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

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

The New York Times [11/20/2025 12:25 PM, Zach Montague, 153395K] reports a lawsuit filed on Thursday takes aim at sky-high civil penalties imposed on undocumented migrants, an increasingly common tool the Trump administration has embraced to compel people to leave the United States. According to the lawsuit, the government has sent migrants tens of thousands of notices informing them that they have been assessed a $1,000 daily fine for being illegally present in the country. In some cases, the suit argues, the fines have been assessed retroactively, stretching back five years and totaling about $1.8 million. The suit argues that the Trump administration has illegally seized on a narrow provision of immigration law that has never been widely used, driving many people seeking lawful status into “ruinous debt.” Devised as a class action, the lawsuit was brought on behalf of two women who were assessed the fees in spite of what they argued were efforts to comply with the law and chart a path to stay in the United States legally. It asks a federal judge in Massachusetts to issue a ruling covering all of the at least 21,500 people who, as of August, have received similar penalties. Lawyers said the fines had been issued indiscriminately, based on a checklist from a government form established in 1957 that often overlooks actions people have taken to comply with immigration officials. Legislation adopted in 1996 allowed the government to impose a fine of nearly $1,000 per day against those who “willfully” failed or refused to depart, but those penalties have not been employed in the past, except briefly during President Trump’s first term. The law also places a statute of limitations for assessing the penalties at five years. The Trump administration has reasoned it can therefore fine anyone who has been in the country longer than that time five years’ worth of daily penalties. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. When announcing the policy in June, Tricia McLaughlin, a homeland security spokeswoman, said: “the law doesn’t enforce itself; there must be consequences for breaking it.” FOX News [11/21/2025 1:31 AM, Landon Mion, 40621K] reports that the fines were implemented to encourage immigrants to leave the country. The lawyers said their clients were slapped with "ruinous civil fines" that are "grossly disproportionate to the gravity" of any immigration violations, arguing that the fines are unconstitutional. The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts on behalf of two immigrant women, seeks class-action status to represent people facing fines that lawyers say have totaled more than $6 billion under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies. "The people we serve are doing exactly what the law requires — pursuing legal relief through immigration courts and immigration agencies," Hasan Shafiqullah, a supervising attorney with The Legal Aid Society, one of the groups representing the immigrants, said in a news release. "In return, the government is threatening to seize their wages, cars, even their homes.” One of the two plaintiffs, a woman residing in Florida who was identified in the complaint only as Nancy M. to protect her from retribution, was instructed to leave the U.S., but also had an "order of supervision" and was meeting annually with immigration officials as she attempted to become a legal permanent resident. Despite this, she received a bill earlier this year for about $1.8 million, which appeared to be reached through daily $998 fines for the past five years. The Department of Homeland Security purported that the lawsuit was "just another attempt to nullify federal immigration law through activist litigation.” "The plaintiffs in this case are here illegally and are suing so they can remain in the country illegally without any consequence or penalty – contrary to decades-old federal law," DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. Shortly after Trump returned to the White House in January, his administration revealed a series of moves to encourage immigrants to leave the country, including DHS’ announcement in February that illegal immigrants could face "significant financial penalty" if they choose not to self-deport. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now," McLaughlin said in February. "The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws — we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce," she added at the time.

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AP [11/20/2025 6:52 PM, Tim Sullivan, 31753K]

The New York Times [11/20/2025 4:30 PM, Mitch Smith, 153395K] reports a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a judge’s order on Thursday that had called for the release of hundreds of people arrested by immigration agents in the Chicago area. The administrative stay issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which the Trump administration requested, halts the release of those detainees while the government’s appeal moves forward. Appellate judges are scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case on Dec. 2. Last week, Judge Jeffrey Cummings of the U.S. District Court ordered that most of the detainees in a group of 615 people be released on bond by this Friday while their immigration cases move forward. The order did not apply to people in that group who had already been deported, or to a handful of those detainees who were deemed by the government to pose a high risk to public safety. Judge Cummings’s ruling came in a long-running case that was filed in 2018, during President Trump’s first term, and resulted in a consent decree during the presidency of Joseph R. Biden Jr. That consent decree restricted the circumstances in which immigration enforcement agents in six states, including Illinois, could apprehend and hold people without a warrant. Judge Cummings said several of the people arrested during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the Chicago area, known as Operation Midway Blitz, had been held in violation of that consent decree. “It stands to reason that a significant number of additional violations will be uncovered as plaintiffs receive and analyze the arrest records of the remaining arrestees,” the judge wrote. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, criticized the district judge’s decision last week and said it put lives at risk. On Thursday, after the appellate court granted the stay, she said, “Finally, a showing of common sense among the judiciary.” “Lawbreakers are off American streets,” Ms. McLaughlin added in a written statement, “and we look forward to the Trump administration’s ultimate vindication on this issue.” Politico [11/20/2025 3:53 PM, Shia Kapos, 2100K] reports that the case stems from Judge Jeffrey Cummings’ finding that ICE violated the 2022 Castañon Nava consent decree by conducting at least 26 warrantless arrests in the Chicago area early this year as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” according to the court filing. Cummings responded by extending the decree through February 2026, limiting when agents can make collateral arrests, and requiring ICE to report each warrantless detention. Advocates say arrests without warrants have surged, with National Immigrant Justice Center attorney Mark Fleming describing agents “indiscriminately” stopping people without probable cause. DHS has said it is complying with all lawful court orders. Although the restrictions technically apply only to the Chicago Field Office’s six-state region, the underlying consent decree will likely influence ICE policy nationwide. With the appellate stay in place, ICE temporarily regains broader arrest authority while the court considers whether the district judge’s limits will remain in effect during the appeal. The court has set oral arguments for Dec. 2. CNN [11/20/2025 5:00 PM, Whitney Wild and Elizabeth Wolfe, 18595K] reports that court records showed last Friday the Department of Justice submitted a list of more than 600 people to be assessed for release. The list showed only a fraction of those detained were considered “high risk” by federal officials. The list included criminal histories for just 16 defendants. Those criminal histories included convictions or arrests for aggravated assault, driving under the influence, indecent exposure, battery and enticement of a minor and kidnapping. A CNN analysis of the DOJ filing showed migrants arrested in the Chicago area were transferred to detention facilities as far away as Texas and Kentucky. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday sided with the Trump administration to keep those on the list in custody, just one day before detainees were set to be released. Tensions between the Trump administration and local leaders, protesters and journalists in Chicago and Illinois have boiled over since Operation Midway Blitz got underway over the summer. The government is fighting a multi-front legal battle as groups challenge agents’ use of force on demonstrators, treatment of media and clergy, and warrantless detentions.

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Univision Chicago WGBO [11/20/2025 3:42 PM, Staff, 5004K]

New York Times [11/20/2025 2:30 PM, Julie Bosman, 153395K] reports federal prosecutors moved to dismiss charges on Thursday against two motorists who were accused of using their cars to “assault, impede and interfere with the work of federal agents” during an immigration enforcement operation in the Chicago area. The motion from prosecutors did not provide a reason for dismissing the indictment against the motorists, Marimar Martinez, 30, and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21. A federal agent shot and wounded Ms. Martinez during the incident in October, asserting that she had driven her car directly at the agent before the shots were fired. Ms. Martinez was treated at a local hospital. The incident involving Ms. Martinez and Mr. Ruiz was among those underpinning an argument by the Trump administration, made to the Supreme Court in an emergency application, on why President Trump had the authority to deploy the National Guard in Chicago. Administration officials have said that immigration agents attempting to enforce federal law required protection from National Guard troops because local police were not sufficiently protecting the agents. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the Oct. 4 incident was an ambush by “domestic terrorists that rammed federal agents with their vehicles.” She added, “These attacks on our brave law enforcement officers must end.”

CNN [11/20/2025 6:30 PM, Nicquel Terry Ellis and Bill Kirkos, 606K] reports that the unprecedented move marks the latest development in a high-profile case that garnered public scrutiny and left a federal judge skeptical of how the investigation was handled. After the hearing Thursday, Ruiz was seen outside the courtroom hugging a crying loved one as a smiling Martinez told reporters, “I’m just blessed. I’m happy.” “It’s been hard,” she said. “I can’t sleep, but now I’m gonna go sleep.” Martinez had been accused of closely pursuing Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum and hitting his car on October 4. But Martinez’s defense attorney, Christopher Parente, alleged the opposite, saying it was actually the agent who sideswiped Martinez. Parente said, “This case was going to be a winner at trial regardless.” “These agents were lying about what happened,” he added following the dismissal. “Miss Martinez never rammed anybody. These agents hit Miss Martinez. These agents jumped out and shot Miss Martinez, a US citizen whose only crime was warning her fellow community members that ICE was in the neighborhood.” After the collision last month, Exum stepped out of his vehicle and fired his weapon five times at Martinez, according to the charging complaint. Martinez suffered five gunshot wounds, Parente previously told CNN. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the shots “defensive.”

The AP [11/20/2025 5:56 PM, Christine Fernando, 31753K] reports that hours before a status hearing, prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the charges against the two defendants, marking a dramatic reversal in one of the most closely watched cases tied to the crackdown in and around the country’s third-largest city. In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Martinez’s lawyer, Christopher Parente, praised the U.S. attorney’s office “for doing the right thing here and dismissing the indictment.” Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said the office is “constantly evaluating new facts and information relating to cases and investigations arising out of Operation Midway Blitz.” Since “Operation Midway Blitz ″ began in September, the Department of Homeland Security has characterized protesters as violent rioters and vowed to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. But of the more than two dozen people arrested for impeding or assaulting federal officers or other protest-related offenses, none have gone to trial and charges have been dropped against at least nine of them. Judges have expressed skepticism over the strength of some cases.

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CBS Chicago [11/20/2025 5:39 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE
CNN [11/20/2025 11:32 AM, Nicquel Terry Ellis, 18595K]
(B) GMA3 [11/20/2025 1:26 PM, Staff]

Chicago Tribune [11/20/2025 6:31 PM, Jason Meisner, 4829K] reports a federal judge on Thursday issued a scathing opinion that takes a deep dive into the use of force by immigration agents during "Operation Midway Blitz," revealing new information gleaned from body-worn cameras and other evidence showing how agents used tear gas and flash bang grenades on fleeing protesters, shot praying ministers in the face with pepper balls, and even used ChatGPT to help write a report. The 233-page written ruling by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis memorializes her findings in issuing a preliminary injunction earlier this month. Elllis’ injunction was stayed by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday, which called it "overbroad" and said it improperly targets virtually the entire executive branch, including President Donald Trump. In agreeing to issue a stay, however, the 7th Circuit warned to "not overread" the order, saying Ellis’ findings "may support entry of a more tailored and appropriate preliminary injunction" down the line. Later Wednesday, the 7th Circuit issued an expedited appeal schedule, asking for the government’s brief no later than Nov. 26, and any reply by Dec. 3. Oral arguments could be set soon after.

AP [11/20/2025 9:08 PM, Sarah Raza, 31753K] reports that, for nearly two months, federal agents have been carrying out surprise raids in Chicago in pursuit of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, emerging from unmarked vehicles in neighborhoods throughout the city to confront and detain stunned members of the public. "Operation Midway Blitz" has resulted in more than 3,300 arrests, according to attorneys for detainees. The crackdown has galvanized Chicagoans, who have banded together to protect their neighbors. They have borne witness the best way they could: by pulling out their phones to document what was happening. The Associated Press gathered some of these videos. For this story, some of the details of the people involved in the arrests, including their names, ages and immigration statuses, were gleaned from interviews, local news reports and court records. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t respond to emails sent Friday seeking further information and comment about the actions taken by agents seen in the footage. But Trump administration officials have routinely defended agents’ actions. Jose Aguilar had just heard from family that federal agents were in the area when he spotted four in uniform following two people into a nearby pharmacy. Construction workers were taking a break from replacing windows on a home when a white SUV pulled up. Before the agents even emerged from the car, the contractors knew what was coming and took off in every direction. Uriel Villegas and his older brother were doing construction work on a home when federal agents pulled up in a car and asked if they had papers. Witnesses captured video of how a collision with a Border Patrol vehicle escalated.

New York Times [11/20/2025 2:23 PM, Eduardo Medina, 153395K] reports hours after local officials in Charlotte, N.C., announced that the federal Border Patrol operation in the city had ended, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday that it was neither over nor “ending anytime soon.” Mayor Vi Lyles and Garry McFadden, the sheriff of Mecklenburg County, both Democrats, had said earlier on Thursday that it appeared the operation, which began last Saturday, had concluded. The sheriff cited unnamed federal officials in his statement, noting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a separate agency under the Department of Homeland Security, would continue to operate in the county “as they always have.” But Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for homeland security, said in a statement about two hours later that there was no such conclusion to the Border Patrol operation, which has been named Charlotte’s Web, a reference to the children’s book. The conflicting statements appeared to make little difference to undocumented immigrants in Charlotte: Many stayed in their homes on Thursday, fearful of stepping outside. Scores of businesses remained closed, and construction sites were empty. As of Thursday afternoon, the mayor’s office had not commented on Ms. McLaughlin’s statement. Ms. Lyles had previously written on social media that she was “relieved for our community and the residents, businesses and all those who were targeted and impacted by this intrusion.” NewsMax [11/20/2025 8:56 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports that both the local sheriff and police department said earlier in the day that the crackdown, which has resulted in hundreds of arrests, appeared to be over less than a week after it began. Federal officials have offered few details about those arrested or when and where agents will show up next. But even as confusion swirled over whether Operation Charlotte’s Web was on or off in North Carolina, immigration enforcement actions are taking place nationwide, often with far less media attention than the Border Patrol surges. In one example, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had arrested roughly 3,500 people over a six-week span in Houston. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a statement that federal officials confirmed that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation known as "Operation Charlotte’s Web" had ended, but that agents would continue operating as they have in the past. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police posted on social media Thursday that it received "reliable information" that Border Patrol personnel involved with the operation had departed that morning. Another statement attributed to an unnamed Homeland Security spokesperson said that federal agencies "continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens as Operation Charlotte’s Web progresses," and that about 370 people have been arrested over the past five days. Federal agents are expected to descend next on New Orleans for "Operation Swamp Sweep," a monthslong crackdown in southeast Louisiana. As many as 250 federal troops could arrive as soon as Friday for the operation expected to kick off at the beginning of December.

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The Hill [11/20/2025 3:12 PM, Ryan Mancini, 12595K]
CBS News [11/20/2025 5:29 PM, Staff, 39474K]
CNN [11/20/2025 6:04 PM, Dianne Gallagher, 606K]
USA Today [11/20/2025 3:40 PM, Christopher Cann, 67103K]

Reuters [11/20/2025 5:12 PM, Brad Brooks, 36480K] reports the status of a Border Patrol operation targeting suspected undocumented migrants in Charlotte, North Carolina was in doubt on Thursday, with the local sheriff’s office saying they were told by federal officials it had ended, which the Department of Homeland Security said was false. Charlotte was the latest city run by Democrats targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s mass deportation push, which has seen federal agents using aggressive tactics in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and elsewhere to apprehend immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally. Local residents have taken to the streets in protest and in efforts to warn people about the presence of immigration officers. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a Thursday statement that federal officials confirmed with his office that the Border Patrol operation had ended, writing that "as a result, there will be no CBP operations" on Thursday. "It is important to clarify that while the ‘Charlotte’s Web’ operation has ended, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will continue to operate in Mecklenburg County as they always have," the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Department statement read. "ICE maintains full authority to detain, apprehend, and take into custody any undocumented immigrant in accordance with federal law." Asked if Operation Charlotte’s Web had ended, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Reuters by email that "the operation is not over and it is not ending anytime soon." The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, asked about McLaughlin’s comment, said in an emailed reply that it was standing by its earlier statement that the operation was over. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security had said that the raids in Charlotte were a response to the refusal of local officials to comply with requests to hold suspects for immigration police. Homeland Security said on Thursday that around 370 arrests had been made in Charlotte and the surrounding area in the previous five days. Border Patrol expanded its operations to Raleigh, North Carolina, about 130 miles northeast of Charlotte, earlier this week.

The Hill [11/20/2025 10:18 AM, Ryan Mancini, 12595K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested more than 250 immigrants living in the country illegally in the first few days of its operations in Charlotte, N.C., the department said Wednesday. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials arrived in Charlotte on Saturday as part of President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration across the country. Charlotte joined a growing list of cities to see a federal immigration presence on the streets. Among those arrested were immigrants who have been convicted on a variety of charges, including driving without a valid license, breaking and entering, felony larceny, illegal reentry and domestic violence. The arrival of CBP officers have prompted some shops and restaurants in immigrant neighborhoods to close out of fear, The Associated Press reported. Laundromat owner David Rebolloso said some customers left their clothes in washers and dryers after immigration agents were seen at a shopping center on Sunday. "We’re only open because I’m an American citizen, so it doesn’t bother me," Rebolloso told the AP. "But of course, business is down. I have no customers.". The DHS has repeatedly hailed its efforts while criticizing critics as opponents of President Trump. "While the media and sanctuary politicians try and spread falsehoods and demean DHS law enforcement, the men and woman of DHS are risking their lives and safety to arrest illegal criminal aliens that are victimizing Americans," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on the Charlotte operations. "We are going to continue to do our job and stand up for North Carolinians who live in fear because of violent criminal illegal aliens.".

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AP [11/20/2025 7:21 AM, Gary D. Robertson, 31753K]

Axios [11/20/2025 11:58 AM, Ashley Mahoney, 12972K] reports parents are navigating how to talk to their children about U.S. Border Patrol agents in Charlotte. Border Patrol’s immigration enforcement tactics — showing up at parking lots, construction sites, schools and churches — have worried residents, regardless of immigration status, that they could be detained, or that their children could witness something traumatic. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has more than 141,000 students, and over 30% of them are Hispanic. On Monday, Nov. 17, 30,399 CMS students were absent, per preliminary data from the district, following the launch of operation "Charlotte’s Web" over the weekend. CMS typically sees an average absence rate of about 7.9%, per WFAE. But on Monday, that number surged to more than 20%, CMS data shows. On Tuesday, 25,697 were absent. The elevated absences show fear may be keeping families home. Charlotte parents tell Axios they’re having frank conversations with children of all ages about how Border Patrol’s presence has affected their classmates. Elizabeth Zajac says she’s telling her 12- and 8-year-old children that Border Patrol’s actions are "wrong and deeply unfair." Her children responded, "I know. Other parents told Axios that they’re telling their children that most immigrants come here seeking a better life — but that they must do so through legal means.

Wall Street Journal [11/20/2025 5:11 PM, Jess Bravin, 646K] reports a federal judge ruled Thursday that President Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard to bolster crime-fighting in Washington violates several laws, including home-rule powers Congress granted the District of Columbia in 1973. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb said that the president couldn’t deploy the D.C. National Guard to assume law-enforcement duties Congress assigned to the mayor, currently Muriel Bowser, a Democrat. She also found that Trump lacked the authority to send Guard units from other states to Washington, because the federal law he cited allows such deployments only to carry out missions that the D.C. Guard could perform. “At its core, Congress has given the District rights to govern itself,” she wrote. “Those rights are infringed upon” by Trump’s deployment of the Guard without the consent of the city’s leaders, she wrote. Cobb, a 2021 Biden appointee, delayed implementation of her ruling until Dec. 11 so that the administration could appeal. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said that the president “is well within his lawful authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington D.C. to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement with specific tasks.” Some 2,000 Guard members, about equally divided between the D.C. forces and those sent from other states, are deployed in Washington under a mission dubbed Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful. The deployment began in August, when Trump signed an order mobilizing the Guard “to address the epidemic of crime in our Nation’s capital… until I determine that conditions of law and order have been restored.” The district’s Democratic attorney general, Brian Schwalb, sued in September to stop the deployment.

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AP [11/20/2025 4:48 PM, Gary Fields and Lindsay Whitehurst, 31753K]

Breitbart [11/20/2025 8:50 AM, Bob Price, 2416K] reports Border Patrol agents in Arizona arrested an illegal alien from Uzbekistan who was allegedly operating a tractor-trailer on Interstate 10 with five fraudulent driver’s licenses. The Uzbek national illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration and ignored an order of removal this year from an immigration judge. Yuma Sector Border Patrol officials published the report of their arrest of the 29-year-old illegal alien truck driver from Uzbekistan. Following his arrest, Border Patrol agents found five driver’s licenses — two from New York and three from Ohio, officials stated. "How many IDs does an illegal alien need?" officials asked in a post on X. The arrest of the illegal alien truck driver followed the investigation of a vehicle crash on Interstate 10 near Quartzsite, Arizona, the post indicates. He illegally entered the U.S. at an undisclosed location during the peak of the Biden-era border crisis in April 2023. Nearly 184,000 illegal aliens entered the U.S. that month. The Uzbek national appeared before an immigration judge in July and was issued an order of removal. He ignored the self-deportation order and continued to operate commercial vehicles illegally. Agents arrested him for "alien inadmissibility" and processed him for deportation proceedings, officials stated. The tractor-trailer had to be towed from the crash scene. "Not only was Akhror Bozorov — a wanted terrorist — released into the country by the Biden administration, but he was he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania," the Department of Homeland Security’s Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "This should go without saying, but terrorist illegal aliens should not be operating 18-wheelers on America’s highways," McLaughlin said. "Biden and Mayorkas allowed countless terrorists to come into our country. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target these national security threats."

The AP [11/20/2025 3:08 PM, Mike Catalini and Marc Levy, 31753K] reports the Trump administration threatened Thursday to withhold nearly $75 million in funding if Pennsylvania does not immediately revoke what the administration claims are illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants. The move by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to target Pennsylvania follows similar action against California. Both states are run by Democratic governors who have criticized President Donald Trump’s administration and who are viewed as potential top-shelf contenders to be the party’s 2028 presidential nominee. Duffy has made it a priority to scrutinize how the licenses are issued since August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. That incident thrust the issue into the public’s consciousness. In a statement Thursday, DOT spokesperson Danna Almeida said all states were being reviewed. It’s unclear how many people would be affected in Pennsylvania. In any case, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ‘s administration said the federal government didn’t identify a single commercial driver’s license issued to someone who wasn’t eligible. Still, a letter Thursday from the Republican administration to Shapiro cited an audit that found two out of 150 people whose licenses exceeded their lawful presence in the country. In four cases it had reviewed, the federal government said Pennsylvania provided no evidence that it had required noncitizens to provide legitimate proof that they were legally in the country at the time they got the license. The Trump administration called on Pennsylvania to stop issuing new, renewed and transferred commercial driver’s licenses and permits, as well as conduct an audit to identify those licenses whose expirations exceed the driver’s lawful stay in the U.S. It is also asking the state to void noncompliant licenses and remove those drivers from the road. The administration said approximately 12,400 noncitizen drivers hold an unexpired commercial learner’s permit or commercial driver’s license issued by Pennsylvania. FOX News [11/20/2025 2:21 PM, Charles Creitz, 40621K] reports Pennsylvania state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Allentown, previously shared a letter with Fox News Digital that he sent to the Shapiro administration warning of a growing crisis after a previous, similar incident. Gov. Josh Shapiro responded Wednesday, saying it was the Trump administration’s fault Akhror Bozorov’s name remained in a federal database of noncitizens with work permits, while DHS maintained that being present in that database did not indicate legal immigration status. In his warning to Pennsylvania on Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a review by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found Harrisburg had violated existing federal safety regulations by issuing "non-domicile" CDLs "illegally.". Duffy’s office said PennDOT wrongly issued licenses to "ineligible foreigners without verifying their legal status.". "Under President Trump, this Department is taking every measure to ensure dangerous foreign drivers aren’t illegally operating 40-ton vehicles on American roads," Duffy said. "Joe Biden allowed tens of millions of illegals to pour into our country through open borders, including a suspected terrorist who Pennsylvania then allowed to get behind the wheel of a semitruck.". Fox News Digital also obtained a copy of the letter Duffy will send Thursday to Shapiro and PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll, a fellow Democrat and former state representative from Lackawanna County. "Pennsylvania is an important partner in FMCSA’s mission to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, and the agency makes this preliminary determination to help Pennsylvania come into substantial compliance," the letter read, in part. Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Shapiro, who provided comment from PennDOT spokesperson Alexis Campbell. Campbell said that PennDOT previously paused all non-domiciled CDLs and fully cooperated with FMCSA’s regularly scheduled audit, which she said did not reveal any cases of licenses issued to ineligible applicants. "All non-citizens who apply for driver’s licenses, including CDLs, must provide PennDOT with proof of identity and must have their legal presence in this country verified through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database — a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "PennDOT follows the established federal process for confirming that the applicant was lawfully present using the SAVE database in every case," Campbell said.

Washington Times [11/20/2025 4:00 PM, Matt Delaney, 852K] reports five people linked to the left-wing militant group antifa pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in this past summer’s attack on a Texas immigration detention facility that left one police officer wounded. The five suspects — Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Seth Sikes, Lynette Sharp and John Thomas — face up to 15 years in prison after they took pleas Wednesday on federal charges of providing material support to terrorists. Prosecutors said a sixth defendant, Rebecca Morgan, is expected to plead guilty to similar charges next week in the July 4 shooting outside of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Nine other alleged antifa members connected to the shooting will be arraigned on Dec. 3. “Four months ago, in an attempt to sow anarchy and chaos and to undermine the rule of law, a coordinated attack was carried out on the Prairieland Detention Center, leaving one of our local law enforcement officers injured and a community in disarray,” said Robert Cerna, the head of ICE’s Dallas Field Office. “In response, the law enforcement community banded together to expose the cowardly thugs responsible for that heinous attack and hold them accountable,” he continued. FBI Director Kash Patel previously said that the charges were the first of their kind targeting antifa. That was made possible by the Trump administration designating the far-left group as a domestic terror organization this year. Antifa traditionally does not abide by a hierarchy or structure that most other terror cells do, but its members have been tied to destructive protests and assaults on conservative activists, largely in deep blue cities such as Portland, Oregon.

Federalist [11/20/2025 7:07 AM, Shawn Fleetwood, 785K] reports the culmination of a disastrous 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision granting illegal aliens access to American public schools has seemingly taken center stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week. After the Department of Homeland Security revealed Saturday that U.S. immigration officials would be conducting enforcement operations throughout the city, local media began reporting that an unusually high number of students were marked absent from school. According to data in these reports, roughly 30,000 students did not attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Monday. ("Officials initially reported that 20,935 students were absent on Monday," but updated this number, according to WBTV.) The "unofficial" 30,000 figure, if "finalized by the state," would reportedly be more than double the number of daily absences recorded throughout the previous week. The vast majority of these reported absences (28,136 out of 30,399) "were listed as unexcused," according to Queen City News. Further data reported on Wednesday indicates that 25,697 students were also absent from CMS on Tuesday, Nov. 18 — another "unusually high" number, of which 23,770 were unexcused, according to the outlet. While officials have yet to identify a direct correlation between the absences and ongoing immigration operations, it’s worth noting that a similar dynamic was reported last month in Chicago’s schools after ICE agents launched a sweep of the city. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also boasts a significant number of Hispanic-identifying students (more than 44,000), with 2023 Census Bureau data reportedly showing that 11 percent of North Carolina’s K-12 students have at least one "undocumented" parent.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 11:36 AM, Frances Martel, 2416K] reports the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned "interference of external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs" during its regular press briefing on Wednesday, demanding that the United States "engage in normal law enforcement" rather than military operations to stop organized drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea. Despite having no geographic stake in the matter of drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, the Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly offered its opinion against curtailing the influx of illicit drugs into the United States. It has particularly spoken out in defense of the illegitimate Venezuelan socialist regime, whose "Cartel of the Suns" the administration of President Donald Trump is set to formally declare a foreign terrorist organization on November 24. Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, are both widely considered cartel leaders. The United States maintains active bounties of $15 million and $10 million, respectively, for their capture. "Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government," Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed in July. "Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States.". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning did not address the damaging criminal activities by the Cartel of the Suns or other related syndicates in the region, instead focusing on disparaging U.S. efforts to protect Americans and their neighbors from these organized criminal entities.

NBC News [11/21/2025 5:00 AM, Dan De Luce, Courtney Kube, and Gordon Lubold, 43603K] reports President Donald Trump and his Pentagon chief say U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in waters off Latin America are saving lives by preventing narcotics from reaching America’s shores. But drug cartels operating vessels in the Caribbean, where roughly 50% of the airstrikes have taken place, are mainly moving cocaine from South America to Europe — not to the United States, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement and military officials as well as narcotics experts. And the deadliest drug of all, fentanyl, is almost exclusively smuggled over land from Mexico, the officials and experts say. The realities of the drug trade in Latin America call into question part of the administration’s stated rationale for its unprecedented military campaign against suspected narcotics smuggling boats, and whether it will have any significant effect on the supply of narcotics in the United States, according to the officials and experts. “Fentanyl is not coming out of Venezuela. Fentanyl comes from Mexico,” said Christopher Hernandez-Roy, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. “What’s coming out of Venezuela is cocaine.” And most of that cocaine is no longer headed to the U.S., according to Hernandez-Roy, who co-authored a 2023 report on the subject. The cocaine market in Europe has “exploded” in recent years, he said, because it’s “more lucrative and there’s less of a chance, at least at some levels of the supply chain, of facing prison time.” A U.S. official with expertise on counternarcotics efforts offered a similar assessment, saying cocaine accounts for about 90% of the drugs coming from Venezuela and is “almost all destined for Europe.”

Washington Examiner [11/20/2025 8:51 AM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday called for the Trump administration to divulge more details on why the United States is surging military assets near Venezuela’s coast. Schumer said he wanted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to give all senators a classified briefing on President Donald Trump’s "military buildup and reported plans for military operations in Venezuela." His comments come after the Trump administration attracted bipartisan criticism in October for not allowing Senate Democrats to attend a classified briefing regarding the Pentagon’s strikes on alleged drug boats in the region. "The Trump administration has failed in their duty to consult with Congress," the Senate minority leader said in a post to X. "The last thing Americans want right now is another endless war.". Speculation is swirling that Trump could authorize military action in Venezuela as he targets drug cartels in the country that are sending narcotics into the U.S.

Reuters [11/20/2025 1:24 PM, Staff, 36480K] reports that President Donald Trump’s decision to designate an alleged drug cartel that the U.S. links to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization provides the Pentagon with a range of new options, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would designate the Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, which makes it a crime for anyone in the U.S. to provide material support to the group. Hegseth spoke with One America News and, in excerpts released on Thursday, was quoted as saying the designation "brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States." Hegseth said Maduro is "not a legitimately elected leader of Venezuela" and repeated accusations that Maduro is involved in drug trafficking. Maduro has denied such involvement. It is unclear when the interview took place, but it will air on Thursday. U.S. officials have accused Cartel de los Soles of working with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Washington previously designated a foreign terrorist organization, to send illegal narcotics to the U.S. The Trump administration has alleged that Maduro leads Cartel de los Soles, which Maduro denies. The designation will take effect on Monday.

The Hill [11/20/2025 7:55 PM, Filip Timotija, 12595K] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. government’s decision to designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization provides the Defense Department with "new options" to go after the alleged drug cartel, which officials alleged is headed by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. "Well, it brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States," Hegseth said in an interview with One America News Network (OAN), which aired on Thursday. The Defense secretary said the classification, which was announced by the State Department over the weekend and takes effect next Monday, gives "more tools to our department to give options to the president to ultimately say our hemisphere will not be controlled by narco-terrorists.” "It will not be controlled by cartels," Hegseth added. "It will not be controlled by what illegitimate regimes try to push toward the American people.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials have argued that Maduro is the head of Cartel de los Soles — an accusation that the Venezuelan leader has denied — and that the group works with Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization also designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. Hegseth’s remarks come as President Trump has indicated that he is open to having talks with Maduro but has not ruled out other options, including conducting strikes inside the country as Washington turns up the pressure against Caracas. The Trump administration has amassed a massive military presence in the U.S. Southern Command region, positioning fighter jets, Marines, at least one submarine and spy planes. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean in recent days. The U.S. has utilized its military force in the region, taking out 21 alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and in the Eastern Pacific, killing at least 83 people whom the administration has called "narco-terrorists.” "It’s just about options, and we plan better than any organization in the world here; we want to make sure the president has options to include doing a whole lot, to include doing, you know, the cartel mission that we’re doing there as well," Hegseth said of the terrorist designation. "So nothing’s off the table, but nothing’s automatically on the table.” Like other U.S. officials have, the Defense secretary called Maduro — who was accused of committing widespread election fraud during the 2024 election by the international community — an "illegitimate leader" and reiterated that the reward for information that leads to his arrest was doubled to $50 million this summer. Hegseth has raised the possibility of expanding strikes against drug cartels in what the administration argues are efforts to combat drug trafficking and defend the U.S. "If we need to apply that inside our own hemisphere against narco-terrorists who are terrorizing and poisoning the American people, nobody would do it better," Hegseth said during the interview. "Whether it’s on land or in the maritime.”

Telemundo52 [11/20/2025 1:56 PM, Staff, 76K] reports US President Donald Trump is considering taking "additional measures" against drug cartels in Mexico, the White House said Thursday, while praising the government of Claudia Sheinbaum for its "historic progress" in the fight against drugs. "We have seen historic progress by President Sheinbaum and her administration in Mexico in the fight against the cartels. They have cooperated extraordinarily in efforts on our southern border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press conference. "Now, the president is very interested in taking additional measures against the drug cartels. He has been very clear about that," the spokeswoman added, saying that Trump’s National Security team "is constantly reviewing these options." The White House comments come after Trump said on Monday that he is not "happy" with Mexico’s handling of the drug war and said he does not rule out an attack on cartels within Mexican territory.

Washington Examiner [11/20/2025 8:00 AM, Tom Rogan, 1394K] reports President Donald Trump posited a rhetorical question last weekend. “Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs?” Trump asked, continuing, “It’s OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs.” I think not. Drug cartel activity from Mexico poses a far greater threat to U.S. national security and well-being than that of drug cartel activity out of Venezuela or Colombia. And it’s not even close. These cartels smuggle truly vast amounts of drugs of all kinds across the United States border every day. The DEA’s courage notwithstanding, the scale of drug smuggling makes drug seizures and indictments almost ludicrous in comparison. And Trump has so far limited his direct-action campaign against the drug cartels to Venezuela. The same applies to the sharper edges of CIA covert action. However, in light of growing protests in Mexico against the drug cartels and the apparent unwillingness of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to take more robust action against them, it’s worth asking why Trump is sparing the Mexican cartels from more robust American action. There are indications that the Trump administration intends to bolster direct action against the two Mexican kingpin cartels: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Trump has designated both as foreign terrorist organizations, and his Ambassador to Mexico City is a former CIA paramilitary officer. Still, Trump’s action against the Mexican cartels has thus far only involved boosted intelligence gathering operations and bolstered domestic law enforcement operations. The CJNG is now the most dominant cartel in Mexico. It has pared back the power of other cartels, including El Chapo Guzman’s once supreme Sinaloa Cartel. It has done so through its application of extreme aggression, financial creativity, and, more recently, by taking advantage of the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal conflicts. The CJNG revels in violence that makes Islamic State terrorists look timid by comparison. Smuggling Fentanyl, Cocaine, and drugs of all types across the U.S. border to their strongholds in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta, the CJNG has built a highly lucrative American empire. CJNG operations targeting the U.S. include fraud, human smuggling, and money laundering. Operations in Mexico range from shaking down Avocado farmers to stealing from the state oil company. The degree to which the drug trade precipitates street violence and associated criminality underlines why Trump is justified in part in using force against cartels in their overseas bastions. Mexico needs a stronger hand against these cartels.

San Francisco Chronicle [11/20/2025 9:04 AM, Kee Hyun Park, 4722K] reports few political alliances in recent American history have seemed as solid as the one between Donald Trump and the country’s farmers. Through three elections, farmers stood by Trump even as tariffs, trade wars and labor shortages squeezed profits. But Trump’s second term may be different. A new round of administration policies now cuts deeper into farmers’ livelihoods – not just squeezing profits but reshaping how farms survive – through renewed tariffs on agricultural products, visa restrictions on farm workers, reduced farm subsidies and open favoritism toward South American agricultural competitors. In the past, farmers’ loyalty to Trump has overridden economics. In our study of the 2018–19 trade war between the U.S. and China, we found that farmers in Trump-voting counties kept planting soybeans even though the trade war’s effects were clear: Their costs would rise and their profits would fall. Farmers in Democratic-leaning counties, by contrast, shifted acreage toward alternatives such as corn or wheat that were likely to be more profitable. For many pro-Trump farmers, political belief outweighed market logic – at least in the short term. Today, the economic effects of policies affecting farmers are broader and deeper – and the resolve that carried farmers’ support for Trump through the first trade war may no longer be enough. The revived U.S.-China trade conflict has again placed soybeans at its center. In March 2025, Beijing suspended import licenses for several major U.S. soybean exporters following new U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump countered with a new round of reciprocal tariffs, broadening the list of Chinese imports hit and raising rates on already targeted goods.

ABC News [11/20/2025 1:54 PM, Selina Wang and Hakyung Kate Lee, 30493K] reports South Korean workers have started returning to the Hyundai-LG battery factory in Georgia after the historic raid on the site in September. Mr. Kim, one of the engineers who had been detained and who asked to be identified by his surname only, said roughly 50 engineers who were detained have re-entered the United States as of Nov. 15. According to Kim and an attorney representing the workers, more than 100 of the 317 detained South Korean nationals have now had their B-1 business visas reinstated. The attorney said all B-1 holders had their visas restored without having to reapply — a sign, the lawyer argues, that the workers were lawfully in the U.S. to install equipment at the factory. Nearly 200 of the detainees are now planning to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging unlawful policing, racial profiling, human rights violations, excessive force and unlawful arrest. They were arrested on Sept. 4 and detained for a week, until the U.S. and South Korean governments negotiated for them to return home. Federal officials called it the "largest, single site enforcement operation in the history of homeland security investigations.". South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells ABC News that the U.S. and South Korea are still working to fix the visa system between the two countries. The State Department would not comment on details of individual visas, but said in a statement to ABC News: "What we’re talking about here is foreign workers with very specialized skills coming to the United States for a short time to train up American workers before returning to their own country, so we can increase job opportunities for Americans.".

AP [11/20/2025 5:26 PM, Brian White, 31753K] reports a federal judge in Maryland promised on Thursday to rule as soon as possible on whether to order the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody. Abrego Garcia’s mistaken deportation to El Salvador in March, in violation of an earlier court settlement, has galvanized both sides of the debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Since his return to the United States in June, the government has been seeking to deport him to a series of African countries. His attorneys claim the government is illegally using the immigration system to punish Abrego Garcia for the embarrassment of having to admit that his earlier deportation was in error. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland earlier issued an injunction that prevents his immediate removal. The government has asked her to lift the injunction. In court on Thursday, John Cantu, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified in support of Homeland Security’s latest proposal to send Abrego Garcia to Liberia. Abrego Garcia has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, finding he faced danger there. Since he cannot be deported to El Salvador, the government wants to deport him to a third country. He has said he is willing to be deported to Costa Rica, which earlier had given the U.S. government a guarantee that he would be allowed to live freely there. However, the government has made no obvious effort to deport him to the Spanish-speaking Central American country, instead notifying of their intent to send him to Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and now Liberia. In court on Thursday, Cantu told the judge that removal to Costa Rica is "not an option at the moment" but was short on details as to why. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argued that the government cannot simply hold him in immigration detention indefinitely. They also pointed out that there is no final order of removal for Abrego Garcia in the immigration record. Xinis seemed to agree that without a removal order, he probably should not be in custody. "You can’t fake it ‘till you make it," she said of the order. "You’ve got to have it.". Xinis said she would rule on whether he can be released as quickly as she could, but noted, "These are weighty issues.".

Reported similarly:
CBS Baltimore [11/20/2025 5:31 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE
FOX News [11/20/2025 6:57 PM, Breanne Deppisch and Jake Gibson, 40621K]

Washington Times [11/20/2025 3:33 PM, Sean Salai, 852K] reports the Trump administration said Thursday it has concluded that only Liberia is an immediate option for deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, rejecting the migrant’s claim that Costa Rica is ready to take him. John Cantu, acting assistant director of the deportation division at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told a federal judge that Liberia has given the State Department assurances it will not torture or persecute Mr. Abrego Garcia. The West African nation also said it won’t send him back to El Salvador, his home country, where the U.S. is barred from deporting him under a 2019 immigration judge’s order. Mr. Cantu said the U.S. believes those assurances to be “credible” and that Costa Rica is “not an option at the moment.” But U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who is overseeing the deportation case, said she’s not sure of the government’s claims about Costa Rica. “Well, I don’t have any factual basis for that, because the government elected not to give me any,” she said. Mr. Abrego Garcia is the highest-profile unauthorized immigrant in the U.S. He has drawn headlines for his March deportation to El Salvador in defiance of the 2019 order, the Supreme Court’s pressure on the Trump administration to bring him back, and his subsequent return to face a separate indictment on migrant smuggling charges. The administration is still pursuing that criminal case as it aims to boot Mr. Abrego Garcia.

ABC News [11/20/2025 2:59 PM, Laura Romero and Emily Chang, 30493K] reports a top ICE official struggled to answer questions about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s potential deportation during an evidentiary hearing on Thursday, and admitted that someone else helped draft his sworn declaration submitted in the case. John Cantu was called to testify about why the government is not planning to deport Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica and is instead preparing to remove him to the West African nation of Liberia. When pressed by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys about the contents of the sealed declaration regarding the government’s communication with Costa Rica, their client’s preferred country of removal, Cantu said he did not understand parts of his declaration. Lawyers for Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador, accuse the government of having "cycled through" four third-country destinations -- Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and now Liberia -- without providing "the notice, opportunity to be heard and individualized assessment that due process requires.". After not being able to answer several questions from Abrego Garcia’s attorneys, Cantu said he received "verbiage" for his declaration from a State Department attorney. "Sitting here today, you could not tell me whether anyone from the State Department has been in touch with Costa Rica since August 21, to determine whether communications have changed?" asked Sascha Rand, an attorney for Abrego Garcia. "That’s right," Cantu replied. "Mr. Cantu, when you say Costa Rica is not an option for removal ... where does that come from?" U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis interjected. "Counsel," Cantu said referring to the State Department attorney. "The point has been made that this witness knows zero information about the content of the declaration," Xinis said. Cantu later admitted he had no involvement in Abrego Garcia’s case prior to November and said his only involvement was a "five minute Teams call" with the Department of State attorney.

Univision [11/20/2025 3:21 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports videos released by civil organizations show federal agents abruptly entering an apartment in East Elmhurst and pointing their weapons at a woman and her four children, in an operation that has sparked countless criticisms. The images, recorded last week, capture the moment several officers in tactical gear entered the home. In one of the clips, the mother, identified as Jennifer, can be seen screaming as she holds her baby while the children, aged between 2 and 13, are by her side. The family’s lawyers claim that the officers never showed a warrant and pointed their weapons at the children for several minutes. Ron Kuby, a civil rights attorney representing the family, maintains that the agents were looking for a cousin of Jennifer’s who, he says, had not lived there for years. She added that the woman has legal status in the country and that the four children are U.S. citizens. She also stated that her client was pulled by her hair and forced to make a phone call to the relative they were looking for, while the agents searched each room. Another video, captured by external cameras, shows the officers breaking down the front door. One member of the group tries to divert a security camera when he realizes it’s recording. According to Kuby, neighbors called 911 believing it was a robbery, so a patrol car from the New York Police Department arrived at the building. After a brief conversation with one of the federal agents, the officer left, in accordance with sanctuary policies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for its part, declared that the allegations that the agents deliberately targeted the children “are false.” The agency maintains that it was an operation aimed at arresting Raymundo Gabriel Huerra-Betancourt, a man with a criminal record and a history of re-entering the country.

Axios [11/20/2025 5:30 AM, Maya Goldman, 12972K] reports the Trump administration is proposing to weigh immigrants’ use of programs like Medicaid or SNAP, as well as other public benefits, when determining if they should get permanent residency. The proposal is another case of the administration putting public health on a collision course with immigration policy. A homeland security proposal published this week lays out a new version of a "public charge" policy, which was expanded during Trump’s first term and then rolled back during the Biden years. Critics say the latest effort, if finalized, could further discourage the use of health, nutrition and housing services after the GOP reconciliation package limited legal immigrants’ access to health insurance. The Department of Homeland Security on Monday said the policy could save nearly $90 billion over a decade as people unenroll from or skip out on public programs. The 140-page rule seeks to override previous policies that outlined which public benefits could disqualify immigrants from getting a green card, instead leaving decisions to the discretion of individual immigration officers on a case-by-case basis. Limiting criteria goes against congressional intent, DHS wrote. The change could mean that officers also consider use of services beyond Medicaid, like getting care at a community health center, when looking at green card applications, legal experts told Axios. The agency said it will issue policy and "interpretive tools" to aid officers’ determinations, at an unspecified future date. DHS acknowledged in the proposal that the policy could lead to worse health outcomes, like increased prevalence of obesity and communicable diseases.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 1:50 PM, Amy Furr, 2416K] reports Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) told Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow that "deportations at scale" do matter for the American people, during a Breitbart News policy event on Thursday in Washington, DC. "I wasn’t born in this country, I’m Hispanic. I don’t view myself as being targeted. I became an American citizen at the first opportunity I could," Moreno explained: This is not about being anti-Hispanic. This is saying, "You weren’t invited into the country. You broke in." And it’s not "oh, we’re going to forgive you." No, you have to leave. If I broke into your house, you wouldn’t say, "Oh you know what, now that you’re here I’m going to feed you, clothe you, and take care of you." I’d say, "Get the heck out of my house," and maybe they can come back in later, but we have to be clear — moral clarity matters. If you are not allowed to be in the country because you came here illegally, you have to leave. Moreno’s comments came after Breitbart News reported in October that President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deported more than half a million illegal aliens since January. "This week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration is breaking records with more than 527,000 illegal aliens deported thus far, with an expectation that close to 600,000 will have been deported by the end of Trump’s first year of his second term," the outlet said. DHS officials have also been targeting the "worst of the worst" criminal illegals in cities across the nation.

Federalist [11/20/2025 7:31 AM, Chad F. Wolf and Tom Plofchan, 785K] reports in the aftermath of 9/11, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was a bold attempt to unify fragmented defenses against terrorism. One of its most forward-thinking — and controversial –– projects was the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), designed as DHS’s bridge to the broader Intelligence Community (IC). The goal was to ensure intelligence flows seamlessly between the Intelligence Community and federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as critical industry partners, to prevent another attack enabled by dots left unconnected. Unfortunately, over two decades later, I&A stands as the single largest misstep in the formation of DHS, a well-intentioned but bloated bureaucracy that drains resources without delivering proportional value. Today, I&A functions more as an unnecessary cost center, complicating DHS’s role in intelligence rather than enhancing it. While it boasts talented professionals who make real contributions to national security, its dual role — straddling the IC and supporting DHS law enforcement — creates a perilous risk of politicizing intelligence. This is not just theoretical; the structure invites a natural suspicion of potential manipulation or bias about intelligence being twisted to fit enforcement of individual agendas or political pressures. After all, the rest of the IC is strictly prohibited from engaging in domestic matters. As the Trump administration seeks to streamline government, reforming I&A offers a prime opportunity to save taxpayer dollars while improving the efficacy and efficiency of our national intelligence apparatus.Secretary Kristi Noem has wisely signaled openness to I&A reform, but it is critical it is conducted in a responsible manner. Reports from July 2025 indicate plans to reduce I&A’s workforce by up to 75 percent, shrinking it to about 275 personnel focused on core analysis. Now is the time for the Trump administration to follow through on this commitment, recognizing that fiscally responsible reform is possible without compromising security.

AP [11/20/2025 4:50 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports a former staffer for a Republican congressman claimed she was attacked by three armed men who tied her up, slashed her and scrawled an anti-Trump statement on her stomach, according to authorities. But federal prosecutors are now accusing her of making the whole thing up and staging the bloody scene, including hiring someone to cut her skin. The 26-year-old woman, who worked for U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey, made her initial court appearance Wednesday on charges that she conspired to perpetrate a hoax and made false statements to federal law enforcement. The woman and a friend staged the fake attack July 23 at a nature preserve in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The friend called 911 saying the attackers had a gun, knew the woman’s name and that she worked for Van Drew, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump.

Washington Post [11/20/2025 6:00 AM, Lauryn Williams, 24149K] reports America is experiencing a five-alarm cybersecurity fire. Cyberattacks were up an astonishing 85 percent from September to October during the government shutdown, according to the cybersecurity firm The Media Trust, reaching into the hundreds of millions of sophisticated, targeted attacks aimed at federal workers at many agencies. In recent weeks, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an emergency notification after a “nation-state affiliated cyber threat actor” compromised devices and software widely used in government. Clearly, cybercriminals and nation-states sought to exploit the longest shutdown in American history. But the crisis only exposed the broader vulnerability of U.S. government agencies, as well as local government and private operators of critical infrastructure providing vital services such as water, electricity and telecommunications. Addressing these short- and long-term vulnerabilities demands urgent action from the Trump administration. How did the United States arrive here? The civilian bureaucracy is experiencing unprecedented upheaval this year, and the workforce performing key cybersecurity missions protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure has been sharply reduced. More than 200,000 workers have left the federal civil service since January. By year’s end, Trump officials want that number to be 300,000. At CISA, which is the nation’s civil cyberdefense agency, 65 percent of staff were furloughed during the shutdown, which was on top of the many whose jobs were cut previously. The number of cyber defenders at CISA could be further depleted, as more job cuts are planned.

Washington Times [11/20/2025 4:54 PM, Gen. Michael Flynn, 852K] reports as President Trump declared in recent days, tariffs are crucial for national security, including U.S. economic health. While Canada runs an advertisement attacking the tariffs, our commander in chief is working overtime to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical metals such as steel and aluminum while creating millions of American manufacturing jobs. While I was serving my country for more than 33 years in uniform and during my tenure as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, it became clear to me that we must strengthen supply chains for the critical minerals and metals used by the U.S. military. American-made aluminum is a critical input for our military’s fighter jets, tanks and body armor. Depending on imported steel and aluminum to produce our tanks and planes makes America less safe. In an emergency, our inability to ramp up domestic production represents a clear and present danger to U.S. national security. Mr. Trump recognizes that allowing unfairly traded imports to hollow out our manufacturing supply chains will make America vulnerable. The simple reality is that we must be able to assemble tanks, fighter jets, planes, ships and even cars in the U.S. using American-made steel and aluminum. A strong and secure manufacturing supply chain, even down to the semi-finished parts suppliers, is critical to American greatness. In a global conflict with a foreign adversary, we cannot rely on globalist organizations and foreign suppliers, a lesson we learned during the pandemic emergency. While communist Zohran Mamdani and globalist special interest groups such as the Aluminum Association attack Mr. Trump’s national security tariffs, our president of peace is seeking to reconstitute the entire supply chain. During his first term, the president imposed tariffs on imports of foreign aluminum and steel.

Houston Chronicle [11/20/2025 6:00 AM, Jessi Cowart, 2983K] reports in a political climate charged with tribalism and misinformation, it’s hard for ordinary folks to make heads or tails of the immigration raids taking place across the country — and even here in Houston. Texans who support these raids generally take a law-and-order approach to the topic, calling for immigrants to enter the country through proper legal channels. They hear stories of violent criminals crossing our borders and believe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agents are keeping their families safe. Opponents, however, challenge the constitutionality of profiling and deporting immigrants, most of whom are peaceful people. They want to see a more humane approach that recognizes the hardships from which many of these people have fled.

FOX News [11/20/2025 1:30 PM, Greg Norman Fox, 40621K] reports an El Salvadorean MS-13 "terrorist gang leader" who tried to "game" the U.S. immigration system under the Biden administration has been deported to his home country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday. Wilmer Alexy Garcia-Manzanarez was originally arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February 2024, "but the Biden administration allowed the criminal to try and game our immigration system by claiming fear of returning to El Salvador where he had an outstanding warrant for murder," according to the department. "The Biden administration let this MS-13 gang member and wanted murderer claim fear of returning to El Salvador despite having a final order of removal and three prior deportations. Of course, a wanted murderer does not want to return to his country to face justice for his crimes," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, this criminal illegal alien is OUT of our country," she added. "The days of the world’s criminals indefinitely remaining in our country are over.". Homeland Security said Garcia-Manzanarez "also committed several heinous crimes in the United States, including burglary, menacing/intimidation with a weapon, driving under the influence of alcohol, property damage, and driving without a license.". He was sent back to El Salvador on Nov. 3.

Federal Newswire [11/20/2025 6:30 PM, Staff] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported the recent arrest of several individuals described as "worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens" across various states. According to ICE, 70% of its arrests involve individuals who are in the country illegally and have been convicted or charged with crimes in the United States. The agency stated that those arrested include people convicted of serious offenses such as lewd acts with a child under 14, second-degree manslaughter, and attempted murder. “ICE law enforcement officers continue to put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. Yesterday, ICE arrested illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes including lewd acts with a child under 14, second degree manslaughter, and attempted murder,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Secretary Neom unleashed ICE to deliver on the President’s mandate from the American people to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country.”

Bloomberg [11/20/2025 3:00 PM, Staff, 18207K] reports small towns are at the center of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, spearheaded by ICE. In one rural New Mexico county, officials are grappling with what it means to be an ICE town. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [11/20/2025 6:11 PM, Brandon Cruz, 42219K] reports a Long Island postal worker helped an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee temporarily escape custody outside and tore into agents in two languages, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. Tamara Mayorga-Wong, 57, allegedly opened the door of an official vehicle in front of the Westhampton Post Office and told a handcuffed detainee in the backseat to run for it before trying to drive away in her own car, court documents said. Cops caught up with the unidentified detainee and arrested Mayorga-Wong after she fled through the building, got into her car in a back parking lot, locked herself and tried to drive away, the records said. Agents then repeatedly told her to get out of the vehicle before she was forcibly removed, court records claimed. Mayorga-Wong is now facing charges of federal obstruction, which can carry up to 20 years in federal prison depending on the statute prosecutors apply. It is unclear if Mayorga-Wong knew the detainee. Details of the detainee’s arrest or where he was being held weren’t immediately known. She was released the same day from Suffolk jail after posting a $50,000 bond.

FOX News [11/20/2025 6:58 AM, Alec Schemmel, 40621K] Video: HERE reports New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said that the New York City Police Department will not be helping with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) measures under his watch, shortly after border czar Tom Homan announced federal immigration officials would be ramping up its enforcement measures soon in the Big Apple. The commitment follows through on Mamdani’s campaign promise that the NYPD will not assist federal immigration officials, such as ICE, under his watch. "We can never go back to the days where Eric Adams would go on national television and open the door to the NYPD handling civil immigration enforcement. That can never even be entertained," Mamdani said during an interview with local television station PIX11 News. "People are living in fear.". The mayor-elect continued, "And what we will ensure is that the NYPD will be delivering public safety, not assisting ICE in their attempts to fulfill the administration’s goal of creating the single largest deportation force in American history." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS New York [11/20/2025 6:31 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports the Department of Homeland Security confirms 13 people were taken into custody during an immigration sweep at a seafood market in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday.

CBS News [11/20/2025 12:34 PM, J.T. Moodee Lockman and Kaicey Baylor, 39474K] reports a Maryland mother was deported to Vietnam, her attorney confirmed Wednesday, after she was detained and released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier in the year. Melissa Tran was initially taken into ICE custody in May and was ordered to be released in October by a judge who found the government was unnecessarily holding her. Despite being reunited with her family, she still faced deportation. During her initial detainment, Tran spent several days in custody in Baltimore before she was moved to Louisiana, Arizona, and Tacoma, Washington. The mother of four owns a business in Hagerstown, Maryland. "ICE arrested [Tran], a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, [who] has a rap sheet including forgery, larceny, fraud, and writing fraudulent checks. An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004. She had over 20 years to leave and received full due process," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. According to her attorney, Tran came to the U.S. from Vietnam legally in the 1990s as a refugee with a Green Card.

CBS Baltimore [11/20/2025 9:00 PM, Mike Hellgren, 39474K] reports the devastated husband of a Maryland mother of four, deported to Vietnam over a theft conviction decades ago, vows to fight to bring her back to the United States. Melissa Tran is now staying with a cousin after a harrowing 48-hour journey to the country she left as a child. A tearful Danny Hoang is now running the couple’s nail salon by himself and taking care of their children. "She’s so sad," Hoang told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren Thursday. "She only wants to take care of the kids. Now, she can’t do that. It’s unfair to Melissa, unfair to my family. She’s not a criminal. She’s not a murderer. She’s a good person." Hoang spoke to Tran, who said the trip to Hanoi took two full days. Her husband is trying to keep up hope that she will someday be allowed to return to the life they built together. "ICE arrested Mong Tuyen Thi Tran, a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, who has a rap sheet including forgery, larceny, fraud, and writing fraudulent checks. An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004. She had over 20 years to leave and received full due process," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote. "President Trump and Secretary Noem’s message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States." Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, condemned what happened to Tran. "Here you have a woman who was beloved by her community, started a small business, and I have to ask everybody, is she really the worst of the worst? Do people really feel safer now that Melissa Tran has been deported? I don’t think so," the senator said. Van Hollen said his office will work to bring her home.

New York Post [11/20/2025 1:40 PM, Josh Christenson, 42219K] reports Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) called Thursday for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to surge resources to Atlanta "to protect citizens against record levels of illegal immigrants" - some of whom have committed violent and heinous crimes. Carter, who is running for US Senate in Georgia, praised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE acting director Todd Lyons for the Trump administration’s success in securing the southern border - but said that "significant work remains" in deporting migrants in the Peach State, according to a letter exclusively obtained by The Post. Nearly 500,000 migrants who illegally entered the US are residing in the Peach State, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That represents a 45% increase since 2018 in the number of people in Georgia living in open defiance of the law," the Georgia Republican wrote in his letter. "Every single person who is here illegally has broken the law and must be treated accordingly; anything less invites a culture of not just mass illegal immigration, but mass crime." Carter cited the Peach State arrest of one "criminal illegal alien from Mexico," Salvador Rodriguez-Mendoza, with a currently active arrest warrant for murder and aggravated assault charges with a deadly weapon in Clayton County. Rodriguez-Mendoza had a "lengthy rap sheet" with "multiple drunk driving offenses, drug possession, driving without a license, and driving on suspended license," an Oct. 30 press release from the Department of Homeland Security stated. The criminal migrant had also been kicked out of the country twice before - in 2000 and 2018 - but somehow re-entered the US for a third time at an unknown time and location. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the "heinous criminal" would no longer pose "a threat to Americans."

Univision Chicago WGBO [11/20/2025 4:09 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports among the hundreds of immigrants who may be released after being detained during “Operation Midway Blitz” is a father of three who, according to his wife, only had a traffic violation. This man has been detained for over a month. He was arrested on November 6 in Waukegan by federal agents, and since then, his wife has had to lie to her children, telling them that their father is working far away. He was not only one of those arrested during Operation Midway Blitz, but he was also eligible for release on bail no later than noon on Friday, November 21. This was based on a court ruling that upheld the release of some 400 people; however, this ruling was appealed, and a court decided to temporarily block the agreement.

NewsMax [11/20/2025 3:48 PM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports a Homeland Security task force operation in San Antonio on Sunday resulted in the arrests of more than 150 illegal aliens at an after-hours nightclub known to be frequented by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The raid, executed by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI alongside 12 other federal, state, and local agencies, also seized cocaine, three guns, and about $35,000 in cash. Among those arrested were 27 suspected Tren de Aragua members, two people under investigation in connection with human smuggling and money laundering, and one person wanted by the DEA for cocaine trafficking. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said the operation removed "150 illegal aliens, including 27 suspected Tren de Aragua gang members" and seized weapons, drugs, and cash. The raid marks the first major action by a newly formed immigration and crime task force operating in South Texas.

Blaze [11/20/2025 5:25 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1442K] reports with increased national focus on the trucking industry, federal and state authorities are stepping up efforts to crack down on illegal truck drivers to address concerns about road safety and national security. A one-day operation last week in Texas led to the apprehension of 31 illegal alien truck drivers, according to Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s office. The joint commercial vehicle enforcement operation on November 11 in Wheeler County along I-40 involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the governor’s office reported on Wednesday. Law enforcement officers inspected 105 vehicles as part of an effort to identify suspicious commercial driver’s licenses. DPS troopers referred 31 drivers to ICE after they were unable to verify their lawful presence in the U.S., despite presenting CDLs. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has similarly launched efforts to remove illegal immigrant truckers from the roads.

Axios [11/20/2025 7:29 AM, Shafaq Patel, 12972K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested more than 3,500 undocumented people in Southeast Texas during the government shutdown, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, per the agency. A 10-day operation from Oct. 22–31 led to 1,505 arrests. That’s nearly double the number of arrests made during a week-long August operation (822) and triple from a February operation (543) — underscoring the ramping up of immigration enforcement.

AP [11/20/2025 7:27 PM, Rebecca Boone, 31753K] reports a federal judge has ordered the release of 16 people detained by immigration officials during an FBI-led raid at a rural Idaho racetrack last month. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Wednesday that keeping the migrants jailed without bond violated their due process rights, and he ordered that they be released while they wait for their immigration cases to be resolved. Many of them have lived in the U.S. for decades and lacked any criminal history, Winmill noted. Some are married to U.S. citizens or have children who are U.S. citizens, according to court documents. In an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents lawfully arrested the detainees during the raid, and added that “an activist judge is ordering lawbreakers to roam free.” “The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country,” the department said. Witnesses described aggressive tactics, including zip-tying children or separating young kids from their parents for an hour or more. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees Border Patrol and ICE, denied that children were zip-tied. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker initially said no restraints or rubber bullets were used on children but later amended that statement, replacing “children” with “young children.”

SFGate [11/20/2025 7:33 PM, Olivia Hebert, 13945K] reports an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in West Oakland on Wednesday morning reportedly led to a vehicle collision involving a parent and a pregnant woman, a city official said. Shortly before 10:00 a.m. a collision occurred on the 800 block of 31st Street, according to a Wednesday news release from the Oakland Police Department. Police said "preliminary findings" were that "an outside law enforcement agency was conducting an investigation." The department was not notified prior to that of any investigative operations from outside agencies in the Oakland area, according to the statement. "During their operation, officers attempted to contact the vehicle involved in their case," the release said, referring to the outside law enforcement agency. "The vehicle later collided with an uninvolved vehicle.". The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to SFGATE that it had been conducting an investigation near Hoover Elementary School in Oakland, but said ICE did not target the school nor go on campus. A DHS spokesperson said the man being pursued refused to pull his vehicle over and tried to "flee" law enforcement.

San Francisco Chronicle [11/20/2025 4:41 PM, Jessica Flores, 4722K] reports a driver was arrested in Alameda on Tuesday after authorities found fake federal agent insignia in their stolen van, police said. An automated license plate reader alerted officers of a stolen vehicle traveling near the Marina Village Shopping Center around 11:30 a.m., the Alameda Police Department said. Police found the vehicle and arrested the driver for allegedly possessing a stolen vehicle. His identity was not immediately released. Officers searched the car and recovered a firearm, counterfeit government identification, drug paraphernalia and "additional evidence suggesting the driver may have been impersonating a federal agent," the department said. Photos posted on the police department’s Facebook page show a black vest with the word "Agent" on the back, handcuffs and several cell phones, IDs and what appeared to be fake Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent insignia.

SFGate [11/20/2025 7:22 AM, Staff, 13945K] reports federal immigration enforcement activity that led to a West Oakland school lockdown Wednesday started when agents in an unmarked SUV attempted to pull over a man during morning drop-off, according to an Oakland City Council member. The man had apparently dropped off a child at Hoover Elementary School or a nearby preschool or childcare campus when he was spooked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to Councilmember Carroll Fife. The man drove off with agents in pursuit and soon allegedly crashed into a car parked near the intersection of 31st and West streets, just a few blocks away, Oakland police confirmed Thursday. "So this high-speed chase in a residential neighborhood led to this grandfather, um, who was just deeply afraid, hitting a parked car, which totaled the car of a young mother, a pregnant young mother who now does not have access to a car," Fife said in a social media post. "This type of activity could have led to not only a detention of a person who was just dropping a child off at school but also it could have led to serious injury or death," Fife said. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that ICE agents weren’t targeting Hoover Elementary and didn’t go on school grounds, but were in the area looking for a specific person with "multiple arrests" in California and Nevada. The man agents were chasing fled on foot following the crash and remains at large, according to DHS officials.

AP [11/20/2025 5:01 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports EB-5 Visa processing data analyzed by EB5 BRICS confirms more than half of immigrant investors in 2025 file concurrently for accelerated permanent residence. Industry research validates this significant trend. More than 50% of EB-5 investors now utilize concurrent filing procedures. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program transformed under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. Concurrent filing provisions permit simultaneous Form I-526E and Form I-485 submission. This dual-filing mechanism grants work authorization and travel rights during petition adjudication. Regional Center investors no longer wait years before obtaining these critical benefits. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the federal immigrant investor initiative. USCIS processes concurrent applications through streamlined adjudication procedures. The Immigrant Investor Program Office oversees all EB-5 petition reviews. Service Centers adjudicate Form I-526E immigrant petitions systematically.

Telemundo 48 El Paso [11/20/2025 5:48 PM, Eduardo Orbea, 10K] reports the Department of Homeland Security intends to tighten the permanent residency and visa application process by restoring the "public charge" policy to deny such benefits. According to the Federal Register, the government wants to redefine the scope of the "public charge" concept to include many more public benefits that immigrants can receive, such as SNAP or Medicaid insurance, which would make them ineligible for residency or a visa. Now, the concept of “public charge” includes any public benefit that an immigrant receives or may receive, which would make him or her “inadmissible” for permanent residence or a visa. Officials reviewing applications must consider the immigrant’s age, health, resources, and financial status when deciding whether they may become a public charge.

Telemundo [11/20/2025 12:56 PM, Staff, 2218K] reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Thursday an inflation-adjusted increase in the costs of some immigration procedures for 2026, which had already been raised last July. The agency explained in a statement that the fee adjustments reflect accumulated inflation from July 2024 to the same month this year, as specified in the budget law passed by President Donald Trump last summer. The increases range from $10 to $5, such as the one applied to employment authorization, which went from $550 to $560. The new $100 fee for asylum seekers, imposed in the new budget law, also saw a $10 increase. The application fee for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will rise from $500 to $510. The renewal fee will increase from $275 to $280. The new inflation-adjusted fees will take effect on January 1, 2026. USCIS is a government agency that relies primarily on payments from immigrants for its budget. The increased costs for immigration procedures have been criticized by immigrant advocates, who warn that they exclude low-income individuals, as well as refugees and asylum seekers fleeing their countries.

Univision [11/20/2025 5:31 AM, Staff, 5004K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published in the Federal Register its proposal to expand the criteria by which permanent residency in the United States can be denied to foreigners if they are considered to be a public charge to the country. The concept of "public charge" has been used for years to determine whether a legal immigrant is entitled to obtain or maintain a green card , among other immigration procedures. However, the new development since Wednesday is that the proposal aims to reinterpret that concept to make it more restrictive, by also considering whether the applicant enjoys benefits such as Medicaid insurance or the ‘food stamps’ of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which until now were excluded from the list of situations to be considered as a possible public charge. Granting greater discretion to officials reviewing cases has worried many immigrants about how this proposal might affect them in the future and whether having received welfare benefits in the past could hinder their ability to improve their legal status in the US.

Houston Chronicle [11/20/2025 4:59 PM, Julián Aguilar, 2983K] reports a national voter advocacy group is suing the Trump administration over a new policy that prohibits organizations from conducting voter-registration drives at some naturalization ceremonies. If successful, the litigation could restore efforts by Houston-based organizations that registered thousands of naturalized citizens before the policy was enacted. The League of Women Voters sued the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Tuesday after the Trump administration in August barred groups from registering voters at administrative ceremonies where a USCIS official administers an oath of allegiance to new citizens. The policy does not affect judicial ceremonies where the oath is administered by a judge. The league said in a statement that the rule was a "deliberate move" by the White House to deny new citizens access to the democratic process.

The Hill [11/20/2025 11:38 AM, Andrew Donovan, 12595K] reports the Trump administration will no longer allow New York county courts or state supreme court justices to preside over citizenship ceremonies and has canceled many swearings-in already scheduled upstate. In recent days, Nexstar’s WSYR has learned of naturalization ceremonies being canceled by the federal government without explanation across several New York counties. Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offered the following explanation to WSYR: "USCIS is dedicated to ensuring that all aspects of the naturalization process comply with federal law. After reviewing the jurisdiction of certain New York county courts under the Immigration and Nationality Act, we have determined that these courts do not meet the statutory requirements to conduct naturalization ceremonies. As a result, USCIS will transition from judicial to administrative ceremonies to ensure compliance with the law. Aliens scheduled for ceremonies at these courts will be rescheduled, and their naturalization process will continue.". Onondaga County Clerk Emily Bersani confirmed that the ceremony she had planned for Wednesday was canceled without specific reasoning. She hasn’t been informed about the status of ceremonies planned for 2026, including the annual New Americans Day event at the New York State Fair. It’s unclear what impact the change will have on naturalization ceremonies typically held in federal courtrooms, as is customary at the Federal Building in Downtown Syracuse.

ABC 7 New York [11/20/2025 10:11 PM, Staff, 30493K] reports Congressman Mike Lawler announced that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will reverse its recent cancellation of naturalization ceremonies in Rockland and Westchester counties and across New York State. The decision comes following Lawler’s letter to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow and subsequent calls with Director Edlow. "After raising this issue directly with USCIS and speaking to Director Edlow, I’m pleased to share that the agency will reverse its decision and allow naturalization ceremonies in Rockland and Westchester to resume immediately," stated Congressman Lawler. "Our communities are strengthened by the contributions of new citizens every single day." On Wednesday, executives in Westchester County called on federal officials to reinstate local naturalization ceremonies, which are the final process of becoming a U.S. citizen. USCIS abruptly cancelled a naturalization ceremony on November 12 and halted all future ceremonies, according to an email from an official with the Department of Homeland Security. Additional guidance on the restoration of naturalization ceremonies will be forthcoming from USCIS.

CBS New York [11/20/2025 5:47 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports the Trump administration is reversing course and will allow naturalization ceremonies to resume in New York City’s northern suburbs.

CNN [11/20/2025 2:19 PM, Madeleine Stix, 18595K] reports residents in Charlotte, North Carolina, have been protesting an immigration enforcement operation that has led to hundreds of arrests. Locals share their fears over businesses closures and how they are coming together to alert the presence of federal agents.

Daily Caller [11/20/2025 11:47 AM, Jason Hopkins, 835K] reports Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy is demanding a near-total ban on immigration until the federal government hammers down large-scale changes to the immigration system. The Republican lawmaker introduced the PAUSE Act on Thursday, a bill that would temporarily freeze legal immigration admissions until long-standing policies that enable illegal immigration are scrapped and the current system of unfettered chain migration is replaced with a merit-based model, according to texts of the legislation obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Roy, a longtime border hawk in Congress, is touting the proposal as he seeks to become the Lone Star State’s top prosecutor. “The problem isn’t just illegal immigration; it’s also legal immigration,” Roy stated to the DCNF. “While the Biden administration opened our borders and allowed millions to flood into our country, they also rubber-stamped millions more arriving through convoluted legal schemes, completely overwhelming the system.” “The American people are done being taken advantage of by the rest of the world,” Roy continued.

San Francisco Chronicle [11/20/2025 7:00 AM, Christian Leonard, 4722K] reports tahe San Francisco immigration court now grants relief in less than half of asylum cases, reflecting a drastic change for a court long considered one of the most favorable to people seeking refuge. That change started at the tail end of the Biden administration, but it’s picked up steam since President Donald Trump returned to office. Just 41% of the 290 asylum applications decided at the court in August received some form of relief, whether asylum or another formal protective ruling, according to data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. While that remained nearly double the national rate of 20%, it represented a sharp drop from August 2024, when the rate was 68%. Over the same yearlong period, the national rate halved from 41%. Judges began ruling less favorably even before Trump took office this year, promising to radically slow immigration into the U.S. — including among people fleeing violence in their home country. The outlook for asylum seekers began to wane in 2024 after President Joe Biden severely restricted asylum eligibility for people at the southern U.S. border. The asylum grant rate among all U.S. courts fell from 51% at the beginning of 2024 to 37% at the end of the year. Outcomes at the San Francisco court, which is one of the country’s busiest, saw less of a decline. And even during Trump’s first term, San Francisco judges granted relief in most cases, due in large part to the prevalence of defense attorneys for immigrants, a resource that is not guaranteed by law.

Telemundo [11/20/2025 10:09 PM, Marinee Zavala, 57K] reports at least three lawyers reported to Telemundo20 an alleged increase in the number of people detained at the Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in San Diego. We have been following this story since the second week of November 2025. The alleged detentions outside the Citizenship and Immigration Services office continue to cause concern among immigration lawyers, one of whom confirmed that these arrests are taking place. Lawyer Habib Hasbini confirmed that one of his clients, a 22-year-old woman from Syria, was detained at the Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in San Diego. "We opened the door and there were two big guys sitting outside who just said, ‘We have orders. We have to take her,’" the immigration lawyer recounted about the events his client allegedly experienced. Other lawyers claim that, although they have not been their clients, they have seen the arrests inside the USCIS facility in San Diego. "It was quite terrible for me to witness as I was coming out of an interview with a client and I saw agents handcuffing a woman in the office next door," said Lilia Velázquez, an immigration lawyer. Observations like these, say lawyers like Maria Chavez, sow fear among their clients during the various immigration processes. People are now afraid to go through with these procedures. They are afraid to go if they have already filed the application, they want to cancel it. What I say and what I recommend is that if they have filed an application, whether with a lawyer or on their own with a notary, they should consult with a lawyer, because even if some of these people are detained, that detention may be temporary and in the end they may win the case, they are likely to win the case," said Maria Chavez, an immigration lawyer. In response to questions from NBC7 and Telemundo20 about the alleged detentions, ICE responded with this statement. "Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is committed to enforcing federal immigration laws through targeted operations that prioritize national security, public safety, and border security. Individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States, including those with irregular immigration status at federal facilities such as USCIS offices, may be arrested, detained, and deported in accordance with U.S. immigration law. For those residing illegally in the country, self-deportation remains the safest and most efficient option, and there are tools such as the CBP Home app to help people manage the self-deportation process. The alleged detentions are worrying lawyers, but others are having better luck. Luis Aguilar is one example. He hugged his family outside the Citizenship and Immigration Services office and told us how he saw things inside. He said that during his process, he did not see any detentions on Wednesday, November 19. "Yes, very quick, actually. It was a 20-30 minute interview and, well, very nice people, actually," added Luis Aguilar, a new U.S. citizen in San Diego. For others who accompanied their loved ones outside the facility while they waited, they told me that more than fear, it hurt them to hear that these detentions could be a reality. "It pains me, it saddens me to know that many families are suffering this and more, that there are people who are representing them and they don’t show up for their appointments," added Maria Baena, who accompanied a friend to the USCIS San Diego offices. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [11/20/2025 6:02 PM, John Binder, 2416K] reports a federal judge, appointed by former President Barack Obama, is blocking President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Syrian nationals living in the United States. This week, in a virtual court hearing, United States District Judge Katherine Polk Failla sided with seven Syrian nationals who sought to prevent Trump from ending TPS that was set to go into effect on Friday. Failla claimed in her decision that the Trump administration did not follow standard procedures when announcing the end of TPS for Syria, also stating that the decision was political. In September, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the agency would be terminating TPS for more than 6,000 Syrians living in the U.S. who have no immigration status.

New York Times [11/21/2025 12:34 AM, Ephrat Livni, 135475K] reports that, when a Michigan graduate student from China was charged in June in the smuggling of restricted agricultural materials like seeds and a potentially dangerous fungus into the United States, a federal prosecutor said her actions raised “the gravest national security concerns.” A congressional committee chairman urged the University of Michigan, where the student did her research, to investigate its labs, and went on to accuse China of “a broader, coordinated campaign targeting universities across the country.” But when the student, Yunqing Jian, pleaded guilty earlier this month, she said she had simply been trying to speed up her research into crop protection. The prosecution conceded that it could not prove she had ill intent, though citing the potential for “devastating harm,” it asked a judge for a two-year prison term. The judge instead sentenced Ms. Jian to time served — five months — and allowed her to return to China. However muted the denouement of the case, some lawmakers and foreign policy experts say it, as well as several other cases against Chinese researchers in the United States, highlight a national security threat posed by ties between American universities and institutions with Chinese scientists. American schools and scientific institutions are being pressed to sever ties with Chinese counterparts. Congress is considering restricting these links. And weeks before Ms. Jian, 33, was charged, the federal government vowed to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students, though President Trump later backtracked. More than 275,000 students from China attended school in the United States last year, second only to the number of students from India. Warnings about the potential dangers posed by some foreign students go back decades, but even some who see risks say that the focus on China has been at times cynical and political. Ms. Jian’s lawyer spoke of “political hysteria” and prejudice against Chinese students. In a statement after the sentencing, Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., the interim U.S. attorney in Detroit, called Ms. Jian’s conviction “a small but important measure against secret biological threats from China.” Ms. Jian’s smuggling took place when she was working as a postdoctoral fellow at a University of Michigan lab, according to investigators. It came to light after a colleague and boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, flew into Detroit and was found to be transporting the fungus. As part of her guilty plea, Ms. Jian admitted hiding seeds in her boots in a “very small” baggie before traveling to the United States from China, as well as sneaking in other material. She also admitted discussing the best way for Mr. Liu, who is believed to be in China, to smuggle in the fungus. Both admitted lying to investigators about their actions. There remains some debate how much danger, if any, their actions posed. “The fungal strain did not present any appreciable danger of infestation or disease, let alone a ‘significant risk,’” Ms. Jian’s lawyer argued in a sentencing memo.

Los Angeles Times [11/20/2025 2:19 PM, Byron Tau and Garance Burke, 14862K] reports the U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, the Associated Press has found. The predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped, searched and in some cases arrested. A network of cameras scans and records vehicle license plate information, and an algorithm flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on where they came from, where they were going and which route they took. Federal agents in turn may then flag local law enforcement. Suddenly, drivers find themselves pulled over — often for reasons cited such as speeding, failure to signal, the wrong window tint or even a dangling air freshener blocking the view. They are then aggressively questioned and searched, with no inkling that the roads they drove put them on law enforcement’s radar. Once limited to policing the nation’s boundaries, the Border Patrol has built a surveillance system stretching into the country’s interior that can monitor ordinary Americans’ daily actions and connections for anomalies instead of simply targeting wanted suspects. Started about a decade ago to fight illegal border-related activities and the trafficking of drugs and people, it has expanded over the last five years. The Border Patrol has recently grown even more powerful through collaborations with other agencies, drawing information from license plate readers nationwide run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, private companies and, increasingly, local law enforcement programs funded through federal grants. Texas law enforcement agencies have asked Border Patrol to use facial recognition to identify drivers, documents show. This active role beyond the borders is part of the quiet transformation of its parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, into something more akin to a domestic intelligence operation. Under the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement efforts, CBP is now poised to get more than $2.7 billion to build out border surveillance systems such as the license plate reader program by layering in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [11/20/2025 7:48 AM, Staff, 30493K]

Telemundo51 [11/20/2025 1:45 PM, Eduardo Orbea, 182K] reports the Department of Homeland Security announced that a new requirement will take effect for immigrants entering and leaving the United States. The new rule, published in the Federal Register, instructs the taking of photographs and fingerprints of immigrants when they enter the U.S. and when they leave. This new requirement affects immigrants on visas and permanent residents with “green cards.” The new measure will take effect Dec. 26 and will be implemented at all U.S. airports and revenue border points. The Department of Homeland Security explained the reasoning behind the new measures. “The implementation of an integrated biometric entry and exit system that compares the biometric data of foreigners collected upon arrival with the biometric data collected upon their departure helps address national security concerns,” they said in the Federal Register. These concerns include “the fraudulent use of legitimate travel documentation, aliens who remain in the United States beyond their authorized stay period (surplus stay) or who are present in the United States without having been admitted or released on probation, as well as incorrect or incomplete biographical data of travelers,” according to the Federal Register.

Univision [11/21/2025 1:31 AM, Staff, 5004K] reports the Border Patrol is reportedly using technology to monitor drivers without their knowledge, according to the AP. The report details that when the algorithm detects a travel pattern considered suspicious, federal agents can alert state or local police to stop that vehicle for any minor offense. According to immigration lawyer Gabriel Campos, this is a practice that has been used on other occasions. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [11/20/2025 5:42 PM, Susan Montoya Bryan, 31753K] reports one of North America’s longest rivers, the Rio Grande — or Rio Bravo as it’s called in Mexico — has a history as deep as it is long. Indigenous people have tapped it for countless generations, and it was a key artery for Spanish conquistadors centuries ago. Today, the Rio Grande-Bravo water basin is in crisis. Research published Thursday says the situation arguably is worse than challenges facing the Colorado River, another vital lifeline for western U.S. states that have yet to chart a course for how best to manage that dwindling resource. Without rapid and large-scale action on both sides of the border, the researchers warn that unsustainable use threatens water security for millions of people who rely on the binational basin. They say more prevalent drying along the Rio Grande and persistent shortages could have catastrophic consequences for farmers, cities and ecosystems.

NewsNation [11/20/2025 8:16 AM, Caroline Bowyer, 8017K] reports Demonstrators in North Carolina gathered at some area hotel chains said to be housing Border Patrol agents in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. Protestors said they’ve seen Border Patrol agents coming in and out of a Hilton hotel in Charlotte the past few days. It’s why they wanted to stand outside the hotel and let their voices be heard. "It hurts because my family is Hispanic, and coming from people who are immigrants, it’s really hard to see people be scared," said Maria Bautista, who was at the protest. Bautista is one of more than a dozen people who stood on the street corner in front of the hotel Wednesday evening. It’s one of several protests that’ve happened across the city in the past few days, during a federal immigration sweep where agents have arrested more than 250 people. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino told FOX News his team is looking for specific people. "As we go after those target packages, we come into contact with other illegal aliens," he said. "We call those collaterals. And amongst those collaterals, we’re seeing a very large percentage. Of criminal illegal aliens, sometimes 66% of those collaterals have significant criminal and or immigration histories." Some of his agents carrying out the so-called "Operation Charlotte’s Web" are reportedly staying at the Hilton, which is what brought protestors in support of the immigrant community to the hotel.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 10:28 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports Charlotte, N.C., officials said Thursday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have left the city, but the Department of Homeland Security insisted that agents are still enforcing immigration law there. Shortly after the Mecklenburg, N.C., County sheriff announced that agents had left Charlotte, the Trump administration pushed back. "Wrong. Operation Charlotte’s Web isn’t ending anytime soon," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. CBP had agents in Charlotte for nearly a week, and DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would continue to enforce laws in the city while also transitioning CBP agents to New Orleans. According to the Department of Homeland Security, CBP has been in touch with officials in Louisiana about mobilizing and deploying agents to New Orleans after Thanksgiving, NBC News reported. The Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement action known as "Operation Charlotte’s Web" resulted in the arrests of more than 250 people which prompted fear among residents and business owners, local media reported. The Charlotte operation was the latest in a series of immigration enforcement actions in several large U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago, where many of those arrested did not have criminal records, the Chicago Tribune reported. Local law enforcement and state leaders have pushed back on federal law presence in their cities, saying additional enforcement personnel are not necessary to police municipalities. At least 250 Border Patrol agents are scheduled to begin arriving in New Orleans Friday, where officials have said they expect as many as 5,000 arrests, local media reported.

Axios [11/20/2025 7:22 AM, Chelsea Brasted, 12972K] reports as U.S. Border Patrol appears to prepare for a potentially months-long deployment in New Orleans amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown, local immigrant rights activists are preparing, too. The crackdown elsewhere has resulted in sometimes volatile interactions between protesters and federal agents, as well as legal challenges against the federal government. Activists and civil rights organizations responding to DHS’ "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago set a protest framework by documenting enforcement, organizing demonstrations and filing lawsuits over arrests and the use of tear gas. In Charlotte, activists are documenting enforcement, offering legal resources, posting to social media when federal agents are spotted, and sharing do’s and don’ts about interacting with them. Some volunteers are spending time at immigrant-owned businesses to show solidarity and potentially deter enforcement. "What we saw in Chicago was everybody getting together and dropping everything to create systems to keep each other safe, and we expect New Orleanians to do the same here," says Indivisible NOLA chairperson Clare Leavy.

NBC News [11/20/2025 3:50 PM, Staff, 34509K] Video: HERE reports Border Patrol planning to mobilize in New Orleans.

CNN [11/21/2025 5:02 AM, Dalia Faheid and Bill Kirkos, 18595K] reports a wide grin was plastered on Marimar Martinez’s face Thursday as she thanked her attorneys outside an Illinois courtroom and told reporters, "I’m just blessed. I’m happy.". "It’s been hard," she said. "I can’t sleep, but now I’m gonna go sleep.". A judge – after an unprecedented request from federal prosecutors – had just dismissed the charges against Martinez, a United States citizen who was accused of ramming a Customs and Border Protection agent in Chicago before he shot her several times. The ruling from US District Judge Georgia Alexakis came after she had repeatedly raised concerns about the handling of the investigation, which saw a revelation that a vehicle that may have been critical to the case was moved 1,000 miles away and text messages showing the border patrol agent apparently bragging about the shooting. Martinez had been accused of "aggressively and erratically" pursuing CBP agent Charles Exum and hitting his car on October 4 as protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown took place in the city. The charging complaint says Exum then stepped out of his vehicle and fired his weapon five times at Martinez – shots the Department of Homeland Security called "defensive." Martinez had pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. When reached by CNN for comment on the judge dismissing charges against Martinez, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Thursday restated previous claims that Martinez was one of the drivers who rammed agents and referred questions on the charges to the Justice Department. CNN has reached out to the DOJ for further comment. Jackson said the inconsistencies in the government’s narrative were a pivotal part of the dismissal. For their case to be successful, they would have had to establish that there is probable cause to believe that a crime was committed and that the defendant committed it. "The narratives of the agents were falling apart," Jackson said.

Univision Chicago WGBO [11/20/2025 1:58 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports on Thursday, November 20, the prosecution dropped charges against Marimar Martinez, the 30-year-old woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent on October 4. The decision also benefits Anthony Ruiz, 21, who was charged in the same incident. "It’s a miracle it wasn’t worse," the judge said during an October 6 hearing, referring to the five bullet wounds Martinez received after his encounter with the officers; later, she released them to face their case, considering that they had no criminal record and did not represent a risk to the community. The motion to dismiss the charges came just hours before a hearing that was expected to move the case toward trial. Prosecutors had accused Martinez and Ruiz of using their vehicles to ram and corner Officer Charles Exum’s truck, who responded by firing multiple shots at Martinez, wounding him seven times. No officers were seriously injured.

Chicago Tribune [11/20/2025 6:00 AM, Jason Meisner, 4829K] reports an immigration agent who bragged to colleagues about his marksmanship after shooting a Chicago woman accused of ramming his vehicle sent other text messages that are now in the hands of defense attorneys, marking yet another twist in a controversial case arising from Operation Midway Blitz. The new messages, which so far have not been revealed publicly, were ordered turned over to lawyers for Marimar Martinez this week by U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis, who viewed them in her chambers to determine their relevance, court records show. The content of the those recently uncovered texts will be among several topics of discussion at a status hearing Thursday for Martinez, who is accused of assaulting federal agents with her vehicle during an immigration enforcement mission Oct. 4. Prosecutors have said Martinez was part of a convoy of civilians who were following agents when she rammed Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum’s vehicle near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue, prompting Exum to jump out of his Chevrolet Tahoe and fire five shots, wounding Martinez seven times. Martinez’s attorneys, meanwhile, argue it was Exum who sideswiped Martinez and that his extreme use of force was completely unjustified. They’ve also alleged evidence tampering, saying Exum was inexplicably allowed to drive the Tahoe more than 1,000 miles back to his home base in Maine, where a Border Patrol mechanic attempted to "wipe off" some of the scuff marks from the crash.

Reuters [11/20/2025 :39 AM, Daniel Trotta, 36480K] reports a year ago, San Diego trauma surgeon Dr. Vishal Bansal was likely to see dozens of migrants each month who had fallen from the towering wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Leg and ankle fractures were common, and he also treated spine, pelvic and traumatic brain injuries. On a recent visit, the trauma bay beds at his hospital were empty, a more common scene since President Donald Trump took office in January and cracked down on immigration, rescinding rights of asylum-seekers, pursuing a record number of deportations, and seeking an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics show apprehensions at the southwest border, an indicator of the number of migrants trying to cross, are down nearly 90% to their lowest level since 1970. As a result, the corridor between San Diego and Tijuana, one of the busiest international crossings in the world, has dramatically transformed in less than a year. Major concentrations of migrants in squalid conditions have largely disappeared. A San Diego transit center that once served as a makeshift migrant depot has returned to normal. A dusty gathering spot hemmed in by 30-foot (9.1-meter) border walls, where asylum-seeking migrants amassed to turn themselves in to U.S. officials, is once again nothing more than a vacant outpost. Across the border in Tijuana, migrant shelters suddenly have empty space. The decline in border injuries is but one small window on the past 10 months.

Reuters [11/20/2025 8:19 AM, Ryan Brooks, 36480K] reports Illegal border crossings to the United States have plummeted since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, with apprehensions at the southwest border down nearly 90%, rapidly altering the corridor between San Diego and Tijuana, one of the busiest international crossings in the world, in less than a year. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [11/20/2025 3:08 PM, Megan Cerullo, 39474K] Video: HERE reports if you don’t have a Real ID the next time you fly, it could cost you. The Transportation Security Administration has proposed a rule that would charge travelers who lack a Real ID an $18 fee at security checkpoints, according to a notice published Thursday in the Federal Register. "This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago and finally implemented by Secretary Noem as of May 2025," a TSA spokesperson told CBS News, noting that the agency would soon provide additional guidance. "TSA is working with stakeholders and partners to ensure both security and efficiency at our checkpoints.". The TSA is launching a biometric identity verification program at its checkpoints to screen individuals who don’t have a Real ID or other suitable alternative form of identification, such as a passport. Alternative ID verification methods are "time and resource intensive," the TSA said in proposing the fee. "To address the government-incurred costs, individuals who choose to use TSA’s modernized alternative identity verification program will be required to pay an $18 fee," the agency’s proposed rule states. Verifying people’s identity at the nation’s airports "is the first step in the physical screening process at a TSA security checkpoint and the last link in intelligence-based traveler prescreening, ensuring that high-risk travelers are identified. ..." the proposal states. The TSA said that biometric verification, which it also refers to as a registered traveler program, will streamline the process of identifying passengers. Passengers will start incurring the $18 fee when the TSA announces that individuals may register for the alternative identity verification program at TSA.gov. Daniel Green, co-founder of Faye Travel Insurance, thinks the fee proposal is reasonable, given that travelers have had ample time to obtain a Real ID. "For years, they’ve been saying either get a Real ID or a passport or don’t travel," he told CBS News. "So the idea that you can pay $18 and potentially travel anyway isn’t so unreasonable.".

Reported similarly:
ABC News [11/20/2025 11:24 AM, Staff, 30493K]
Axios [11/20/2025 2:23 PM, Julianna Bragg, 12972K]
(B) NBC News Daily [11/20/2025 1:30 PM, Staff]
CNN [11/20/2025 3:56 PM, Devon M. Sayers and Alexandra Skores, 18595K]
FOX News [11/20/2025 3:45 PM, Ashley J. DiMella, 40621K]
USA Today [11/20/2025 2:50 PM, Kathleen Wong, 67103K]
Chicago Tribune [11/20/2025 4:47 PM, Taylor Fishman, 4829K]
NewsMax [11/20/2025 11:02 PM, Jim Thomas, 4109K]

FOX News [11/20/2025 8:57 PM, Michael Sinkewicz, 40621K] reports Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford announced Thursday that hundreds of air traffic controllers and technicians who worked during the government shutdown will receive bonus checks. The Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a statement that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians will be awarded $10,000 for their "patriotic work to ensure the safety of the skies during the Democrats’ 44-day government shutdown." "These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown," Duffy said in a statement. "Democrats may not care about their financial well-being, but President Trump does." The secretary added, "This award is an acknowledgment of their dedication and a heartfelt appreciation for going above and beyond in service to the nation." DOT said checks would only be sent to workers who maintained perfect attendance during the recent shutdown and that the payments should arrive by Dec. 9, in time for the holidays. "I am profoundly proud and grateful for the air traffic personnel who worked during extraordinary operational challenges to keep the National Airspace System (NAS) running safely during the longest government shutdown," Bedford said in a statement. "Their dedication represents the highest levels of public service." The announcement came after President Donald Trump previously floated the idea of rewarding controllers who remained on the job, writing in a post on Truth Social last week, "For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country." "For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU," Trump added. On Nov. 13, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handed out $10,000 bonus checks to Transportation Security Administration TSA agents at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport who continued working during the shutdown. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
FOX News [11/20/2025 8:57 PM, Michael Sinkewicz, 40621K]

DailySignal [11/20/2025 5:05 PM, Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, 549K] reports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is making good on President Donald Trump’s promise to give $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers who continued to show up to work during the 43-day government shutdown. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford will award 776 air traffic controllers and technicians a $10,000 award for their unpaid work during the shutdown. The award will be sent to employees who maintained perfect attendance during the shutdown. Recipients will receive an automated notification during the week of Nov. 24. Recipients will receive their payment no later than Dec. 9. Due to insufficient staffing at airports during the shutdown, Duffy reduced flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports. Duffy said some air traffic controllers had to work 10-hour days, six days per week during the shutdown.

CBS Philadelphia [11/20/2025 7:52 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports two security checkpoints that were closed inside the Philadelphia International Airport during the government shutdown have reopened after two weeks. The Terminal A-West and Terminal F TSA checkpoints are back open on Thursday and operating under their normal schedules. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Houston Chronicle [11/20/2025 8:11 AM, Jarrod Wardwell, 2983K] reports Pluckers is offering TSA agents and air traffic controllers free meals in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving as they rebound from a pay freeze during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The free meal offer began on Nov. 11 and will continue through the day before Thanksgiving, according to Pluckers. "We want to show our Pluckers appreciation to the people working tirelessly to keep airplanes flying and travelers moving," Pluckers founder Sean Greenberg said in a statement. "This is our way of offering a genuine thank you to those who keep travel safe during the busiest time of the year." TSA agents and air traffic controllers were among the federal employees who continued working through the 43-day-long government shutdown that spanned October and part of November. While many workers kept staffing airports across the country, others called in as they stopped receiving paychecks. The staffing shortages contributed to ground stops, hourslong security line delays and flight cancellations at airports in Houston and across the country. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem awarded Houston TSA agents $10,000 bonus checks as the government reopened last Thursday. TSA agents and air traffic controllers can receive a free Pluckers meal worth up to $16 if they present a valid employee ID at any Pluckers location, Tishgart said. The offer is limited to dine-in orders, her email states.

Houston Chronicle [11/20/2025 1:03 PM, Octavia Johnson, 2983K] reports that Houston airports expect to be fully prepared by Friday as the Thanksgiving travel period begins this week, following the government shutdown that caused delays and long lines at security checkpoints. George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Terminal C has reopened, allowing passengers to go through its security checkpoints. Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, said Terminal D is scheduled to open on Friday as the Transportation Security Administration works to return to full staffing. "We will be busy. It is Thanksgiving," he said. "It’s one of the busiest times of the year, so make sure you pack your patience (and) reserve your parking for sure." Houston airport officials had closed some terminals during the shutdown. Szczesniak told the Chronicle that Terminal E was used for security checkpoints because of faster, newer TSA equipment and its spacious passenger processing area. Currently, Terminals A, C and E are open, with Terminal D scheduled to open Friday. William P. Hobby Airport has also been operating at a normal level at its security checkpoint, according to TSA and airport officials. Since the government reopened, airports and airlines have been working to return to normal operations, as 2.1 million passengers are expected to take flights out of Bush and Hobby between Nov. 20 and Dec. 1.

The Hill [11/20/2025 4:35 PM, Kaitlin Flanigan, 12595K] reports the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it is investigating after a passenger at Portland International Airport somehow managed to get a meat cleaver through a security checkpoint last week. It wasn’t until after the person boarded an aircraft that the meat cleaver was discovered. “TSA is aware that a passenger departing Portland International Airport on Thursday Nov. 13 passed through the security checkpoint with a meat cleaver in their carry-on bag. We take this matter very seriously,” a representative wrote in a statement obtained by Nexstar’s KOIN. “We are reviewing the incident, and once we determine the circumstances surrounding this event, we will take appropriate corrective action that could include additional training of the security screening workforce.” A TSA spokesperson had no further update into the investigation as of Thursday.

SFGate [11/20/2025 8:20 PM, Olivia Harden, 13945K] reports security for anyone willing to spend $209 a year to cut the line at San Francisco International Airport is expected to be even smoother now. Clear, the company that uses biometric data to expedite the security process at airports, announced on Thursday the launch of its eGates at SFO. The eGates allow passengers to bypass the TSA podium by matching their face to their identification and boarding pass. A TSA agent then opens the gate, sending the passenger to security. SFO is the first airport in California to implement the technology, after Clear tested it at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel told SFGATE the eGates are live at Harvey Milk Terminal 1. "CLEAR transmits only limited data (live photo, boarding pass, ID photo used for enrollment and identity information)--it has no access to watchlists, cannot override TSA gate decisions, and does not manually open gates," the company said in an August news release. The "eGates accomplish several objectives toward achieving Secretary Noem’s goal to enhance TSA security and hospitality. This includes creating a seamless, less invasive traveler experience and shorter wait times at TSA security checkpoints," TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a statement in August regarding the new gates. In its own August release, Clear called the launch an "innovative public–private partnership.” Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. The technology should "help modernize America’s airports ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 games," the company said in the August release. Several matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are scheduled to be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. "We are proud to help make America’s airports great ahead of the World Cup. The U.S. should be leading on security, hospitality, and the travel experience," Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in the company’s August release.

ABC News [11/20/2025 5:01 AM, Julia Jacobo, 30493K] reports sea level rise caused by climate change could cause thousands of toxic sites in the U.S. to flood in the coming decades, according to new research. Under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario, more than 5,500 hazardous sites across the U.S. will be at risk of a 1-in-100-year flood by the year 2100, according to a paper published Thursday in Nature. These sites include facilities that handle sewage, toxic waste, oil and gas and other industrial pollutants as well as formerly used defense sites, according to a paper published Thursday in Nature. Of the the at-risk sites, at least 3,800 locations are projected to flood by 2050, the study found. Many of the U.S. coastlines are heavily industrialized for a variety of reasons, including access to raw materials and proximity to open seas transportation, Lara Cushing, an associate professor of environmental health science at the University of California Los Angeles and lead author of the paper, told ABC News. The findings indicate that the states at most risk of flooding at toxic sites include Florida, New Jersey, California, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts and Texas. Those seven states account for nearly 80% of the hazardous sites at risk by 2100, according to the paper. "That gives us a sense of where we might want to focus our efforts," Cushing said.

CBS News [11/20/2025 8:57 AM, Kerry Breen, 39474K] reports Hurricane Melissa’s wind gusts reached a record-breaking speed shortly before the storm made landfall in the Caribbean last month, according to data recorded during the deadly event. The data was collected when a NOAA Hurricane Hunter airplane dropped a fleet of weather instruments into the raging storm, according to a news release from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research. The devices, called dropsondes, have small parachutes attached and between two and four readings per second before falling into the ocean. Dropsondes are the only devices that can record information on pressure, temperature, humidity and wind at once. The data is used in forecasts and weather warnings, including emergency alerts. "When you’re looking at a category 4 or 5 hurricane, you’re not going to have an airplane flying that close to the surface – that would be totally unsafe – but you need to know what is happening near sea level because that’s where people and property are most affected," said NSF NCAR engineer Terry Hock, who manages the Dropsonde program, in the news release. "The dropsonde gets you information you can’t get any other way and that’s why it’s been around for decades." One dropsonde used during Hurricane Melissa clocked a wind gust of 252 miles per hour shortly before falling into the ocean.

Daily Wire [11/20/2025 3:06 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2494K] reports a Democratic congresswoman from Florida is facing decades in prison after the Justice Department accused her of stealing more than $5 million in FEMA funds. Prosecutors allege that she diverted the disaster-relief money to support her congressional campaign and enrich her associates. The Justice Department announced Wednesday that a Miami grand jury had indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for fraudulently obtaining federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and putting the money toward her 2021 congressional race. According to the Justice Department, Cherfilus-McCormick conspired with her brother, 51-year-old Edwin Cherfilus, to steal a $5 million FEMA overpayment that was sent to their family’s health care company. "Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice." The $5 million payment was made in July 2021 after the siblings had a contract with FEMA for COVID vaccinations. The money was routed through multiple accounts to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and other personal accounts, according to the Justice Department. "This individual and her family allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits – including her campaign accounts," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "Today the FBI and partners at [the Justice Department] took action. No one is above the law."

Reported similarly:
The Hill [11/20/2025 3:26 PM, Max Rego, 12595K]
AP [11/20/2025 12:50, Kate Payne, 31753K]
USA Today [11/20/2025 12:54 PM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 67103K]
Federalist [11/20/2025 8:31 AM, Beth Brelje, 785K]
Daily Caller [11/20/2025 8:24 AM, Adam Pack, 835K]

Politico [11/20/2025 11:54 AM, Nicholas Wu, 2100K] reports indicted Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida will step aside from her leadership position on a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee “while the matter is ongoing,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ office said Thursday morning. Democratic Caucus rules require indicted lawmakers to relinquish committee leadership slots. “Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has proudly represented the people of Palm Beach and Broward Counties since 2022. Consistent with the United States Constitution, she is entitled to her day in court and the presumption of innocence,” Jeffries spokesperson Christie Stephenson said in a statement. These are the first comments from the New York Democrats’ team since news broke Wednesday night of the new allegations against the lawmaker. Cherfilus-McCormick has been charged with stealing federal disaster relief funds and using the money to support her campaign for Congress, using straw donors to funnel FEMA funds to friends and having them contribute to her campaign, and conspiring to file a false tax return. In a statement Thursday, Cherfilus-McCormick called her indictment “an unjust, baseless, sham” and insisted “and I am innocent.” She added, “The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have fully cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do so until this matter is resolved.” The Florida Democrat has also been the subject of an ethics investigation into campaign finance issues and requesting community project funding, known as earmarks, to a for-profit entity, potentially in violation of House rules.

Reported similarly:
Wall Street Journal [11/20/2025 12:19 PM, Jack Morphet, 646K]

FOX News [11/20/2025 1:11 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports that Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said that the federal indictment of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., was "more appalling" than the case against former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled from Congress. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [11/20/2025 11:09 AM, Jenny Goldsberry, 1394K] reports the indictment of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) was met with condemnation from her Republican colleagues in the House and silence from her Democratic allies. The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that Cherfilus-McCormick had been charged in a federal indictment over allegations that she stole $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, laundered it, and used the proceeds for her 2021 congressional campaign. The Florida representative, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami, faces charges of theft, fraud, and conspiring to file a false federal tax return. If found guilty, she could receive a prison sentence of up to 53 years. The indictment prompted House members to act, with Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) floating a censure vote. "Tomorrow morning I will be filing a privileged motion to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from all committees," Steube posted to X on Wednesday. "This is one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen. Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible. Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims. "And once House Ethics concludes their investigation or she is formally convicted, rest assured I will move to expel her from Congress.". Others condemned Cherfilus-McCormick’s alleged actions.

The Washington Post [11/20/2025 4:03 PM, Tara Copp and Michelle Boorstein, 24149K] reports that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika — an emblem of fascism and white supremacy inextricably linked to the murder of millions of Jews and the deaths of more than 400,000 U.S. troops who died fighting in World War II — as a hate symbol, according to a new policy that takes effect next month. Instead, the Coast Guard will classify the Nazi-era insignia as “potentially divisive” under its new guidelines. The policy, set to take effect Dec. 15, similarly downgrades the classification of nooses and the Confederate flag, though display of the latter remains banned, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Certain historical displays or artwork where the Confederate flag is a minor element are still permissible, according to the policy. In September, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a review and overhaul of those policies, calling the military’s existing standards “overly broad” and saying they jeopardize troops’ combat readiness. The Coast Guard declined to provide comment before publication of this report. Subsequent to publication, Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Plozai said by phone that the service disagreed with The Post’s reporting but intended to look into the policy changes. The Pentagon, where Hegseth has argued that prior administrations’ focus on racial diversity has harmed military recruiting, referred questions on the Coast Guard’s policy to DHS. In a statement sent to The Post after publication, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the story “fake crap.” NewsMax [11/20/2025 4:32 PM, Jim Thomas, 4109K] reports that the revision also imposes a 45-day deadline for reporting incidents involving such symbols, a change from previous policy, which did not define a specific time limit for such reports. A senior Coast Guard official told The Washington Post that the policy change was "chilling" and raised morale concerns. Meanwhile, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, publicly dismissed the story, calling the Post’s report "an absolute ludicrous lie and unequivocally false."The AP [11/20/2025 6:16 PM, Konstantin Toropin, Lisa Mascaro and Susan Haigh, 31753K] reports that the new policy maintains a yearslong prohibition on publicly displaying the Confederate flag outside of a handful of situations, such as educational or historical settings. However, it does not outright prohibit the public display of any other "potentially divisive" symbols. The new Coast Guard policy, which is set to take effect on Dec. 15 and was first reported by Washington Post, is facing pushback. Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada said that "this updated policy rolls back important protections against bigotry and could allow for horrifically hateful symbols like swastikas and nooses to be inexplicably permitted to be displayed.". "At a time when antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the world, relaxing policies aimed at fighting hate crimes not only sends the wrong message to the men and women of our Coast Guard, but it puts their safety at risk," she added. Admiral Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, said the policy does not roll back any prohibitions. "These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per policy," Lunday said in a statement, adding that "any display, use or promotion of such symbols, as always, will be thoroughly investigated and severely punished.". Lunday’s predecessor, Admiral Linda Fagan, was fired on President Donald Trump’s first day in office. Trump officials later said she fired in part for putting an "excessive focus" on diversity and inclusion efforts that diverted "resources and attention from operational imperatives.". The new policy explicitly says that "the terminology ‘hate incident’ is no longer present in policy" and conduct that would have previously been handled as a potential hate incident will now be treated as "a report of harassment in cases with an identified aggrieved individual.". Commanders, in consultation with lawyers, may order or direct the removal of "potentially divisive" symbols or flags if they are found to be affecting the unit’s morale or discipline, according to the policy.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [11/20/2025 3:15 AM, John Ismay and Minho Kim, 153395K]
The Hill [11/20/2025 3:23 PM, Filip Timotija, 12595K]
USA Today [11/20/2025 5:50 PM, Natalie Neysa Alund, 67103K]

The Washington Post [11/21/2025 2:54 AM, Hari Raj, 24149K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard issued a new, more stringent policy on hate symbols including the swastika Thursday night, prohibiting “divisive or hate symbols or flags.” The change came after Washington Post reported that the service would instead classify such symbols as “potentially divisive” under new guidelines set to be released next month. “The Coast Guard does not tolerate the display of divisive or hate symbols and flags, including those identified with oppression or hatred. These symbols reflect hateful and prohibited conduct that undermines unit cohesion,” the Coast Guard’s new policy says. In a news release, the agency said the latest guidelines were not an update but “a new policy to combat any misinformation and double down that the U.S. Coast Guard forbids these symbols.” The prohibited symbols and flags include a noose, a swastika and “any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups,” according to the new policy. Excerpt from Thursday memorandum: “Divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited. These symbols and flags include, but are not limited to, the following: a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups as representations of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, anti-semitism, or any other improper bias.” Excerpt from November 2025 U.S. Coast Guard policy document, page 36: “Potentially divisive symbols and flags include, but are not limited to, the following: a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups as representations of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, or other bias.” Excerpt from February 2023 U.S. Coast Guard policy document, page 21: “The following is a non-exhaustive list of symbols whose display, presentation, creation, or depiction would constitute a potential hate incident: a noose, a swastika, supremacist symbols, Confederate symbols or flags, and anti-Semitic symbols. The display of these types of symbols constitutes a potential hate incident because hatebased groups have co-opted or adopted them as symbols of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, or other bias.” The Post reported earlier Thursday that the Coast Guard would no longer classify the swastika — an emblem of fascism and white supremacy inextricably linked to the murder of millions of Jews and the deaths of more than 400,000 U.S. troops who died fighting in World War II — as a hate symbol, under a policy that had been set to take effect Dec. 15. Instead, the Coast Guard would have classified the Nazi-era insignia as “potentially divisive” under the new guidelines. The policy would similarly have downgraded the classification of nooses and the Confederate flag, though display of the latter remained banned, according to documents reviewed by The Post. Time [11/21/2025 1:00 AM, Chad de Guzman, 9500K] reports “The claims that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses or other extremist imagery as prohibited symbols are categorically false,” Lunday said in a statement posted on X. “These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per policy.” Lunday added that the Coast Guard “remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and professional workplace” and that “any display, use or promotion of such symbols, as always, will be thoroughly investigated and severely punished” as those symbols “violate our core values.” The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, also blasted the Post’s report. “The @washingtonpost should be embarrassed it published this fake crap,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. The DHS’s official X account also posted: “Y’all are just making things up now.”

CBS News [11/20/2025 9:35 AM, Nicole Sganga, 39474K] reports DEA administrator Terry Cole said "I think the strategy of an all hands approach, it’s making a difference" after the Coast Guard had its largest seizure of cocaine in history. It comes after last month, President Trump criticized the Coast Guard’s longtime approach of intercepting drugs at sea. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [11/20/2025 11:04 AM, Theodore Bunker, 4109K] reports top U.S. Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration officials said Wednesday that recent American air and missile strikes on suspected cartel smuggling boats are delivering results, even as traffickers continue to move large loads of cocaine toward the United States. Adm. Nathan Moore, who oversees Coast Guard Atlantic operations, spoke as the service offloaded nearly 50,000 pounds of seized cocaine at Port Everglades, the largest haul ever recovered by a single cutter during one deployment. Moore said the increase in seizures shows trafficking activity has not slowed, but he rejected criticism that the strikes are ineffective. He added that the Coast Guard has seen no significant changes in drug routes, pace or purity, but credited improved intelligence, upgraded cutters and new autonomous surveillance tools for the surge in interdictions. DEA Administrator Terry Cole told CBS News that the air strikes are raising costs for traffickers across the Caribbean and Central America.

Telemundo [11/20/2025 12:24 AM, Staff, 2218K] reports a group of fishermen alerted authorities after spotting these people: two in a raft and two others clinging to life jackets. They rescued them at sea, and later the coast guard airlifted those suffering from hypothermia. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [11/20/2025 7:49 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K] reports a rescue operation was temporarily underway Thursday after a Carnival Cruise Line ship received an alert about a potential overboard situation, which later turned out to be a false alarm. The crew of the Carnival Radiance was responding to a potential overboard alert near the waters off Ensenada, Mexico after some guests reported hearing a splash in the water, the cruise line said. "The ship returned to the area where there was a potential sighting of an individual to conduct a rescue operation," the cruise line told Fox News Digital. "In the meantime, the crew completed a full guest and crew headcount as is our standard safety protocol and all guests and crew have been accounted for. "The splash could have very well been a whale but there is no way to confirm that. In any case, all on board are accounted for and the ship will resume its itinerary," the statement continued. The Radiance sails from Long Beach, California, to Ensenada, about 75 miles south of the southern border near San Diego. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard. Earlier this month, a Carnival passenger was found dead on a Carnival ship. Anna Kepner, a varsity cheerleader who wanted to join the Navy after graduating from high school and eventually become a K-9 police officer, was found dead Nov. 7 while the ship was in the Gulf of America. "The ship returned to PortMiami (the Port of Miami) as planned on Saturday morning, Nov. 8, and the FBI has advised that there is no related threat to safety aboard as it sails its current voyage," a Carnival spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital.

CyberScoop [11/20/2025 1:30 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports politicization of intelligence in the Trump administration, as well as the “hollowing out” of government expertise, is leaving the United States dangerously vulnerable to cyberattacks and other threats, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee said in a floor speech Thursday. Mark Warner of Virginia chastised the president over what he called the politically-motivated personnel decisions that he said jeopardized national security, including layoffs of one-third of the workforce at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, the firing of a top FBI cyber official and the vacant leadership at the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. “One-third of CISA, the agency established for the absolutely explicit purpose of protecting our critical infrastructure — water, power, our elections — to prevent those entities from being attacked by cyber tools, a third of that agency, fired,” Warner said. The administration has eliminated election security workers at CISA, he noted — rolling back improvements innovated when Trump was first president. “The irony is stark: despite persistent efforts by China, Russia, Iran and other adversaries, the 2020 presidential election was one of the most secure in history, thanks in large part due to steps taken during the Trump administration’s first term to safeguard our critical infrastructure,” he said. “Yet now, much of that hard-won protection has been dismantled, leaving Americans more vulnerable than ever.”

Cyberscoop [11/20/2025 6:30 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports Salesforce said yet another breach involving a third-party vendor has compromised customers’ data, warning in a security advisory late Wednesday that it detected unusual activity in Gainsight applications connected to Salesforce customer environments. “Google Threat Intelligence Group is aware of more than 200 potentially affected Salesforce instances,” Austin Larsen, principal analyst at GTIG, told CyberScoop. The breach shares strong similarities to an expansive downstream attack spree that impacted more than 700 customers who integrated Salesloft Drift into Salesforce less than two months ago. The attacks targeting Gainsight, which bills itself as “customer success” software, and Salesloft Drift customer integrations with Salesforce are also linked to the same threat group or associated cybercriminals. “We assess this is likely the same threat cluster — ShinyHunters or UNC6240 — related to other recent campaigns targeting Salesforce instances, such as UNC6040,” Larsen said. Salesforce responded to both attacks by revoking access to tokens that allowed customers to connect the third-party services to their Salesforce environments. “Our investigation indicates this activity may have enabled unauthorized access to certain customers’ Salesforce data through the app’s connection,” Salesforce said in the advisory. “There is no indication that this issue resulted from any vulnerability in the Salesforce platform. The activity appears to be related to the app’s external connection to Salesforce.”

Axios [11/20/2025 1:02 PM, Sam Sabin, 12972K] reports that the Federal Communications Commission voted to rescind cybersecurity rules for telecommunications providers a year after the U.S. government discovered a wide-reaching, China-backed hack of their networks. Why it matters: The agency is now relying on industry collaboration to ensure that major telcos can prevent another nation-state cyberattack. Driving the news: The FCC voted 2-1 on Thursday to revoke a ruling the commission approved in the last days of the Biden administration that required telecommunications providers to secure their networks under Section 105 of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). FCC Chair Brendan Carr argued that the commission’s initial efforts were "neither lawful nor effective," arguing that CALEA was not the right vehicle for these regulations. "It would neither respond to the nature of the relevant cybersecurity threats, nor was it consistent with the agile and collaborative approach to cybersecurity that has proven successful," Carr said at the meeting. Catch up quick: The Biden FCC approved using CALEA authorities for telecom cybersecurity in response to the China-backed Salt Typhoon hack, which officials now estimate impacted at least 600 organizations in more than 80 countries. The rule required telecom providers to attest each year they had created, updated and implemented a cybersecurity risk management plan. The agency was also collecting comments to inform official requirements for what telcos needed to include in those plans.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [11/20/2025 11:36 AM, Kelcee Griffis, 18207K]

CyberScoop [11/20/2025 8:30 AM, Derek B. Johnson, 122K] reports the Federal Communications Commission is set to vote Thursday on whether to rescind a set of last-minute Biden administration regulations following a massive Chinese compromise of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure last year. Chair Brendan Carr has called the rule ineffective and unlawful, and with the likely support of newly confirmed commissioner Olivia Trusty, there is a majority position to reverse the rules. Now in an interview, the lone dissenting voice on the panel, Commissioner Anna Gomez, told CyberScoop that rescinding the rules would let telecoms off the hook for the cybersecurity lapses that enabled the breaches. She also noted it would eliminate one of the only substantive actions the FCC has taken in response to Salt Typhoon, a Chinese state-led cyberespionage campaign that broadly compromised the phones and data of high-level U.S. officials, including then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate JD Vance. “What we know is that we had this major hack and the commission is probably the best positioned agency to ensure we don’t have something like this happen again,” Gomez said. “And we adopted the [rules] because we needed immediate action and we sought to create accountability, establish clear cybersecurity obligations and put in place an enforceable framework to harden the networks before the next breach.”

DailySignal [11/20/2025 11:47 AM, Katie Pavlich, 549K] reports the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression towards America’s critical infrastructure systems hit a new and alarming level in recent weeks. The regime has already infiltrated the homes and communities of Americans through Chinese technology with extensive spyware, but that operation was child’s play. According to Anthropic, China has now weaponized artificial intelligence to automatically carry out cyber attacks, with the goal of crippling systems essential to everyday function. "In mid-September 2025, we detected suspicious activity that later investigation determined to be a highly sophisticated espionage campaign. The attackers used AI’s ‘agentic’ capabilities to an unprecedented degree—using AI not just as an advisor, but to execute the cyberattacks themselves," Anthropic details. "The threat actor—whom we assess with high confidence was a Chinese state-sponsored group—manipulated our Claude Code tool into attempting infiltration into roughly thirty global targets and succeeded in a small number of cases. The operation targeted large tech companies, financial institutions, chemical manufacturing companies, and government agencies. We believe this is the first documented case of a large-scale cyberattack executed without substantial human intervention." The Department of Homeland Security describes critical infrastructure as infrastructure that is "necessary to maintain normalcy in daily life. Transportation, commerce, clean water and electricity all rely on these vital systems."

CNN [11/20/2025 6:18 PM, Sean Lyngaas, 18595K] reports North Korean operatives created a fake job-application platform targeting applicants to major US artificial intelligence and crypto firms as part of a new effort to steal money and know-how for the Kim Jong Un regime, researchers said on Thursday. It’s a twist on a yearslong campaign to infiltrate Fortune 500 companies: Instead of simply impersonating employees of those companies, North Korean tech workers are now working to gain long-term access to the computers of applicants before they join a company, according to security firm Validin, which discovered the scheme. "Going after job seekers gives North Korean actors a huge advantage. Instead of trying to slip past an employer’s defenses, they take over the entire hiring process and make it feel completely legitimate to individuals," Validin’s chief executive Kenneth Kinion told CNN. "People assume they’re doing a normal coding test or following steps for a promising job opportunity, so they’re far more likely to run whatever the interviewer sends them.". The fake jobs platform mimics the style and substance of Lever, a headhunting platform that boasts tens of thousands of customers. Among the fictional jobs advertised on the North Korean-built platform are a "product manager" related to Claude, the popular AI model developed by San Francisco-based firm Anthropic. Anthropic’s technology is in high demand. The firm committed to spending $30 billion on Microsoft’s compute capacity to expand the use of Claude, Microsoft announced this week. CNN has requested comment from Lever, Anthropic and all the other companies impersonated in the scheme. The North Korean diplomatic mission in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. "Because many candidates don’t want their current employer to know they’re looking elsewhere, they’re less likely to report anything suspicious, making it even easier for the attackers to slip through unnoticed," Kinion said. Kinion, whose team discovered the fake job portal this week, said he wasn’t aware of anyone who has fallen victim to the scheme yet, but many have fallen for past industrial espionage campaigns tied to Pyongyang. For years, North Korean workers have used fraudulent identities and sometimes passed interview screenings to infiltrate American companies big and small. The workers then send the money back to Pyongyang to support the regime’s rogue weapons program, according to private experts and US officials.

Daily Caller [11/20/2025 1:26 PM, Hudson Crozier, 835K] reports that Welfare fraud by Minnesota’s Somali population funneled taxpayer money to the Islamic terrorist organization Al-Shabaab, City Journal reported, citing law enforcement sources. "Untold millions" of state dollars flowed from Minnesota-based Somalis to the overseas group, including funds from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS), according to the outlet. Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s administration is now under scrutiny after federal probes revealed rampant fraud in a DHS program meant to help struggling residents find taxpayer-funded housing. Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, has killed Americans in its numerous attacks around the world, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. One of the group’s operatives was found guilty in November 2024 of plotting a 9/11 style plane attack in the U.S. "This is a third-rail conversation, but the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer," an unnamed source, who previously contracted for law enforcement on counterterrorism work, told City Journal. The report did not specify a timeframe or specific programs that were the source of the funds. The Minnesota DHS inspector general’s office and the FBI’s Minneapolis field office did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment. Much of the money was sent to "hawalas," or clan-based money traders, then laundered to Al-Shabaab, City Journal reported. Six of the eight people federally charged with fraud for Walz’s Housing Stabilization Services program are of Somali descent, a Department of Justice spokesperson told City Journal. The state shut the program down on Oct. 31 "due to widespread fraud."

Free Beacon [11/20/2025 8:16 PM, Jessica Schwalb, 411K] reports Columbia University student groups promoted a protest at which an anti-Semitic mob threw bottles and sticks at a Jewish group, which included at least two Holocaust survivors, outside a historic Manhattan synagogue. Roughly 200 keffiyeh-clad agitators gathered outside the Park East Synagogue on Wednesday to protest an event hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit group that facilitates Jewish immigration to Israel, the synagogue’s cantor, Benny Rogosnitzky, told the Washington Free Beacon. The sticks and bottles they threw at a group of Jewish counter-protesters of about the same size injured at least one member of the synagogue, he said. The agitators called the counter-protesters "rapists," "racists," and "pedophiles," the Times of Israel reported. One yelled, "Fucking Jewish pricks," while another said, "You’re part of a death cult." They also chanted "resistance is glorious," "intifada revolution," "death to the IDF," and "we don’t want no Zionists here" while banging on drums and blowing whistles. The protest was organized by PAL-Awda NY/NJ, which has honored Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar as a "hero" and a "legend." Columbia University Apartheid Divest and the Columbia chapter of Students for a Democratic Society promoted the event on social media, sharing a flyer that read "NO SETTLERS ON STOLEN LAND." It also accused Nefesh B’Nefesh of holding a "settler recruiting fair" and listed the address of Park East Synagogue, which is led by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor. A Columbia spokesman told the Free Beacon that those groups have no ties to the school and don’t receive university funding. "Any organization that promotes violence or encourages disruption of our academic mission is not welcome on our campuses," he said. Columbia’s student radicals seem to have pivoted away from protesting on campus as the university, under pressure from the Trump administration, cracks down on illegal demonstrations. Wednesday’s protest does, however, seem to play into New York Jews’ fears that anti-Semites will be empowered by Zohran Mamdani’s (D.) election as mayor. In response to Wednesday night’s protest, Mamdani, through a spokeswoman, suggested that Nefesh B’Nefesh’s mission of bringing Jews to Israel violates international law. "The Mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so," Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement. "He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” His response appears to align with PAL-Awda NY/NJ, which said Nefesh B’Nefesh is "responsible for the recruitment of settlers to Palestine from North America.” But Rogosnitzky, who stood outside the temple doors for the nearly four-hour protest, said the agitators weren’t merely protesting Israel. "I could only describe it as a hateful mob," Rogosnitzky told the Free Beacon. "It wasn’t just anti-Israel, anti-occupation. It was anti-Jewish.” "They were just there to express unmitigated hatred," he added. "We obviously support the freedom of speech, but we cannot condone the expressions of just pure anti-Semitism and hatred that were expressed against Jews and the synagogue last night.”

Axios [11/21/2025 5:00 AM, Marc Caputo, 13599K] reports Saudi Arabia’s leader on Tuesday downplayed the kingdom’s role in the 9/11 attacks. But an ongoing federal court case is revealing new details about Saudi officials’ alleged ties to the terror plot — and the potential liability that government faces. The lawsuit unearthed evidence showing one Saudi official — who acknowledges aiding two men who became hijackers — made a drawing of a plane and a mathematical formula that allegedly could have been used to fly into the World Trade Center. A crucial U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich kingdom was the first foreign sovereign to be sued in U.S. federal court under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act of 2016 for the attacks that killed 2,977 people. For 22 years, the kingdom has fought the New York lawsuit, the largest and longest-active case in the federal court system with 10,000 or so families of victims and insurers seeking damages in what’s been called a trillion-dollar lawsuit. In August, U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels determined that enough evidence exists to infer the kingdom employed two operatives to "assist the hijackers." The Saudis dispute this and are appealing. Asked Tuesday at the White House about 9/11 families’ anger, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed empathy but tacitly denied his government was involved in the attack. "We have to focus on reality, reality based in CIA documents and based on a lot of documents that Osama bin Laden used Saudi people in that event for one main purpose ... to destroy the American-Saudi relation[ship]," he said. Known by his initials MBS, the 40-year-old prince was not in the Saudi government on Sept. 11, 2001. The CIA did conclude that in 2018 he ordered the killing of a Washington Post journalist who had criticized him — a claim MBS essentially denied Tuesday. President Trump defended him and criticized an ABC News reporter for asking tough questions directed at him and MBS.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 4:02 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2416K] reports Somalis in Minnesota swindled millions in state Medicaid autism-care programs and sent the cash back to their homeland and its terror groups, investigators say. Breitbart News reported in July that nearly 100 autism clinics in Minnesota were being investigated for fraudulently billing Medicaid for treatment of children supposedly diagnosed with autism, most of it in connection with the rampantly corrupt Somali community around Minneapolis. But the fraud is far more widespread with far more money involved than was previously reported — all of which has been presided over by former Democrat Party vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz. The money paid out by Minnesota’s scandal-plagued welfare schemes is monumental. Fraud is also endemic in many of Minnesota’s other welfare programs. The stolen billion in Medicaid and welfare money didn’t merely go into the pockets of corrupt Somalian migrants. They also went to fund terrorism in Africa.

Chicago Tribune [11/20/2025 11:59 AM, Alice Yin, 4829K] reports Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday sought to head off concerns about public transit safety in the wake of a man accused of lighting a woman on fire on the CTA Blue Line. Asked at an unrelated West Side news conference whether the alleged attacker should have been out on the street, Johnson did not say directly but maintained the act of violence was not "some sort of trend." "The level of accountability that has to happen in this moment, I trust that the federal level will do its part," Johnson said, before stressing, "All I can say is that as awful and as horrific as this tragedy is, this is an isolated incident. As we continue to invest more in our public transportation system, we want people to feel safe as they ride." Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged Lawrence Reed with terrorism against a mass transportation system in the apparently unprovoked attack. The 50-year-old was arrested while on pretrial release for an aggravated battery case and has several prior cases in his criminal history.

FOX News [11/21/2025 3:43 AM, Landon Mion, 40621K] reports a prominent Muslim advocacy organization is taking Texas to court, arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to brand it a "foreign terrorist organization" tramples both the U.S. Constitution and state law. The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin chapters filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to overturn Abbott’s proclamation issued earlier in the week. "This attempt to punish the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization simply because Governor Abbott disagrees with its views is not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law," the group said in its lawsuit. Founded in 1994, CAIR operates 25 chapters nationwide, including a small Texas staff of eight employees and two contractors, according to the filing. "CAIR-Texas and the Texas Muslim community are standing up for our constitutional rights by directly confronting Greg Abbott’s lawless attack on our civil rights," CAIR-Texas said in a statement. "We are not and will not be intimidated by smear campaigns launched by Israel First politicians like Mr. Abbott. Mr. Abbott is defaming us and other American Muslims because we are effective advocates for justice here and abroad. We plan to continue exercising our constitutional rights, defending civil rights, and speaking truth to power, whether in defense of free speech, religious freedom and racial equality here in Texas or in defense of human rights abroad." Abbott’s order extended the "terrorist" label to the Muslim Brotherhood, even though federal authorities have never classified either group that way. The governor’s decree also bars CAIR from purchasing land in the Lone Star State under a new statute aimed at curbing purchases tied to "foreign adversaries."

Reported similarly:
AP [11/20/2025 7:07 PM, Andrew DeMillo, 31753K]
Washington Examiner [11/20/2025 4:11 PM, Pedro Rodriguez, 1394K]

New York Times [11/20/2025 8:04 PM, Carol Rosenberg, 135475K] reports Guantánamo’s only prisoner serving a life sentence returned to the war court on Thursday, 17 years after he was convicted of producing recruiting videos for Al Qaeda, and put on a show of defiance as he did at his 2008 war crimes trial. The prisoner, Ali Hamza al-Bahlul, 56, firmly but politely refused to sit in the witness stand, refused to swear an oath to tell the truth and refused help from a defense lawyer. Instead, from the same seat he took years ago at his arraignment, he launched into monologues in Arabic celebrating Al Qaeda, occasionally challenging court translators, and said he had intentionally misinformed U.S. interrogators in the years following his capture in Pakistan in 2001. “One of the interrogators put a gun to my head and did not see any reaction from me,” he said. Another interrogator swatted it away. At issue in this week’s proceeding was whether prosecutors could use what Mr. Bahlul told F.B.I. interrogators early in his detention at the upcoming capital trial of another prisoner, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is accused of plotting the Al Qaeda bombing of the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole on Oct. 12, 2000. Lawyers for Mr. Nashiri, who was not in court on Thursday, want the information excluded as hearsay and considered tainted by torture. Mr. Bahlul is just one of two convicts among the 15 prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay; efforts to hold the death penalty tribunals of Mr. Nashiri and the men accused of conspiring in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have been stymied by the torture of the defendants and potential witnesses. Mr. Bahlul called the United States “the mother of terrorism,” and displayed a keen understanding of current events, at one point expressing approval of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s adopting the title secretary of war. He called it “the definitive and right description of the aggression of the United States.” A military jury convicted Mr. Bahlul, who is Yemeni, on Nov. 3, 2008, after he refused to offer a defense at his military commission trial, and refused to permit his assigned Air Force lawyer to speak for him. He would sometimes wave a handmade sign proclaiming “Boycott” in Arabic. Mr. Bahlul has spent years in solitary confinement, often refusing legal meetings, as higher courts have chipped away at his 2008 conviction for creating a recruiting video for Al Qaeda about the Cole bombing. He is Guantánamo’s longest-held prisoner, serving a life sentence on a single charge of conspiracy. He looked and sounded similar to the time of his trial, although his beard has turned charcoal gray. He appeared to not understand why he had come to court, and initially said he would take questions only from the judge, Col. Matthew Fitzgerald, who at one point cut him off midsentence after he said, somewhat randomly, “When I was subjected to torture. …” In time, he engaged with the lead prosecutor, Capt. Timothy Stinson, but his testimony was mostly nonresponsive to questions. He was far more cooperative later in the day when a defense lawyer, Jessica Manuele, questioned him about any abuse he suffered in U.S. detention. The judge has scheduled the trial for June 1, more than 25 years after Al Qaeda’s suicide bombing off Yemen, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. Mr. Nashiri has been in U.S. custody since 2002.

Washington Post [11/20/2025 1:13 PM, Maegan Vazquez and Dan Lamothe, 24149K] reports President Donald Trump accused a group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday of “seditious behavior” and called for their arrest for appearing in a video in which they reminded members of the U.S. military and intelligence community that they are obligated to refuse illegal orders. “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand.” The video released Tuesday features a group of six Democrats who served in the military and intelligence community. Addressing active service members, they caution that “threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.” “Our laws are clear,” Sen. Mark Kelly (Arizona), a Navy veteran, says in the video. “You can refuse illegal orders.” “You must refuse illegal orders,” adds Rep. Chris Deluzio (Pennsylvania), who also served in the Navy. The video does not specify particular orders that might be unlawful. But some of the lawmakers have relayed this week that they are hearing concerns from service members about the legality of strikes that have targeted people the Trump administration alleges are trafficking narcotics by sea. The Pentagon did not respond Thursday morning to questions about the president’s post. Traditionally, the U.S. military adheres to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which holds that service members must obey lawful orders, whether they agree with them or not. They are obligated to not follow “manifestly unlawful orders,” but such situations are rare and legally fraught. Members of the military take an oath to the Constitution, not the president.

AP [11/20/2025 2:58 PM, Meg Kinnard, 31753K] reports President Donald Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition "punishable by DEATH" after the lawmakers - all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community - called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy "illegal orders." The 90-second video was first posted early Tuesday from Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s X account. In it, the six lawmakers - Slotkin, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan - speak directly to U.S. service members, whom Slotkin acknowledges are "under enormous stress and pressure right now." "The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution," Slotkin wrote in the X post. Trump on Thursday reposted messages from others about the video, amplifying it with his own words. It marked another flashpoint in the political rhetoric that at times has been thematic in his administrations, as well as among some in his MAGA base. Some Democrats accused him of acting like a king and trying to distract from soon-to-be-released files about disgraced financier and sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein. With pieces of dialogue spliced together from different members, the lawmakers introduce themselves and their background. They go on to say the Trump administration "is pitting our uniformed military against American citizens. They call for service members to "refuse illegal orders" and "stand up for our laws." The lawmakers conclude the video by encouraging service members, "Don’t give up the ship," a War of 1812-era phrase attributed to a U.S. Navy captain’s dying command to his crew. Although the lawmakers didn’t mention specific circumstances in the video, its release comes as the Trump administration continues attempts at deployment of National Guard troops into U.S. cities for various roles, although some have been pulled back, and others held up in court. On Thursday, Trump reposted to social media an article about the video, adding his own commentary that it was "really bad, and Dangerous to our Country." "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!!" Trump went on. "LOCK THEM UP???" He also called for the lawmakers’ arrest and trial, adding in a separate post that it was "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH."

NBC News [11/20/2025 4:44 PM, Alexandra Marquez, Megan Lebowitz and Allan Smith, 34509K] reports President Donald Trump on Thursday accused several Democratic lawmakers of "seditious behavior," calling for them to "be arrested and put on trial" for behavior that, he said, could be "punishable by death.". The lawmakers, many of whom are veterans, had posted a video Tuesday telling military and intelligence officers to "refuse illegal orders.". "It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET," the president wrote in one Truth Social post Thursday morning, linking to an article about the video from the Washington Examiner. "This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???" Trump wrote in another post. In a third, he wrote: "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!". Trump also reposted multiple posts from other Truth Social users about the video, including one that said, "Hang them George Washington would.". Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., spoke about the posts Thursday on the Senate floor, saying, "The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious.". "When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen," Schumer added. "He is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.". Later, Schumer told reporters that he has asked the U.S. Capitol Police to provide "special protection and keep an eye on Slotkin and Kelly.".

The Hill [11/20/2025 2:19 PM, Mike Lillis, 12595K] reports House Democratic leaders hammered President Trump on Thursday after the president suggested a group of Democratic lawmakers should be executed for "seditious behavior.". Behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Democratic leaders warned that Trump’s remarks, which targeted six Democrats with military or national security backgrounds, have put the lawmakers at risk of becoming targets of political violence. The Democrats demanded that Trump "immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.". "We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress and call on House Republicans to forcefully do the same," said Jeffries, joined by Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), in a statement. "The President’s violent and unhinged rhetoric against American patriots is consistent with his well-documented history of attacking prisoners of war, Gold Star families and war heroes," they added. "There is no bottom when it comes to Donald Trump.". The controversy surrounds a video released by six Democrats from both chambers urging members of the armed forces not to follow any "illegal orders" during the course of their duties. Appearing in the video are Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.) and Maggie Goodlander (N.H.).

NPR [11/20/2025 5:23 PM, Saige Miller, 28013K] reports congressional Democratic leaders are demanding President Trump delete social media posts directed at some Democratic veterans in Congress suggesting they be arrested and receive the death penalty for a video they released urging active military personnel to defy illegal orders. In the video posted to Facebook on Tuesday, lawmakers address members of the military and intelligence communities and say, "You can refuse illegal orders," repeating the phrase several times before saying, "You must refuse illegal orders.". The video features Democratic members of the House and Senate — Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania; and Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. On Truth Social, Trump said the comments made in the video are "really bad, and dangerous to our country.". "Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???," Trump posted. An hour later, Trump shared another post, stating, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!". Trump also reposted a series of comments from users on Truth Social, including posts that said the Democrats should be hanged, the actions were an insurrection and they should all be indicted because of the video. The lawmakers responded to the posts in a joint statement, saying in part, "We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.". "Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity," they said. House Democratic leadership — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California — called for Trump to remove the posts and for Republicans to condemn them. "We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress and call on House Republicans to forcefully do the same," they wrote. "We have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these Members and their families," the statement adds. "Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.".

Daily Caller [11/20/2025 2:14 PM, Mark Tanos, 835K] reports federal prosecutors charged three Chinese nationals and an American with illegally smuggling advanced NVIDIA computer chips to China, according to court documents filed following an arrest in California on Wednesday. Authorities arrested Cham Li, also known as "Tony Li," in connection with a Florida indictment accusing him and three others of exporting restricted graphics processing units without required licenses, the court documents stated. The chips are used in AI and supercomputing applications that U.S. officials restrict due to national security concerns. The defendants allegedly used Janford Realtor LLC, a Tampa shell company, to disguise the shipments between September 2023 and July 2025. Prosecutors say the group sent approximately 400 NVIDIA A100 GPUs and 50 H200 GPUs through Malaysia and Thailand to hide the chips’ final destination in China. Hon Ning Ho of Tampa, Brian Curtis Raymond of Huntsville, Alabama, and Jing Chen of Tampa face charges alongside Li. The indictment accuses them of submitting false export documents and creating fake contracts to avoid detection.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 10:29 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports that, using digital devices creates a data footprint that endangers national security, U.S. military personnel and military operations, the Government Accountability Office said. The Defense Department has cited publicly available data generated by defense platforms, personal devices and online activities as a growing threat that requires continual caution, the GAO reported on Monday. "Massive amounts of traceable data about military personnel and operations now exist due to the digital revolution," according to the report. "When aggregated, these ‘digital footprints’ can threaten military personnel and their families, operations and, ultimately, national security.” Such information could enable "malicious actors" to trace the movements of ships and aircraft and otherwise endanger military operations, according to Military Times. The GAO report says 10 Defense Department components are vulnerable to security lapses that create "volumes of traceable data.” The vulnerability is especially prevalent for training and security assessment within the U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, U.S.Special Operations Command and every U.S. military branch, according to the GAO. Only the U.S. Special Operations Command has consistently trained its personnel to minimize the risks created by digital information, the report says. Most Defense Department agencies and offices also fail to undertake threat assessments targeting force protection, insider threats, mission assurance and operations security. The GAO said information provided via press releases, news sources, online activities, social media posts and ship coordinates might be capable of telegraphing the routes of ships and aircraft and jeopardize their respective operations. Only three of five offices within the Defense Department have issued policies or provided guidance to minimize the risks of digital information, but even those efforts are "narrowly focused" and insufficient, the GAO said. The GAO report echoes concerns raised by federal lawmakers after a Signal app discussion of a pending military strike on Houthi targets on March 15 accidentally included The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 7:22 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would meet with President Donald Trump after the United States offered a peace plan to end the nearly four-year war between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky told U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll that he’s willing to negotiate with the Trump administration on its new peace plan for Ukraine, officials told Axios. The plan reportedly asks Ukraine to make concessions, including allowing Russia to take some Ukrainian territory. Though Zelensky has in the past refused any effort to give Russia land, his office said he expects to speak with Trump about the new plan soon. Driscoll gave Zelensky the plan Thursday afternoon. It was written by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, his Russian counterpart. Ukraine was not involved in drafting the plan. In a statement, Zelensky’s office said Ukraine had "agreed to work on the plan’s provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war." Kyiv supported "all substantive proposals capable of bringing genuine peace closer," the statement said. The White House said Trump supports peace in Ukraine.

Axios [11/20/2025 9:12 PM, Barak Ravid, 12972K] reports President Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine includes a security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5, which would commit the U.S. and European allies to treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire "transatlantic community," according to a draft obtained by Axios. Trump’s plan demands painful concessions from Ukraine, but it also includes an unprecedented promise. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top objective in peace talks is to obtain a robust U.S. and European security guarantee, and this is the first time Trump has been willing to put one on the table. The 28-point plan U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented to Zelensky on Thursday, which was also obtained by Axios, says simply that "Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees." But alongside it, the U.S. presented the Ukrainians with another draft agreement. It states that any future "significant, deliberate, and sustained armed attack" by Russia on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an attack threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community," and the U.S. and its allies will respond accordingly, including through military force. The document includes lines for signatures from Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, NATO and Russia. A senior White House official said Russia was briefed on the draft, but it’s unclear if President Vladimir Putin’s signature will ultimately be required. The security guarantee would be for an initial 10 years, and could be renewed by mutual consent. A senior White House official and another source with direct knowledge confirmed the document’s legitimacy. The senior official said the proposal will have to be discussed with European partners and could still change. Elements of the proposal were reported by the Wall Street Journal. The official said the Trump administration views the proposed security guarantee as a "big win" for Zelensky and for Ukraine’s long-term security. Zelensky now has a proposal in his possession that would require him to cede even more Ukrainian territory than Russia currently controls and see Russia welcomed back into the community of nations — with sanctions lifted and amnesty for war crimes. But it would also give him a stronger guarantee against further Russian aggression than previously seemed likely while Trump was in the White House. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who has taken the lead in drafting the 28-point plan, discussed the proposed security guarantee with Zelensky’s national security adviser Rustem Umerov over the weekend, and it was shared in writing with Zelensky on Thursday, the U.S. official said. The plan could open Trump up to backlash with his America First allies, as it would effectively commit the U.S. military to defending Ukraine in the event of another war. The draft text This Framework establishes the conditions for an armistice between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and provides a security assurance modeled on the principles of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, adapted to the circumstances of this conflict and the interests of the United States and its European partners.

Breitbart [11/20/2025 6:23 PM, John Hayward, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) asked him to work on a peace deal between the factions in Sudan’s long and brutal civil war, and Trump has already begun working on a deal. "Working with the crown prince was amazing because he said, ‘Sir, you’re talking about a lot of wars, but there’s a place on Earth called Sudan, and it’s horrible what’s happening,’" Trump said of his meeting with MBS at the White House on Wednesday. Trump was speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington, an event MBS also attended. "You know we’ve already started working on that, OK?" Trump said to the Saudi crown prince at the Kennedy Center. "We’re working on that. We started about 30 minutes after you explained to us the great importance of that. I view it differently now than I did just a day ago.". "His majesty would like me to do something very powerful having to do with Sudan," Trump told the audience. "It was not on my charts to be involved in, I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control. But I just see how important that is to you, and to a lot of your friends in the room, Sudan. And we’re going to start working on Sudan.". Trump returned to the subject in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday afternoon. "Tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan. It has become the most violent place on Earth and, likewise, the single biggest Humanitarian Crisis. Food, doctors, and everything else are desperately needed," Trump wrote.

Washington Times [11/20/2025 6:25 PM, Jeff Mordock and Mike Glenn, 852K] reports China’s crackdown on religious freedom, including recent arrests of Christian church members, represents a national security threat to the U.S. and must be met with a powerful response, a coalition of experts told lawmakers Thursday on Capitol Hill. Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who served as ambassador-at-large for religious freedom in the first Trump administration, urged lawmakers to shift from viewing Beijing’s religious crackdown as a human rights issue and start treating it as a national security issue. Calling it a “national security imperative,” he said the atheist Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to eliminate faith are part of its larger ambition to wipe out its enemies. “China is at war with faith, and it is at war with us. We should unequivocally and clearly be on the side of their opponents. China fears religious freedom more than they fear our aircraft carriers or our nuclear weapons,” Mr. Brownback said at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a joint House-Senate commission. “If the world’s largest authoritarian state can eradicate religious freedom without consequences, it undermines the authority of America’s founding values and global leadership,” he said. In recent weeks, China launched its largest religion eradication effort in nearly seven years. On Tuesday, Chinese authorities arrested 18 leaders of an underground church, the first step toward prosecuting them and potentially sending them to prison for three years.

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