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

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

The AP [3/31/2026 8:58 PM, Seung Min Kim, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and to restrict mail-in voting, a move that swiftly drew legal threats from state Democratic officials ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The order, which voting law experts say violates the Constitution by attempting to seize states’ power to run elections, is the latest in a torrent of efforts from Trump to interfere with the way Americans vote based on his false allegations of fraud. The president has repeatedly lied about the outcome of the 2020 presidential campaign and the integrity of state-run elections, asserting again Tuesday that he won “three times” and citing accusations of voter fraud that numerous audits, investigations and courts have debunked. The order signed Tuesday calls on the Department of Homeland Security, working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, to make the list of eligible voters in each state. It also seeks to bar the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to those not on each state’s approved list. Trump is also calling for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique barcodes for tracking, according to the executive order, which was first reported by the Daily Caller. Federal funding could be withheld from states and localities that don’t comply. “The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible what’s going on,” Trump said, repeating his false allegations about mail ballots as he signed the order. “I think this will help a lot with elections.” Within minutes of Trump signing the order, top elections officials in Oregon and Arizona, two states that rely heavily on mail ballots, pledged to sue, arguing that the president was illegally encroaching on the right of states to run elections. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said the state’s vote-by-mail system was designed by Republicans and is now used by 80% of voters. Arizona doesn’t need the federal government to tell it who can vote, and federal data isn’t always reliable, he said. “It is just wrongheaded for a president of the United States to pretend like he can pick his own voters,” Fontes told The Associated Press. “That’s just not how America works.” Trump signed the order in the Oval Office while flanked by White House staff secretary Will Scharf and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Breitbart [3/31/2026 7:07 PM, Nick Gilbertson, 2238K] reports Scharf detailed the measures ahead of the signing. "We’re going to take federal data, we’re going to ensure that each state’s election officials are provided with a comprehensive view of who the eligible voters in their jurisdiction actually are, allowing them to properly verify that everybody voting in their elections is legally able to vote,’ Scharf said of the first measure. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, in tandem with the Social Security Administration, is tasked with establishing "State Citizenship Lists" for each state. The lists will include U.S. citizens residing in that state who will be at least 18 at the time of the next federal election. Scharf noted the order also directs "the postmaster general, the U.S. Postal Service, to take bold new measures to verify that ballots, both being sent to people, are being sent to people who are eligible to vote, and then the ballots being returned are being properly returned by eligible voters only.” FOX News [3/31/2026 8:18 PM, Jasmine Baehr, 37576K] reports that under the order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working with the Social Security Administration and other federal databases, will create and share "State Citizenship Lists" with state election officials. The lists are intended to identify individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 years old by the time of a federal election and who reside in that state. Those lists are to be updated and transmitted to states ahead of federal elections, according to the order. The order also directs the attorney general to prioritize investigations and potential prosecutions involving officials or others who issue ballots to individuals not eligible to vote in federal elections, as well as those involved in the "printing, production, shipment, or distribution of ballots" to ineligible voters. On mail ballots, the executive order calls on the postmaster general to initiate a rule-making process within 60 days. Proposed changes include requiring ballots to be clearly marked as official election mail, including a unique Intelligent Mail barcode or similar tracking technology, and undergoing Postal Service design review. The order also outlines a system under which states would notify USPS if they plan to use mail-in or absentee ballots and provide lists of eligible voters, allowing the Postal Service to maintain participation records tied to ballot distribution. Trump framed the changes as a direct response to what he described as longstanding vulnerabilities in voting by mail. "The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary," he said. "It’s horrible what’s going on." The Washington Post [3/31/2026 8:00 PM, Patrick Marley and Cleve R. Wootson Jr., 24826K] reports that the order also specifies what types of secure envelopes are to be used for mail ballots. Elections experts called the order legally questionable and noted that courts blocked the major provisions of an executive order on elections he signed last year. The Constitution gives states oversight of elections while giving Congress the power to establish national standards for them. It does not give the president unilateral authority over how voting is conducted. Trump predicted a legal challenge to the order. “They’ll probably challenge it,” he said. “You find a rogue judge — a lot of rogue judges. Very bad, bad people. Very bad judges. And hopefully we’ll win on appeal if it is [challenged].” Opponents agreed a challenge was all but certain. “This executive order is plainly unauthorized and unlawful,” said Wendy Weiser, a vice president at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. “The president has no authority to regulate elections. He tried to do something like this a year ago. ... We and others actually sued. We won. We expect the same result this time.” Trump has long assailed voting by mail, which he has claimed, without evidence, is riddled with fraud and which he blames for helping him lose the 2020 election. He has pushed Congress to pass the Save America Act, a GOP-backed bill that would require every voter to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at the ballot box. The bill has been stalled in the Senate, frustrating Trump and many of his supporters who have embraced his accusations about widespread voter fraud. Critics say the legislation and other efforts to restrict voting would disenfranchise millions of Americans. The executive order comes as Trump has pushed Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps to favor the GOP and touted a wide-ranging Justice Department probe related to the 2020 election. The Justice Department recently seized ballots from that election in Georgia and obtained a trove of data about it from Arizona. The administration has also sued 29 states to try to get copies of their voter rolls, which include voters’ birth dates, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Courts have blocked the administration from getting voter lists in three states and have not yet ruled in the others. The new executive order is far less ambitious than what the president has promised to deliver in the past. For months, he has said he would issue an executive order on elections, saying in August that he would “lead a movement” to end the use of mail ballots and voting machines. Trump allies have pressed the president to do that by declaring a national emergency, but Tuesday’s executive order came well short of making such a move.

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The New York Times [3/31/2026 8:52 PM, Nick Corasaniti and Michael Gold, 148038K] reports President Trump on Tuesday stepped up efforts to promote his false claims of widespread voting fraud, signing an executive order of questionable constitutionality seeking to create a national list of citizens that would determine voting eligibility and restrict mail ballots. Mr. Trump acknowledged that the order, which comes as a bill he has been pushing to restrict mail voting has languished in Congress, could face legal hurdles. “I believe it’s foolproof,” Mr. Trump said about the executive order before signing it in the Oval Office. “And maybe it’ll be tested. Maybe it won’t.” The president has no explicit Constitutional authority over elections, and many aspects of the order appear difficult to enforce. It directs the Department of Homeland Security to create a “state citizenship list” based on data from citizenship and naturalization records, Social Security records and other federal databases. The order directs federal officials to send the list to state election officials, and orders the attorney general to prioritize prosecution of election officials who provide federal ballots to ineligible voters. It also directs the U.S. Postal Service not to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots from any individual not included on the “state citizenship list.” Election experts and Democratic state election officials rejected the president’s directive as legally invalid. Officials in Arizona and Oregon pledged to fight the executive order in court. Marc Elias, a Democratic election lawyer, also vowed to file a lawsuit against the order. “The Constitution doesn’t allow the executive to take over elections administration, that’s a job for the state legislatures or Congress, and so I don’t think this is going to pass any sort of judicial muster,” Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s secretary of state, said in an interview. “So this is a big, giant waste of time, and it’s an attention grab from the Trump administration.” He added: “The greatest threat to American elections is Donald Trump lying about them. Our elections are in good shape.” Mr. Trump has long fixated on mail-in voting to bolster his baseless claims of widespread fraud in elections. On Tuesday, he reiterated his false claims that “cheating among mail-in voting is legendary.” Voter fraud in the United States is extremely rare, and Trump’s continued claims about large-scale “cheating” in elections have never been proven or substantiated. The Constitution grants no explicit authority to the executive branch regarding elections. It grants the states broad authority to conduct elections, including the “time, place and manner,” and it dictates that Congress may pass laws overseeing elections. The Los Angeles Times [3/31/2026 7:28 PM, Kevin Rector, 12718K] reports California leaders immediately responded with promises to fight the order in court. They said mail ballots are a safe and secure method for voting relied on by millions of Californians, that Trump’s order infringes on the state’s constitutional right to administer elections as it sees fit, and that it amounts to an "illegal power grab" ahead of midterm elections in which his party is poised to suffer substantial losses.

CBS News [3/31/2026 9:11 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51110K] reports a federal judge in Boston on Tuesday directed the Trump administration to restore the legal status of migrants allowed into the U.S. under a now-defunct Biden administration program for asylum-seekers who arrived at the southern border. U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs voided the Trump administration’s decision to end the immigration parole status of migrants who entered the country under the Biden-era CBP Home policy, finding that the move violated procedures outlined in U.S. law. That program relied on a phone app that the second Trump administration has since repurposed and renamed as CBP Home to facilitate self-deportations of those in the U.S. illegally. More than 900,000 migrants from countries across the globe were allowed into the U.S. at official ports of entry along the southern border under the CBP One system. It’s unclear how many will benefit from the ruling since some may have been deported already or gained another lawful status. The Justice Department is likely to appeal the ruling. At the time, the Biden administration argued the CBP One program reduced illegal immigration by giving would-be border crossers the chance to enter the U.S. with the government’s permission. But Trump administration officials have argued that the Biden administration did not have authority to create such a program and that it violated U.S. immigration law by allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country outside of the traditional legal immigration system. In April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was terminating the parole status of those processed under the CBP One program, urging them to self-deport or face the prospect of being found, arrested and forcibly deported. In a statement Tuesday, DHS said it had the power to revoke the parole status of those allowed in by the Biden administration. "We disagree with this blatant judicial activism undermining the President’s Article II authority to determine who remains in this country," DHS said. "The Biden Administration abused the parole authority under the disastrous CBP One program to allow millions of illegal aliens into the U.S. which further fueled the worst border crisis in U.S. history.” Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a group that challenged the parole terminations in federal court, said Tuesday’s order rejected "a harmful and destabilizing policy.” "Today’s ruling is a clear rejection of an administration that has tried to erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button," Perryman said. "Our clients followed the law: they waited, registered, were inspected, and were granted parole under the law.”

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Breitbart [3/31/2026 8:40 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump says he will attend, in person, oral arguments at the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on Wednesday in the case Trump v. Barbara, which will determine whether the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens and foreign tourists have a constitutional right to birthright citizenship. "I’m going," Trump said when asked about SCOTUS hearing oral arguments in the case on April 1. "I think so, I do believe because I’ve listened to this argument for so long.” "Chinese billionaires and billionaires from other countries who all of a sudden have 75 children or 59 children in one case or 10 children, becoming American citizens," Trump said. "[The 14th Amendment] was about slaves … all of this legislation, all of this having to do with birthright citizenship, it was at the end of the Civil War. The reason was, it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves.” "It didn’t have to do with the protection of multi-millionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children getting American citizenship," Trump continued. "It is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” Soon after taking office last year, Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship for the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens and foreign tourists, often referred to as "anchor babies" as they anchor their parents permanently in the U.S. and can sponsor their immediate relatives for green cards once they become of legal age. Following Trump’s executive order, left-wing groups sued the administration — taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court, where the issue is set to be decided this year. In 2023, the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that about 225,000 to 250,000 anchor babies were delivered to illegal alien parents, accounting for about seven percent of all U.S. births that year. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has never explicitly ruled that the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens must be granted birthright citizenship, and many legal scholars dispute the idea. Many leading conservative scholars argue that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment does not provide mandatory birthright citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens or foreign tourists because these children are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction as that language was understood when the 14th Amendment was ratified. CBS News [3/31/2026 11:12 PM, Joe Walsh, 51110K] reports that hours after returning to office last year, he signed an executive order seeking to stop the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants or people who are in the country temporarily from automatically becoming American citizens. That order has not gone into effect amid scores of legal challenges. Opponents say it violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which says: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." That clause has long been understood to grant citizenship to virtually everybody born in the U.S., with some very narrow exceptions, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. But Trump administration officials have argued the post-Civil War 14th Amendment has been misread, and say the Citizenship Clause was intended to confer citizenship onto former slaves and their descendents, not the children of temporary or undocumented immigrants. The Supreme Court took up a case involving Mr. Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order last year, but the case did not directly address the order on the merits, instead focusing on whether judges’ injunctions to block the policy had been too broad. But now, the high court is set to take up the executive order’s constitutionality head-on. A ruling could come down by July. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The AP [3/31/2026 10:13 PM, Staff, 35287K] reports that the order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term, declared that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. It’s an about-face from the long-standing view that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment and federal law since 1940 confer citizenship to everyone born on American soil, with narrow exceptions. It’s not the first time Trump has considered showing up for a high court hearing. Last year, Trump said that he badly wanted to attend a hearing on whether he overstepped federal law with his sweeping tariffs, but he decided against it, saying it would have been a distraction. The Washington Examiner [3/31/2026 8:41 PM, Molly Parks, 1147K] reports Trump told reporters that this would be his second time heading to the Supreme Court, after attending its opening during his first administration. Trump has had a contentious relationship with the court throughout the first year of his second term. Most recently, Trump railed against the court, including several justices whom he appointed, for ruling against his International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett were the three GOP-appointed justices to buck Trump on the IEEPA tariff ruling. "I love a few of them. I don’t like some others," Trump said of the justices on Tuesday when asked if he would be watching any of them in particular. "The ones that were appointed by Barack Hussein Obama and Biden — I don’t care how good your case is; you could have the greatest case ever, they’re going to rule against you. They always do. "It’s not supposed to be that way," Trump said. "Now, the Republicans tend to be very different. They want to show how honorable they are, so a man can appoint them and they can rule against him.” The Supreme Court convenes at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, with afternoon arguments set to begin at 1 p.m.

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NewsMax [3/31/2026 9:42 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his criticism of birthright citizenship, calling it "one of the many Great Scams of our time" in a post on Truth Social, while also indicating he plans to attend upcoming Supreme Court arguments related to the issue. In the social media post, Trump argued that birthright citizenship was originally intended for "the babies of slaves," not for wealthy foreign nationals. He wrote that it is being abused by individuals such as "Chinese Billionaires who have 56 kids, all of whom ‘become’ American Citizens.” Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, which states that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” The provision has long been interpreted by courts to apply broadly to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said he expects to attend Supreme Court arguments scheduled for Wednesday concerning his executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. "I’m going," Trump said, before adding more tentatively, "I think so. I do believe.” He also elaborated on his view of the policy’s origins. "Everything having to do with birthright citizenship, it was at the end of the Civil War," Trump said. "The reason was it had to do with the babies of slaves and the protection of the babies of slaves. It didn’t have to do with the protection of multimillionaires and billionaires wanting to have their children get an American citizenship.” Trump has repeatedly challenged the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment, arguing it encourages illegal immigration and so-called "birth tourism.” During his presidency, he sought to end birthright citizenship through executive action, a move that drew immediate legal challenges and skepticism from constitutional scholars. Legal experts widely maintain that altering birthright citizenship would require either a constitutional amendment or a major shift in Supreme Court precedent. The issue remains a key point of debate in U.S. immigration policy. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether Trump can deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily. The Wednesday case stems from an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term ending what’s known as birthright citizenship, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil. While the concept has been part of U.S. law for well over a century, it is relatively rare around the world.

AP [4/1/2026 12:03 AM, Mark Sherman, 35287K] reports the Supreme Court is taking up one of the term’s most consequential cases, President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. Trump plans to be in attendance. In arguments Wednesday, the justices will hear Trump’s appeal of a lower-court ruling from New Hampshire that struck down the citizenship restrictions, one of several courts that have blocked them. They have not taken effect anywhere in the country. A definitive ruling is expected by early summer. Trump will be the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the nation’s highest court. The case frames another test of his assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court that has largely ruled in the president’s favor, but with some notable exceptions that Trump has responded to with starkly personal criticisms of the justices. NPR [4/1/2026 5:00 AM, Nina Totenberg, 34837K] reports the Supreme Court chamber will be packed on Wednesday, as the justices hear arguments in a case that almost certainly will result in a historic ruling. At issue is President Trump’s challenge to a constitutional provision that has long been interpreted to guarantee American citizenship to every child born in the United States. Trump has long maintained that the Constitution does not guarantee birthright citizenship. So, on Day 1 of his second term, he issued an executive order barring automatic citizenship for any baby born in the U.S. whose parents entered the country illegally or who were here legally, but on a temporary, or even a long-term visa. "We are the only country in the world that does this with birthright," Trump said as he signed the executive order. "And it’s absolutely ridiculous." That actually is not true. There are nearly 33 countries, mainly in North and South America, that have birthright citizenship — including, among others, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

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CNN [3/31/2026 3:31 PM, Paula Reid, Casey Gannon, 19874K] reports the Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear its biggest case of the term: about whether President Donald Trump’s effort to limit birthright citizenship through executive order is constitutional. This case will not be easy to win – a ruling for Trump would upend a long-standing tenant of constitutional law and would have significant implications for US citizens who could face new hurdles documenting newborns. The case will be argued by Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who has become Trump’s favorite litigator after securing historic victories on issues such as presidential immunity and limiting the power of judges to block his policies nationwide. Sauer’s name is also frequently mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee should a vacancy arise. Sauer’s argument will focus largely on the 14th Amendment, which states that "all persons born … in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States." According to a senior Justice Department official, Sauer’s argument will try to get the justices to agree to his definition of what it means to be "subject to the jurisdiction thereof." Sauer will argue that anyone who has entered the country illegally or overstayed their visa would not meet this requirement. He will also argue that the children of people who have traveled to the US as tourists do not qualify.

NPR [3/31/2026 5:46 PM, Adrian Florido, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports the Supreme Court hears arguments in the Trump administration’s bid to deny birthright citizenship to the US-born children of undocumented immigrants. Who are the plaintiffs in Trump v. Barbara.

FOX News [3/31/2026 6:35 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports President Donald Trump takes questions on Operation Epic Fury and discusses the birthright citizenship issue in the United States.

New York Times [3/31/2026 5:02 AM, Jazmine Ulloa, 148038K] reports outside a cafe in South Texas, Samuel Garza, an actor on break with his Mexican cinema troupe, was bracing for one of the most consequential immigration decisions in a century: Whether the Supreme Court would preserve automatic citizenship for anyone born on American soil. Mr. Garza, 62, voted for President Trump three times, he said, because he believed his administration would be a boon for the economy. But he became dismayed when Mr. Trump signed an executive order last year seeking to restrict automatic citizenship for babies born in the United States to parents who are not citizens or legal permanent residents. For more than a century, birthright citizenship was considered settled law, guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. It had also made Mr. Garza, an American born to Mexican parents in McAllen, Texas, a citizen by birth. “It is saddening,” Mr. Garza said, as the Supreme Court takes up a case Wednesday that will decide the fate of the right. If the precedent is overturned, he said, “it would hurt so many families who come here to contribute and make lives here.” In interviews with more than two dozen Latino Republicans, almost all of them supported the right of citizenship upon birth on U.S. soil, which many saw as a fundamental tenet of the American dream. Some expressed concerns about potential abuse, including by undocumented immigrants, but did not necessarily support eliminating the right all together. Historically, Latino Republicans have been more supportive of birthright citizenship than non-Hispanic white Republicans, according to polling. That right has been central to questions of identity and belonging along the southern border, where the line defining who is American has shifted — figuratively and physically — over time. As the birthright debate has heated up, some Latino Republicans in the region said the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict the right added to their wider frustrations over how the president has carried out his immigrant detention and deportation campaign. Near the Rex Cafe and Bakery in downtown McAllen, Mr. Garza said he was not sure whether his parents, a carpenter and a housewife, had crossed into the United States legally when they came in the 1960s in search of a better life.

FOX News [3/31/2026 5:04 PM, Elaine Mallon, Emma Colton, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump floated cutting Congress’ two-week spring recess short as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, but the move is unlikely as lawmakers are still negotiating, Fox News Digital has learned. A GOP Senate source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that while it’s possible Trump will call Congress back to the nation’s capital for a special session, it is unlikely, citing that lawmakers need legislative text to vote on — not a "show vote." Last week, the House passed its own version of a bill to restore Department of Homeland Security funding, ensuring all personnel are paid and "critical operations are resourced and ready" through May 22. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer swiftly called the bill "dead on arrival" in the Senate, meaning GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber do not have legislation to consider after Democratic colleagues rejected it. Congress is on recess until April 14. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told colleagues over the weekend that he would only bring senators back for DHS action if there were legislative text to vote on, not merely another procedural exercise. Thune is continuing negotiations during the congressional recess.

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NBC News [3/31/2026 3:00 PM, Jonathan Allen, Peter Nicholas, Matt Dixon, Sahil Kapur and Katherine Doyle, 42967K] reports at the same time, Americans are being impacted in all sorts of ways. The ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has left air travelers standing in long lines at airports, while motorists are paying higher prices at the pump. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes, in the Iran war. Yet, there is little evident disruption in the lives of the policymakers whose action — or inaction in some cases — has created stresses for Americans living with the consequences of Washington’s decisions. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who urged Trump to launch the war with Iran, along with his colleagues on Capitol Hill left Washington, D.C., last week. Left undone was figuring out funding for the partially shuttered DHS that left TSA workers without paychecks and produced the long lines at airport security checkpoints. Graham has been pummeled by critics on the left and the right over pictures of him hanging out at Mickey Mouse’s house. He has plenty of company in enjoying leisurely pursuits as part of the government remains unfunded. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., was photographed relaxing at a Las Vegas casino over the weekend after members of Congress failed to come to an agreement to fund lapsed DHS programs. Senate leaders came up with a bipartisan fix — which would extend funding for everything but Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — and unanimously passed it last week. But House Republicans balked. They didn’t want to hold back funding for ICE and CBP, and they instead passed a measure that would open all of the closed agencies for two months. Then, with the matter unresolved and Transportation Security Administration agents still not getting paid, lawmakers left town. Now, the Republican-led House and Senate are at odds on an issue in which the GOP thought it had an upper hand. Yet, Trump has appeared to be disengaged for most of the DHS funding standoff so far — and when he did get involved, he gave confusing or mixed signals. An agreement is even more elusive now, with GOP leaders given reason to worry that if they strike a deal with Democrats, the president will pull the rug out from under them.

FOX News [3/31/2026 12:56 PM, Adam Pack, 37576K] reports that while tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are struggling to make ends meet, some members of Congress appear to be going about their business as usual during the record-breaking government shutdown. Instead of staying in Washington to resolve the funding stalemate, both chambers commenced a two-week Easter recess over the weekend, a move that is expected to prolong the record-breaking 46-day shutdown until mid-April. In the meantime, some lawmakers have been spotted on vacation, posing for selfies on congressionally-sponsored trips and socializing in ritzy casino bars. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sparked controversy after being spotted by TMZ at Disney World over the weekend. The South Carolina lawmaker was captured holding a "Little Mermaid"-themed bubble wand retailing for $40. Eyewitnesses told TMZ that Graham was holding the toy for a child while she went to the bathroom. The influential Republican senator was also seen waiting in line with a family to ride Space Mountain and dining at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Graham blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown in a statement to TMZ, adding that he had repeatedly voted for DHS spending bills filibustered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [3/31/2026 5:51 PM, Carl Hulse, 148038K] reports Republicans’ emerging plan to allow President Trump to go around Congress to fund the Homeland Security Department for the remainder of his tenure is the latest example of how they have ceded the legislative branch’s central power to the White House. With Congress in a bitter stalemate over money for the administration’s immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has already tapped a slush fund included in the tax cut and domestic policy law enacted last year to fund key components of the department, which has been shuttered for seven weeks. Now, Republicans say they intend to use special filibuster-proof legislation to provide money for the entire Homeland Security Department for the next three years. Doing so would allow them to dodge the Democratic opposition to funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, which Democrats have refused to do without restrictions on the officers carrying out the president’s deportation campaign. Using the complex budget process known as reconciliation to fund a whole agency, as the G.O.P. is suggesting, would be a significant departure from traditional congressional practice. It would also open the door to lawmakers increasingly taking this escape route in the future when partisan differences emerge over spending priorities. And it would provide the White House with more freedom to spend how it wishes, further weakening the ability of lawmakers to demand answers or hold the executive branch accountable.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 10:16 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] Audio: HERE reports on Monday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that he was “disappointed” that the House didn’t take up the Senate’s proposal on Department of Homeland Security funding and said that “at this point, I think, because of the difference between the House and the Senate, it’s Republicans’ problem to solve.” [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

New York Times [3/31/2026 5:38 PM, Madeleine Ngo, 148038K] reports tens of thousands of employees at the Department of Homeland Security are reporting to work without pay or have been furloughed for weeks because of a partial government shutdown, forcing them to take on a major financial burden. The lack of pay led to clogged security lines at airports in recent weeks as large numbers of Transportation Security Administration employees did not show up at work. Those officers began receiving back pay this week. But many other federal employees, including those working on emergency response and cybersecurity threats, have missed paychecks since the department’s funding lapsed on Feb. 14. Roughly half of the department’s more than 260,000 employees are getting regular paychecks throughout the lapse. At least 120,000 law enforcement officers who work for the department have continued to be paid, along with certain support staff members, because of funding in President Trump’s major domestic policy bill. The department has continued to pay the roughly 22,000 officers at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Law enforcement officers at Customs and Border Protection and the Secret Service are also being paid, along with more than 40,000 U.S. Coast Guard military personnel. Some employees who work closely with law enforcement officers have also continued to be paid, including forensic support technicians and information technology specialists supporting field operations. It is unclear if T.S.A. officers will continue to be paid on a regular schedule. Mr. Trump’s memo ordered the department to provide them back pay, but did not specify whether they would be paid in another two weeks if the shutdown persisted. A spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Budget said last week that the Trump administration would pay T.S.A. officers from funds approved as part of the president’s tax package that Congress passed last year, which included billions in immigration enforcement. Thousands of workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which leads the federal response to natural disasters, are going without pay. Most of the 2,300 employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which helps protect the country’s election system, power grids and water utilities, have been furloughed. About 40 percent of employees are working without pay, Nick Andersen, the agency’s acting director, told lawmakers last week. Although many ICE and C.B.P. employees are receiving pay, there are still civilian workers at the two agencies who are working without pay. Nearly 75 percent of civilian specialists at the Coast Guard have also been furloughed, Admiral Thomas Allan, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, told lawmakers last week. It is unclear when the partial shutdown will end.

ABC News [3/31/2026 6:33 PM, Luke Barr, 34146K] reports as the United States braces for the largest travel summer in history, there is one event that might draw the biggest crowd: the 2026 World Cup. Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA 2026 World Cup, told ABC News that every day the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded in the partial government shutdown, the event becomes more "vulnerable.” "We’re here to make the case as loud as we can that, in order for us to do the best work possible, to ensure that this is going to be a safe and successful World Cup, we need to open the department and need to open it yesterday," Guiliani said from DHS headquarters in Southeast Washington, D.C. DHS plays a large role in securing the World Cup, from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency staying vigilant for cyberattacks, to TSA agents screening bags at airports and Customs and Border Protection officers helping secure entry points. The World Cup begins in early June, with games being held across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Giuliani said DHS getting funded is critical to running in the same direction and breaking down the silos that exist between agencies -- something the White House Task Force has prided itself on, according to Giuliani. The last World Cup faced "billions" of cyberattacks, Giuliani said, from FIFA, the sponsors and the Qatari government, and Giuliani said they are expecting "double" that this year. The Department of Homeland Security also doesn’t have enough time to train all of the new TSA employees due to the shutdown, he said.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 2:05 PM, Hannah Knudsen, 2238K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is slamming California over its status as a sanctuary state after two illegal immigrants escaped U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and allegedly went on to commit horrific crimes. Two Honduran nationals, Franquin Inestroza-Martinez and Gerzon Jose Chirinos-Munguia were arrested this year, accused of murdering a young mother, Kembery Chirinos-Flores, 24, with a shotgun. The incident happened on January 7, after as officers responded to reports of a shooting in Sunnyvale, California. Authorities found Chirinos-Flores "bleeding in her car with multiple gunshot wounds," according to DHS. The injuries proved to be fatal, and she left behind her 5-year-old son. "Kembery was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs, and she was the loving mother of a 5-year-old son," Santa Clara Department of Public Safety Chief Dan Pistor said. In March, authorities arrested both Inestroza-Martinez and Chirinos-Munguia in connection to Chirinos-Flores’s murder. Both have lengthy criminal histories and should have never been permitted to roam the streets of California. DHS noted that Inestroza-Martinez "also had an outstanding arrest warrant from New Jersey for the homicide of 55-year-old Esteban Vicente Sacalxot, who was found dead in his Trenton home from gunshot wounds on March 17, 2025." "A man lost his life, and a child is now without a mother," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 1:57 PM, Jeff Poor, 2238K] reports that Tuesday on FBN’s "Mornings with Maria," Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) called on his Senate counterparts to return to Washington, D.C. and pass a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. He applauded House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for rejecting the earlier-passed Senate bill, calling it "garbage." "Where is this going?" host Maria Bartiromo asked. "Do you think anyone will come back early?" Jackson replied, "Well, the Senate better get back and do something. I mean, this is ridiculous. This has been going on way too long. And honestly, we sent over a bipartisan bill that they could have acted upon, and this would all be over with. But they sent us a bill back, and you mentioned that it zeroed out the funding for ICE and for Customs and Border Protection to some extent. But not only did it do that, Maria, it limited their authorities. That’s one of the big reasons why we could not pass what they sent over. So, we passed a continuing resolution for eight weeks to give us some more time to negotiate with them and come up with something that the Senate can accept." "But I was really proud to see Mike Johnson step up and call the Senate out on this, even the Republican leadership on this," he continued. "He said that the bill that they sent over to us was garbage, and it was garbage, and we have an obligation to the American people to make sure that we don’t take any steps backwards with regards to what’s happening with the immigration enforcement in this country right now that the American people ask for."

Axios [3/31/2026 7:40 PM, Kate Santaliz, 17364K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson is inching closer to hard red lines on future negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security. "They sent us a bill that literally put the number zero in the bill for the funding of border security and customs and immigration enforcement. We can’t do that," Johnson (R-La.) said Tuesday on Fox News. At the same time, President Trump is weighing whether to use a rare constitutional power to force Congress to return next week, he told the New York Post on Tuesday. Senate Republicans have already yielded to Dems’ shutdown hostage taking on ICE funding, and Trump — who’s been all over the place — weakened the GOP’s leverage by paying TSA. But Johnson is rejecting bipartisan paths while he bets on a GOP-only solution to fund the department. The speaker has staked out the position that GOP leaders won’t help pass a deal that doesn’t fund ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.

FOX News [3/31/2026 9:15 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson blasts Democrats for refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security, criticizing them for leaving 98,000 workers unpaid and causing airport delays. Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian echoed frustrations, halting congressional perks. Johnson championed the new ‘No Tax on Tips’ legislation, showcasing an Uber driver who received a 20% larger tax refund, benefiting millions of working Americans. Republicans voted for this, Democrats against. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [3/31/2026 8:35 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K] reports Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, told Newsmax on Tuesday he is frustrated that senators chose to leave town after passing a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security that was immediately rejected by the House. "I was honestly surprised that they went home because they passed it at 2:00 in the morning," Harris said on "Ed Henry The Big Take.” "By that evening, we had passed our version. "They should have stayed in town, we should have negotiated a compromise and then funded as much as we could out of the Department of Homeland Security," Harris added. "I was very surprised by the fact that they left town, knowing that we would take action pretty rapidly," he said. Harris said he hopes Congress finds a solution to the funding impasse. The Department of Homeland Security has remained shut down since mid-February. "The ball is in the Senate’s court right now. "We took their bill, we amended it to fund the entire department, we sent it back to the Senate," Harris said. "We’re waiting to hear their response," he said. "They have another session on Thursday. They had one Monday, took no action. "I hope on Thursday they take some action," Harris said. Harris said members of the House and the Senate should conference and iron out a deal that works for both parties. "And get the rest of DHS paid," Harris said. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration employees, who had gone without paychecks since the shutdown began in mid-February. "The president just can’t keep signing presidential memorandums and proclamations every time Congress fails to do its job," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/31/2026 11:33 AM, Madison Colombo, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is firing back at comedian Jimmy Kimmel, accusing the late-night host of ridiculing Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s blue-collar roots. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a DHS spokesperson defended Mullin’s journey from a family plumbing business to the president’s Cabinet. "Secretary Mullin represents the best of blue-collar America, and failed comedian Jimmy Kimmel chooses to ridicule him for it," the agency said. The disagreement began after Kimmel mocked Mullin’s qualifications during his show last week. He compared the former senator’s qualifications to those of the famous Nintendo character Mario, a plumber. The DHS statement also pointed to comments from President Donald Trump on "The Five" Thursday, where he called Mullin "country smart" and well-respected. Mullin was sworn in as DHS chief last week after his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Breitbart [4/1/2026 4:10 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan announced the sentence of Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States. The sentencing followed the conviction for his role in a counterfeit document-selling scheme in Michigan. Vasquez-Mencho worked with others in the conspiracy that provided false Social Security cards and permanent resident alien cards to other illegal aliens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The court sentenced 41-year-old Vasquez-Mencho to six months in federal prison, and he is the second defendant of three illegal aliens charged in the counterfeit document production scheme that provided the documents to other illegal aliens during 2024, and 2024, according to court documents. Vasequez-Mencho is one of three Guatemalan nationals charged earlier for profiting by receiving payments for the counterfeit documents that allowed the illegal alien recipients to obtain employment and access services intended for citizens and immigrants legally in the United States. Vasquez-Mencho’s role was primarily to deliver counterfeit documents to purchasers and collect payments from them, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, and he was convicted of conspiracy to transfer false identification documents. U.S. Attorney VerHey commented on the sentencing, saying, “Vasquez-Mencho deserved to be prosecuted and punished. It is bad enough that he has repeatedly violated our immigration laws by crossing the border without permission. Worse than that, once he got here, he operated an illegal document business that enabled others like him to obtain employment illegally and claim taxpayer-supported public services. This conduct must stop.”

Daily Caller [3/31/2026 12:14 PM, Anthony Iafrate, 803K] reports that federal prosecutors are investigating whether an aide to Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the aide’s politician sister accepted bribes connected to migrant shelter funding in the city, according to a report. Debbie Louis, the Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Hochul administration, and her sister, New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis, were both named in a federal warrant signed March 19, the Associated Press first reported late Monday. The warrant, reportedly obtained by the AP, also names the husband of Brooklyn Democratic Party chair and New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Federal authorities are investigating whether the Louis sisters and Mr. Hermelyn received bribes or kickbacks in return for their support of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that in 2022 expanded its scope to provide homeless and migrant shelters, the AP reported. In the past few years, the organization has received a total of $200 million in New York City contracts. Mr. Hermelyn had, over the past few years, solicited multiple members of the City Council over the phone, asking them to allocate money to the nonprofit, Politico reported on Monday, citing an anonymous source. The Democratic lawmaker’s husband, who previously worked in the administration of former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and on the failed mayoral campaign of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, had an unclear relationship with the migrant shelter provided, per the outlet’s source.

Federalist [3/31/2026 7:40 AM, M. D. Kittle, 540K] reports the American people don’t think very highly of their federal legislature. These days it seems Congress is slightly more popular than syphilis, and less so than measles. Let’s face it, Congress’ action — and inaction — has proven more dangerous than both. Put the latest polling in perspective. More people trust mass media (28%) — speaking of communicable diseases — than approve of Congress (16%), according to the latest Gallup polls. That’s an 80 percent disapproval rating, with the remaining 4 percent apparently in the "if you don’t have anything nice to say …" camp. Congress’ approval rating is just 3 percentage points above its all-time low. You know what’s really popular? Voter ID. A CBS News-YouGov poll this month found 80 percent of respondents support requiring valid photo identification to vote in elections. A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released this month found 81 percent of registered voters surveyed back photo ID. The same poll showed 85 percent of voters believe only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote in U.S. elections, "including a strong majority across political parties.” Which brings us to the current political theater over the "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility" (SAVE) America Act. The Harvard/Harris poll found 71 percent of voters support the election-integrity bill now struggling for air in the Republican-controlled Senate. That strong showing includes 91 percent Republicans, 69 percent independents, and 50 percent of Democrats.

Federalist [3/31/2026 12:26 PM, Breccan F. Thies, 540K] reports that Democrat senators claim it is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy that the SAVE America Act requires states to share voter rolls and requisite identifying information with the federal government in order to check for noncitizens, but many of their states already share the same data with left-wing third party organizations. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., argued against the bill on the Senate floor, stating, "States would be required to report their full voter rolls to Department of Homeland Security and certify that there are no non-citizens on their list. And the federal government can require, then, states to purge their voter roles of any suspected non-citizens." "The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has said that DHS’s desire to turn the SAVE program into a de facto national citizenship registry raises significant civil liberties concerns," he stated, appearing to argue against the federal government being able to know who is in the country illegally or which noncitizens are attempting to vote. "Would you trust them with your name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number, and biometric information like height, weight, hair color, and eye color? The SAVE Act asks you to place that trust in them. I personally would not," he added. But Rhode Island, Reed’s home state, already shares all that information with left-wing election groups like Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and by extension the Zuckbucks-linked Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR). The state also solicited voter registration from noncitizens at the behest of ERIC, as The Federalist reported.

Wall Street Journal [3/31/2026 5:49 PM, Staff, 646K] reports the Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on President Trump’s effort to redefine birthright citizenship, and this is deep revisionism, as the government admits. Solicitor General John Sauer argues in his brief that the prevailing interpretation of this constitutional clause is an old error: “That misreading took hold by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Administration.” When a longtime legal doctrine is incorrect, the Justices shouldn’t shy away from fixing it merely because of age, and in the coming months the High Court could prove that point on the presidential removal power by finally burying Humphrey’s Executor v. U.S. (1935). Yet other times there’s a reason the orthodoxy became the orthodoxy, and the case about birthright citizenship, Trump v. Barbara, might be one of those.

Wall Street Journal [3/31/2026 12:08 PM, Randy E. Barnett, 646K] reports President Trump’s executive order denying birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of nonresident aliens goes before the Supreme Court Wednesday, and conventional wisdom has it that the president will lose in Trump v. Barbara. If the court stays true to the original meaning of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, however, the conventional wisdom will prove wrong. The clause grants citizenship to persons who meet two conditions: birth in the U.S. and being “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. The dispute is over the meaning of the latter term. Everyone agrees that it excludes at least three classes: children of diplomats, of soldiers from an invading army, and of American Indians maintaining tribal relations. In each of these categories, the status of the child depended on the status of the parent. The constitutional debate is about the original concept embodied in the text that explains these exclusions and whether that concept embraces or excludes children born on U.S. soil to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily in the U.S. The court has never squarely addressed this question.

The Hill [3/31/2026 8:00 AM, Raul A. Reyes, 18170K] reports on April 1, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the most important case of this century so far. In Trump v. Barbara, the court will consider the issue of birthright citizenship — the guarantee that all children born on U.S. soil are Americans. This case arose from an executive order that President Trump signed on his first day of his second term in office, stating that the children born to people in the U.S. unlawfully or temporarily would no longer automatically be counted as citizens. The high court must not shy away from decisively resolving this issue. Birthright citizenship is settled law. It is supported by a plain reading of the 14th Amendment, more than 125 years of precedent, and statutory law. The administration cannot be allowed to overturn a fundamental principle of our legal system — one that goes to the heart of who we are as a nation.

NewsMax [3/31/2026 12:47 PM, Robert Chernin, 3760K] reports that let’s stop pretending this is complicated. The SAVE Act comes down to one simple idea: if you want to vote in a federal election, you should prove you are a United States citizen. That’s it. Not a theory. Not a loophole. Not a "trust me" system. The fact that this is controversial tells you everything you need to know about where we are as a country. Because everywhere else in American life, verification is not optional. You need ID to board a plane, to open a bank account, to get a job under federal I-9 requirements, to drive, to buy alcohol, and to enter federal buildings. But when it comes to choosing who governs the United States, suddenly the argument is that requiring proof is too much. That’s not logic. That’s ideology. Right now, the United States has roughly 168 to 175 million registered voters. Presidential elections are routinely decided on the margins. In 2020, fewer than 45,000 votes across three states determined the Electoral College outcome. In 2016, it was under 80,000 votes across three states. That’s the reality. Tiny margins decide massive outcomes. Now layer on top of that the environment we are living in. Over the past several years, the United States has seen millions of illegal border encounters and releases, and tens of millions of non-citizens present in the country overall. That’s not a political talking point. That is a demographic reality.

Houston Chronicle [3/31/2026 6:00 AM, Chris Edwards, 2493K] reports while Congress continues to battle over homeland security legislation, Transportation Security Administration workers are finally getting paid through an executive order. That’s a relief, but the collateral damage of the partial shutdown cannot be undone. Hundreds of airport screeners quit, and travelers waited in hours-long security lines. George Bush Intercontinental Airport had some of the worst TSA lines in the nation, with some travelers waiting up to four hours. All of this started because Republicans and Democrats disagreed over immigration enforcement changes in a government funding package. President Donald Trump kept insisting that Congress first pass an unrelated bill for more election regulations. It makes no sense for all of this unrelated political squabbling to ruin so many Americans’ travel plans. There is a better strategy that Congress can enact: Privatize security screening at the nation’s airports. That means contracting out screening operations to expert security firms and shrinking the government’s role to regulatory oversight and intelligence. Privatization may sound radical, but that security structure is standard in European and Canadian airports.

NBC News [3/31/2026 4:08 PM, Julia Ainsley, 42967K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is pausing plans to buy more warehouses to detain immigrants, according to two senior DHS officials who stressed the decision may only be temporary. The two officials said that while purchasing is on hold, plans are moving forward to develop facilities that have already been acquired for that purpose. It’s not clear yet whether incoming Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin will change the direction of immigration enforcement and detention. As of spring 2026, 11 warehouses nationwide have been purchased, according to a tally by NBC News. The cost of the total purchasing plan was estimated at over $38 billion. The pause gives Mullin time to review Noem’s policies before adapting them, the officials said. But local leaders and members of Congress in some of the districts where the detention centers were planned pushed back. Maryland sued successfully to stop ICE from developing a warehouse near Hagerstown. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., criticized the DHS’s plan to turn a warehouse in Byhalia, Miss. into an ICE Detention Center. The AP [3/31/2026 9:53 PM, Rebecca Santana and Heather Hollingsworth, 35287K] reports that when asked about reports of the pause, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that "as with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals.” The Department also noted that Mullin said during his confirmation hearing that he wanted to "work with community leaders" and "be good partners.” Mullin inherited a $38.3 billion plan to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds by acquiring eight large-scale detention centers, capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees each, and 16 smaller regional processing centers. The plan was hatched during Noem’ s tenure but immediately ran into intense opposition around the country by residents and communities opposed to such large Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in their neighborhoods. Many objected on moral grounds to ICE’s presence in their neighborhoods, while others questioned whether the facilities would be a drain on local resources, such as sewer and water systems. So far, 11 warehouses have been purchased in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah, with the federal government spending a combined $1.074 billion. But lawsuits are pending in three of the states. Meanwhile, the capacity of at least one warehouse has been scaled back. Plans initially called for a warehouse in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise to be used as a 1,500-bed processing site, but Homeland Security now plans to cap occupied beds at 542, Surprise Mayor Kevin Sarter said during a news conference on Monday. In many cases, mayors, county commissioners, governors and members of Congress learned about ICE’s ambitions only after the agency bought or leased space for detainees, leading to shock and frustration even in areas that have backed Trump.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [3/31/2026 6:32 PM, Staff, 38315K]
NewsMax [3/31/2026 10:02 PM, Staff, 3760K]

FOX News [3/31/2026 5:31 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports activists and agitators opposed to enforcement of federal immigration laws have found a new, intrusive way to dox or leak personal and identifying information of ICE and CBP agents, the Department of Homeland Security exclusively told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Immigration agents continue to face an escalating 8,000% increase in death threats and a 1,300% increase in assaults since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, according to DHS. An ICE agent living in Wake County, North Carolina, was doxxed in recent days, as evidenced by postcards sent to the officer’s neighbors with language suggesting they needed to be warned of his presence on their block. DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital the doxxing only adds to threats because agents "risk their lives every single day to remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, terrorists and gang members from American neighborhoods." Fox News Digital also noticed fine print on the doxxing postcard’s postage stamp indicating it was sent "presorted first-class," a special subset of USPS business mail that requires the sender to mail at least 500 pieces, each weighing 3.5 ounces or less.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 5:57 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports at least 1,411 people have been killed by illegal migrants, nearly all of whom have been killed during the last 25 years, according to a list assembled by a grassroots group that opposes mass migration. "The reason we put the list out is that a lot of people don’t realize how large the scale actually is — they usually just hear a blurb about the latest [victim]," Bill Gheen, founder of the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) grassroots group, told Breitbart News. The list of 1,411 deaths "is a very conservative number because there are a lot of statistics that police officers do not keep [and] states do not keep," said Agnes Gibboney. Her son — Ronald da Silva — was murdered by a previously deported illegal migrant in 2002. Gibboney helped prepare the ALIPAC list and told Breitbart News: I wish that every city in the United States of America would be mandated to keep statistics on who commits what crime, when, and where they are from, because that would really give us an indication as to where these criminals, most of them, are coming from. "I would say 20,000, at least," have been killed by illegal migrants in crimes and auto accidents since 2000, she added. ALIPAC posted a list of 1,409 victims of migrants last week and has been forced to add new names over the weekend.

Axios [3/31/2026 5:38 AM, Alex Thompson, 17364K] reports Rahm Emanuel wants to shift billions of dollars from building new ICE facilities to funding community colleges — arguing they’ll become more critical as AI disrupts the job market. It’s Emanuel’s latest attempt to get ahead of other potential 2028 candidates with early policy proposals, especially on AI, tech and education. Emanuel — former mayor of Chicago, White House chief of staff, House Democratic Caucus chair and U.S. ambassador to Japan — is proposing to take 20% of the $38.3 billion the Trump administration plans to spend on ICE detention centers and divert it to community colleges. "The priority for Americans should be education, not detention," Emanuel wrote. "As the explosive growth of artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt the job market, the nation’s more than 1,000 community colleges — located in every region of the nation — can and will play a central role in preparing Americans for successful middle-class jobs," he added. Emanuel will highlight the plan later this week on ABC’s "The View" and with four college stops in South Carolina — historically a key state in the Democratic presidential primary.

The Hill [3/31/2026 3:38 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 18170K] reports the Education Department announced Tuesday it is investigating Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia over reports that an immigrant in the country illegally sexually assaulted 12 female students there. The Fairfax Police Department said Israel Flores Ortiz turned himself in March 7 and has been charged with 13 counts of assault and battery. The department said Ortiz is 18 years old. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Ortiz is 19 years old and came into the country illegally from El Salvador in 2024. Ortiz is being held without bond and has a court appearance in April. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) said it will cooperate with the Education Department and has requested an outside independent law firm to review the matter. In its statement, the DHS called on Fairfax County to keep Ortiz detained while the department works to remove him from the country.

FOX News [3/31/2026 6:46 PM, Greg Wehner and Bill Melugin, 37576K] reports a Guatemalan national in the U.S. illegally — who authorities say entered as a "gotaway" and had never been encountered by federal immigration officials — has been charged in a fatal stabbing in Fairfax County, Virginia, Fox News has learned. Fairfax County Police said Monday that Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, adding that he is being held without bond. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources confirmed to Fox News that Chavarria Muy has no alien registration number, indicating he had not previously been encountered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and is believed to have entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown time and location. ICE has lodged a detainer with Fairfax County authorities. Officers responded to a reported stabbing just before 9 p.m. Sunday and, upon arrival, located a man inside a residence with multiple stab wounds to the upper body. Officers immediately performed life-saving measures until Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department personnel took over and transported the man to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect left the scene before officers arrived, police said, and detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Major Crimes Bureau took over the investigation. The DHS said ICE has requested that Fairfax County officials honor the detainer and not release Chavarria Muy from custody, citing past instances where local authorities have declined to comply with such requests. "Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with second degree murder after repeatedly stabbing a man to death in Fairfax County. ICE is calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to not release this murderer back into our communities," DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. "This incident comes just one month after an innocent woman was murdered by another criminal illegal alien at a bus stop in Spanberger’s state. Breitbart [3/31/2026 7:19 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports "Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with second-degree murder after repeatedly stabbing a man to death in Fairfax County," DHS’s Lauren Bis said: “ICE is calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to not release this murderer back into our communities. This incident comes just one month after an innocent woman was murdered by another criminal illegal alien at a bus stop in Spanberger’s state. Open-border policies yet again have caused another preventable tragedy.” Most recently, Spanberger’s office said the governor would not honor an ICE detainer against the illegal alien accused of stabbing Stephanie Minter, a mother, to death at a Fredericksburg, Virginia, bus stop in a random attack. "DHS should request a signed judicial warrant to ensure this violent criminal is deported," a spokesperson for Spanberger’s office told local media.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 1:07 PM, Amy Furr, 2238K] reports that U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will conduct lawful immigration status checks during family and graduation days for new U.S. Marines this week, but those agents will not be making arrests, ICE said Tuesday. The Marine Corps has ramped up security on bases as the United States’ Operation Epic Fury continues targeting the radical Islamic regime in Iran, with military officials requiring everyone to present proper identification to access sites, NBC News reported Monday. The outlet cited the website for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) at Parris Island, South Carolina, which said: "Due to MCRD’s increased Force Protection Measures, Federal Law Enforcement personnel will be present at installation access points to conduct enhanced screening and lawful immigration status inquiries during Recruit Family and Graduation Days." However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the outlet, "ICE will not be making arrests at the basic training graduation in Paris Island, SC." DHS called the NBC article "FAKE NEWS" in a social media post and reiterated that ICE would not be taking people into custody: ICE also addressed the news on its X profile, stating, "This is blatant fake news. ICE will NOT be making arrests at the basic training graduation in Parris Island."

Reported similarly:
Reuters [3/31/2026 1:05 PM, Jasper Ward, 38315K]

NewsMax [3/31/2026 11:56 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that immigration officers "will not be making arrests" while present at Marine Corps graduation events this week, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, website confirmed that federal law enforcement personnel, including immigration officials, will be stationed at access points during Recruit Family and Graduation Days as part of heightened security measures tied to ongoing global tensions. According to the Marine Corps, the move is aimed at strengthening "force protection measures" and streamlining entry procedures at the base, which hosts thousands of visitors for graduation ceremonies nearly year-round. Officials emphasized that the presence of federal personnel is focused on screening and security, not enforcement actions. A DHS spokesperson told NBC News that "ICE will not be making arrests" at the events, pushing back on speculation that families of recruits could face detention. The additional precautions come as the United States remains engaged in an escalating conflict in the Middle East, prompting military installations to tighten security nationwide. Visitors attending graduation events are now required to present REAL ID-compliant identification, U.S. passports, or birth certificates to gain entry. Officials said the enhanced screening is necessary to ensure the safety of recruits, families, and base personnel during a time of increased global threat.

FOX News [3/31/2026 1:20 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports that an illegal immigrant who was one of Canada’s most wanted fugitives was arrested last week in Mississippi, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Tuesday. Adrian Vincent Walker, 28, who was among the top 25 most-wanted international fugitives in Canada, is accused of first-degree murder. "Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE, one of Canada’s most wanted criminals is behind bars. This individual was wanted for a murder in Canada," said Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "He is now facing charges for illegal entry into the U.S. and illegal possession of a firearm." Federal authorities arrested Walker on March 23 at a residence in Tupelo. Walker was wanted by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) for a May 7, 2024, shooting in the city’s York District. The shooting claimed the life of 31-year-old Trevor Dalton John, according to Canadian authorities; a woman was also wounded but survived. Another suspect, 20-year-old Kemyan Franklyn, was arrested days after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. Following the incident, Walker was named a "most wanted person" by Toronto police. Walker had been hiding in Mississippi under an alias, federal prosecutors said. Walker, who previously served over three years in a Canadian prison for aggravated assault, will face federal charges in the U.S. for illegal entry and illegal possession of a firearm before facing extradition for the murder and attempted murder charges in Canada.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/31/2026 7:13 PM, John Binder, 2238K]

Daily Wire [3/31/2026 5:00 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2314K] reports after years on the run, one of Canada’s most wanted murder fugitives has been arrested in Mississippi by federal law enforcement after he illegally crossed into the United States. A federal and state task force captured fugitive Adrian Vincent Walker in Tupelo, Mississippi, on March 23 after the 30-year-old evaded Canadian law enforcement for nearly two years, landing on Canada’s top 25 most wanted list. He faces charges in Canada for murder and attempted murder. "Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE, one of Canada’s most wanted criminals is behind bars. This illegal alien was wanted for a murder in Canada," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. "He is now facing charges for illegal entry into the U.S. and illegal possession of a firearm. DHS is grateful to our law enforcement officers and partners who took this illegal alien off of our streets and behind bars where he will finally face justice for his crimes."

Breitbart [3/31/2026 8:02 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) claims President Donald Trump’s administration is committing "assaults against immigrants" less than 10 days after 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman was murdered in the Windy City, allegedly at the hands of an illegal alien released into the United States by the Biden administration. During a "No Kings" protest in Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend, Johnson told MS NOW in an interview that Americans must fight the Trump administration on immigration. "We have to end the assaults against immigrants," Johnson said, among other things. The remark came less than 10 days after Sheridan Gorman, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago, was gunned down on a pier, allegedly by 25-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Medina-Medina. According to police, at around 1:00 a.m. on March 19, Sheridan was walking with a group of friends near Tobey Prinz Beach in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago when Medina-Medina, wearing a mask, allegedly approached the group and started shooting in their direction. Sheridan ran for her life away from Medina-Medina, but police allege that the illegal alien shot her in the back — killing her immediately. Since Sheridan’s murder, Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) have refused to back away from the state’s sanctuary policies that shield illegal aliens from federal immigration enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have said Medina-Medina was apprehended crossing the southern border on May 9, 2023, but was released into the United States interior under former President Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas’s expansive catch and release policy. Then, in June 2023, Medina-Medina was arrested in Chicago for shoplifting. Thanks to the city and state’s sanctuary policies, the illegal alien was never turned over to ICE agents.

Chicago Tribune [3/31/2026 1:27 PM, Madeline Buckley, 5209K] reports that a federal judge on Tuesday allowed clergy members from the Chicago area to minister to migrants at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview during Easter and Holy Week, issuing the order amid calls for broader access that have even been echoed by Pope Leo XIV. Following a hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in the Loop, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman ordered the Trump administration to allow clergy members into the west suburban facility over the objection of the government, but the mandate is limited to Thursday through Sunday, which mark the holiest days in the Catholic faith. The judge also allowed people to pray outside the facility while on federal property. Gettleman urged the government to find ways to come to a settlement that would enable ongoing access consistent with what has historically been regular practice at the facility in years past. “The religious interests far outweigh any interest the government has articulated,” Gettleman said. Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A coalition of faith leaders filed a lawsuit in November asking a judge to order the government to allow clergy members to minister to people held in the facility. The complaint came shortly after a class-action lawsuit alleged broader human rights violations in the processing center, arguing that the administration of President Donald Trump turned the facility into a “black box” with immigration attorneys unable to visit clients amid overcrowding and other substandard conditions.

Chicago Tribune [3/31/2026 4:42 PM, Joe Mahr, 5209K] reports newly released data shows that Operation Midway Blitz led to the deportation of nearly 2,500 immigrants — most of them with no criminal record — during last fall’s immigration enforcement surge that fueled massive protests and led to two shootings, one deadly. A Tribune analysis of the data, released Monday, offers the first comprehensive look to date of the roughly 3,800 people detained and what happened to them after they were picked up in the two-month operation that included often-masked and heavily militarized agents using forceful tactics during their controversial roundups that spurred chaos-filled scenes and led court orders to limit agents’ unconstitutional actions. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the Tribune’s analysis but in the past has lauded the operation as part of what it characterized as "a historic win in the fight against violent criminal illegal alien crime." Critics have called the operation a massive unconstitutional overreach that foretold of the chaos in Minneapolis — where a similar crackdown spiraled into agents killing two protesters and prompted President Donald Trump to suggest a "softer touch" going forward. In some ways, the latest data released on Operation Midway Blitz confirms what has already largely been gleaned through earlier data releases and court records: that the Trump administration’s insistence it was targeting the "worst of the worst" conflicted with a reality of arrests of mostly those with no criminal record. But the data also offers a first, full accounting of the operation, with some new details on who was commonly targeted. That includes how the second administration of Trump — elected after a controversial wave of asylum seekers from Central and South America were admitted into the country under President Joe Biden — often used federal agents to round up native Mexicans in the Chicago area, typically snagging those in their 40s or older.

CBS News [3/31/2026 8:38 PM, Marissa Armas, 51110K] Video: HERE nearly 400,000 immigration cases are pending in Texas, and among them is Dallas community leader and SMU alum Omar Salazar, who was detained for being in the country illegally after a traffic stop last year. Seven long months inside ICE’s Bluebonnet Detention Facility northwest of Abilene, and there is still no decision on Salazar’s future. "He has been holding on. He hasn’t lost faith yet. He still believes that, you know, a decision is going to come," said Veronica Franco Salazar, Salazar’s immigration attorney at Monty & Ramirez LLP in Houston. "But it is a frustrating experience.” ICE took Salazar into custody after a traffic stop in August. The SMU graduate was brought to the U.S. from Mexico at age 11. He never filed for asylum and was not a DACA recipient. His legal team says he has no criminal history, and while detained, he married his longtime girlfriend. A decision in his immigration case was expected in February, but more than a month later, there is still no answer. "This is a case that really calls out for discretion," said Jacob Monty, another attorney on his team. "We think we’ve met that discretion.” Salazar’s legal team believes the delays stem from a backlog of immigration cases, overworked judges, vacancies on the bench, and policy shifts from the Trump administration, including mandatory detention. Three different judges have already handled Salazar’s file. "A lot of these cases are slipping through the cracks, and Omar’s case is, you know, the greatest example of that," Franco Salazar said. "I don’t think they really thought through what it looks like to detain the amount of people that are currently in these detention centers. The burden on the resources, the burden on the system.” CBS News Texas reached out to the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Department of Homeland Security about the backlog, but did not receive a response by the deadline.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 4:02 PM, Alana Mastrangelo, 2238K] reports Pedro Pascal, Madonna, and Mark Ruffalo, among others, are demanding that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Texas be shut down. "Children belong in schools and on playgrounds, not in detention centers," an open letter — signed by several Hollywood insiders — lectured. The open letter — also signed by Javier Bardem, John Legend, Elliot Page, and Jane Fonda — went on to claim children being held in immigration detention facilities experience "trauma" and "neglect" that "violate basic standards of health, safety, dignity, and human rights." The letter then urged "the federal government and CoreCivic to close the Dilley facility immediately, return children and families to the homes and communities they were taken from, and to end child imprisonment now."

Reported similarly:
Washington Times [3/31/2026 5:33 PM, Staff, 1323K]

Houston Chronicle [3/31/2026 7:00 AM, Jeremy Wallace, 2493K] reports there is no way federal immigration agents are going to take off their masks, White House border czar Tom Homan said during a stop in Texas. While Democrats on Capitol Hill have made that one of their demands to reform the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers do their job, Homan flat-out rejected the idea during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine over the weekend. “That’s a nonstarter,” Homan said. “Until you stop your language, we’re not taking the masks off.” Democrats say ICE agents should be held to the same standards as local and state police officers, who have to identify themselves and rarely cover their faces. But Homan said the rhetoric aimed at ICE agents has put their lives in danger. Agents and their families are being threatened and have been subjected to online doxxing. Homan has previously said he doesn’t like the masks either, but said in the current environment, there’s really no choice but to keep them on. “That’s why they’re in masks,” Homan said. “If you wanted the masks off, stop the hateful rhetoric against ICE officers.”

Houston Chronicle [3/31/2026 7:00 AM, Julián Aguilar, 2493K] reports the Venezuelan wife of a U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot was ordered released from detention Monday by a federal district judge in Houston who said her due-process rights had been violated in her immigration case. Judge Keith Ellison granted the release of Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez in a decision that came less than 48 hours before her next scheduled hearing that could have resulted in a removal order to send Kenny-Velasquez to Ecuador instead of her native country. “Out of everything that’s ever happened in my life, I think this is the most ... excitement that I’ve ever had,” said U.S. Army reservist Christopher Busby, Kenny-Velasquez’s husband, after the 20-minute hearing. “This is insane.” Kenny-Velasquez was detained after a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in December. She first entered the United States in 2021, sought asylum and had been attending her hearings and annual check-ins as required. After her arrest in December 2025, she was denied bond by an immigration judge. But attorney Javier Rivera successfully argued Monday that Kenny-Velasquez should not have been detained after she was released in 2021 pending her asylum claim because the government agreed she wasn’t a danger to the community. “The government has provided no explanation on why she was re-detained. There’s no individualized assessment done … or explanation of any sort of why she was re-detained,” he told Ellison. The government’s attorney argued Kenny-Velasquez was already afforded due process during her bond hearing. The judge ordered Kenny-Velasquez released within 48 hours. Rivera said his client could be released as early as Tuesday.

AP [3/31/2026 7:19 PM, Colleen Slevin, 12718K] reports a federal judge on Tuesday threw out a Department of Justice lawsuit accusing Colorado and Denver of interfering with the enforcement of immigration laws. The lawsuit claimed the state and its most populous city passed "sanctuary laws" violating the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. At issue were four state laws and two Denver laws that limit the use of resources for immigration enforcement and protect the rights and personal information of immigrants. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 1997 case that the federal government can’t "dragoon" state officers into carrying out federal law. He granted requests from Colorado and Denver officials to dismiss the lawsuit, concluding that "Colorado and Denver have the right to refuse to expend their resources to implement a federal regulatory program.” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston welcomed the ruling. "Today’s ruling makes clear that we cannot be required to use local resources to enforce federal policies," he said in a statement. The Department of Justice filed similar lawsuits targeting state or city policies seen as interfering with immigration enforcement, including those in Los Angeles, New York City and Minnesota and cities there. A federal judge dismissed a case challenging Chicago’s laws last year.

Reported similarly:
San Diego Union Tribune [3/31/2026 6:57 PM, Seth Klamann, 1257K]

Univision [3/31/2026 7:06 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the law firm Parker and McConkie filed a 56 million-dollar lawsuit against President Trump and federal immigration authorities on behalf of a person identified under the pseudonym Johnny Hernandez, who last year was sent to CECOT, a Salvadoran prison in which he claims he was abused. According to lawyers, the 20-year-old suffered personal injury from the actions of immigration officials. He was arrested after entering the United States with four relatives, who are currently in Utah. The lawsuit was filed against President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and agents and employees of various agencies. The government has six months to respond. Cited by KSL, Jim McConkie, one of the lawyers for the case, said the Venezuelan “came to the United States legally. I stress that it was legally. He came fleeing the threats and political persecution of the Maduro government, as his family opposed the totalitarian practices of his own government. The claim notice indicates that the family entered the U.S. through the port of San Ysidro, in San Diego; they arrived under a humanitarian probation program that was in force at the time. He was stopped by a border guard by confusing him with a member of the Tren de Aragua gang.

AP [4/1/2026 1:22 AM, Sophie Austin, 35287K] reports a California woman who had been living in the U.S. for 27 years before the Trump administration deported her to Mexico in February reunited with her daughter this week after a judge ordered her return. Mexican citizen Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez was among the hundreds of thousands of people shielded from deportation under an Obama-era program allowing people brought to the U.S. as children to stay in the country if they generally stay out of trouble. But that changed Feb. 18 when she showed up for an immigration hearing and was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported the next day. "I didn’t get to say goodbye," the 42-year-old mother said at a news conference Tuesday in Sacramento. "It all happened so fast. This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life.” Estrada Juárez held hands with her daughter and began to choke up as she recounted those experiences. The federal government has arrested several other recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, during President Donald Trump’s second term. The events come amid the Trump administration’s reshaping of immigration policy more broadly. Immigration advocates say Estrada Juárez’s removal highlights the need to offer more permanent protections for DACA recipients, often referred to as "Dreamers." The case is a rare example of a judge ordering a person’s return to the United States after being deported, said Talia Inlender, deputy director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has defended the deportation. "ICE follows all court orders," a department spokesperson said in a statement. "This is yet another ruling from a Biden-appointed activist judge.”

New York Post [3/31/2026 3:08 PM, Ben Chapman, 40934K] reports federal agents have arrested the illegal immigrant who was tackled and zip-tied by onlookers during the California wildfires in a wild scene caught on video. Residents of Woodland Hills ran down and subdued Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva after they saw him trying to torch debris with what one resident described as a "flamethrower" soon after last year’s massive wildfires began last January. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested Sierra-Leyva, 34, for a felony probation violation and suspicion of arson. The Ventura County Sheriff’s office identified him as a "person of interest" in the Kenneth fire, which burned more than 1,000 acres. He was held until Thursday, when he was freed from Van Nuys Jail and immediately arrested again by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. It’s unclear if Sierra-Leyva was ever charged with arson. The Los Angeles District Attorney had no record of his case. Federal authorities are now seeking his removal from the US. ICE officials said his rap sheet includes aggravated assault, trespassing, amphetamine possession, damaging property, violation of a court order, and disturbing public peace. Records show Sierra-Leyva has been convicted of multiple crimes in LA County, including assault with a deadly weapon in 2023. Sierra-Leyva illegally entered the US near Tecate, California, in 2009, according to ICE. ICE officials placed an immigration detainer on Sierra last January asking that he be kept in custody and handed over to ICE for deportation. But local authorities refused to honor the detainer and released Sierra-Leyva under California’s sanctuary law, ICE officials said.

Los Angeles Magazine [3/31/2026 11:25 PM, Aidan Williams] reports California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla have launched an inquiry into the Transportation Security Administration’s data-sharing partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after videos went viral of a woman and her child being arrested by federal immigration agents at San Francisco International Airport. Video clips show Angelina Lopez-Jimenez, 41, crying as she is handcuffed by two ICE officers while her 9-year-old daughter, Wendy Godinez-Lopez, sobs nearby. Bystanders are heard asking the officers, who are dressed in civilian clothes, to show identification. TSA tipped off ICE ahead of the arrest after Lopez-Jimenez, an undocumented immigrant facing a deportation order, and her daughter showed up on a passenger list for a flight from San Francisco to Miami. Both were later deported to Guatemala. The agency quietly began sharing passenger data, including name, date of birth, gender and flight details, with ICE in March 2025. Their collaboration has received little attention until now. “We must know what immigration data TSA is sharing with ICE and why,” Sen. Adam Schiff wrote on X. “ICE agents shouldn’t be at our airports.” The California senators requested a full briefing, along with answers to several “troubling” questions, from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill and ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons.

FOX News [3/31/2026 10:51 AM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] Video: HERE reports a masked agitator was caught on video graffitiing the side of a federal building in Los Angeles with the message "kill your local ICE agent," along with two targets. The agitator, who was wearing a scarf that covered their neck and face save for their eyes, was seen spray-painting the message as several thousand protesters marched in the "No Kings" protest in downtown Los Angeles. The graffiti message led many, such as conservative commentator Greg Price, to respond that such threats are the reason U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers must remain anonymous during operations. Price commented on X that "this is why ICE agents wear masks… because they’re perfectly okay with people like this being able to harm and kill them." ICE also responded, posting on its official X account that "if you threaten ICE, or their families, you WILL face the full force of federal law." The agency added that "our courageous men and women face death threats, just like this, every day." It vowed that "individuals making the threats will be held accountable." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [4/1/2026 2:05 AM, Daniel Farr, 40934K] reports an illegal migrant who’s been convicted of a host of crimes including battery and felony gun possession slammed into an ICE agent with his vehicle during a traffic stop in Sacramento. Authorities tried to arrest Xa Lee, a criminal illegal migrant from Laos with a lengthy rap sheet, during a targeted traffic stop on March 25, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Lee then fled the scene in his vehicle and struck an ICE agent, who wasn’t injured in the collision. He has past convictions for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, conspiracy, petty theft, two DUIs, resisting an officer, battery and felony firearm possession, according to DHS. An immigration judge had issued a final order for Lee’s removal from the US in 2010. The Sacramento incident follows another dangerous confrontation between ICE agents and a violent suspect only weeks earlier.

Telemundo [4/1/2026 2:04 Alexander Zapata and Elizabeth Chavolla, Staff, 61K] reports a San Bernardino mother says she is living a nightmare after her husband was arrested and taken into custody by the Immigration Department. She says that the father of her two-year-old son was in the process of adjusting his status and has now been in a detention center in McFarland, California for months. The arrest of this man from Mexico took place in August of last year. Since then, he has been fighting for a chance to stay in the United States with his wife and child. Telemundo 52 spoke with her and an immigration lawyer who is not related to the case regarding why, having a pending adjustment of status, a person can be detained. “I miss him a lot. I miss him at home more than anything. And yes, I need him a lot,” said Aliyah Villegas Vargas, whose husband was detained by immigration.

FOX News [3/31/2026 4:52 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said that a man recently filmed dressed in what resembles a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniform being beaten next to a Honolulu street is not affiliated with the agency in any way. A recent viral video showed a man wearing a tactical vest with the word "ICE" being punched and kicked on a street in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood Saturday night. The video caused an uproar on social media amid heightened concerns about rising assaults on ICE agents and debate over whether officers should wear masks to protect their identities. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that despite the vest, "this person is NOT an ICE agent and is not connected to DHS in any way." The spokesperson did not offer any details on the true identity of the man but emphasized that "anyone caught impersonating a federal immigration agent will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." They added that "impersonating a federal immigration officer endangers public safety and erodes trust in law enforcement." The Honolulu Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that a 15-year-old male is being charged with attempted assault in connection with the incident. The department shared a report that stated the suspect was originally arrested for second-degree assault, but that his charges were reduced to attempted assault. The report lists the time of assault at 8:12 p.m. on Saturday. The age of the victim listed on the report is 52. Neither the suspect’s nor the victim’s identities are listed.

Reuters [3/31/2026 6:09 PM, Andrew Goudsward, 16072K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration is revoking the U.S. ​citizenship of a California couple who emigrated from China and pleaded guilty to stealing ‌trade secrets. A federal judge in San Diego, California granted the Justice Department’s request to revoke U.S. citizenship from Yu Zhou and Li Chen, a married couple from China who pleaded guilty in 2020 to charges of conspiracy to ​steal trade secrets and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge James Simmons found Zhou and Chen had ​committed "crimes involving moral turpitude" when they were legally required to show upstanding character ⁠as part of their immigration process. Chen and Zhou, who were researchers at ​Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, ​Ohio, arrived in the ⁠U.S. on H-1B visas for highly skilled workers in 2007 and 2008, respectively. They became citizens nine years later. Zhou and Chen admitted in 2020 ​to plotting to steal trade secrets related to pediatric medical treatment for financial ​gain.

Blaze [3/31/2026 4:05 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports four Republican lawmakers joined Democrats’ effort to keep 350,000 Haitians from losing their deportation protections. Under President Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated TPS for Haiti, announcing that the designation would expire in February 2026. The DHS estimated that roughly 353,000 Haitian nationals and other foreign nationals who last resided in Haiti hold TPS. Noem’s DHS declared that "there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) from returning in safety." However, in February, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia stayed the termination, allowing the TPS designation to remain in effect. Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) previously introduced H.R. 1689, a bill that would require DHS to designate Haiti for TPS for 18 months. On Friday, the discharge petition received exactly the 218 House signatures required to move forward, after four Republicans — Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Penn.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), and Don Bacon (Neb.) — joined Democrats in signing it. The House will vote on Pressley’s discharge resolution within the coming weeks. If it passes, lawmakers will hold a vote on H.R. 1689.

FOX News [3/31/2026 12:33 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it is slackening restrictions on asylum applications set in place after an Afghan asylee allegedly murdered one West Virginia National Guardsman and gravely wounded another in Washington last fall. The November incident near Farragut Square led President Donald Trump to crack down on allowing asylum seekers into the country, and the administration hammered more lax Biden-era policies that allowed Afghans such as the suspect into the country. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the stringent screening process itself will not change, nor will restrictions on emigrants from a list of "high-risk" countries. "Under the leadership of President Trump, maximum screening and vetting for all aliens continues unabated," the spokesperson said. "USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non-high-risk countries. This move allows resources to focus on continued rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases." Some of the 39 countries the administration deemed lacking in the provision of adequate screening and vetting information to U.S. officials still include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Niger, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sierra Leone; the latter being where two different migrants named Jalloh, accused of recent violent crimes in Virginia, hailed from.

Univision [3/31/2026 6:24 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Maria Elvira Salazar, a representative for the 27th district of Florida, announced that she sent a letter to the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to call for the resumption of “citizenship processes and naturalization ceremonies.” Salazar made the announcement on his X account on Tuesday afternoon, although the letter has a date of last Friday, March 27. “In South Florida, tens of thousands of people, many Cubans and Venezuelans, are still in limbo after they have done everything right,” she wrote. “They complied with the law, they passed all the filters and they have earned it,” Salazar said. The Trump administration suspended, in early December 2025, green card and naturalization requests for citizens of 19 countries, including people born in Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, migrant communities with a fair presence in South Florida.

FOX News [3/31/2026 7:14 PM, Alexandra Koch, 37576K] reports Indiana officials are moving to revoke commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for immigrants unable to provide valid work visas, with all affected licenses set to expire at midnight Wednesday. In a statement on social media Tuesday afternoon, Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith said that moving forward, all future non-citizen CDL applications will need one of three approved work visas, while also requiring the driver to demonstrate proficiency in English. The announcement comes days after Fox News cameras embedded with federal safety officials in Florida captured troubling encounters with truck drivers who couldn’t read road signs or communicate in English. State troopers said that up to half of truckers at some Florida weigh stations fail to meet English proficiency requirements. In addition to the new visa requirements, Beckwith said any employers who "knowingly hire illegal drivers" without a valid CDL will face a $50,000 fine. "This is a great first step in making our streets safer for Hoosiers," Beckwith wrote in the statement. "Now it’s our duty to enforce these new laws and prevent any more senseless deaths.” Deadly crashes have been reported nationwide involving drivers the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed were in the U.S. illegally or operating with CDLs they should never have had.

FOX News [3/31/2026 5:21 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports a Chinese married couple convicted of trying to steal cutting-edge research from an Ohio children’s hospital to share with China will have their U.S. citizenship revoked, the Justice Department (DOJ) said Tuesday. U.S. Judge James E. Simmons Jr., ordered that Li Chen and Yu Zhou be stripped of their naturalized U.S. citizenship, citing their convictions for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, which involved "moral turpitude" that prevented them from having the good moral character necessary to naturalize, federal prosecutors said. Chen and Zhou worked for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus in separate research labs for a decade and founded a biotech company in China established using stolen trade secrets, authorities said. Zhou entered the United States in 2005 as an exchange visitor. Zhou arrived in the U.S. again in 2008, on a specialty occupation visa sponsored by NCH, and he adjusted his immigration status to permanent resident in 2011 as the derivative spouse of Chen. Chen became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2016, and Zhou naturalized in 2017. Zhou and Chen were arrested in 2019 for crimes related to theft of medical trade secrets, the DOJ said. They both received $1.5 million in transactions resulting from their exchange of exosome isolation intellectual property. Chen was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and Zhou was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

The Hill [3/31/2026 6:23 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 4464K] reports the Trump administration on Tuesday confirmed that social media accounts tied to former Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino were shut down, after reports indicated he refused to turn them over following his retirement. “Chief Patrol Agent Bovino has retired from federal service and no longer has access to official government social media accounts,” a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson told The Hill in a statement. The Border Patrol’s El Centro, Calif., region’s Instagram, Facebook and X accounts were shuttered on Thursday, the Washington Examiner first reported. Collectively, the social accounts had 850,000 followers. While serving as a Border Patrol commander, Bovino was allowed to post clips reportedly approved by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) frequently showing himself tracking down migrants who purportedly lacked legal status alongside a team of masked immigration authorities. However, Bovino rarely covered his face. Instead, he could be seen deploying tear gas, using pepper spray and urging crowds of protesters to disperse from immigration operations. Last August, Bovino wrote in a post that the accounts would focus on his personal work in an unprecedented move, according to the Examiner. Bovino was later demoted to the role of chief patrol agent following the death of two U.S. citizens at the hands of immigration authorities in January. He ultimately retired. Upon his retirement, Bovino refused to relinquish control of the accounts, arguing he’d amassed the followings with videos and pictures of his work in the field, the Examiner reported. One source familiar with the communications between Bovino, CBP and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the outlet that CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott “gave Bovino a direct order to return the pages/accounts names to reflect El Centro Sector and that new accounts would be created.” However, Bovino denied that request and said his followers “expected” him to post from new cities, per the Examiner.

Bloomberg [3/31/2026 1:07 PM, Zoe Tillman, 18082K] reports that an online government portal to provide refunds on tariffs struck down by the US Supreme Court will handle claims for about 63% of 53 million import entries at issue when it first launches, according to a new court filing. A Trump administration official with US Customs and Border Protection told a judge in a declaration submitted Tuesday that the government won’t be able to process refund demands for the remaining one-third of entries right away, and didn’t offer a specific time frame for rolling out later phases. The agency has previously told a judge on the US Court of International Trade that the US is working to have the first phase of the new refund system ready by mid-April. The government has estimated that importers paid more than $166 billion in tariffs under President Donald Trump’s executive orders that a majority of justices declared unlawful in February. Officials have committed to paying interest on any refunds as well. The first phase of the administration’s refund process will be able to accept claims for tariffs that haven’t become final yet, according to the government. Tariffs typically become “final” more than a year after goods enter the country, although so-called “informal” tariffs for low-value shipments can reach that status sooner. Lawyers for companies that paid Trump’s contested tariffs recently raised concerns in court about refund delays for these “final” duties.

Telemundo 48 El Paso [3/31/2026 4:33 PM, Luisa Barrios, 19K] reports state authorities handed over a U.S. citizen wanted for human trafficking in the United States, as part of a binational collaboration operation carried out at the Puerto Palomas border crossing in Villa-Columbus, New Mexico. The State Investigation Agency (AEI), attached to the Northwest District Attorney’s Office, reported that the action was carried out in compliance with a request for support issued by United States security authorities. According to the State Attorney General’s Office, investigating agents from the Puerto Palomas de Villa detachment, in the municipality of Ascensión, in coordination with personnel from the National Migration Institute (INM), made Flavio César HB, 24 years old, available to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

Reuters [3/31/2026 11:07 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports the Transportation Security Administration said absences among the nation’s 50,000 security officers fell sharply on Monday as workers were paid after working six weeks without a paycheck, and major airports that had suffered multi-hour lines said operations had largely returned to normal. The Homeland Security Department said the absence rate fell to 8.6% after rising as high as 12.4% on Friday. The greatest number of absences reported Monday was in Atlanta, with 29% of workers out, along with around 20% at Houston’s two airports, Baltimore, New Orleans, New York’s John ⁠F. Kennedy, and Philadelphia. The weeks-long standoff in Congress caused chaos and security lines that in some cases topped four hours, longest in the TSA’s nearly 25-year history. Hundreds of U.S. immigration agents and Homeland Security Investigations officers began deploying at 14 U.S. airports last week to aid security screening. The White House has said they would remain in place until operations returned to normal. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that ordered TSA workers to be paid, even though Congress has still not ended the 46-day-old partial government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ⁠said workers started receiving pay Monday.

Washington Examiner [3/31/2026 11:05 AM, Lauren Green, 1147K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is calling on airlines to stop allowing members of Congress the privilege of skipping security lines until the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded. Johnson was asked during an appearance on Fox and Friends if he agreed with Delta Air Lines deciding to scrap the perk. The speaker said he agreed "100% with the decision and that lawmakers did not deserve the special benefit during the DHS shutdown." "There are some occasions where members of Congress get escorted around for security threats, heightened threat environments, and all that," Johnson said. "But my members don’t do that, they don’t skip the line.” "If anybody’s been taking advantage of a perk like that, bad look, obviously," the speaker added. "Congress has to do its job. The first function, the first responsibility of government is to make sure that we’re keeping the homeland safe."

Washington Examiner [3/31/2026 4:31 PM, Rena Rowe, 1147K] reports on Thursday, Trump signed an order without the approval of Congress to pay TSA officers. Employees at other agencies funded by DHS, such as the Secret Service and the Coast Guard, are still working without pay. The Trump administration directed DHS officials to find existing funds to compensate TSA workers despite the lapse in appropriations. The administration directed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to "use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits." A White House official said funding from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would be used to cover the payments in a statement to the Washington Examiner. John Shu, a legal scholar and commentator who served in the White House for Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, said the issue falls into a gray area with little precedent. Shu pointed to Congress’s use of broad funding allocations, known as block grants, and to Trump’s declaration of the TSA shortage as a national security emergency as key factors shaping the administration’s legal argument. Despite the uncertainty, Shu argued that practical and political realities make a legal challenge unlikely.

Washington Times [3/31/2026 5:25 PM, Joseph R. DeTrani, 1323K] reports Chinese state media have seized on the Transportation Security Administration’s pay crisis as emblematic of American political dysfunction. The long delays, up to four hours, for passengers at major U.S. airports are, according to Chinese media, visible symbols of political gridlock and systemic weakness. Beijing is using this issue and others to make the case that its system of governance, an autocracy with one man and one party in control, is far superior to the liberal democracy in the U.S. Yet the hundreds of thousands of people seeking permission to enter the U.S. each year is a testament to the opportunities and form of governance that are most appealing. Indeed, there is a reason there is no large-scale migration to China. That’s because people understand that the U.S. is a land of opportunity, with the Constitution and Bill of Rights protecting individual liberties and rights, such as speech, religion and the press, while ensuring legal due process. In the 1980s and 1990s, China had leaders who advocated a democratic form of governance with elections, the rule of law and guaranteed rights for the people. Communist Party Secretaries Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang were removed from their leadership positions because they favored a democratic form of governance, as did former Premiers Wen Jiabao and Zhu Rongji. Yet democracies are inherently fragile. The Founding Fathers feared a democracy could devolve into the tyranny of the majority; thus, they penned the Constitution with checks and balances. James Madison, in Federalist No. 10, cautioned against factions that could tyrannize minorities, noting the importance of elected officials.

USA Today [3/31/2026 10:39 PM, Anthony Robledo, 70643K] reports it’s been a bumpy ride for Tyler Perry’s grand donation to TSA workers in Atlanta. After an initial cash donation was turned down due to federal rules, the "A Madea Homecoming" director gifted $250,000 worth of Visa gift cards to TSA employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, USA TODAY previously reported. However, another complication with the gesture seemingly occurred as local outlet 11 Alive reported that the staffers were asked to return the cards. Perry’s representative confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that the workers were eventually allowed to hold onto the gift cards after confusion was cleared up. All of the returned gift cards, estimated to be around 100, were eventually given back to the employees. "Since late last week, Tyler worked closely with the TSA to make sure the donation was handled properly," the spokesperson said in a statement. "At one point there was confusion over a return of about 100 gift cards from employees to TSA supervisors, but Tyler’s team reconfirmed this morning that TSA’s legal counsel approved the donation." USA TODAY has reached out to the Transportation Security Administration for comment. The donation debacle comes amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has left more than 64,000 airport security workers working without pay. President Donald Trump signed an order on March 27 to reroute federal funds to pay TSA staffers, who were allowed to receive their paychecks as early as March 30, as the shutdown continues. On Dec. 25, Perry was sued for $77 million by Mario Rodriguez, who accused the Hollywood director of making unwanted sexual advances after production of 2016’s "Boo! A Madea Halloween." In the lawsuit, Rodriguez alleged Perry invited the actor to his home to discuss future roles, only to sexually assault him. He also accused Perry of intentional infliction of emotional distress. In Perry’s legal response filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 27, he "vehemently" denied Rodriguez’s "frivolous" allegations and called the sexual assault lawsuit both a "money grab" and an attempt to shake him down with "falsehoods." "After being cast in a very minor role in a single Perry film a decade ago, [Rodriguez] repeatedly turned to Perry as his personal piggy bank," Perry’s filing states. "When Plaintiff’s repeated requests for more financial assistance were met with silence, angry at the loss of his golden goose, Plaintiff spun a false tale that the two had a nonconsensual relationship, twisting the true reason for the payments to ignite a media firestorm, all to fuel his final money grab and thrust him into the spotlight." Perry’s attorneys characterize Rodriguez’s visits to the director’s home from 2016 to 2019 as part of "a feigned friendship" in which "Rodriguez repeatedly preyed on Perry’s generosity."

USA Today [3/31/2026 10:52 AM, Hannah Hudnall, Eve Chen, and Kate Perez, 70643K] reports Transportation Security Administration workers are finally getting paid after more than a month of no earnings. Amid ballooning security wait times caused by the partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump signed an order Friday to redirect funds set for the Department of Homeland Security to TSA workers. With legislation stalled in Congress, Trump signed an order Friday, March 27, redirecting federal funds to pay TSA workers. However, it’s only a temporary fix, and long-term funding still needs to be approved by lawmakers, who are currently on a previously scheduled recess. "At the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce," DHS Acting Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Lauren Bis told USA TODAY. "TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as today." TSA confirmed to USA TODAY that both the MyTSA mobile app and the agency’s wait‑time tracker are down because of the shutdown. Travelers flying out of O’Hare or Midway can also check FlightQueue. FlightQueue shows fast security wait times at O’Hare, with an average wait of less than 15 minutes, as of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Travelers reported average wait times of five minutes at Terminals 2 and 3 and an hour at Terminal 5. The site shows busy wait times for immigration at O’Hare, with average waits of 30-45 minutes.

FOX News [3/31/2026 10:45 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports one man in Houston turned a miserable four-hour TSA wait recently into an impromptu party by handing out free vodka shots to adults in line. The video shows the traveler walking through the massive crowd at George Bush Intercontinental Airport with a large frosted bottle and a stack of plastic cups. He began pouring shots for frustrated travelers who were stuck in a line that stretched far outside the terminal doors. The move appeared both practical and generous, as TSA rules do not allow bottles larger than 3.4 ounces through security. Instead of tossing the expensive liquor, the man decided to share it with his fellow passengers. Social media users were quick to hail the traveler as a "true patriot" for helping strangers bond during the travel chaos. Video captured at other major hubs showed different ways travelers were passing the time, including a violinist performing for a packed crowd in Atlanta.

The Hill [3/31/2026 5:25 PM, Sophie Brams, 18170K] reports a U.S. Marine was detained at Palm Springs International Airport on Monday after authorities said airport security personnel discovered a live explosive round in his checked baggage. The ordnance, later confirmed to be a live 25 mm explosive round, was found by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel in the individual’s checked baggage during the screening process around 12:05 p.m. PDT, according to a statement from the Palm Springs Police Department. The Marine reportedly told police that he found the round “in the field” about a year ago and kept it because he did not believe it was live. The Riverside County, Calif., bomb squad responded to the scene and examined the round using X-ray technology, determining it was live and not a training round. The ordnance was taken to a deserted area south of Interstate 10 and destroyed. No injuries were reported. The case was referred to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for further review regarding possible criminal charges under a California statute that prohibits possession of “any destructive device.” The Marine was released to military authorities and could face potential administrative action. He may also face potential civil penalties from TSA, according to police.

Reported similarly:
AP [3/31/2026 9:03 AM, Staff, 35287K]

New York Times [3/31/2026 10:12 PM, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, 148038K] reports President Trump on Tuesday delivered a new justification for his White House ballroom, just hours after a federal judge ordered him to halt construction. The $400 million project, he argued, is a matter of presidential security. “We have a drone-proof roof,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, reading from prepared notes. He said the ballroom would also include bulletproof glass, “air-handling systems,” “biodefense all over,” “secure telecommunications and communications all over,” bomb shelters, a hospital and “major medical facilities.” “We have all of these things,” Mr. Trump said. “So that’s called: I am allowed to continue building as necessary.” A federal judge on Tuesday said that work on the ballroom had to stop until the project received a go-ahead from Congress, a ruling that the administration swiftly appealed. In the Oval Office, Mr. Trump made the unusual disclosure of the security features, including apparent references to the bunker being built beneath the ballroom. While such security details are normally kept quiet, Mr. Trump has been talking about them more openly as his project faces legal challenges. On Sunday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Mr. Trump referred to underground facility as a “massive complex.” He said the ballroom “essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under.” Mr. Trump had previously spoken of the ballroom mostly as a matter of hospitality. He has said that a new ballroom is needed to host large events for world leaders and other guests, so that the White House does not need to stand up a large tent on the South Lawn. “We don’t have a big room,” Mr. Trump said on Tuesday. “We have the East Room, which is very small.” Mr. Trump pointed to language in the 35-page court order, which was written by Judge Richard J. Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. In the opinion, Judge Leon wrote that he would exclude from his injunction “construction necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House.” But Mr. Trump appeared to disregard the subsequent two sentences of the opinion, which stated: “Where does this leave us? Unfortunately for defendants, unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!” Mr. Trump also disputed Judge Leon’s assertion that his administration needed congressional approval for the project, arguing that the 90,000-square-foot ballroom would be paid for by private donors, not taxpayers. The $400 million cost is already double what Mr. Trump originally said the project would cost. “He’s so wrong,” Mr. Trump said of Judge Leon.

DefenseScoop [3/31/2026 5:10 PM, Drew F. Lawrence, 150K] reports the Army reduced the frequency of mandatory cybersecurity training to once every five years, according to a policy that went into effect late last month, axing an annual requirement and making individual commanders responsible for preparing their personnel for digital defense. The move followed a Sept. 30 memo by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directing the military to reduce the time personnel spend on cybersecurity training, with the aim of “enabling our warfighters to focus on their core mission of fighting and winning our Nation’s wars without distraction.” Five months later, the Army codified its reduction for training it said was ineffective. Now, commanders are responsible for preparing their soldiers and civilians on cybersecurity, according to a senior service official who said the change was intended to give unit leaders more flexibility. “Commanders are now responsible for assessing the specific cyber risks to their mission and tailoring their unit’s training accordingly,” said Army Chief Information Officer Leonel Garciga in an emailed statement to DefenseScoop Friday. “This allows them to integrate cybersecurity into their operational training plans in a way that is relevant and effective for their soldiers.” Cybersecurity experts who DefenseScoop spoke to, both of whom are veterans, said greater command responsibility over digital protection was positive, but they varied on how the Army’s new tack would be implemented. One warned that leaders not already focused on the digital domain likely won’t dedicate time for cyber training beyond their unit’s primary mission.

Bloomberg [3/31/2026 1:15 PM, Kaustuv Basu, 50K] reports that Cybersecurity professionals said Tuesday companies should act as though AI-enabled cyberattacks are looming, and try to reduce the "blast radius" of those attacks by preparing employees to minimize exposure. "Assume you are going to have a breach at some point," said Brenda Sharton, the global chair of cyber, privacy, and AI practice at law firm Dechert LLP, at a Washington privacy conference. Sharton and John Ansbach, a managing director at cybersecurity firm Stroz Friedberg, emphasized the need for employees to have close coordination with IT departments and know what kind of systems, protections and protocols are in place in the... [Editorial note: consult extended commentary at source link]

CNN [3/31/2026 8:48 PM, Sean Lyngaas, 612K] reports suspected North Korean hackers have bugged a software package that has been used by thousands of US companies in a major supply-chain attack that could take months to recover from, security experts said Tuesday. Experts who are responding to the hack told CNN they expect a long-term campaign to steal cryptocurrency to fund the North Korean regime, which often spends such stolen money on its nuclear and missile programs. For three hours on Tuesday morning, the Pyongyang-linked hackers had access to the account of a software developer who manages the open-source software known as Axios. The hackers used that access to send malicious updates to any organization that downloaded the software during that time, setting off a scramble by the software developer to regain control of his account and by cybersecurity executives across the country to assess the damage. Companies in just about every sector of the economy, from health care to finance, use Axios to simplify building and managing their websites. Some cryptocurrency firms use the software, as do tech firms active in the crypto industry. Mandiant, a cyber-intelligence firmed owned by Google, said that a suspected North Korean hacking group was responsible. "We anticipate they will try to leverage the credentials and system access they recently obtained in this software supply chain attack to target and steal cryptocurrency from enterprises," Charles Carmakal, Mandiant’s chief technology officer, told CNN. "It will likely take months to assess the downstream impact of this campaign. John Hammond, a security researcher at Huntress, said his firm has identified about 135 compromised devices belonging to roughly 12 companies. But that is just a small snapshot of the pool of victims that is expected to surge as organizations discover they were hacked. It’s only the latest sweeping supply-chain attack attributed to Pyongyang. Three years ago, North Korean operatives allegedly infiltrated another popular software provider that healthcare firms and hotel chains used for voice and video calls. North Korea’s formidable hacking corps is an essential source of revenue for the nuclear-armed, sanctions-battered country. North Korean hackers have stolen billions of dollars from banks and cryptocurrency firms in the last several years, according to reports from the United Nations and private firms. About half of North Korea’s missile program has been funded by such digital heists, a White House official said in 2023.

Reuters [3/31/2026 4:17 PM, Gram Slattery, Humeyra Pamuk, and Trevor Hunnicutt, 38315K] reports the Trump administration is organizing an international summit focused on countering the left-wing movement antifa and other groups, three sources familiar with the matter said, an effort that highlights the shift in the U.S. government’s counterterrorism priorities over the past year. The conference, tentatively planned for June or July, will convene officials from various nations to discuss strategies for battling antifa and encourage intelligence sharing, said the sources, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. U.S. President Donald Trump has portrayed antifa as a severe threat to the U.S. Counterterrorism experts argue it does not exist as an organized entity, though people claiming affinity to antifa have been involved in armed attacks in the U.S. Among the officials organizing the event is Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno, said two of the people.

FOX News [3/31/2026 2:41 PM, Michael Dorgan and Nick Kalman, 37576K] reports that the Trump administration is considering hosting a summit focused on countering Antifa and other left-wing extremist networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Planning remains in the early stages. No date has been set, a State Department official told Fox News. The potential summit comes as the administration ramps up its focus on what officials describe as transnational anarchist and Marxist groups, particularly those operating in Europe. Some counterterrorism experts have disputed the characterization of Antifa as an organized group, arguing it operates more as a decentralized movement rather than a formal network, according to Reuters. "The anarchists, Marxists, and violent extremists of Antifa have waged a terror campaign in the United States and across the Western world for decades, carrying out bombings, beatings, shootings and riots in service of their extreme agenda," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. "The State Department is committed to identifying and dismantling these terror networks that conspire to ruthlessly suppress the will of the people and violently topple the very foundations of the United States and Western Civilization." Officials said recent efforts have focused on designating foreign groups tied to anarchist and left-wing extremist activity under U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

Washington Post [3/31/2026 11:12 AM, Jake Spring, 24826K] reports a committee led by the interior secretary known as the “God Squad” voted Tuesday to exempt oil and gas companies from complying with the Endangered Species Act when drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a move expected to threaten Rice’s whale and other species with extinction. Meeting for the first time in more than 30 years, the group — nicknamed for its ability to decide the fate of species — approved the exemption on “national security” grounds in a discussion that took about 15 minutes. Trump officials said the decision would protect critical domestic energy production at a time when global supplies are disrupted by the war with Iran. It’s the first time an administration has sought a national security exemption since the passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the committee the exemption was “a matter of urgent national security,” saying active lawsuits based on the Endangered Species Act threatened to halt oil and gas production. “This is not just about gas prices. It’s about our ability to power our military and protect our nation,” Hegseth told the committee. “The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s busiest oil route, and recent hostile action by the Iranian terror regime highlights yet again why robust domestic oil production is a national security imperative.” The Endangered Species Act has never been used to stop oil drilling in the Gulf, so doing away with protections will not meaningfully impact the amount of oil produced there, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an advocacy group. “I don’t think anyone honestly thinks that there’s a legitimate national security issue here,” Hartl said.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [3/31/2026 1:54 PM, Zahra Hirji, 18082K]

New York Times [3/31/2026 11:11 AM, Kate Kelly, Eric Schmitt and Tyler Pager, 148038K] reports that the Pentagon is considering sending a powerful anti-drone laser system to the military base in Washington where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reside, according to four people who have been briefed on the matter. While the plans are still in flux, the Army is weighing using the technology near Mr. Hegseth’s and Mr. Rubio’s residences at Fort Lesley J. McNair, in Southwest Washington, according to those people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Army has been debating deploying the lasers there after reports of unusual drone activity in the airspace around Fort McNair. The drone sightings have prompted concerns about possible surveillance of two high-ranking national security officials at a time when the United States is at war with Iran. But placing the lasers near Fort McNair would add a layer of complexity to the heavily traveled airspace over Washington. The laser system has been the subject of a heated dispute between the Federal Aviation Administration, which has raised safety concerns about its use along the border with Mexico, and the Pentagon, which has been more eager to deploy it to fight drone incursions by Mexican drug cartels.

CBS News [3/31/2026 1:07 PM, Dan Raby, 51110K] reports that an Atlanta man is one of three suspects whom officials have accused of taking part in a conspiracy to smuggle sensitive artificial intelligence technology to China. Tommy Shad English, 53, is charged with conspiring to commit smuggling and export control violations. According to the United States Attorney’s Office of Northern Georgia, English, Stanley Yi Zheng of Hong Kong, and Matthew Kelly of Hopewell Junction, New York began working together to try to obtain export-controlled computer chips from a California company in order to ship them to China through Thailand in 2023. Authorities say English, who pretended to be working on behalf of a Thailand-based company, ordered 750 computer servers worth around $170 million. Six hundred of those contained a computer chip that requires a license to be exported to China. In January 2024, English transferred over $20 million to the California company and asked that Zheng and Kelly be added to the email thread about the purchase. A short time later, officials say the manufacturer of the chips reviewed the order and could not verify the company in Thailand. That eventually led to the purchase falling through. Zheng was arrested on March 22. The government is moving to keep him in federal custody until his trial. Kelly and English both surrendered to federal authorities on March 25.

Wall Street Journal [3/31/2026 9:00 PM, Summer Said, David S. Cloud, and Michael Amon, 646K] reports the United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force, Arab officials said, a move that would make it the first Persian Gulf country to become a combatant, after being hit by Iranian attacks. The U.A.E. is lobbying for a United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorize such action, the officials said. Emirati diplomats have urged the U.S. and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to open the strait by force, the officials said. A U.A.E. official said the Iranian regime thinks it is fighting for its existence and is willing to bring the global economy down with it in a chokehold on the strait. The U.A.E. official said the country had reviewed its capabilities to assist in securing the strait, including efforts to help clear it of mines and other support services. The Gulf state has also said the U.S. should occupy islands in the strategic waterway including Abu Musa, which has been held by Iran for a half-century and is claimed by the U.A.E., other Arab officials said. In a statement, the U.A.E. Foreign Ministry pointed to a separate resolution passed by the U.N. condemning Iran’s attacks on its cities and to one made by another U.N. body, the International Maritime Organization, condemning the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Emirati Foreign Ministry said there is “broad global consensus that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved.”

AP [3/31/2026 4:50 PM, Qassim Abdul Zahra and Abby Sewell, 35287K] reports that an American journalist was kidnapped on Tuesday in Baghdad and Iraqi security forces are pursuing her captors, Iraqi officials said. The journalist was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she worked for. A U.S. official blamed the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. The Iraqi interior ministry confirmed a foreign journalist had been kidnapped but didn’t give more details. Two Iraqi security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the kidnapped journalist is a woman and a U.S. citizen. They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was then transferred to a second car that fled the scene. The interior ministry said security forces had launched an operation to track down the kidnappers, and intercepted a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers that overturned as they tried to flee. One suspect was arrested and one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping was seized, but others remain on the loose, the statement said. The two Iraqi security officials said the journalist was abducted in central Baghdad’s Saadoun Street, and that an alert was sent to all checkpoints, leading to the pursuit of the kidnappers as they headed toward Babil province.

Breitbart [3/31/2026 8:27 PM, Olivia Rondeau, 2238K] reports War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the American negotiation team has made a "productive development" in talks with current Iranian officials after a "new regime" took power, despite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denying that negotiations are underway. President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that Iran has already undergone a "regime change.” "The one regime was decimated, destroyed; they’re all dead. The next regime is mostly dead," the president said aboard Air Force One. He went on to suggest that Iran has since moved on to its "third regime," stating that the "different group of people" communicating with U.S. negotiators have "been very reasonable.” Trump reiterated this sentiment in a Monday Truth Social post, writing, "The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran.” Speaking with Breitbart News during a Tuesday morning Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth said he would defer to Trump’s negotiation team on whether or not the new regime is actually "more reasonable," but claimed that progress has been made: "I would defer to the negotiating team there. They’re the ones talking to them, but they’re getting a back-and-forth on terms, which is a productive development," the War Secretary said. "We stand right there next to our negotiating team, always willing and prepared to put them in an even better position," he added. Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, confirmed later on Tuesday to Al Jazeera that messages had been exchanged with the U.S., but said, "this does not mean that we are in negotiations.” "There is no truth to the claim of negotiations with any party in Iran," the foreign minister said. "All messages are conveyed through the Foreign Ministry or received by it, and there are communications between security agencies," he added. Trump’s Monday post also came with a threat for members of the new Iranian regime, whom he did not name. "Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.’". He added, "This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year ‘Reign of Terror.’ Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Reuters [3/31/2026 9:28 PM, Staff, 38315K] reports Republican Senator Bernie Moreno said ‌on Tuesday he will introduce legislation next month to toughen a U.S. government ban on Chinese automakers from entering the American market, and encouraged other countries to follow suit. The Biden administration imposed a sweeping regulation that effectively bans all Chinese automakers from selling ​passenger vehicles in the United States in January 2025, citing national security concerns about the ability ​of vehicles to collect sensitive data on American owners. The ban has the strong backing of ⁠U.S. carmakers and other auto groups. Earlier this month, major auto trade groups urged the U.S. government to ​keep Chinese carmakers out of the country, according to a letter seen by Reuters, ahead of President Donald Trump’s ​planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. Senator Moreno said his proposed legislation would go further than the ban on imports, and would seal off the U.S. so "there’s never a scenario where a Chinese automobile will enter our market, that’s hardware, that’s ​software, that’s partnerships." "There will not be a Chinese automobile here. And what I’m hoping is that Latin America, Mexico, Canada and ​Europe, adopt our same standards now," he said at an Automotive Forum event ahead of the New York Auto Show. "We don’t ‌allow ⁠Huawei to come into our telecommunications infrastructure. We’re not going to allow Chinese automakers into this market," Moreno said, referring to U.S. government rules barring the Chinese telecom company. "We’re going to prevent the cancer from coming into our market, and we’re going to need the other countries to do chemotherapy." The Chinese Embassy in Washington said China’s door has been open to global ​auto companies but the United ​States has "engaged in trade ⁠protectionism and set up obstacles including discriminatory subsidy policies to obstruct access to the U.S. market by Chinese-made cars." The embassy added Moreno’s legislation "violates the principles of a ​market economy and fair competition, and is typical protectionism and economic coercion. China firmly ​opposes this."

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