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.

CNN [9/28282025 8:35 PM, Hanna Park and Zoe Sottile, 23245K] reports a 40-year-old Marine veteran who pulled up to a waterfront North Carolina bar by boat fatally shot three people Saturday night, authorities say, shattering the peaceful atmosphere of a community rarely touched by violent crime. Out-of-towners were enjoying the warm weather and music on an outdoor deck at the American Fish Company in Southport, a small and tranquil city near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, when gunshots rang out. Eight people were injured and at least one victim "is now clinging for their life," Jon David, district attorney for North Carolina’s Judicial District 5, said at a Sunday morning news conference. Nigel Edge, who received a Purple Heart for his service in Iraq, was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, Southport Police Chief Todd Coring said Sunday. Police think Edge acted alone and said the attack was "highly premeditated." CNN is working to identify whether Edge has an attorney. Additional charges are still possible, Coring said. Edge was taken into custody when the US Coast Guard encountered his boat after the attack, according to Oak Island Police Chief Charles A. Morris II. The Daily Caller [9/28/2025 12:11 PM, Mark Tanos, 985K] reports court documents show Edge used a short-barrel AR rifle equipped with a suppressor, folding stock and scope in the attack. Police Chief Todd Coring announced Edge’s arrest Sunday morning, the outlet reported. The suspect also faces five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Witnesses saw the shooter fleeing toward Oak Island and the Intracoastal Waterway after the attack. The U.S. Coast Guard spotted a man matching the suspect’s description loading a boat at a public ramp on NE 55th Street in Oak Island around 10 p.m. Coast Guard crews detained him and turned him over to Oak Island police. Six victims went to the hospital immediately after the shooting, according to Coring’s 1 a.m. press conference, the outlet reported. The City of Southport later updated the injury count to at least eight people. Officials have not released the conditions of the wounded. NewsNation [9/28/2025 8:18 AM, Rodney Overton, 6811K] reports that the Coast Guard detained the suspect, turning them over to the Oak Island Police Department. Southport police and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are leading the investigation to question the suspect and determine what led to the shooting. After town officials issued alerts to the public via social media Saturday night of the active shooter, they said there is no further credible threat to the public. "Officers and Deputies from multiple agencies are in place to help ensure additional security for the greater area," officials said. "This investigation is still in an immediate response stage; however, further updates on suspect identity and charges will be provided directly by the City of Southport as they become available.". The New York Times [9/28/2025 8:31 PM, Adeel Hassan and Mark Walker, 143795K] reports that the shooting, which law enforcement officials described as a “targeted” and “highly premeditated attack,” occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the American Fish Company bar in Southport, N.C. ChyAnn Ketchum, a spokeswoman for the city, said the gunman fired on a crowd after pulling up to the dock and then escaped on the boat. Mr. Edge was being held without bond at the Brunswick County Detention Center in Bolivia, N.C. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. “We understand this suspect identifies as a combat veteran,” Todd Coring, the Southport police chief, said at a news conference on Sunday morning. “Injured in the line of duty is what he’s saying. He suffers from PTSD,” Chief Coring added, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder. “We want to point those facts out.” The authorities called it a “lone-wolf” attack, but they did not provide a possible motive for the shooting. Chief Coring said that the dockside bar was a “targeted location” and that the attack was “highly premeditated,” but did not give details. He said the gunman had used an assault rifle. The authorities said that many of the victims of the attack were tourists and that their names would most likely be made public on Monday. The Daily Wire [9/28/2025 8:13 AM, Hank Berrien, 3184K] reports that the suspect was named by the Southport Police Department as Nigel Max Edge, arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, with additional charges pending. "We believe that this was a targeted location," Southport Police Chief Todd Coring stated at a press conference. "He acted in what we call a ‘lone wolf.’ He acted alone. This is highly premeditated from what we are seeing at this time and we feel that there are no other threats to our community, that we do have someone in custody.". He added that an active investigation is underway. Coring continued that the suspect was identified as a combat veteran injured in the line of duty and said he suffered from PTSD.

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CBS News [9/28/2025 11:57 PM, Nick Lentz and Joseph Buczek, 45245K] Video: HERE reports that at least two people are dead after a shooter opened fire at a church in Michigan during a Sunday morning worship service. Eight other victims have been hospitalized, according to police. Worshippers were gathered at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road in Grand Blanc Township around 10:25 a.m., Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said. That’s when the suspect, identified as a 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, drove his vehicle through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and fired "several rounds" of an assault rifle at hundreds of churchgoers, Renye said at a news conference. Ten people with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital, where two victims were pronounced dead. Renye said at an update Sunday afternoon that one victim is in critical condition and seven others were in stable condition. Renye said in an update on Sunday evening that two other people were found dead inside the church and that "some" individuals are still unaccounted for, though the exact number is unknown. Police did not say how those two people died. Police said Sanford died after a Grand Blanc officer and a DNR officer "engaged in gunfire" with him in the back parking lot of the church. Records confirmed by CBS News show that Sanford was a Marine Corps veteran. Authorities have not confirmed his motive in the attack. Grand Blanc Township police said at least 100 Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are responding to the shooting. FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency is tracking reports of the shooting and that agents are at the scene to assist local authorities. "Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy," Patel said. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has received briefings about the incident. "Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy," Bondi said. President Trump also said that he has been briefed on the shooting. According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, her agency is in communication with "interagency partners." Noem added in a social media post on X that, "Sacred places of worship should never fear violence in America. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families." [Editorial note: consult video at source link] FOX News [9/28/2025 6:49 PM, Stephen Sorace and Greg Wehner, 40019K] reports Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of Burton, Michigan, is accused of ramming his truck into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, just before 10:30 a.m. Police said he then got out of the truck and started firing on churchgoers with a rifle. About 150 people were attending services at the time. Police said Sanford then used an accelerant, likely gasoline, to set the church on fire. Sanford was shot and killed by police. Police confirmed that four people have died. Seven others are in stable condition, and one remains in critical condition. Two victims were killed by gunfire while the other two were found after the fire. Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said investigators fear the number of deaths may rise, as others are believed to have died in the fire that engulfed the entire church. Authorities have not yet said how many additional victims may be inside. "We do believe that there was people up there that were near that fire, and they were unable to get out of the church," the police chief said. "So we do believe that we will find additional victims once we’re able to search." Investigators also discovered explosives, but could not say if they were used to initiate the blaze. The Marine Corps confirmed to Fox News’ Garrett Tenney that Sanford was a Marine and served from 2004-2008, including deployments to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He worked as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. His last assignment was with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Sanford left the Marines as a sergeant. He earned several awards during his four years of service, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The Washington Examiner [9/28/2025 11:49 AM, Asher Notheis, 1563K] reports law enforcement was dispatched at 10:25 a.m. The suspect exited his vehicle and opened fire on attendees. One person was announced dead at the church, and another was announced dead at a nearby hospital. Eight victims are now hospitalized. One of those hospitalized is in critical condition. Renye said it is believed the church’s fire was started "deliberately" by the suspect, and believes victims who were not able to escape will be found there. Police engaged with the shooter, who is "no longer with us." Renye said the next steps will be to issue search warrants on the suspect’s residence to find out more about him, and more information about this shooting will be provided at 5 p.m. today. "My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. I am grateful to the first responders who took action quickly. We will continue to monitor this situation and hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc close," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) said on X. FBI agents have been dispatched to the scene, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Reyne said over 100 federal agents are expected.

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NBC News [9/29/2025 1:37 AM, Dennis Romero and Marlene Lenthang, 43603K] reports four people were killed and several others wounded Sunday when authorities say a man opened fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, and set it ablaze in what a federal official called "an act of targeted violence.” At least two of the four victims were fatally shot, police said. Eight people were wounded, with one in critical condition and seven who were stabilized, township Police Chief Bill Renye said. Authorities were searching through the debris of the church for anyone who might be unaccounted for. The suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old former Marine, was killed by law enforcement. At 10:25 a.m. Sunday, a gunman drove a vehicle into the church, got out and opened fire with an assault rifle, Renye said. The first officers arrived within 30 seconds of initial reports, and law enforcement killed the shooter in the church’s rear parking lot 8 minutes after the first reports, he said. Authorities believe the shooter was able to spark a fire that eventually enveloped the church before it was contained, Renye said. Paula Maser was among the worshippers in the church for a Sunday service. "We heard a big bang and it blew the doors in the church, and then everything after that was chaos," Maser told NBC affiliate WEYI of Clio, Michigan. Maser said she and others ran outside, where she and a friend got into a car. The gunman also went outside, Maser said, and continued to fire. Three bullets struck the car Maser was in, she said, one of which grazed her friend’s hand. Janet Peera, who lives nearby, told the news station that she and her family were leaving their home when they saw police vehicles and fire trucks racing toward the scene and heard gunshots. Amid the chaos, Peera said, the family ended up in the church parking lot. "There were bodies lying on the sidewalk," she said. "There was one lying in the back of somebody’s truck that had just gotten shot maybe a couple times in the leg.” It’s not clear what motivated the shooting, and officials did not disclose whether there was any known connection between the suspect and the church. The FBI is investigating the incident as "an act of targeted violence," Reuben Coleman, the acting special agent in charge of the bureau’s Detroit field office, said during a news conference Sunday night. "This act of violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our country," Coleman said. "The FBI is committed to continue finding out the facts, circumstances and motives behind this tragedy.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also aiding in the investigation. James Deir, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Detroit Field Division, said the investigation indicates an accelerant, believed to be gasoline, was used by the suspect to set the blaze. He also said "suspected explosive devices" were found at the site, but it’s not clear if those sparked the inferno. Renye said the church is a "total loss" as a result of the fire, and there are some people still unaccounted for. None of the victims had been identified as of Sunday night, and officials said first responders are in "recovery mode," sifting through debris from the blaze for additional bodies and evidence. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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The Hill [9/28/2025 4:33 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12414K] reports President Trump said the deadly shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan on Sunday appears to be a "targeted attack on Christians" after authorities say a man crashed his car into the church and set fire to the building. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that he’s been briefed on the shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich., about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. The president called for an end to the "epidemic of violence" in the United States. "I have been briefed on the horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn," Trump wrote. "This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America," he continued. "The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families.". Authorities said one person was dead and 10 others were injured after the suspect drove through the front doors of the church and then began shooting before setting fire to the building. Police said the building was "actively on fire" into the late morning. The suspect was declared dead after an exchange of gunfire with authorities, the local police chief said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Washington Examiner [9/28/2025 5:13 PM, Asher Notheis, 1563K] reports lawmakers across Michigan and the United States have condemned the shooting at a Mormon church on Sunday, the latest attack against religion in the country. A 40-year-old male suspect drove his vehicle into the front doors of the Church of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, then left his vehicle and opened fire on service attendees. Ten victims have been hospitalized so far from the shooting and fire at the church, two of whom have died. The shooting comes just over a month after a shooter targeted Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "An absolute tragic situation happened today here in Michigan. It is deeply disturbing that we continue to see places of worship become targets of violence. My prayers go out to the parishioners and families impacted by the horrific shooting in Grand Blanc Township," Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said on X. "Violence targeting people peacefully gathering to practice their faith is completely unacceptable. I’m thankful for the law enforcement and first responders who were immediately on the scene, and I’m continuing to follow this situation closely. My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community during this difficult time," Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) said. "No one should have to face such horrific violence, especially in a place of worship. My heart goes out to the loved ones of the victims and those fighting for their lives in the hospital. I’m praying for the entire Grand Blanc community. We must move with urgency to end gun violence in our country," Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) said.

The Hill [9/28/2025 1:16 PM, Tara Suter, 12414K] reports FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency is tracking reports of Sunday’s deadly shooting at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Michigan. "We are tracking reports of the horrific shooting and fire at an LDS church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. @FBI agents are on the scene to assist local authorities," Patel said in a post on the social platform X. "Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy," he added. Attorney General Pam Bondi also said on X that she was "receiving briefings about what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire at an LDS church in Grand Blanc, Michigan.". "@FBI and @ATFHQ agents are en route to the scene now," she added. "Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.". Authorities said one person was dead and 10 others injured after a man drove through the front doors of the church. The suspect was declared dead after an exchange of gunfire with authorities, the local police chief said during a press conference Sunday afternoon. "There is NO threat to the public at this time. The church is actively on fire," the Grand Blanc Township Police Department said in a Facebook post.

ABC News [9/28/2025 8:19 PM, Devin Dwyer, 27036K] reports President Donald Trump praised the U.S. Supreme Court in June for a "monumental victory" when it rolled back nationwide injunctions against his executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. Three months later, after two federal courts universally blocked the order again on different grounds, Trump is asking the justices for a definitive judgment on his reinterpretation of more than a century of settled legal precedent. In filings, reviewed by ABC News Sunday but not yet on the Supreme Court’s public docket, Solicitor General John Sauer urges the justices to give expedited consideration to Trump’s appeal and a decision by next summer. "The government has a compelling interest in ensuring that American citizenship—the privilege that allows us to choose our political leaders—is granted only to those who are lawfully entitled to it," Sauer wrote in a petition for writ of certiorari. "The lower court’s decisions invalidated a policy of prime importance to the President and his Administration in a manner that undermines our border security," he wrote. "Those decisions confer, without lawful justification, the privilege of American citizenship on hundreds of thousands of unqualified people.” Courts and the government have long interpreted the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause to apply to anyone born in the U.S., regardless of the immigration status of a child’s parents. The Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, states that all "persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order unilaterally declaring that only newborns whose parents have permanent legal status are "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S. and therefore eligible to be citizens. An estimated 255,000 children are born on U.S. soil each year to one or more parents without American citizenship or permanent legal status, according to the Penn State Social Science Research Institute. The administration is not seeking to begin enforcing the executive order until the Supreme Court decides whether or not to take up the case and ultimately render judgment -- a decision likely months away. "This executive order is illegal, full stop, and no amount of maneuvering from the administration is going to change that," said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, in a statement. "We will continue to ensure that no one baby’s citizenship is ever stripped away by this cruel and senseless order.”

AP [9/28/2025 8:19 PM, Chris Megerian and Konstantin Toropin, 37974K] reports two hundred members of the Oregon National Guard are being placed under federal control and deployed to protect immigration enforcement officers and government facilities, according to a Defense Department memo received by state leaders on Sunday. The deployment is being made over the objections of state leaders and is similar to one last summer in Los Angeles, where protesters demonstrated against deportation operations, but is on a much smaller scale. There was no immediate comment from the White House. Multiple Pentagon officials were contacted, but none would confirm or deny the authenticity of the memo. President Donald Trump had announced on Saturday that he would send troops to Portland. The state’s governor, Democrat Tina Kotek, said Sunday that she objected to the deployment in a conversation with the president. “Oregon is our home — not a military target,” she said in a statement. Dan Rayfield, the state attorney general, said he was filing a federal lawsuit arguing that Trump was overstepping his authority. “What we’re seeing is not about public safety,” he said. “It’s about the president flexing political muscle under the guise of law and order, chasing a media hit at the expense of our community.” The Pentagon memo provided by Oregon leaders drew a direct comparison between the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June and the proposed deployment to the state, adding “This memorandum further implements the President’s direction.” While the memorandum does not specifically cite Portland as the target of the proposed deployment, Trump, in a social media post on Saturday, said he directed the Pentagon, at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, “to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.” “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump added. Unlike in Los Angeles, it does not appear that Trump or Hegseth are currently directing the deployment of active-duty troops to the state. The Trump administration deployed about 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles though they were withdrawn just over a month later. The action also would be far less than Trump’s deployment to Washington, D.C., where more than 1,000 National Guard troops, including units from other states, have patrolled the streets for weeks. He also has been suggesting that he will send troops into Chicago, but so far has not done so.

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The Hill [9/28/2025 11:23 PM, Staff, 12414K] reports olfficials in Oregon have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops in Portland, adding to legal battles against President Trump’s use of troops in major cities. The state of Oregon and city of Portland filed a joint lawsuit Sunday against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the deployment of the National Guard to the city. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, calls the deployment of National Guard troops to Portland "heavy-handed" and unlawful. The president, in a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday morning, directed Hegseth to "provide all necessary Troops" to deploy to Portland. The move stems from protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city, with Trump claiming the building was "under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.” The court filing, though, argued that the protests have involved fewer than 30 people in recent weeks and no arrests have been made since mid-June. "Defendants’ heavyhanded deployment of troops threatens to escalate tensions and stokes new unrest, meaning more of the Plaintiffs’ law enforcement resources will be spent responding to the predictable consequences of Defendants’ action," the lawsuit states. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D), appearing at a press conference alongside state Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D) and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson (D), called the deployment "an abuse of power and a disservice to our communities and our service members," according to KOIN 6 in Portland. The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates. Kotek also marched with residents in downtown Portland on Sunday, saying in a post on social platform X that "we don’t need military intervention here.” As governor, Kotek controls her state’s National Guard. The lawsuit alleges that Trump does not have the authority to seize control of the Oregon National Guard under Title 10, Section 12406 of the U.S. Code, which gives the president the capacity to federalize state national guards if the country is facing an invasion or rebellion or the president "is unable with the regular forces to execute the law.” The lawsuit also says Trump’s order violates the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that authority not delegated to the federal government is reserved for states. It also says the move violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars federal troops from being used for civilian law enforcement. "Defendants have thus infringed on Oregon’s sovereign power to manage its own law enforcement activity and National Guard resource," the lawsuit says. "Far from promoting public safety, Defendants’ provocative and arbitrary actions threaten to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told NBC News that the president’s actions were "lawful" and would "make Portland safer.” "President Trump is using his lawful authority to direct the National Guard to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following months of violent riots where officers have been assaulted and doxxed by left-wing rioters," she said. The Pentagon declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Hill has also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. Politico [9/28/2025 9:18 PM, Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney, 14810K] reports “Putting our own military on our streets is an abuse of power ... Local law enforcement has this under control.” “It’s actually un-American, if you think about it, to use the military against our own citizens but that’s exactly what’s happening right now, across our country,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, a Democrat, told the press conference. He said his office plans to file within the next day for a temporary restraining order against the deployment. The lawsuit follows Trump’s announcement on social media Saturday that he was ordering the Defense Department to send troops to Portland to use “full force, if necessary,” to combat protests that he said were interfering with immigration enforcement. Trump described the decision as the result of a request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Oregon officials say the Pentagon followed through on Trump’s order on Sunday morning, calling up 200 members of the state’s 6,500-member National Guard contingent. State officials say even the relatively small call-up could damage the state’s ability to respond to emergencies. Lawyers for the state say protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been small and relatively subdued, routinely featuring fewer than 30 people, and that there have been no arrests related to those protests from June until earlier this week. “President Trump is using his lawful authority to direct the National Guard to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following months of violent riots where officers have been assaulted and doxxed by left-wing rioters. The President’s lawful actions will make Portland safer,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson in a statement.

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AP [9/28/2025 8:10 PM, Adrian Sainz and Sophia Tareen, 20690K] reports armed federal agents patrolled Chicago’s downtown streets on Sunday and President Donald Trump called up 200 National Guard troops for deployment in Portland, Oregon, a move strongly opposed by the governor that immediately prompted a lawsuit saying Trump overstepped his authority. The latest examples of creeping federal law enforcement and military presence in U.S. cities occurred as Memphis prepares for the arrival of additional federal authorities, including immigration and drug enforcement agents, that Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he expects will happen this week. In Chicago on Sunday, dozens of armed federal agents, in full tactical gear, walked the streets of some of the city’s most prominent tourist and shopping areas. That comes amid a surge of immigration enforcement that began early this month, including repeated conflict at an ICE building in Broadview, west of Chicago, where federal authorities on Friday and Saturday fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters. Trump’s troop order came a day after he said on social media that he was directing the Department of Defense to "provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland." Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Gov. Tina Kotek said Trump’s description was a false narrative meant to spur conflict. The moves follow Trump’s crime crackdown in the District of Columbia and actions in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests that turned violent with the arrival of troops. On Sunday, federal agents marched along Michigan Avenue, the Chicago River and upscale neighborhoods, attracting attention from shoppers and families dining at sidewalk cafes. Many used phones to record. Activists also trailed the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, blowing whistles and shouting. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted the sudden physical show of force."While Chicagoans and visitors are enjoying another gorgeous Sunday, they are being intimidated by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason," Johnson said in a statement. Trump said he ordered the 60-day deployment of Oregon National Guard troops to deal with "violent protests" that threaten the security of immigration detention facilities and other federal property. He said the protests "constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.". Trump said earlier this month that he was creating a task force of federal law enforcement agencies to combat crime in Memphis. The city has experienced high numbers of violent crimes such as carjackings and homicides in recent years, but both Democratic and Republican officials have noted that the majority-Black city is seeing decreases this year in some crime categories. Lee, the governor, has publicly said he would not expect more than 150 National Guard members to be sent to Memphis, though he’s said the numbers aren’t solidified. The city said Friday there won’t be tanks. The Guard troops won’t be making arrests and won’t be armed unless local authorities request that, Lee said Friday.It’s unclear when Guard members will arrive. Lee also said 300 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers will be in the region.

Washington Examiner [9/28/2025 9:53 AM, Molly Parks, 1563K] reports Gov. Tina Kotek (D-OR) and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson became the latest blue state and city leaders to push back against President Donald Trump’s federal troop city deployments Saturday. After Trump directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday morning to direct "all necessary troops" to Portland, the Oregon officials banded together in a press conference to reject the idea that federal troops were needed to fight crime in the Democratic city. "There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our major city. Military service members should be dedicated to real emergencies," Kotek said. The Portland Mayor echoed the governor’s sentiments, saying the city does not need any federal help. "President Trump has directed ‘all necessary troops’ to Portland, Oregon. The number of necessary troops is zero," Wilson said. "We do not need any intervention.". Trump’s deployment of federal troops followed a week of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests in Oregon’s biggest city. This week, the Department of Homeland Security saw elevated threats against ICE agents after a shooter opened fire at a Texas ICE facility. Trump said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested federal intervention following the protests. "I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

NPR [9/29/2025 4:40 AM, Conrad Wilson, 34837K] reports hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, Sunday to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

The Hill [9/28/2025 7:52 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12414K] reports Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told President Trump that troops are not welcome in Portland, Ore., after the president announced on Saturday he is sending reinforcements to protect the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities that he said are "under siege.". The senior senator from Oregon pushed back on that assertion and posted a video of the ICE facility that showed a peaceful environment devoid of rioting. "Taken just a few minutes ago outside the ICE facility in Portland that Trump claims is under siege," Wyden said in a post on the social platform X, along with a one-minute video of the facility. "My message to Donald Trump is this: we don’t need you here," he continued. X users in the comments were quick to post videos of less-peaceful scenes that appeared to be taken at the facility, with many noting that protests often take place at night. The Hill was unable to verify the authenticity of the videos. Demonstrations at the Portland facility have continued throughout the summer but have remained largely peaceful since they peaked in early June, according to local reports. There so far have been no fatalities as a result of the protests, Politico reported, compared with the 2020 summer protests, which saw at least one person die as a result of them.But Trump on Saturday morning announced Portland would be the next city for the deployment of U.S. troops, saying he was doing so to protect the city from antifa and other "domestic terrorists.". "At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists," the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement cited riots at ICE facilities, law enforcement assaults and the deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas as reasoning for Noem’s request. "We are not going to allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement," she said.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [9/28/2025 3:58 PM, Amy Furr, 2608K]

CNN [9/28/2025 9:35 PM, Andy Rose, 23245K] reports a day after President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, knew that a "sanctuary city" like his was going to have a bumpy four years ahead. "We must come together to live our city’s shared values of freedom from fear and sanctuary from federal overreach in the days ahead, no matter what our city may face," Mayor Keith Wilson said in a letter to the city council on January 21. In the past eight months, the city has reaffirmed that commitment by joining a lawsuit against the Trump administration and issuing a zoning violation notice for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has been at the center of almost constant protests throughout the summer. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum announcing 200 members of the Oregon National Guard would be "called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days.". The City of Portland and the State of Oregon then filed a lawsuit alleging the Trump administration had overreached its mandate in federalizing the Oregon National Guard in response to unrest. In the lawsuit, lawyers for the state and the city said the move breached the principles of the US Constitution and risked stoking new unrest. The filing names Trump, Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and their departments as defendants. The plaintiffs ask the court to declare the federalization and deployment of the Oregon National Guard in the state illegal and permanently prevent such action being taken by the Department of Defense again.

FOX News [9/28/2025 10:30 AM, Deirdre Heavey, Andrew Mark Miller and Emma Woodhead, 40019K] reports While politicians debate how to combat crime in Baltimore, Maryland, local residents who spoke to Fox News Digital advocated for more affordable housing, recreational centers and accessible community resources. Earlier this month, Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott deployed the Maryland State Police and the Transportation Authority Police to partner with the Baltimore Police Department after President Donald Trump floated deploying the U.S. National Guard to crackdown on crime. "We got so many kids getting into stuff and killing and on drugs, especially down here in this neighborhood on the Penn North," Tasha, a young mother who spoke to Fox News Digital earlier this month while pushing her baby’s stroller through Baltimore’s Penn-North neighborhood, said. Tasha said more kids need access to rec centers because "so many of them are getting hooked on drugs and caught up in things that they don’t got no business getting caught up in, all because they don’t have nothing else out here to do.". Fox News Digital spoke to more than a dozen Baltimore residents about how crime is impacting their community. While locals were split on whether Trump deploying the National Guard would curb crime, residents said safety concerns were top of mind. More than two dozen people were hospitalized in a mass drug overdose event in Penn-North in July. Meanwhile, three out of the seven homicides in Baltimore during August were in the nearby Park Heights, according to local reporting.

FOX News [9/28/2025 10:00 AM, Michael Dorgan Fox, 40019K] reports the FBI has warned it is getting ready to smash and dismantle the transnational gangs who have helped transform a busy commercial strip in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district into a crime-infested hot spot blighted by illegal prostitution, drugs, human trafficking and violence. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Christopher Raia, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the New York office, said he has deployed multiple squads to patrol the troubled two-mile strip along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens and said that agents are aggressively working with the NYPD to "cut off the head of the snake" in terms of the gangs’ hierarchy. The area is also represented by Rep. Grace Meng, a progressive Democrat like Ocasio-Cortez. The news comes after local leaders repeated their calls for FBI Director Kash Patel to finally crush the ruthless gangs, as concerned residents hold weekly protests outside what they say are well-known brothels openly operating in the area, often disguised as beauty salons. The immigrant-heavy neighborhood is often referred to as a red-light district and is also scarred by trash and unsanitary conditions, with illegal vendors selling unregulated food and suspected stolen goods. Earlier this summer, eight members of the 18th Street gang were arrested in a major FBI-led operation, accused of carrying out several brutal beatings and stabbings to maintain their dominance of the strip. The 18th Street gang began as a street crew in Los Angeles in the 1960s and is made up largely of Hispanic and Latino members. "What happened in June was only the tip of the iceberg. We have only just begun out there," Raia told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview at the FBI’s field office in Manhattan. "We have infiltrated you. We are watching you. And someday down the line, you will go to jail.". Raia, the bureau’s top official in New York, was appointed to his role in April and said he has made Roosevelt Avenue a top priority, with his mission molding into Patel’s wider strategy of "crushing" violent crime in major cities. "One of the first letters I received was from the local officials in that area talking about the crime problem," Raia said. "And so, to those local officials who sent us those letters again, we hear you. We are working relentlessly there to keep that community safe.". As well as the 18th Street gang, Raia said that several Asian gangs are also operating in the area.

New York Post [9/28/2025 4:43 PM, Ryan King and Josh Christenson, 43962K] reports The Trump administration has demanded the NYPD crack down on "an organized and unlawful campaign of harassment" against staffers with the US mission to the UN — or face federal troop deployment. "Demonstrators regularly and aggressively approach USUN staff walking to and from the mission, using obscenities and terms including ‘fascists,’ ‘baby killers,’ and ‘Nazis’ in a threatening manner," wrote Craig Goldstein, regional security for the US Mission, in a letter Friday to the NYPD deputy inspector of Manhattan’s 17th Precinct, which encompasses the United Nations. "We are writing to request the New York Police Department immediately take additional appropriate measures to address the organized and unlawful campaign of harassment, impediment, and intimidation targeting officers and employees," Goldstein said in the missive, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. "Absent immediate and effective action, we are fully prepared to engage federal law enforcement resources to handle the lawbreakers and protect our personnel from harassment, abuse, and intimidation.". While Goldstein did not mention the specific cause being protested during the confrontations, anti-Israel demonstrators have frequently taken to the streets near the US Mission to the UN in recent months. This was especially true in the run-up to addresses from world leaders including President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly last week.

Washington Examiner [9/29/2025 5:00 AM, Mia Cathell, 1563K] reports an antifa legal group, in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union, is trying to prevent Meta from fulfilling a federal subpoena that would unmask the militants behind an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement surveillance site. The Civil Liberties Defense Center, an Oregon law firm dedicated to “defending front-line activists,” filed a motion Tuesday to quash the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s subpoena seeking user data from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as part of a criminal investigation concerning “officer safety/doxing.” CLDC is representing one of six suspects identified in the subpoena as a co-operator of StopIce.net, an online subscription-based alert system that tracks the whereabouts of ICE agents nationwide. Using anonymous crowd-sourced reports, the monitoring software sends out real-time notifications of nearby ICE sightings within a certain-mile radius. These minute-by-minute alerts list the geolocation of immigration officers pinpointed on Google Maps, descriptions of agents’ clothing and the kind of car they were spotted driving, and their license plates with accompanying pictures, among other identifying information. StopIce additionally dispatches regional rapid-response cells to serve as “boots on the ground.”

CBS News Colorado [9/28/2025 11:29 PM, Brian Maass and Colin McIntyre] Video: HERE reports a series of three attempted armed street robberies targeting men with Rolex watches in Denver’s Cherry Creek North neighborhood led police and federal investigators to deport one suspected Venezuelan TDA gang member. A second suspect in the robberies is still being sought, according to a CBS investigation. The brazen armed robberies in late 2024 involved a gunman who, police say, surprised elderly men in the prestigious Cherry Creek North neighborhood and demanded that the victims give up their watches. In two of the cases, the victims refused to turn over their Rolexes, and the gunman fled. Larry Detrich, 85, is one of those men. He lives in the neighborhood and had just had coffee with friends at 2nd Avenue and Fillmore Street on November 1, 2024, when he got into his car to leave. It was still daylight. "I got into my car and heard a tap tap tap on the window," said Detrich. "And I looked over and down the barrel of a 9 millimeter pistol". "I had a feeling of rage that came over me," he said. He refused to give the gunman his watch and proceeded to get out of his car and berate the gunman. "I told him no, I wasn’t going to give him the watch. In order to get my watch," said Detrich, "he was going to have to kill me, which would have been a real mess for me. It went through my mind if this is the end, so be it. I just didn’t want to give up the watch under these circumstances." The gunman fled and is still being sought by Denver police. He has been identified by his victims and the Department of Homeland Security as 28-year-old Daiker Rivero-Urbano. Ten days later and four blocks away, at 3rd Avenue and Steele Street, during the middle of the afternoon, a gunman approached a prominent 71-year-old criminal defense attorney from Denver who was walking his dog. The gunman demanded the attorney’s Rolex. Denver police turned to Flock license plate reading cameras in the area and found that in both attempted robbery cases, a gray 2006 Honda Civic with a temporary plate and other distinct markings was in the area. According to a Denver police document, a dark gray Honda Civic was picked up by Flock cameras in the Cherry Creek area at the time of both street robberies. Flock cameras showed the vehicle traveled from Denver to the Greeley area, according to the Denver police investigation. Denver police tracked the car to Fernando Rodriguez-Da Silva, a Venezuelan national who was living in Greeley. Rodriguez-Da Silva was arrested. Tricia McLaughlin, Undersecretary of Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, says he "is a criminal Venezuelan illegal alien and a member of the vicious Tren De Aragua gang." She went on to say that "In addition to his gang ties, Rodriguez-Da Silva has been arrested for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and is admitted to being the getaway driver for numerous TDA Denver-area robberies." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [9/29/2025 5:00 AM, Simon Hankinson, 40019K] reports President Donald Trump’s executive order just put a $100,000 fee on new petitions for H-1B temporary workers. The rollout suffered from muddled communication, and the order does not stop the H-1B from being used to replace American workers — but it’s a sorely needed first step. Created more than 30 years ago to fill a temporary labor shortage, the H-1B has ballooned beyond its intended scope. It needs to be reformed to put American workers first. Explaining how the H-1B went so far off the rails would take a whole report — which is why I’ve written one, coming out soon. Meanwhile, here are some of the problems. H-1Bs allow companies to replace American workers with cheap foreign labor and suppress wages for Americans. Exceptions to the original H-1B annual cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year have expanded the number far beyond statutory limits. First, 20,000 more were set aside for applicants with a master’s degree or higher degree. Then, H-1Bs for universities and government research organizations were made cap-exempt. Then DHS allowed the spouses of H-1B holders to work. Fraud, nepotism and corruption have long compromised the H-1B process. Outsourcing firms and "body shops" rig the labor market to hire foreign workers over Americans. Yet there is no shortage of domestic science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates. Every year, the U.S. produces more graduates with bachelor’s degrees in computer science and engineering than the economy demands, and overall, only 28% of workers with a STEM degree actually work in a STEM job.

Blaze [9/29/2025 4:25 AM, Mike Howell, 1805K] reports earlier this month, President Donald Trump released a letter to be given to new citizens upon their naturalization. The message was lofty and inspiring: “America has always welcomed those who embrace our values, assimilate into our society, and pledge allegiance to our country. By taking this oath, you have forged a sacred bond with our Nation, her traditions, her history, her culture, and her values.” The letter should be applauded for setting an aspirational standard for what citizenship should mean. But it is not an accurate reflection of today’s reality. The United States faces a deep assimilation crisis. To its credit, the Trump administration — through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow — has tried to address the problem by revamping the path to naturalization. The changes include restoring a more rigorous version of the citizenship test. Today, the English portion can be passed simply by writing one memorized sentence, such as: “The president lives in the White House.” Other reforms include social media screening and neighborhood checks to determine whether applicants are civic-minded, engage in anti-American behavior, or have a history of trouble with the law. These commonsense steps move naturalization closer to what it should be: a process that ensures new citizens merit the honor of joining the American republic.

CBS’ Face The Nation [9/28/2025 11:55 AM, Staff, 1292K] reports Senator Rand Paul is the chairman of the oversight committee in the Homeland Security. The president announced yesterday, that he’s going to send troops to Portland, Oregon. He called it a war-ravaged city. He said he’s also going to send troops to any immigration facilities around the country which are "under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists". He said he’s authorizing full force, if necessary. What does full force mean in this situation? "I think he has the legal authority to send troops to protect federal buildings and federal proceedings, such as courts. And that’s been around since the civil rights era. We have acknowledged that the federal government will sometimes come in, despite what states say. I do think it’s better when the states agree to it." Senator Paul comments. Senator Paul says he has not been briefed on the plan for Oregon. In Oregon, the governor said there’s no need and they don’t want these troops. But the mayor said, the mayor of Portland, federal agents have been arriving, along with some armored vehicles. Paul is asked if he is comfortable with pushing the limits here of some of these uses of either potentially troops or federal agents? "I think both the people in Portland and across America have to decide about this. We had anarchy in Portland for like six months or a year. The city didn’t even control large swathes of the city. These had federal buildings on them. And so I think there is a role for the federal government. Am I excited about it? No, I’d prefer not to have troops in our cities, or I’d prefer them only to come with the acceptance of the local authorities. But I do think there is a role if the states will not step up. Portland did not step up, and they let their city go. They let it burn, for goodness’ sakes. And then they let a whole area become the city – these blocks of anarchy, where some sort of local thug rule was going on." Senator Paul states.

CBS’ Face The Nation [9/28/2025 11:55 AM, Staff, 1292K] reports Senator Amy Klobuchar worked on the investigation of the attack on the United States Capitol January 6, 2021. FBI Director Kash Patel yesterday said publicly 274 FBI agents were" thrown into crowd control" on that day, against FBI standards. President Trump also said publicly that FBI agents acted as agitators who were secretly placed against all rules, regulations, protocols and standards into the crowd prior to and during the attack. This contradicts what the inspector general said in a published report that said there was no evidence of undercover employees in the crowd and that there were hundreds of special agents and employees who came in after the Capitol Hill police asked for them. This is now newly in focus because the president put the focus there. What was the role of the FBI that day? "I chaired the investigation of the security problems along a bipartisan investigation with Senator Peters and then- Senator Blunt and Senator Portman. This went on. We had a number of open hearings. And we made major, major recommendations for changes at the Capitol. And nowhere was it found that the FBI was acting as agitators. In fact, they were called in when there was such a delay in bringing in the military to insist – to assist in what was essentially an insurrection, where over 100 police officers were injured or maimed because of this criminal activity at the Capitol. So, I just find it appalling that the president would say that the FBI was somehow part of this. Kash Patel did clarify that, in fact, they were brought in after the fact. But they were brought in because we needed help. Senators, Republicans and Democrats were calling the military leaders. They were calling the attorney general. They were asking for help, because that help was not coming to the Capitol." Klobuchar states.

DailySignal [9/28/2025 2:00 PM, George Caldwell, 668K] reports in its bid to boost recruitment, Immigration Customs Enforcement is airing advertisements in "sanctuary cities" across the country, urging law enforcement officers to join its ranks to be free to apprehend "dangerous illegals.". "Attention Chicago law enforcement," one such ad says. "You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city safe. But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free. Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst.". "ICE is unwavering in its commitment to recruiting and hiring top-tier talent across the nation. ICE continues to successfully attract and hire deportation officers, criminal investigators, attorneys, and other professionals to support our critical mission of safeguarding the homeland," an ICE spokesperson told The Daily Signal when asked about the advertisement. The spokesperson argued that serving in ICE offers greater benefits than being in a police department in a sanctuary city. The immigration enforcement agency offers signing bonuses of up to $50,000, student loan repayment of up to $60,000, and up to a 25% premium in pay. "Our competitive pay, robust benefits, and unparalleled opportunities to serve the nation make ICE an employer of choice for dedicated professionals, including in sanctuary cities, where law-abiding citizens live the reality of dangerous anti-immigration enforcement policies," said the spokesperson.

Daily Caller [9/28/2025 8:11 PM, Graham Noble, 985K] reports that, on the morning of Sept. 24, Americans were reminded again that one political group in this country doesn’t seem to be interested in coming together, preferring instead to use fear and bloodshed to impose its agenda. As an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) van entered a processing site in Dallas, Texas, a sniper opened fire from a nearby rooftop. Three illegal aliens being transferred to the center were hit, and one of them died – a cruel irony. The shooter was found dead shortly after the incident. He had apparently killed himself. He was 29 years old.
This isn’t the first attack on ICE agents, of course, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for anyone to dismiss a link between the left’s demonization of the agency as fascist stormtroopers and the violence perpetrated against them. A further demonstration of that link was found at the crime scene: A stripper clip containing five rifle rounds – at least one of which had "ANTI-ICE" written on it. For months, left-wing activists have likened ICE agents to Nazis and to Nazi Germany’s secret state police, the Gestapo. Certain elected Democrats have employed similar rhetoric. Earlier this year, Minnesota’s Democrat governor and former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz called Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents a "modern-day Gestapo.” In July, after ICE agents apprehended an illegal alien MS-13 member in Providence, R.I., progressive Democrat Rep. Enrique Sanchez claimed that "Nazi Gestapo ICE thugs" had "kidnapped" one of "our neighbors," describing the arrest as an "act of terror.” At this point, to say there is no evidence that these incendiary accusations are inciting physical assaults and armed attacks on this branch of the Department of Homeland Security is a stretch. Left-wing activist sites are awash with articles that draw comparisons between ICE and the Nazis. One such article, published on the website Left Voice, is even written in the style of a serious academic piece, making the argument that ICE can indeed be likened to the Gestapo. So, it’s not correct to assume that loaded language thrown around by Democrat officeholders is solely to blame for the rise in left-wing political violence – whether one is thinking of the attacks on ICE, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, or the two attempts on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s life. There is a whole propaganda machine at work, spreading and inciting hate and violence against the Trump administration. Little wonder that impressionable and – probably in most cases – mentally unstable young men and women are being conditioned to believe they are up against the forces of tyranny. Such a mind might easily be driven to react violently, even at the cost of their own lives.

Univision [9/28/2025 3:18 PM, Staff, 4932K] reports the immigration raid in Cato, New York in early September continues to generate controversy, this after Spectrum News 1 released images of the body cameras of the Cayuga sheriff, where ICE agents are seen describing immigrants as “animals.” “They’re animals, that’s what I tell my kids all the time,” one of the elements of the federal agency is heard saying during the operation, while describing his time at the McAllen, Texas, detention center, known as Ursula. The unidentified officer says he did not let anyone out of his cells, did not allow them to make calls and not receive medical attention. In another scene, another federal agent can be heard slaving, “I thought we were a sanctuary.”

New York Times [9/28/2025 2:25 PM, Alyce McFadden, 143795K] reports Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia has been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Pennsylvania, according to a document filed by his lawyers in federal court. Mr. Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador and the ensuing tug of war between his lawyers and the federal government have become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, drawing condemnation and outrage from immigration advocates as federal officials continue to seek his expulsion from the United States. In March, the Trump administration said he had been sent to El Salvador because of an administrative error. But federal officials reversed course in April, claiming that Mr. Abrego Garcia was a criminal and gang member, and in June returned him to the United States to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He was briefly released from custody in late August, but was promptly detained again and sent to a facility in Virginia. His lawyers said they had trouble visiting him there in part because of its distance from New York City and Nashville, where his legal teams are based. His transfer to the Pennsylvania facility, the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, which his lawyers said they learned of on Friday, could make the problem worse, they argued. The move has made it “far more difficult” for the Nashville-based members of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s legal team to reach him, and travel to the processing center is “not appreciably easier” for the New York team, according to the court filing. Mr. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers also raised questions about “deeply concerning” conditions inside the Moshannon facility, citing “recent reports of assaults, inadequate medical care and insufficient food.” In August, a detainee, Chaofeng Ge, died by suicide there. Immigration officials have insisted that they will not allow Mr. Abrego Garcia to go free in the United States, and Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said in August that law enforcement officers were “processing” Mr. Abrego Garcia for deportation, though it is not clear where he would be deported to.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [9/28/2025 9:14 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12414K]

Breitbart [9/28/251:01 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2608K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Friday that Florida’s law enforcement agencies have been awarded millions in federal funding as the Sunshine State launches a massive, statewide crackdown on illegal immigration. The funding has been awarded to law enforcement agencies that enrolled in the federal 287(g) program to partner with the Department of Homeland Security in immigration actions. In Florida, 325 state law enforcement agencies have partnered with the federal program, a 577 percent increase over the number in January. “Florida state and local law enforcement agencies have demonstrated exceptional commitment as essential partners in ICE’s 287(g) program,” said ICE Deputy Director Madison D. Sheahan in a press release. “This partnership exemplifies the critical role collaboration plays in safeguarding our communities and ensuring the removal of the most dangerous individuals who threaten public safety. At a time when ICE officers and law enforcement personnel face unprecedented challenges and threats, these partnerships are more vital than ever to protect our neighborhoods and uphold the rule of law.” Sheahan commended the commitment that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has put into immigration enforcement, and also Attorney General James Uthmeier, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Florida Sheriffs Association for their dedication. “Thank you to the Trump Administration and our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for choosing Florida as the first stop for presenting reimbursements for our dedicated law enforcement officers across the state,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Florida is proud to lead the nation on illegal immigration enforcement, acting as a force multiplier to assist President Trump in restoring our nation’s sovereignty

The Hill [9/28/2025 8:33 PM, Max Rego, 12414K] reports federal immigration agents patrolled downtown Chicago on Sunday as the Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdowns in major cities across the country. The Border Patrol agents spotted downtown were armed, masked and camouflaged, according to NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said hundreds of ICE officers were downtown as part of its "Midway Blitz" operation in Chicago, which began on Sept. 8, NewsNation reported. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that agents made multiple arrests downtown, including in the River North neighborhood Sunday morning. The Department of Homeland Security said in a post on the social platform X that 11 people were arrested outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Ill., on Saturday amid a large protest at the center. The post added that two guns were seized and an investigation has been opened "into what appears to be some sort of explosive device" outside the facility. The raids have sparked concerns from immigrant communities and outrage from Democratic lawmakers. The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use, have reviewed the Privacy Policy, and to receive personalized offers and communications via email, on-site notifications, and targeted advertising using my email address from The Hill, Nexstar Media Inc., and its affiliates. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) called the presence "a show of intimidation" that is "instilling fear in our communities and hurting our businesses.” "We cannot normalize militarizing American cities and suburbs," Pritzker added in another post Sunday. "Make sure you know your rights and stay alert.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) said Chicago residents "are being intimidated and threatened by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason.” The administration defended the actions Sunday, after federal agents were seen walking through downtown Chicago, including near the Trump International Hotel and Tower. "I would say the majority are actually glad we’re here," Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of U.S. Border Patrol, told NewsNation of the public reaction. "They are congratulating us, saying, ‘It’s about time you’re here.’ Especially those inner-city residents here in Chicago are very glad were here, because oftentimes they’re up against that vast illegal migration that took place over the past four years. They’re the ones dealing with the violence perpetrated by illegal aliens.” Johnson has previously criticized the Trump administration for threatening to send National Guard troops to Chicago. Last month, the president sent troops to Washington, D.C., and federalized the District’s police department. Six other Republican-led states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia — have also sent troops to Washington. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) also told reporters Friday that federal agents will arrive in Memphis this week, following Trump signing an executive order establishing the Memphis Safe Task Force on Sept. 15. The president said Saturday that he is also sending federal troops to Portland, Ore., and has suggested that Chicago may be next. "This is another brazen provocation from the Trump administration that does nothing to make our city safer," Johnson added.

Chicago Tribune [9/28/2025 8:16 PM, Adriana Pérez, 5352K] reports sozens of federal immigration agents were seen patrolling downtown Chicago Sunday afternoon. Social media livestreams showed agents in front of Tribune Tower on North Michigan Avenue and in front of Millennium Park, detaining individuals. They also showed several U.S. Customs and Border Protection boats on the Chicago River. The video of the agents walking in clusters downtown was recorded by lawyer Berto Aguayo, advising undocumented individuals to stay away and to be aware of their rights. After sightings near Millennium Park and the Riverwalk downtown, the dozens of federal immigration agents - most of them wearing camouflage uniforms with U.S. Border Patrol patches - made their way up to the Gold Coast - a primarily white, affluent neighborhood - in the early afternoon, flanking the sidewalks of Clark Street. Roughly 20 bystanders and passersby started following the officers, chanting "ICE, go home!" The agents stopped at the intersection with Oak Street. Several got in vans that drove away. For another 15 minutes, the crowd of protesters around them grew bigger, yelling "shame." The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, could not immediately be reached for comment.

FOX News [9/28/2025 1:18 PM, Anders Hagstrom, 40019K] reports the Department of Homeland Security released images of firearms confiscated from anti-ICE "rioters" in Chicago on Sunday. DHS says it has launched an investigation after discovering "what appears to be" an explosive device outside the Chicago ICE facility. Authorities did not announce the specific charges leveled against the protesters. "11 violent rioters were arrested last night in Chicago outside the ICE detention facility: These are two guns that were taken off rioters in Chicago right against the fence at our ICE detention facility," DHS wrote. "An investigation is underway into what appears to be some sort of explosive device found last night near the ICE Chicago detention facility," the statement continued. Federal law enforcement agents deployed pepper balls and tear gas Friday during a standoff with anti-ICE protesters outside of Chicago. The confrontation came just two days after a shooter opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. The gunman in that incident killed one detainee and injured two others before taking his own life, authorities said. At least 50 protesters were seen midday Friday at an ICE processing center in Broadview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. An ICE spokesperson told Fox News that two were arrested, one of whom was carrying a firearm.

Telemundo [9/28/2025 8:13 PM, Staff, 2782K] reports that, with family and friends in attendance, Silverio Villegas González, the Mexican immigrant who died at the hands of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on September 12 in Chicago, was buried last Friday in the small town of Irimbo, Michoacán, Mexico. Villegas González, 38, and father of two, had emigrated to the United States 18 years ago. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the incident, Villegas González resisted arrest and ran over the agent with his car, who shot and killed him. The death of the Mexican immigrant prompted Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to call for an investigation into the incident. "We are very hurt [...] At least my brother is here now. We can finally give him a Christian burial," said Jorge Villegas, Villegas’ older brother, as he wept. "He was a good father. He didn’t deserve what happened to him," she emphasized, adding, "I sincerely hope that justice will be served. The way he was killed, the way things happened, cannot go unpunished." For her part, Blanca Ávila, who was Villegas’ classmate, said that the immigrant was a humble man and a good classmate. He added that he now fears for the fate of his own brothers, who are in the United States. "Now they go to work fearing that immigration will come and do something to them, just like what happened to our classmate," he said. Villegas González’s death occurred the same week that ICE launched its statewide immigration enforcement campaign, Operation Midway Blitz, focusing particularly on Chicago. Family and friends of Villegas González said after his death that the immigrant was on his way to work on the morning of September 12 after dropping off his children, ages 6 and 3, at school and daycare. Blanca Mora, Villegas González’s girlfriend, told Telemundo Chicago that she had been texting him that morning. "He told me he was going to buy something to eat and then go to work. But after that, I didn’t hear anything else," she added. Surveillance footage from a nearby beauty salon, broadcast by a local CBS News affiliate, showed an SUV blocking Villegas González’s car. The recording shows two ICE agents standing next to the vehicle, one on the passenger side and one on the driver’s side. Villegas González began to reverse. As he drove his car, the officer standing on the passenger side attempted to chase him. A video from a witness showed the two agents pulling an injured Villegas González from his car after he crashed into a cargo truck. Another video obtained by Telemundo Chicago showed the two ICE agents administering first aid to the man. The federal immigration agent who shot Villegas González said that the injuries he suffered after being dragged by the car were "nothing serious," in recordings from a police officer’s body camera released on September 23. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [9/28/2025 2:45 PM, Staff, 1563K] reports despite a Houston area baseball facility initially claiming Muslim men shooting into a 12-year-old baseball game was "recreational shooting," the Department of Homeland Security says the men are dangerous criminals. DHS also says two of the men never should have been allowed into the country or been granted the immigration status they were by the Biden administration. Three Muslim men were charged last week with felonies after they allegedly fired rounds toward a youth baseball complex in Katy, Texas, a suburb west of Houston. Shots were fired into the Ameripark youth baseball field, known as "The Rac," when a youth baseball tournament was being played, The Center Square reported. The Waller County Sheriff’s Office arrested three men several days after the shooting: Mahmood Abdelsalam Rababah, 23; Ahmad Mawed, 21; and Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, 27. They were charged with deadly conduct, discharge of a firearm, a felony offense. Each were held on $100,000 surety bonds; only Mawed’s bond remained active, according to county jail records. Jordanian national Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah was granted citizenship by the Biden administration; Lebanese national Ahmad Mawed was granted a green card by the Biden administration, DHS said. None of the children were injured; a 27-year-old coach was struck in the shoulder, taken to the hospital and released. He was saying a pregame prayer with the team when shots were fired, got down on the ground and covered players with his body, KHOU 11 News reported. The shooting also occurred after Gov. Greg Abbott ceremonially signed a bill into law this month banning Islamic Sharia law and Sharia compounds in Texas. In response to DHS’ announcement, Abbott said, "Keep these criminals in a Texas prison for as long as possible. Then deport them to never return.". DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Matalgah’s and Mawed’s applications should have been denied because they were coming from "high threat countries.". "This horrific act of terror, the firing on children praying before the start of a baseball game, is pure evil," she said. "These individuals from high threat countries were let in by the Biden Administration. They clearly were not vetting the aliens they were letting legally enter our country and even become U.S. citizens. Not only did Biden fail the American people by leaving our borders wide open to criminals, but he also legally allowed them to gain status and citizenship to terrorize our communities.". The Biden administration approved Matalgah’s U.S. citizenship application on Aug. 1, 2023, despite prior arrests for drug possession. Drug possession disqualifies applicants for citizenship. It also granted Mawed’s entrance on an IR-2 visa on June 3, 2021. The green card status automatically made him a legal permanent resident, DHS said.

New York Times [9/29/2025 3:18 AM, Mitch Smith and Ann Hinga Klein, 330K] reports that, last week, school officials in Des Moines were celebrating improved marks on a state evaluation. The superintendent, Ian Roberts, who in two years on the job had already become a well-known figure in Iowa, said the report showed “that we have the foundation of an outstanding school district that will continue to grow and improve.” Days later, the Des Moines Public Schools system was in disarray. Dr. Roberts was in the custody of federal immigration officials, who asserted that he had been leading the school system while in the United States illegally. District officials were struggling to answer questions about their vetting process for hiring Dr. Roberts and straining to square the description of Dr. Roberts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials with the man they knew. On Saturday, School Board members voted 7 to 0 to place Dr. Roberts on paid administrative leave during a meeting that lasted less than three minutes. “I want to be clear, no one here was aware of any citizenship or immigration issues that Dr. Roberts may have been facing,” said Jackie Norris, the School Board chair, in a statement that she said she was reading on behalf of the Board. “The accusations ICE has made against Dr. Roberts are very serious, and we are taking them very seriously.” Ms. Norris, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, said Dr. Roberts had said he was a U.S. citizen on an Iowa application for a superintendent license. Board members declined to take questions from reporters. The abrupt turn from optimism to chaos in the Des Moines school system started on Friday morning as word spread of a law enforcement search on the city’s south side. The police radio crackled with word that ICE agents were seeking a man in a gray suit and pink shirt who had fled officers near a trailer park. Hours later, ICE would say they had arrested Dr. Roberts, who was born in Guyana. ICE officials said Dr. Roberts had a deportation order, no authorization to work in the United States, and had faced weapon possession charges several years ago. It would have been a shocking turn of events during any period. But the timing of Dr. Roberts’s detention, in the midst of President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, contributed to heightened suspicions and tensions, with some residents protesting the superintendent’s detention and some politicians describing it as proof of a lawless immigration system. “He should have never been anywhere around Iowa kids in the first place!” Representative Ashley Hinson, an Iowa Republican, posted on social media. She said Dr. Roberts “should be deported immediately.” Dr. Roberts remained in custody at an Iowa jail on Saturday. Alfredo Parrish, a lawyer representing Dr. Roberts, said in a brief phone interview that he was in agreement with the district’s decision to place the superintendent on leave with pay. “We are still trying to get the facts accurate,” Mr. Parrish said. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said that “those who believe immigration laws are optional are dangerously wrong.”

Reported similarly:
CBS News [9/28/2025 10:02 AM, Staff, 45245K]

FOX News [9/28/2025 11:55 AM, Staff, 40019K] reports Iowa Democrats are rallying behind a school superintendent who was arrested by ICE on allegations that he is in the country illegally this week, and they are led by a school board chair who once held a key role in the Obama White House. After ICE arrested Ian Roberts, the superintendent for Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) last week, school board chair Jackie Norris called for people to have "radical empathy" as Roberts’ case plays out. Norris previously served as White House chief of staff for then-first lady Michelle Obama. Meanwhile, Republicans in the state legislature are also launching a probe into how the board chose Roberts in the first place. Norris supported Roberts in a statement on Friday in which she said that officials "do not have all the facts.". "There is much we do not know," Norris said. "However, what we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago.". "During his time with our district, he has shown up in ways big and small and has advocated for students and staff, and has begun introducing concepts that will help us reimagine education for future generations," she continued. Norris said Roberts joined the school district in July 2023 after having served in various school districts across the U.S. for "over 20 years." Norris was not the chair of the school board at the time Roberts started, but she has been a member since 2021. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Iowa legislature are calling for a wider probe to ensure proper hiring practices are being followed across the state. Iowa’s House Government Oversight Committee also sent a letter to the DMPS directing it to preserve documents related to Roberts’ hiring. "I will not hesitate to introduce and pass legislation to mandate enhanced hiring protocols, increase transparency in district operations, and protect the resources allocated to our schools through the appropriations process," State Rep. Austin Harris said. "Iowa’s families deserve nothing less than a safe, lawful, and effective education system for their children.". ICE alleges that Roberts is in the country illegally from Guyana. They say he is not legally permitted to work in the United States and had a final order of removal from a judge issued in May 2024. Roberts was arrested after allegedly driving away from law enforcement. He later abandoned his car in the woods, and Iowa State Patrol ended up finding him, according to a press release. "This suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement," ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson said in a statement.

New York Post [9/28/2025 12:05 PM, Ariel Zilber, 43962K] reports federal agents began arriving in "war ravaged" Portland, Ore., over the weekend after President Donald Trump ordered military deployment to the city, with at least one clash already erupting outside an ICE facility. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was seen Friday shoving a protester to the ground, according to video footage captured by KATU-TV. Another demonstrator was detained as agents confronted crowds outside the South Portland site. In an early-morning Truth Social post Saturday, Trump said he authorized "full force" to protect what he called "War ravaged Portland" and federal buildings "under siege by ANTIFA, and other domestic terrorists.". Mayor Keith Wilson, speaking at a late-night press conference Friday, said, "We now have a sudden influx of federal agents in our city. "We did not ask for them to come. They are here without precedent or purpose," Wilson said. Residents reacted sharply to the deployment. David Schmidt, who lives near the ICE building, told KATU, "Every night, there’s tons of protesters basically being vagrants on the street. … They are making noise constantly, even when nobody from ICE is outside.". Other locals warned that the federal presence could escalate unrest. "I just remember watching night after night … in 2020, and I’m just worried that we’re going to see things blow up like they did in 2020," said Ocean Hosojasso of Portland.

New York Times [9/29/2025 12:22 AM, Lydia DePillis, 143795K] reports that, after the White House’s startling changes to the nation’s high-skilled visa program, employers have moved from shock to acceptance. Some are strategizing how to work with the new rules. Others are making plans to litigate. And many wish the Trump administration had heeded the piles of ideas to fix the program’s central, widely acknowledged failing. Since the early 2000s, demand for specialized workers has far outstripped a cap that remains where it stood when the H-1B program started in 1990. The government allocates the visas randomly, and outsourcing companies have learned to flood the system with applications for relatively low-paid positions. The Trump administration said it wanted to stop that practice and reserve the coveted visas for the most valuable workers so they do not displace American software programmers, researchers and engineers. The solutions the administration chose — a $100,000 fee for new visas and a complex weighting system to favor higher-paid jobs — are unlikely to accomplish that. Instead, loopholes appear likely to allow outsourcing companies to adapt while start-ups, universities and research organizations lose out, according to experts from across the political spectrum. “Something that addresses the right problem and sounds good on paper can still lead you down the exactly same problematic road,” said John Lettieri, president of the Economic Innovation Group, a think tank that has studied the H-1B program. Any comfort that might have come from certainty about the administration’s long-awaited action was erased by the likelihood of legal challenges to the new rules. A provision for exemptions based on the “national interest” — which the White House suggested it might grant to doctors, for example — has kept workers and employers hoping for clemency. “They want to create a really high barrier that gives them discretion to bring people to them to make a deal,” Mr. Lettieri said. Immigration officials aggressively denied H-1B applications in Mr. Trump’s first term, but the support of tech leaders including Elon Musk raised hopes that Mr. Trump might look more favorably on foreign talent now. The H-1B is America’s largest visa category for workers with specialized skills. The annual limit is 85,000, and employers that aren’t subject to the cap — including nonprofit universities and hospitals — usually expand the total by at least 50 percent. The visa can be extended for up to six years, or longer if the worker has a pending green card application. In 2019, the last year the Department of Homeland Security provided data, there were about 583,420 H-1B visa holders in the United States. Almost since its inception, the program has been plagued with instances of employers who substituted foreign visa holders for American workers and paid them less. In the early 2000s, the federal government embraced a lottery to allocate scarce visas, with no mechanism to elevate exceptional talents over more run-of-the-mill workers. Despite the program’s shortcomings, economists have generally found that H-1B visa holders boost American productivity and raise wages even for American workers. Politicians and policy experts on both sides of the aisle have called for changes to maximize the program’s value. “It’s all random chance, which is insane for a program that should be our flagship high-skilled immigration program,” said Jeremy Neufeld, director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress.

Telemundo [9/29/2025 3:36 AM, Josué Bran, 51K] reports foreign truck drivers will face more complications in obtaining commercial licenses following an announcement by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation is tightening requirements for foreigners to obtain commercial driver’s licenses after three fatal accidents this year caused by immigrant truck drivers, according to authorities. The new rules will make it much more difficult for immigrants to obtain commercial driver’s licenses, as only three specific types of visa holders will be eligible. States will also be required to verify the applicant’s immigration status in a federal database. Francisco Ortega, who has been in the business for several years, explained that this administration is implementing laws that are affecting their pockets. "It’s getting more complicated," he said, adding that "several colleagues have already been denied renewal, which is affecting us in terms of cancellations and job losses," said Francisco Ortega, a binational driver. These licenses will only be valid for one year, unless the applicant’s visa expires earlier. The national audit of these licenses began after an accident in Florida in which two people died, caused by a truck driver who, according to authorities, was in the country without permission. However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that earlier this year, fatal accidents were also detected involving truck drivers who should not have had licenses in Texas and Alabama. Under the new rules, only 10,000 of the 200,000 foreigners who currently hold commercial licenses would qualify for a commercial license, which are only available to drivers with H-2a, H-2b, or E-2 visas. However, the rules will not be applied retroactively, so those 190,000 drivers will be able to keep their commercial licenses at least until it is time to renew them. "Well, I do feel quite questioned because now, with all these things that have happened with accidents involving American citizens or foreigners, there is mistrust towards us," said Ismael Figueroa, a binational truck driver. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [9/29/2025 3:29 AM, Eduardo Baptista, 45746K] reports China’s new visa programme aimed at attracting foreign tech talent kicks off this week, a move seen boosting Beijing’s fortunes in its geopolitical rivalry with Washington as a new U.S. visa policy prompts would-be applicants to scramble for alternatives. While China has no shortage of skilled local engineers, the programme is part of an effort by Beijing to portray itself as a country welcoming foreign investment and talent, as rising trade tensions due to U.S. tariffs cloud the country’s economic outlook. China has taken a series of measures to boost foreign investment and travel, opening more sectors to overseas investors and offering visa waivers for citizens from most European countries, Japan and South Korea among others. "The symbolism is powerful: while the U.S. raises barriers, China is lowering them," said Iowa-based immigration attorney Matt Mauntel-Medici, referring to China’s new visa category, called the K visa, which launches on Wednesday. The K visa, announced in August, targets young foreign science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates and promises to allow entry, residence and employment without a job offer, which could appeal to foreign workers looking for alternatives to U.S. job opportunities. Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas, widely used by tech companies to hire skilled foreign workers. "The U.S. has definitely shot itself in the foot on H-1Bs, and the timing is exquisite for China’s K visa," said Michael Feller, chief strategist at Geopolitical Strategy. Other countries including South Korea, Germany and New Zealand are also loosening visa rules to attract skilled migrants. Immigration experts say the main attraction of the K visa is no requirement of a sponsoring employer, which has been regarded as one of the biggest hurdles for those seeking H-1B visas. The H-1B visa requires employer sponsorship and is subject to a lottery system, with only 85,000 slots available annually. The new $100,000 fee could further deter first-time applicants. "It’s an appealing alternative for Indian STEM professionals seeking flexible, streamlined visa options," said Bikash Kali Das, an Indian student at Sichuan University. India was by far the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved beneficiaries. Despite its promise, the K visa faces hurdles. Chinese government guidelines mention vague "age, educational background and work experience" requirements. There are also no details on financial incentives, employment facilitation, permanent residency, or family sponsorship. Unlike the U.S., China does not offer citizenship to foreigners except in rare cases. China’s State Council did not respond to a request for comment asking for more details on the logistics and underlying strategy of the K visa.

Reuters [9/29/2025 2:23 AM, Ju-min Park and Heejin Kim, 45746K] reports South Korea and the United States will meet for their first working group discussions on visa systems for Korean companies operating in the U.S. on Tuesday, Seoul’s foreign ministry said. The talks are designed to improve U.S. visa programmes for South Korean businesses there in the aftermath of a massive raid that led to the arrests of hundreds of South Korean workers at a Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) car battery facility under construction in Georgia earlier this month. Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s top national security adviser, said on Monday the country would resolve the visa issues as quickly as possible to create a better environment for Korean investments in the United States. South Korean companies have become major investors in the U.S., building factories that often require highly technical skill sets that are not easy to find in the United States. But unlike some countries such as Australia, Canada and Mexico, South Koreans do not have access to special treaty work visas. Instead, workers from South Korean companies have used visa waiver programmes or temporary visas for some business-related activities. "We will focus on making current (visa) systems more clear and seek to design a new category in addition to that," though it is hard to know when this will be completed," Wi told a media briefing on Monday. "We will try to achieve an outcome as quickly as possible," he said. Wi reiterated that South Korea was unable to pay $350 billion in cash for an investment package that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested as part of a deal to cut tariffs. Washington had agreed to lower tariffs on imports from South Korea in return for the investment package, but follow-up negotiations to hammer out details, including the structure of the investment package, have stalled. Visa issues for Korean workers are not necessarily connected to the ongoing tariff negotiations, but resolving those issues would help the country’s businesses in the U.S., Wi said.

Reuters [9/28/2025 11:44 AM, Natalia Siniawski, 45746K] reports the United States and Mexico launched a new bilateral initiative aimed at disrupting the flow of illicit firearms across their shared border, the U.S. State Department said on Saturday. The announcement came during the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Security Implementation Group, formed earlier this month during Secretary Rubio’s visit to Mexico to enhance joint action against narcotrafficking and arms smuggling. As part of the new initiative, Mexico will expand its use of U.S. tracing tools such as eTrace and ballistic imaging technology to all 32 states, while both countries will increase joint investigations, prosecutions, and intelligence sharing, the department said. The initiative also calls for deeper bilateral investigations, more prosecutions, and a ramp-up of U.S. inspections to stop the southbound smuggling of weapons — a key enabler of cartel violence in Mexico. "For the first time, the U.S. & Mexico are implementing joint inspections, real-time info-sharing, and expanded investigations to stop weapons fueling cartels. Historic cooperation to protect both nations," United States Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said on social media.

Univision [9/28/2025 10:00 AM, Staff, 4932K] reports Federal regulators have detected possible radioactive contamination in a second food product sent to the United States from Indonesia, while recalls of potentially contaminated shrimp continue. The discovery increases questions about the origin of this unusual problem. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week blocked the import of all Java Spice natural PT spices from Indonesia after federal inspectors detected cesium-137 in a shipment of smew cloves shipped to California. This follows the import alert imposed in August on the company PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, or BMS Foods, which sends millions of pounds of shrimp to the United States each year. Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope created as a by-product of nuclear reactions, including nuclear bombs, testing, reactor operations and accidents. It is widely distributed worldwide, with minimal amounts present in the environment, including soil, food and air. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials detected cesium-137 in shrimp shipping containers sent by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati to several U.S. ports. CBP officials alerted the FDA, which analyzed samples from the shrimp and detected cesium-137 in a breaded shrimp sample. No food that has triggered alerts or tested positive has been put up for sale in the United States, FDA officials stressed. But hundreds of thousands of packages of imported frozen shrimp, sold in Kroger and other grocery stores across the country, have been recalled because they could have been produced in conditions that allowed their contamination, the agency said. Although the risk appears small, these foods may pose a “possible health concern” for people exposed to low levels of cesium-137 over a prolonged period. The levels of contamination detected are well below those that could trigger the need for health protection measures, but long-term exposure could increase the risk of certain cancers. It is unclear whether there is a common source of contamination for shrimp and spices. FDA and CBP officials said their investigations continue. The two processing facilities appear to be about 500 miles away in Indonesia.

Houston Chronicle [9/28/2025 2:26 PM, Melissa Renteria, 2356K] reports a retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was among two people killed in a shooting late Saturday night at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass. Six others were injured and a suspect is in custody in Wilson County, authorities said. The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas confirmed the number of dead and injured hours after police announced they had a suspected gunman in custody. Authorities did not release any details about how the deadly incident unfolded. "According to reports, two lives were lost — one male and one female — in a senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones during this unimaginable time," Kickapoo officials said in a statement posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon. "Additionally, we lift up in prayer the six individuals who were wounded in the shooting, some of whom were airlifted to San Antonio for medical treatment.". Eagle Pass Mayor Aaron Valdez confirmed one of the dead as Marcus "Mark" Antley, a retired border patrol agent. "Mr. Antley dedicated much of his life to public service and law enforcement. He will be remembered not only for his career but also for his generosity, leadership, and the lasting friendships he built throughout Eagle Pass and the region. His passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of many," Valdez said in a statement posted on Facebook. The suspected gunman was arrested in Wilson County Sunday morning, Eagle Pass police said. Wilson County authorities identified him as Keryan Rashad Jones, 34, of San Antonio, according to KSAT News. He faces charges of two counts of capital murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. In a statement posted on Facebook, Eagle Pass police said the person "suspected in the incident" is in custody, and that he was captured in Wilson County through the coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies. He was being brought to Maverick County, the post said. Police did not identify the shooter. The suspected shooter was located through a vehicle tracking system. Shortly after the shooting, authorities said a black Nissan Frontier truck was believed to be involved in the shooting.

The Daily Caller [9/28/2025 2:25 PM, Mark Tanos, 985K] reports the Trump administration will construct 10 miles of new border wall in San Diego after waiving dozens of environmental laws to speed up the project. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued the determination on Sept. 23, citing the San Diego Sector as an area of high illegal entry. Border Patrol agents apprehended over 922,000 illegal aliens attempting to cross between ports of entry in the sector from fiscal year 2021 through July 2025, according to the Federal Register notice. During that same period, agents seized more than 2,465 pounds of marijuana, 9,873 pounds of cocaine, 565 pounds of heroin, 29,675 pounds of methamphetamine and 4,016 pounds of fentanyl in the sector. The project area stretches from the Pacific Ocean east to Border Monument 231. Noem waived more than 30 laws to expedite construction, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The new barriers will stand 30 feet tall with anti-climb features near the Tecate and Otay Mesa ports of entry, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. Construction includes 7.6 miles of primary barrier about 3 miles west of Tecate, another 1.3 miles east of Tecate, and 0.84 miles of secondary barrier near Otay Mesa. The San Diego Union Tribune [9/28/2025 8:01 AM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1648K] reports U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued the waiver "to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads," according to a Federal Register notice posted on Tuesday. The projects involve the construction of new barriers near the Tecate and Otay Mesa ports of entry, as well as miles of improved infrastructure — such as roads, lighting and cameras — along existing barriers from the Pacific Ocean to Jacumba Hot Springs. It is being funded by H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in which Customs and Border Protection was given $46.5 billion through fiscal 2029 to be used broadly on border construction and maintenance. "President (Donald) Trump is delivering on the mandate given by the American people to secure our southern border," CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement. Between Otay Mesa and Tecate, construction is planned for 7.6 miles of a 30-foot-tall primary border barrier with an anti-climb top, as well as related system features. The starting point is approximately 3 miles west of the Tecate Port of Entry. Plans also include an additional 1.3 miles of primary border barrier about 3.5 miles east of Tecate. Farther west, the agency also plans to build a 0.84-mile secondary 30-foot-tall border barrier that will include anti-climb features and automated vehicle gates. It will be located 3.2 miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Noem emphasized the shift at the border in the Federal Register notice but added that "more can and must be done," pointing out that the San Diego sector is an area where people often try to enter the country illegally. In April, Noem issued an initial waiver to allow construction of a total of 2.5 miles of new barriers in three areas along the San Diego border: Smuggler’s Gulch, Otay Mesa and Jacumba Hot Springs. The Border Patrol announced in July that construction on Smuggler’s Gulch was complete. Construction is underway on a stretch of Otay Mesa, and the work in Jacumba Hot Springs is scheduled to begin at a later date, a spokesperson said.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [9/28/2025 3:58 PM, Eric Mack, 4779K]

Breitbart [9/29/2025 12:20 AM, Olivia Rondeau, 2608K] reports that, John Casaretti, an air travel safety whistleblower and president of the Air Marshal Association, called on President Donald Trump and Congress to act quickly to allow the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) to operate as its own agency without "bureaucracy" to better stop potential terrorist attacks in an exclusive Breitbart News Saturday interview with Matthew Boyle. While the FAMS was launched in the 1960s under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at the order of President John F. Kennedy, it was moved to TSA in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "Everything the air marshals did around 2007 onwards was all through the lens of the TSA bureaucracy. TSA only cares about screeners," Casaretti said. "They don’t have any deep experience with law enforcement. Unfortunately, the air marshals were listening to them. All of the policies were made by them, and bad policy after bad policy ensued. When it came to intelligence, when it came to hiring, standards were lowered.” He continued, "They made the Air Marshal Service a career path for TSA screeners, so incredibly, where we started out as these high-speed anti-terrorism agents … to be a career path for TSA airport screeners. It actually blows my mind to this day, and it really needs to be changed.” The labor group leader expanded on his recent Breitbart News op-ed titled "It’s Time to Reset the Federal Air Marshal Service," which gave background on TSA’s controversial Quiet Skies program that shut down in June after he blew the whistle on its disturbing surveillance practices. Casaretti revealed details on the then-undisclosed program to the Boston Globe in 2018, which reported that federal air marshals had been "following ordinary U.S. citizens not suspected of a crime or on any terrorist watch list and collecting extensive information about their movements and behavior.” "The Air Marshal Association believes that missions based on recognized intelligence, or in support of ongoing federal investigations, is the proper criteria for flight scheduling," Casaretti told the outlet at the time. "Currently, the Quiet Skies program does not meet the criteria we find acceptable.” "The American public would be better served if these [air marshals] were instead assigned to airport screening and check-in areas so that active shooter events can be swiftly ended, and violations of federal crimes can be properly and consistently addressed," he argued. Despite the publicity, Quiet Skies continued to surveil "thousands of unsuspecting Americans" with "small teams of armed, undercover air marshals," records reviewed by the Globe revealed. The teams documented when passengers exhibited behaviors like fidgeting, using a computer, or displaying a "cold penetrating stare," according to the records. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the end of the program in June, "which since its existence has failed to stop a single terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers $200 million a year.” "The program, under the guise of ‘national security,’ was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies," DHS stated in a press release.

CBS News [9/28/2025 11:01 PM, Faris Tanyos, 45245K] reports Tropical Storm Imelda formed Sunday in the western Atlantic and is forecast to strengthen over the next few days, bringing the threat of torrential rainfall to portions of the southeastern U.S. early this week, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. Imelda, the ninth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, is forecast to become a hurricane by late Monday or Tuesday. As of 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, Imelda was bringing tropical storm conditions and heavy rains to the central and northwestern Bahamas, according to the NHC. The storm was located about 125 miles northwest of the Central Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Forecasters said the storm was expected to strengthen through Tuesday. Imelda was moving north at about 9 mph, according to the NHC. Rainfall from Imelda is likely to impact Cuba and the Bahamas through Tuesday. The risk of significant wind impacts along the southeastern U.S. was decreasing on Sunday evening, though swells and high surf from both Imelda and Humberto are expected to cause dangerous marine conditions and rip currents along the east coast of Florida and Georgia through Monday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it is also preparing for Imelda’s potential impact. While the FEMA National Response Coordination Center has not yet been activated, FEMA is planning the potential requirements for staging bases in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic that would be stocked with meals, water and generators if needed.

Wall Street Journal [9/28/25 9:00 PM, Scott Patterson and Tarini Parti, 2100K] reports minutes after a mile-wide tornado struck this city on an otherwise beautiful day this spring, Ali Rand heard her husband shout as he surveyed the devastation surrounding their tony neighborhood of historical homes. “Everything is gone,” Rand, 38, remembers him saying. The tornado, packing winds of 152 miles an hour, hit the city with blunt force, killing five people. In the weeks following the storm, Rand and other private citizens mobilized teams of residents whose neighborhoods had been destroyed to clean up debris, remove fallen trees and rebuild shattered homes. Largely missing from the recovery efforts, according to Rand, city officials and other residents: the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “I’ve never seen someone from FEMA out on the streets,” Rand said. That is by design. St. Louis is a test case for the Trump administration’s new policy of shifting more responsibility for natural disasters to states and cities. City officials and local residents who are still clearing rubble from destroyed buildings four months after the tornado struck said the experiment isn’t going well. Many of FEMA’s core functions related to preparing for natural disasters and leading recovery efforts after they strike have ground to a halt as the Trump administration redefines the agency, according to more than a dozen FEMA employees and local officials, as well as a review of internal government documents. Crucial contracts and grants haven’t been approved, caught up in layers of new bureaucracy. A wave of senior staff departed the agency when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency offered buyouts, taking decades of experience with them. Around 400 FEMA employees have been detailed to work at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as that agency rapidly expands. And the administration has started dismantling the agency’s disaster-response infrastructure, which was strengthened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The scaled-back federal response has left places like St. Louis in a bind. The city doesn’t have the finances, institutional knowledge or equipment to rapidly respond to catastrophic disasters like the tornado that struck in May, which the city estimates caused $1.6 billion in damage. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer—a Democrat, who had been in office for just a month when the tornado hit—pointed in an interview to the rapid federal response to a tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., in 2011. “That didn’t happen here,” she said. “We’re running the response ourselves.”

Wall Street Journal [9/28/2025 9:00 PM, Staff, 646K] reports President Trump wants to shift the responsibilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to states and cities. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [9/28/2025 4:45 PM, Ryan King, 43962K] reports Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman warned his party against allowing the government to shut down with two fast-approaching hurricanes nearing the US East Coast. Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has also criticized past partial shutdowns, argued that allowing the funding lapse to take place could jeopardize response efforts to Hurricane Humberto — which was previously a Category 5 storm — and Tropical Storm Imelda. "If you have a Cat 5 storm that’s now facing our nation, why would you even have that conversation right now?" the Keystone State Democrat told Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures" about the shutdown fight. "I sure [hope] things work out and we don’t shut our government down.". If Congress fails to act and fund the government for fiscal year 2026, which starts on Oct. 1, there will be a partial shutdown after 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. Democratic leaders have been demanding key concessions from Republicans on healthcare policy such as an extension of the COVID-19 era enhancements to the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year; and a rollback of GOP-championed Medicaid reforms. Hurricane Humberto intensified into a Category 5 storm Saturday but was downgraded to a Category 4 storm on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Its current path has it moving out to sea. Should the government enter a partial shutdown, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be restricted from renewing or selling key flood insurance policies. Most FEMA employees are expected to work during partial government shutdowns, but the agency’s funds are quickly running dry, which could complicate its response to a significant natural disaster. Fetterman was the only senator who voted for two stopgap measures, known as continuing resolutions (CRs), that came up for a vote in the Senate just over a week ago to avert a partial shutdown. He backed both the "clean" CR championed by Republicans and the one favored by Democrats that would give them key wins on healthcare policy.

Washington Post [9/28/2025 4:55 PM, Tara Copp, et al., 29079K] reports President Donald Trump has decided he is going to the last-minute global gathering of the nation’s top generals that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered last week, he said Sunday, setting the stage for a highly unusual meeting between the commander in chief and the U.S. military leaders. Trump’s appearance at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia not only overshadows Hegseth’s planned address but adds new security concerns to the massive and nearly unprecedented military event, which has required some generals and admirals to travel thousands of miles. Trump cast the discussion largely as a pep talk. “It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things. It’s just a good message,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News. “We have some great people coming in and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.” The comments came after The Washington Post reported earlier in the day that Trump was joining the event, whose creation caught senior military leaders by surprise last week. “We have confirmation from the White House that POTUS is now attending the speech on Tuesday,” states a planning document sent Saturday that was viewed by The Post. Notice went out to offices around the Pentagon that the decision will “significantly change the security posture” of the speech, set for Tuesday morning at Marine Corps University. The addition of the president at Quantico will now put the Secret Service in charge of securing the event. Hundreds of the military’s top commanding generals and admirals, ranked one star and above, along with their senior enlisted leaders were ordered to attend by Hegseth last week. The orders provided no reason for the event and initially raised concern among attendees and military officials that Hegseth was gathering the group to inform them of mass firings or demotions.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [9/28/2025 2:42 PM, Jesse Byrnes, 12414K]
CNN [9/28/2025 3:40 PM, Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, and Natasha Bertrand, 23245K]
NewsMax [9/28/2025 11:37 AM, Eric Mack, 4779K]

San Diego Union Tribune [9/28/2025 6:21 PM, Jemma Stephenson, 1648K] reports four Mexican nationals, including a 17-year-old girl, were taken into custody off a 36-foot sailboat in Mission Bay on Saturday morning, Coast Guard officials said. The agency said it received a report of a suspicious vessel going to the bay around 11:15 a.m. They directed a boarding team to go onto the vessel after it docked in the area of the Quivara Basin, Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Uranga said. The boarding team found six people aboard, including two American citizens who claimed they owned the vessel, officials said. All six were taken into custody, and the boat was seized, officials said.

NewsMax [9/28/2025 10:41 AM, Eric Mack, 4779K] reports an in-depth look at the ideology of domestic terror attacks in the U.S. has revealed that 2025 set a 30-year high for radical left extremism, according to the nonpartisan Center for Strategic & International Studies. "The first half of 2025 was marked by an increase in left-wing terrorist attacks and plots in the United States, which continues a trend noticeable over the last decade," according to CSIS analysts Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe. "In absolute terms, left-wing incidents are on track in 2025 to reach historically high levels in the last 30 years.". Not only is the left more violent, but the right is markedly less violent under President Donald Trump this year. "Moreover, 2025 marks the first time in more than 30 years that left-wing attacks outnumber those from the far right," the study read. "Indeed, the increase in left-wing attacks is particularly noticeable because attacks from right-wing perpetrators have sharply declined in 2025.". The study comes as President Donald Trump has vowed to investigate the funding of left-wing protests and his executive order labeling antifa a domestic terrorist organization. "Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law," Trump’s executive order signed last week read. "It uses illegal means to organize and execute a campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals. "This campaign involves coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws through armed standoffs with law enforcement, organized riots, violent assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other law enforcement officers, and routine doxing of and other threats against political figures and activists. "Antifa recruits, trains, and radicalizes young Americans to engage in this violence and suppression of political activity, then employs elaborate means and mechanisms to shield the identities of its operatives, conceal its funding sources and operations in an effort to frustrate law enforcement, and recruit additional members.".

Breitbart [9/28/2025 6:51 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2608K] reports Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) shared a study that showed that left-wing terrorism had reached a "30-year high," and criticized Democrats for using rhetoric such as "Hitler" or "fascist.". In a post on X, Fetterman included a screenshot of an Axios article titled "Study: Left-wing terrorism climbs to 30-year high." Fetterman noted that "political violence is always wrong," and called for everyone to "turn the temperature down." "Unchecked extreme rhetoric, like labels as Hitler or fascist, will foment more extreme outcomes," Fetterman said. "Political violence is always wrong — no exceptions.". "We must all turn the temperature down," Fetterman added.

New York Post [9/29/2025 12:03 AM, Zoe Hussain and Ronny Reyes, 43962K] reports the madman who fired a hail of bullets at a crowded dockside restaurant, killing three people, was a highly decorated Marine and a Purple Heart recipient who did two tours in Iraq, according to authorities. Nigel Edge — who​ changed his name from Sean DeBevoise in 2023 — received several prestigious awards during his service in the Marine Corps between September 2003 and June 2009, a US military spokesperson told The Post. Edge, a ranked sergeant, received a Purple Heart medal awarded to service members killed or wounded in action against an enemy, the spokesperson said. He was also awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct medal, Combat Action ribbon, Sea Service Deployment ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, Humanitarian Service medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, and National Defense Service medal, the spokesperson added. Edge, 39, was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving two multi-month stints in the war-torn country in 2005 and 2006, authorities said. His last assignment was at the Wounded Warrior Battalion East in Camp Lejeune, a center that offers rehabilitation, counseling, and recovery care for military members wounded in combat. North Carolina authorities also identified Edge as a combat veteran allegedly suffering from PTSD. Edge was arrested Saturday night ​for allegedly spraying bullets into a crowd of diners at the American Fish Company restaurant in Southport Yacht Basin, about 30 miles south of Wilmington, officials said. Three people were killed and eight were injured in the gunfire. One of the wounded​ victims is still "clinging to life," authorities told reporters Sunday. He was armed with a short-barreled AR rifle, equipped with a suppressor, with a folding stock and scope, according to court documents. Edge faces three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. A motive has yet to be determined, but authorities have called the mass shooting "highly premeditated.” In his years since leaving his prestigious career with the Marines, Edge appears to have become a paranoid and delusional conspiracy theorist. Records revealed that the once lauded Marine orchestrated a slew of bizarre lawsuits filed in North Carolina this year. One suit, filed in May, claimed the Generations Church was behind a "civil conspiracy" masterminded by the LGBTQ community and white supremacist pedophiles to kill Edge because he’s "a straight man.” In another suit filed in January against the Brunswick Medical Center, Edge accused them of being a part of a conspiracy launched by "LGBTQ White Supremacists" who were targeting him because he survived their attack in Iraq. The rambling lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice, court records showed.

CBS News [9/28/2025 7:32 PM, Bill Whitaker, Oriana Zill de Granados, Aliza Chasan, Emily Gordon, 45245K] reports that, late last year, Finnish special forces seized control of the Eagle S, a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, after it dragged its anchor and severed critical undersea cables. The maneuver — what would later be described as a "turning point" — was the first time Finnish forces had boarded and seized any foreign ship since World War II. A seven-month long 60 Minutes investigation revealed that the Eagle S incident was not an isolated case. Authorities suspect Russian aggression aimed at undersea infrastructure, prompting NATO to launch "Baltic Sentry," deploying ships and planes to monitor the shadow fleet and safeguard critical seabed infrastructure. British Adm. Keith Blount, NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander Europe, said the Eagle S incident was a provocation that demanded a response. "We’re not going to be pushed around, interfered with," Blount said. "We’re not going to be subject to illegal behaviors that either threaten the rule of law, or worse, threaten the safety and security of our people.” The Eagle S, loaded with Russian gas and en route to Egypt, triggered a nationwide alarm in Finland on Christmas last year. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was celebrating with his family when an urgent call from Finland’s Border Guard shattered the holiday calm. A critical undersea electric cable, Estlink-2, had been severely damaged 50 miles off the Finnish coast. Because there had been five other recent suspicious cable and gas line breaks, the Border Guard told the Prime Minister they suspected Estlink-2 was deliberately severed by a ship. With the Eagle S near Finnish territorial waters, Prime Minister Orpo authorized the extraordinary step of moving to intercept the tanker. As the Coast Guard vessel Turva sped toward the Eagle S, police and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation monitored from shore. Helsinki Police Chief Jari Liukku said the Coast Guard radioed the Eagle S, asking if its anchors were up and secure. They were told "Yes sir, our anchors are secured." But three hours later, as the Turva closed in, the crew could see that was not true. The anchor chain was hanging in the water. "We had a strong reason to believe that it was an intentional activity from their side," Liukku said. Just after midnight, as the ship entered Finnish waters, Finland dispatched an armed team of special forces to the Eagle S by helicopter. They dropped onto the vessel in the dark and seized control from about two dozen crewmen from the countries of Georgia and India.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [9/28/2025 7:32 PM, Bill Whitaker, 45245K] Video: HERE

FOX News [9/28/2025 10:02 AM, Morgan Phillips, 40019K] reports Iraq is entering "a new phase" of stability and growth, President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid said in an interview, declaring the country "100% safe" as U.S. troops prepare to draw down after more than two decades on the ground. While praising the U.S. for helping to defeat ISIS, Rashid stressed that Iraq now intends to stand on its own — maintaining ties with both the United States and neighboring Iran. "Americans have helped us in defeating terrorism… and I think Iraq is 100% safe and secure," Rashid told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. "It’s a new phase in Iraq, really concentrating on improving the infrastructure.". Those who served in Iraq in the early 2000s — through the War on Terror and a civil war — may not recognize it as the same place, according to Rashid. "We have started development in every field of life, and there are good opportunities for number of American companies, American businessmen, to be our partner in improving the situation in Iraq.". Under this "new phase," Rashid said he wants Iraq to be defined less by conflict and more by commerce. "Our relationship with the United States is a long relationship. We want to make a stronger relationship… on trade, on investment, on energy and water.". The timing is significant. The U.S.-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and later fought ISIS was scheduled under an agreement last year to begin its final withdrawal this September. That exact timeline is unclear, and the Pentagon has disclosed few details. The issue is sure to dominate next month’s parliamentary elections, where a swath of Iraqis want the U.S. to adhere to its agreement and leave. "This is a hot button political issue," said Behnam Taleblu, fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), "with a timetable that was technically — or at least allegedly — already supposed to have started by then, is going to be something that we should be keeping our eyes on.". American commanders have warned that ISIS cells remain active in rural areas, while Iran-aligned militias have targeted U.S. and Iraqi government facilities with rockets and drones.

FOX News [9/28/2025 2:57 PM, Anders Hagstrom and Trey Yingst, 40019K] reports the U.S. secured the release of an American citizen being detained in Afghanistan following months of negotiations on Sunday, Fox News has learned. The U.S. and Qatar jointly negotiated for the release of Amir Amiry, U.S. Special Envoy Adam Boehler told Fox News on Sunday. "When we went to Kabul to pick up George Glezmann six months ago, I asked to see Amir Amiry. He was brought to the airport gate and when he saw us he started to cry. Leaving an American was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life and I promised him that we would come back for him," Boehler told Fox. "Amir Amiry became a citizen by putting his life at risk fighting for our country and our troops. Today we repay the favor. God bless America and God bless the President," Boehler added. "Throughout Mr. Amiry’s detention, Qatari diplomats remained in close communication with US officials and carried out regular health checks to ensure his wellbeing," a source familiar with Amiri’s detention told Fox News. "His release was facilitated by Qatari diplomats in close coordination with the team of the US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, through Qatar’s role as the United States’ protecting power in Afghanistan," the source added.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [9/28/2025 1:58 PM, Emily Mae Czachor, 45245K]
NBC News [9/29/2025 4:53 AM, Jennifer Jett and Mushtaq Yusufzai, 43603K]

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