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 AP [11/16/2025 10:46 PM, Erik Verduzco, 206K] reports federal officials confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in North Carolina’s largest city has begun, as agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations. “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.” Local officials including Mayor Vi Lyles criticized such actions, saying in a statement that they “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.” “We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives,” the statement said. It was also signed by Mecklenburg County Commissioner Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Stephanie Sneed. Crime is down in the city this year through August, compared with the same months in 2024. Homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts fell by more than 20%, according to AH Datalytics. But President Donald Trump’s administration has seized upon the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities fail to protect residents. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with the woman’s murder. The federal government had not previously announced the push. But County Sheriff Garry McFadden said this week that two federal officials told him Customs agents would be arriving soon. Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials. Willy Aceituno, a 46-year-old Honduran-born U.S. citizen, was on his way to work Saturday when he saw “a lot of Latinos running,” chased by “a lot of Border Patrol agents.” Aceituno said he himself was stopped — twice — by Border Patrol agents. During the second encounter, they forced him from his vehicle after breaking the window and threw him to the ground. “I told them, ‘I’m an American citizen,’” he told The Associated Press. “They wanted to know where I was born, or they didn’t believe I was an American citizen.” After being forcibly taken into a Border Patrol vehicle, Aceituno said, he was finally released after showing documents proving his citizenship. He had to walk some distance back to his car and later filed a police report over the broken glass. Spokesperson Paola Garcia of Camino, a bilingual nonprofit serving families in Charlotte, said she and her colleagues have observed an increase in stops by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since Friday. “Basically what we’re seeing is that there have been lots of people being pulled over,” Garcia said. Greg Asciutto, executive director of the community development group CharlotteEast, said via email that the “significant border patrol activity” was seen Saturday. “Most have been extremely quick, targeted arrests; others have been them ‘fishing,’” Asciutto said. Breitbart [11/16/2025 3:54 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2416K] reports Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden confirmed last week that DHS has coordinated with him on the coming operation, which is dubbed "Operation Charlotte’s Web," according to the Washington Post. McFadden also noted that DHS did not ask that his department assist or participate in the operation. The crime-infested City of Charlotte was thrust into the national spotlight in September after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was brutally murdered on the city’s mass transit system, stabbed to death on video by chronic criminal Decarlos Brown Jr., who has been let out of jail time and again despite his violent record. Blaze [11/16/2025 8:00 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1442K] reports Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino stated that, on the first day alone, federal agents arrested over 80 individuals. He noted that most of those arrested have "significant criminal and immigration history.” A leftist activist confronted Bovino over the weekend while federal agents were arresting an alleged illegal alien, according to a video uploaded to social media. "Are you doing nice things?" the activist asked Bovino. "Absolutely, making the community safer for you," Bovino responded. The Border Patrol commander highlighted some of the recent Charlotte arrests on X. "Let’s paint this picture for you. An illegal alien from Mexico gets deported 4 times, strolls back to Charlotte, then racks up a hit & run AND a DUI/DWI?" Bovino wrote. "It’s time to go back home.”

Reported similarly:
CBS News [11/16/2025 12:29 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE
Univision [11/16/2025 1:57 PM, Staff, 5004K]

The New York Times [11/17/2025 1:15 AM, Eduardo Medina and Sonia A. Rao, 330K] reports a flea market that is typically filled with Hispanic vendors was canceled this weekend. Nightclubs that play reggaeton music on Saturday nights decided not to open. And Catholic churches, which tend to have many immigrant parishioners, were unusually empty on Sunday morning. The Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigrants arrived in Charlotte this weekend, resulting in 81 arrests on Saturday. It continued on Sunday, with Border Patrol agents fanning out across the largest city in North Carolina. An immigrant rights group said the tally, reported by a senior Border Patrol official on social media, was the largest number of immigrant arrests in the state’s recent history. The presence of the agents, led by Gregory Bovino, who directed similar operations in Chicago and Los Angeles this year, has startled people in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Much of that growth has been spurred by international migration, especially from Latin America. The city is also home to large corporations in the retail, banking and manufacturing sectors. The increase in immigration has drawn the attention of Trump administration officials, who have been targeting communities with large immigrant populations for enforcement efforts. The North Carolina operation, dubbed “Charlotte’s Web” — a reference to the children’s book that tells the story of friendship and an effort to save the life of a beloved barnyard pig — has already drawn criticism for its aggressive tactics, with local officials telling people to record their interactions with agents. Mr. Bovino has already declared the North Carolina mission to be a success, confirming the 81 arrests in a social media post on X. He also posted photos of six detained people who he said had criminal histories. Neither Mr. Bovino, who is from western North Carolina, nor the Department of Homeland Security has said exactly how many of the 81 people arrested on Saturday had criminal histories. Few of the hundreds of people who were arrested in earlier operations in Chicago and Los Angeles had serious criminal backgrounds. But the Trump administration has said that it considers anyone who is present in the United States without legal status to be a criminal, and have used that view to justify its enforcement operations. In Charlotte, lawyers and immigrant advocacy groups said a familiar pattern appeared to be emerging there as well. The people who were arrested or approached by agents on Saturday, they said, included a man participating in a church cleanup day, workers at a Home Depot, a landscaper putting up Christmas decorations and a Hispanic U.S. citizen whose truck window was shattered by an agent. “This is a day of shame,” said Nikki Marín Baena, co-director of Siembra NC, an immigrant advocacy group. “It’s a shameful day for the North Carolina Republican Party, who hailed the arrival of so-called law enforcement officers carrying out terrorist operations, and echoed Greg Bovino’s talking points about ‘going after criminals.’” Siembra NC said that before Saturday, the largest numbers of immigrant arrests in the state in one day were 30 people in June and 27 in February 2019. On Saturday, Matt Mercer, a spokesman for the North Carolina Republican Party, said: “We’re grateful to see these brave men and women in federal law enforcement following through on President Trump’s promise to remove violent criminal illegals from our country and those stoking fear about these targeted operations must stop at once.” Peter Han, whose family owns Super G Mart, an international grocery store chain in North Carolina, said that more than half of the 80 employees at the store’s Pineville location had called out of work Sunday after an altercation with the Border Patrol on Saturday afternoon. The AP [11/16/2025 6:43 PM, Sophia Tareen, Brian Witte, Maryclaire Dale, 31753K] reports that the Trump administration has made the Democratic city of about 950,000 people its latest target for an immigration enforcement surge it says will combat crime, despite fierce objections from local leaders and downtrending crime rates. Gregory Bovino, who led hundreds of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in a similar effort in Chicago, took to X to document a few of the more than 80 arrests he said agents had made. He also posted a highly-edited video of uniformed CBP officers handcuffing people. “From border towns to the Queen City, our agents go where the mission calls,” he posted on X, referring to Charlotte. The effort was dubbed “Operation Charlotte’s Web” as a play on the title of a famous children’s book that isn’t about North Carolina. Some welcomed the intervention, including Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Kirby, who said in a post Saturday that the county GOP “stands with the rule of law — and with every Charlottean’s safety first.” The flurry of activity prompted fear and questions, including where detainees would be held, how long the operation would last and what agents’ tactics — criticized elsewhere as aggressive and racist — would look like in North Carolina. On Saturday, at least one U.S. citizen said he was thrown to the ground and briefly detained. At Camino, a nonprofit group that offers services to Latino communities, some said they were too afraid to leave their homes to attend school, medical appointments or work. A dental clinic the group runs had nine cancellations on Friday, spokesperson Paola Garcia said. “Latinos love this country. They came here to escape socialism and communism, and they’re hard workers and people of faith,” Garcia said. “They love their family, and it’s just so sad to see that this community now has this target on their back.” Bovino’s operations in Chicago and Los Angeles triggered lawsuits over the use of force, including widespread deployment of chemical agents. Democratic leaders in both cities accused agents of inflaming community tensions. Federal agents fatally shot one suburban Chicago man during a traffic stop. Bovino, head of a Border Patrol sector in El Centro, California, and other Trump administration officials have called their tactics appropriate for growing threats on agents. Bovino posted pictures Sunday of people the Trump administration commonly dubs “criminal illegal aliens,” meaning people living in the U.S. without legal permission who allegedly have criminal records. That included one of a man with an alleged history of drunk driving convictions. “We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can’t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,” Bovino said. DHS alleged that about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored, putting the public at risk. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Reported similarly:
Wall Street Journal [11/16/2025 6:34 PM, Alyssa Lukpat, 646K]
Breitbart [11/16/2025 7:10 PM, Staff, 2416K]
Breitbart [11/16/2025 10:17 AM, Amy Furr, 2416K] Video: HERE
Reuters [11/17/2025 2:36 AM, Brad Brooks, 19051K]
NPR [11/17/2025 4:52 AM, Nick de la Canal and Steve Inskeep, 28013K]
Axios [11/16/2025 4:29 PM, Avery Lotz, 12972K]
CBS 17 Raleigh [11/16/2025 11:36 PM, Rodney Overton, 39474K] r
Univision [11/16/2025 1:59 PM, Staff, 5004K]

CBS News [11/16/2025 7:27 PM, Staff, 39474K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has launched "Operation Charlotte’s Web" in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying it is targeting criminals who are in the U.S. illegally. Shanelle Kaul has the story about a Honduran-born American citizen who says he was injured during an arrest. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [11/17/2025 3:09 AM, Sophia Compton, 40621K] reports a law enforcement officer was injured Sunday afternoon after a man allegedly drove a van toward officers and rammed their vehicles during an operation in Charlotte, as immigration raids swept across the North Carolina city. The suspect — a U.S. citizen — accelerated his van at officers conducting an enforcement operation near the University City area, according to an X post from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The driver then fled, triggering a "dangerous high-speed chase through a densely populated area" before agents managed to box him in, DHS said. "During the chase, he attempted to ram into law enforcement vehicles — posing a serious public safety threat," DHS said in a statement. "As agents were boxing him in — the driver proceeded to ram law enforcement vehicles in an attempt to escape.” One officer was injured in the incident, according to DHS. After the suspect was arrested, agents discovered a firearm inside the van, officials confirmed. "The perpetrator has prior arrests for resisting law enforcement, public disturbance and intoxication/ disruptive conduct," according to DHS. The encounter unfolded as federal agents launched a major immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte over the weekend. U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen on Saturday making arrests across the city of more than 900,000 residents, according to the Associated Press. The Washington Examiner [11/17/2025 4:38 AM, Staff, 1394K] reports that the suspect was eventually arrested by law enforcement officials who pursued him. Later, during a search of the suspect’s vehicle, a firearm was discovered and retrieved, according to DHS officials. The suspect involved had previous arrests for multiple charges, including "resisting law enforcement, public disturbance, and intoxication/disruptive conduct.” The incident comes shortly after DHS began illegal immigration enforcement in Charlotte, known as "Operation Charlotte’s Web.” "This DHS operation will target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets," read a press release issued by DHS. "Nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have not been honored—releasing criminal illegal aliens into North Carolina’s neighborhoods.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Operation Charlotte’s Web was about ensuring the safety of citizens and protecting them from criminal illegal immigrants. "Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors," said McLaughlin. "We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”

NPR [11/17/2025 4:52 AM, A Martínez, 28013K] reports NPR’s A Martinez speaks to Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell about the federal immigration crackdown in Charlotte, North Carolina. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

CNN [11/17/2025 4:00 AM, Zoe Sottile, Dianne Gallagher, 18595K] reports that, with dozens of people arrested in North Carolina’s largest city during the Department of Homeland Security’s latest targeted immigration blitz, one question has emerged for many of its residents and leaders: Why Charlotte? The city hadn’t been previously publicly singled out as an enhanced immigration enforcement target by the Trump administration in the same way as other cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. It’s a Democrat-led city, but it’s hundreds of miles away from either the northern or southern border. And crime has dropped 8% from last year, with violent crimes down 20%, according to data released by the city in October. Before it even started, the announcement that an immigration enforcement operation would arrive in Charlotte – right off the heels of a weekslong operation that led to hundreds of arrests and fierce protests in Chicago – provoked fear and anxiety in the city. Democratic leaders in Charlotte have largely framed the operation – which came as a surprise to local officials – as a political distraction ahead of next year’s midterm elections. "This administration ran on rhetoric that is anti-immigrant to score political points," said City Council member Dimple Ajmera, a Democrat. "We have a very important US Senate race in 2026 coming up. And they want to score political points and use fear to divide our community.” Democrats are hoping to flip one of North Carolina’s Senate seats after Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis pulled out of the race following criticism from the president who threatened to back a primary challenger to Tillis’ seat. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who is widely popular across the state, launched his campaign in July. Similarly, state Sen. Caleb Theodros, a Democrat, characterized the operation as a Republican political stunt. "The truth is, this move from the federal government, and the silence from GOP state leaders enabling it, are part of the same political distraction," he said in a statement to CNN. "They’re trying to shift attention away from their own failures, because they have no plan to lower costs, make housing affordable, or expand real opportunity for working people.” The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement the surge would "target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.” The agency claimed "nearly 1,400 detainers across North Carolina have not been honored – releasing criminal illegal aliens into North Carolina’s neighborhoods." Charlotte is not a "sanctuary city," but it is a "Certified Welcoming City," a designation for cities with commitments to immigrant inclusion.

NBC Charlotte [11/16/2025 9:14 PM, Nathaniel Puente, 43603K] reports a man was hospitalized after being arrested by federal agents in east Charlotte on Sunday. The incident happened on Milton Road near Tipperary Place around 2 p.m. Medic said one person suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a medical incident. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department dispelled rumors about a shooting in the area. Police said an unrelated two-vehicle crash happened in the area at the same time, but did not involve protestors or Border Patrol agents. In response, the Department of Homeland Security reshared a post by Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin about the situation. McLaughlin stated that the man suffered a panic attack. She said he attempted to escape through the ceiling tiles of the hospital bathroom. No further confirmation about the situation was shared other than this social media post. McLaughlin said the man had a prior arrest for assault.

CNN [11/16/2025 9:49 PM, Cindy Von Quednow, Chris Boyette, 606K] reports that, in the popular children’s book "Charlotte’s Web," the title character, a spider, uses her web as an instrument of good to help secure the freedom of Wilbur, a pig on her farm. Federal immigration officials used the book’s title to name their latest crackdown, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Operation Charlotte’s Web. The author’s granddaughter drew a sharp contrast Sunday between the federal raids and the ideals E.B. White highlighted in the beloved book, in a statement Martha White shared with CNN. Her grandfather "certainly didn’t believe in masked men, in unmarked cars, raiding people’s homes and workplaces without IDs or summons," said White, who is also her grandfather’s literary executor, in the statement. "He didn’t condone fearmongering.” And even as top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who is from North Carolina, leaned into the "Charlotte’s Web" messaging Sunday in an X post, Martha White slammed the agency for riding on the book’s coattails with a message antithetical to the story her grandfather told. "He believed in the rule of law and due process," Martha White said of her grandfather. The move into North Carolina comes as agents have arrested thousands across the nation, including dozens in Charlotte, in immigration raids and deported nearly 200,000 people as of late August. The controversy highlights the tension between the Trump administration efforts to arrest and deport immigrants it deems criminals and the work of civic and community groups highlighting residents’ rights. The operation in Charlotte seeks to "target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to the Tar Heel State because they knew sanctuary politicians would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets," according to DHS. The crackdowns have led to sharp criticism from politicians and community organizations alike. "In Charlotte, we’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling and picking up random people in parking lots, and off of our sidewalks," North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said in a social media message. Bovino cited Charlotte’s Web in his X post that gave a nod to agents involved in the operation: "Wherever the wind takes us. High, low. Near, far. East, west. North, south. We take to the breeze, we go as we please." In the book, that’s when Charlotte’s babies hatch and fly off, leaving Wilbur to cry himself to sleep, only to find out the next morning that three spiders stayed to keep him company. White highlighted the message of generosity and inclusion that permeates the children’s tale: ‘"By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a little," Charlotte says in the book. "Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”

Reuters [11/16/2025 1:48 PM, Idrees Ali and Jasper Ward, 36480K] reports the Pentagon is withdrawing some National Guard troops from Chicago and Portland, weeks after President Donald Trump deployed them to combat what he described as increased crime, two U.S. defense officials familiar with the decision said on Sunday. One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 200 California National Guard troops who were sent to Portland and 200 Texas National Guard members who were sent to Chicago would return to their home states as soon as Sunday. A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Defense Department has told the state that its National Guard members will start returning from Oregon. "We’re glad they’re finally coming home. It’s long overdue," Newsom’s spokesperson said. The Trump administration sent the troops to Chicago and Portland last month, saying they were needed to support domestic immigration enforcement personnel who were being confronted by activists and protesters. However, the troops never joined immigration operations in those cities because of lawsuits challenging their deployment. The Pentagon and a spokesperson for Oregon’s governor did not immediately respond to requests for comments. A spokesperson for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the state had not heard from the federal government about a withdrawal of troops. "In the coming days, the Department will be shifting and/or rightsizing our Title 10 footprint in Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago to ensure a constant, enduring, and long-term presence in each city," the U.S. Northern Command posted on X on Friday.

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Breitbart [11/16/2025 12:08 PM, Bob Price, 2416K]

Univision Chicago WGBO [11/16/2025 3:44 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports Texas National Guard troops sent to Chicago and California National Guard agents sent to Portland, Oregon will return to their home states, according to confirmation from officials. California’s 200 agents sent to Portland and the 200 Texas agents in Illinois would be returning Sunday to their home states according to ABC, The New York Post and Reuters. This comes shortly after the withdrawal of Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, who arrived in Chicago on Sept. 16 to command Operation "At Large." According to a statement from North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, on Sunday, Nov. 16, the Department of Homeland Security has left its command center at the Naval Station of the Great Lakes in northern Chicago. “The city of North Chicago was informed of the late afternoon shutdown of Friday, November 14, 2025,” according to Gregory Jackson, chief of staff. The withdrawal of federal agents comes two months after their arrival from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) securing the facilities of the Command Center of the Naval Station of the Great Lakes to carry out the operation "Operation Midway Blitz". This place provided the following spaces: offices, parking locations, portable laundry units to federal agents, place for training and storage. His withdrawal was anticipated to original plans to use the command center until December. The National Guard deployment decision more than a month ago on the orders of President Donald Trump was criticized by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson who opposed the military deployment.

Houston Chronicle [11/16/2025 12:34 PM, Bayliss Wagner, 2983K] reports Texas National Guard troops will soon head home from the Chicago area, weeks after President Donald Trump ordered them there to guard an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, a U.S. defense official told Hearst. The official said the 200 Texas National Guard troops in Illinois would begin their departure in the coming days, but did not specify an exact timeframe. The Pentagon is also withdrawing 200 California National Guard troops from Portland, Ore., where they were similarly sent to quell protests outside of an ICE building. In the Chicago area, federalized Texas soldiers have spent the past month in training after federal courts blocked them from deploying to the streets, and a lawsuit Illinois filed over the mission is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Another 200 National Guard members have remained in limbo in Texas since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called them up in early October. While the legal challenge plays out, the Pentagon will keep 200 Texas National Guard soldiers on standby in their home state for future federal protection needs, including guarding ICE facilities, the defense official said.

New York Times [11/16/2025 11:25 AM, Eric Schmitt, 153395K] reports the Pentagon is withdrawing hundreds of National Guard soldiers from Chicago and Portland, Ore., just weeks after President Trump ordered them there over the strenuous objections of state and local leaders, according to two U.S. officials. Some 200 California National Guard troops who were sent to Portland and another 200 Texas National Guard members who were sent to Chicago will return to their home states beginning as early as Sunday, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the deployments. The federalized Guard troops arrived in those cities in early October but never deployed into the streets to assist federal law enforcement personnel and protect federal buildings, as the Trump administration envisioned, because of legal challenges that continue to play out in the courts. With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching and federal court orders putting a hold on the operational deployment of the Guard, top Pentagon officials decided last week to withdraw the out-of-state soldiers, at least for now, rather than have them continue to sit in a costly limbo separated from their families during the holiday season, one U.S. official said. About 300 Illinois National Guard troops will remain activated in the Chicago area, as will about 100 soldiers from the Oregon National Guard remaining in Portland, the officials said. The Pentagon has not formally announced the impending Guard withdrawals, which were reported earlier by ABC News, but the military’s Northern Command indicated late on Friday that changes to the federalized troop mission in those cities were imminent.

New York Times [11/16/2025 4:02 PM, Nicholas Nehamas, et al., 135475K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has diverted thousands of federal agents from their normal duties to focus on arresting undocumented immigrants, undermining a wide range of law enforcement operations in response to mounting pressure from President Trump, a New York Times investigation has found. Homeland security agents investigating sexual crimes against children, for instance, have been redeployed to the immigrant crackdown for weeks at a time, hampering their pursuit of child predators. A national security probe into the black market for Iranian oil sold to finance terrorism has been slowed down for months because of the shift to immigration work, allowing tanker ships and money to disappear. And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished with investigators reassigned to help staff deportation efforts. The changes have extended deep into D.H.S.’s public-safety mission, as the Coast Guard has diverted aircraft to transport immigrants between detention centers and the department’s law enforcement academy has delayed training for many agencies to prioritize new immigration officers. The Times investigation is based on previously undisclosed internal documents from D.H.S. — including statistical reports about department workloads, search warrants and arrests — obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The Times also spoke with more than 65 officials who have worked in the federal government during the current Trump administration, in addition to local authorities and others who collaborate with the department. Most of them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters and out of fear of retribution. The overhaul represents a striking departure for the behemoth agency that Congress created in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Homeland Security Department was tasked with preventing terrorism, protecting the president, investigating transnational crime and responding to natural disasters, among other duties. Immigration enforcement was one of many responsibilities, but it was not envisioned as D.H.S.’s singular function. Today, the Trump administration has remade the agency into a veritable Department of Deportation. Administration officials defended Mr. Trump’s approach, saying the immigration crackdown was paramount to protecting public safety and national security. They also disputed that the intensified focus on immigration had undermined D.H.S.’s work. “Child exploitation, human trafficking, terrorism, financial scams and smuggling all have a nexus to illegal immigration,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a statement. “D.H.S. is mobilizing federal and state law enforcement to find, arrest and deport illegal aliens. We are prioritizing the worst of the worst and aliens with final removal orders. Nearly every day we are arresting pedophiles, known or suspected terrorists, kidnappers, child smugglers and sex traffickers, including those who entered our country illegally.” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said that “any insinuation that the Trump administration isn’t successfully combating dangerous crime is false and uninformed.”

New York Times [11/16/2025 7:52 PM, Mark Bonamo, Dave Philipps, and Pooja Salhotra, 153395K] reports Rev. Alex Santora ascended to the pulpit of the Church of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, looked out at the people gathered beneath stained glass and soaring gothic columns that were created largely by Irish immigrants in the 19th century, and told a story of a local immigrant in modern times. The man came from Cuba more than 40 years ago, started a business and raised a family. But he had gotten into some minor legal trouble in the 1980s. And this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement came for him. He had to close his business, lay off his workers, and leave the country. “In the last 10 months, we’re hearing about a lot of pain, people whose lives are abandoned and ruined, and not just a few,” Father Santora told parishioners at the church in Hoboken, N.J., during mass on Saturday evening. In humble rural churches and tall urban cathedrals across the country this weekend, Catholic priests and parishioners reflected on the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Some said that the roundup of hundreds of thousands of people, which has disproportionately affected Catholic congregations full of immigrants, goes against Christian teachings. The Department of Homeland Security said in late October that it had deported 527,000 “illegal aliens” this year and pushed another 1.6 million to leave the country voluntarily. A record 66,000 immigrants were in federal detention, according to the agency. Agency spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in October, “This is just the beginning.” As the administration has stepped up its deportation efforts, though, the Catholic Church has gotten louder in its criticism. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Wednesday issued a special message — the first since 2013 — opposing what it called the “indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” “We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants,” the bishops wrote. “We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”

Breitbart [11/16/2025 3:12 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports a US aircraft carrier is now in the Caribbean Sea to bolster an anti-narcotics campaign, the military announced Sunday — a move sure to anger Venezuela — as US forces struck another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific. President Donald Trump has ordered a troop buildup in the Caribbean as part of an anti-trafficking initiative, but speculation has abounded that Washington may be contemplating military intervention against Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. The US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees American forces in Latin America and the Caribbean, had previously said that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group had entered its area of responsibility. On Sunday, it announced in a statement that the strike group had entered the Caribbean Sea, saying the move follows Trump’s "directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland.” The strike group includes the most advanced US aircraft carrier, two guided-missile destroyers, and other support vessels and aircraft. It joins several warships already in the Caribbean, with the deployment dubbed "Operation Southern Spear.”

NBC News [11/16/2025 7:46 PM, Megan Lebowitz, 34509K] reports the U.S. military carried out another strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three people, U.S. Southern Command said Sunday on X. It is at least the 21st strike the military has conducted on alleged drug boats during the second Trump administration, prompting concerns from some lawmakers. Southern Command’s post said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the strike. The post alleged that the boat was “operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization” and was “trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific,” adding that the strike took place in international waters. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” the post said. NBC News has not independently confirmed the military’s account. The administration has not provided evidence supporting its allegations about the vessel or the people on board. Video released by Southern Command appears to show the strike causing a large wave to spike up next to the boat, which is then engulfed in flames. NBC News reported last week that the Trump administration carried out its 20th such attack, according to a Pentagon official. That strike took place in the Caribbean Sea. Previous attacks took place in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, and they have killed more than 75 people, according to officials. Sunday’s announcement came the day the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean. The strikes have generated controversy in Congress, as Democrats and some Republicans paint the administration’s moves as heavy-handed overreach that circumvents lawmakers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday evening that the State Department plans to designate the Cartel de los Soles, a group the United States alleges is run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organization. The designation is set to take effect on Nov. 24, Rubio said in a statement. FOX News [11/16/2025 5:53 PM, Greg Wehner and James Levinson, 40621K] reports that the strike brings the total number of suspected narco-terrorists killed to 82, with three survivors, in an ongoing U.S. campaign targeting drug-smuggling vessels tied to designated terrorist groups. In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command said intelligence confirmed the vessel hit in Thursday’s strike was smuggling narcotics along a known trafficking route. The command described the strike as a "lethal kinetic operation" conducted in international waters as part of a broader effort to disrupt transnational criminal networks. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced the official launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America. Hegseth said on X that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead the mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks across the Western Hemisphere. "This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people," Hegseth said. The U.S. carried out its 20th strike on suspected drug-trafficking boats last week, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, according to a Pentagon official. Since early September, strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have destroyed dozens of vessels, many tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [11/16/2025 6:29 PM, Joseph Tanfani, 36480K]
CNN [11/16/2025 3:57 PM, Kit Maher, 606K]
NewsMax [11/16/2025 5:58 PM, Joseph Tanfani, 4109K]
Washington Examiner [11/16/2025 5:04 PM, Zach LaChance, 1394K]

CBS News [11/16/2025 8:16 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports the U.S. is set to designate the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday night, hours after the most advanced aircraft carrier in the nation crossed into the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Navy said. Rubio’s announcement and the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford mark a major moment in what the Trump administration says is a counterdrug operation but has been seen as an escalating pressure tactic against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Cartel de los Soles’ designation as a foreign terrorist organization is set to go into effect on Nov. 24, Rubio said in a statement. He alleged the cartel is headed by Maduro and "other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary.” "Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government," Rubio added. "Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.” The U.S. has asserted that Maduro is complicit with armed criminal gangs that smuggle drugs into the U.S., allegations that Maduro has rejected. And over the last two months, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against at least 22 vessels it alleges were ferrying drugs from South America to the U.S., killing at least 83 people. "Through unwavering commitment and the precise use of our forces, we stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region," Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said Sunday in a statement announcing the USS Ford’s arrival in the Caribbean Sea. "The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s deployment represents a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the safety of the American Homeland," he added. Southern Command is the primary combatant unit for operations in the Caribbean and South America. The Ford rounds off the largest buildup of U.S. firepower in the region in generations, in what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dubbed Operation Southern Spear. The Ford’s carrier strike group, which includes squadrons of fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, the Navy said. CNN [11/16/2025 9:06 PM, Kit Maher, 606K] Video: HERE reports that tensions have risen between President Donald Trump and Maduro as US forces target alleged drug-trafficking operations, with the US conducting its 21st known strike against an alleged drug boat over the weekend. Trump suggested Sunday that designating Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization allows the US military the ability to target Maduro’s assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela. US to designate Venezuelan cartel as a foreign terrorist organization. "It allows us to do that, but we haven’t said we’re going to do that," Trump told reporters. "We may be having some discussions with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out.” "They would like to talk," he said, without elaborating further. While Trump signaled on Friday that he had made a decision on military actions regarding Venezuela, he was noncommittal on Sunday. Trump also said Sunday he doesn’t believe the administration needs congressional authorization for potential military actions inside Venezuela. Rather, the president said he would like to keep lawmakers informed without a say. "We like to keep Congress involved. I mean, we’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country. … We don’t have to get their approval. But I think letting them know is good," he said. Breitbart [11/17/2025 4:24 AM, Frances Martel, 2416K] reports that the Tren de Aragua is an organized criminal gang once based in Aragua state, Venezuela, that became an international menace after Maduro ordered a "raid" of its headquarters, the Tocorón prison in Aragua, that resulted in large numbers of its imprisoned members and its leader escaping. The whereabouts of Tren de Aragua chief Héctor Guerrero remain unknown at press time; the U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture. The administration of President Donald Trump is also offering $50 million for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and $25 million for Diosdado Cabello, Maduro’s interior minister who for years reports have identified as the leader of the Cartel de los Soles. More recent infomation, in particular a report published in July 2024 by the Miami Herald, have suggested Maduro has since elevated his profile within the organization and assumed direct involvement in drug trafficking. The Cartel de los Soles will appear on the FTO list beginning on November 24, according to the State Department. Appearing on the State Department’s FTO list allows the U.S. government to ban any individual tied to that organization from entering the country and to remove anyone already present on U.S. territory identified as a member of representative of the group. The U.S. government mandates the freezing of any organization assets present in the country and allows for the criminal prosecution of any individuals found to have offered "material support or resources" to the group, including financial support, expertise, or training. The designation will likely compromise Maduro’s ability to travel to the United States, as well as that of any high-ranking individual tied to the Cartel, such as Cabello. While most of the Venezuelan regimes most prominent leaders actively avoid traveling to America, Maduro has made multiple appearances at the United Nations General Assembly, which has also allowed him to attend Marxist propaganda events.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [11/17/2025 3:06 AM, Staff, 2416K]
FOX News [11/16/2025 7:43 PM, Emma Bussey, 40621K]
Washington Examiner [11/16/2025 7:17 PM, Zach LaChance, 1394K]

Breitbart [11/16/2025 10:08 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group entered the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, adding to a military buildup in the region, as President Donald Trump signaled that he may have decided on a possible U.S. show of force in Venezuela. The Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, leads a strike group assigned to dismantle international narcotics trafficking organizations. Trump said on Friday that he is getting closer to deciding on a course of action in Venezuela after a series of high-level meetings with officials amid mounting tensions in the region. "I sort of have made up my mind — yeah," Trump told reporters about Air Force One when asked about the meetings and the situation in Venezuela. "I can’t tell you what it would be, but I sort of have.” Trump was briefed last week on options for military action in Venezuela, one of which could potentially include ousting President Nicolas Maduro, several officials told CNN. The U.S. military has dispatched more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops in the area, part of what the Pentagon is calling Operation Southern Spear. Last week, Trump was briefed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Kaine and a larger group of national security officials about U.S. options in Venezuela. They discussed a wide range of options, including air strikes on military and government facilities, drug-trafficking routes and a potential attempt to remove Maduro directly. Trump has previously considered targeting cocaine production facilities and trafficking routes inside the country, CNN reported. The president last month authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela, but administration officials later told lawmakers that there is no justification that would support military action against any land targets in the country. Trump recently said on CBS News’ 60 Minutes that he is not considering that option. NewsMax [11/16/2025 8:21 PM, Ben Finley, 4109K] reports a U.S. military attack on Venezuela is now "imminent," according to opposition leader and recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and a large U.S. strike group have taken up positions just off Venezuela’s northern coastline. The deployment — one of the most significant American military buildups in the Caribbean in years — has jolted the region and intensified fears that the long-brewing confrontation between Washington and the embattled regime of Nicolás Maduro may be nearing a decisive point. Machado, who has long been at the forefront of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, said over the weekend that "all indicators" now point toward a U.S. strike. Calling the situation "grave," she said Venezuelans must prepare for a "final phase" in the country’s struggle to end Maduro’s authoritarian rule. Machado, who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, dedicated the award to former President Donald Trump, whose administration has dramatically escalated pressure on Maduro through sanctions, indictments, covert operations, and now, an overt military presence. In a brief exchange with reporters Sunday night on the tarmac in West Palm Beach, Trump suggested there may still be space for diplomacy. "They would like to talk," Trump said, referring to Maduro’s government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement: "Based in Venezuela, the Cartel de los Soles is headed by Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela’s military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary.

Washington Post [11/16/2025 6:51 PM, Ishaan Tharoor, 24149K] reports President Donald Trump was vague when pressed by reporters about whether he’s made any decision on Venezuela. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had “sort of made up my mind” after a series of meetings last week with top advisers, who had briefed the president on potential plans of action against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the army “would be ready to act on whatever the president and the Sec. War needed,” on Sunday on “Face the Nation.” The White House’s campaign of military pressure seems to be intensifying, yet there’s little clarity on its end goal. Does it seek regime change? Will it consider even mounting a full-blown invasion? Trump officials say U.S. operations are targeting “narcoterrorists” and have destroyed numerous vessels off Venezuela’s coast carrying alleged drug traffickers. A recent poll found that only a minority of Americans support Trump’s killing of these supposed criminals without a judicial or court order. Undeterred, Trump has floated the possibility of expanding the mission and hitting targets on Venezuelan soil. Congressional attempts to restrain the White House’s ability to launch these strikes failed in the Senate last week. The United States has amassed its biggest military presence in the Caribbean in decades, a surge of assets that now includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Its arrival takes the number of U.S. troops in the region to about 15,000, a deployment that suggests far more ambition than undermining criminal networks or launching isolated strikes on small boats. Maduro, who is deeply unpopular and widely considered to have stolen his country’s presidential election in 2024, has sounded the alarm, mobilizing some 200,000 Venezuelan military personnel in response to the U.S. threat. He has cast his country as the next potential victim in Washington’s history of imperialist meddling. “No more forever wars. No more unjust wars,” Maduro said Thursday, recounting the missteps of the U.S. war on terror. “No more Libya. No more Afghanistan.”

AP [11/16/2025 10:41 PM, Ben Finley and Chris Megerian, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. “may be having some discussions” with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a potential diplomatic avenue as the U.S. further builds up its military presence near the South American country with the arrival of its most advanced aircraft carrier. Trump didn’t offer details about the possible discussions with Maduro, but he said “Venezuela would like to talk.” The U.S. military has been carrying out a series of strikes against vessels suspected of transporting drugs. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford and other warships, announced by the Navy in a statement, marks a major moment in what the administration insists is a counterdrug operation but has been seen as an escalating pressure tactic against Maduro. When asked Sunday what he meant when he said Maduro wants to talk, Trump simply said: “What does it mean? You tell me, I don’t know.” “I’ll talk to anybody,” he added a few moments later. “We’ll see what happens.” Venezuela’s government didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S., has said the U.S. government is “fabricating” a war against him. The Ford rounds off the largest buildup of U.S. firepower in the region in generations. With its arrival, the “Operation Southern Spear” mission includes nearly a dozen Navy ships and about 12,000 sailors and Marines. The carrier’s arrival coincided with the military announcing its latest deadly strike on a small boat it claims was ferrying illegal drugs. The military’s Southern Command posted a video on X on Sunday showing the boat being blown up, an attack it said took place Saturday in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean and killed three men. The military did not immediately respond to a request for more information. Since early September, such strikes by the U.S. in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have killed at least 83 people in 21 attacks. The carrier strike group, which includes squadrons of fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers, transited the Anegada Passage near the British Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the strike group, said it will bolster an already large force of American warships to “protect our nation’s security and prosperity against narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.” Adm. Alvin Holsey, the commander who oversees the Caribbean and Latin America, said in a statement that the American forces “stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region.” Holsey, who will retire next month after just a year on the job, said the strike group’s deployment is “a critical step in reinforcing our resolve to protect the security of the Western Hemisphere and the safety of the American Homeland.”

Reported similarly:
New York Post [11/16/2025 9:30 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 42219K]
Breitbart [11/16/2025 9:44 PM, Staff, 2416K]
FOX News [11/16/2025 9:28 PM, Greg Wehner, 40621K]

Bloomberg [11/17/2025 5:00 AM, Andreas Kluth, 18207K] reports Donald Trump is about to repeat a mistake he has been making with America’s partners all over the world: He keeps confusing the proper uses of clarity and ambiguity in foreign policy, using one when the situation calls for the other. Hosting the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince in the White House tomorrow, for example, the US president will add clarity to a relationship that would benefit instead from remaining ambiguous. By contrast, he has introduced unnecessary ambiguity into relationships that were, and need to be, clear — with NATO, South Korea and Japan, among others. The incremental clarity he’s offering to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman is rumored to take the form of a one-way (rather than mutual) security guarantee for the Saudis. It would be modeled on a similar assurance that Trump recently gave to Qatar, which says that the US “shall regard any armed attack” on its partner nation as “a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” In clarity, this language is similar to the wording used in the gold standard of security guarantees, NATO’s Article 5. It says that “an armed attack against one” ally shall be “considered an attack against them all.” The difference is that the NATO guarantee — like similar pacts with South Korea, Japan, and other countries — is enshrined in a Senate-ratified treaty, whereas the assurances to Qatar and Saudi Arabia are executive orders, which a future administration could rescind. In that way, the NATO partners are full allies, whereas Saudi Arabia — like Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and other partners — are what Rebecca Lissner, a top national-security official in the Biden administration, calls “quasi-allies.” In general, alliances are clearer than quasi-alliances.

FOX News Sunday [11/16/2025 11:00 AM, Staff, 1824K] reports Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., joins ‘Fox News Sunday’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s plans to hold Nigeria accountable for alleged persecution of Christians.

CBS’ Face The Nation [11/16/2025 10:56 AM, Staff, 3056K] reports President Trump said he "sort of" made up his mind concerning Venezuela. Does the Venezuelan army pose any threat to the U.S. if action is taken. Secretary Of The United States Army Dan Driscoll says that the President and Secretary of War have spent a lot of time thinking about what is the best thing they can do for the American people. "I can speak from the Army’s perspective, which is, we have a lot of training in that part of the world. We’re reactivating our jungle school in Panama, we would be ready to act on whatever the president and Sec. War needed." Driscoll comments. Congress gave full year funding for veterans affairs and military construction, a few other measures in this short term bill. But we have seen the shutdown hit military bases and hit military families. Costly. $400 million or more in emergency loans from USAA. Secretary Driscoll is asked "How do you insulate the force so that the next shutdown doesn’t hit these families the way it did this time?" Driscoll responds, "I think the shutdown is indicative of one of the bigger problems that we have a nation have had. And so if you look back for the last 30 or 40 years, one of the reasons we’ve had such bad outcomes, when we spend the American taxpayers hard earned dollars, and we go buy things that our soldiers will need to fight, when we build things where our soldiers and their families will live, we are such a bad customer, because when you’re on the other side of the deal with us and you have to deal with shutdowns. I mean, this shutdown will take months and months for us to get back and going on these projects."

Axios [11/16/2025 12:00 PM, Brittany Gibson, 12972K] reports fresh off its immigration raids into Los Angeles and Chicago, the Department of Homeland Security has launched its operation in Charlotte and has New Orleans in its sights. The high-profile operations have led to surges in arrests. But they’ve also galvanized local resistance efforts, and created a playbook for activists in other cities when ICE comes to town. "In Chicago, we pushed back as hard as we could," said Brandon Lee, of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "We’re going to work to make sure that the local leaders in North Carolina and wherever else they take their road show of terror after this are as prepared as can be for what’s coming." Operation Midway Blitz, which targeted undocumented immigrants in the Chicago area, resulted in 3,000 arrests, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Oct. 30. The operation in Chicago mirrored prior activities in Los Angeles, where Border Patrol also joined ICE on its mission. President Trump told "60 Minutes" in a recent interview that he wants to see more aggressive tactics in operations across the country, but blamed "liberal judges" for restricting immigration agents. White House Deputy Chief of staff Stephen Miller set a 3,000 arrests per day goal in May. The latest public data shows that even with these targeted operations, the agency is falling short. In Chicago, activists set up a rapid response team of volunteers, and rallied support from local elected officials, business and faith leaders. Documenting enforcement: Part of the rapid response volunteer network’s role was to film officers making arrests, so they could document any potential excessive uses of force or other violations. Targeted demonstrations: At least one demonstration blocked the entrance at the Broadview processing facility that was holding immigrants for extended periods of time before they were transferred to permanent detention facilities. In the court room, litigators sued the administration over the use of tear gas in the city, the detention conditions at Broadview and for how federal agents made arrests. One case, over warrantless arrests, led to a judge ordering the release of more than 600 people on bond. Sanctuary cities and jurisdictions are top targets for the immigration crackdown, White House Border Czar Tom Homan has said in multiple interviews. But resistance to these raids is growing beyond activists and civil rights lawyers. Local business leaders and clergy have joined in calls to halt the aggressive enforcement tactics. "At every turn, activist judges, sanctuary politicians, and violent rioters have actively tried to prevent our law enforcement officers from arresting and removing the worst of the worst," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Washington Examiner [11/16/2025 2:31 PM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports the majority of voters view Immigration and Customs Enforcement with suspicion, according to a new poll. A YouGov survey released over the weekend found that 53% of respondents somewhat or strongly disapprove of ICE, compared to 39% who approve of the way they are operating. Over half of respondents said ICE’s tactics are too forceful, compared to 26% who viewed tactics as "about right" and 11% of people who said that they are not forceful enough. The results signal further difficulties for the Trump administration’s efforts to suppress crime in major U.S. cities by sending ICE and other federal agents into metropolitan hot spots to detain and deport illegal immigrants. ICE has already attracted nationwide protests for carrying out deportation raids in areas like Los Angeles and Chicago. ICE is expected to head to New Orleans as well, while Trump most recently authorized federal agents to head to Charlotte, where operations commenced on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security’s "Operation Charlotte’s Web" launched despite protests from Democrats in North Carolina’s biggest city, including Mayor Charlotte Li Vyles. "We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives," Vi Lyles, Mecklenburg County Board Chairman Mark Jerrell, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Stephanie Sneed said in a joint statement. "Each of our organizations has made commitments to the people we serve to protect their rights and dignity. We are committed to following the law and to protecting the rights of all people who call Charlotte and Mecklenburg County home. It is important for people to understand their rights," the statement continued. DHS said it was carrying out the operation because North Carolina has not honoured the nearly 1,400 immigration detainers, meaning law enforcement released those illegal immigrants from local jails instead of notifying ICE to take them into federal custody.

New York Post [11/16/2025 5:45 PM, Steven Vago and Chris Nesi, 42219K] reports Canal Street in Chinatown is once again awash in a sea of illegal vendors hawking knock-off designer bags, electronics and jewelry less than a month after ICE dramatically cleared the area and made arrests. The Post caught dozens of the brazen illicit peddlers on video when they were out in full force — with the holiday season fast approaching — Friday before NYPD cops descended on them, sending the Manhattan scofflaws fleeing. Then Sunday, fewer than two days later, there were as many as 100 of the rogue sellers back at it pushing counterfeit goods laid out on blankets on the sidewalk between Lafayette and Center streets, some attracting long lines of customers looking to get their hands on an imitation Chanel bag or iPhone. But while the threat of police and even immigration crackdowns hasn’t been enough to thwart the pesky curbside business, a deep paranoia has taken hold among the sellers since last month’s raids. "They’re paranoid, that’s for sure," explained a former shoe-hawker named Diango, 56, who says he now acts as a mentor to the younger sellers. "You go in there and tell them immigration is here, and they’ll disappear. Not run, but disappear.” Still, "they’re not afraid, they’re working to make a life," he said. "All they’re doing is their work.” Diango said the illicit trade has become a much harder way to earn a living than when he was at it nearly 20 years ago. "Before, you could make $1,000 [a day]. That was in 2007 or 2008,"‘ the man said. "It was clean here, it was better qualities," he added of the merchandise. "Right now, it’s bad-quality stuff.” Diango said some vendors, many of whom are immigrants from Africa and Asia, might not even earn $100 in a full day now. "There is nothing to do about it. They will be here forever unless it happens over and over again," he said, referring to the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid. Department of Homeland Security rep, asked what ICE plans to do about the rogue vendors especially as the holidays approach, said the feds "don’t telegraph future operations.”

CBS Baltimore [11/17/2025 12:02 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports video shows confrontation between East Baltimore residents and apparent ICE agents. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [11/16/2025 2:58 PM, Staff, 5004K]
U.S. citizen Willy Aceituno, 46, was thrown to the floor by federal agents despite having a Real ID license Saturday, Nov. 15, during the first day of Charlotte’s Web’s immigration operation. On Sunday, November 16, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discussed the case. “U.S. citizens should NEVER help criminals evade police,” DHS said in a message posted on their X account. In its message, the federal agency made no reference to the fact that federal agents questioned Aceituno twice and then smashed the glass of his truck to force him out of the vehicle. Instead, they said he “behaved erratically, refused to obey legal orders, and had to be removed from his vehicle,” in his message. “Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents followed the protocol established for their detention,” they said. “Subsequently, the individual admitted that he was trying to distract agents so that others could evade the law,” the post reads.

Wall Street Journal [11/16/2025 10:00 PM, Cameron McWhirter and Ruth Simon, 646K] reports at noon on Oct. 9, Panchos Tacos posted to Facebook: “Stop in today and try our fall drink menu!!” A colorful photo showed a caramel apple martini. Eight minutes later came a second post: “Sorry, WE ARE CLOSED.” Federal immigration agents had descended on Panchos, a family-owned institution that sponsored girls’ softball teams, hosted Rotary Club meetings, and drew locals for “Ladies Night” and Ohio State football watch parties. In the parking lot, authorities arrested at least five allegedly undocumented workers as they arrived for their shifts. The agents drove unmarked cars and drew guns, witnesses said. Witness and social-media accounts described the detained workers being roughed up. A bystander tried to intervene. One of those arrested resisted, causing two agents to suffer lacerations and bruises, according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Three of those arrested, she said, “had been removed previously and chose to illegally re-enter the U.S.—a felony.”

CBS Chicago [11/17/2025 12:31 AM, Marissa Sulek, 39474K] reports a suburban fiancée is eager to get her loved one back. He is one of the more than 600 people a federal judge ordered be released by Friday, saying their arrests were unlawful and violated a court order. The family now has a long road ahead, and is out thousands of dollars. On that list of 607 detainees, only 16 of them are high risk to public safety with an alleged criminal history. Giovani Flores Garcia is considered low risk. His fiancée said he has no criminal background. Yadira Chavez and her fiancé, Giovani Flores Garcia, are the parents of a 2-year-old girl and a 7-month-old baby, two kids who depend on their dad immensely. "He’s a really hard-working man. He’s the one who takes care of us," Chavez said. She said Garcia was heading to work on Sept. 29, when he was arrested by federal agents in Willow Springs. "He said, ‘Chavez,’ it’s not the police, it’s ICE, they are taking me.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God,’" she said, tearing up. Chavez was told the agents did not have an arrest warrant. She did confirm that Garcia is undocumented, has no work permit, and moved to the U.S. from Mexico 5 years ago. He was brought to the Broadview processing center and later sent to a facility in Michigan, where he has been since. "Then we got an attorney, but everything was just fraud. So, they just stole all our money," Chavez said. She said they fell for a scam after a person disguised themself as this Miami-based immigration lawyer, Lizette Sierra. Now, her family is out $10,000. She is seen in a video warning people of the fraudulent account. After fighting weeks to get Garcia out of custody, Chavez said she saw his name on this list of over 600 detainees a judge ordered be released on bond. "I was so happy I saw his name in there, but at the same time, what is the next step? We don’t know what’s the next step, what we have to do," she said. She hopes the judge’s order stands and her family can be together again. "I feel sure, but at the same time, I feel scared because of what happened with the fraud," she said. All parties are due back in court on Friday. That is also when the federal judge ruled that the detainees be released on bond.

Houston Chronicle [11/16/2025 11:09 AM, Julián Aguilar, 2983K] reports a Texas A&M University doctoral student and green card holder detained by immigration officials in late July has been released, an advocacy group announced Sunday morning. Tae Heung "Will" Kim, who was first detained at the San Francisco airport before being transferred to an immigration detention facility in Raymondville, has lived in the country for 35 years and is part of a research team at the university developing a vaccine to treat Lyme disease. He was detained following a two-week trip to South Korea to attend his brother’s wedding last summer and was placed in removal proceedings. In a statement, NAKASEC, a coalition of Korean community-based organizations, said Kim’s case was dropped after government prosecutors failed to produce court-ordered documents as they sought his removal. NAKASEC said Kim’s case demonstrates that under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are following an "imprison at-will" approach to immigration enforcement. "We are thrilled that Will was released and able to return home. We will continue to support Will’s return to his studies at Texas A&M and work, and reiterate that this should never have happened. At every step, CBP and ICE ignored Will’s constitutional right to due process," NAKASEC said in a statement. Kim faced a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in 2011 and served community service. He was later able to petition to have the case sealed from public record, the Washington Post reported after Kim was detained. At the time, Customs and Border Protection said that a green card holder could be placed in removal proceedings if convicted of a drug offense, which is a violation of their status. Officials at the Houston ICE office and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday morning. According to NAKASEC, Kim’s case was terminated in October and DHS did not file an appeal, though Kim remained in detention. His release marks a rare victory as the Trump administration continues to ramp up enforcement actions across the country. His case drew national attention after his family and his attorneys said he was detained for more than a week at the airport, which does not have traditional holding facilities.

CNN [11/16/2025 7:37 PM, Danya Gainor, 18595K] reports Roman Surovtsev was prompt in picking up his two daughters from school every afternoon. It’s important to him to be there for his smiley 3- and 5-year-old girls, peppering them with questions about what they learned and who they played with. At home with his wife Samantha, he would always be facilitating the bubbles at bath time, meticulously brushing out tiny blonde and brunette ponytails, and tucking the giggling girls into bed after reading to them. But giggles have grown quiet as the young girls wonder what happened to their loving dad, who, in their eyes, simply vanished this summer. The girls haven’t seen him in 107 days. Surovtsev was unexpectedly detained during a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on August 1, and never came home. Now, it’s unclear when his family will see him again as the father of two learned just days ago of his imminent deportation on Monday to Ukraine, a country ravaged by war, and one he hasn’t lived in since it was part of the Soviet Union. His detainment stems from President Donald Trump’s determination to arrest and deport undocumented migrants en masse – an effort fracturing families across the country as communities watch their workers, schoolchildren and church members be swept up by ICE. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a CNN request for comment on Surovtsev’s detainment. Surovtsev had never so much as skipped an event at the girls’ school before missing his oldest daughter’s fifth birthday later in August. He was still absent for his wife’s birthday a month later, then their wedding anniversary, and soon to be the holidays – Surovtsev’s favorite time of year to spend with his family. Samantha has been telling her young daughters their dad is at work, and gave their oldest a locket with his picture inside after he was detained. She’s been wearing it more often in recent days, her mother said, asking the photo inside, "Daddy, come home.” "They’re too little to understand, and there’s no way to tell them without making them fearful of their own country," Samantha said through tears. She and the girls have been living on savings as they accumulate attorney fees, and she said she feels like she’s going through life as a single mom. In a court filing on Wednesday, the Department of Justice confirmed it has arranged for Surovtsev to be removed to Ukraine on Monday. His attorneys say 82 other immigrants will be on Surovtsev’s flight with the same fate, and fear for their safety in wartime Ukraine. "I’m afraid that my life will be taken in this war, and my girls are going to have to grow up without their dad, my wife is going to have to be a widow, and I myself will lose my life in a war that I know nothing about," Surovtsev said in a video reviewed by CNN his wife recorded during one of his calls to her from detention.

CBS Los Angeles [11/17/2025 12:39 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports an off-duty public officer has been arrested after he allegedly pointed a gun at a teenager in Temecula before detaining him last week. An attorney for the family says that the officer is an ICE agent. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [11/17/2025 5:00 AM, Melinda Yao, 34509K] reports international student enrollment rates at American colleges and universities fell sharply this year, driven by visa application issues as prospective students are caught up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. New international student enrollment in U.S. institutions declined by 17% in fall 2025, the largest nonpandemic decline in the last 11 years, according to new data released Monday by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that works to encourage foreign study. This figure, from a preliminary report covering a portion of the institutions, comes on the heels of a 7% drop in new international enrollees in the 2024-25 academic year. More than half of the 825 U.S. higher education institutions surveyed in the fall 2025 snapshot reported a decrease in new international enrollment, according to the IIE’s Open Doors report. "The U.S. is no longer the central place that students aspire to come to," said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit group. Aw attributed the decline to difficulties in obtaining a U.S. visa, saying the issues have made the U.S. "less competitive" on the global stage. According to the IIE report, 96% of higher education institutions cited visa application concerns as an obstacle for enrollment.

AP [11/16/2025 11:56 PM, Kate Payne, Bianca Vázquez Toness, and Gisela Salomon, 31753K] reports from Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrollment of students from immigrant families. In some cases, parents have been deported or voluntarily returned to their home countries, driven out by President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Others have moved elsewhere inside the U.S. In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries. As fewer people cross the U.S. border, administrators in small towns and big cities alike are reporting fewer newcomer students than usual. In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, about 2,550 students have entered the district from another country so far this school year — down from nearly 14,000 last year, and more than 20,000 the year before that. School board member Luisa Santos, who attended district schools herself as a young immigrant, said the trend is "a sad reality.” "I was one of those arrivals when I was 8 years old," Santos said. "And this country and our public schools — I’ll never get tired of saying it — gave me everything." Collectively, the enrollment declines in Miami-Dade erased about $70 million from the district’s annual budget, forcing administrators to scramble to cover the unexpected shortfall. The drops in immigrant students add to strains on enrollment at many traditional public schools, which have seen overall numbers dip due to demographic changes and students opting for alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. Despite needs for English instruction and social supports, the newcomers in some districts have helped to buoy enrollment and bring critical per-pupil funding in recent years.

Bloomberg [11/17/2025 12:01 AM, Francesca Maglione, 18207K] reports new international student enrollment in the US declined this fall, according to Open Doors data from the Institute of International Education. The number of foreign students starting college for the first time decreased 17% this semester, after President Donald Trump’s administration began its crackdown on foreign student visas. That followed a 7% decline in the 2024-25 school year, as fewer Chinese students came to the US, due in part to geopolitical tensions. Trump’s attacks on both higher education and immigration this year have caused chaos for universities across the country, leaving many students from abroad either unable or unwilling to attend college in the US. During the summer, the administration ordered a month-long pause in visa interviews, followed by increased vetting and fewer appointments. That’s also added more pressure to institutions’ bottom lines, since most foreign students pay full tuition. Colleges are still working to attract international applicants, the report found. More than half of schools surveyed are allowing foreign students to defer their enrollment for next fall, and the majority said they will continue to focus on recruiting these students. More than 80% of institutions surveyed cited the value of having international students’ perspectives on campus, while 60% cited their financial contributions as important. Open Doors is a data project sponsored by the US Department of State with funding from the US government and support from the Institute of International Education, a non-profit that has researched international students since 1919. Last week, Trump said allowing foreign students to study in the US is a “good” practice and pushed back on a call to reduce their numbers, which contrasts with policies his administration has carried out that have targeted international students. New foreign enrollment was declining even before the start of Trump’s second term, according to data for the 2024-25 school year released in the report. The shift varied by academic level, with the new undergraduate population increasing by 5% while the number of new graduate students fell by 15%.India sent the most international students to the US, continuing the trend from the year prior. More than 363,000 students in the US in the 2024-25 academic year were from India, a 10% increase from the prior year. China followed with about 266,000 students, reflecting a 4% drop. The US still remains the top destination globally for international students. The total number of foreign students in the US rose 5% to roughly 1.2 million for the 2024-25 year, the report found. International students contributed nearly $55 billion to the country’s economy in 2024.

AP [11/17/2025 12:01 AM, Collin Binkley and Makiya Seminera, 31753K] reports foreign students enrolled at U.S. colleges in strong numbers this fall despite fears that a Trump administration crackdown would trigger a nosedive, yet there are signs of turbulence as fewer new, first-time students arrived from other countries, according to a new report. Overall, U.S. campuses saw a 1% decrease in international enrollment this fall compared with last year, according to a survey from the Institute of International Education. But that figure is propped up by large numbers of students who stayed in the U.S. for temporary work after graduating. The number of new students entering the United States for the first time fell by 17%, the sharpest decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some universities are seeing backslides that have punched big holes in tuition revenue, but overall the falloff is less severe than some industry groups had forecast. Researchers credit colleges for helping students navigate visa issues through the summer. “I think colleges and universities did absolutely everything in their power to advocate to get these students to the United States,” said Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for the institute. At DePauw University, a Catholic university in Chicago, the number of international graduate students fell by almost 62% this fall, a driving factor in recent spending cuts. The university president blamed student visa troubles and declining interest to study in the U.S., calling it a “massive” disruption. Overall, nearly 60% of colleges reported a decrease in new foreign students this fall, the survey found, while 30% saw increases and others held even. More than 800 schools responded to the survey, which offers an early look at trends before full data is released next year. The Trump administration has sought to reduce America’s reliance on foreign students. The White House is pushing colleges to cap enrollment of foreign students and enroll more from the U.S. In June, the State Department began screening visa applications more closely after temporarily halting all interviews. Visa processing has continued to lag in some countries, including India, the largest source of America’s foreign students. Education firms have reported that future college students are now showing decreased interest in the U.S. and more in Europe and Asia. While international enrollment remained relatively steady, there are concerns about its sustainability. “There are warning signs for future years, and I’m really concerned about what this portends for fall ‘26 and ‘27,” said Clay Harmon, the executive director of AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management, which represents colleges and recruitment agencies. Foreign students make up about 6% of America’s college students but they play an outsize role in campus budgets. Most pay higher tuition rates and don’t get financial aid, effectively subsidizing U.S. students. Their numbers are far higher at elite campuses, often making up a quarter or more of the student body.

FOX News [11/16/2025 9:49 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports CBP senior advisor Ron Vitiello discusses the crackdown on illegal immigration on ‘Sunday Night in America.’[Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [11/16/2025 5:53 PM, Staff, 34509K] reports N.C. residents react to ‘surge’ of Border Patrol agents [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Houston Chronicle [11/16/2025 5:35 PM, Jarrod Wardwell, 2983K] reports Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state and federal GOP officials met in Eagle Pass on Sunday to serve meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and state troopers who will be stationed along the Mexico border for Thanksgiving. Abbott addressed the troops at the Eagle Pass border security base with U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan, Virgina Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. The group applauded the officers — seated at tables with water, soda and fall foliage — for the role it said they had played in trimming illegal border crossings, halting criminals, steering away drugs and saving lives throughout the U.S. "You saved the United States of America," Abbott said before lunch was served. "At a time when we were being overrun by literally millions of people coming across the border illegally, people have been proven to be very dangerous criminals who have been wrecking mayhem across our country. You were the forefront, you were in the vanguard of making sure that in Texas we put up a fight to defend our country, to defend our state.” The Eagle Pass base has been a centerpiece of Abbott’s multiyear border crackdown known as Operation Lone Star, which he launched during the Biden administration. Abbott noted on Sunday, as he has previously, that Texas is responsible for the 85% drop in illegal border crossings that the state has seen since the height of the Biden years. Experts say that drop was a result of other factors, including stepped-up enforcement by Mexico last year. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, illegal immigration has fueled a nationwide deportation campaign targeting hundreds of thousands of detainees. Homan projects more than 600,0000 deportations by the end of the year and expects the numbers to keep growing as the government enlists more ICE agents. Homan flexed Trump’s immigration policy at the lunch and praised Abbott’s help in deploying the National Guard to defend ICE personnel in different parts of the country. The troops that Texas sent to Chicago last month were blocked by a judge from actively policing the streets and were expected on Sunday to begin returning home shortly, according to a U.S. defense official.

New York Post [11/16/2025 10:23 PM, Zoe Hussain, 42219K] reports aman was indicted on a federal smuggling charge for allegedly attempting to cross the US border with heavily sedated, endangered parakeets in his underwear, according to authorities. Jesse Agus Martinez, a US citizen living in Tijuana, was attempting to cross the border at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on Oct. 23 when a Customs and Border Protection officer "noticed a bulge in Martinez’s groin area," the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a news release. Records obtained by CBP officers also showed that Martinez, 35, had a penchant for smuggling birds into the United States, prosecutors said. He was diverted for a secondary inspection and allegedly told officers several times that the bulge was his "pirrin," or a Spanish word for penis, authorities said. But a CBP officer’s inspection allegedly revealed two brown sacks, each containing an orange-fronted parakeet, in his underwear, federal officials said. Both birds appeared unconscious and heavily sedated, but were still breathing, officials added. The birds were identified as protected juvenile orange-fronted parakeets after US Fish and Wildlife Service agents and inspectors arrived at the scene, according to the feds.

Wall Street Journal [11/16/2025 9:40 PM, Dean Seal, 646K] reports the Federal Aviation Administration said it would lift its flight restrictions related to the government shutdown, clearing the way for normal operations to resume at U.S. airports after weeks of delays and cancellations. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Sunday that the 6% traffic cut implemented last week would be terminated at 6 a.m. ET Monday morning. They said the move came after the FAA reviewed safety trends, and saw improving staffing levels. “Now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand new, state of the art air-traffic control system the American people deserve,” Duffy said. Airlines have warned that it could take several days for full operations to resume and for flight crews to get back in place. Airlines for America, a trade group representing commercial carriers, said the industry was planning for a record 31 million passengers during the coming Thanksgiving travel period, along with a busy shipping season. Duffy on Nov. 6 called for air traffic at 40 major U.S. airports to be reduced by 10%, after the shutdown exacerbated staffing problems among federal transportation workers who had to work without pay. The FAA also limited business jets and some other private flights to major airports, along with restrictions on commercial space launches and parachute operations. Duffy said the move was necessary to keep flying safe throughout the shutdown. After going unpaid for weeks, some air-traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers were taking side jobs or calling out of work, Duffy said.

NBC 10 Boston [11/16/2025 9:41 PM, Kaitlin McKinley Becker, 43603K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handed out $10,000 bonus checks on Saturday evening to Transportation Security Administration officers at Boston Logan Airport who did not miss a shift during the 43-day government shutdown. Over 270 Boston TSA officers had perfect attendance in the face of economic uncertainty, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Noem, who was also at Boston’s Fenway Park on Saturday for the Secretaries’ Cup between the U.S. Coast Guard and Merchant Mariners, had announced last week that select TSA officers nationwide would be receiving a bonus in appreciation for their dedication and commitment to keeping America safe. “Americans can be proud of TSA workers across the country who continued to serve with excellence throughout the shutdown - like these patriots at Logan Airport in Massachusetts - who went to great lengths to protect our country, care for their fellow Americans, and keep our nation moving," Noem said in a statement. “President Trump and I are giving a $10,000 bonus to exemplary TSA officers across our nation who went above and beyond their performance. Thank you to the men and women of TSA!" DHS says it is paying for these bonuses using carryover funds from the last fiscal year, which is available "thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem’s commitment to fiscal responsibility." The Federal Aviation Administration announced Sunday that it’s lifting its emergency flight reductions, meaning airlines can resume their regular flight schedules beginning at 6 a.m. Monday. 7 News Boston [11/16/2025 6:45 PM, Eliza Kruczynski] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivered $10,000 bonus checks on Sunday to TSA agents at Logan Airport who worked through the government shutdown and never missed a shift. The stop at Logan was one of several Noem made in Boston over the weekend and was aimed at recognizing the hard-working agents who kept working despite not having a guaranteed paycheck. “They’ve been awesome,” said Veronica Hernandez, who was traveling back to California. “They deserve that bonus.” In a post on X, Noem thanked the more 270 agents for showing up every day. “Americans can be proud of TSA workers across the country who continued to serve with excellence throughout the shutdown—like these patriots at Logan Airport in Massachusetts—who went to great lengths to protect our country, care for their fellow Americans, and keep our nation moving. President Trump and I are giving a $10,000 bonus to exemplary TSA officers across our nation who went above and beyond their performance.”

NPR [11/16/2025 5:01 PM, Sacha Pfeiffer, et al., 28013K] reports six months after the St. Louis tornado, residents say Trump’s new disaster policy has left them on their own.

AP [11/16/2025 4:25 PM, Staff, 2983K] reports a powerful atmospheric river had mostly moved through California after causing at least six deaths and dousing much of the state, but lingering thunderstorms brought the risk of mudslides in areas of Los Angeles County that were recently ravaged by wildfire. Flood advisories remained in place through Sunday afternoon for LA, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, where localized showers were still possible after heavy downpours on Friday and Saturday. "Due to the abundant rainfall the past couple of days, it will not take as much rainfall to cause additional flooding/rockslide conditions," the National Weather Service said in a Sunday update. Authorities on Sunday were still searching for a 5-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean by 15-foot (4.6-meter) waves at a state beach in Monterey County on Friday. The girl’s father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta, was killed while trying to save his daughter, sheriff’s officials said. In Sutter County north of Sacramento, a 71-year-old man died Friday after his vehicle was swept off a flooded bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Washington Times [11/16/2025 1:06 PM, Matt Delaney, 852K] reports D.C. police said they have arrested and charged a 17-year-old in a shooting that left five people wounded last month at Howard University. Metropolitan Police took Kaevaughn Dudley into custody on Friday. He is accused of opening fire on a group on the night of Oct. 24 during Howard’s homecoming weekend. Three men, a woman and a 13-year-old boy were wounded. Investigators said they arrested two people at the scene. Both were charged with gun possession, but it was later determined that neither was the triggerman in the mass shooting. According to court documents, detectives identified Mr. Dudley as a suspect by reviewing TikTok videos and messages and talking with school resource officers at the KIPP DC College Preparatory near Union Market. The court filing says Mr. Dudley was arrested and charged with intending to distribute marijuana just days after the shooting, but he had not been linked to the shooting by then. The suspect made his initial court appearance Saturday. He is being kept behind bars until his Dec. 18 court date.

NBC 3 Las Vegas [11/16/2025 11:08 PM, Staff, 43603K] reports the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has arrested 35-year-old John Navarro in connection with an explosion that occurred on Nov. 13 in front of Piero’s Italian Cuisine on Convention Center Drive near Paradise Road. The incident took place around 2:19 a.m. when two males, one on foot and one on a scooter, arrived at the location. According to investigators, one suspect placed a package in front of the restaurant’s door and appeared to light a fuse before both suspects fled the scene. The package exploded a few minutes later. Navarro was identified as one of the suspects and was taken into custody on Saturday.

Wall Street Journal [11/16/2025 9:23 PM, Yaroslav Trofimov, 646K] reports the new nuclear race has begun. But unlike during the Cold War, the U.S. must prepare for two peer rivals rather than one—at a time when it has lost its clear industrial and economic edge. China, which long possessed just a small nuclear force, is catching up fast, while Russia is developing a variety of new-generation systems aimed at American cities. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already used nuclear saber-rattling to throttle American support for Ukraine. He has deployed nuclear weapons to Belarus and, in recent weeks, tested a nuclear-powered missile and a nuclear-powered submarine drone that he claims are impervious to American defenses. While Russia and the U.S. are still abiding by some arms-controls limits, such as the New Start treaty that expires in February, China, unconstrained by any commitments, is quietly but rapidly leaping ahead. According to American estimates, Beijing will reach rough parity with the U.S. in deployed nuclear warheads by the mid-2030s. Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time showcased China’s nuclear triad—its land, sea and air-launched ballistic nuclear missiles—at a Beijing parade honoring the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan in September. Putin, sitting to his right atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace, took note. So did North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, sitting to his left. The growing bond between Moscow and Beijing—onetime rivals that neared the brink of a nuclear exchange during a border conflict in 1969—has already created an unprecedented level of strategic uncertainty for the U.S. and its European and Asian allies. That wariness is compounded by doubts among Washington’s allies about President Trump’s commitment to honor mutual-defense obligations. “The movement now is toward building up nuclear arsenals, not reducing them,” said Matthew Kroenig, director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center and a former Pentagon official. “We’re entering the third nuclear age that is going to look a lot more like Cold War than the 1990s and the 2000s.”

Washington Post [11/17/2025 5:00 AM, Perry Stein, Jeremy Roebuck, and David Ovalle, 24149K] reports when Jason Reding Quiñones was hired in 2018 as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of Florida, he was placed alongside other entry-level attorneys in the office’s boot camp for new hires, where young prosecutors work on drug and gun cases to gain trial experience before they move to more prestigious divisions. Most of those prosecutors win promotion. Reding Quiñones flunked, failing to impress his supervisors with his work ethic and legal acumen and earning poor marks on his performance evaluation, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. He left the office in 2024. A year later, President Donald Trump tapped Reding Quiñones, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, to return to the Miami-based U.S. attorney’s office as its boss. Already, Reding Quiñones has become a go-to prosecutor for the administration. Justice Department officials have entrusted Reding Quiñones with one of their most high-profile, controversial investigations — a broad probe of Trump foes, including former Obama administration Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. and CIA Director John Brennan, under a theory that Democrats and other “deep state” actors conspired for years to violate Trump’s rights with a series of federal investigations. In recent weeks, the office has issued a flurry of subpoenas, including to both Brennan and Clapper, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Other subpoenas have gone to prominent former FBI officials, including the bureau’s former deputy director, Andrew McCabe; former bureau attorney Lisa Page; and Peter Strzok, a former counterintelligence agent who helped lead the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The appointment of Reding Quiñones is a case study in how the Trump administration is operating U.S. attorney’s offices across the country, plucking Trump loyalists with little support from existing staff to serve in high-powered law enforcement positions, according to multiple people familiar with the Justice Department’s operations.

NewsMax [11/16/2025 9:42 PM, Jim Thomas, 4109K] reports Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., warned Sunday that President Donald Trump’s fast-expanding military buildup around Venezuela is draining U.S. firepower from the Middle East and other hotspots. She accused the White House of an unfocused campaign against Nicolás Maduro that could leave American forces less prepared for crises elsewhere. On CBS’ "Face the Nation," Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was not convinced the administration has a clear strategy for its stepped-up strikes on suspected drug boats linked to Venezuela or for the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean. "I don’t think it’s clear what the end game is for this administration with respect to Venezuela," she said. Shaheen said the War Department has shared with lawmakers, but not the public, a Justice Department opinion that underpins the legality of the boat strikes. She argued that escalating toward possible land operations "through special operations" risks U.S. troops and stretches limited naval resources.

AP [11/16/2025 2:39 PM, Gonzalo Solano and Gabriela Molina, 19051K] reports Ecuadorians voted Sunday on a referendum that asks if they want to amend the country’s constitution to allow the South American nation to host military bases run by foreign countries. The four-part referendum also asked Ecuadorians if they want to launch a process that could lead to a new constitution for the nation of 18 million people. Ecuador has struggled to control violent crime as it becomes a key transit point for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru, with drug trafficking gangs attacking presidential candidates, mayors and journalists, as they fight for control over ports and coastal cities. President Daniel Noboa, a conservative who has promised an iron fisted approach to crime, is one of the main supporters of Sunday’s referendum. In recent weeks, Noboa has met with U.S. officials to discuss regional security and migration cooperation, and also gave U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a tour of a military base along Ecuador’s coast that could possibly host U.S. troops. "International cooperation is the only way to dismantle these (drug trafficking) groups, which are transnational criminal networks," Noboa said Sunday after casting his ballot. Ecuador has had three different constitutions since the country returned to democracy in 1979, but Noboa says it is time to "rebuild" the country because the current constitution does not give the government enough tools to fight crime. Voters were also asked Sunday if Ecuador should set up a constituent assembly, a legislative body that would be in charge of rewriting the nation’s constitution. If a majority of voters approves the proposal, an election will be held next year to choose delegates for the constituent assembly. Noboa has argued that a new constitution should seek tougher punishment for criminals and greater measures to control Ecuador’s borders.

CNN [11/16/2025 9:49 AM, Billy Stockwell, 606K] reports Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has described his country’s nuclear program as still "intact" despite admitting that US and Israeli strikes badly damaged facilities earlier this year. In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen Sunday, Khatibzadeh said Iran’s "peaceful nuclear program is intact, as we are speaking," adding that "we are going to be protecting that.” The exact state of Iran’s facilities remains unclear following a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June and US airstrikes against three of the country’s nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – also that month. US President Donald Trump initially claimed that Fordow had been obliterated. An early US intelligence assessment suggested the three nuclear facilities had been badly damaged, but that Iran’s nuclear program may have only been set back by up to two years. While Khatibzadeh said that Israeli and US strikes had "ruined many of our infrastructure, machineries" and "buildings," he noted that the nuclear program was "very much based on our indigenous knowledge, very much spread across our country, which is a huge country – 90 million people.” "And this country is not a country that you can bomb and then think that you are going to ruin everything," the minister said. Khatibzadeh’s assessment comes as Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, said Sunday that no uranium enrichment was taking place "right now" because the country’s enrichment facilities had been "attacked." The enrichment process produces fuel for nuclear power plants, which, at higher-enrichment levels, can also be used to make a nuclear bomb. Khatibzadeh did not comment on whether enrichment was taking place at Iran’s facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report Wednesday that checking Iran’s stock of highly enriched uranium was "long overdue," with its inspectors still not allowed into the bombed nuclear sites, Reuters has reported.

Daily Caller [11/16/2025 3:35 PM, Anthony Iafrate, 835K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday the fentanyl crisis facing the U.S. is nearing being "turned off" as President Donald Trump’s administration puts the onus on China, the main source of ingredients used to make the deadly opioid. Patel discussed his November visit to China on "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" and stated the Trump administration seeks to end a problem the Biden administration largely ignored. Bartiromo asked Patel what he accomplished during his "one or two-day" trip to Beijing, reportedly becoming the first FBI director in a decade to visit the Communist nation. "Look, we set this in motion — we under President Trump’s leadership and strong leadership — in engaging [Chinese] President Xi Jinping on the fentanyl crisis," Patel said. "Let’s just put this in perspective: the prior administration, the Biden administration, allowed hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Americans to be killed by opiates alone. That is a national security crisis of epic proportions.” "President Trump comes in, engages his counterpart, Xi Jinping, and says, ‘We’ve got to address this.’ Puts Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ [Department of Justice] in motion, sets up engagements over the last eight-to-nine months and designates the FBI director to go there and make sure this deal is solidified. And that is the reason that I, as the first director in 10 years, landed in Beijing, China," Patel continued. "This opioid crisis is going to be turned off. Americans are no longer going to lose their life to manufactured synthesis opioids like fentanyl," the FBI chief stressed. There were over 70,000 reported deaths related to synthetic opioids in both 2022 and 2023, according to data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These deaths were primarily from fentanyl overdoses, according to the NIH. Unintentional injuries, a category which mostly includes drug overdose and poisoning, was by far the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45 in 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

DailySignal [11/16/2025 5:00 PM, Lorenzo Prieto, 549K] reports when it comes to stopping fentanyl production, "no one has bothered to engage China. The Biden administration didn’t even do it," Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo. Patel recalled his recent trip to China with President Donald Trump, aimed at halting the flow of fentanyl ingredients out of the communist nation. "Fentanyl—it’s not like cocaine or marijuana, where it starts naturally in a grow house or a grow facility or grow yards and then is produced into an ultimate chemical and drug. Fentanyl is purely chemically created," Patel explained. "If you take the ingredients—these precursors that we’re talking about, these chemicals that we’re talking about—and you shut off their flow, then the Mexican drug cartels cannot make it.” "And Biden could have listed one or two or three of the precursors. Zero. Trump got it done, listing all 13 precursors and restricting all seven chemicals, essentially shutting off the pipeline that allows the Mexican drug traffickers to create fentanyl.” Under the Biden administration, the U.S. experienced an overwhelming influx of drugs crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, with reports showing record-high levels of fentanyl overdose deaths. "We went there, and we got the agreement solidified, and it’s already in place. And we’re going to see immediate results in immediate American lives saved by the hundreds of thousands, thanks to President Trump’s brilliant leadership and Attorney General [Pam] Bondi’s care and commitment to this issue," Patel added.

FOX News [11/16/2025 10:57 AM, Anders Hagstrom, 40621K] reports Chinese coast guard ships sailed through the Senkaku Islands in what it called a "rights enforcement patrol" on Sunday, continuing to ramp up tensions with Japan. The move is the latest sign of Beijing’s displeasure with Japan, which administers the islands, after newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave a full-throated defense of Taiwan’s independence earlier this month. She vowed that any attack by Beijing on Taiwan would warrant a military response from Japan. "China Coast Guard vessel 1307 formation conducted patrols within the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands. This was a lawful patrol operation conducted by the China Coast Guard to uphold its rights and interests," China’s coast guard said in a statement. In the days since Takaichi’s Nov. 7 statement on Taiwan, Chinese officials have summoned Japan’s ambassador and warned Chinese citizens against traveling to Japan. China’s defense ministry also vowed that any Japanese intervention would be ineffective in protecting Taiwan. The most vicious response came from China’s consul general in Osaka, who appeared to threaten to decapitate Takaichi in a now-deleted post on social media. The official, Xue Jian, wrote, "That filthy neck that barged in on its own – I’ve got no choice but to cut it off without a moment’s hesitation. Are you prepared for that?". Japan’s government condemned the statement, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara calling it "extremely inappropriate" and confirming that Tokyo had lodged a formal protest with Beijing. Kihara said Xue had made "multiple" inflammatory remarks in the past and urged China to take disciplinary action.

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