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.

Daily Caller [10/15/2025 5:24 PM, Derek VanBuskirk, 835K] reports Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that Mexican cartels and domestic extremist groups have placed bounties on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents amid an uptick in ambush-style attacks. DHS said Chicago street gangs, including the Latin Kings and factions operating in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods, have deployed armed "spotters" to rooftops with radios to track agents’ movements in real time. The coordinated surveillance has triggered "ambushes and disruptions" during recent raids and enforcement actions. Noem said she and President Donald Trump’s team have been "effective in dismantling cartel operations in America that these criminal networks are now placing bounties on the heads of our agents." DHS said the cartels established a tiered bounty system, offering $2,000 for intelligence gathering or doxxing agents — including photos and family details — $5,000 to $10,000 for kidnappings or other nonlethal assaults, and as much as $50,000 for assassinating senior officials. The department also cited activity in Portland and Chicago, where Antifa-aligned groups have allegedly aided these efforts by supplying protesters, exposing agents’ identities, and obstructing enforcement operations involving cartel-linked suspects. DHS urged state and local officials to end policies that "embolden criminals," including sanctuary protections, and called on the public to report any suspicious activity to federal authorities.

The New York Times [10/16/2025 4:45 AM, Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager, 135475K] reports the Trump administration has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela, according to U.S. officials, stepping up a campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian leader. The authorization is the latest step in the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela. For weeks, the U.S. military has been targeting boats off the Venezuelan coast it says are transporting drugs, killing 27 people. American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power. Mr. Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that he had authorized the covert action and said the United States was considering strikes on Venezuelan territory. “We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” the president told reporters hours after The New York Times reported the secret authorization. Any strikes on Venezuelan territory would be a significant escalation. After several of the boat strikes, the administration made the point that the operations had taken place in international waters. The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean. The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr. Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation. It is not known whether the C.I.A. is planning any specific operations in Venezuela. But the development comes as the U.S. military is planning its own possible escalation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela. The scale of the military buildup in the region is substantial: There are currently 10,000 U.S. troops there, most of them at bases in Puerto Rico, but also a contingent of Marines on amphibious assault ships. In all, the Navy has eight surface warships and a submarine in the Caribbean. The new authorities, known in intelligence jargon as a presidential finding, were described by multiple U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the highly classified document. In a statement, Venezuela rejected Mr. Trump’s “bellicose” language, and accused him of seeking “to legitimize regime change with the ultimate goal of appropriating Venezuela’s petroleum resources.” Venezuela said it planned to raise the matter at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, calling Mr. Trump’s actions “a grave violation of the U.N. charter.” Mr. Trump ordered an end to diplomatic talks with the Maduro government this month as he grew frustrated with the Venezuelan leader’s failure to accede to U.S. demands to give up power voluntarily and the continued insistence by officials that they had no part in drug trafficking. The C.I.A. has long had authority to work with governments in Latin America on security matters and intelligence sharing. That has allowed the agency to work with Mexican officials to target drug cartels. But those authorizations do not allow the agency to carry out direct lethal operations. The Trump administration’s strategy on Venezuela, developed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with help from John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, aims to oust Mr. Maduro from power. Mr. Ratcliffe has said little about what his agency is doing in Venezuela. But he has promised that the C.I.A. under his leadership would become more aggressive. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Ratcliffe said he would make the C.I.A. less averse to risk and more willing to conduct covert action when ordered by the president, “going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do.” The C.I.A. declined to comment. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said he had made the authorization because Venezuela had “emptied their prisons into the United States of America.” The president appeared to be referring to claims by his administration that members of the Tren de Aragua prison gang had been sent into the United States to commit crimes. In March, Mr. Trump proclaimed that the gang, which was founded in a Venezuelan prison, was a terrorist organization that was “conducting irregular warfare” against the United States under the orders of the Maduro government. An intelligence community assessment in February contradicted that claim, detailing why spy agencies did not think the gang was under the Maduro government’s control, though the F.B.I. partly dissented. A top Trump administration official pressed for the assessment to be redone. The initial assessment was reaffirmed by the National Intelligence Council. Afterward, the council’s acting director, Michael Collins, was fired from his post. The United States has offered $50 million for information leading to Mr. Maduro’s arrest and conviction on U.S. drug trafficking charges. Mr. Rubio, who also serves as Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, has called Mr. Maduro illegitimate, and the Trump administration describes him as a “narcoterrorist.” Mr. Maduro blocked the government that was democratically elected last year from taking power. But the Trump administration’s accusations that he has profited from the narcotics trade and that his country is a major producer of drugs for the United States have been debated. The administration has asserted in legal filings that Mr. Maduro controls Tren de Aragua. But an assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies contradicts that conclusion. While the Trump administration has publicly offered relatively thin legal justifications for its campaign, Mr. Trump told Congress that he decided the United States was in an armed conflict with drug cartels it views as terrorist organizations. In the congressional notice late last month, the Trump administration said the cartels smuggling drugs were “nonstate armed groups” whose actions “constitute an armed attack against the United States.” The Washington Post [10/15/2025 7:21 PM, Warren P. Strobel, John Hudson and Karen DeYoung, 24149K] reports that despite the looming confrontation, Caracas has continued accepting deportation flights of its citizens from the United States, which have occurred at a rate of two a week in recent months. Venezuela is not considered a major source of fentanyl or other synthetic opioids responsible for overdose deaths in the U.S., and cocaine trafficked through the Caribbean is mostly not bound for North American markets. The AP [10/16/2025 1:22 AM, Aamer Madhani, 28013K] reports that, asked during an event in the Oval Office on Wednesday why he had authorized the CIA to take action in Venezuela, Trump affirmed he had made the move. "I authorized for two reasons, really," Trump replied. "No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America," he said. "And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.” Trump added the administration "is looking at land" as it considers further strikes in the region. He declined to say whether the CIA has authority to take action against President Nicolás Maduro.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [10/15/2025 8:13 PM, Staff, 2416K]
Axios [10/15/2025 7:02 PM, Julianna Bragg, 12972K]
CNN [10/15/2025 7:40 PM, Kevin Liptak, 18595K]
Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 7:00 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 1394K]

Politico [10/15/2025 1:06 PM, Cheyanne M. Daniels, 13586K] reports President Donald Trump on Wednesday floated targeting Venezuelan drug cartels with land strikes, an escalation of his administration’s repeated strikes on boats out of the country as he tries to staunch the flow of drugs into the U.S. Speaking to reporters, Trump said his administration has “almost totally stopped” drug trafficking by sea and “now we’ll stop it by land.” “I don’t want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we have the sea very well under control,” Trump said. Over the last month, the U.S. has carried out at least five strikes on Venezuelan boats the White House characterized as “narcoterrorists” responsible for smuggling drugs into the country. The latest strike on Tuesday killed six suspected drug traffickers in international waters, Trump said. The strikes have been met with backlash, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle arguing the actions constitute “illegal killings.” A group of former Republican officials have said they believe the strikes may not be legal. Trump on Wednesday defended his administration’s decisions, stating that the previous use of the U.S. Coast Guard investigating boats before action was taken has been “totally ineffective.” “They have faster boats, some of these boats, I mean, they are world-class speedboats,” Trump said. “But they’re not faster than missiles.” Trump argued that each strike his administration launches saves thousands of American lives. “Every time you see a boat and you feel badly and you say ‘wow that’s rough,’ it is rough but if you lose three people and save 25,000 people — these are people that are killing our population,” Trump said. “The boats get hit and you see that fentanyl all over the ocean, it’s like floating in bags, it’s all over the place. We’re saving a tremendous amount of lives.”

CNN [10/15/2025 5:42 PM, Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen, 18595K] reports at least one US military strike in the Caribbean over the last two months targeted Colombian nationals on a boat that had left from Colombia, according to two people briefed by the Pentagon about the strikes. The deliberate targeting of Colombians, which has not been previously reported, suggests that the US military’s campaign against suspected narcotics trafficking groups in the Caribbean is wider than previously believed as President Donald Trump threatened further military and covert action Wednesday. The US military has carried out at least five strikes to date on five separate boats in the Caribbean. The third publicly acknowledged strike on September 19 targeted a boat leaving Colombia, the sources said. The boat was suspected of carrying Colombians affiliated with Colombian terrorist organizations, the sources said, but the Pentagon was unable to determine the individual identities of each person on the boats before they struck them. The Trump administration has produced a classified legal opinion that justifies lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, CNN has reported.

Breitbart [10/15/2025 8:55 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports that, on Wednesday’s "Alex Marlow Show," DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin talked about bounties on ICE agents. McLaughlin stated, "My question for J.B. Pritzker and for the Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, where’s their condemnation? These are American law enforcement forcibly enforcing the rule of law. Any freedom-loving American should be disgusted by the fact that there’s foreign terrorist organizations who are going after our law enforcement.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [10/15/2025 8:55 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports that, on Wednesday’s “Alex Marlow Show,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin discussed deportation numbers. McLaughlin said, “Congress has given us this funding…to be hiring more than 10,000 new ICE enforcement officers. I know about 5,000 have been hired. So, we are certainly on our way, but we expect those numbers to rise.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX Business [10/15/2025 6:02 PM, Staff, 10085K] reports DHS assistant secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin discusses Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s refusal to accept help from the Trump administration to address Chicago’s crime crisis and the violence targeting federal agents on ‘The Evening Edit.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [10/15/2025 2:17 PM, Stephanie Matarazzo, 18595K] reports that the US military conducted another deadly strike on a boat alleged to be trafficking drugs near Venezuela’s coast, according to President Trump. This is at least the fifth time the US has announced such a strike. CNN analyst Brett McGurk discusses whether these strikes are legal. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

ABC News [10/15/2025 2:35 PM, Staff, 30493K] reports that there is credible intelligence that members of Mexican drug cartels have offered a "tiered" bounty system for hits against ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, according to DHS. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [10/15/2025 11:38 AM, Staff, 40621K] reports that Fox News’ Mike Tobin reports on rising threats against ICE agents from Broadview, Illinois. El Centro Sector Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino also joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss the growing threat against immigration officials. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsNation [10/15/2025 9:02 PM, Julian Resendiz, 8017K] reports Texas Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is celebrating the inclusion of provisions in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act of a bill he coauthored earlier to train Mexican soldiers to fight drug cartels. The Partnership for Advancing Regional Training in Narcotics Enforcement Response Strategy (PARTNERS) Act died in a committee of the 118th Congress. But Cornyn managed to include portions in the new NDAA. The bill now goes to the conference committee. "Texas shares more than 1,200 miles of border with Mexico and binational cooperation is essential to stop the flow of deadly drugs and keep people safe," Cornyn said in a statement on Wednesday. "This legislation empowers the Department of War to train Mexican military forces in counternarcotics efforts to crack down on cartels and bolster national security in both countries.” The provisions call for a pilot program so Mexican military forces can receive tactical training in U.S. military bases. That use-of-force and analytical training can be used not just against drug traffickers but also against human smugglers, gunrunners and large-scale fuel thieves. Section 1205 of the NDAA calls for "building the capacity of the armed forces of Mexico to counter transnational criminal organizations.” That includes operation using rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters), joint analysis of "key nodes of activity" of TCOs, and finding where the money to fund illicit activities is coming from. Section 1208 calls for enhanced authority to "build capacity of foreign security forces.” Cornyn and cosponsor U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, pitched the original PARTNERS Act (S. 2098) as a cost-effective way to disrupt the structure and leadership of criminal organizations shipping tons of illegal drugs that end up killing thousands in the United States. "Every day, families across our country lose loved ones to the devastating epidemic of illegal drugs. This is an urgent crisis that needs to be addressed from every possible angle – especially by stopping drugs before they enter the country," King said at the time.

FOX News [10/15/2025 10:33 AM, Staff, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reports on efforts by Los Angeles County leaders to direct taxpayer money toward illegal migrants and their families; Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin offers analysis on ‘America’s Newsroom.’

Daily Caller [10/15/2025 4:21 PM, Staff, 835K] reports the Department of Homeland Security blasted "disgusting smears" Wednesday and said two illegal aliens rammed a Border Patrol SUV before a tense street clash on Chicago’s Southeast Side on Tuesday. Federal officials said agents used a PIT maneuver to stop the suspects near East 105th Street and South Avenue N around midday, arrested two Venezuelan nationals and later faced a hostile crowd where objects were thrown and tear gas was deployed. Thirteen Chicago police officers were exposed, according to Fox 32 Chicago. DHS said the crash happened during an immigration enforcement operation and identified the suspects as Luis Gerardo Pirela-Ramirez and Yonder Enrique Tenefe-Perez. A DHS spokesperson framed the confrontation as part of a broader pattern of attacks on federal officers: "This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers." An attorney for a 15-year-old American citizen detained during the disturbance has accused agents of rough treatment and "disappearing" the teen for several hours; DHS countered on X that the teen admitted to pelting an officer with eggs and was released without charges after meeting counsel. The incident remains under investigation, authorities said.

NBC News [10/15/2025 8:47 AM, Staff, 34509K] reports days after a federal judge issued an order aimed at reining in federal immigration agents’ use of chemicals on protesters, immigration agents used tear gas Tuesday to disperse what a spokesman described as a "hostile" crowd on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The crowd, according to witness interviews and news footage, had gathered in the area of 105th and Avenue N after a collision between a Border Patrol vehicle and a car the agents were pursuing, a spokesman said. At least four people were arrested, including two undocumented immigrants and two U.S. citizens for resisting, according to their families. A CBP spokesman said in a statement to NBC 5 Investigates that they were pursuing undocumented individuals in a car when the driver "rammed" into a Border Patrol vehicle. The two subjects then tried to run and were caught, the spokesman said, adding that the crowd that gathered afterward "eventually turned hostile" and that "crowd control measures were used.". Chicago police said they were trying to de-escalate the situation when "individuals then began throwing objects at the federal agents," who then deployed tear gas; 13 officers felt the effects, Chicago police said.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [10/15/2025 3:45 PM, Alex Oliveira, 42219K]
The Hill [10/15/2025 10:12 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 12595K]

FOX News [10/15/2025 7:09 PM, Staff, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports on Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ongoing refusal to accept federal help in tackling crime and illegal immigration on ‘Special Report.’

Chicago Tribune [10/15/2025 6:22 PM, Sam Charles, 4829K] reports community leaders from the city’s East Side neighborhood gathered Wednesday morning to denounce the actions of federal agents who deployed tear gas canisters on a residential street after a pursuit and vehicle crash. Less than 24 hours earlier, agents from Customs and Border Protection unleashed tear gas on hundreds of residents who gathered at 105th Street and Avenue N. The gas deployment came after angry people in the neighborhood started throwing rocks at agents’ vehicles, and at least three people were detained. Olga Bautista, vice president of the Chicago Board of Education, said she was "furious" but "unafraid" after Tuesday’s confrontation. Federal agents, Bautista said, "stormed into the Southeast Side, one of the oldest immigrant and working-class communities in Chicago and unleashed violence on our families." "This is not about safety," Bautista added, "This is about control, fear and silencing communities that have always resisted injustice." The Department of Homeland Security alleged in a statement issued Tuesday that the chase, subsequent crash and confrontation began when "a vehicle, driven by an illegal alien, rammed a Border Patrol vehicle and attempted to flee the scene." "Border Patrol pursued the vehicle and was eventually able to stop it utilizing an authorized precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver," the statement said. "Once the vehicle was stopped, the suspects, who are both illegal aliens, attempted to flee on foot. As Border Patrol arrested the subjects and attempted to secure the scene a crowd began to form and eventually turned hostile and eventually crowd control measures were used." Security camera footage made public Tuesday did not capture that version of events, only the agents striking and spinning an SUV in the neighborhood.

NewsNation [10/15/2025 4:46 PM, Gabriel Castillo, 8017K] reports just days after she was detained by Border Patrol agents on Chicago’s North Side, attorneys representing the WGN creative services employee at the center of the incident have released a statement. On Friday, Debbie Brockman was detained after Border Patrol agents said they were conducting immigration enforcement at a busy intersection in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood at the height of rush hour. Thomas said Brockman was accused of obstructing justice, "even though she was, like all of us, just standing there, taking video." According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the WGN employee, who is also a U.S. citizen, allegedly threw objects at a Border Patrol car. She was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer, but was later released without charges.

Blaze [10/15/2025 10:15 AM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1442K] reports Debbie Brockman, a producer at WGN-TV, was detained by federal agents amid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in Chicago on Friday. Brockman’s lawyers and the liberal media appear keen to characterize her as an unsuspecting victim of brutality on the part of Border Patrol agents. In the apparent attempt to insinuate a clampdown on the free press, some outlets have even falsely referred to Brockman as a "journalist.". The Department of Homeland Security has suggested, however, that Brockman was not, as her lawyers have indicated, innocently "walking to the bus stop as part of her morning commute when she was attacked by Border Patrol agents." DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Blaze News that "as agents were driving, Deborah Brockman, a U.S. citizen, threw objects at Border Patrol’s car, and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer." Footage appears to show federal agents traveling west on Foster Avenue in a silver minivan after reportedly arresting an older male — an arrest that had prompted protest and condemnation from locals. Suddenly, an object can be seen hitting the vehicle, making a smashing sound. The agents immediately hit the brakes beside the alleged source of the projectile: Brockman.

Chicago Tribune [10/15/2025 5:53 PM, Jason Meisner and Laura Rodríguez Presa, 4829K] reports a Chicago man has been indicted on charges he solicited the murder of U.S. Border Patrol field boss Gregory Bovino, but the bare-bones document makes no mention of previous allegations that he is a high-ranking gang member. Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, of Chicago, was arrested last week and charged with one count of solicitation of murder-for-hire, which carries up to 10 years in prison. The one-page indictment handed up by a federal grand jury on Tuesday charges him with the same count. U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez had set a preliminary hearing for Wednesday, but that was canceled due to the filing of the indictment. The initial criminal complaint filed earlier this month alleged Martinez was a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings street gang and was marshaling gang resources to go after Bovino, who was not specifically identified as the target. On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin referenced the allegations on Fox News, saying it was evidence of a "coordinated, highly organized waging of war against our law enforcement and a terror campaign against them." "They’re now handing intelligence over to these cartels, these criminal gangs, to go after our law enforcement, harass them, dox them, kidnap them and, god forbid, kill them.".

Reported similarly:
FOX News [10/15/2025 4:40 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K]

Daily Caller [10/16/2025 1:47 AM, Hailey Gomez, 835K] reports White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said Wednesday on Fox News’ "Hannity" that Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker continues to fight President Donald Trump’s effort to deploy the National Guard to Chicago because he "hates America.” Since Trump announced plans to send the National Guard to Chicago, both Pritzker and Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson strongly oppose the move. While discussing the city’s ongoing crime crisis, Fox’s Sean Hannity said Trump is "trying to keep innocent Americans safe and secure" despite the governor’s failures — and that prompted Miller to respond. "Well, I mean, he’s a fool, and he’s a moron, but, also, most importantly, Sean, he hates America," Miller said. "And let’s just be honest about it. You can’t love your country and then fight President Trump to keep murderers murdering. Just think about that for a second. President Trump is saying, ‘Let us work with you, with the FBI, with ICE, with ATF, with DEA, with the National Guard, to stop the murdering in your city.’". "And Pritzker is saying he wants to protect the murderers, the people that are shooting dozens and dozens of people every single week. Chicago is more dangerous than Baghdad. It’s more dangerous than Mexico City. So shame on Pritzker, and God bless President Trump for fighting for the citizens of this country," Miller added. In August, Pritzker and Johnson began holding press conferences in which they pleaded with Trump to not bring in the National Guard, as the Democrat mayor touted claims of lower crime stats for Chicago. According to ABC7 Chicago, police data through Aug. 16 shows homicides in the city down 25% compared to 2023. Over the last 12 months, the city has had 474 homicides, while the yearly average between 2021 and 2023 hit 722, the outlet reported. In his latest attempt to downplay crime concerns, Pritzker called Chicago’s summer "amazing" during an Oct. 10 appearance on "Pod Save America," ignoring the 123 murders that occurred in June, July, and August. Trump and Vice President JD Vance have repeatedly criticized Pritzker’s handling of the issue. The Democrat governor responded during an appearance on ABC’s "This Week," telling host George Stephanopoulos that he’s "not afraid" of Trump’s remarks and dared the president to "come and get" him. Despite Democratic pushback against using the National Guard to crack down on crime, U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro said Oct. 9 that there have been 4,067 arrests and 381 illegal guns seized since President Donald Trump federalized the nation’s capital. Pirro also said in a post on X that officials discovered "a drug den with 7 illegal guns and 300+ rounds of ammo across from a kindergarten.”

Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 4:33 PM, Mia Cathell, 1394K] reports the Portland City Council will introduce a measure this week designed to impede the deployment of federal forces, in preparation for President Donald Trump sending National Guard troops to the sanctuary city while Oregon officials fight the presidential directive in court. If adopted, the Protect Portland Initiative will act as a so-called "safeguard" against immigration enforcement. Modeled after the Protecting Chicago Initiative in Illinois, a Democrat-led jurisdiction also facing the threat of federalized military presence, Portland’s version aims to establish "a coordinated federal response framework." Among its sweeping provisions, the initiative would instruct the city administration to convene with "community partners" to develop rapid response plans for countering immigration raids, extend sanctuary policies to include training city contractors in these practices, and demand stricter rules from the Portland Police Bureau forbidding local law enforcement personnel from assisting federal immigration authorities.

Daily Signal [10/15/2025 12:15 PM, Jacob Adams, 549K] reports with the rise of left-wing terrorism, as epitomized by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, congressional Republicans are doubling down on their efforts to combat violence perpetuated by Antifa and its affiliates. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, spoke with The Daily Signal about the efforts being undertaken by the White House and Republicans in Congress to hold Antifa accountable for its crimes. "Antifa has wreaked havoc on our nation for years through their violent and militant anarchy, especially in radical leftist cities like Portland, Oregon. I applaud President [Donald] Trump for designating them a domestic terrorist organization," the Texas congressman said. But there is more Republicans in Congress can do to support Trump’s decree, he added: "Congress should eagerly back his efforts to protect our national security from these destructive internal threats." In January, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced a House resolution that would codify the president’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization into law. The proposed legislation details multiple instances of unlawful activity by Antifa and its affiliates, including the doxing of at least 1,500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees in 2018, and the attempted firebombing of an ICE detention facility in 2019 by a self-identified Antifa member. Greene’s House resolution was co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Mary Miller of Illinois, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Wesley Hunt of Texas. Hunt, a combat veteran of the Iraq War, having flown dozens of missions as an Apache helicopter pilot, described to The Daily Signal what he hoped the bill would accomplish. "Labeling Antifa a terrorist organization and bringing the full force of the federal government down on their networks lets us do more than talk. It lets us choke off funding, freeze assets, and give Treasury and law enforcement the legal tools to sanction and prosecute those who bankroll and enable political violence," the Texas congressman explained.

Telemundo [10/15/2025 7:19 PM, Staff, 20K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he could deploy federal forces in the city of San Francisco as part of his security and control plan on Democratic-ruled cities, which he calls violent. Trump called his security plan “amazing” and that it’s “barely getting started,” and suggested that the next city federal forces and the National Guard could reach would be San Francisco. The president’s suggestion came during a press conference at the White House, in which the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, gave details about the deployments in other cities such as Washington, D.C. and Chicago. "We’re going to go to other cities we didn’t mention on purpose," Trump said. San Francisco Democratic Senator Scott Wiener reacted in a statement. "San Francisco doesn’t need or want Trump’s private military on our streets. Any such deployment would be a huge waste of taxpayer money and a further step towards authoritarianism. And, contrary to Trump’s lie, no government official here has requested federal occupation.” "Under the leadership of our mayor, district attorney and police chief, crime has declined in San Francisco. Our city is recovering. We don’t need Trump’s authoritarian crackdown in our city. In short: Stay away from San Francisco!" he warned.

Breitbart [10/15/2025 3:24 PM, Olivia Rondeau, 2416K] reports Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said U.S. job growth has slowed down in part due to two million illegals being deported, saying, "I think in terms of Americans having jobs, we’re doing quite well." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last month that two million illegal aliens had either been deported or self-deported from the country since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. Broken down more specifically, DHS officials estimated that 1.6 million illegal aliens have self-deported, while ICE agents have deported more than 400,000, and are on pace to deport almost 600,000 by the end of the year. The agency stated that it had released zero illegal aliens into the United States interior from the southern border for four consecutive months — compared to the hundreds of thousands that were released each month under the Biden administration. In addition to fewer illegal migrants, Bessent said job growth has slowed due to the reduction in "bloated" federal jobs.

FOX News [10/15/2025 4:37 PM, Diana Stancy, 40621K] reports President Donald Trump is next looking "at land" in Latin America, after the U.S. military has conducted at least five fatal strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean since September. "We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea very well under control," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "We’ve had a couple of days where there isn’t a boat to be found, and I view that as a good thing, not a bad thing." Trump said he wasn’t interested in having the Coast Guard simply stop the alleged drugs boats because "we’ve been doing that for 30 years and it has been totally ineffective." "They have faster boats. Some of these boats are seriously, I mean, they’re world class speedboats," Trump said. "But they’re not faster than missiles. But we’ve been trying to do that for years."

Washington Post [10/15/2025 3:15 PM, Jacob Bogage, Riley Beggin and Perry Stein, 24149K] reports President Donald Trump is all but ignoring the federal shutdown for parts of the government he favors — keeping paychecks flowing for military service members and backfilling publicly sensitive social benefit programs in a push to alleviate political pain from the closure as it enters its third week. The White House budget office on Tuesday posted on social media that the administration was preparing to “batten down the hatches,” lay off more federal workers and dig in for a prolonged impasse. But Trump has also used the shutdown as an opening to seize additional power and render Congress — where negotiations are at a standstill — a nonfactor in managing the country’s finances. The president moved last week to lay off more than 4,000 government workers, and his administration has already signaled more dismissals are on the way. He has repurposed leftover funding that is still available despite the shutdown away from government research to make payroll for active-duty troops. Money from his One Big Beautiful Bill, the mammoth tax and immigration package he signed into law in July, will go toward compensating members of the Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security. Federal officials are working to pay at least some law enforcement agents, who would otherwise be working without compensation during the shutdown, according to a person familiar with discussions, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Revenue from tariffs, the crown jewel of Trump’s economic strategy, is filling the account for WIC, the anti-hunger program for women, infants and children. Trump’s military deployments to Democratic-controlled cities have been uninterrupted, along with nationwide immigration raids. “We’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we wanted to close up or that we never wanted to happen. And now we’re closing them up, and we’re not going to let them come back. The Democrats are getting killed,” Trump said Tuesday. “We’re not closing up Republican programs because we think they work.” The White House’s moves may not be legal. There are stringent laws about how and when the executive branch can redirect congressionally approved funding, and the administration appears to be running afoul of several of them, experts say. “Congress has to say what money can be used for out of the general treasury. That’s the whole point of Congress,” Shalanda Young, the White House budget chief in the Biden administration, told The Washington Post. “I know they don’t believe in it, but they got to believe in it enough to know that they just can’t take money out of the treasury for whatever they want to do.” But many of Trump’s moves are politically popular — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) on Tuesday said he supported paying military members during the shutdown — and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) goaded the president’s opponents into trying to stop him. “If the Democrats want to go to court to challenge troops being paid, bring it. I’m grateful for a commander in chief that understands the priorities of the country,” Johnson said.

Chicago Tribune [10/15/2025 5:36 PM, Alexandra Kukulka, 4829K] reports Tom Homan, White House Border Czar, came to Indianapolis Tuesday to talk about the successes of the Trump Administration’s immigration policy and to voice his support for a revived immigration bill that will be filed in the 2026 session. Homan, who spoke for about 20 minutes as part of a "Fairness for Hoosiers" event held inside the House Chamber, said he came out of retirement twice to work for President Donald Trump. The event was originally scheduled to be in the Statehouse Atrium, but it was moved to the House Chamber, closed to media and the public, and state officials livestreamed the event instead. Ahead of his second term, Homan said Trump asked him to do three things: secure the border, "run the largest deportation operation this country has seen," and find over 300,000 missing children. Currently, the U.S. has "the most secure border in the history of this nation," Homan said, who claimed border crossings fell from more than 10,000 a day to less than 100 as of Friday. Meanwhile, deportations have increased to 550,000 since Trump took office in January, Homan said, while another 1.6 million people have self deported. Homan said recently approved funding from Congress will allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire another 10,000 officers, tripling the size of the workforce, and he said officials hope to triple the number of arrests and deportations. Homan blamed leaders of sanctuary cities for the arrests of legal immigrants or citizens because they have denied ICE access to jails. So, Homan said, when ICE agents go into communities looking for illegal immigrants, those nearby get swept up in arrests too. Homan said he told Trump that of the three tasks given finding the missing children was the most difficult because children don’t have a paper trail like adults do. About 24,000 children have been "rescued," Homan said.

FOX News [10/15/2025 4:47 PM, Madison Colombo, 40621K] reports Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is putting criminal illegal migrants on notice with an ad promoting "Louisiana Lockup," a detention facility built inside the nation’s largest maximum-security prison. The ad highlights Louisiana’s push to combat crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Landry said the facility will hold migrants convicted of serious offenses and serve as a deterrent to criminals nationwide. The governor said he hoped the facility would serve as a model for other Republican-led states cracking down on criminal illegal migrants. The political ad, which was released Sept. 29, sends a direct message to offenders. Landry explained that the goal behind the project is to house the most dangerous offenders in one place and remove them from American communities.

NewsMax [10/15/2025 7:02 PM, Michael Katz, 4109K] reports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday he is withholding more than $40 million in federal funds from California for failing to comply with the department’s English Language Proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Duffy had warned California, Washington and New Mexico in August that they risked losing federal money unless they adopted and enforced the ELP requirement for commercial drivers. "California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big-rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement," Duffy said in a news release. "This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads.". A total of $40.6 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program funding will be withheld. MCSAP provides grants for states to conduct roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, trucking company safety audits and public education campaigns. "Let me be clear — this is valuable money that should be going to the great men and women in California law enforcement, who we support," Duffy said. "Gov. [Gavin] Newsom’s insistence on obstructing federal law has tied my hands.". The Transportation Department has been conducting a nationwide audit of how states issue commercial driver’s licenses to individuals on short-term work visas. The review is part of a broader federal effort to improve highway safety and restore order to the trucking industry. Scrutiny intensified after a deadly Florida crash in August that killed three people. The crash fueled a clash between the Department of Homeland Security and Newsom over Harjinder Singh, 28, an illegal immigrant from India who allegedly received a work permit and a driver’s license in California — one of 19 states and the District of Columbia that issue licenses regardless of immigration status. In May, President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating the English proficiency rule as part of the out-of-service criteria, directing investigations into states issuing CDLs to foreign citizens, and easing regulatory burdens on U.S. truckers. As of June 25, violations of the English requirement are again part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s out-of-service criteria, which all states are expected to enforce. However, the California Highway Patrol reportedly said in August it is not placing drivers out of service for failing to speak English because the requirement is not state law.

USA Today [10/15/2025 3:41 PM, Rex Huppke, 67103K] reports let it be known far and wide that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has called himself "a Bible-believing Christian," has no problem whatsoever with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shooting a pastor in the noggin with pepper balls. The man who, when asked to describe his worldview, once said "go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it," also has zero problem with journalists being violently arrested by federal agents. Is there an updated version of the Bible that I missed? Because I don’t recall anything in my Catholic upbringing that was pro-priest-popping or supportive of masked agents of the government slamming journalists to the ground. The House speaker was asked this question on Oct. 14: "We’ve seen images out of Chicago of federal agents shooting faith leaders with pepper balls and arresting journalists. Where’s the limit for you on what’s acceptable conduct by federal law enforcement?". To which Johnson ‒ the aforementioned Bible fan ‒ replied: "I’ve not seen them cross the line yet.". In September, ICE agents fired pepper balls and hit the Rev. David Black of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago multiple times in the head and body. He’s now part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and described what happened like this: "I extended my arms, palms outstretched toward the ICE officers, in a traditional Christian posture of prayer and blessing. Without any warning, and without any order or request that I and others disperse, I was suddenly fired upon by ICE officers. In rapid fire, I was hit seven times on my arms, face and torso with exploding pellets that contained some kind of chemical agent. It was clear to me that the officers were aiming for my head, which they struck twice.".

The Hill [10/15/2025 7:30 AM, Artem Kolisnichenko, 12595K] reports the Trump administration announced a pilot program this month offering $2,500 to unaccompanied migrant minors in Texas age 14 and older, in exchange for voluntarily returning to their countries of origin. The initiative, framed as an emergency measure to "stabilize the border," begins in McAllen, Texas, a key processing hub for unaccompanied minors. It is promoted as a "humane alternative to long-term detention. The program targets unaccompanied minors awaiting immigration hearings, with an estimated scale for thousands rather than the full backlog of more than 3 million cases. Although exact funding remains undisclosed, it draws from reallocations from the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, like previous voluntary return efforts that strained budgets. The timing is odd because it coincides with what The Economist just called Trump’s victory at the border. With Border Patrol data showing apprehensions near 60-year lows, the urgency just doesn’t seem to be there, particularly amid ongoing returns of thousands of Venezuelans since January. The initiative primarily targets teenagers age 14 to 17, mostly from Central America, where unaccompanied minors have historically comprised a significant share of border arrivals. The current number of such minors in HHS custody hovers around 2,000 nationwide, with many of them being held in Texas. Implementation also remains unclear. By law, the "voluntary departure" of a minor is not possible without a court decision, and courts are already overloaded, with each judge handling about 5,000 cases. Even formal approvals for departures will take months, while part of the funds, as in previous "voluntary return" programs, has been reallocated from HHS and DHS budgets, which already causes funding disputes. The situation looks more like forced deportation, pushing minors to accept the money while presenting it as financial assistance.

The Hill [10/15/2025 1:00 PM, Sen. Rick Scott, 12595K] reports that in December of 2007, LeRoy Hubley endured the most devastating experience of his life. His wife of 48 years and his son died within weeks of each other. The culprit? Contaminated doses of Chinese-made generic drug Heparin that there were taking to treat a genetic kidney disease. LeRoy, his wife Bonnie, and his son Randy put their faith in the prescription drug market, and the Food and Drug Administration’s inspection system, which failed them. The medicine they relied on to save their lives, which was made in Communist China, did the exact opposite. Two lives were senselessly cut short. Unfortunately, the Hubleys are not the only victims of our country’s over-reliance on foreign-made generic drugs and a broken system that allows overseas manufacturers to duck quality controls. Almost 20 years later, many issues that allowed for the Heparin tragedy, which killed over 100 people, still exist. As recently as 2023, contaminated eyedrops from India killed four people and caused damage to at least 55 other patients. America’s over-reliance on foreign-made generics and loose oversight is threatening the health of our citizens and jeopardizing national security. As chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, I held a recent hearing and am investigating these failures in our drug procurement system that leave many Americans — especially our seniors — at risk. The U.S. currently relies on overseas manufacturers for approximately 75 percent of its essential drug supply, with Communist China and India as two of the largest contributors. Of the top 100 generic medicines consumed in the U.S., 83 percent of them contain no American-sourced Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

Bloomberg [10/15/2025 7:00 AM, Patricia Lopez, 18207K] reports it should be obvious by now that President Donald Trump’s deliberately aggressive incursions into blue cities are not about curbing crime, but about exercising raw power. Militarizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, attempting to federalize National Guard troops and issuing threats to jail opponents — these are not the actions of a leader intent on improving public safety. Consider the president’s foray into Chicago, where the crackdown has been among the most fearsome — and contested. In recent weeks, ICE agents have stormed a South Side apartment building in a scene out of a bad Rambo sequel: a nighttime raid with federal agents rappelling down the sides of buildings, kicking in doors and hauling residents out of bed. Countless episodes of needless brutality against immigrants have followed, captured on video. Tensions between ICE and local police have flared. On Tuesday, a car crash involving Border Patrol agents triggered a standoff in an East Side neighborhood, with residents throwing rocks and agents firing tear gas and pepper balls into the crowd. Although the targets of the raids are undocumented immigrants, federal agents have also taken down protesters and journalists. At one demonstration, an agent fired a pepper ball at the back of the head of a minister, knocking him to the ground. Other agents continued firing at the minister, who was also tear-gassed directly in the face. On a different occasion, a journalist was violently flung to the ground by masked agents and cuffed while lying face-down in the street. I grew up in Chicago. It is a brawny, boisterous city, proud of its immigrant heritage and unaccustomed to bending the knee. Trump seems determined to punish the Windy City in a way that has little to do with immigration or crime and everything to do with it being a diverse, Democrat-run metropolis.

Breitbart [10/16/2025 4:20 PM, Neil Munro, 2608K]reports a total of 175,000 Americans have applied to join the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, a top official at the Department of Homeland Security told The Alex Marlow Show podcast with Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow. “I just got the numbers hot off the press earlier,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLoughlin told Marlow on October 15. She added: I just got the numbers hot off the press earlier. It’s 175,000 Americans [who] have applied to join ICE. Amazing! It really is encouraging to see that patriots see through the charade of the media, they want to enforce the rule of law, and they want to protect our homeland. They saw how [during] the last four years, this nation was brought to its knees with this scourge of illegal immigration, and they want to protect their communities and where they come from. “We’re encouraging more patriots,” McLaughlin said, adding, “ It’s a very rewarding job [and] a $50,000 bonus.” Marlow noted that the population of illegal migrants may be 20 million. “We know that we have a mountain ahead of us,” McLaughlin responded, adding: We need to get these [deportation] numbers up, and then rest assured, Congress has given us this funding from that one big, beautiful bill to be hiring more than 10,000 new ICE enforcement officers. I know about 5,000 have been hired, so we’re certainly on our way. But we expect those numbers to rise, and it’s also a [virtuous] cycle. When you have more arrests, you’re going to have more self deportations, because the message is going to get out to those in this country illegally: “You will be arrested, there will be consequences, you won’t be able to return, so get out now while you still have a shot.” DHS recruiting efforts are offering patriotic messages to young Americans, she said.

Daily Signal [10/15/2025 3:04 PM, Virginia Allen, 549K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to risk their lives arresting criminal illegal aliens even while not being paid during the federal government shutdown, according to the Department of Homeland Security. ICE agents continue to arrest "pedophiles, murderers, drug traffickers, and other violent thugs from American communities," said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary. "Not only are these law enforcement officers risking their lives amid a 1,000% increase in assault against them, bounties on their heads, and threats to their families from foreign and domestic terrorists, but they are now working without pay because of the Democrats’ government shutdown," McLaughlin added.

FOXBusiness [10/15/2025 12:29 PM, Bonny Chu, 10085K] reports Meta has complied with a Department of Justice request to remove a large Facebook group allegedly used to harass Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in Chicago, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Tuesday. The group was allegedly sharing personal information about ICE agents who were deployed to the city as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration. "Today following outreach from @thejusticedept, Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target @ICEgov agents in Chicago," Bondi said in a post on X Tuesday. She added that the move was necessary amid a surge in online threats against law enforcement. "The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs," Bondi wrote. "The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.". Bondi did not cite specific incidents linked to the Facebook group, but Meta confirmed to FOX Business on Wednesday that "this group was removed for violating our policies against coordinated harm.". According to Meta’s "Coordinating Harm and Promoting Crime" policy, the tech company prohibits users from participating in "certain criminal or harmful activities targeted at people, businesses, property or animals.". "We allow people to debate and advocate for the legality of criminal and harmful activities, as well as draw attention to harmful or criminal activity that they may witness or experience as long as they do not advocate for or coordinate harm," the policy says.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [10/15/2025 10:44 AM, Alana Mastrangelo, 2416K]

NewsNation [10/16/2025 3:19 AM, Patrick Djordjevic, 8017K] reports Border czar Tom Homan has backed ICE officers who wear masks while performing raids. Homan joined the NewsNation Town Hall alongside Chris Cuomo, Stephen A. Smith and Bill O’Reilly to explain that officers are shielding their identity in response to bounties, threats and doxxing. "These men and women put a gun on their hip and wear a Kevlar vest to go on the streets every day looking for the worst of the worst to make this country safer. Wearing a mask, if that protects them and protects your families, then that has to be done," he said. "I remember the days, some of these cities, if they weren’t wearing a mask during COVID, you got reported to the police and got arrested," he added. Homan admitted he does not personally like the look of officers wearing masks, but given the circumstances, he sees the need for them. "I don’t particularly like the mask either, but name another law enforcement agency that’s over 1,000% attacks on them, and name another law enforcement agency whose spouses and children have been doxxed on social media and been attacked and bullied in churches and schools," he said. Much has been made of who ICE is arresting and whether the agency is going too far. Homan repeated that coming into America illegally is a crime and will and should have consequences. However, the border czar said 70% of arrests are "public safety threats.” "How about the ones that aren’t national security threats, not public safety threats, not national security threats, not gang members. Who are they? … When we find that criminal, many times they are with others, others who are in the country legally. We’re not walking away from them. We’re going to enforce immigration law, unlike the last administration did," he said.

Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 2:55 PM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports that House Democrats are angling to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they make gains in the lower chamber in the midterm elections. Should Democrats retake the majority in the House and regain control of the Homeland Security Committee, they will pursue a list of priorities, including conditioning funding for the Department of Homeland Security to reforms for how ICE operates, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) told Newsweek. "I would imagine that there’s going to be conditions put on funding for the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that these accountability measures are put into place and enforceable," Magaziner, a member of the House committee, said during an interview with the outlet. His words come as many Democrats have raised concerns over how ICE is conducting operations targeting illegal immigrants. Unease centers around allegations that agents are targeting people based on race and physical appearance, spurring multiple hostile interactions with the press, and concealing their identities while conducting public duties, leading to accusations that the agency is operating with a lack of transparency and respect for civil rights. Magaziner pledged that things would change if his party made critical gains in the 2026 elections. Democrats must wrest control of a handful of seats to tilt the balance of power in the lower chamber next year. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), currently the leading Democratic member on the House committee, echoed his colleague’s hopes.

NewsMax [10/15/2025 4:31 PM, James Morley III, 4109K] reports House Democrats plan to rein in an agency they claim has lost accountability under President Donald Trump’s administration, Newsweek reported Wednesday. With control of Congress still up for grabs for the 2026 midterms, Democrats plan to use the public perception of the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under their command as a key campaign issue. House Homeland Security Committee Democrats plan to introduce new transparency and accountability rules in response to criticism of the agency’s tactics and detainee treatment. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told the outlet that some options are withholding funding from ICE unless the agency can adhere to Democrats’ proposed guidelines. The Rhode Island Democrat explained that this plan would require ICE agents to adhere to the same standards as local police officers, such as prohibiting masks, mandating body cameras, displaying visible badge numbers and ensuring that anyone detained by ICE receives due process before a judge, with the opportunity to present their case prior to deportation.

Daily Caller [10/16/2025 12:13 AM, Hailey Gomez, 835K] reports that, Chris Hansen, host of "Takedown,"appeared Wednesday on Fox News’ "Jesse Watters Primetime" to share his recent ride-along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying the agency is actively getting "criminals out of this country.” Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has prioritized cracking down on illegal immigration and conducting mass deportations. "In the last month, we have caught 45 predators seeking to exploit children. Seven of those were for a new investigative series we have going on with ICE ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations]. They go out after these people who are here illegally but have also been convicted of crimes against children," Hansen said. "We had one guy who lived — [a] convicted sex offender from Mexico — lived in a home next to a daycare facility and three blocks from a school. And as we’re doing this, anti-ICE protesters are rallying outside ICE headquarters with no idea as to what we just did," Hansen added as Watters said the activists don’t like ICE outside of schools. "But it’s OK to have a registered sex offender next door to a daycare facility.” Under Trump’s push for mass deportations, ICE has been conducting raids in major blue cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. Despite voters in 2024 ranking the border crisis as a top concern under the Biden administration, Democrats have criticized the deportations and defended some of the illegal immigrants. In April, Democrats rallied behind alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, demanding the administration bring him back to the U.S. after he was deported to El Salvador. While some Democrats showed support for him online, others, like Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, took taxpayer-funded trips to visit Garcia in El Salvador before he was brought back to the U.S. Watters asked Hansen about his experience in the field with ICE and whether agents spoke to him about anything specific. "They are very happy to have their hard work shown. These are dedicated men and women who are trying to get criminals out of this country. We’re not talking about somebody who didn’t check a box here. We’re talking about criminals. We watched in New Mexico one early morning as they arrested a guy who was under investigation for sexually assaulting children in the home at the time," Hansen said. "And this guy is in the country illegally. So they’re out there doing this, protecting children, protecting the most innocent asset we have in this society. And they’re proud to show their work," Hansen said. Concerns about migrant children under the leadership of former President Joe Biden ramped up in the summer of 2024 after whistleblowers like Tara Rodas testified against Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS), calling attention to the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the vetting of sponsors for migrant children. In September 2024, Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released its August report that said ICE could not "monitor all unaccompanied migrant children" released from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and HHS as the U.S. struggled with its border crisis. Human trafficking experts like President and founder of GUARD Against Trafficking Ali Hopper have continued to speak to lawmakers about the concerns of missing migrant children and sex trafficking in the U.S. In July, Hopper testified to Congress, telling lawmakers the Biden administration allegedly missed 65,000 calls from migrant children to a hotline set up to "report concerns about the unaccompanied child’s safety.”

ABC News [10/15/2025 5:51 PM, Megan Forrester, 30493K] reports a teen boy who was arrested for allegedly threatening another middle schooler in Massachusetts was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to police, sparking outrage within the local community. Last week, police in Everett received a "credible tip" of a "juvenile boy who made a violent threat against another boy within our public school," leading to the boy’s arrest, Mayor Carlo DeMaria said during a press conference on Tuesday. Once the boy was taken into police custody, officials took his fingerprints, which were procedurally sent to ICE to "determine if you are an illegal entry," Everett Police Chief Paul Strong said during the press conference with the mayor. Officials said ICE came to detain the boy on Thursday afternoon. Rogers told ABC News the boy is 13 years old and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) released a statement saying he is in the seventh grade. The Department of Homeland Security shared a post on X claiming the boy was "in possession of a firearm and a 5-7 inch knife when arrested" and that he had an "EXTENSIVE rap sheet" including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, destruction of property and breaking and entering. DeMaria, the Everett mayor, continuously denied the claims of the boy possessing a firearm. Rogers and MIRA have said the boy is now being held in a detention facility in Virginia.

CNN [10/15/2025 2:33 PM, Andy Rose and Alessandra Freitas, 18595K] reports any mother adores getting phone calls from her children. For Josiele Berto, they are now a lifeline and the only way to know where her 13-year-old son is and what he’s facing alone. "I only talk to him – never to any official who could explain what kind of place it is or what’s happening," Berto told CNN, speaking in Portuguese. Last Thursday, she was called by police in Everett, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, who said her son Arthur had been arrested. She was told she needed to pick him up. But Berto left the police station without Arthur that night. After waiting in the station for more than an hour, an officer informed her Immigration and Customs Enforcement had already taken him away. "They didn’t give me any information," said Berto, who is from Brazil and along with her family have had a pending asylum application since arriving in the United States in 2021. "I asked where he was being taken, and they said they weren’t allowed to say.". Berto and her attorney, Andrew Lattarulo, both told CNN they spent days waiting to learn what led to the arrest – information that finally came Tuesday afternoon. "Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted. "He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested." McLaughlin did not share further details about the allegations. Although Mayor DeMaria confirmed the presence of the knife and said there "could have been a tragedy in our schools" without the arrest, he was adamant the teen did not have a firearm.

FOX News [10/15/2025 6:22 PM, Peter Pinedo, 40621K] reports a former Massachusetts shelter director-turned-whistleblower is calling the sentencing of yet another illegal alien for raping a child at a taxpayer-funded shelter further evidence of a "total government failure" in the sanctuary state. Haitian illegal alien Cory Alvarez, 27, was found guilty of aggravated rape of a child at a migrant shelter in Rockland, Massachusetts, and sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison, according to NBC 10 Boston. Alvarez was arrested by Rockland police in 2024 on suspicion of sexual assault on a 15-year-old female victim. Both Alvarez and the victim were living at a state-run shelter at a Comfort Inn. Alvarez was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in August. According to the agency, he entered the country lawfully in 2023 but violated the terms of his admittance, meaning he was present in the country illegally. In response, Fetherston, who ran a similar migrant shelter in Marlborough, Massachusetts, from 2023 to 2024, said Alvarez’s sentencing "exposes a much bigger problem.". "Call it what you will, but this is total government failure," he said. "You have documented cases now of these girls being assaulted in shelters run with taxpayer dollars. No one at the top, including Governor Maura Healey, is taking any of the responsibility.". Fetherston has previously blown the whistle on "rampant" sexual abuse of children taking place in the Massachusetts-run shelter system.

Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 7:09 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1394K] reports a Pennsylvania judge upheld Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran’s authority to cooperate with federal immigration authorities on Wednesday, dismissing an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that sought to block his participation in a federal enforcement program. Judge Jeffrey Trauger of the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County ruled that the ACLU’s plaintiffs lacked standing and failed to show any concrete harm from the sheriff’s 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The court found the claims were based on "subjective fears of possible future incidents," noting that one plaintiff "alleges no actual incidents where he or others he knows were a victim of any of these unlawful events.". The ACLU, which filed a lawsuit in June, argued that Harran exceeded his authority by signing the agreement without county commissioners’ consent. The court rejected that argument, citing similar findings from a New York appellate decision that found memorandums of understanding like the one at issue to be "unenforceable contracts.". In a 13-page decision, Trauger concluded that "none of the Plaintiffs have proper legal standing to bring this action under Pennsylvania law," adding that even if they could, the memorandum of understanding signed by Harran "is not an enforceable contract and therefore [was] not subject to the approval of the Bucks County Commissioners.". The ruling affirms that sheriffs in Pennsylvania are independent constitutional officers who may coordinate directly with federal agencies. Harran’s agreement with ICE allows his deputies to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision, part of a long-standing framework known as the 287(g) program. Harran has said he intends to use the agreement to check the immigration status of people already in custody or those wanted by his office. In a statement posted online, he called the ruling a victory for residents and validation of what he described as a "common-sense" approach to public safety that leverages partnerships and federal resources. "This decision affirms our ability to use this simple tool to ensure individuals who commit crimes in our county are held fully accountable — regardless of their immigration status," Harran said. The ACLU strongly condemned the decision and vowed to appeal, saying in a statement to the Washington Examiner that it "undermines our values, our laws, and our humanity.".

CBS Baltimore [10/15/2025 7:11 PM, Mike Hellgren, 39474K] reports Melissa Tran is back in Maryland after federal immigration authorities detained her more than five months ago over a non-violent conviction two decades earlier. The mother of five, and Hagerstown business owner, spoke with WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren as her future remains uncertain. Tran’s ordeal started with her annual check-in with immigration in downtown Baltimore—a routine she has done for more than 20 years. "Just a normal check-in," Tran said. "You go and you show them your identification, and then, they give you your next appointment date.". This time, ICE detained her without explanation. Tran spent five days in Baltimore. She described being housed with nine women in filthy conditions. "No shower, nothing. No personal hygiene. No toothbrush to brush your teeth," Tran said. The women were kept in one room with an inflatable mattress and no blankets. "I was in shock," Tran said. Tran was then taken to Louisiana, Arizona, and ended up in Tacoma, Washington. She said she was always shackled on various buses and planes but relied on the many letters of support she received from friends in Maryland to keep her spirits up. "When you’re sitting there, and you don’t know what’s happening to you, and you think all these negative thoughts, it’s the letters that I received from the people in the community saying you have to stay strong, we are fighting for you, we are praying for you," Tran said. "It gives me hope.". Tran, 43, came to America from Vietnam legally as a refugee in the 1990s, her lawyer said. As a teenager, she admitted to stealing some checks from her employer. She pleaded guilty, and a judge entered an order of removal in 2003, but because Vietnam would not accept her, she was allowed to stay as long as she checked in regularly with immigration. "I know what I did was wrong, and I take responsibility for that," Tran said. "For my kids to have to go through it is horrible for me to comprehend. Why? We always say if you change, you deserve a second chance.". It is uncertain now if she will get that second chance. A federal judge found there was no need to continue her detention for now.

NewsNation [10/15/2025 2:04 PM, Ben Mitchell, 8017K] reports that a man with a New York-issued commercial driver’s license bearing the name "No Name Given Anmol" was apprehended by law enforcement in Oklahoma on Sept. 23, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The arrest was made during a routine inspection on I-40. The DHS claims that Anmol Anmol is a migrant from India who had allegedly entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 and was released by the Biden administration. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the State of New York following the arrest, saying, "New York is not only failing to check if applicants applying to drive 18-wheelers are U.S. citizens, but even failing to obtain the full legal names of individuals they are issuing commercial drivers’ licenses to." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Anmol and placed him in removal proceedings.

DailySignal [10/15/2025 12:45 PM, Rebecca Downs, 549K] reports that more law enforcement could be coming to Columbus, and that may even include Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Ohio’s capital is one of several cities in which the General Services Administration, an independent agency that helps manage and support federal agencies and facilities, was seeking office space. Specifically, "as-is, fully-finished and furnished office space in support of administrative operations for law enforcement." The lease will be on a 10-year/five-firm basis. "THE NOTICE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE SPACE," posted in September, has certainly prompted chatter, both in Columbus and statewide. The Ohio House speaker affirmed the federal government’s jurisdiction, the governor sees more jobs for Ohioans, while Columbus’ mayor appears to be questioning the need. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s office welcomed the GSA notice as a sign of opportunity. "Ohio has many federal workers who work here in Ohio, including numerous federal law enforcement officials. Of course we welcome more employers, including the federal government, locating more jobs here to Ohio," Dan Tierney, DeWine’s deputy director of media relations, told The Daily Signal. The mayor’s office seemed to have a bit of a different take, however. "Columbus is the safest it’s ever been, with homicides at a more than 20-year low even as the city has grown," NBC4 quoted Jennifer Fening, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Andrew Ginther, as saying. "The city works consistently with state and federal law enforcement to take dangerous criminals off our streets."

AP [10/15/2025 3:56 PM, Christine Fernando, 1538K] reports that Cook County’s top judge on Tuesday night signed an order barring ICE from arresting people at court. Cook County includes Chicago, which has seen a federal immigration crackdown in recent months. Detaining residents outside courthouses has been a common tactic for federal agents, who have been stationed outside county courthouses for weeks, making arrests and drawing crowds of protesters. The order, which took effect Wednesday, bars the civil arrest of any "party, witness, or potential witness" while going to court proceedings. It includes arrests inside courthouses and in parking lots, surrounding sidewalks and entryways. "The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of civil arrest," the order states. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the practice of making arrests at courthouses, calling it "common sense." "We aren’t some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law," DHS said in a Wednesday statement. "Nothing in the constitution prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them." Local immigration and legal advocates, including the county’s public defender’s office, have called for an order like this, saying clients were avoiding court out of fear of being detained.

Breitbart [10/15/2025 8:12 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2416K] reports the chief judge of Illinois’ largest county has issued an order to ban immigration officers from arresting migrants in the county’s courthouses without a warrant. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans signed an order on Tuesday to confirm that suspects have a right to expect that they will not face civil arrest while attending court, according to Chicago’s WTTW-TV. "The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of civil arrest," Evans’ order states. "The common law has long recognized this privilege to ensure individuals can fulfill legal duties without risking further legal jeopardy.” The order — which covers witnesses and suspects alike — also goes so far as to ban ICE and other federal officers from moving to arrest people on their way to and from a court proceeding. "Access to justice depends on every individual’s ability to appear in court without fear or Obstruction," the chief judge added. "Our courthouses remain places where all people—regardless of their background or circumstance—should be able to safely and confidently participate in the judicial process.” Meanwhile, radical Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, one of the most partisan governors in the nation, accused President Donald Trump of experiencing a "deficiency of his mental capacity.” Pritzker blasted the president during an appearance on Zerlina Maxwell’s SiriusXM program this week. "I’ll say that I think the president is experiencing some deficiency of his mental capacity," he exclaimed. "And I don’t mean that in a joking way, in any way. I mean, I do think he has mental health issues, and I think there’s no one around him who is getting him help because they benefit from him having those diminished capacities.” Despite his recent comments that America’s political climate needs to reel back from calling opponents Nazis, Prtizker went on to call Trump a Nazi. "But I’ll be honest with you, Zerlina, for 10 years I worked with Holocaust survivors who built a Holocaust museum, and they told me over and over, these were elderly people who’d gone through the worst things you could imagine and lived in sometimes Nazi Germany or Nazi-occupied countries in Europe, and were held in concentration camps and had their families murdered," he bloviated: They have been very explicit about what happened to them, and how it was kind of a slow, steady encroachment on everything that they held dear. Everything about the constitutional democracy that was Germany at the time before Hitler took over, and it only took him 53 days to change it to something other than a constitutional republic. I’ve been calling this out for a long time that again, I don’t think that we’re headed toward a Holocaust. I just think it just happens to be the thing I know best because I’ve spent so much time with Holocaust survivors, but authoritarian regimes – read on tyranny or some of the other books that I think everybody’s reading now – about how they operate. And it really is a slow encroachment on everything that is near and dear to you. Pritzker has gone even further than merely calling his political opponents and President Trump a bunch of Nazis. This week, he even threatened to begin illegally arresting federal law enforcement officers for doing their jobs in his state.

Univision Chicago WGBO [10/15/2025 3:06 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports the fence surrounding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in Broadview was removed Tuesday night, October 14, following a court order setting a midnight deadline. This fence had been put up on October 11, which, according to federal authorities, was to protect federal agents from protesters. Work crews entered the restricted area with a flatbed truck carrying fencing material and began removing the structure surrounding the ICE facility in Broadview. The decision came after U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt of the Northern District said the fence should be removed because it lacked the necessary permits. The deadline for removing the fence was Tuesday, October 14. One of the arguments for removing the fence in court was that it posed a safety hazard, especially to first responders who might need quick access to the area in an emergency. For its part, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the presence of the fence, asserting that it was necessary to protect federal agents and safeguard federal property.

Chicago Tribune [10/15/2025 5:50 PM, Talia Soglin, 4829K] reports that in a parking lot just outside O’Hare International Airport Monday afternoon, a man prayed next to his car as a plane took off. The parking lot, just east of the airport’s Terminal 5, is where Uber and Lyft drivers wait for the ride-share apps to assign them passengers. There, the drivers make phone calls and eat lunch. Sometimes, they pray. Last Friday, Border Patrol officers arrested 18 people at O’Hare, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. Labor groups said immigration officers targeted the ride-share drivers’ parking lot. Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the lot, told the Tribune she saw it all. Immigration agents came to the parking lot twice Friday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, McCloud said Monday. They surrounded the lot and blocked off its entrance, she said. When drivers realized that immigration officials were there, McCloud said, people started screaming “ICE, ICE” and “the whole parking lot just ran.” “People were bumping into each other with their cars,” she said. But they had nowhere to go. Federal agents asked drivers to provide their documents, McCloud said. “They didn’t focus on anybody who didn’t look Mexican,” she said. “Anybody who was Mexican, it looked like they went straight for.” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol officers conducted a “targeted” operation at O’Hare and that the people arrested were “all in violation of our nation’s immigration laws.” “Under President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S,” McLaughlin said in a statement.

Chicago Tribune [10/15/2025 10:45 PM, Tess Kenny, 4829K] reports Catalin Spatar didn’t take much notice of the black SUVs driving along Caddy Avenue in Carpentersville on Wednesday morning as he and his construction crew worked on installing fiber optic infrastructure in the northwest suburban village. "A lot of neighbors have black SUVs," Spatar said. It wasn’t until Spatar saw men in black gear running toward his crew that he realized what was happening. Federal immigration enforcement activity surged in Carpentersville and neighboring Elgin Wednesday, according to local rapid responders, as videos of federal agents spotted across the area circulated online, including outside Carpentersville village hall. "They hadn’t hit Carpentersville really bad (like this before)," said Mari Elena, a volunteer with the rapid response network People’s Patrol based at Wheaton’s Casa Dupage Workers Center, who asked not to give her last name for security reasons. "A couple here and there, but not the big sweeps (they’ve done) in other places. This is the biggest one for sure." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated on social media earlier this week that "Operation Midway Blitz" - President Donald Trump’s local mass deportation mission - has resulted in more than 1,500 arrests across the state. From raids to arrests in broad daylight, the immigration crackdown has been sweeping the city and suburbs for more than a month now. Local rapid responders tracked 20 to 25 confirmed sightings of federal immigration officers across Carpentersville and Elgin on Wednesday, according to Mari Elena. Mari Elena, 46, has volunteered for the People’s Patrol in the Elgin area, where she grew up, since February, she said. "There are days, like today, that they just ambush us," Mari Elena said. Spatar said federal agents "took two people from me, two workers." "They just showed up at 9:30 (this morning)," Spatar, originally from Romania, said. "They drive one time around my workers. After that, they come (with) four or five cars. They block me and take my guys." Agents tried to get into his truck, Spatar recalled. "I told them, you need to show me something to get into the truck," he said. No one asked Spatar about his status, he said. Customs and Border Patrol conducted a "targeted immigration enforcement operation" in Carpentersville, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. The operation "resulted in the arrest of three illegal aliens - two of which had criminal histories," McLaughlin said in an emailed statement. McLaughlin’s statement identified Jesus Inclan-Zarate as a "criminal illegal alien, (who) was previously arrested for DUI, retail theft, and driving without a license (and) Manuel Alvarez-Angeles (who) was previously convicted for DUI with child endangerment."

Breitbart [10/15/2025 10:05 AM, Bob Price, 2608K] reports a joint traffic enforcement blitz along I-40 in western Oklahoma led to the arrest of 120 immigration violators—91 of whom were operating commercial vehicles. The arrests underscore the public safety risks posed by unlicensed or unauthorized drivers on America’s highways. The three-day operation, conducted by ICE and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, targeted criminal activity and threats to roadway safety through intensified patrols and records checks. In three days in late September, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers made approximately 520 contacts. During the contact stops, ERO officers conducted records checks and arrested 120 illegal aliens. Of these, 91 non-domiciled drivers were operating commercial vehicles, according to information obtained from ICE by Breitbart Texas. Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the results of a rigorous investigation into the impact of non-domiciled drivers. The secretary identified these foreign truck drivers who are not proficient in English as a significant safety threat to the American public, according to a post on X by American Truckers United. On Tuesday, after the release of this Department of Transportation report, the head of the Oklahoma Trucking Association resigned at the end of a special board meeting that apparently discussed the ICE/Highway Patrol operation. American Truckers United said there is a “developing scandal” involving the American Truckers Association.

Daily Wire [10/15/2025 8:40 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K] reports that the sanctuary city of Chicago apparently provided a hiding place for an illegal immigrant who ran from the law in Colorado after a brutal kidnapping. Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jorman Jose Cuba-Zabala allegedly took part in the kidnapping and torture of a migrant couple on December 17, 2024, at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, that was taken over by members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. The apartments, The Edge at Lowry, were also the site of a viral video where armed Tren de Aragua gang members were seen trying to force their way into units. Days after the kidnapping, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the attack was "100% gang activity." But police at the time were still looking for some of the suspects, including Cuba-Zabala. The Chicago Police Department arrested Cuba-Zabala on April 28 after he was allegedly caught shoplifting two pairs of sunglasses valued at over $800, according to the Aurora Police Department. Officials then extradited him to Colorado earlier this month to face justice in the kidnapping case. Roughly a dozen armed suspects took part in forcing the couple into a vacant apartment, where the couple was bound, threatened, and assaulted. Some of the attackers also robbed the apartment, police said. "It’s no surprise this career criminal chose to flee to sanctuary Chicago, where he knows JB Pritzker will protect him from deportation. Law enforcement extradited him to Aurora, Colorado, to face justice for his heinous crimes," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire.

Portland Tribune [10/15/2025 4:49 PM, Hannah Seibold and Geoff Pursinger] reports a 38-year-old Portland musician accused of kicking and biting a federal officer during a weekend protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building made her first appearance in federal court Wednesday. Prosecutors say Oriana Korol, a clarinetist with the Unpresidented Brass Band, was arrested during Sunday’s “emergency” Naked Bike Ride protest in South Portland after she allegedly interfered with the arrest of another person. According to court documents, federal officers were attempting to detain a man near the ICE facility when Korol tried to pull him away from officers. Korol allegedly kicked one officer in the leg and bit another on the hand before being taken into custody. Korol spent three nights in the Clark County Jail in Washington before appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You on Wednesday afternoon. She was released on conditions, including staying away from the ICE building and seeking permission from a pretrial officer before any international travel. Federal officials have defended the arrest. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in an email that Korol was taken into custody for “kicking and biting” an officer. “Our brave officers are facing a more than 1,000% surge in assaults against them, inducing sniper attacks, cars being used as weapons on them, assaults by rioters, bounties placed on their heads, and even their families being doxed and threatened,” McLaughlin wrote in an email. “This violence against law enforcement must END. We will not be deterred by rioters. Law and order will prevail.” Korol is one of more than 30 people arrested for crimes outside the ICE facility.

The Hill [10/15/2025 11:16 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 12595K] reports Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has surprised Democrats by scheduling a vote Thursday on advancing the $852 billion defense appropriations bill amid the government shutdown. The defense measure in July passed out of the Appropriations Committee with strong Democratic support — 26 to 3 — but the political calculus has changed since then because of the government shutdown, which has now dragged into its third week. Thune pushed the annual National Defense Authorization Act through the Senate last week, and now he’s daring Democrats to block the defense appropriations bill as Republicans are putting a spotlight on how the shutdown is impacting national security. “Not even the prospect of military families going without a paycheck was enough to reopen the government,” Thune said on the Senate floor Wednesday, making reference to the Oct. 15 pay date for more than 1 million military service members. President Trump has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to ensure that troops didn’t miss their first paychecks during the shutdown. Thune on Tuesday filed cloture on a motion to proceed to the defense spending bill, setting up a key procedural vote for Thursday. He told reporters that he hopes to attach the Labor and Health and Human Services bill to the defense bill if Democrats agree to advance it later this week. “I think the goal is to see what the traffic will bear in terms of additional bills,” Thune said. “We would like to put together a package like we did last time on the floor, which will take consent. “If we can get on defense appropriations, which we’ll vote on tomorrow, then we can start that negotiation process.”

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [10/15/2025 3:36 PM, Alicia Clanton, 18207K]

NPR [10/15/2025 6:38 AM, Destiny Torres, 28013K] Audio: HERE reports the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to declare a local emergency in response to immigration enforcement actions in the area. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

Telemundo52 [10/15/2025 8:10 PM, Ana Milena Varón, 76K] reports the governments of California and Los Angeles County have separately enacted multiple measures to support those affected by US President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, with the state building a wall of resistance to the Republican leader’s anti-immigrant policies. On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency proclamation due to the large-scale immigration raids that have hit the area since last June, which will allow the council to mobilize and request resources to provide assistance to affected families. The authors of the measure argue that the White House’s immigration control tactics have caused widespread fear, leading to a decline in worker and student attendance, which has hit the county’s economy. The emergency proclamation was also made in response to that of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who last June authorized all departments to take the necessary measures to protect and stabilize communities hit by the raids. Newsom has also recently enacted a series of laws that favor immigrant communities. On Sunday, he signed the Family Preparedness Plan Act (AB 495), which allows relatives of detained migrants to take custody of abandoned minors. The measure also prohibits daycare centers from collecting information on the immigration status of children and their parents. "Our children deserve to feel safe at home, at school, and in the community. We want to make clear our support for our families and their right to protect their private information, maintain parental rights, and help them prepare for emergencies," Newsom said as he signed the initiative. The California governor, who has become one of the most vocal Democratic opponents of Trump, also signed the Street Vendor Business Protection Act (SB 635), which will prevent immigration agents from accessing data on informal vendors collected by local governments. The law also prohibits local governments that issue street vending permits from asking about vendors’ immigration or citizenship status or requiring fingerprint background checks. The wall of protection endorsed by Democrats in California also includes laws such as AB 49, which prohibits school officials and employees from allowing immigration agents to enter schools without a warrant. SB 81 establishes guidelines for health officials’ interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in medical centers and non-public areas of a hospital. Newsom also signed SB 98, which requires elementary and secondary schools to notify parents when ICE is on or near campus. It also sends notifications to students at California community colleges and public universities if ICE is near their facilities. SB 627 prohibits federal and local law enforcement, including ICE, from wearing balaclavas and similar masks. This new law will take effect on January 1, 2026. Newsom had already signed SB 805 into law, which requires agents to visibly display identification to the public that includes the agency they belong to and a name or badge number when performing their duties. These last two laws have been strongly rejected by the White House on the grounds that they put federal forces at risk. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Signal [10/15/2025 11:20 AM, Virginia Allen, 549K] reports Los Angeles County has declared a state of emergency over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests. "We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces, and they have no way to pay their rent or put food on the table," Janice Hahn, an LA County supervisor, said during a board meeting Tuesday. The five-member LA County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to declare the emergency. Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger was the only "no" vote, having previously expressed concern that the declaration could lead to a legal battle. "The federal government has sole authority to enforce federal immigration law, and local government cannot impede that authority," Barger said last week, adding that "meaningful federal immigration reform" is needed. The emergency declaration gives the country authority to provide assistance to those who have been affected by ICE raids. ICE criticized the vote, telling Fox News that the "only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law." "Perhaps the board should ‘supervise’ funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city. While they publicly fearmonger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood," Emily Covington, an ICE spokesperson, said. LA is a "sanctuary city," meaning that local law enforcement does not cooperate with federal immigration officials. Border czar Tom Homan has pledged to "flood the zone" in sanctuary cities with federal immigration officers, a promise Homan has kept in LA. Over the summer, ICE made over 5,000 arrests of "criminal illegal aliens, gang members, child predators, and murderers," according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

FOX News [10/15/2025 7:08 PM, Peter Pinedo, 40621K] reports Los Angeles County GOP chair Roxanne Hoge ripped the county’s Democratic leaders for having "no shame" and declaring a state of emergency over federal immigration enforcement operations, which she called a "slap in the face" to Americans. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to declare a local state of emergency in the region. The declaration, which the board stated was in response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, provides residents with rent relief and legal aid if they have been affected by the raids. County departments were also ordered to "take necessary emergency actions to protect and stabilize communities impacted by federal immigration actions.". In an interview with Fox News Digital, Hoge said that "living in California, especially living in Los Angeles, is like playing a constant game of whack-a-mole" with outlandish policies and declarations. She said the progressive-dominated L.A. County Board of Supervisors "have no shame in how far they will go" to upend citizens’ lives and prioritize illegals over citizens. "They keep coming up with more and different ways to spend taxpayer money and to not give us the services that a local government should give you, you know, public safety, freedom from crime, clean streets. None of those are available in Los Angeles," said Hoge. "You would think that the emergency is having an entire community burned down and not having water in the hydrants. You would think a state of emergency is due to criminal cartels taking over our streets, but no.". Addressing the county board directly, Hoge said, "I would say to the ladies who run the most powerful county board of supervisors in the country, that it would be really nice if they would pay attention to the needs of Californians living in Los Angeles for just a moment.". "To turn around and give money to people who, by the way, don’t have to prove that they’re here legally or illegally or even that they are going to use the money for rent is a complete slap in the face to every hardworking person who makes Los Angeles their home," she went on, adding, "Do your jobs, ladies. Please protect the Americans living in Los Angeles.". The proclamation notice, dated Oct. 9, said that it will remain in effect until terminated by the board of supervisors.

AP [10/15/2025 1:42 PM, Staff, 1538K] reports parents of a U.S. Marine were detained by federal immigration officials and one of them was later deported after visiting family members at a California military base, a case that has drawn attention to how the government’s immigration crackdown is touching military families. Steve Rios, a Marine from Oceanside, California, told NBC 7 San Diego that his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, were taken into custody late last month while picking up his pregnant sister, Ashley Rios, and her husband, who is also a Marine, at Camp Pendleton. The couple, who came to the United States from Mexico three decades ago and had pending green card applications, were stopped by immigration agents and later released with ankle monitors, Steve Rios said. At a later check-in with federal immigration officials, they were detained and taken into custody, he said. Esteban Rios, who had been wearing a hat and shirt that read “Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine,” was deported on Friday, his son said. “He said, ‘Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine,’” Rios recalled his father saying. Marine Corps recruiters have long promoted enlistment as a path to stability for families without legal immigration status, but experts say those assurances have eroded as federal authorities have moved to enforce existing laws more strictly. The Marine Corps previously told The Associated Press that recruiters have been informed they are “not the proper authority” to “imply that the Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families.” A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement to The Associated Press that people who break the law would face consequences.

AP [10/15/2025 6:12 PM, Jesse Bedayn, 31753K] reports the deportation of a U.S. Marine’s father in California is bringing new attention to President Donald Trump’s apparent changes to a longstanding policy seeking to protect military families from deportation. Trump’s new immigration tactics follow years of the military recruiting from immigrant communities to fill out its ranks and touting the immigration benefits for enlistees’ families. Along with possible protection from deportation, enlisting in the military often meant deference in your family’s immigration cases and a better shot at a green card. Those benefits were used by the armed forces to recruit more people, and, as of last year, an estimated 40,000 people were serving in the military without citizenship. The administration issued a memo in February doing away with the older approach.

Univision [10/15/2025 2:53 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports a new state law seeks to ensure that children are not left unprotected if their parents face immigration detention or deportation. The measure, known as AB-495, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and will take effect in January 2026. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodríguez, the law protects the family stability of children affected by federal immigration policies and safeguards their personal information from agencies like ICE. With this law, California becomes the first state in the country to establish a legal framework to protect children during deportation proceedings, ensuring their safety and their right to remain with family members or trusted adults.

Los Angeles Times [10/15/2025 9:41 PM, Carlos De Loera, 14862K] reports that, two weeks after being deported to his home country of El Salvador from the United States, journalist Mario Guevara has opened up about his experience. "It’s difficult times, especially since my heart is divided," Guevara told 11Alive news in a recent interview. "I really miss my family. My family is separated. Just yesterday, went to the airport to say goodbye to my two kids as they return to my second country. I believe the United States is my country even if right now they don’t love me anymore.” Guevara was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as he was reporting on a "No Kings" protest on June 14 in the Atlanta area. The 48-year-old journalist filmed his own arrest because he was livestreaming. Guevara was granted bond in July, but ICE challenged his release to the Board of Immigration Appeals and requested that his bond be put on hold while the appeal was under review, Guevara’s lawyer said. Regarding Guevara’s residence status, his lawyer has noted that Guevara had a work permit and a pathway to citizenship through the sponsorship of his adult son, who is a U.S. citizen. In September, the Board of Immigration Appeals raised the specter of the reporter’s imminent deportation after it reopened his 13-year-old immigration case. The American Civil Liberties Union — whose lawyers are part of Guevara’s legal team — called for an emergency hearing regarding the ruling and a temporary restraining order to stop his potential deportation, but the appeal was denied and Guevara was expelled on Oct. 3. "The facts of this case have not changed. Mario Guevara is in the country illegally. Following Mario Guevara’s arrest by local authorities for willful obstruction of law enforcement, ICE placed a detainer on him. He was then turned over to ICE custody," Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement to The Times last month. "This illegal alien was granted voluntary departure in 2012. He refused to depart and was given a final order of removal from an immigration judge in 2012. The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.” Oscar Guevara, the detained newsman’s son, spoke of the pain of having his father deported. "Words cannot begin to describe the loss and devastation my family feels. I am in utter shock and disbelief the government has punished my father for simply doing his life’s work of journalism. My father should have never had to face over 100 days in detention. He is the center of our family. He is the reason our home feels like home," the younger Guevara said via a news release from the ACLU.

Blaze [10/15/2025 12:45 PM, Cooper Williamson, 1442K] reports this week, Blaze News reported on an H-1B visa rule change imposed by the Biden Department of Homeland Security, effectively allowing nonimmigrant workers to work remotely while in America. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case that would ostensibly challenge the rule-making authority of executive agencies regarding an adjacent program: the H-4 visa. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari for a case that would reconsider crucial aspects of the H-4 nonimmigrant program, which is more commonly known as the spousal or dependent complement of the H-1B nonimmigrant worker visa program. The petition was brought by Save Jobs USA, which, according to Reuters, "represents American tech workers who it says were displaced by foreign labor." The Center for Immigration Studies says the group "is composed of computer professionals who worked at Southern California Edison until they were replaced by H-1B workers.".

FOX News [10/15/2025 5:59 PM, Diana Stancy, 40621K] reports the White House lauded the State Department for imposing consequences on foreign nationals who posted controversial statements following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September. The White House said the State Department’s decision to revoke visas for these foreign nationals is safeguarding Americans. On Tuesday, the State Department announced that it had yanked the visas of six, unidentified people for their comments in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has blasted "far-left radicals" for embodying the "devil’s ideology" amid political violence in the U.S. In particular, Trump pointed to recent violence at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, and inflammatory text messages recently unearthed from Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones describing a hypothetical scenario where he would shoot a Republican lawmaker in the head.

Washington Post [10/15/2025 6:56 AM, Niha Masih and Leo Sands, 24149K] reports the Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of at least six foreigners over disparaging comments they allegedly made about Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and ally of President Donald Trump shot dead at a campus event in Utah last month. In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the State Department said: “The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” adding that it is continuing to identify additional foreign visa holders who have made negative comments about Kirk. The visa revocations are part of an avowed effort by the Trump administration, broadly spanning government departments, to silence criticism of the slain figure by citizens and noncitizens alike. In social media posts, the State Department shared screenshots of what it said were six examples of foreign visa holders celebrating Kirk’s death. Without identifying the foreign nationals by name, it identified their nationalities as Argentine, Brazilian, German, Mexican, Paraguayan and South African.

Telemundo Washington DC [10/15/2025 1:45 PM, Eduardo Orbea, 61K] reports that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the temporary parole application will have a new fee. According to USCIS, those applying for the application, which is submitted through Form I-131 (application for travel documents, parole documents, entry/departure records), must pay a fee of $1,000. USCIS emphasized that the fee must be paid once the parole is approved and should not be paid with the application. "USCIS will charge the immigration parole fee if you are physically present in the United States and we grant you parole or a new period of parole (also known as parole renewal or re-parole)," the statement said. "Beginning October 16, 2025, if we determine that we can approve your application for parole or parole renewal, and payment of the immigration parole fee is required, we will notify you that you must pay this fee before we can approve your application." "The notification will include payment instructions and a deadline. We will not grant you parole unless you pay the immigration parole fee according to the instructions and within the specified timeframe," USCIS emphasized. The previous fee for Form I-131 was $630 if the applicant paid it with the paper form and $580 if the applicant paid it online with a USCIS account.

CBS News [10/15/2025 7:05 PM, Staff, 45245K] reports as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration, it’s also trying to tighten legal migration through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Camilo Montoya-Galvez spoke exclusively with its new director, Joseph Edlow. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [10/15/2025 3:44 PM, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz, 135475K] reports the Trump administration is considering a radical overhaul of the U.S. refugee system that would slash the program to its bare bones while giving preference to English speakers, white South Africans and Europeans who oppose migration, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The proposals, some of which already have gone into effect, would transform a decades-old program aimed at helping the world’s most desperate people into one that conforms to Mr. Trump’s vision of immigration — which is to help mostly white people who say they are being persecuted while keeping the vast majority of other people out. The plans were presented to the White House in April and July by officials in the State and Homeland Security Departments after President Trump directed federal agencies to study whether refugee resettlement was in the interest of the United States. Mr. Trump had suspended refugee admissions on his first day in office and solicited the proposals about how and whether the administration should continue the program. Trump administration officials have not ruled out any of the ideas, according to people familiar with the planning, although there is no set timetable for approving or rejecting the ideas. The proposed changes would put new emphasis on whether applicants would be able to assimilate into the United States, directing them to take classes on “American history and values” and “respect for cultural norms.” The proposals also advise Mr. Trump to prioritize Europeans who have been “targeted for peaceful expression of views online such as opposition to mass migration or support for ‘populist’ political parties.”

CBS News [10/15/2025 7:24 PM, Staff, 39474K] reports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program, also known as DACA, continues to be in legal limbo, with Republican-led states asking a court to gradually shut it down. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez spoke with Joseph Edlow, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about the fate of the program under Trump.

Univision [10/16/2025 3:30 AM, Staff, 5004K] reports the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has activated a $100 annual fee that must be paid by those who have filed for asylum and whose case has been pending for more than 365 days. Experts point out that it is important to receive official notification before making any payment. The contents expressed in this piece are not legal advice. Please consult with an attorney regarding your particular case. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Wire [10/15/2025 10:59 AM, Cameron Arcand, 2494K] reports the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection approved $4.5 billion for the construction of highly technical sections of the border wall. CBP announced last week that 10 contracts were cleared in September for 230 miles for "barriers" and roughly 400 miles for "technology," including a "Smart Wall," which uses multiple elements to monitor and prevent people from crossing over the border illegally. Some of the new technology includes "steel barriers, waterborne barriers, lights cameras," and other tools to detect potential "illegal traffic," according to CBP. "For years, Washington talked about border security but failed to deliver. This President changed that," CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement. "The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border." The 10 contracts were the first to be paid for through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed in July. The bill included billions for border and immigration purposes, including hiring more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and $12 billion to pay back states for costs inflicted by the Biden-era border crisis. The funding will go to projects along the border, spanning from California to Texas. Since Trump took office in January, several other projects have been cleared through contracts or waivers to continue wall construction, which was primarily halted during the Biden administration.

Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 5:21 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1394K] reports Border Patrol agents are lining up at the chance to leave the border and temporarily deploy to United States cities to re-arrest illegal immigrants whom they were forced to release into the country by the Biden administration. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks shared in an interview with the Washington Examiner that federal agents who lived through the nation’s historic border crisis between 2021 and 2024 are fired up at the opportunity to go after people they knew should never have been let into the United States in the first place. The 27-city deployment is far broader than previously disclosed by Border Patrol, part of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. It’s good for morale, Banks said, but added that the deployments were about more than just helping ICE; they were about agents getting a chance to right a wrong.

Axios [10/15/2025 1:28 PM, Avery Lotz, 12972K] reports that the U.S. Border Patrol shared — then later deleted — a reel on its Instagram page using lyrics from a Michael Jackson song that featured an antisemitic slur. The big picture: Government social media pages under Trump 2.0 increasingly draw from right-wing meme pages, using racist language and xenophobic tropes to drive engagement. Driving the news: In a post that appears to have since been taken down, agents carry large weapons and carve through the desert in Border Patrol vehicles while Jackson’s "They Don’t Care About Us" plays. The lyrics in the clip include lines that were condemned by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other Jewish groups at the time of the song’s release: "Jew me, sue me, Everybody, do me, Kick me, k*ke me, Don’t you black or white me." In the version of the song featured on the album found on Apple Music and Spotify, the slur and word "Jew" are drowned out by sound effects. In the clip used by Border Patrol, the words were not edited out. The agency did not immediately respond to Axios’ request Wednesday to explain why the song was chosen or why the post was seemingly deleted. What they’re saying: Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, described the post and other content shared by federal agencies as "part of a broader weaponization of the federal government to normalize bigotry and attack political enemies."

Breitbart [10/15/2025 8:13 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports U.S. border officials said Wednesday that more than a dozen undocumented migrants via Russia and former Soviet satellite states were taken into custody near Puerto Rico. Border authorities intercepted a 41-foot sailboat carrying 13 migrants near Combate Beach on Puerto Rico’s west coast Sunday afternoon, officials said. Air and Marine Operations, part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, tracked the vessel as it approached the shoreline with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Puerto Rican Police’s Fuerzas Unidas de Rapida Accion unit. "This successful interdiction demonstrates the unwavering commitment and vigilance of the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit in protecting our nation’s borders," Christopher Hunter, director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch, said in a statement. Agents found 13 people aboard that included 10 unidentified men from Uzbekistan, a woman from Kyrgyzstan and two Russian men. None of the undocumented suspects had official papers allowing legal entry to the United States. Agents escorted the small yacht to the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit for inspection, and the migrants were taken into custody and transferred to Homeland Security Investigations for processing, officials noted, "in good condition.” Officials at America’s border agency added that the operation highlights ongoing efforts by CBP and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group to prevent illegal maritime activity and strengthen border security in the Caribbean region.

Telemundo47 [10/15/2025 4:55 PM, Staff, 118K] reports the U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced Wednesday a $5,000 fine for those who cross the border "illegally," a new measure tightening immigration restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. US Embassy spokesman in Mexico David Arizmendi said in a video on X that "a new $5,000 fine will be applied to anyone who crosses into the United States illegally." The announcement of the border fine comes the same day the Trump administration announced that starting Thursday it will apply a $1,000 fee to new beneficiaries of "parole," a type of temporary residence permit granted specifically to migrants for urgent humanitarian reasons. The charge applies "to any foreign national who receives permission to remain temporarily in the United States who does not meet an exception," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement. The new fee will apply to foreign nationals who receive permission to remain temporarily in the United States through this program—including those whose application is pending but not yet approved—with some exceptions, such as medical emergencies or funeral assistance.

ABC News [10/15/2025 4:26 PM, Ayesha Ali, 31733K] reports Democratic senators are alleging that the Department of Homeland Security potentially violated the Hatch Act by asking airports across the country to play a video featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown. "This appears to be a flagrant violation of Sec. 715, which states ‘No part of any funds appropriated in this or any other act shall be used by an agency of the executive to branch… for the preparation, distribution or use of any… film presentation designed to support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress, except in presentation to the Congress itself,’" Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote in the letter to DHS citing a section from the Anti-Lobbying Act. The Hatch Act restricts certain political activities by federal employees and by some state, Washington, D.C., and local government workers who are involved or work in federally funded programs. Penalties for violating it include removal from federal employment, suspension without pay, demotion, or blocking a party from federal jobs for up to five years, according to the Office of Special Counsel. In response to ABC News’ request for comment on the call for an investigation, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said "DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels." "It is TSA’s top priority to ensure that travelers have the most pleasant, efficient, and safe air travel security experience possible. It is a simple statement of fact that Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government," she said.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [10/15/2025 12:39 PM, David Shepardson, 36480K]
CNN [10/15/2025 4:27 PM, Alexandra Skores, 18595K]

NPR [10/15/2025 7:46 PM, Jaclyn Diaz, 28013K] reports several airports across the country are refusing to play a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at security checkpoints, saying its political messaging violates their policies or is illegal. In the video, Noem blames Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown. Noem says in the video, posted on social media by the White House: "It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe.” She continues, "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay.” Scholars of government law and ethics say this political messaging violates a law called the Hatch Act that restricts executive branch employees from engaging in certain political activities — but Noem is unlikely to face consequences for doing so. Here’s what to know about the video and the history of enforcement — or lack thereof — of the Hatch Act. Airports in Atlanta, Buffalo, N.Y., Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., and Seattle have confirmed to NPR that they’re not playing the Noem video. It’s intended to play at security checkpoints, where videos featuring government officials giving safety information are often played. The airports told NPR they are declining the request from the Department of Homeland Security because the messaging violates local policies and state laws. A spokesperson for Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport said it "strives to maintain a neutral and welcoming environment for all travelers" and that the Noem video did not follow that mission or the airport’s policies. The Chicago Department of Aviation, which operates O’Hare and Midway airports, told NPR that the Noem video violated its advertising policies against endorsing or opposing any political party. "These guidelines help ensure the airports remain welcoming and neutral spaces for all travelers," the CDA said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Port of Seattle, which oversees the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, said, "The Port of Seattle will not play the video on its screens at SEA Airport, due to the political nature of the content. We continue to urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown and are working to find ways to support federal employees working without pay at SEA during the shutdown.” Stanley Brand, a professor at Penn State Dickinson Law where he teaches criminal law and government ethics, said many airports receive federal money, which can come with prohibitions on how to use that money — including a ban on using it to influence politics. By refusing to play the video, most airports are likely trying to act self protectively. "They just don’t want to threaten their funding," Brand said. Some airports pointed to federal law as well. In Oregon, Port of Portland spokesperson Molly Prescott said in an email: "We did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging.” In an emailed statement, DHS didn’t address NPR’s question about whether the video violates the Hatch Act. But Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin echoed Noem’s statement from the video, adding: "It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

NewsMax [10/15/2025 4:21 PM, Jim Mishler, 4779K] reports Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has asked the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for what she described as "likely" violations of the Hatch Act. Cantwell said Noem made a video blaming Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown, a move the senator argues may constitute prohibited political activity by a federal official. The Hatch Act bars federal employees, including Cabinet secretaries, from engaging in political activity while performing their official duties. In a letter to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer, Cantwell cited the video, which she said aired "on televisions in public airports across the country" and "erroneously blames ‘Democrats in Congress’ for the current government shutdown’s impact on airport ‘operations’ and for Transportation Security Administration … employees ‘working without pay.’" "This message is not just false; it appears to violate the prohibitions contained in the Hatch Act," Cantwell wrote. According to Cantwell, reports indicate the Department of Homeland Security used taxpayer money and federal assets to produce and distribute the video, which features Noem speaking in front of an American flag and the official DHS insignia.

Axios [10/15/2025 2:20 PM, Chrissy Suttles and Avery Lotz, 12972K] reports that airports across the country, including Pittsburgh International Airport, won’t air a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming the ongoing government shutdown on congressional Democrats. Why it matters: The Trump administration released the video for TSA checkpoints earlier this month, but some transportation authorities have pulled it, citing concerns it violates the Hatch Act. PIT officials say travelers won’t see the video because the airport’s security checkpoints — which primarily display flight information — don’t have the screens available to show it. What they’re saying: "We do not have the assets to accommodate multimedia requests," a PIT spokesperson told Axios on Tuesday. "Multimedia screens in the airport are under contract with vendors." Catch up quick: Noem’s video says the Transportation Security Administration aims to ensure efficient, pleasant and safe travel — but "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government." "Because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay," Noem continues. Zoom out: Several major airports confirmed to Axios they won’t show the video, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Buffalo, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Miami. Many pointed to possible Hatch Act violations — the 1939 law prohibits partisan activity in federal programs — and other policies barring political messaging.

Detroit Free Press [10/15/2025 2:57 PM, Dan Basso, Jenna Prestininzi, Jalen Williams, and Sarah Moore, 4030K] reports some of Michigan’s largest airports are showing a politicized message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that many say violates the Hatch Act on monitors in their facilities, but not all Michigan airports are doing so. Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Sawyer Regional Airport near Gwinn and Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City all said the video, in which Noem blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown, is being shown. Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport, Saginaw MBS International Airport and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport all said they are not airing the video featuring Noem. Other major Michigan airports, including Flint Bishop International Airport and Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Airports in numerous U.S. cities, including Charlotte, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Indianapolis, Des Moines and Chicago, have declined to play the video blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. "It is TSA’s top priority to ensure that travelers have the most safe, pleasant and efficient airport experience possible," the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time."

Los Angeles Times [10/15/2025 4:19 PM, Salvador Hernandez, 14862K] reports several airports in California have refused to play a video featuring U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for delays due to the federal government shutdown. The video, playing for travelers waiting in Transportation Security Administration security lines at airports across the country, comes as the government entered a third week of a shutdown after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding legislation. "It is TSA’s top priority to make sure you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe," Noem says in the video. "However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government and because of this many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay.". Officials at multiple airports in California say they are not playing the video at their locations. They include: John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Hollywood Burbank Airport, San Diego International Airport, San José Mineta International Airport, Sacramento International Airport, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Officials from Los Angeles International Airport did not respond to questions on whether the video was being played there. Some airport officials have refused to play the video, calling it inappropriate. On Tuesday, the ranking member of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation called for Noem to be investigated for possibly breaking the Hatch Act by asking airports to play the video. "Recent reports indicate DHS is using taxpayer dollars and federal assets to produce and air a video message featuring Secretary Noem, in her official capacity, making political attacks against Democratic Members of Congress," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) wrote in a letter addressed to the Office of Special Counsel and reviewed by The Times. "This message is not just false; it appears to violate the prohibitions contained in the Hatch Act.". Noem’s video was received by airports on Thursday and was followed up by a verbal request from DHS officials to play it at security checkpoints, multiple airport officials told The Times. The reasons the video is not being shown for California fliers varies. When The Times asked Homeland Security officials to respond to airports not playing Noem’s video, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin responded with Noem’s video statement blaming Democrats. But California airports aren’t the only locations choosing not to play Noem’s message. Airports in Oregon, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle have also opted not to play it. "We did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging," said Molly Prescott, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which manages Portland International Airport, said in a statement.

The Hill [10/15/2025 4:34 PM, Alix Martichoux, 12595K] reports flight delays, long security lines and ground stops could all get worse this week as some essential airport workers receive their final paycheck under the ongoing government shutdown. While the government is shut down, air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents are expected to work without pay. The expectation is they’ll be paid eventually, when the government is back up and running. But during the record-long 35-day shutdown in 2019, many airport workers started calling in sick as they started to miss paychecks. On Wednesday, the shutdown entered its third week. Air traffic controllers and TSA security screeners have already received their final paycheck for the foreseeable future. TSA agents received a partial paycheck on Oct. 10, Forbes reports. Air traffic controllers have also received their final installment of partial pay, their union confirmed to CNBC. It’s hard to ascertain where TSA delays are worsening, if anywhere, because the website tracking wait times is not being updated during the government shutdown. The union representing TSA employees told the Associated Press the absences haven’t yet caused major disruptions, but it warned longer lines at security checkpoints could become a reality after workers received their final paychecks. Joe Shuker, regional vice president of the union representing TSA workers, told Forbes we may start to see the impact on Thursday, Sunday or Monday, which are the busier travel days of the week.

Axios [10/15/2025 8:46 AM, Nick Halter, 12972K] reports that MSP Airport has so far been able to operate smoothly despite a federal government shutdown that has caused pain for flyers in other cities. Why it matters: It’s Minnesota Educators Academy week, which means the airport is much busier than normal as families head out on mini-vacations while there’s no school Thursday and Friday. Several districts also hold conferences this week and some parents take advantage of an additional day or two. By the numbers: The Metropolitan Airports Commission expects a combined 102,000 people to pass through TSA checkpoints Wednesday and Thursday — the two busiest days of MEA travel. That’s 19% more than typical for early fall at MSP Airport and on par with last year’s volume, according to the commission. Yes, but: The difference this year is that TSA agents and air traffic controllers have only received partial pay due to the shutdown. That has led to delays and flight cancellations at other airports, as some employees have called in sick in protest, but as of Tuesday, MSP has had a normal, minimal amount of delays. The MAC continues to recommend travelers arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international travel. What we’re watching: The shutdown has now reached day 15. If it persists, air traffic controllers and TSA agents will miss their next paycheck. The intrigue: MSP Airport has joined several others around the country in not allowing a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the standoff.

FOXBusiness [10/15/2025 8:39 AM, Pilar Arias, 10085K] reports an American Airlines jet headed for New York City had to turn back around to Los Angeles on Tuesday, the airline confirmed. American Airlines flight 274 left Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) just before 5 p.m. local time, and was headed for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots turned around "due to reports of an odor in the cabin," a statement from American Airlines to FOX Business said. The pilots also reported to air traffic control that they smelled and tasted something that prompted them to put on oxygen masks in the cockpit, WABC-TV reported. The plane landed back at LAX safely, and seven passengers were evaluated, but no one was taken to a medical facility for further treatment, WABC reported. American said the aircraft involved "was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team.". "We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience," the airline statement concluded. Airports across the country have been feeling the effects of the current government shutdown. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers must still turn up for work during the government shutdown, but they are not being paid, Reuters reported. They are set to get a partial paycheck this week for work done before the shutdown began.

USA Today [10/15/2025 4:13 PM, Josh Meyer, 67103K] reports a federal judge blasted the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security on Oct. 14, saying they’re trying to "bully" state and local governments into cooperating with President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration campaign if they want to receive federal disaster relief funds. U.S. Senior District Judge William Smith in Rhode Island ruled Sept. 24 that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS could not require states receiving FEMA money to help with the administration’s unprecedented deportation and crime-fighting efforts using DHS federal agents. FEMA then sent out grant letters that included the same immigration enforcement conditions that the federal judge’s ruling had blocked. They warned that the conditions would immediately go into effect if Smith’s injunction was vacated or put on hold. Smith responded with a sharply worded order saying DHS award letters being sent out "have done precisely what the Memorandum and Order forbids, which is requiring Plaintiff States to agree to assist in federal immigration enforcement or else forgo the award of DHS grants." Smith added that DHS’ new conditions on grant awards are "not a good faith effort to comply with the order; it is a ham-handed attempt to bully the states into making promises they have no obligation to make at the risk of losing critical disaster and other funding already appropriated by Congress." Smith, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush in 2002, ordered DHS to remove any references to immigration enforcement from disaster aid awards and to issue revised grant letters within seven days. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin had no immediate comment on whether DHS is appealing Smith’s ruling. But she told USA TODAY in a statement Oct. 15 that: "Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding."

NBC News [10/15/2025 12:14 PM, Minyvonne Burke, 34509K] reports two Alaskan villages were destroyed by remnants of a powerful typhoon that swept homes off their foundations, killed at least one person and displaced more than 1,400 people. Typhoon Halong barreled through western Alaska over the weekend, bringing high winds and surf. The hardest hit communities were Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, several communities reported significant damage, including flooded homes, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said. One Kipnuk resident, Brea Paul, told The Associated Press that she saw about 20 homes floating in the water. "Some houses would blink their phone lights at us like they were asking for help, but we couldn’t even do anything," she said. Alaska State Troopers said that one person, 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok, was killed in Kwigillingok. Two people in the village remain unaccounted for, the agency said in a Facebook update on Tuesday, announcing that search-and-rescue efforts were ending.

Telemundo52 [10/15/2025 6:57 PM, Clara Ramirez, 76K] reports a Florida man was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for initiating the Palisades fire in the coastal area of Los Angeles County in January 2025. The Palisades fire began on Jan. 7 and became "one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, adding two serious crimes to his criminal case," according comunicadoto the statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Los Angeles Central District. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, faces three counts: one of destruction of property by fire, one of arson that affected property used in interstate commerce and one of wood fire. His next appearance is expected to be in the coming weeks in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The man was arrested on 7 October in he was arrested in Melbourne, Florida, and is being held without bail. The Palisades fire began in the Palisades Highlands, where a week earlier a relatively small wildfire was reported, now called the Lachman fire, early in the morning of New Year’s Eve. According to court documents, authorities determined that the Palisades fire was a "remnant" fire, that is, a fire that was revived by the underground burning embers after the Lachman fire. "Although firefighters quickly quelled the Lachman fire, the fire continued to burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation," the statement said. Teams from the ATF and other local and federal agencies conducted numerous interviews with witnesses, investigated surveillance videos, cell phone data and fire patterns and determined that, according to the indictment, “Rinderknecht maliciously caused the Lachman fire just after midnight on January 1 on land owned by the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), an organization that received federal funding. A week later, the same fire, then known as the Palisades fire, burned federal property."

Blaze [10/15/2025 5:07 PM, Steve Baker, Joseph M. Hanneman, 1442K] reports swarms of sophisticated chatbots enabled by China are embedded in platforms like Reddit and Discord to radicalize America’s youth, foment political division, and encourage violence, according to intelligence experts. The ability to create millions of online personas to invade chat groups and social media sites to, in essence, destabilize American society is one of the sinister uses of the Chinese-built SIM farms like the ones shut down around New York City in September, Blaze News has learned. "They’re able to use this [SIM] network to initiate social media accounts by the millions," said one intelligence analyst familiar with the ongoing SIM farm investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service, and other federal agencies. However, the threats are not limited to chatbots. After a series of high-profile swatting incidents targeting senior Secret Service officials and Secret Service protectees last spring, an investigation discovered the presence of SIM farms that are likely spread across America to carry out cyber terrorism and threaten cellular networks and internet access.

CBS News [10/15/2025 11:40 AM, Kerry Breen, 39474K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in the past two months, the agency said Tuesday, including narcotics from a suspected drug smuggling boat that was seen capsized in the sea. The Coast Guard said it has intercepted 34 ships and taken 86 people into custody. The agency has seized an average of 1,600 pounds of cocaine a day, it said. Photos in a news release show multiple seizures, including one that ended with bales of cocaine in the ocean. The actions are part of Operation Pacific Viper, which accelerated counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard has worked with international partners and sent additional assets, including ships, aircraft and tactical teams, to seize boats carrying drugs from Central and South America. Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, called the seizures "a remarkable achievement" in the news release. "When we say the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is scouring drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks," Novak said. "We are complementing the Coast Guard’s unique law enforcement authorities with cutting-edge capabilities to stop the flow of deadly drugs that threaten U.S. communities. As we mark our interdiction of 100,000 pounds, we are already working towards the next milestone." NewsMax [10/15/2025 2:29 PM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports that Coast Guard command officers report the agency’s illicit narcotics enforcement Operation Pacific Viper has pulled in 50 tons of cocaine captured from smuggling operations since early August. The Coast Guard’s post on X proclaimed, "This is owning the sea." The maritime enforcement was carried out with support from unnamed "partners and allies." The confiscations represent a significant impact on the U.S. drug market. Using the latest UNODC Global Cocaine Report 2023 data, U.S. cocaine consumption is estimated at roughly 150 to 200 metric tons of pure cocaine per year, averaging out to about 180–220 grams annually per active user. That’s nearly triple the per-person consumption suggested by the older 2016 RAND model, reflecting both higher frequency and purity in recent years. At that rate, a single user goes through about 16 to 17 grams each month, which scales to about 1.7 metric tons per month for every 100,000 users. By that measure, the 50 tons (100,000 pounds) of cocaine intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Pacific since August equates to roughly a quarter of America’s entire yearly demand — or enough to supply 100,000 average users for more than two years. Put differently, it represents three to four months of national consumption at current usage levels.

ABC News [10/15/2025 5:57 PM, Ayesha Ali, Sam Sweeney, and Meredith Deliso, 30493K] reports the National Transportation Safety Board blamed OceanGate’s "inadequate engineering process" for the deadly 2023 implosion of the company’s Titan submersible in a final report released Wednesday. The vessel imploded while on its 88th dive, killing five people on a deep-sea voyage to the Titanic wreckage on June 18, 2023. The NTSB’s final report found that the vessel was damaged after dive 80 and again on dive 82, and that it continued to deteriorate until it catastrophically imploded on dive 88. The NTSB said insufficient U.S and international standards further contributed to the implosion, as they were not enough to keep OceanGate in check. As a result, the agency has issued new safety recommendations for the Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organization regarding operations of human-occupied pressure vessels. They include that the U.S. Coast Guard commission a panel of experts to study current operations of the vessels, such as the maintenance and operation of submersibles, and implement U.S. regulations based on the findings. The NTSB’s findings are in line with the key findings from the U.S. Coast Guard’s final report on its investigation into the implosion, released earlier this year.

Reported similarly:
AP [10/15/2025 6:06 PM, Patrick Whittle and Holly Ramer]

SFGate [10/15/2025 5:38 PM, Olivia Hebert, 13945K] reports an operation running out of the United States Coast Guard Pacific Area, which is headquartered in Alameda, California, has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since August, officials announced. Operation Pacific Viper has become one of the agency’s largest maritime drug busts to date, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a Tuesday news release. The operation involved 34 interdictions, or the interception of vessels, and the apprehension of 86 individuals suspected narco-trafficking. "The Coast Guard’s seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine, in such a short timeframe, is a remarkable achievement," said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, the deputy commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area. According to the Coast Guard, the seizures have averaged more than 1,600 pounds intercepted daily since the operation began in early August. The operation involves the increased deployment of cutters, aircraft and tactical teams to target narcotics routes from Central and South America. Novak said the Coast Guard is using advanced tools and its broad law enforcement powers to block narcotics from reaching U.S. shores, adding that the agency plans on seizing past the 100,000 mark. "We are already working towards the next milestone," he said. The operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are carried out under the Coast Guard’s Southwest District, which also operates out of Alameda, in coordination with the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force-South in Key West, Florida. With more than 76,000 members, the Coast Guard operates a multi-mission fleet of over 220 cutters, 185 aircraft and 1,300 boats nationwide, including those assigned to Pacific interdiction missions.

CBS News [10/15/2025 5:34 PM, Nicole Sganga, 39474K] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Wednesday issued a sweeping emergency order directing all federal agencies to immediately patch critical vulnerabilities in certain devices and software made by F5, a technology vendor, after confirming a nation-state cyber actor gained unauthorized access to F5’s source code. CISA — a part of the Department of Homeland Security which manages risks to the U.S.’s cyber and physical infrastructure — issued Emergency Directive 26-01 following the company’s disclosure that a foreign threat actor had maintained long-term, persistent access to its internal development and engineering environments using source code. Officials warned that attackers could exploit the vulnerabilities to steal credentials, move laterally through networks, and potentially take full control of targeted systems. F5 said they first discovered the attack in August but did not disclose exactly when it began. The Federal News Network [10/15/2025 1:27 PM, Justin Doubleday, 986K] reports that the cyber agency said it identified a "significant cyber threat targeting federal networks utilizing certain F5 devices and software." The vulnerabilities in F5’s "BIG-IP" platform and associated products could allow hackers to gain access to embedded credentials and Application Programming Interface keys, CISA said in a release. Nick Andersen, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said his agency coordinated the emergency directive on a call with federal cyber officials today. "We know that the exploitation of the information that F5 disclosed, in partnership with us, could allow the threat actor to move laterally within an organization’s network and exfiltrate sensitive data and establish some persistent system access, potentially leading to a full compromise of those targeted information systems," Andersen said during a call with reporters today. Andersen said he wasn’t aware of any cyber incidents on federal networks in connection with the F5 vulnerabilities. But he said today’s emergency directive was designed to understand potential impacts across the federal civilian executive branch.

Reported similarly:
Wall Street Journal [10/15/2025 2:12 PM, James Rundle, 646K]
Reuters [10/15/2025 11:03 AM, Staff, 36480K]
CyberScoop [10/15/2025 2:20 PM, Matt Kapko]

CyberScoop [10/15/2025 6:20 PM, Matt Kapko] reports a Massachusetts man who previously pleaded guilty to a cyberattack on PowerSchool, exposing data on tens of millions of students and teachers, was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday — half the amount federal prosecutors sought in sentencing recommendations submitted to the court. Matthew Lane, 20, stole data from PowerSchool belonging to nearly 70 million students and teachers, extorted the California-based company for a ransom, which it paid, causing the education software vendor more than $14 million in financial losses, according to prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Margaret Guzman sentenced Lane to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Lane was also ordered to pay almost $14.1 million in restitution and a $25,000 fine for crimes involving the attack on PowerSchool and an undisclosed U.S. telecommunications company. Federal prosecutors were seeking a sentence of eight years for Lane, arguing that the crimes he pleaded guilty to follow a series of cybercriminal activity dating back to 2021. “The government has serious concerns that Lane poses an ongoing threat to the community and remains in denial about the scope of his criminal activity,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memo filed Oct. 7 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

FOX News [10/15/2025 9:35 PM, Ashley J. DiMella,, 40621K] reports a public address system was hacked on Tuesday evening at the Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) in Pennsylvania. "An unauthorized user gained access to the airport PA system and played an unauthorized recorded message," HIA officials said in a statement, according to FOX 43. The message lasted for about 10 minutes, the airport reported. The hacker can be heard saying "Free Palestine" and "F--- Netanyahu and Trump" over the speaker, according to videos circulating on social media. "Turkish hacker Cyber Islam was here," says the unauthorized user in an identifying message. The airport called the announcement a "political message" that did not contain any threats to airlines, passengers or employees, according to HIA. A Delta flight that was boarding at the time of the incident was searched out of an abundance of caution, the airline confirmed to Fox News Digital. "As the safety and security of our customers and employees comes before all else, Delta followed the direction of TSA to return to the gate and complete a security check of the aircraft. We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation," said a spokesperson in a statement to Fox News Digital. The passengers on the flight headed to Atlanta were deplaned as TSA conducted a security sweep, delaying the flight by 45 minutes. The public address system was shut off and is under investigation by police. The Harrisburg International Airport was said to be operating normally after the incident. Fox News Digital reached out to HIA, TSA and the Secret Service for comment. The incident comes after the FBI issued a warning in July about a notorious cybercriminal group dubbed "Scattered Spider" targeting the airline sector, FOX Business reported. The FBI posted on X that the group relies on "social engineering techniques, often impersonating employees or contractors to deceive IT help desks into granting access" and frequently involves methods to bypass multifactor authentication (MFA), such as convincing help desk services to add unauthorized MFA devices to compromised accounts. "They target large corporations and their third-party IT providers, which means anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk," the FBI wrote.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [10/15/2025 9:55 PM, Ariel Zilber, 42219K]

Bloomberg [10/15/2025 10:00 PM, Margi Murphy, Patrick Howell O’Neill, and Jordan Robertson, 18207K] reports a potentially “catastrophic” breach of a major US-based cybersecurity provider has been blamed on state-backed hackers from China, according to people familiar with the matter. Seattle-based F5 Inc. disclosed on Wednesday morning in a regulatory filing that nation-state hackers had breached its networks and gained “long-term, persistent access” to certain systems. The intruders stole files including portions of source code from the company’s BIG-IP suite of application services, which are widely used by Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, in addition to details about some flaws that could be used to target the company’s customers. Representatives for F5 have told customers that the hackers were in the company’s network for at least 12 months, according to the people, who asked not to be named as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the incident. One of the people said F5 Chief Executive Officer François Locoh-Donou is personally briefing customers about the timeline and the China-linked hackers. F5 didn’t respond to messages seeking comment. China’s Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. F5’s BIG-IP products are an integral part of many large organizations’ IT systems. They perform many functions, including “load balancing,” which refers to directing traffic to the appropriate systems so that applications run smoothly, and wrapping those software programs in security features such as access control mechanisms and firewalls to prevent hackers from accessing them. Cybersecurity experts said the main concern about the hack of the BIG-IP source code is that the hackers could have found ways to infiltrate those systems to surveil and potentially manipulate the traffic and access sensitive data that would be difficult to detect. F5 sent customers on Wednesday a threat hunting guide for a type of malware called Brickstorm used by a Chinese state-backed hacking group, according to people familiar with the matter. The hackers behind Brickstorm are known for stealing source code in popular technology providers to hunt for software bugs, according to Mandiant, Google’s threat intelligence arm. They then use those bugs to break into the customers of the technology provider, according to a Mandiant report published earlier this year about the cyber campaign.

AP [10/15/2025 5:19 PM, Jeffrey Collins, 31753K] reports a sheriff said his deputies are methodically investigating a weekend mass shooting that killed four people and injured 16 more at a bar on a South Carolina island but haven’t gotten the kind of help they need from the hundreds of people partying before the shooting. No arrests have been made yet as investigators test DNA, analyze weapons and bullets, and enhance video from the crime scene of the early Sunday shooting at Willie’s Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said Wednesday. Investigators think the shooting started as a dispute between two or three people who grew up together in Beaufort County and started firing at each other. The sheriff said he thinks people want to cooperate but fear retribution. He said they can report what they know anonymously through Crimestoppers. Shell casing and bullets, some taken from inside the victims, were being sent to state agents on Wednesday. The FBI was trying to enhance and analyze video from inside and outside the bar. And Beaufort County deputies were testing DNA, Tanner said. Tanner refused to say exactly how many people may have fired or give any identifying information about possible suspects. The sheriff also clarified that 16 people were wounded in the shooting. Initial reports said at least 20 were hurt by gunfire. Kashawn Glaze, 22; Chiraad Smalls, 33; Amos Gary, 54; and A’shan’tek Milledge, 22, were killed in the shooting.

Breitbart [10/15/2025 7:56 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to ensure that U.S. service members receive their next paychecks, despite the government shutdown stretching into its fifteenth day. In a memorandum signed on Wednesday, Trump expressed that "congressional leaders have indicated that political negotiations have stalemated" and that it was unlikely that the "necessary bipartisan legislation" to end the government shutdown would be passed before October 15, when active-duty military personnel are supposed to get their next paychecks. Trump directed Hegseth to work "in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to use for the purpose of pay and allowances any funds appropriated by the Congress that remain available for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2026 to accomplish the scheduled disbursement of military pay and allowances for" active-duty military members, and reserve members of the military "Who have performed active service during the relevant pay period.” "The current appropriations lapse, which includes a lapse in the annual appropriations that the Congress provides for the pay and allowances of military personnel, is now in its fifteenth day." the memorandum says. "Further, congressional leaders have indicated that political negotiations have stalemated and that the passage of the necessary bipartisan legislation to end the lapse is unlikely to occur before our active duty military personnel are scheduled to receive their next paychecks on October 15th.” "This potential outcome presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness and the ability of our Armed Forces to protect and defend our Nation," the memorandum continued. Taking questions from reporters while hosting Argentinian President Javier Milei at the White House on Tuesday, Trump claimed that a "wealthy person" had offered to pay U.S. military troops if the government ran out of money necessary to pay them during the shutdown. Trump clarified that he told the wealthy donor that his administration would not need it, and that they would "take care of our troops.” In a post on X on Tuesday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said the Trump administration would pay the U.S. military and law enforcement officials, and would also continue making reductions in force (RIFs) in the federal workforce. "OMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence," OMB said. "Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait.” The memorandum signed by Trump comes as "Congressional aides" have previously told Reuters that in order for U.S. troops to be paid on October 15, "legislation would have to pass by October 13.”

FOX News [10/15/2025 12:16 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 40621K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is warning that a key move by the Trump administration in the government shutdown impasse is only a temporary Band-Aid — and that lawmakers could soon be forced to reckon with the political quagmire. Johnson held a press conference on the ongoing shutdown on Wednesday, when military service members were poised to miss paychecks if no deal was reached. And while the funding fight shows no signs of ending, the White House granted active duty U.S. troops temporary relief by rerouting some existing Pentagon funds — aimed originally at research and development — to ensuring they do not miss Wednesday’s payday. Johnson told reporters, however, "The problem we have right now is that, in spite of President Trump’s heroic efforts to make sure they get paid, that is a temporary fix.". "The executive branch, his help, is not permanent. It can’t be," Johnson said. "And if the Democrats continue to vote to keep the government closed as they have done so many times, then we know U.S. troops are going to risk missing a full paycheck at the end of this month.". The House passed the GOP’s funding plan, a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), on Sept. 19. It’s aimed at giving congressional negotiators until Nov. 21 to strike a deal on FY 2026 spending. But in the Senate, where a handful of Democrats are needed to break a filibuster, progress has stalled. Democrats have sunk the GOP’s bid to consider the bill eight times and are expected to do so a ninth on Wednesday. It’s led to thousands of federal workers being furloughed and several key government services being paused for lack of funds. Both furloughed government employees and those deemed ‘essential,’ including active-duty troops, typically do not get paid until shutdowns end.

New York Post [10/15/2025 2:16 PM, Caitlin Doornbos, 42219K] reports a federal grand jury convened Wednesday afternoon to consider charges against former national security adviser John Bolton over his alleged sharing of highly sensitive classified materials on a private email server, The Post has learned. The proceeding comes two months after FBI agents raided Bolton’s suburban Maryland home and Washington, DC office in search of evidence in the Trump critic’s purported theft of “highly sensitive national security” information. Justice Department officials expect an indictment to be handed up either Wednesday or Thursday, with one telling The Post the case against the 76-year-old is “air tight.” Bolton is accused of using his private AOL email account to transmitclassified information and record diary-like notes of his daily activities and assessments throughout his time in President Trump’s first administration, sources told The Post in August. The account was hacked by an unidentified foreign entity at some point, according to a probable cause warrant unsealed last month — meaning some of the secret information may have ended up in the hands of foreign governments or other bad actors. The warrant redacted all other information related to the hack. Investigators also found classified information during their raids, with agents confiscating documents related to weapons of mass destruction, the US mission to the United Nations, government strategic communications and secret travel memos, according to court records. Even if Bolton had no intention of releasing the information, he could be held liable if sensitive documents were left lying around where others could get to it — a legal provision that applies to his personal email account as well. Investigators were told to look for software or viruses that would allow an outsider access to Bolton’s electronics — as well as whether the former US ambassador to the United Nations had installed security software to detect malware, according to a search warrant.

Washington Times [10/15/2025 7:32 AM, Jacob Wirtschafter, 852K] reports President Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Gaza earned the United States enormous credibility in capitals across the Middle East — but this week’s flex of American diplomatic muscle was too little, too late for one Gulf power upset over Israel’s stunning early September strike on Qatar. Eight days after Israeli missiles struck Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Saudi Arabia formalized a mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan that Gulf officials say marked the end of the region’s exclusive reliance on American protection. The Sept. 17 agreement came as a direct response to what Saudi officials privately describe as Washington’s failure to defend even its closest Gulf allies. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent jets to bomb Doha on Sept. 9 — targeting Hamas negotiators in a capital hosting 10,000 U.S. troops — the attack drew only a muted American response. “Targeting Qatar is effectively a strike against the whole Gulf and Gulf collective security,” Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi academic close to government circles, told The Washington Times. “After this attack, it has become clear to the Saudi leadership that Israel operates with a free hand in the region, and the United States continues to give it the green light.” The Saudi pact with Pakistan, the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both” — language that has sparked intense speculation about whether Saudi Arabia now falls under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.

Washington Examiner [10/15/2025 9:27 AM, Brady Knox, 1394K] reports that War Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged "more firepower" for Ukraine through NATO on Wednesday but held off on announcing the decision for the United States to send Tomahawk cruise missiles until President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Speaking at this week’s NATO "Defense Ministers Summit" in Brussels, Hegseth embraced Trump’s shifting stance on Ukraine. Lauding the president’s new, more aggressive stance toward Russia, the war secretary said it was a hallmark of his peace-through-strength strategy. He said the U.S. hoped more countries would join the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, which has so far seen $2 billion pledged for weapons for Ukraine. "You get peace when you are strong. Not when you use strong words or wag your finger. You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect. And I believe that’s what NATO is doing. I believe that’s what the PURL initiative is. So our expectation today is that more countries donate even more, that they purchase even more for Ukraine to bring that conflict to a peaceful conclusion," Hegseth said. This approach reaped dividends in Gaza, he argued, where Trump negotiated the peace deal that brought an apparent end to the war. Hegseth didn’t specify what firepower would be headed to Ukraine, and he declined to reveal whether the U.S. would send its much-hyped long-range Tomahawk missiles.

{End of Report} RETURN TO TOP