chinese officials, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Last week, leaders overseas said "senior leadership" within the federal government repeatedly stated that they are willing to negotiate with China on tariff issues, spurring suggested trade talks. But Trump denied the claim during his Wednesday remarks to the press. "They said we initiated? Well, I think they ought to go back and study their files," he said. The president reiterated from the Oval Office that to drop tariffs on imports from China, Beijing would need to help "stop fentanyl from coming in." China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Washington Examiner [5/7/2025 5:29 PM, Gabrielle M. Etzel, 2296K] reports the House passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday evening to impose sanctions on people engaged in forced organ harvesting or human trafficking for the purpose of organ harvesting, explicitly targeting China for its inhumane practices against ethnic and religious minorities. The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025, which was considered among a flurry of other bills from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in floor debates on Monday in the context of relations with China, passed on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, 406-1. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the sole "no" vote. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, said during floor debates over the bill that "the United States has to lead with moral clarity" on this issue. "We have to send an unmistakable message," Mast said. "The human body is not a currency. It’s not a commodity. It’s never for sale. Forced organ harvesting is pure evil, and if we don’t act, we are considered complicit.” Experts have warned since 2014 that incarcerated prisoners of conscience, particularly Muslim Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Christians, have been executed on a massive scale to collect organs for transplants. There have also been more recent scientific reports indicating that a certain number of organ-harvesting victims in China were alive while their organs were harvested, a practice dubbed "execution by organ procurement.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the author of the bill, cited international human rights researcher Ethan Guttman’s findings that, as of 2018, between 25,000 and 50,000 people of ethnic and religious minorities were victims of organ harvesting each year. Taking the low estimate, that is roughly 175,000 people between 2014 and 2018, Smith said Monday in a speech on the House floor. The bill would impose civil penalties of up to $250,000 and criminal penalties of a fine up to $1 million and up to 20 years in prison for anyone suspected of human trafficking for organ harvesting, as well as sanctions on foreign nationals engaged in the practice. The sanctions in the legislation would block and prohibit all transactions in property and interest in the United States for those suspected to be involved in forced organ harvesting, as well as make any such individuals ineligible to enter the U.S. or receive a visa. "State-sponsored forced organ harvesting is a big business for Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party," Smith said. "And we will not rest, we cannot rest until we stop it.”

Breitbart [5/7/2025 8:34 AM, Frances Martel, 2923K] reports the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the CIA on Tuesday for publishing videos urging Communist Party officials to defect and work with America, threatening to “take all necessary steps” to stop American intelligence operations against Beijing. The Foreign Ministry was responding to a the CIA publishing a video on the social media site Twitter last week encouraging Chinese government officials, in Mandarin, to consider working with American intelligence. The video suggests to Chinese officials that loyalty to the Communist Party does not keep them safe from genocidal dictator Xi Jinping’s many purges of potential rivals or dissenting voices and that working with the CIA could help them protect their families. The video invited Chinese officials to work with the CIA in “creating a better future” for the world and their families, highlighting the fictional story of a Communist Party officials who finds that securing a high rank was “insufficient to protect his family in these turbulent and unsettling times.” The CIA published the video on May 1, a communist holiday known as “International Workers’ Day.”

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