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.

NewsNation [11/24/2025 4:37 PM, Jeff Arnold, 8017K] reports nearly 4,000 Burmese nationals living in the United States will soon no longer have temporary protected status, avoiding deportation, after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated those protections for Myanmar on Monday. Noem eliminated Myanmar (formerly Burma) from the list of protected countries, which will take effect January 26, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced. Noem eliminated protections for Myanmar immigrants after conferring with interagency partners and determined that conditions in the Southeast Asian country have improved enough for citizens to return. Once the order regarding Myanmar becomes official at the end of January, migrants currently approved for TPS will face deportation or the threat of being arrested for being in the country illegally. "Burma has made notable progress in governance and stability, including the end of its state of emergency, plans for free and fair elections, successful ceasefire agreements, and improved local governance contributing to enhanced public service delivery and national reconciliation," Noem said in a statement issued by USCIS on Monday. Noem determined that permitting Burmese nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the nation’s interests, the agency said. Earlier this year, there were 3,670 Myanmar nationals living in the United States who had been granted temporary protected status. However, in recent months, that number has grown to 3,969. The protected status for those migrants will expire on January 26 unless a court intervenes. Officials said that those losing protected status will have the ability to use the CBP Home app to report that they have left the United States. Reuters [11/25/2025 2:38 AM, Staff, 34509K] reports that the move raised concern for individuals who may be forced to return to Myanmar, which has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting a civilian government and setting off a nationwide armed resistance. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had conferred with U.S. government agencies and concluded that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Myanmar was no longer needed, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement that justified the move. "This decision restores TPS to its original status as temporary," Noem said in the statement, using another name for Myanmar. "The situation in Burma has improved enough that it is safe for Burmese citizens to return home, so we are terminating the Temporary Protected Status. Burma has made notable progress in governance and stability, including the end of its state of emergency, plans for free and fair elections, successful ceasefire agreements, and improved local governance contributing to enhanced public service delivery and national reconciliation.” In a formal notification of the move, DHS also credited Myanmar’s military government for engaging in ceasefire negotiations with ethnic armed groups. It noted that China is playing a mediating role and compared the talks favorably to past peace efforts. The status will expire for the roughly 4,000 Myanmar nationals benefiting from it on Jan. 26, the agency said. International actors, including the United Nations, have said that elections the junta is planning for December and January cannot be free and fair while some opposition parties remain banned and former leader Aung San Suu Kyi languishes in jail. "The (U.S.) factual analysis is fantastical," said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Contrary to its content, there have been no improvements in governance or stability, the revocation of a state of emergency is meaningless in effect, and the so-called elections announced by the military are widely understood to be theater — not even a farce, which at least might be amusing, but a sham.” The administration’s justification appears to contradict members of Trump’s own Republican party, who have long advocated for tough policies toward Myanmar’s junta. House Foreign Affairs East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim, at a hearing on Myanmar last week, called the upcoming elections a "sham" that was "designed to create an illusion of legitimacy while allowing the junta to continue serving as a proxy for China and Russia.” The State Department warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Myanmar "due to civil unrest, armed conflict, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” The department’s most recent human rights report on the country, published in August, said there were "significant human rights issues" in Myanmar, including credible reports of arbitrary killings and disappearances, torture, persecution of journalists and restrictions on religious freedom, among other abuses. "The human rights crisis in Burma deteriorated during the year as the conflict between the military regime and opposition forces (including ethnic armed organizations) intensified, marked by increased regime airstrikes and artillery attacks on or near civilian sites," it said.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [11/25/2025 1:05 AM, Victor Nava, 42219K]
The Hill [11/24/2025 7:44 PM, Jeff Arnold, 12595K]
CBS News [11/24/2025 11:09 AM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 39474K]
Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 2:05 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1394K]

AP [11/25/2025 4:30 AM, David Rising, 31753K] reports rights groups on Tuesday slammed the Trump administration’s decision to end protected status for Myanmar citizens due to the country’s “notable progress in governance and stability,” even though it remains mired in a bloody civil war and the head of its military regime faces possible U.N. war crimes charges. In her announcement Monday ending temporary protection from deportation for citizens of Myanmar, also known as Burma, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited the military’s plans for “free and fair elections” in December and “successful ceasefire agreements” as among the reasons for her decision. “The situation in Burma has improved enough that it is safe for Burmese citizens to return home,” she said in a statement. The military under Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing seized power from democratically-elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and is seeking to add a sheen of international legitimacy to its government with the upcoming elections. But with Suu Kyi in prison and her party banned, most outside observers have denounced the elections as a sham. “Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem is treating those people just like her family’s dog that she famously shot down in cold blood because it misbehaved — if her order is carried out, she will literally be sending them back to prisons, brutal torture, and death in Myanmar,” Phil Robertson, the director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, said in a statement. “Secretary Noem is seriously deluded if she thinks the upcoming elections in Myanmar will be even remotely free and fair, and she is just making things up when she claims non-existent ceasefires proclaimed by Myanmar’s military junta will result in political progress.”

The AP [11/24/2025 6:44 PM, Rebecca Santana and Elliot Spagat, 31753K] reports the Trump administration plans a review of all refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration, according to a memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The review is likely to sow confusion and fear among the nearly 200,000 people who fled war and persecution to come to the United States during that period. The memo, dated Nov. 21, said that during the Biden years "expediency" and "quantity" were prioritized over "detailed screening and vetting" and that warranted the comprehensive review and "re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.” Advocates of the refugee program say that refugees are generally some of the most vetted of all people coming to the United States and that they often wait years to be able to come to America. The memo, signed by the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, also immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who came to the U.S. during the stated time period. People admitted to the U.S. as refugees are required to apply for a green card one year after they arrive in the country and usually five years after that can apply for citizenship. The Biden administration admitted 185,640 refugees from October 2021 through September 2024. Refugee admissions topped 100,000 last year, with the largest numbers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria. CNN [11/24/2025 4:18 PM, Priscilla Alvarez, Jennifer Hansler, 18595K] reports Trump officials have scrutinized the admissions program, which has historically had bipartisan support, and argued that the previous administration didn’t sufficiently vet the people who entered the US. Trump has largely halted refugee admissions, with the narrow exception of White South Africans. US Citizenship and Immigration Services is expected to be charged with the review and reinterview process, according to the memo, dated November 21, citing an operational necessity to ensure refugees don’t pose a national security or public safety threat. Between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2025, around 235,000 refugees entered the US after going through the admissions process. Telemundo [11/24/2025 8:33 PM, Rebecca Santana and Elliot Spagat, 2218K] reports refugee rights advocates immediately criticized the reports of this review, saying it will traumatize those who have already undergone intense scrutiny to reach the United States. “This plan is shockingly poorly formulated,” said Naomi Steinberg, vice president of the international humanitarian group HIAS. “It’s a new low in this administration’s consistently heartless treatment of people who are already building new lives and enriching the communities where they have now made their homes,” she added. USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security, and the White House have not responded to requests for comment. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
Reuters [11/24/2025 6:10 PM, Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, 36480K]

New York Times [11/25/2025 5:02 AM, Hamed Aleaziz, Nicholas Nehamas, Michael H. Keller and Alexandra Berzon, 135475K] reports that, amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown, special agents at the Homeland Security Department have made fewer arrests for drug crimes and seized fewer weapons than they did the previous fiscal year, according to internal government documents reviewed by New York Times. The numbers reflect a shift in priorities as top officials at the department pulled special agents off drug, gun and other complex criminal investigations under pressure from the White House to deport more undocumented immigrants, current and former federal officials told The Times. The impact was clear, with immigration arrests soaring. The number of people arrested by homeland security special agents for civil immigration offenses went from roughly 5,000 to a record of more than 94,500, the data shows. Among the key figures in the documents: Narcotics arrests fell by roughly 11 percent. Agents opened 15 percent fewer new investigations into narcotics crimes. The number of weapons seized fell dramatically, declining from nearly 41,400 to fewer than 11,200 — a 73 percent drop. The data comes from an internal report by Homeland Security Investigations, the agency’s crime-fighting arm. The report offers a comparison of enforcement statistics between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, and the same period during the previous year. That time frame includes roughly four months of the Biden administration and eight months of the Trump administration. Overall, the report shows that criminal arrests went up to more than 46,000, a 41 percent rise. The increase was driven in part by several types of investigations often related to immigration, such as human smuggling and trafficking. But roughly 12,000 of the arrests were not categorized by crime type, making it difficult to assess the kinds of cases that accounted for the reported rise. The Times reported last week that H.S.I.’s investigations into major crimes, including child exploitation and terrorism financing, had faltered after special agents were ordered to assist with the immigration crackdown. Dozens of officials who have worked under the current Trump administration said the shifts had hindered their case work. The newly disclosed data reveals the extent of the change under H.S.I., which is part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement but generally focuses on criminal investigations involving threats like financial fraud, drug smuggling and sex trafficking, not civil immigration violations. Another component of ICE, called Enforcement and Removal Operations, has typically handled immigration enforcement. The numbers were circulated in recent days within H.S.I. but have not been released publicly. No data is included for the fiscal years before 2024, which is also not publicly available in similar detail. In a message to H.S.I. employees that accompanied the report, the agency’s acting leader, John A. Condon, highlighted the civil immigration arrests, calling them a “monumental achievement that underscores your operational impact and commitment to mission.” Those arrests are counted separately from criminal ones. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, characterized the data as a sign of success, saying that H.S.I. had made more criminal arrests than in any previous fiscal year. Ms. Jackson also said The Times was “cherry-picking” statistics from the report and dismissed the decline in individual categories such as drug arrests and weapon seizures, saying those could fluctuate from year to year. She did not provide statistics for previous years and did not explain what kinds of arrests accounted for most of the overall increase. “The Trump administration is making America safer than ever before,” she said. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, said The Times was “peddling a false narrative.” She said the report showed that agents had seized more narcotics than the previous year. But the comparison was not clear because the new figure includes some types of substances that were not part of the previous year’s total.

Breitbart [11/24/2025 4:35 PM, John Binder, 2416K] reports a federal judge, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents locate illegal aliens using tax information. Late last week, United States District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for the District of Columbia issued a stay or preliminary injunction to prevent the IRS from handing over tax information to ICE agents seeking to locate illegal aliens. The deal, which was historic for both ICE and the IRS, allowed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem or ICE Director Todd Lyons to submit a request to the IRS for information regarding an illegal alien who has been ordered to be deported. The IRS-ICE deal came after officials with the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said they had found potentially millions of illegal aliens on Social Security and Medicaid rolls and thousands on voter rolls. Despite being a major problem for many millions of Americans, there is little research about the impact of illegal immigration on identity theft.

Washington Post [11/25/2025 5:01 AM, Derek Hawkins, 32099K] reports the deal Congress passed to end the 43-day government shutdown boosted security funding for the Supreme Court, freeing up millions of dollars to support round-the-clock protection for the nine justices. It provided no new security funding, however, for hundreds of judges in lower courts, who for months have urged lawmakers to set aside more money for their safety amid a surge in threats of violence. Judiciary officials had asked lawmakers for an additional $142 million for security for lower federal courts, a 19 percent increase. The budget for security, which has been flat for two years, covers protective measures for the nation’s federal courts, served by more than 2,000 judges. The lack of new funds for lower courts has intensified concerns among some judicial officials that security around those judges could deteriorate. They worry that budget constraints could limit how authorities respond to threats and delay critical security equipment upgrades such as new screening devices at courthouses. According to several former judges, the money issue has also fueled perceptions that President Donald Trump’s administration and its allies in Congress have politicized judicial security. In hearings this year on the judiciary’s budget, some Republican lawmakers criticized judges who had ruled against Trump’s policies and pressed judiciary officials who testified on whether they would try to rein in what the lawmakers called a partisan judicial process. “There are people in the judiciary who are afraid that judicial security for the lower courts and politics are getting played off each other, and no one wants to be in that position,” said Jeremy Fogel, a retired judge who served in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. “In the short term, I think that many in the judiciary will believe that their need for increased security because of threats against judges is being neglected,” Fogel said. “In the longer term, I think that problems with understaffing and aging infrastructure will increase the chances of a tragic incident.”

New York Post [11/24/2025 3:41 PM, Priscilla DeGregory, 42219K] reports the illegal immigrant who swiped Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s $4,000 Gucci bag will likely be booted from the country after he copped to the brazen theft. Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, pleaded guilty Friday to carrying out a spree of thefts on April 12, 17 and 20 in Washington, DC, which included nicking Noem’s luxury bag that had $3,000 cash in it, while she was dining at the Capital Burger with her family for Easter. Bustamante-Leiva, a Chilean native, copped to charges of wire fraud, wire fraud and aiding and abetting and first-degree theft as part of an agreement with prosecutors, court papers show. While he technically faces decades behind bars at his March 13 sentencing, prosecutors have said federal sentencing guidelines for Bustamante-Leiva range from 6 months to 3 1/2 years behind bars. Since Bustamante-Leiva was in the country illegally he will likely be deported after he serves his time, prosecutors noted in plea agreement papers. The feds added that Bustamante-Leiva had eight previous convictions abroad and had done six stints behind bars in Chile and in the United Kingdom. His co-defendant, Cristian Montecino-Sanzana, also pleaded guilty Friday to wire fraud and aiding and abetting for his involvement in the April 12 theft of a person’s purse at Nando’s Restaurant in the nation’s capitol.

CBS News [11/24/2025 12:20 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 39474K] reports fewer than one-third of the individuals arrested by Border Patrol during the Trump administration’s recent immigration enforcement crackdown in Charlotte were classified as criminals, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by CBS News. The government document undermines claims by Trump administration officials who said the crackdown, dubbed Operation Charlotte’s Web, was primarily focused on apprehending immigrants living in the U.S. illegally who also had criminal histories and posed a threat to public safety. Roughly 200 green-uniformed Border Patrol agents recorded more than 270 immigration arrests during the Charlotte campaign, which began on the weekend of Nov. 15, the document shows. Fewer than 90 of those arrested by Border Patrol were categorized as "criminal aliens" in the document. Those statistics do not include arrests made by officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though Border Patrol played the principal role in Operation Charlotte’s Web. The document also does not specify the severity of the crimes of the detainees listed as criminals, nor whether their records included convictions or solely criminal charges. While DHS has publicly maintained that the crackdown in Charlotte is ongoing, separate internal documents say Border Patrol’s operation there concluded, with agents demobilizing from the area last week. ICE has a permanent presence in North Carolina, and is expected to continue operations there.

San Francisco Chronicle [11/24/2025 5:28 PM, Ko Lyn Cheang, 4722K] reports five more San Francisco immigration court judges were fired late last Friday by the Trump administration, the latest escalation in the federal government’s axing of judges in immigration courts nationwide. A total of 12 judges in the city’s immigration court have been fired this year, leaving just nine judges to handle cases in one of the nation’s busiest courts. The firings have bewildered and frustrated the terminated immigration judges and lawyers, who said that it would worsen the backlog of 3.4 million active pending asylum cases in the nation’s immigration courts. Already, San Francisco asylum-seekers had to wait an average of four and a half years to have their asylum claims heard in court, a previous Chronicle analysis found. The judges fired Friday were Shuting Chen, Amber George, Lou Gordon, Johnson and Patrick Savage, according to Johnson. A judge in New York and one in Boston were also fired. Two, including Johnson, were appointed by Trump during his first term. The remainder were appointed by former President Joe Biden.

Daily Wire [11/24/2025 5:28 AM, Hank Berrien, 2494K] reports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has determined that Pennsylvania violated federal safety regulations by illegally issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), including to individuals who were not legally eligible to receive them. FMCSA found that PennDOT failed to verify lawful presence and, in some cases, issued licenses that extended beyond the individual’s authorized stay in the United States. As a result, the Transportation Department is threatening to withhold nearly $75 million in federal funding unless Pennsylvania revokes all improperly issued CDLs and corrects the systemic failures that allowed the violations. The findings emerged amid a nationwide audit of non-domiciled CDLs initiated in June, shortly after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a suspected terrorist who had illegally entered the United States and received a Pennsylvania CDL earlier in the summer. Secretary Duffy cited this case as evidence of the national-security implications of lax CDL standards and criticized prior immigration policies for enabling such risks. He stated that the Department, under President Donald Trump, is committed to preventing unqualified foreign drivers from operating heavy commercial vehicles on American roads. USDOT has ordered Pennsylvania to take several immediate steps: pause all issuance or renewal of non-domiciled CDLs and commercial learner’s permits (CLPs); conduct a thorough audit to identify all noncompliant licenses and the procedural failures behind them; and revoke any unexpired, improperly issued licenses to ensure unqualified drivers are removed from service.

New York Times [11/24/2025 11:15 PM, Jesus Jiménez, 153395K] reports for about four hours, they described the toll of federal raids on Southern California. They spoke of masked agents tackling undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens, of being denied food, water and phone calls to relatives while in custody. One woman fought back tears as she recounted not having seen her husband since he was detained on June 21 after leaving a laundromat. One man described vomiting blood after contracting an illness at a detention center. At a congressional hearing in Los Angeles on Monday, more than two dozen people testified to lawmakers about the fear and upheaval gripping Southern California immigrant communities after months of federal raids led by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The testimony came from men and women whose loved ones had been arrested or who had been detained themselves. Some had witnessed immigration arrests, and still others were local elected officials who described agents whose actions, they said, went outside the law. “This is not public safety,” said Rex Richardson, the mayor of Long Beach. “This is racial profiling. This is abuse of power.” Democratic members of Congress organized the hearing at the urging of Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles and a former member of Congress, as part of their push to investigate reports of misconduct by federal immigration agents. Other hearings are expected to be held in other cities. The session on Monday drew lawmakers from California and across the country, including Representatives Jasmine Crockett of Texas and Maxine Waters of California. Representative Robert Garcia, a Democrat who is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said the message to the Trump administration was simply, “We are watching you.”

San Francisco Chronicle [11/24/2025 7:56 PM, Bob Egelko, 4722K] reports a federal judge says local governments in the Bay Area and elsewhere can use hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to prepare for fires, floods and other natural disasters without the restrictions on DEI initiatives demanded by the Trump administration. When Congress gave its annual approval to the emergency appropriations this year, President Donald Trump insisted on allowing funds only to local governments that promised not to give favorable treatment to members of minority races or transgender residents — apparently including gender-affirming medical care, as well as consideration of minority status in hiring. The administration also said cities and counties must cooperate in federal immigration enforcement, even though federal courts have upheld local and state sanctuary laws barring such cooperation. But in a lawsuit by 19 local governments and agencies — including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, with a population of more than 30 million and a total of $330 million of federal grants at stake — U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of San Francisco said Trump had no legal authority for his restrictions. Such arguments by the Trump administration "have been soundly rejected by courts around the country, which have found similar agency conditional funding schemes to be unconstitutional," Orrick, an appointee of President Barack Obama, wrote in a ruling Friday granting a preliminary injunction against the funding restrictions. Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. "The message to the Executive Branch in these cases is consistent: no one is above the law, and the separation of powers between the three branches must be respected.” In another case in April, Orrick refused to allow the Trump administration to withhold all federal funding from sanctuary cities, including San Francisco, that prohibit their police from taking part in immigration enforcement. The Supreme Court in 2020 rejected the Trump administration’s challenge to California’s sanctuary law. While the same restrictions affect federal emergency funds elsewhere in the nation, they have a disproportionate impact in the Bay Area, said Nina Erlich-Williams, a spokesperson for the local governments in the case. "The Bay Area faces its own unique disaster risks, like earthquakes or wildfires, which are made particularly complex by the Bay Area’s dense population," Erlich-Williams said Monday.

Chicago Tribune [11/24/2025 6:00 AM, Laura Rodríguez Presa and Gregory Royal Pratt, 4829K] reports inside a modest second-floor apartment on Chicago’s Southwest Side, three children went without sleep waiting for their mom to finally come home. Their dad, with a family friend, had driven through the night to get her. More than five hours in the dark to pick her up from the dingy jail in rural Indiana, five hours more on the way back. They arrived home just as the sky began to lighten that early Tuesday morning. When Patricia Quishpe stepped out, her kids rushed into the cold morning air to wrap her in their arms. Her hijos. The word she had cried when the Ecuadorian mother of three was arrested by Border Patrol agents at the Swap-O-Rama flea market in mid-October, during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. "I feel blessed," Quishpe told the Tribune last week about her release. Quishpe, her husband and their children all have pending asylum cases, and she has a work permit. The experience of her arrest is too painful to talk about, she said. As U.S. Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino and his agents move on to other cities, most recently sweeping through North Carolina, those affected by the blitz across Chicago and its suburbs are facing a new normal in its aftermath Thousands of families are now living with trauma and disruption, whether they’ve been reunited like Quishpe, have loved ones still detained or feel their loss from deportation. Throughout the Latino communities of Pilsen and Little Village, neighborhood restaurants and bars that generations of immigrants have filled daily are cautiously coming back to life after weeks of fear and empty streets.

Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 7:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 1394K] reports for decades, one immigration debate has divided the Left and the Right: Are illegal immigrants taking jobs from Americans or doing jobs U.S. citizens simply will not do? President Donald Trump’s return to office this year has put the issue front and center, particularly as Immigration and Customs Enforcement targets job sites nationwide where illegal immigrants are employed. In June, for example, 76 workers were arrested by federal immigration authorities at a Nebraska meatpacking company. Days later, the company’s front office was filled with job seekers filling out applications, hopeful about snagging one of the vacant positions — a sign that perhaps those illegal immigrants had been in jobs that Americans would do given the chance. As many as 8.5 million illegal immigrants are presently in the U.S. workforce, according to the Center for Migration Studies of New York, a think tank and educational organization that studies international migration. The CMS compiled its latest analysis of employment trends, released in August, by pulling data from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The construction industry employs 20% of illegal immigrants; followed by accommodation and food services at 12%; manufacturing at 11%; administrative, support, and waste management services each at 10%; and retail trade at 8%. Among specific jobs, roughly 574,700 people are employed as construction laborers, followed by 364,200 maids and housekeepers, and 335,200 cooks. The top nationalities of workers are Mexican, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran. Although immigration enforcement is federally mandated, the executive branch has determined for decades how seriously to take that. Trump has pushed ICE to deport all criminal illegal immigrants and those who have been ordered removed from the country by a judge. White House border czar Tom Homan has said "collateral" arrests, such as those of illegal immigrants without criminal histories, will also occur, and those arrested will face deportation. Matthew Lisiecki of the CMS said removing this group of workers from the workforce, including through the "ceiling effect of indiscriminate enforcement," will "put the country’s ability to fill the occupations necessary for economic growth at risk.” However, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said job numbers released in August indicated that the 1.6 million non-U.S. citizens who have left the United States since January have not hurt the economy because Americans who were out of work have stepped up to take those jobs.

Washington Post [11/24/2025 5:45 AM, Staff, 24149K] reports the Trump administration has named New York City the next target in its deportation tour. White House border czar Tom Homan revealed last week he is planning a widespread dragnet across the Big Apple “in the near future,” in addition to enforcement sweeps already happening. The administration sees this as the obvious next step in its pressure campaign against “sanctuary” policies in blue cities and states. But these actions are not without cost. In fact, the administration’s mass deportation campaign is already backfiring. Securing the border and deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes are some of President Donald Trump’s most popular policies. The latter has support among 79 percent of Americans — including 69 percent of Democrats — in the latest Harvard-Harris poll. Despite this, approval for Trump’s immigration agenda has dropped nine points since February. The president’s over-the-top approach to deportations is almost certainly the reason why. While Homan has vowed to prioritize going after the “worst of the worst,” the administration has rounded up more than just hardened criminals. Americans can see the difference between carting off a rapist and deporting the neighborhood gardener who pays taxes. The Trump administration blames “collateral arrests” — picking up people who weren’t the target of an operation — on sanctuary policies. Todd M. Lyons, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has said they wouldn’t feel compelled to be so aggressive if localities willingly turned over “violent criminal aliens.”

Washington Times [11/24/2025 5:13 PM, Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar, 852K] reports did you know the Biden administration misspent at least $1 trillion on waste, fraud and abuse across the board? During that time, taxpayer dollars at the Department of Homeland Security were used to fund the invasion of our country, spent on frivolous contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars that did nothing to keep America safe. When Secretary Kristi Noem took the helm of the Homeland Security Department, her mission was to change the culture to ensure that U.S. taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars would not be wasted on unnecessary spending, corrupt contracts and other financial rubbish. Her results have been remarkable thus far (almost $13 billion saved), and she has achieved them while preparing the department to effectively steward the monumental resources to support our mission of securing the homeland, thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As chief financial officer of the Homeland Security Department during the first Trump administration, I entered my new role as homeland security deputy secretary in Trump 2.0 with an understanding of the department’s financial and operational needs. Under Mrs. Noem’s leadership, we crafted a plan that ends frivolous spending while ensuring that not one penny is wasted in our efforts to secure the homeland. This culture change placed a new level of accountability on our department to ensure taxpayer dollars were spent properly, and it couldn’t come sooner for the American people. Under President Biden, instances of fiscal abuse and government waste were rampant. One of the most egregious examples of this misspending was the administration’s use of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund luxury hotels for illegal aliens in New York City as Americans struggled to make ends meet. When Ms. Noem discovered that $59 million was about to be used for that purpose, she clawed back the money and fired the people responsible for it. Ms. Noem took Mr. Biden’s CBP One app — a smartphone application launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and used to expedite the entry of illegal aliens into the U.S. — and reverse-engineered it for self-deportation. (Previously, it rewarded those who broke our immigration laws by making their entry easier and faster.) There are far too many other examples to list. Yet the Biden administration’s crises went far beyond fiscal abuse. Millions of the world’s worst criminals poured into our country on its watch. The U.S. Coast Guard was left depleted and neglected. Agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Secret Service and FEMA strayed from their core missions. To fix the myriad issues caused by Mr. Biden, the Homeland Security Department has been forced to change the way we do business. This is a tough but necessary change, and we must look past the critique by career employees, industry and the media. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Homeland Security Department has been entrusted with more than $191 billion. We understand that in return for your hard-earned money, we must adhere to the department’s mission and keep you safe. To that end, $46 billion will be used to finish the wall so that our secured border can stay sealed and build upon four straight months of zero illegal alien releases into the country. At the same time, we are expediting hiring efforts to the tune of $8 billion for 10,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and employees. We have already received more than 200,000 applications for those jobs, which will enable us to achieve our goal of getting the worst of the worst out of our communities and the country.

Daily Caller [11/24/2025 11:31 AM, J. D. Gordon, 835K] reports President Trump’s path to the White House, personal brand and fight to save our country are at a dangerous crossroads and could make him the most famous American of all time. Yet it remains an open question whether his legacy is to be remembered among our top presidents, like those heroes on Mt. Rushmore – Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt. Considering our polarized society today, he won’t be ranked in the middle. As one of his earliest national security advisors, among 50 or so Trump associates smeared in the Russiagate collusion hoax from 2017-2019, I saw how President Trump had his first term stolen while the rest of us endured limitless investigations and incurred millions in legal bills.

FOX News [11/24/2025 12:27 PM, David Marcus, 40621K] reports that in 2019, I was sitting in a classroom at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., with a bunch of guys about to get their full birds and a few invited civilians. The instructor asked, "What is our greatest national security threat?" It wasn’t terrorism, it wasn’t nukes, it was cyberattacks. This week, Elon Musk’s social media platform X showed just how insidious foreign cyberattacks can be, as he made it possible for users to view the country of origin of any account, and almost immediately, some of the most corrosive users purporting to be Americans turned out not to be. One fake account called itself "ULTRAMAGA us TRUMPus2028," (with American flags in the name) and claimed to be based in Washington, D.C., but is actually listed as being based in Africa. Another, now-deleted, was "Trump Is My President" listed in Macedonia. A very patriotic account named @American, had a profile picture with a bald eagle over an American flag, but it is, as it turns out, based in South Asia. We’ve known since the aftermath of the 2016 election that malign foreign governments have used fake social media accounts to sow discord. In one example from the Mueller Report, a fake Russian account organized an actual, physical political rally in America. Fake foreign accounts can not only create the appearance of great influence through clicks and likes, they can also fund malicious users through monetization.

NewsMax [11/24/2025 10:30 AM, Michael Dorstewitz, 4109K] reports that Islamic terrorism is spreading worldwide, including the United States, thanks in part to former President Joe Biden’s open border policy, which permitted the worst of the worst, including threats to national security, to enter unchecked. We learned the latest result of that last week when the City Journal reported that Somali migrants living in Minnesota were establishing fake autism centers throughout the state in order to fraudulently receive billions of dollars in Medicaid funds. Those funds were then diverted to Somalia to finance Islamic terrorism; as a result, "The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab Is the Minnesota Taxpayer.” Al-Shabaab is an al Qaida-linked terror group. Making matters all the worse, because of the dangerous conditions in Somalia, the federal government has been granting Somali migrants legal status to live and work in the U.S. — until Friday. "Send them back to where they came from," announced President Trump, adding that, "Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. "I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota. "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. It’s OVER!". Trump followed that up Sunday by announcing that he will designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization.

FOX News [11/24/2025 8:37 PM, Bonny Chu, 40621K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday that assaults and violent attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) law enforcement officers have surged more than 1,150% compared to the same period last year under the Biden administration. From Jan. 21 through Nov. 21, DHS recorded 238 assaults on ICE officers, up from just 19 during the same timeframe in 2024. Officials said the sharp rise is tied to public "rhetoric" from sanctuary-jurisdiction officials, warning that such language could fuel further violence. "Sanctuary politicians need to tone the rhetoric down before a law enforcement officer is killed," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "They should be thanking these brave law enforcement officers who risk their lives every single day to arrest pedophiles, rapists, murderers, gang members, and terrorists from our neighborhoods.” "After months of Democrat politicians comparing ICE to Nazis, the Gestapo, slave patrols, and even encouraging illegal aliens to resist arrest, our brave ICE law enforcement officers have been assaulted 238 times," she added. According to DHS, officers across the department have faced "a dangerously escalating pattern" of violence in recent months — ranging from hitting, spitting, kicking and biting during arrests to vehicle ramming, gunfire and Molotov cocktail attacks. DHS said the violence has included one officer being struck in the face with a metal coffee cup, resulting in a lip laceration that required 13 stitches. Another officer was left bleeding from the head and suffered a concussion while arresting a criminal illegal alien. "Our law enforcement officers have had Molotov cocktails and rocks thrown at them, been shot at, had cars used as weapons against them, and been physically assaulted," McLaughlin said. In September, Guatemalan national Henry Isaul Garcia allegedly reversed his vehicle into an ICE agent’s leg during an attempted arrest in Homestead, Florida, nearly crushing the officer. Earlier in the summer, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was allegedly part of an organized July 4 ambush on federal officers at the Prairieland Detention Center, where at least 10 individuals opened fire. In June, fugitive Eric Anthony Rodriguez, who has a lengthy criminal record, reportedly attempted to attack officers with a Molotov cocktail at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport where 15 ICE and 12 CBP officers were staying. Rodriguez had several prior convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree robbery. "These nationwide incidents show how ICE officers are being targeted because of the badge they wear, not just the enforcement operations they execute on behalf of the American people," DHS said in a press release. The department added that any attack on those who enforce the nation’s laws amounts to an attack on the rule of law itself.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [11/24/2025 4:41 PM, Chris Nesi, 42219K]

New York Times [11/25/2025 3:02 AM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Julie Turkewitz and Isayen Herrera, 135475K] reports the 11-year-old from Venezuela was alone in his Texas home, waiting for his mother, who had been detained by U.S. immigration officials. She would never come back. The boy, Emmanuel Leandro Caicedo Venecia, ended up living by himself for three months this summer, attending school, even walking to his fifth-grade graduation to collect his diploma, his mother said. A neighbor brought food, but Emmanuel mostly fended for himself. His mother had decided it had to be this way. Afraid that her son would be placed in foster care, she had made a choice while in detention: She lied to immigration officials, she said, telling them that Emmanuel was being taken care of by an adult. She was deported to Venezuela without him in late July, with Emmanuel eventually moving in with an acquaintance. “I just keep hoping he’s reunited with me,” his mother, Deisy Carolina Venecia Farías, said earlier this year. Across the country, a growing number of Venezuelan children whose parents were deported back to their home country have been left behind in the United States, in the care of relatives, neighbors, babysitters — whomever parents could identify. Venezuelan officials claim that 150 Venezuelan children, from newborns to teenagers, have wound up separated from their parents as President Trump’s deportation campaign has accelerated. Most of the children were born in Venezuela, and some in Colombia, but some of the youngest, including months-old babies, were born in the United States, complicating efforts to repatriate them. While there is no tally kept by U.S. officials or advocacy groups, Venezuelan officials shared a list of children they said had been separated, and New York Times interviewed the parents and relatives of more than a dozen children, corroborating their accounts with court documents, police records and immigration case files. The Venezuelan government’s roster includes children whose parents were deported to Venezuela as well as children whose parents remain locked up in the United States. In interviews, many of the parents said they had chosen to be deported without their children, a painful decision that they made to avoid months in detention. They hoped, they said, that returning to their homeland would expedite a reunion with their children. Others asserted that they were pressured or misled by U.S. immigration officials into boarding deportation flights without their children, some of whom have ended up in foster care. The Trump administration has said that it does not separate families, a divisive practice that roiled the president’s first term. During the summer, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency issued updated guidelines that require its officers to give immigrants who are in the United States illegally the choice to be deported with their children. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, defended the Trump administration’s policies but did not address Venezuela’s claims or say how many children have remained in the United States. “ICE does not separate families,” the spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, said. “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates.”

FOX News [11/24/2025 7:54 AM, Staff, 40621K] Video: HERE reports New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani vowed to keep the city’s status as an immigration sanctuary city on Sunday, just days after his friendly meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Mamdani confirmed his stance on the issue during a speech at a church in the Bronx on Sunday, telling parishioners that he and Trump did not see eye-to-eye on the issue. "I shared with the president directly that New Yorkers want to follow the laws of our city, and the laws of our city say that, in our sanctuary city policies, city government can be in touch with the federal government on around 170 serious crimes. The concern comes from beyond those crimes, the many New Yorkers who are being arrested, they’re being detained, they’re being deported for the crime of making a regular court appearance." "My focus as the next mayor of this city is going to be to protect immigrants who call this city their home," he added. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [11/23/2025 6:04 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports a Border Patrol operation resulted in the arrest of more than 250 people in North Carolina. When the Mecklenburg County Sheriff announced the operation’s conclusion, he alerted the community that ICE would continue making arrests in the area. Univision reviewed the counties and police departments that have 287(g) agreements that involve more direct collaboration with ICE.

CBS Baltimore [11/24/2025 7:05 PM, Mike Hellgren, 39474K] Video: HERE reports Melissa Tran shared a message with her community a week after the Department of Homeland Security deported the Hagerstown mother of four to Vietnam, a country she left as a child. Tran was in the United States legally, but the Trump administration moved to deport her over a theft conviction decades ago in Virginia. Her troubles started earlier this year during a routine check-in with immigration officials in Baltimore. Tran wrote in her letter, posted to the Bring Melissa Home Facebook page, about the pain of the deportation. "In my most sorrow, desperate, loneliest moments, knowing that my departure from the U.S. is imminent, I cried and asked God for his guidance," Tran wrote. Tran wrote that she is now struggling to adjust to life in Vietnam without her husband and children. She said she is "very saddened and heartbroken that I had to leave the country I have called home for the last 32 years.” The Facebook group posted the first picture of Tran since she returned to Vietnam after a harrowing series of flights over two days. Tran and other deportees were shackled the entire time, her lawyer said. In her letter, Tran described the trip as "very long and exhausting, but I am now free and no longer have to live in fear of check-ins" with immigration. She wrote, "I feel very lonely here. Every second, my heart aches because I miss Danny and the kids terribly.” Her husband, Danny Hoang, an American citizen, spoke to WJZ exclusively last week. "It’s unfair for Melissa. Unfair for my family. She’s not a criminal. She’s not a murderer. She is a good person," Hoang told WJZ Investigates from their Hagerstown salon. The Department of Homeland Security told WJZ, "An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004. She had over 20 years to leave and received full due process. President Trump and Secretary Noem’s message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”

New York Post [11/24/2025 10:19 PM, Victor Nava, 42219K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to deport an alleged "criminal illegal alien" from Finland accused of throwing coffee on a baby, mother and the family’s dog during an altercation in Florida. Nina Kristina Jaaskelainen, who has been in the country illegally since 1999, was hit with an immigration detainer following her arrest in New Smyrna, Fla., earlier this month on battery and domestic violence charges. Jaaskelainen, 54, allegedly hurled coffee at the mother, infant and their dog after becoming enraged that they had strolled past her property with their pooch off-leash, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. A police affidavit noted the dog, a Dalmatian, was indeed not on a leash but "following closely alongside (the mother and son)," according to News 6 Orlando. The Finnish national first threw coffee at the dog, which led to an argument during which Jaaskelainen tossed another cup of joe at the mother and her 11-month-old son, police said. "It was all over my clothes, and all over him," the victim, Kelly Brisell, told WESH 2 News. "It was over his eyes, nose and temple. Thank God the coffee wasn’t hot.” Cops observed dried coffee on the mother, child and dog when they arrived at the scene, and Jaaskelainen "confirmed that she had thrown coffee on (the mother’s) dog and denied intentionally throwing coffee on (the mother) and her baby," according to the affidavit. Jaaskelainen defended her actions by claiming the unleashed dog was upsetting her own dog, and argued that the family and their pet were on her property. The enraged homeowner first entered the country on a tourist visa in April 1999. She was required to leave the US by July 1999, but flouted federal law and opted to remain in the country illegally for the last 26 years. The detainer ensures that Jaaskelainen is "not released back into American neighborhoods," according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "For over TWO DECADES, Jaaskelainen has been in our country illegally, skirting the law without consequence," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Monday. "Now, a baby, a mother, and a dog have been assaulted by her.” "She is now facing charges for battery and domestic violence," McLaughlin continued. "ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure she can never victimize another American family. "President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens.”

Reported similarly:
Daily Wire [11/24/2025 10:30 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K]

Chicago Tribune [11/24/2025 6:30 PM, Andrew Carter, 4829K] reports almost two months after the militarized raid that roused them from their sleep and made international headlines, those who remain living — or trying to live — at 7500 South Shore Drive gathered Monday morning in the cold outside their deteriorating apartment building in a show of solidarity. Amid five floors of mostly empty units — some still boarded up from the nighttime immigration raid Sept. 30 — the 36 people who still live there have united to form the 7500 South Shore Tenants Union. The move to unionize comes after a Cook County judge earlier this month appointed a third-party receiver to manage the property and ordered the building to be vacated. "The building has been shut down," Infiniti Gant, a housing organizer with Southside Together, said during a news conference while more than 20 residents stood behind her. "So everyone is mandated to get kicked out of the building. What we are hoping for is that while people are preparing to move, they have livable conditions. Right now, these conditions are not livable, and the owners of the building, the property managers — everyone who’s responsible for making sure this building is maintained, would not live like this.” Gant is among those in recent weeks who have helped residents unionize in the aftermath of a late-night raid that was among the most infamous moments in President Donald Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz — the monthslong assault on Chicago in which federal agents, including representatives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol, have targeted Latino immigrants. During the raid at 7500 S. Shore Drive agents dressed for combat rappelled from helicopters onto the building’s roof. They broke through windows and stormed inside, where they crashed through doors and placed residents in zip ties and on buses or in the back of box trucks. Many Venezuelan migrants lived in the building and were taken in the raid. Officials said at the time the operation was meant to target Tren de Aragua gang members. In the nearly two months since, the Department of Homeland Security has provided no evidence to back that allegation and has offered little information about the 37 people who were arrested that night. The Tribune reported exclusively last month that no public criminal charges have been filed against anyone in connection with the raid.

CBS Chicago [11/25/2025 12:06 AM, Charlie De Mar, 39474K] reports all charges have been thrown out against a United States Air Force veteran, Dana Briggs, who was arrested by federal agents while protesting outside the Broadview ICE Facility back in September. The United States Attorney decided to drop all of the charges with prejudice, meaning this is a final ruling and the same charges can never be brought again. In a nine-page opinion, the federal judge in this case said that dropping these charges seems to be the responsible thing for the government to do, adding that these are not ordinary times at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. Outside the ICE detention center in Broadview, video from September showed Briggs, 70, falling to the concrete after a border patrol agent pushed him. He was then swarmed by federal immigration agents. The veteran initially was charged federally for ignoring orders to clear the street and swinging his arm, which made contact with an officer. Briggs said they didn’t give him time to move. Briggs showed the injuries he received from the scuffle after being bonded out of federal custody. "I’m just appalled that they are going after ordinary, everyday people," he said. The charges were later reduced to a misdemeanor, and late last week, the U.S. attorney moved to drop the charges altogether. "I think what they are doing is abusing the judicial system," Briggs said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes wrote in his opinion in part, "Today, the court stops short of concluding that the government struck any foul blows. But in charging Briggs, it sought to strike hard blows. It swung and missed – multiple times." Briggs believed his case was more of a charge now, ask questions later. "They just think that," he said. "That they can go off and do whatever they want to with impunity, because there’s little to no accountability." Four other people were arrested on the same September day that Dana Briggs was booked at the Broadview ICE facility. All of their charges were also dropped. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Chicago Tribune [11/24/2025 7:34 PM, Dan Petrella, 4829K] reports Republican President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the Chicago area may have ebbed in recent weeks, but U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood cautioned Monday against assuming the effort is over after she was granted special access to the federal government’s controversial immigration processing center in west suburban Broadview. Opponents of Operation Midway Blitz, the chaotic and at times violent joint deportation mission carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, were heartened by this month’s departure of controversial Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. But Underwood, the top Democrat on the congressional subcommittee that oversees the budgets for ICE, Border Patrol and other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, told reporters the officials she spoke with Monday “have not received any instruction around an end date.” In fact, Underwood said, ICE is looking to “probably triple” the size of the staff at its Broadview processing center and Chicago field office “by January.” The agency also is “pursuing contracts for temporary office space,” she said. Pointing to $150 billion allocated to ICE in the spending package Trump muscled through Congress over the summer, Underwood said that even if another government shutdown occurs early next year when the current funding deal runs out, the agency would “be able to hire and bring in these temporary structures to continue to grow immigration enforcement across our community.” Underwood’s tour of the Broadview processing facility, which has been the epicenter of local protests over the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies and the subject of an ongoing federal lawsuit over the conditions inside, came after months of similar access requests from Democratic members of Illinois’ congressional delegation were denied. The four-term lawmaker from Naperville said she was the first member of Congress in “several years” to get a look inside the facility. A class-action lawsuit filed in federal court last month described the two-story brick building on an industrial side street as a “black box,” where those taken into custody have been cut off from most outside contact and kept in dirty and unsafe conditions. After a judge earlier this month ordered Homeland Security to improve conditions, the number of people being held there dropped substantially, the Tribune reported last week. By the time Underwood arrived late Monday morning, no one was being held at the facility, with only a small contingent of security guards and the three ICE officials who conducted the tour present, she said. Underwood was told that the last person processed at the facility was overnight before she arrived, she said. The congresswoman said she was told the facility was nearly empty because “they were updating their security systems and installing new security cameras.” ICE did not respond Monday to questions about Underwood’s visit or her description of the agency’s future plans. Trying to conduct proper oversight with little staff present and no one being held at the facility was “challenging,” Underwood said.

Houston Chronicle [11/24/2025 6:04 PM, Haajrah Gilani, 2983K] reports Gateway Community Church safety director Donald Doolittle is facing a felony charge of impersonating a public servant after allegedly posing as an ICE agent to pressure a woman for money. Harris County district clerk filings accuse Doolittle of posing as an ICE agent and "coercing" an individual to pay him or face deportation. He was arrested by the Houston Police Department Friday, after the agency was approached by a massage-parlor operator who reported that a man claiming to be with ICE visited her the previous day. Court filings identify the victim as Rita Dumont Mayans. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that anyone who encounters someone they believe is impersonating an immigration officer should contact law enforcement, then the ICE tip line. "Anyone caught impersonating a federal immigration agent will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Impersonating a federal immigration officer endangers public safety and erodes trust in law enforcement." The incident comes as conversations about unidentified ICE agents is growing, with immigration advocates and public safety experts raising concerns about the reasons why law enforcement officers should always identify themselves when interacting with the public.

Reported similarly:
Telemundo [11/24/2025 12:59 PM, Staff, 2218K]

Breitbart [11/24/2025 2:49 PM, Randy Clark, 2416K] reports that two Democrat lawmakers from Texas appear to be losing sleep over a recent federal law enforcement raid at an illegally run nightclub that resulted in the arrests of more than 150 illegal aliens. Those arrested included 27 suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Two Democrat congressmen are now demanding answers about the recent raid. Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Greg Cassar (D-TX) authored a letter addressed to senior Trump administration officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi listing their concerns with the operation in San Antonio law week where 14 state, local, and federal agencies made more than 150 illegal alien arrests, seized cocaine, firearms, and approximately $35,000 in cash. In their letter, also addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Texas lawmakers asserted the law enforcement action is concerning to them both saying, "Due to the numerous reports this year on agents of Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other agencies overstepping their legal authority, we are extremely concerned about the legality of the detainments and the due process of the detainees. Any operation of this scale demands full transparency regarding the basis for the raid, which agencies participated, and the status of those detained."

Newsweek [11/25/2025 2:00 AM, Robert Birsel, 52220K] reports immigration authorities detained a University of Oklahoma professor of Iranian studies on Saturday while he was on his way to an academic conference in Washington, D.C., despite having a valid H-IB visa, a colleague said. Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment via email outside office hours. President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, specifically targeting those with violent criminal records, and his administration ramped up immigration enforcement since his return to office in January. But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol are facing increased scrutiny due to numerous allegations of misconduct, heavy-handed tactics and the detention of people with rights to remain in the U.S. The Trump administration is pushing forward with plans to carry out what it calls the largest deportation operation in U.S. history as part of the Republicans’ hard-line immigration agenda. The professor, Vahid Abedini, was detained on November 22 as he was boarding a flight to Washington for a Middle East Studies Association conference, his colleague, Joshua Landis, said in a post on X. “He has been wrongfully detained because he has a valid H-1B visa - a non-immigrant work visa granted to individuals in ‘specialty occupations,’ including higher education faculty,” said Landis, a professor of Middle East Studies at the university. Abedini teaches at the University of Oklahoma’s Boren College of International Studies. The University of Oklahoma said it had no comment.

Breitbart [11/24/2025 4:21 PM, John Binder, 2416K] reports the sanctuary state of Oregon gave a driver’s license to an illegal alien now accused of killing 8-year-old Mora Gerety in Boise, Idaho, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirms. On November 11, police say illegal alien Elvin Elgardo Ramos-Caballero of Honduras killed Mora Gerety in a hit-and-run crash in Boise. On that evening, Ramos-Caballero was taken into ICE custody. Now, ICE officials reveal that Ramos-Caballero first crossed the southern border in September 2015 and was released into the United States interior by the Obama administration. When he failed to show up to his immigration court hearing, he was ordered deported in absentia by a federal immigration judge. Sometime after Ramos-Caballero illegally crossed the border, the sanctuary state of Oregon gave him a driver’s license, ICE officials say. "Eight-year-old Mora Gerety’s precious life was taken by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country, let alone issued a driver’s license by the sanctuary state of Oregon," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. According to ICE officials, Ramos-Caballero had at least two driving incidents in Idaho before the hit-and-run that killed Mora Gerety. Ramos-Caballero is in ICE custody in El Paso, Texas, local media report.

Newsweek [11/24/2025 1:00 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a 17-year-old US citizen was arrested during his high school lunch break for allegedly impeding federal law enforcement officers, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. The young man, who was born in Newberg, Oregon, and is currently a senior at nearby McMinnville High School, was driving his father’s car at around 12:30 p.m. when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers stopped the vehicle, according to Oregon Live, who spoke with his brother. The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement practices and the treatment of U.S. citizens during routine encounters with federal agents. It unfolds as the Trump administration continues plans for what it describes as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history under the Republicans’ aggressive mass-deportation agenda. While the effort is aimed at removing people living in the country without legal status, cases have emerged in which U.S. citizens and legal residents have been swept up in immigration raids, raising concerns among Latino communities and advocates.

Univision [11/24/2025 5:42 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports Christian Jimenez, a minor U.S. citizen, was arrested last Friday by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Oregon, a ‘sanctuary state’, for "meeting racial profiling", his family denounced this weekend. The arrest in Yamhill County was captured on video that Cesar shared with the media, where Christian can be heard repeatedly telling ICE agents that he is a U.S. citizen, while one of them responds “I don’t care…get out of the car” and breaks the driver’s side window of the vehicle. According to the brother, the officers also injured another minor who was in the vehicle during the incident. In addition, Cesar told The Oregonian that authorities are trying to charge his brother with “interference or obstruction of an investigation.” An immigrant advocacy organization told Oregon Live that ICE arrested four U.S. citizens near Portland this week, including Christian and two people who were filming the agents.

Los Angeles Times [11/24/2025 4:45 PM, Brittny Mejia, 14862K] reports during a congressional oversight hearing Monday in L.A., more than a dozen elected officials, experts and community members laid bare the impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. It was an exclusively Democrat event and no one spoke up in support of the raids. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), announced last month that Congress was opening "a broad investigation" into arrests of U.S. citizens by ICE officers, as well as a separate probe into immigration raids overall.

The New York Post [11/24/2025 6:27 PM, Dana Sauchelli, 42219K] reports they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Anti-ICE protesters tried to freeze business at a Southern California Home Depot Saturday by gobbling up cheap ice scrapers and then returning them en masse to denounce immigration raids at the hardware chain. The demonstration, known as a "buy-in," clogged up registers at the store in Monrovia, when nearly a hundred activists snatched up the 17-cent ice scrapers, only to turn around and return them immediately. Some of the demonstrators waved signs with the orange and white Home Dept logo reading "ICE out of The Home Depot," "No Secret Police," and "No to ICE," according to video posted on Reddit. The protest came in response to claims that the company has allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid parking lots at the big-box chain, which for decades has been a hub for work-for-hire day laborers, many of whom are illegal immigrants. Home Depot denied it was cooperating with the feds. "We are not coordinating with ICE or Border Patrol, and we’re not involved in the operations. We aren’t notified that immigration enforcement activities are going to happen, and often, we don’t know operations have taken place until they’re over, George Lane, manager of corporate communications for Home Depot told the LA Times. The Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 10:48 AM, Ross O’Keefe, 1394K] reports ICE has received renewed funding during the Trump administration as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. With that funding, the agency has aimed to hire thousands of new officers to enforce immigration law in Chicago, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and elsewhere. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s newest immigration efforts center on "Deportation Judges," a nickname for immigration judges. The secretary recently led a new hiring push in a post on X.

Reported similarly:
Blaze [11/24/2025 3:50 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1442K]

San Diego Union Tribune [11/24/2025 9:38 PM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1538K] reports members of the San Diego Democratic congressional delegation were granted access to inspect an immigration detention facility inside the Edward J. Schwartz federal building in downtown San Diego on Monday, after having been turned away on two previous occasions. The lawmakers had asked for access to check the conditions, as they had received reports of an increase in detentions on site. After pushing for entry for weeks, they visited on Monday and found three people detained there and said the facility was clean. "I’m glad that we were finally able to get down there," U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas told reporters following the visit. "It does leave a lot of suspicion in my mind as to what was there before, why weren’t we allowed to go in. We gave all the notices that we were supposed to." Vargas and Rep. Scott Peters first tried to conduct an inspection Oct. 20, but they were told they needed to provide more days of notice. A week later, they returned with Reps. Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs. Federal officials then said there was no staff available to process the request due to the government shutdown. Members of Congress are allowed to conduct oversight at any facility operated by or for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security "used to detain or otherwise house" immigrants, as stated in federal law. After the 43-day shutdown ended, the delegation insisted on visiting the facility to see the conditions under which people were detained. On Monday, they were received by the local leadership of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials said. ICE did not respond in time for publication to questions regarding the visit or the detention facility. Levin said that federal officials told them that the most people detained at the basement facility at one time this year was 68, and that the facility’s capacity is 122 people. But officials said they will request confirmation of such numbers in writing. Three people were being held at the facility when the delegation arrived on Monday, Vargas said, including a man who worked as a plumber and had been arrested two hours earlier. The building houses immigration courtrooms, as well as an ICE office. Detainees include some people taken into custody during regular check-ins with ICE, as well as some people who show up for scheduled green card interviews at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building nearby, according to volunteers and immigration attorneys. The lawmakers said the facility was clean, though they noted that the staff knew they were coming on Monday. They described the holding cells as rooms of various sizes that had metal benches and a toilet, and that it was very cold there. "I think we left feeling frustrated," said Peters. "Why didn’t we see this before?" Jacobs gave credit to the community activists and leaders who had reported concerns about deteriorating conditions at the detention facility so that members of Congress can follow up and ask questions. "While I’m glad that we didn’t see hundreds of people in the basement, it doesn’t mean that our oversight is done," she said. The lawmakers said they intend to eventually return to conduct another inspection.

Axios [11/24/2025 5:45 PM, Julianna Bragg, 12972K] reports the Trump administration announced Monday that it will revoke the temporary residency of nearly 4,000 Burma nationals from Myanmar who have been living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the country’s 2021 military coup. At least 675,000 people who have been stripped of their TPS protections since Trump took office are at risk of deportation, according to Carolyn Tran, Executive Director of Communities United for Status & Protection. The Trump administration has terminated TPS for nine countries and moved to end the asylum benefit for eight others, with some cancellations set to take effect in late 2026. Haiti, El Salvador and Ukraine, which are all slated to lose TPS protections, make up 97% of all TSP beneficiaries, along with Venezuela and Honduras, whose protections have already been terminated. The reduction of TPS status follows the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has seen thousands of migrants deported from the U.S. and tightened guidelines for certain types of visas. The administration also set a limit of 7,500 refugees for FY2026, marking a new record low for the U.S. and a stark shift from the final year of the Biden administration, which admitted 125,000 refugees.

Washington Examiner [11/25/2025 5:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 1394K] reports Democrats say enforcing immigration laws and cutting back on visa programs would hurt the economy and make many goods and services more expensive. That’s because the lower wages typically paid to illegal immigrants and immigrants on temporary work visas have come to subsidize parts of the economy. Oftentimes, corporate America reaps the benefits. In this series, Immigrationomics, the Washington Examiner will look at where and how illegal immigrants are finding work, as well as how corporations take advantage of visa programs to import cheaper labor. Part 2 will look at how illegal immigrants are finding work. Millions of illegal immigrants residing in the United States have managed to get jobs despite their immigration status. The fact that 8.5 million illegal immigrants have obtained work in the country is a result of employers paying workers under the table, unknowingly hiring workers who have committed document fraud, and hiring non-U.S. citizens who the government authorizes to work temporarily. The largest number of illegal immigrants work in construction, followed by accommodation, food services, and manufacturing. Immigrants who are paid under the table are the most difficult for the federal government to track because they are often employed in person-to-person gigs. These include workers hired at home improvement stores or as house cleaners who offer their services on social media marketplaces, as well as businesses such as landscaping companies and restaurants. All employers in the U.S. are legally required to verify that new hires have completed an I-9 form, which requires the applicant’s Social Security number, proof of identity, and work authorization documentation. ICE’s office, Homeland Security Investigations, regularly looks into and targets employers who are believed to be forging work documents or hiring illegal workers.

Chicago Tribune [11/24/2025 6:00 AM, Kate Armanini, 4829K] reports international enrollment dropped at nearly two dozen Illinois universities this fall, with some seeing dramatic declines after the Trump administration tightened student visa policies. A Tribune analysis of 27 of the state’s largest universities found that foreign enrollment dipped at all but four institutions, including the University of Chicago and a handful of liberal arts colleges. The data shows the sweeping scope of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape higher education: While the decline in international enrollment hit large, urban schools such as DePaul University, it also reached rural colleges downstate, enrolling just a few thousand students. Many institutions are feeling the pinch. DePaul, which saw a 62% drop in new international graduate students, announced a string of budget cuts last month. Lewis University, which saw a 37% drop in foreign students, is cutting dozens of staff positions. "We accept a large number of domestic students, as well as a large number of international students. One does not replace the other," said Lewis Provost Christopher Sindt. "When we lose international (students), we essentially lose total enrollment for the institution." Experts have been warning of the downturn for months, as Trump pursued a string of policies curbing the flow of students from abroad. That includes a travel ban targeting 19 countries, a temporary pause on visa interviews and new social media screening. He even directly pressed some schools to cap international enrollment. The decline threatens the bottom line for many universities, who rely on international recruitment for a revenue boost. It’s also a major hit to the U.S. economy. Foreign students’ economic contributions fell by $1.1 billion this fall, costing the country nearly 23,000 jobs, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

CBS News [11/24/2025 11:26 PM, J.D. Miles, 39474K] reports state leaders who have been taking a hard stance against illegal immigration just discovered and closed what they say was a loophole that allowed people to register their vehicles with only a passport. It’s a decision that one North Texas lawmaker believes will lower insurance costs and make the streets safer by keeping undocumented immigrants from getting behind the wheel. But businesses that serve the Latino community worry that it will have a devastating impact on the local economy. For 15 years, Steve Banda has sold vehicles and, more recently, food truck trailers from a lot in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas. "You can come up here with a little thousand dollars down, get you a car to get you to work," said Banda. Banda says 80% of his customers are undocumented immigrants who he says will no longer be allowed to buy or keep the vehicles they bought from him and are still paying for. That’s because the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles announced last week that "Foreign passports will no longer be accepted to title a vehicle in Texas unless they include a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stamp or mark confirming lawful admission into the United States." "There’s a lot of accounts out there right now, so that means there’s gonna be a lot of repossessions coming, and that means we’re gonna take a big hit," Banda said. The decision to cross-check immigration status to register vehicles was made after Ellis County State Rep. Brian Harrison raised concerns. "It endangers drivers on Texas roads," said Harrison. "They were accepting any passport, not just an American passport, any passports well as driver’s licenses from other states that acknowledge that they are issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, so I was just gobsmacked." Harrison says the move will also save Texans’ money. "I think this had a lot to do with the skyrocketing auto insurance premiums by increasing the number of — not just illegal — but uninsured drivers on Texas roads, so I had to demand action," said Harrison. It’s an action that has those opposed to it scheduling a community meeting for Wednesday night in Dallas. "So if I can’t collect a payment, I’m gonna have to close my doors down," Banda said. Banda said the new registration requirements will have a negative impact on auto dealers, mechanics and insurance agencies that have a large customer base of undocumented people. "It’s gonna hurt," said Banda. "Everybody’s gonna be a trickle effect; you’re talking about people not going to work; you’re talking about people not being able to pay their rents, who’s gonna fix their car if you can’t register the car?" [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Telemundo [11/24/2025 8:46 PM, Pilar Niño, 20K] reports asylum seekers whose cases are in immigration court are now receiving news that they could be sent to Honduras. An immigrant from Mexico was surprised by what he was told when he attended his court last week in the city of Concord, where he is pursuing an asylum case. “They could send us to that country of Honduras, that’s what I don’t understand if we’re not from that country,” said the immigrant who preferred to remain anonymous. Sergio López, spokesperson for Contra Costa Immigrants Rights Alliance, assists immigrants in the Concord court and since last week they have been observing this type of motion, where he assured that people were being given a copy of said agreement. “We have witnessed it and it has affected people from different countries, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, even Nicaragua,” López said. Immigration attorney Millie Atkinson said the same thing happened in the San Francisco court, where the government is trying to have asylum cases dismissed or closed, based on an agreement with the Honduran government. “It has a new agreement with Honduras that says Honduras can accept asylum seekers in the United States and people can apply for asylum there in Honduras, and that’s why the judge can close the case here in the United States,” Arkinson explained. “I was truly shocked. What can we do in that country, a country where there aren’t many opportunities, where many people come here from there?” said one immigrant. Atkinson added that, according to the agreement, Honduras would accept a very limited number of people, 240 over two years and without any criminal record. Because this is something new, judges in most cases say they want to give applicants a chance to respond. Now lawyers are asking people to keep an eye on their emails to respond to these motions in a timely manner, stay informed, and seek legal advice.

AP [11/24/2025 3:13 PM, Byron Tau and Garance Burke] reports a number of Democratic lawmakers are questioning the legality of a U.S. Border Patrol predictive intelligence program that singles out and detains drivers for suspicious travel inside the country. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts sent a letter Monday to Border Patrol’s parent agency calling the license plate reader program an "invasive surveillance network" that "poses a serious threat to individuals’ privacy and civil liberties" and raised the possibility that the program may run afoul of the U.S. Constitution. An Associated Press investigation published last week revealed that the U.S. Border Patrol, a component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is running a predictive intelligence program monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious. In some instances, Border Patrol concealed its license plate readers in ordinary traffic equipment. The agency also had access to plate data collected by other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies as well as from private companies. The program, which has existed under administrations of both parties, has resulted in people being stopped, searched and in some cases arrested. Other lawmakers echoed Markey’s concerns about the legality of the program.

Univision [11/24/2025 5:06 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino continued to discuss his operation in Charlotte this week. During an interview with Fox News, he said that “Charlotte’s Web” had been “a fantastic success.” “I have good news tonight, we are close to 400 arrests there with Charlotte’s Web, so the operation continues, it’s going to continue,” Bovino said in the interview posted on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) X account and later reposted on his own account. “ There are a lot of bad people and bad things in Charlotte … in those first five days we discovered that and we are doing a great job getting hundreds of criminals off the streets and making Charlotte and the surrounding areas a safer place,” he added in his message, in which he indicated that more than 370 people had been arrested. Contrary to what Bovino says, an internal DHS document obtained by CBS News revealed that less than a third of the people detained by the Border Patrol in Charlotte were classified as criminals. Bovino’s message comes after several days of uncertainty in the community about whether the Border Patrol operation in Charlotte would continue. DHS joined the controversy on Monday by posting the message: “Operation Charlotte’s Web is far from over. This operation has already resulted in the arrest of hundreds of undocumented immigrants.”

Daily Wire [11/24/2025 5:05 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K] reports border agents are planning to hit New Orleans with immigration raids after Thanksgiving. The Democrat-run city is expected to see sweeps similar to the ongoing operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, where agents have arrested hundreds of illegal immigrants, according to CNN. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who has led the other operations, is expected to descend upon the city with roughly 250 federal agents starting the first week of December in an operation dubbed "Swamp Sweep," according to multiple reports. The goal is to arrest roughly 5,000 illegal immigrants living in both Louisiana and Mississippi, NBC News recently reported. The city’s Democratic leadership is now bracing for impact.

Daily Caller [11/25/2025 2:24 AM, Dawn Buckingham, 835K] reports Texas stands as the first line of defense for America’s sovereignty, security, and safety. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s steel resolve, cartels are now up against the most secure border in the history of this country. With a locked-down border, they are evolving their tactics, and the Texas General Land Office (GLO) is once again stepping up to meet this challenge head-on. As Texas’ Land Commissioner, I steward more than 13 million acres of land, and I am making sure Texas remains one step ahead of the cartel’s plans. That is why I have directed our Asset Enhancement Department to survey GLO-managed border lands, especially in Hudspeth County and other high-risk border regions, for any signs of cartel tunneling. Ensuring that violent criminals do not enter unseen through underground tunnels is the next step towards protecting American citizens. Reports now show that the cartels are adapting and entering our land through underground tunnels to continue their campaigns of terror, violence, and drug trafficking. According to news reports, cartels have shifted their business model to underground illicit drug trafficking, as U.S. Border Patrol is seizing large quantities of drugs above ground. These terrorist groups rake in $150 billion a year from the drug trade alone, making them one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in the world. With their profits being threatened, they are adapting, finding ingenious ways of entering our country to maximize revenue. As the fentanyl crisis continues, over 150 Americans are poisoned by the cartels and die due to synthetic opioid overdoses every day. Texas law enforcement has even seized enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the U.S. and Mexico. Within the last year, sophisticated cartel tunnels, used to transport lethal drugs, dangerous weapons, and human trafficking victims, have been discovered in El Paso, Texas and San Diego, Calif. These shocking discoveries are why the Trump Administration is rightfully declaring war on the cartels and has designated them foreign terrorist organizations. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security has dedicated more than $100 million to expand its Persistent Surveillance and Detection system—technology that monitors underground activity. To aid in the search efforts, GLO is directing our field personnel to use drones and aerial imaging to detect potential tunnel entrances on state-managed land, in coordination with our federal partners at Customs and Border Protection.

USA Today [11/24/2025 6:07 AM, Jeff Abbott, 67103K] reports it was still dark as hundreds of migrants walked along a road in Tapachula, Mexico, headed north to the United States. Flashing police emergency lights trailed them. One wore a Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys uniform. Another sported a New York Yankees baseball cap. Others wore Nike t-shirts or a Tommy Hilfiger hoodie, iconic brands coveted by U.S. teens. All proof that America’s influence reaches far south of the border. The hundreds of young adults and young families had banded together in January 2025, hoping to find safety in numbers and improve their chances of reaching the United States. They were frustrated with the glacial pace of Mexican document processing, and worried, with good reason, that the pending inauguration of President Donald Trump would limit their options. But as with many such groups, this one was quickly dispersed by Mexican immigration officials. At least 67 migrant caravans left Central America and Southern Mexico between 2018 and early 2025, according to an estimate by Eduardo Torre Cantalapiedra, a researcher at the Mexican College of the Northern Frontier. Together, they counted more than 100,000 migrants who hoped to reach the United States. Mass migration has occurred for decades, but it has remained largely unseen. The crisis of the arrival of unaccompanied minors at the border and the formation of these massive caravans made these groups visible to the American public, sparking anger and fear. The caravans, which often started with a few hundred people and occasionally grew to upwards of 5,000, became a dog whistle for Trump and MAGA supporters who painted them as an invasion of America.

USA Today [11/24/2025 10:15 PM, Marc Ramirez, 67103K] reports a boat captain in the far northwest Pacific has been sentenced in an upscale human smuggling scheme that netted him tens of thousands to shuttle undocumented Chinese nationals to the United States territory of Guam. The case underscores the high price tag that some foreign nationals are willing to pay to reach the shores of the U.S. and its territories. Federal prosecutors said the illegal operation made at least $80,000 for the trip that would lead to the seizure of the captain’s vessel - and other transports were made. Steven Villagomez Pangelinan, 58, was one of four men who’ll be doing time in federal prison for their roles in the organized human smuggling operation that transported Chinese nationals between U.S. territories in the remote Pacific. Each was found guilty of conspiracy to transport unauthorized aliens. Pangelinan, the leader of the mission, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. "The defendants facilitated illegal migration and risked the lives of many for their own financial gain," said Shawn Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the districts of Guam and the Mariana Islands. Ramona Manglona, chief judge for U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, issued the sentences on Nov. 19 and 20. In an unrelated case earlier this year, a Chinese man received a three-month federal sentence after trying to smuggle undocumented Chinese immigrants to Guam, looking to exploit a loophole allowing Chinese visitors to visit the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa. Some migrants take advantage of the waiver and attempt to reach Guam, where a visa is required but where they can earn higher wages. On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release, Pangelinan led two vessels – a 25-foot Boston Whaler and an 18-foot McKee Craft – on an overnight journey from Saipan to Guam, one of numerous trips he’d conducted as part of an ongoing human-smuggling enterprise. Saipan, the largest island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or CNMI, is about 120 miles north of Guam. Both are separate U.S. territories. According to the justice department, Pangelinan owned both boats, one of which he captained on the run that would earn him $80,000, with each Chinese national paying about $4,500 apiece to avoid airport immigration checks by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Authorities in Guam spotted the vessels as they dropped off the passengers and alerted CNMI law enforcement, which intercepted the boats and the four-person crew upon their return. William Cabrera Jr., 44, who the Justice Department described as Pangelinan’s primary accomplice on this and previous trips, captained the second boat, according to federal prosecutors. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison with three years of supervised release.

The Hill [11/24/2025 4:28 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12595K] reports nearly 20 million people are projected to travel by air this week as officials brace for what some expect to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel week in 15 years. The Department of Transportation on Monday released its 2025 Thanksgiving week flight forecast, showing 19.3 million people projected to take flights in the seven-day period starting Monday and ending Sunday. Friday is expected to be the busiest travel day, with 2.472 million people expected to fly. As more Americans return home after the holiday, 2.422 million are expected to fly Saturday, and 2.395 million are expected to fly Sunday, according to the Department of Transportation. Thanksgiving Day is still expected to be a busy at airports around the country, with 2.401 million people traveling that day. Ahead of the holiday, numbers are slightly higher, with 2.403 million expected Wednesday, 2.416 million expected Tuesday and 2.408 million expected Monday. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released its forecast Friday, projecting to screen more than 17.8 million travelers from Tuesday through Dec. 2. The TSA estimated it could screen more than 3 million air travelers on Sunday alone. "We are projecting that the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be one of the busiest travel days in TSA history," acting TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a statement. "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, America is entering a Golden Age of Travel as record numbers of holiday travelers are taking to the skies." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expecting the busiest Thanksgiving holiday week in 15 years, with more than 360,000 flights forecasted during the eight-day period beginning Monday and ending Dec. 1.

NBC News [11/24/2025 3:59 PM, Kathryn Prociv and Kate Reilly, 34509K] reports severe weather throughout the country threatens widespread disruptions during what’s expected to be a record-high Thanksgiving travel week. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of southeast Texas, including Houston, until 7 p.m. CT. Isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph are also possible. A flood watch remains in effect for parts of northeast Texas, southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas, including Texarkana. Those areas are forecast to get 1 to 3 inches of rain in a short period of time. Travel is expected to be slow across parts of east Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and the western Gulf Coast on Monday. A separate storm system affecting the northern Rockies will move across the Upper Midwest into New England through Wednesday. Montana and western North Dakota are experiencing snowfall Monday, and scattered showers are affecting areas in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. The storm will strengthen by Tuesday, bringing snow to Minnesota and northern Michigan. Heavy rain is also possible from the Gulf Coast up into the Northeast. On Wednesday, snow will pass through Wisconsin and Michigan, with lake-effect snow picking up later in the day. Snowfall totals are expected to be 3 to 6 inches from North Dakota to northern Michigan through Wednesday, with higher amounts possible in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Federal News Network [11/24/2025 11:47 AM, Michele Sandiford, 986K] reports the Federal Aviation Administration is giving 776 air traffic controllers and technicians a $10,000 bonus for working during the 44-day partial government shutdown. The bonuses will be sent to those employees who maintained perfect attendance during the shutdown. Recipients will receive an automated notification this week and receive their payment no later than December 9. The FAA’s decision to offer bonuses to employees follows a similar effort by the Transportation Security Administration to reward transportation security officers who also worked during the government shutdown.

Roll Call [11/24/2025 12:53 PM, Chris Johnson, 511K] reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency is set to have another interim director start next week, as President Donald Trump’s administration is about to complete a review of a potential agency reorganization. Interim chief David Richardson resigned and will leave the role on Dec. 1, and Karen Evans, formerly a top official at the Energy Department for cybersecurity and emergency response will take the helm at FEMA, an administration official confirmed Friday. Richardson had faced criticism over the federal government response to flooding in Texas over the summer that left more than 135 people dead. As Richardson defended his response in a House committee hearing in July, Republicans attributed the shortcomings in the response to structural deficiencies at FEMA. The previous acting administrator, Cameron Hamilton, was fired in May after telling lawmakers during a hearing that he disagreed with the administration’s intent to eliminate FEMA. Trump has given no signs he will announce a nominee to be the Senate-confirmed head of the FEMA, as his administration is about to complete a review on total reorganization of the agency.

CNN [11/24/2025 8:00 AM, Gabe Cohen, 18595K] reports when Karen Evans arrived at the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a senior adviser this spring, her mandate was clear: help the Department of Homeland Security tighten its control over the agency and rein in spending. She quickly became known as the "final gatekeeper" for all funding requests. "Her nickname was the terminator," a former senior official told CNN. "She was terminating grants, terminating contracts, terminating people." Oftentimes, that meant no money went to communities across the country that were either preparing for or recovering from a calamity. "Her intent was just to put out the least amount of money possible and not put any money into places or activities that didn’t align, or even suggested may not align with their priorities," said another former senior official who worked with Evans. "She was going through, line by line, and disapproving things. She often didn’t know what they meant or what would happen." To some inside the administration, Evans has been an effective force in DHS’ push to improve efficiency, cut perceived waste and reshape FEMA to fit the president’s priorities. Now Evans, a longtime government employee with limited emergency management experience, is set to lead the FEMA — the third person to hold the position in the first 10 months of President Donald Trump’s second term. To critics, Evans’ appointment suggests that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem intends to accelerate the dismantling of FEMA and shift more responsibility for disaster response to the states. Noem has publicly criticized FEMA, vowing to "clean house" and calling the agency partisan, bloated and ineffective.

(B) CNN News Central [11/24/2025 2:25 PM, Staff] reports Karen Evans has been picked to be the new head of FEMA. Sources say she has been dubbed the final gatekeeper and the terminator. Evans is expected to begin her new role December 1. She came into FEMA in the spring as a senior advisor. According to more than a dozen officials inside FEMA, Evans was there to be an enforcer for the Department of Homeland Security and for Kristi Noem. Evans has cut grants, contracts, and people. In the next couple weeks, the FEMA review council is expected to put out a report detailing a list of recommendations of how this administration needs to reform FEMA in order to make it more efficient and better for the American people.

Bloomberg [11/24/2025 8:57 AM, Megan Crepeau, 91K] reports that FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security can’t condition disaster-preparedness grants on cities’ compliance with anti-DEI mandates, a federal judge said. Judge Manish Shah of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted a preliminary injunction to Chicago and other cities, barring the US government from requiring grant recipients to certify they don’t promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws, or that they don’t engage in discriminatory prohibited boycotts when they accept funds. The administration didn’t provide any explanation for implementing the new conditions, Shah found, making the conditions "arbitrary and capricious under... [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [11/24/2025 8:15 PM, Cindy Von Quednow, 606K] reports no serious injuries or deaths have been reported after the storm, said Brian Murray, spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Earlier, authorities were combing through the debris searching for residents who may have been trapped or injured after the storm passed. The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado struck the county, but has yet to rate the storm’s intensity. Severe storms developed in the Houston area on Monday afternoon, where warm temperatures were in place ahead of a cold front. An unstable atmosphere combined with wind shear produced supercell thunderstorms, which resulted in reports of several tornadoes. The constable called the storm a “severe weather event” that caused “widespread and significant damage.”

The AP [11/25/2025 12:57 AM, Staff, 30493K] reports more than 100 homes have been damaged after a tornado touched down in a residential area outside Houston, authorities in Texas said Monday. No injuries were reported. Photos and drone video posted on Facebook by the Harris County Precinct 4 constable showed roofs with shingles ripped off. Some debris blocked roads. The damage affected the Memorial Northwest neighborhood, according to the office of Mark Herman, the constable. The Houston Fire Department dispatched five members of its saw team to cut up and remove toppled trees, spokesperson Rustin Rawlings said. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for southeastern Texas, including Houston, until 1 a.m. Tuesday. It also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of southeastern Texas. NBC News [11/25/2025 12:24 AM, Dennis Romero, 34509K] reports that the damaged residences are in the Memorial Northwest neighborhood of Harris County, an elected county constable representing the area, Mark Herman, said on Facebook. Imagery verified by NBC News shows homes’ siding ripped away and debris strewn in Cy-Fair, a community just west of Memorial Northwest. A county emergency services building in Spring and the Klein Fire Department’s relatively new administration building sustained damage, but workers were able to respond to calls for help, emergency services officials and the National Weather Service said. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported. "There are reports of damaged structures, downed trees, and ruptured gas lines in portions of Northwest Harris County," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X. At the peak of the storm, roughly 28,000 utility customers in the Houston area were without power, but by late Monday, only an estimated 4,000 remained in the dark, CenterPoint Energy said. The National Weather Service office in Dickinson said it was giving preliminary confirmation to one of two potential tornadoes in the area, pending a firsthand assessment Tuesday. The office posted a preliminary trajectory map with a time stamp of 4:24 p.m. local time. The second, unconfirmed tornado may have touched down in Waller County, also northwest of Houston, the Dickinson office said. Federal forecasters said the vortexes and damaging winds in the region are the result of a cold front moving eastward and clashing with warm Gulf of Mexico air, which promotes rapidly expanding thunderstorms and associated unstable air that can form into tornadoes. The storm was clearing out Monday night and will most likely make way for warm temperatures near 80 and clear skies Tuesday before a "reinforcing" cold front sweeps through anew and sinks temperatures ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, they said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [11/24/2025 7:32 PM, John Ismay, 135475K] reports that, for years, the Coast Guard’s policy on harassment plainly stated that incidents of hatred and prejudice “have no place” in the service. But last week, the Coast Guard issued a new directive raising the bar for proving that displaying hate symbols in public merits punishment. Among several changes, the policy downgraded swastikas and nooses from symbols of hatred to merely “potentially divisive.” The revisions set off a backlash. Seth Levi of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights group, called the new policy “a national embarrassment.” Just hours later, on Thursday night, the Coast Guard’s leadership gave assurance that the public display of hateful symbols would continue to be banned. But whether a service member could display such symbols in private remained unclear. The Homeland Security Department, which the service falls under, issued a further clarification over the weekend, saying in a statement that the symbols have no place in the Coast Guard, including “in private.” The days of back-and-forth statements created confusion about what changed in the new policy, which is slated to enter into force on Dec. 15. While the Coast Guard is part of the Homeland Security Department, it is a branch of the armed forces and its members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Over the years, the Pentagon has issued directives or instructions that categorize supremacist beliefs — whether racial, ethnic or religious — as extremist and established orders to deal with extremism that carry the force of military law. Those directives are often reviewed and updated after racist incidents and violence in the ranks, such as the 1995 murder of a Black couple outside Fort Bragg, N.C., by two white supremacist soldiers in the 82nd Airborne. In February 2023, the Coast Guard issued an instruction to combat harassment and mistreatment of members of what the service called “protected categories.” That included “race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation” and whistle-blowers among others. The Coast Guard’s policy update, which was signed this month, removed gender identity and political affiliation from that list. The new document specified that nooses and swastikas would remain banned in public areas. But displaying them in public, it said, would be considered “divisive” only if they affected “good order and discipline, unit cohesion, command climate, morale or mission effectiveness.” According to the new instruction, the term “hate incident” was “no longer present in policy.”

Alaska Beacon [11/24/2025 9:00 AM, James Brooks, 215K] reports that on a dreary November day in Seattle, the U.S. Coast Guard put its past and future on display. Within sight of the Space Needle, three eye-catching red icebreakers towered over Pier 36. It was the first time since 2006 that the Coast Guard has had three active icebreakers in the same place at the same time. In the coming years, that scene will become more common, and not just in Seattle. After years of underfunding, the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet is undergoing a massive expansion, with almost $9 billion for new ships. On Tuesday, the U.S. government signed the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort — or ICE Pact — a three-nation agreement with Finland and Canada that will see some of those ships built in Finland, whose shipyards will train Americans to build more. “It’s an exciting time to be a polar icebreaker sailor,” said Capt. Jeff Rasnake, commanding officer of the Polar Star, America’s only heavy icebreaker. So many ships are about to join the Coast Guard’s fleet that the agency isn’t yet sure where it will put them all. The Coast Guard has earmarked millions for a port expansion in Seattle to accommodate three heavy icebreakers, plus another $300 million for Juneau to serve as a port for a medium icebreaker. More space will be needed on top of that, and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said his intent is to have as many of the new ships based in Alaska as possible.

ABC 2 Portland [11/24/2025 11:50 PM, Steve Benham, 30493K] reports a federal judge in Eugene on Monday ordered the Trump administration to return a U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter to Newport after the administration relocated it to North Bend, which is near Coos Bay, more than 90 miles away. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken granted the preliminary injunction to Newport Fishermen’s Wives Inc. after the Lincoln County nonprofit sued the Coast Guard and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, last week. The nonprofit alleged in its lawsuit that the removal of the helicopter from its Newport location endangered the lives of fishermen and visitors to the beach. The helicopter has been stationed in Newport since the late 1980s. The preliminary injunction is in effect for 14 days. In her order, the judge agreed with Newport Fishermen’s Wives that the absence of the helicopter in Newport puts lives at risk, especially since Dungeness crabbing season is soon to begin. "The Newport Air Facility was constructed in response to a maritime tragedy and Plaintiffs have presented evidence that, without its continued operation, the Newport fishermen and the community at large will face serious danger due to the lack of rescue helicopter coverage," she wrote.

CBS Los Angeles [11/25/2025 1:28 AM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports the cargo ship fire that sparked at the Port of Los Angeles continues to burn after three days.

CyberScoop [11/24/2025 3:15 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned Monday about threat groups using commercial spyware to target messaging apps, and urged users to take protective steps. “CISA is aware of multiple cyber threat actors actively leveraging commercial spyware to target users of mobile messaging applications (apps),” the agency said in a brief online notice. “These cyber actors use sophisticated targeting and social engineering techniques to deliver spyware and gain unauthorized access to a victim’s messaging app, facilitating the deployment of additional malicious payloads that can further compromise the victim’s mobile device.” The warning draws on research this year that calls attention to hackers who are mimicking popular apps to deploy Android spyware, as well as Android spyware targeting Samsung devices by sending image files over WhatsApp. The warning also piggybacks on research about Russian hackers infecting Signal accounts. “While current targeting remains opportunistic, evidence suggests these cyber actors focus on high-value individuals, such as current and former high-ranking government, military, and political officials, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs) and individuals across the United States, Middle East, and Europe,” the CISA warning states.

FOX News [11/24/2025 7:07 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 40621K] reports DoorDash confirmed a data breach that exposed personal details for a mix of customers, delivery workers and merchants. The stolen information included names, email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses. The company said it has no evidence of fraud tied to the breach so far, but the event still raises concerns for anyone who uses the service. The company traced the incident back to a social engineering attack. An employee fell for a lure that gave hackers access to DoorDash systems. Once the company spotted the breach, it shut down access, launched an investigation and notified law enforcement. DoorDash also directly notified users where required. DoorDash said the breach impacted a mix of users across its platform. That includes customers, delivery workers and merchants.

Homeland Preparedness News [11/24/2025 8:50 AM, Liz Carey] reports three new guides from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will help critical infrastructure owners and operators protect against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the agency said Thursday. Part of CISA’s Be Air Aware campaign, the guides – “Unmanned Aircraft System Detection Technology Guidance for Critical Infrastructure,” “Suspicious Unmanned Aircraft System Activity Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Owners and Operators” and “Safe Handling Considerations for Downed Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” will empower owners and operators from commercial and recreational use of drones near critical infrastructure. Officials said the incidents of UAS use near infrastructure is expected to rise. “The new risks and challenges from UAS activity demonstrate that the threat environment is always changing, which means our defenses must improve as well,” CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala said. “CISA’s Be Air Aware™ resources are designed to empower critical infrastructure owners and operators with the information they need to better safeguard their systems and assets.” CISA said most UAS activity is harmless, and some flights may go undetected or may not raise suspicion, but the suite of CISA created products can help identify when UAS activity is a threat and how to enhance security planning to address those risks.

FOX News [11/24/2025 5:11 PM, Greg Wehner, 40621K] reports President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to begin designating certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The order, invoking the Immigration and Nationality Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, cites the group’s involvement in violence across the Middle East, including rocket attacks on Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, assault. The move begins a 30-day review led by the State and Treasury Departments to identify Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon for possible designation, which could freeze assets, restrict travel, and criminalize material support for affiliated entities. Trump signaled over the weekend that he was planning to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization after several groups stepped up warnings in recent months that the Islamic group was gaining a foothold in the U.S. CBS News [11/24/2025 6:52 PM, Joe Wals, 39474K] reports that in an executive order, the president directed his administration to consider whether to designate Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan or elsewhere as foreign terrorist organizations. He gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 30 days to submit a report, and 45 days after that to take action. The order claimed the three countries’ Muslim Brotherhood affiliates "engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns.” It accused the military wing of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese chapter of helping launch rockets at Israel after the terrorist attack on Oct, 7, 2023, and alleged a leader of the Egyptian chapter "encouraged violent attacks against U.S. partners" after the attack. The White House also said members of the Jordanian chapter have "long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas," itself a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot and a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. If the groups are designated as foreign terrorist organizations, it would become illegal under U.S. law to knowingly provide funding or other material support to them. The designation can also lead to travel bans against members or the freezing of funds held in U.S. banks. Founded in Egypt almost a century ago, the Muslim Brotherhood is an influential political movement in much of the Middle East. The leader of a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated political party, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president of Egypt in 2012 after the fall of dictator Hosni Mubarak, though Morsi was ousted by the military the following year. Some Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt and elsewhere have renounced violence. But the group has long been controversial, with critics — including U.S. allies — saying some affiliated groups have engaged in violence or espoused extremist views. Egypt’s military government formally banned the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, and Jordan banned the group earlier this year. "President Trump is confronting the Muslim Brotherhood’s transnational network, which fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East," the White House said in a fact sheet Monday. The Washington Post [11/24/2025 6:58 PM, Alec Dent, 24149K] reports that the Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt in 1928 that achieved political power in the nation briefly in 2012 before the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Egyptian government was overthrown in a 2013 coup. The White House said the designation will help combat the group’s transnational network, which it said fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East. A fact sheet accompanying the order cites connections between Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, which was responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, among other alleged links to terrorist activity. The designation will allow the United States to target the groups’ U.S.-based finances, collect military intelligence on them and prosecute individuals deemed to have provided “material support” to Muslim Brotherhood chapters with the terrorist designation. The order calls for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to recommend chapters for the terrorist designation within 45 days. A fact sheet issued by the White House said chapters in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan are among those to be considered for the designation. The Trump administration considered designating the group a terrorist organization during the president’s first term after he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, who rose to power in the military coup in 2013 after he deposed his democratically elected predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, a senior Muslim Brotherhood leader. Egypt designated the group a terrorist organization in 2013, alongside several other Arab nations. Unlike the effort in Trump’s first term, the new executive order calls for assigning the terrorist designation to specific chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Muslim Brotherhood chapters share a common ideological foundation but lack international organizational unity. A spokesman for the group did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the designation. Trump’s order comes the week after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) similarly designated the group. A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida), also introduced legislation over the summer to create such a designation

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Bloomberg [11/24/2025 4:56 PM, Nick Wadhams, 18207K]
FOX News [11/24/2025 12:08 PM, Andrew Mark Miller, 40621K]
Reuters [11/24/2025 5:26 PM, Steve Holland, Andrea Shalal, Kanishka Singh, Christian Martinez and Ryan Patrick Jones, 36480K]
Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 6:01 PM, Pedro Rodriguez, 1394K]

CBS New York [11/24/2025 7:12 PM, Christine Sloan, 39474K] Video: HERE reports a third person has died following a mass shooting in Newark, New Jersey, earlier this month. Masi Rogers, 19, died from his injuries. Jordan Garcia, 10, and Kiyah Mae Scott, 21, were also killed in the Nov. 15 shooting. The victims were standing outside a liquor store on the corner of Leslie Street and Chancellor Avenue when gunmen opened fire. Friends and family gathered Monday to hold a balloon release in Masi’s memory. It’s a scene that’s become too familiar in Newark, where three mothers now share the same, unimaginable grief. Prosecutors have yet to make an arrest in the case. Masi Rogers’ mother and grandmother are demanding justice. "I can’t believe it. This gotta be a nightmare," mother Rabeerah Price said. Price said she’s broken, and can’t understand how someone could shoot and kill her oldest son, whose smile lit up a room. "Like I would never wake up from this. It’s like we was just together, and I get the phone call like this. I will never forget this," Price said. "The world is so cruel.” The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office says the Homicide Task Force is working around the clock to capture the person, or people, responsible. There’s a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

FOX News [11/24/2025 11:17 AM, Brooke Singman, 40621K] reports the FBI thwarted a massive terror attack in October that prevented the killing of countless Americans and exposed a global terror network through their investigative strategy that led to "some of the most impactful arrests" in the counterterrorism program in recent years. Fox News Digital sat down Thursday for an exclusive interview with FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and a senior agent official with direct involvement in counterterrorism cases. The potential terror attack was set to take place in Michigan ahead of Halloween weekend and allegedly had a connection to ISIS, the FBI said. The FBI arrested multiple suspects accused of plotting the terror attack. "The arrests that happened in Detroit, Newark, and Seattle represent one of the most deadly plots faced by the FBI in recent memory," the agent told Fox News Digital. "Those eight arrests, and ones that have happened around the world are some of the most impactful arrests that have happened in the counterterrorism program in recent years." Two men have been charged in federal court — Mohamed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, both from Dearborn, Michigan. The charges involve transferring firearms and ammunition and conspiring or attempting to do so, knowing they would be used to commit and support terrorism and providing material support to ISIS. The government alleges five individuals were involved in the plot, including one minor.

Reuters [11/24/2025 3:43 PM, Daphne Psaledakis and Patricia Zengerle, 36480K] reports the United States on Monday formally designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, layering additional terrorism-related sanctions on the group it has said includes President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials. Venezuela’s government rejected what it called a "ridiculous" U.S. plan to designate the "non-existent" group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this month the U.S. would designate Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) for the network’s alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the U.S. Maduro faces escalating pressure from President Donald Trump’s U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, raising concerns that the U.S. may seek to use the designation to justify military action. Sanctions experts, however, have said the statute for the designation does not authorize such a move. The U.S. for months has waged a campaign of deadly strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and the Pacific coast of Latin America. Reuters reported on Saturday that the U.S. is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the designation would bring "a whole bunch of new options to the United States," in excerpts released on Thursday from an interview with One America News. U.S. officials have accused Cartel de los Soles of working with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which Washington also ties to Maduro and previously designated an FTO, to send illegal narcotics to the U.S.

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Los Angeles Times [11/24/2025 7:22 PM, Regina Garcia Cano, 14862K]
The Hill [11/24/2025 8:29 AM, Brett Samuels, 12595K]
NPR [11/24/2025 4:10 PM, John Otis, Juana Summers, 28013K] Audio: HERE
AP [11/24/2025 8:23 AM, Staff, 31753K]
CBS News [11/24/2025 1:21 PM, Duarte Dias and Tucker Reals, 39474K]
Telemundo [11/24/2025 12:41 PM, Staff, 182K] r

NewsMax [11/24/2025 10:18 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports Venezuela on Monday rejected the US terrorist designation of an alleged drug cartel on its territory as a "ridiculous lie" aimed at paving the way for an "illegitimate" military intervention. A major U.S. military build-up near Venezuela has led to speculation that President Donald Trump is planning to try to topple Venezuela’ Socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. Washington accuses Maduro of heading an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel, "Cartel de los Soles" (Cartel of the Suns), which the United States on Monday designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Venezuela’s foreign ministry on Monday rejected what it called "the new and ridiculous lie from Secretary of State Marco Rubio" which it said aimed "to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.” On Tuesday, the top U.S. military officer, Dan Caine, will visit the small Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a US ally situated a few miles from Venezuela that recently hosted U.S. troops for training exercises. The U.S. embassy said that the visit by the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff would focus on "countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.” The visit is part of a months-long campaign of maximum pressure on Maduro, whose reelection last year was widely dismissed by the international community as fraudulent. Maduro appeared at two public events on Monday without mentioning the designation, instead reiterating that Venezuela will remain triumphant. "Whatever they do, wherever they do it, however they do it, they will not be able to defeat Venezuela. We are invincible," Maduro said during his weekly television program. The U.S. has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier and other military forces to waters near Venezuela as part of a stated campaign to dismantle Latin American drug trafficking routes. The Trump administration claims that the Cartel of the Suns is a drug trafficking syndicate run by Maduro and has issued a $50 million reward for the president’s capture. But Venezuela and countries that support it insist no such organization even exists. Several Venezuela experts say what Washington calls the Cartel of the Suns refers to the corruption of senior officials by criminal gangs. U.S. forces have killed at least 83 people in strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs from Latin America towards the United States since September, according to an AFP tally of publicly released figures. No evidence has been made public that drugs were on board, and experts say the strikes are likely illegal even if the targets were proven to be drug traffickers. The terrorism designation will give Washington legal cover for more pressure on the Venezuelan authorities. The Trump administration has been vague about how far it is willing to go in Venezuela, but the huge military build-up and regular killings of people in small boats have rattled nerves -- and prompted concerns in Washington that the US military may be breaking the law. On Saturday, six airlines announced they were canceling flights to Venezuela due to safety concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to "exercise caution" due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”

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Telemundo [11/24/2025 7:07 PM, Staff, 2218K]

NewsMax [11/24/2025 6:58 PM, Mark Swanson, 4109K] reports President Donald Trump is planning a call with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to discuss U.S. military strikes targeting the country’s drug-smuggling operations, including attacks on narco boats leaving Venezuela, Axios reported Monday. The call has no scheduled date, but the planning alone signals that covert operations inside Venezuela may not be imminent despite earlier speculation, Axios said. "Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn’t say never, but that’s not the plan right now," one official told Axios. "In the meantime, we’re going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We’re going to stop the drug trafficking.” U.S. officials say at least 83 people have been killed in 21 missile strikes targeting vessels suspected of transporting drugs under the Caribbean operation known as Operation Southern Spear. The report comes the same day the U.S. designated the Maduro-led Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), a move that provides legal grounds for possible military action. Officially, Southern Spear is a drug-interdiction mission. Unofficially, it’s aimed at pressuring the regime in Caracas — a dynamic Axios first reported before Trump returned to office in January. "We have covert operations, but it’s not designed to kill Maduro. It’s designed to stop narcotrafficking," a White House official told Axios. But "if Maduro leaves, we would not shed a tear.” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Sunday continued his criticism of the administration’s decision to classify the cartel as an FTO, cautioning that it risks circumventing Congress and establishing what he described as a de facto state of war.

FOX News [11/24/2025 9:55 PM, Greg Wehner, 40621K] reports Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro danced to a remix of his own peace slogans at a student rally in Caracas – the latest act of defiance after his performance of John Lennon’s "Imagine" while U.S. warships patrol near its coast. Video from the National University Student Day celebration shows Maduro swaying to the beat, seemingly mimicking President Donald Trump’s trademark dance moves – with a noticeably looser sway. The electronic track featured Maduro’s own phrases – recycled from speeches promoting peace and rejecting war – as tensions with the U.S. continue rising. Reuters identified the remix as "Peace, yes. War, no." At one point, the Venezuelan leader punctuated the beat with finger pistols – a playful "pew, pew" gesture captured on camera. The clip surfaced about a week after Maduro sang "Imagine" at a rally, urging peace while the Trump administration reinforced its military presence near Venezuela to stem drug trafficking. Maduro invoked Lennon as he spoke about peace, calling the former member of The Beatles a poet and musician who left a "gift to humanity.” He urged young people to read the lyrics, describing the song as an anthem for every generation. In the video, Maduro paused mid-speech to recall Lennon’s song, singing a few words before reflecting on its meaning. "What a beautiful song. The lyrics – young people, look up the lyrics," he said, according to a translation. "It’s an inspiration for all time. It’s an anthem for all eras and generations that John Lennon left as a gift to humanity. Long live the eternal memory of that great poet and musician, John Lennon.” As Maduro preaches peace, the U.S. has significantly increased its military presence across the Caribbean, deploying bombers, warships and Marines as part of a campaign targeting drug-trafficking operations in the region, including airstrikes on suspected smuggling vessels. On Monday, the State Department formally announced the Cartel de los Soles would be designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The Cartel de los Soles, or "Cartel of the Suns," refers to a network of government and military officials in Venezuela engaged in drug trafficking. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement last week that the Cartel de los Soles and other cartels in Venezuela were "responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP[11/24/2025 12:06 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports the nation’s top military officer is visiting American troops Monday in Puerto Rico and on a Navy warship in the region, where the U.S. has amassed an unusually large fleet of warships and has been attacking alleged drug-smuggling boats. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Donald Trump’s primary military adviser, will be joined by David L. Isom, the senior enlisted adviser to Caine. Caine’s office said in a statement that the men will “engage with service members and thank them for their outstanding support to regional missions.” This will be Caine’s second visit to the region since the U.S. military started building up its presence, which now includes the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier. Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethcame to Puerto Rico in September after ships carrying hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived for what officials said was a training exercise. Hegseth said then that the deployed Marines were “on the front lines of defending the American homeland.” Caine’s visit this week comes as Trump evaluates whether to take military action against Venezuela, which he has not ruled out as part of his administration’s escalating campaign to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. The buildup of American warships and the strikes, which have killed more than 80 people on 21 alleged drug boats, are seen by many as a pressure tactic on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign.

The Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 9:49 AM, David Zimmermann, 1394K] reports the Federal Aviation Administration warned of a potentially hazardous situation for airlines flying in and out of Venezuela amid the rising tensions between the Trump administration and the Maduro regime. In an advisory issued Friday, the civil aviation agency said there could be a "potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes" because of the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela." The FAA warning comes as the United States builds up its military presence in the Caribbean region and continues targeting vessels allegedly operated by whom the Trump administration labels "narcoterrorists." At least 83 people have been killed in 21 strikes since early September. In response to the travel advisory, at least seven international airlines have canceled their flights to Venezuela. The six carriers that indefinitely suspended flights were TAP, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, Gol, and Caribbean. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines suspended its flights from Monday through Friday amid Thanksgiving holiday travel. The FAA advisory will remain in effect until at least Feb. 19, 2026. CBS News [11/24/2025 6:21 AM, Eleanor Watson, Faris Tanyos, and James LaPorta, 39474K] reports Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca and Brazil’s GOL have suspended their flights to the country, said Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV). She did not specify how long the flight suspensions would last. Panama’s Copa Airlines, Spain’s Air Europa and PlusUltra and Venezuela’s LASER are continuing to operate flights for now. Turkish Airlines said Sunday it was canceling flights from November 24-28. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to "exercise caution" due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela." "Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground," it said.

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Daily Caller [11/24/2025 12:08 PM, Andi Shae Napier, 835K]

CBS News [11/24/2025 11:19 AM, Charlie D’Agata, 39474K] reports the U.S. is considering dropping leaflets in Venezuela as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, sources say. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [11/24/2025 12:33 PM, Frances Martel, 2416K] reports radical Marxist Colombian President Gustavo Petro published video on Sunday of a speech he recently delivered in which he dares Secretary of State Marco Rubio to arrest him and calls his own government a "jaguar about to awaken" in an apparent threat to the United States. Petro’s comments appeared to be a response to the administration of President Donald Trump personally sanctioning him for his administration’s failure to properly address drug trafficking in Colombia which has resulted in record-high production and distribution of cocaine around the world, according to the United Nations. Colombia is the world’s most prolific exporter of cocaine. According to the Argentine news outlet Infobae, Petro initially delivered the speech at a political on Friday, focusing his vitriol at the American government for accurately noting the dramatic rise in drug trafficking under his presidency. "One does not order Colombia to kneel," Petro wrote on the social media site Twitter, sharing the clip. "Free Colombia is beautiful and free.” In his speech, Petro targeted Secretary of State Rubio — who has become a lightning rod for personal vitriol from the Latin American left in part due to his status as the first Hispanic top diplomat of the United States. The Colombian president suggested that Rubio is personally invested in arresting him and dared him to do so. "So I have to say to Mr. Marco Rubio, brother, ‘If you are going to arrest me, let’s see if you can,’" Petro declared. "If you want to put me in the — what is it? — orange pajamas [jumpsuit]? Try it. But this people does not kneel. Your hate of the past, what I do not know nor is any other Colombian guilty of what happened to your grandfather or your father in Cuba." He then appeared to address the U.S. government generally, continuing, "You have to kneel, because here there is a jaguar about to awaken. Don’t threaten us, don’t deceive us, we know the plays."

Wall Street Journal [11/24/2025 7:22 PM, Robbie Gramer, Alexander Ward, and Lara Seligman, 646K] reports it started with an October order from President Trump to his national security team: Come up with a plan to end the Ukraine war just as they had halted the fighting in Gaza. On a flight back from the Middle East, in the afterglow of brokering a deal between Israel and Hamas, envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner began writing the first draft of what would eventually become a 28-point peace framework to end the four-year war, according to U.S. officials and a person familiar with the situation. Witkoff and Kushner’s monthlong effort to draft the proposal relied on input from a Kremlin insider who held secret meetings with the aides in Miami, U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter said. A senior Ukrainian official also organized at least two calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, officials said. But when the plan leaked last week, its terms were weighted in the Kremlin’s favor, shocking European governments and Kyiv’s supporters in Congress and sparking a multiday trans-Atlantic crisis for the Trump administration. U.S. officials said the plan reflected a good-faith attempt by Witkoff and Kushner to gain the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has rebuffed repeated attempts by the White House to halt the fighting in Ukraine, without abandoning Kyiv. “The idea that the United States of America isn’t engaging with both sides equally in this war to bring it to an end is a complete and total fallacy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. The Russian input came from Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin envoy with close ties to Putin who also has a longstanding relationship with Kushner. They brought him to Miami the weekend before Halloween for what would be three days of intensive discussions over dinner and extended conversation at Witkoff’s home, according to U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter. The three men had similar views on what a proposal should look like, though Dmitriev had far more specific ideas in mind, officials said.

FOX News [11/24/2025 1:20 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports that Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to report on President Donald Trump’s call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and what it could mean for trade and the war in Ukraine on ‘The Faulkner Focus.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [11/24/2025 1:45 PM, Naomi Lim, 1394K] reports that President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will visit China in April 2026, with Chinese President Xi Jinping coming to the United States for a state visit later next year. Trump made the announcement on social media after speaking with his Chinese counterpart earlier Monday regarding trade, including soybeans, fentanyl, the Russia-Ukraine war, and, reportedly, Taiwan. In a social media post, Trump described their telephone call as "very good," underscoring the tentative trade deal the pair and their teams agreed to before they met in South Korea last month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit, though no deal has been signed. "We have done a good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers — and it will only get better," the president wrote. "Our relationship with China is extremely strong!" "This call was a follow-up to our highly successful meeting in South Korea, three weeks ago," he added. "Since then, there has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate. Now we can set our sights on the big picture. To that end, President Xi invited me to visit Beijing in April, which I accepted, and I reciprocated where he will be my guest for a State Visit in the U.S. later in the year. We agreed that it is important that we communicate often, which I look forward to doing." Trump’s Truth Social post did not mention Taiwan, an issue he omitted during his readout of their previous meeting.

Reported similarly:
Univision [11/24/2025 6:33 PM, Staff, 5004K]

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