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.

Federal News Network [4/8/2026 5:54 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1297K] reports DHS employees are set to receive back pay through April 4 thanks to re-directed funding, but future paychecks likely depend on Congress ending the shutdown. Department of Homeland Security employees who have gone unpaid through nearly two months of a partial government shutdown will start receiving paychecks this week. In a message to all DHS employees on Monday, the office of the under secretary for management said furloughed and excepted employees would receive full salaries covering the start of the shutdown on Feb. 14 through April 4, the end of the last full pay period. Employees should start receiving paychecks as early as April 10 and no later than April 16, depending on their financial institution, according to the message. The update comes after President Donald Trump’s directive to pay all DHS employees last week. While law enforcement officers, Coast Guard service members, and most recently, Transportation Security Administration employees have received pay during the shutdown, thousands of other DHS staff have gone unpaid for the last 54 days. Those going unpaid to this point include all staff the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, about 4,000 employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard civilians, thousands of administrative staff at Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other civilian employees across DHS. However, Monday’s message from the management directive suggests that those DHS employees will not be paid under Trump’s directive past April 4. "Any additional compensation owed to you will be paid once DHS funding is restored," the message states. Under Trump’s order, DHS is using funding from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay department employees during the shutdown.

FOX News [4/8/2026 12:24 PM, Alex Miller and Adam Pack, 37576K] reports congress is in no rush to end the longest shutdown in history, despite having a deal in place and a backup plan that could both fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and secure cash for immigration operations for years to come. Lawmakers in both chambers left Washington for a two-week recess around Easter and are not scheduled to return until Monday. Meanwhile, Republicans have pitched rival plans that, if not quickly resolved, could prolong the funding standoff into the summer. After nearly two months of fighting with congressional Democrats, the shutdown back and forth has now evolved into infighting among the GOP across both chambers. That development, and differing views on how to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, threaten to prolong the shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said shortly after the Senate again passed its Department of Homeland Security funding bill in early April that there are "limited options" for ending the shutdown, given Senate Democrats’ blockade against funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without stringent reforms. "My question for anybody who doesn’t like what we did is: give me a better idea. Give me another option," Thune said. "We’ll see, ultimately, what the House does with it.”

NBC News [4/8/2026 12:45 PM, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports a group of Democratic lawmakers called on the internal watchdogs of the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department on Tuesday to investigate the "unlawful and costly" policy of sending people to third countries to which they have no previous connections, according to a letter obtained exclusively by NBC News. "The Trump Administration has, with little or no notice, secretly deported individuals to countries they are not from, have no connection to, and sometimes have never heard of, leaving many feeling like victims of a human ‘smuggling operation,’" said the letter sent by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Reps. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Troy Carter, D-La., which was signed by 26 other lawmakers. The policy of sending immigrants to so-called third countries — typically when people are barred or protected from being sent back to their home countries or their home countries are not accepting people from the U.S. — has been a major and controversial departure from previous administrations. The letter was sent to DHS’ inspector general and the State Department’s acting inspector general. The DHS Office of Inspector General said in a statement Wednesday that it had received the letter and that because of the government shutdown at the agency it could not initiate new reviews at this time. "Once the lapse ends, OIG will evaluate all requests for audits and evaluations in accordance with our risk-based process," the statement said.

Daily Caller [4/8/2026 12:38 PM, Ashley Brasfield, 803K] reports that a social media showdown is unfolding between Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar and Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill over the Dignity Act. The DIGNIDAD (Dignity Act) , which is marketed around five main principles — securing the border and ending illegal immigration, reforming the asylum system to make it more efficient and reduce catch-and-release practices, providing a legal solution for certain illegal immigrants already in the U.S., protecting American workers and key industries facing labor shortages and modernizing legal immigration to better align with current economic needs — was sponsored by Salazar and reintroduced in July 2025. Supporters of the bill argue this legal solution is not traditional amnesty or a direct path to citizenship, while detractors like Gill claim it is a form of amnesty and a betrayal of the party’s voters’ position on illegal immigration. In an exchange on X Gill called out Salazar’s legislation writing, "The Dignity Act is mass amnesty and would constitute a terrible betrayal of our voters." "READ. THE. BILL. BEFORE. YOU. OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH." She denied the bill provides amnesty to illegals and claimed it’s a "deliberate distortion" that exposes his lack of knowledge of the bill. The Daily Caller reached out to Gill and Salazar’s offices but has not heard back as of publication.

FOX News [4/8/2026 5:05 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the federal government could stop processing customs at airports in sanctuary cities as a way to pressure them on immigration enforcement. Such a move could effectively lock out global travelers from major cities like New York, New Orleans and Philadelphia, placing a damper on incoming commerce and economic benefits that could directly affect those cities’ business environments and tax bases. Mullin told "Special Report" that as sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate with DHS to enforce immigration law, the agency may need to consider that when providing services to those cities. In his interview, Mullin said that the subject needs to be given serious consideration. Mullin added that with Democrats continuing the partial shutdown of his agency, something must give.

NewsMax [4/8/2026 1:43 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in California were involved in the shooting of an illegal migrant and alleged gang member, who had "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over," according to agency director Todd Lyons. In a statement posted on X, Lyons said ICE officers were conducting a targeted stop Tuesday in Patterson, California, to arrest Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, whom authorities identified as an illegal immigrant and alleged member of the 18th Street gang wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder. "As officers approached the car, the wanted gang member weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over," Lyons said. "Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public." The suspect was transported to a local hospital, and the FBI has launched an investigation into the incident, which remains ongoing. KCRA-TV reported that the man was in critical condition at the hospital. Multiple reports said the confrontation unfolded near Interstate 5, where officers attempted to box in the vehicle before the situation escalated. Federal officials maintain the use of force was justified given the threat to officers’ lives, pointing to what they describe as a growing pattern of violence targeting immigration agents. Department of Homeland Security officials have cited a rise in vehicle-related attacks on federal officers in recent years. However, the suspect’s attorney has disputed the government’s account, claiming the incident may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [4/8/2026 11:14 AM, Sarah Davis, 18170K]

New York Times [4/8/2026 3:50 PM, Soumya Karlamangla, 148038K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who shot a 36-year-old man in Northern California on Tuesday had been seeking him for questioning in connection to a killing in El Salvador, the agency said. The next day, his lawyer said that the man, Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, had been accused of a murder in El Salvador, but had already been acquitted. ICE officers on Tuesday pulled over Mr. Hernandez, who they said was a member of the 18th Street Gang. During the traffic stop in Patterson, about 90 miles southeast of San Francisco, officers fired at Mr. Hernandez in an encounter captured on dashboard-camera video. Mr. Hernandez was taken to the hospital; his condition remains unknown. But his lawyer, Patrick Kolasinski, said in a news conference on Wednesday that Mr. Hernandez was not part of a gang and had no criminal contacts in the United States, to which Mr. Kolasinski said he immigrated illegally in 2019. He works as a day laborer and is engaged to a U.S. citizen, with whom he has a toddler. Mr. Kolasinski said that court documents may reveal more about the episode in El Salvador. He said that court orders from that country show that Mr. Hernandez had once been accused of murder, but he had been acquitted. Mr. Kolasinski said that on Friday, just days before the incident, Mr. Hernandez had been stopped by police in Turlock, a nearby town where his fiancée works, for a cracked windshield. He was issued a traffic ticket. It is unclear whether that triggered ICE’s involvement.

ABC 7 Chicago [4/8/2026 3:18 PM, Dustin Dorsey, 34146K] Video: HERE reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and wounded a suspected gang member in Patterson who is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder, federal officials said Tuesday. ICE officers were attempting to arrest the suspect when he tried to run over one of the agents, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. DHS said the officers opened fire to protect themselves. The suspect was wounded and taken to a hospital, officials said. "I was shocked when I first heard this," resident Steven Loya said. "No, not in Patterson." The quiet Central Valley town of 25,000 people was rocked after the shooting at its central intersection by Interstate 5. ICE officers say they were conducting a targeted vehicle stop to make an arrest. Dashcam video shows a car, said to have been driven by the suspect, abruptly backing up and then speeding forward. That’s when officers say they opened fire. Video shows bullet holes in the smaller black SUV parked here in Stanislaus County. "Deputies from the sheriff’s office immediately responded to the scene and assisted in securing the area by blocking the roadways," Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said. "Fire and paramedic personnel also responded to provide medical assistance." The injured man was transported to a nearby hospital following the shooting. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons says the suspect is a member of the 18th Street Gang in El Salvador, that is where he is allegedly wanted for questioning for a murder. FBI Sacramento has taken over as the primary agency for this investigation. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [4/8/2026 4:19 PM, Terry Chea and Christopher Weber] reports an attorney for a man shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an arrest in central California said Wednesday that his client did not try to run over officers with his car and disputed claims that he has a warrant out for his arrest in El Salvador. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE agents fired defensive shots at Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez after he tried to drive into them on Tuesday. DHS said they were conducting an enforcement stop targeting Mendoza, 36, in Patterson, a city about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Officials described him as a suspected gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder. Attorney Patrick Kolasinski, who is representing Mendoza and his family, said during a news conference that his client has been stopped for minor traffic infractions but has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not the subject of an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was acquitted of murder. Kolasinski said he has found no evidence his client was part of any street gang but he added he has not had the chance to talk to him to confirm that. Dashcam footage obtained by KCRA-TV shows three officers standing around a vehicle stopped on the side of a road. One of the officers appears to be touching the driver-side window when the car begins to back up and turn, hitting a vehicle behind it. At least two of the agents have weapons drawn, pointing at the car. The driver then pulls forward toward where the men are standing and turns sharply, driving over the roadway median. The video has no sound and it’s unclear when the shots were fired and if words were said.

NBC News [4/8/2026 5:40 PM, Nicole Acevedo, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports the family of the man ICE officers shot Tuesday in Northern California rebutted the agency’s narrative about Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, denying Wednesday that he is a gang member from El Salvador. Mendoza Hernandez, 36, who rehabilitates burned-down buildings for a living, was on his way to work when the shooting happened, Kolasinski said. ICE Director Todd Lyons said Tuesday that officers conducted "a targeted vehicle stop" to arrest Mendoza Hernandez. Lyons described him as "an 18th Street Gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder." A court document from a judge in El Salvador, which Kolasinski shared with NBC News, shows Mendoza Hernandez was acquitted in October 2019 after he was accused of murder. He was ordered released immediately, the document says. The document also lists 10 other people who were convicted of various crimes, from aggravated robbery to murder, and it mentions that at least one of them was a member of the 18th Street Gang. But there is no mention of Mendoza’s belonging to a gang or having been accused of carrying out gang activity in the document. Lyons said Tuesday that when ICE officers approached the car, Mendoza Hernandez "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over. Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public." Dashcam video obtained by NBC affiliate KCRA of Sacramento captured the moment ICE officers opened fire.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [4/8/2026 7:38 PM, Noe Padilla, 70643K]
Univision19 [4/8/2026 4:06 PM, Staff, 4937K]
San Francisco Chronicle [4/8/2026 3:58 PM, Anna Bauman, 3833K]

FOX News [4/8/2026 3:26 PM, Breanne Deppisch, 37576K] reports a U.S. judge in Maryland rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, using an otherwise procedural order Tuesday to scold the Justice Department for its conduct and for attempting, in the judge’s view, to "dictate" the actions of the court. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis took umbrage at the government’s demand that she rule by mid-April on their request for her to dissolve her injunction keeping Abrego Garcia in the U.S. for now, and allowing them to deport him to Liberia. She sharply disputed the Justice Department’s assertion that the court "must" rule by that date, at risk of having the injunction ignored. Ultimately, Xinis said Tuesday, the request was "not ripe" for the court to rule on the government’s removal of Abrego Garcia, and set new briefing dates for both parties. She also set a new briefing schedule, with filings due on April 20, and a new hearing date, scheduled for April 28. Lawyers for the Trump administration told the court during a hearing hours earlier that they still intend to deport Abrego Garcia to the African country of Liberia, despite a new agreement between the U.S. and Costa Rica that would allow him to be sent there. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons argued that allowing Abrego Garcia to be sent to Costa Rica, his preferred country of removal, would be "prejudicial" to the U.S., citing what Lyons described as the "significant" government resources and capital the U.S. has invested in negotiating his removal and the removal of certain other migrants to Liberia. Another official suggested Abrego Garcia could "remove himself" to Costa Rica, should he choose to live there, which the judge noted was a "fantasy."

Washington Post [4/8/2026 4:30 PM, Amy B. Wang, 24826K] reports some Trump administration officials will be able to use a $70 million luxury plane that former homeland security secretary Kristi L. Noem said was being acquired for deportations. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement bought the plane for $70 million before the new DHS secretary, Markwayne Mullin, was confirmed last month. The spokesperson did not respond to questions about who will approve use of the plane and exactly who will be able to fly on it. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the arrangement, said that White House officials — not DHS officials — will approve use of the plane and that first lady Melania Trump will be among those close to President Donald Trump to have access to it.

Washington Times [4/8/2026 4:53 PM, Emilio T. Gonzalez, 1323K] reports as I watched the televised State of the Union on Feb. 24, the cameras panned across the congressional chamber. Sitting there was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Democrat, sporting an indecent accessory that read “F—- ICE.” Shortly thereafter, the Democratic Party leaders in Congress refused to move on the Department of Homeland Security budget until their “reform” agenda for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was adopted. During budget negotiations, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York referred to ICE as a “rogue and deadly militia.” Few federal agencies have been subjected to a more relentless and disingenuous campaign of vilification than ICE. The slogan “Abolish ICE” has become a liberal rallying cry, shorthand for a narrative that the agency is some outlaw force terrorizing innocent families. The truth is that ICE is one of the most effective public safety institutions in the federal government. It is the thin line protecting American communities from the world’s most dangerous criminals, the deadliest drugs in human history and the sexual predators who prey on the most vulnerable. The agency is charged with enforcing our immigration laws in addition to counterterrorism missions and combating sexual predators and child exploitation. ICE is also the primary federal agency dismantling the spread of transnational criminal gangs in the United States. ICE’s enforcement record against sexual predators and child exploiters is among the most consequential in federal law enforcement and the most difficult to reconcile with the “Abolish ICE” narrative. Its arrests regularly illustrate the depravity of the individuals it removes from American communities and the unconscionable acts by politicians that would shield those criminals from justice. ICE is at the forefront of the national effort to combat the fentanyl crisis that kills tens of thousands of Americans annually. Its units target every link in the supply chain, from the precursor chemical suppliers in China to the cartel production labs in Mexico and the distribution networks in the U.S. Beyond its drug interdiction efforts, ICE is a global leader in the fight against human trafficking. These operations dismantle criminal organizations that profit from human misery, rescuing men, women and children from forced labor and sexual exploitation.

The Hill [4/8/2026 10:00 AM, Sheldon H. Jacobson, 18170K] reports Markwayne Mullin, the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has officially been sworn into office. Given the recent climate of disarray within the department, he faces numerous challenges that will require decisive and forward-thinking actions, and perhaps even pushback against the demands of an ever-growing chaos coming out of the White House. What’s more, this must all be done with no funding in place, due to the partial government shutdown that has now dragged on since Feb. 14. The president’s executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration officers only partially alleviates the funding pressure. There are 16 operational and support components that make up the department. The most visible include the TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, all of which have senior officials “performing the duties of the administrator” — not the Senate-confirmed administrators required by law. This leadership vacuum permitted the previous secretary, Kristi Noem, to overtake policies and strategies at these agencies, rather than rely on more experienced and competent public servants to oversee their operations. A top priority for Mullin should be to get Senate-approved administrators in place for these agencies.

Blaze [4/8/2026 8:00 AM, Riley Moore, 1556K] reports in 2015, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized American citizen born in Sierra Leone, traveled to Africa and met with ISIS in Nigeria. He began communicating with a terrorist online who, thankfully, was an FBI informant. Jalloh was arrested and convicted for providing material support to ISIS and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. Jalloh should have been denaturalized and deported after his conviction. That should have been the end of the story. However, as a naturalized citizen, he was allowed to remain in the country. In 2024, he was released from prison early, and on March 12 of this year, he walked into a classroom at Old Dominion University and opened fire, killing Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a retired Army officer. Shah was from Staunton, Virginia. He enlisted in the army in 2003 and flew an Apache helicopter over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe. He survived 600 hours of combat in the Middle East only to be gunned down by a terrorist as he taught a class here in the American homeland. This horrific attack should never have happened. When a foreign-born terrorist is convicted of conspiring against our homeland, no American should ever have to worry that he will attack again. My new bill, the Denaturalization and Expulsion of Persons Who Orchestrate Radical Terrorism Act, will guarantee that it never happens again.

Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 5:00 AM, Staff, 1147K] reports Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) have announced a "two-track" plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of President Donald Trump’s term. First, House Republicans will pass the bipartisan Senate bill that will fund all of DHS, except Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, through September 2026. Separately, both chambers will then pass a reconciliation bill, on a party-line vote, that will fund all of DHS through the end of the Trump presidency. Not only is this a wise move necessary to protect historic border security accomplishments, but Republicans should apply it to the rest of the government before Democrats undo other accomplishments through the appropriations process. Trump’s success on border security is his most impressive. As recently as December 2023, more than 300,000 illegal immigrants were crossing the southern border with Mexico, and President Joe Biden was releasing the vast majority of them, hundreds of thousands each month, into the country.

Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 6:00 AM, Guy Benson, 1147K] reports last week, the top Republican leaders on Capitol Hill released a joint statement — quite possibly having been told in no uncertain terms by the White House that the internecine fighting and finger-pointing over an unresolved Department of Homeland Security funding fight needed to cease immediately. The new agreement was greeted with consternation among many rank-and-file House Republicans, who are livid at the Senate for unanimously waving through a bill that funds most of the homeland security apparatus, excluding Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After the upper chamber did so and then left town, the House GOP responded by passing a two-month stopgap funding bill that didn’t exclude immigration enforcement. Then it also left town. Incompatible, competing pieces of legislation left the problem festering, while members flew home. This was a bad look for Republicans, who nominally control both houses of Congress, even though Democrats had been responsible for causing and sustaining the shutdown for a month and a half. Amid the dysfunction, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) published a statement together, effectively backing the Senate’s plan, apparently with the president’s support. "In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks: through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process," they wrote. In other words, the House would adopt the Senate appropriations bill, likely with Democratic help, given widespread GOP frustration, then add more funding for immigration enforcement, much of which is currently funded under last year’s working families tax cut law, otherwise known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill. That’s hardly a surefire proposition, of course, and President Donald Trump has said he wants that on his desk by June 1 — an ambitious timetable. "In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited," the joint Thune and Johnson statement reads. In a parting shot at the opposition, Thune and Johnson added, "Democrats will once again demonstrate to the American people their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in America." This may sound like partisan demonization, but it’s demonstrably true.

FOX News [4/8/2026 1:13 PM, David Marcus, 37576K] reports that sometimes in life, the most important thing is getting to know people. Over the past few weeks, since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents started helping to shorten lines in our nation’s airports, much of the country has gotten to know them, much to the lying Democrats’ chagrin. Take podcaster Charlamagne tha God, who had been a blistering critic of ICE tactics under the Trump administration. Here is what he had to say of his encounters with the agents at a New York airport: "They were great, to be honest with you. Like to be honest, I’m just like, they were, and for that particular terminal, I was flying out of LaGuardia, I forgot what terminal it was, but yeah, they were being extra nice like Chick-fil-A workers.” However, despite the buffing up of ICE’s image, the Democrats are still holding the country hostage with their pointless shutdown of Department of Homeland Security funding, under which thousands of behind-the-scenes ICE employees remain without pay.

AP [4/9/2026 12:11 AM, Heather Hollingsworth, 35287K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing a plan to transform warehouses across the U.S. into detention facilities for tens of thousands of immigrants. So far immigration officials have spent a total of $1.074 billion for 11 warehouses. They’ve mostly faced fierce opposition. And days after Mullin was sworn in, the Department of Homeland Security paused the purchase of new warehouses intended to house immigrants. The department is scrutinizing all contracts signed under his predecessor, Kristi Noem. A look at some of the locations: Local officials were told nothing before ICE purchased a 418,000-square-foot (38,833-square-meter) warehouse in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise for $70 million, the state’s top prosecutor, Kris Mayes, said in a letter to former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Documents later provided by ICE said the Department of Homeland Security plans a processing site with an average daily capacity of 1,000 to 1,500, and a contract worth at least $313.4 million was awarded to transform it. DHS is now planning something more modest, starting out with 250 people per week and capping occupied beds at 542, according to Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor. A TV reporter in Orlando spotted private contractors and federal officials in January touring a 439,945-square-foot (40,872-square-meter) industrial warehouse. ICE senior adviser David Venturella told a WFTV reporter the tour was "exploratory.” As of April, the city still hadn’t heard anything, a spokesperson said in an email. ICE bought a massive warehouse in Social Circle for $128.6 million. The city said the federal government informed it that the facility is expected to house from 7,500 to 10,000 detainees. The city is so concerned about the strain on its water supply that it put a lock on the warehouse’s water meter. DHS has suggested trucking in drinking water and trucking out waste, according to a letter from Georgia Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who said the plan was unworkable. DHS also bought a 540,408-square-foot (50,205-square-meter) warehouse in Oakwood for $68.2 million, a deed shows. City Manager B.R. White said his first inkling that a deal was imminent came when a warehouse supervisor told a city inspector he’d been instructed to clear the job site to make way for the new owners — the federal government. After the town of Merrillville raised concerns about ICE touring a new 275,000-square-foot (25,548-square-meter) warehouse, owner Opus Holding LLC sent a letter stating it isn’t negotiating with federal officials for the property. The letter said Opus was limited in what it could share because of legal issues.

FOX News [4/8/2026 6:58 PM, Stepheny Price and Ashley Papa, 37576K] reports a string of killings across the United States involving suspects in the country illegally is fueling renewed outrage from lawmakers and immigration officials, who warn the violence is not an isolated trend but the result of systemic enforcement failures. National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto told Fox News Digital the crisis has been building for years, arguing that millions were allowed into the country without proper vetting. "It will not be the last—it’ll be more," Del Cueto said. "We do not know what their intentions were… and then you have people in this country that are perfectly comfortable with these individuals roaming around the streets.” Republican leaders are now calling for sweeping changes from aggressive deportation efforts to stricter interior enforcement as high-profile cases continue to mount. Missouri teen begged for his life in alleged ambush killing. The killing of 15-year-old Miles Young in Missouri has become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate after prosecutors say he was lured into a trap and executed. Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital the killing highlights policy failures. An illegal immigrant is accused of killing his wife in Texas, prompting federal officials to intervene to ensure he is not released. Francisco Mendez-Marin, 24, is charged with felony homicide after authorities say he slit the throat of his 20-year-old wife, Karla Rangel, during a domestic dispute in Dallas. The couple had been married less than a month. DHS officials sharply criticized the case, saying it underscores failures in immigration enforcement. "This illegal alien should have never been allowed into our country to commit this heinous murder," DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.

Univision [4/8/2026 4:50 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained more than 800 people thanks to information provided by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to Reuters. The records were taken from the TSA’s Secure Flight program, which was created in 2007 to see if passengers are on U.S. government watch lists. According to The New York Times, the TSA has been providing ICE with information since 2025, including names, dates of birth, and upcoming flights. These reports have been submitted daily so that the agency can verify the data. It is worth noting that of the 800 people who were detained, it is unknown whether they were arrested at an airport.

Bloomberg [4/8/2026 1:47 PM, Ryan Gallagher, 18082K] reports that a US lawmaker is questioning Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s use of spyware to hack phones and snoop on private messages. Last week, ICE acting director Todd Lyons confirmed that the agency’s Homeland Security Investigations unit was approved to use spyware from the Israeli company Paragon. Such “cutting-edge technological tools” would help crack down on groups that are trafficking fentanyl into the US, Lyons wrote in an April 1 letter to three Democrats in the House of Representatives. Lyons made the disclosure in response to Representative Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat who last year wrote to ICE seeking details about the agency’s spyware usage. Lee said in a statement that she was not satisfied with Lyons’ answers, and demanded to know more about the targets of any ICE hacking. “The response I received from ICE makes one thing clear. They are moving forward with invasive spyware technology inside the United States, and instead of answering the serious constitutional and civil rights concerns that we raised, DHS is asking the public to accept vague assurances and fear-based justifications,” Lee said. “Employing various forms of technology in support of investigations and law enforcement activities aids in the arrest of criminal gang members, child sex offenders, murderers, drug dealers, identity thieves and more, all while respecting civil liberties and privacy interests,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels.” Paragon didn’t respond to a request for comment. Paragon’s product, known as Graphite, can remotely break into mobile phones and collect messages and other data. The immigration agency signed a $2 million deal with Paragon in 2024, but the Biden administration paused the contract shortly afterward. The Trump administration reactivated the deal in August, triggering concerns from rights groups about potential abuses of the technology to target opponents of ICE’s mass deportation campaign. “The people most at risk, including immigrants, Black and brown communities, journalists, organizers, and anyone speaking out against government abuse, deserve more than secrecy and deflection from an agency with a long record of overreach and abuse,” Lee said in an emailed statement. According to procurement records, ICE’s Paragon contract was closed or lapsed in January this year, suggesting it hasn’t been active. However, Lyons indicated in his letter that plans to use the spyware. “Use of the technology will align with and support the Homeland Security Task Force’s strategic initiatives,” he wrote, “addressing the escalating fentanyl epidemic and safeguarding national security.” Lyons said the technology would be deployed “pursuant to appropriate legal authorization, safeguards, and oversight.”

NewsNation [4/8/2026 9:39 AM, Sandra Sanchez, 4464K] reports the U.S. government is using AI to locate and arrest immigrants who are accused of being in the United States illegally. According to several reports, the Department of Homeland Security is hiring a litany of private contractors and giving them the names of thousands of immigrants. The contractors are then using artificial intelligence to find the migrants. The process of using AI, public records, databases, online information and surveillance is called “skip tracing.” It’s been used by debt collectors, bail bondsmen and private investigators for years. But reports say DHS is paying private companies billions of dollars to use this process to find immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to arrest and that’s raising ethical concerns. Upwards of 50,000 names per month are being given by the agency every month, according to a story by The Washington Post earlier this year. The American Immigration Council last week published an analysis of this process and says DHS is using new technology and companies that have not previously worked in the immigration industry to “hunt” down immigrants. And it says the agency is ramping up this practice.

NBC News [4/8/2026 1:57 PM, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports that arrests of immigrants without criminal convictions by ICE have surged 770%, while street arrests saw a more than 1,000% increase during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a new analysis released Tuesday. The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling. The much-increased street arrests took place in neighborhoods, at immigration court and at ICE field offices during regular immigration check-ins, the report said. "Arrests not in jails or prisons at this order of magnitude are a new phenomenon. For both types of arrests, ICE was much less likely to target people with criminal convictions," according to the analysis by the Deportation Data Project, which is led by a group of academics and lawyers that collect, post and analyze government immigration enforcement data. The changes in enforcement led to a 770% increase in immigration arrests of people without criminal convictions, according to the analysis. The project’s analysis is based on data obtained through a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act and covers arrests through March 10, according to the report. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News that the Deportation Data Project had "cherry picked" data in order to "peddle a false narrative." The spokesperson added: "70% of ICE arrests are criminal illegal aliens. We are continuing to go after the worst of the worst — including gang members, pedophiles, and rapists."

FOX News [4/8/2026 6:00 AM, Andrew Mark Miller, 37576K] reports a far-left activist group with ties to anti-ICE protests, Antifa and broader left-wing organizing is openly calling for a "political revolution" and a sweeping overhaul of the American system that includes pressure on college campuses, according to newly obtained training materials. Slides from a March 2026 Sunrise Movement membership meeting, obtained by Defending Education, lay out a vision to "structurally change the foundations of this country" in pursuit of "eco-socialism" and a "multi-racial democracy." The internal presentation outlines what the group describes as its "grand objective," including the passage of Green New Deal legislation and dismantling what it calls the "billionaire 2 party system." In a slide called "On the road to revolution," the group outlines the top three goals of "Phase 1," which include: "‘Stop Trump’s grip on power," "build up to mass noncooperation" with protests like May Day and "use the 2026 midterms to build toward electoral breakthrough — win big." The plan for Phase 2, which takes place in 2028, includes "MASS strikes," "Huge historic 2028 turnout for our candidate," "biggest tentpole of masses against Trump + his billionaires." The Phase 3 "political revolution" is planned for 2029 to 2031, and Phase 4 in 2032 and beyond is titled "The New System," which the presentation says will include: "Happiness (maybe).”

Washington Times [4/8/2026 8:26 AM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports a federal judge has directed ICE to let priests, ministers and other faith leaders into the migrant processing center in Chicago’s suburbs, saying the total ban the agency had been enforcing is a violation of religious rights. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman, a Clinton appointee, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must allow daily visits for the clergy who sued. The Broadview ICE Detention Center drew the nation’s focus last year when it was the site of protests during ICE’s enforcement surge in Chicago. Those protests prompted ICE to limit access — including to religious leaders who said they have a duty to minister to those passing through the facility. The federal government said it allows visits by clergy who are invited by detainees but doesn’t allow the clergy to initiate visits. Judge Gettleman said Tuesday in his ruling that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act requires the government to avoid burdening someone’s religious practice if there is a way it can be accommodated. In this case, the clergy say ministering is part of their practice. The judge cited Pope Leo’s call for the detainees to receive Holy Communion as evidence of that religious duty. ICE, he said, is hindering that with its ban on clergy-initiated visits.

Daily Wire [4/8/2026 1:10 PM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2314K] reports ICE agents detained an illegal alien from Ghana convicted on 15 counts for stealing more than $8 million through an online dating fraud scheme targeting the elderly, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. Convicted three years ago in Boston, Massachusetts, for defrauding the elderly through fake dating profiles, ICE agents detained Kofi Ib Osei on Tuesday. Osei was convicted in March 2023 on seven counts of false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and two counts of money laundering. "Kofi Osei is a criminal illegal alien who committed fraud throughout New England," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. "On April 6, 2026, ICE arrested Osei from jail and took him into custody in Virginia. This is why we need local cooperation.” Osei first entered the United States in 2010 and was convicted on March 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The indictment against Osei revealed that he targeted victims across the country, from Florida to California, from 2016 to 2020, through a romance scheme that involved tricking individuals into sending money to bank accounts operated by Osei under fake names. This money was then used for buying cars and other personal items, according to the indictment. To open bank accounts, Osei would use passports from South Africa and Lesotho under various names. One victim in the indictment included a woman who met Osei on eHarmony under the name "William Karlsen." They communicated by phone and text, and Osei claimed he needed her to send him money so he could leave the oil rig he claimed to work on to visit her. Eventually, the victim transferred Osei over $200,000, according to the indictment. Others arrested by ICE this week included Pedro Joel Martinez, an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14-years-old; Miguel Angel Vazquez-Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted for dealing child pornography in Wilmington, Delaware; Ader Aldair Ramirez-Quiroz, an illegal alien from Honduras convicted for importation of fentanyl in San Diego, California; and Anyeli Carolina Peley-Herrera, an illegal alien from Venezuela convicted for acquisition of personal identification by false authority in Bonneville County, Idaho, according to DHS. "Yesterday, the heroic men and women of ICE arrested child predators, child rapists, drug traffickers, and other scumbags," Bis said. "Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”

CBS Philadelphia [4/8/2026 6:12 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deployed to Philadelphia International Airport last month amid the partial government shutdown are set to leave this week, an airport official said Wednesday.

USA Today [4/8/2026 12:45 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 70643K] reports local leaders in Pittsburgh voted unanimously to pass an ordinance that will block police and city government employees from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agencies, the latest city to reject President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda. Nine Pittsburgh City Council members on April 7 voted to pass Bill 286, and none voted against it. The bill says that no city government employees may ask about a person’s immigration or citizenship status, or cooperate with federal immigration agents. That includes detaining someone on the basis of their immigration status or the existence of an immigration detainer for them, or allowing ICE agents to access a person in detention or providing information to ICE about someone’s status. The vote comes just weeks ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, which is expected to draw huge crowds of fans to the city April 23 to April 25. The bill serves to formally codify the position taken by Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, who has stated that city police will not cooperate with ICE, said Councilmember Barb Warwick, who introduced the bill.

Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 9:10 AM, Salena Zito, 1147K] reports on April 3, several dozen immigrants were lined up at an Armstrong County, Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles office. All were allegedly waiting to secure their commercial driver’s licenses. And all quickly ran in all directions when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrived at the DMV office located in a local strip mall. Video footage showed a long line of young men waiting both inside and outside of the DMV, and who admitted to locals that they were from various countries. The video was shared both locally and nationally and prompted locals to contact the county sheriff’s office. Armstrong County Sheriff Frank Pitzer then informed the local ICE office. When the ICE officers arrived at the center, the long line quickly broke up, with everyone scattering in multiple directions. Sheriff Pitzer told the local newspaper that when he arrived, the ICE enforcement had already ended and that "numerous people scattered throughout the community. I’m unsure of the reasons why they left. Were they illegal? Were they just scared? Obviously, we can’t answer that. … It went even as far as people exiting their vehicles and abandoning them on the street." Those who were caught were processed at the Pittsburgh ICE office, according to Jason Koontz, the Department of Homeland Security spokesman. Koontz shared a statement that said ICE had arrested 13 people from countries that included Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.

AP [4/9/2026 12:10 AM, Rebecca Santana and Heather Hollingsworth, 34146K] reports horns blared and protesters screamed "Stop ICE!" outside a meeting on the western edge of Maryland where county officials were discussing mundane issues like the solid waste budget. It’s been like this ever since the Department of Homeland Security bought an 825,000-square-foot (76,645-square-meter) building in Washington County as part of a plan to transform warehouses across the U.S. into detention facilities for tens of thousands of immigrants. "This is a facility built for packages, not people," Patrick Dattilio, the founder of an anti- Immigration and Customs Enforcement group called Hagerstown Rapid Response, said as he stood outside the county commission meeting. The federal government has faced fierce opposition in communities where it spent a total of $1.074 billion for 11 warehouses under a plan that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is reviewing. Washington County is the most welcoming community — a place where officials said they supported ICE, albeit amid whistles and jeers. The processing center there was supposed to be one of the first to open in a facilities project hatched under Mullin’s predecessor, Kristi Noem. But now DHS’ plan for the Washington County building is paused — mired in a court battle like some of the other warehouse-to-detention projects across the U.S. Questions swirl about whether Mullin will move ahead with the facilities project or chart another course as he pursues President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The sprawling blue-and-white warehouse in Washington County has been the subject of intense debate in part because of the way commissioners voiced their support for ICE. While repeatedly insisting that their hands were tied because the federal government already bought the building, the commissioners also approved a proclamation during their Feb. 10 meeting declaring their "unwavering support" for DHS and ICE. The proclamation, which didn’t specifically mention the warehouse purchase, was met with so much booing and yelling that the commission president cleared the room. The county wanted something, too. It forwarded the proclamation to Noem the next day in an email identifying hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of sewer, airport and highway upgrades that it said were needed, according to a public records request received by local resident Ethan Wechtaluk, who’s running for Congress in the district that includes the warehouse. ICE, flush with cash from a massive congressional appropriation, has since signed a contract worth $113 million to renovate the building for 500 to 1,500 detainees, but a judge temporarily halted work after Maryland’s attorney general sued. A hearing is scheduled for April 15.

CBS Baltimore [4/8/2026 6:46 PM, Dennis Valera, 51110K] Video: HERE reports with just days left in the 2026 Maryland legislative session, immigrant rights advocates rallied Wednesday in support of a bill that they said should be a number one priority. The Community Trust Act aims to keep local law enforcement from serving as an arm of federal immigration enforcement. There have been a number of bills during this legislative session that aim to protect immigrant communities against the Trump administration’s ramped-up immigration enforcement policies. The Community Trust Act is one of dozens that advocates want to see sent to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk before Sine Die – or the end of the legislative session – on Monday. For the non-profit We Are CASA and other advocates, the Community Trust Act, like the other immigration bills introduced this legislative session, is about protecting families. Like the family of Evan, a 10-year-old We Are CASA member from Baltimore County. His uncle was deported to Honduras last year. "Before he got deported, my mom took my brother and me to visit him when he was in detention," Evan said. "It was a scary place. I asked my mom if we could bring Uncle Mynor back home with us.” The bill would bar local law enforcement from detaining people on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as sharing personal data and other resources for federal immigration enforcement.

Telemundo Washington DC [4/8/2026 3:31 PM, Yoni Azenón, 120K] reports the Prince George’s County Council unanimously passed a series of emergency laws aimed at limiting the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the county. Four bills and two resolutions took effect immediately after the Council held a law-signing ceremony on Tuesday. The bills instruct Prince George’s County police to respond to immigration enforcement activities to verify the identity and authority of the officers present at the scene. Other laws prohibit immigration agents from wearing masks in most situations and bar access to county government for those who have joined ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after October 1, 2025. The Council also intends to create a portal to track arrests made by ICE in the county.

Univision [4/8/2026 6:53 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a group of counties in Pennsylvania has billed the federal government for more than US$21 million in recent years for housing immigrants in their local jails, according to a Spotlight PA investigation. The agreements, in place for years — in some decades — have gained new relevance to the immigration policy promoted by President Donald Trump, focused on mass deportations and the use of local facilities for detention. This information is consistent with what was reported in September 2025 by N+ Univision Philadelphia, about Pennsylvania being one of the states with the largest increase in collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), although over the course of the months several counties ended the 287G agreements. According to documents obtained by the media, at least five counties have maintained agreements with federal agencies such as ICE or the U.S. Marshals Service. Four of them — Clinton, Erie, Franklin and Pike — jointly billed more than US$21 million between 2024 and 2025. A fifth, Cambria, also maintains a similar system, though it began to receive more recently detainees. Pike County concentrated most of the revenue, with more than US$16 million in that period, followed by Clinton, with more than 4.6 million.

Daily Wire [4/8/2026 4:23 PM, Drew Berkemeyer, 2314K] reports the suspect in a brutal killing outside a Fort Myers, Florida, gas station has been captured, becoming another statistic in the national immigration debate, after federal officials confirmed the suspect had been released into the United States and later shielded from deportation. Rolbert Joachim, a Haitian national, is accused of murdering Nilufa Easmin, known to friends and family as Yasmeen, by bludgeoning her with a hammer outside the Chevron station where she worked. The attack, captured on surveillance video, unfolded in broad daylight. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Joachim first entered the U.S. in August 2022 and was “caught and released” at the border. Later that same year, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him. But instead of being deported, DHS says he was allowed to remain in the country under Temporary Protected Status, which expired in 2024. Joachim is now in custody and being held without bond. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on him, and DHS says he will be deported following the resolution of his case. Blaze [4/8/2026 3:45 PM, Dave Urbanski, 1556K] reports DHS said the suspect in the attack "first entered the United States in August 2022 and was released into the country under the Biden administration. A federal judge issued a final order of removal against him in 2022, but the Biden administration granted him Temporary Protected Status, which expired in 2024." DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer against the suspect, and he will be deported regardless of the outcome of his case.

Breitbart [4/8/2026 2:25 PM, Hannah Knudsen, 2238K] reports that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says the horrific murder of a woman who was bludgeoned to death at a Fort Myers gas station on April 3 was totally preventable, pointing to the fact that the suspect is a Haitian national in the U.S. illegally who benefited from former President Joe Biden’s open border policies. "This horrific murder was preventable. Even as Florida arrests hundreds of criminal aliens every day, four years of the Biden admin’s open-border policies continue to wreak havoc on our communities," Uthmeier said in a social media post. "Members of Congress pushing for amnesty should be ashamed. There is no dignity in allowing more American victims at the hands of those who have no right to be in our country," he added. Uthmeier shared confirmation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), indicating that the man accused of bludgeoning a woman with a hammer in Fort Meyers, Florida, is, indeed, an illegal immigrant. The murder occurred on April 3, as emergency personnel responded to an incident at a gas station. Surveillance footage shows the suspect, Rolbert Joachin, smashing the victim’s windshield and bludgeoning her in the head with a hammer repeatedly. According to DHS, the woman was a clerk at the gas station. The Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD), in coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), located Joachin and arrested him. DHS revealed in a press release that the illegal immigrant entered the United States in August 2022 and was subsequently released into the U.S. interior by the Biden administration.

Univision [4/8/2026 8:49 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a 55-year-old Vietnamese migrant died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the most recent case in a series of deaths that have occurred under the current U.S. immigration policy. The man, identified as Tuan Van Bui, died on April 1, 2026, at the Miami Correctional Center, according to an official notification sent by ICE to lawmakers in the days that followed. According to the agency, staff at the center found Bui unconscious and immediately activated emergency protocols. "Staff on the scene found Bui unconscious and immediately began life-saving measures, including CPR. Staff immediately contacted emergency services, who responded quickly to the scene and began advanced life support procedures," ICE reported. Despite medical efforts, the migrant was pronounced dead that same day. The death was officially reported to Congress the following week, as part of the mandatory protocols for deaths in federal custody, but the cause remains under investigation. According to ABC News, this case marks the 46th person to die in federal immigration custody during President Donald Trump’s current administration, which has intensified criticism of conditions in these detention centers. According to authorities, Bui had an active deportation order dating back to 2005. ICE also noted that he had a lengthy criminal history, including arrests for crimes such as theft, assault, drug possession, carrying firearms, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Court records indicate that the man had filed a petition for habeas corpus—a legal remedy to challenge detention and request a review by a judge—in February 2026, seeking to challenge his detention. A federal judge responded to the request on April 2, 2026—one day after his death—ordering the government to provide details of its deportation plans by April 6. The government submitted the report on the case by the specified date, although its contents have not been made public because the legal proceedings remain under seal. An analysis by ABC News based on official ICE data and reports submitted to Congress reveals that the first 14 months of President Donald Trump’s current administration represent one of the deadliest periods for the immigration detention system in recent years. According to this analysis, only 2020—marked by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—recorded comparable or higher death tolls, placing the current situation under increasing scrutiny.

Bloomberg Industry Group Bloomberg Law [4/8/2026 9:32 AM, Megan Crepeau, 763K] reports the US Department of Homeland Security can’t bar clergy from visiting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the Chicago suburbs, a federal judge ruled. A group of religious leaders who sued for access to the Broadview, Ill., building must be allowed to visit detainees each day as long as the case is pending, Judge Robert Gettleman of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said in a preliminary injunction order Tuesday. Gettleman had previously ordered the government to grant clergy access on Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week. The Trump administration strenuously opposed the access, saying Broadview is intended as a short-term holding facility and the priests were free to visit detainees instead at longer-term custodial buildings out of state. In a status report filed Monday, plaintiffs said religious leaders from multiple denominations ministered to Broadview detainees on Easter and during the preceding Holy Week holidays. They washed detainees’ feet, sang hymns, and distributed literature, they said.

Bloomberg [4/8/2026 2:21 PM, Mallory Culhane, 763K] reports that a Minnesota judge appeared skeptical Wednesday of a challenge to a US Department of Homeland Security memo that loosened restrictions on conducting immigration enforcement operations at and near schools. "I’m really struggling, I think most, with this redressability piece," Judge Laura M. Provinzino said, foreshadowing a possible ruling in the government’s favor that the plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the policy change. "If we get rid of the 2025 policy, but immigration enforcement remains the same, I’m not certain that going back to the 2021 policy" would allow teachers to provide reassurances that students and staff won’t be subjected to immigration enforcement at school. "I think there’s still enough carveouts there for immigration enforcement to happen" in or near schools, Provinzino said. The comments came during a hearing at the US District Court for the District of Minnesota on a preliminary injunction motion brought by two Minnesota school districts and an education workers’ union. Amanda Cialkowski, representing the plaintiffs, said that although those carveouts have existed for more than 30 years, immigration enforcement operations weren’t happening at schools. And that "shows that the government was complying with the policy that if it was possible to avoid it, they did."

AP [4/8/2026 5:42 PM, Steve Karnowski, 35287K] reports attorneys for two Minnesota school districts and the state’s main teachers union asked a federal judge Wednesday to block a Trump administration change in policy that gave immigration authorities a freer hand to conduct enforcement actions in and near schools. The Department of Homeland Security last year rescinded longstanding nationwide restrictions on immigration enforcement in or near “sensitive locations” such as schools and school bus stops, churches and hospitals that effectively made them off limits except in rare circumstances. The Fridley and Duluth school districts, and the Education Minnesota union, sued to block the new policy in February, at a time when the Department of Homeland Security had sent around 3,000 federal officers into the state for Operation Metro Surge. Federal agents involved in the crackdown killed two citizens in Minneapolis in January. The plaintiffs asked the court Wednesday for either a stay or preliminary injunction that would restore the previous restraints.

Univision [4/8/2026 2:00 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a visit by lawmakers to a federal shelter in South Texas has opened a new debate about the treatment of pregnant migrant children in U.S. government custody. What they found, according to their testimonies, was a system that concentrates girls and adolescents in one place, with limited access to medical care and no clarity about their legal status. The tour took place in San Benito, Texas, where a facility operates under the supervision of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The report points to a complex situation: migrant girls who have given birth within the custody system, whose children were born on U.S. soil. According to the members of Congress, there is no clarity regarding the handling of these cases or the fate of these children. Inside the shelter, lawmakers found that medical care is limited. According to their observations, there are no permanent doctors on site, only one nurse to care for the girls, even though their pregnancies are considered high-risk due to their age.

Breitbart [4/8/2026 7:07 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested an illegal alien in Arizona who is wanted for murder in Mexico, Breitbart News has learned. This week, ICE agents arrested Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal, an illegal alien fugitive from Mexico, during a targeted operation in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Bernal, Mexican police allege, murdered a woman in November 2018 and dumped her body in the town of El Tamarindo, Sinaloa. After the murder, Bernal crossed the U.S.-Mexico border as an illegal alien got-away and settled in Arizona. The arrest is significant as under former President Joe Biden’s enforcement priorities, the illegal alien would not have been considered a public safety threat because he does not have a criminal record in the United States. "Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this monster wanted for murdering a woman in Mexico is off our streets," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Lauren Bis said: “Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal is a cold-blooded killer and an example of who the media often refer to as a ‘non-criminals,’ because they only have heinous convictions in their home country. Nearly 70 percent of ICE arrests have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States. The actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher. From foreign fugitives, gang members, and terrorists, ICE is getting the worst of the worst off our street and out of our country.”

FOX News [4/8/2026 6:00 AM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports photos obtained by Fox News Digital offer a rare glimpse into the high-end lifestyle of the niece and grandniece of the late Iranian terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, identified as Soleimani’s niece, and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25, were taken into custody last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), after the State Department revoked their green cards, according to an announcement over the weekend from the State Department. Afshar, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime, celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to the United States as the "Great Satan." Afshar and Hosseiny are just a few relatives of Iranian regime clerics and IRGC commanders embedding themselves in the Western societies their relatives regularly denounce and fight against. "These women are posting in bikinis, on yachts, they are wearing v-neck dresses down to their bellybuttons, they are wannabee Instagram influencers. All on the blood money – money that was embezzled, stolen from the Iranian people. And there’s thousands of them, not just two, there’s thousands in the U.S. and in Canada and in London," Sheila Nazarian, who fled Iran as a child, told Fox News’ Dana Perino. "And, they are such hypocrites. You can show a few strands of hair in Iran, get 74 lashes – I’ve seen women kicked to the ground, kicked in their head while on the ground for violating the hijab policy in Iran," she continued. "Women have been raped, women have been killed for showing their hair. Much less, these women showing – like if you look at their Instagram it’s infuriating – they’re on yachts, they’re on helicopters, they’re shopping on Rodeo Drive half-naked, and it’s almost like rules for thee but not for me on full display." Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that both Afshar and her daughter entered the U.S. in 2015. Afshar entered on a tourist visa in June, while her daughter, Hosseiny, entered in July on a student visa. Both were granted asylum status by a judge in 2019. Bis added that Afshar became a green card holder under the Biden administration in 2021, giving her permanent lawful status. Two years later, in 2023, Hosseiny also got her green card, gaining permanent lawful status.

Daily Caller [4/8/2026 7:27 PM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports the niece of a notorious Iranian general who assisted in attacks that killed American troops reportedly made a desperate phone call to a former lover in an effort to escape detention after her arrest. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the niece of the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani and her daughter had their green cards revoked and were held by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Hamideh Soleimani Afshar reportedly called 68-year-old Maziar Aflaki, a former paramour, after ICE detained her, the New York Post reported. "She scares me. I was so afraid of her. She knows how to make herself seem like an angel and you feel like the devil. I wanted someone to take her away – now it’s happened," Aflaki told the Post. Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25, enjoyed a lavish life in the USA where she was free to drink alcohol and dress as she wished. Her mother, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, used America’s freedom of speech to promote the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 47-year-old Afshar, whose husband Hasan Hosseiny lives in Iran, received asylum in 2019 but reported four trips to Iran in a 2025 application for citizenship, according to the Post. She and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25, were taken into custody Friday, the State Department said in a release. "While living in the United States, she promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the ‘Great Satan,’ and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization," the State Department said about Afshar in the statement.

Breitbart [4/8/2026 10:16 PM, Elizabeth Weibel, 2238K] reports a Biden-appointed federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary amnesty for thousands of Ethiopian nationals in the U.S. since 2022. In a ruling on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy described the Trump administration’s "termination" of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) amnesty for Ethiopian nationals as "unsurprising in light" of President Donald Trump’s executive order, Reuters reported. Murphy also noted that "the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress.” "Fundamental to this case—and indeed to our constitutional system—is the principle that the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress," Murphy said. "Presidential whims do not and cannot supplant agencies’ statutory obligations.” In an executive order in January 2025, Trump directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that TPS designations "are consistent with the provisions of section 244 of the INA (8 U.S.C 1254a), and that such designations are appropriately limited in scope.” Murphy found that "DHS disregarded the statutory procedures Congress enacted that govern TPS and provided a ‘pretextual’ rationale" for ending TPS amnesty for thousands of Ethiopians. In December, DHS announced that it was ending TPS amnesty for Ethiopian nationals, and in a press release, warned that "Ethiopian nationals with no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States have 60 days to voluntarily depart" from the country. DHS also warned that after February 13, the agency "may arrest and deport any Ethiopian national without status after their TPS has been terminated.” "Temporary Protected Status designations are time-limited and were never meant to be a ticket to permanent residency," a spokesperson from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement at the time. "Conditions in Ethiopia no longer pose a serious threat to the personal safety of returning Ethiopian nationals.” CBS News [4/8/2026 8:51 PM, Jacob Rosen, Caitlin Yilek, 51110K] reports "This stay by radical, Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy is just the latest example of judicial activists trying to prevent President Trump from restoring integrity to America’s legal immigration system," DHS said in a statement provided to CBS News following the ruling. "Temporary means temporary. Country conditions—including armed conflicts—in Ethiopia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. The Trump administration is putting Americans first.” It’s the latest setback on the issue for the Trump administration, which has sought to terminate the designation for 13 countries as part of the president’s crackdown on immigration. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in late April on the administration’s efforts to remove the status of Syrian and Haitian nationals. Reuters [4/8/2026 5:14 PM, Nate Raymond, 38315K] reports that the ​ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston marked the latest legal setback for the ‌U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for 13 countries in furtherance of Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing ​to hear arguments in April over whether the administration can revoke such temporary legal ⁠protections for more than 350,000 Haitians and about 6,100 Syrians living in the United States. Murphy, who was appointed ​by Democratic former President Joe Biden, had on January 30 issued a temporary order preventing the protections granted to ​Ethiopians from ending on February 13 as scheduled to allow the parties time for him to hear the case. Three Ethiopian nationals and the group African Communities Together sued, arguing the administration ignored how dangerous conditions persist in Ethiopia, where armed conflict continues in multiple regions. The plaintiffs argued the administration’s stated rationale for its ​action was a pretext and ​not its true motivation ⁠for ending TPS, which they said was based on an unconstitutional animus against non-white immigrants. Ethiopia’s population is predominantly Black.

Federalist [4/8/2026 11:46 AM, Brianna Lyman, 540K] reports a Biden-appointed judge ruled in February that the Trump administration could not end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, arguing George Washington would have wanted the program. But on Tuesday, Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported the suspect in a brutal killing is a migrant from Haiti who was granted TPS by Biden in 2022. Joachim is an illegal alien from Haiti who was caught and released at the southern border in 2022, Melugin reported. An immigration judge then ordered Joachim deported later that year, but the Department of Homeland Security told Melugin that the Biden administration "shielded him from deportation by granting him Temporary Protected Status, which expired in 2024." While Joachim’s protected status lapsed prior to the alleged attack, the brutal killing highlights the broader category of migrants who have received TPS protections — protections that a Biden-appointed judge sought to preserve. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes issued a ruling in February blocking the Trump administration from revoking TPS for more than 350,000 Haitian nationals living in the country.

FOX News [4/8/2026 8:36 PM, Jessica Mekles, 37576K] reports a woman gave birth midair Friday on a flight from Kingston, Jamaica, to New York, turning a routine plane trip into a high-altitude drama. The mother aboard a Caribbean Airlines flight had a successful delivery, as Fox News Digital previously reported — but shortly after the unexpected arrival, a hot debate about the baby’s citizenship commenced. "Sometimes, when a child is not born in a hospital and there’s no birth record, that can create problems," Cyrus D. Mehta, a New York-based immigration attorney told Fox News Digital. (He is not connected to the Caribbean Airlines case.). Even so, he added, "it’s very clear. If you’re born in the territory of the United States, even if it’s on an airplane, you are a citizen," he continued. "The question is: What constitutes U.S. airspace?" he also said. Commenters online debated the issue. "Is this baby an American?" wrote one person. "Was it born in American airspace? Does that qualify? Seems every other situation possible qualifies under the ‘birthright’ citizenship. What a joke!". Said another person about the Caribbean Airlines birth, "If the parents are American citizens, then the baby is.” Wrote another commenter, "Good example of why the [Supreme Court] needs to rule Trump’s [executive order] as valid. These are not isolated cases — they happen every day of the week. Non-citizens know they’ll win the lottery if they can give birth while in the U.S.” Caribbean Airlines notes on its website that expectant mothers can travel on their planes without a doctor’s approval until the end of their 32nd week of pregnancy — but travel is not permitted beyond the 35th week. Even so, incidents in which women give birth on flights are very uncommon. A March 2020 study published by the Journal of Travel Medicine found that between 1929 and 2018, there were 74 in-flight births across 73 commercial flights — with 71 of those newborn infants surviving. The primary reason most airlines do not want pregnant women to fly very late in their pregnancies is medical. Other procedural issues can occur as well, Mehta said. Proof of the precise location of the plane during childbirth midair and the moment the baby is born can be challenging. The government requires a log from an airline or ship "reflecting the latitude and longitude when the birth occurred," Mehta said. "The parent is responsible for reporting the birth to authorities" — and the parents will need a birth certificate if they want to obtain a passport for the child, he added. Caribbean Airlines said that, while the birth aboard its flight was unexpected, the crew never declared an emergency during the trip. Instead, the airline praised its crew, who "managed the situation in accordance with established procedures, ensuring the safety and comfort of all onboard.” The airline said the woman and newborn received the care they needed from medical personnel. The unusual childbirth comes at a time of heated discussion about citizenship laws in the United States. The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments on a challenge to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14160, which limits birthright citizenship in the U.S. Section one of the 14th Amendment automatically grants citizenship to all persons born in the United States. The courts have routinely upheld birthright citizenship for over a century.

Reported similarly:
Federalist [4/8/2026 7:24 AM, M. D. Kittle, 540K]

NBC News [4/8/2026 9:44 AM, Jean Lee, 42967K] reports a federal judge in Vermont ruled that Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova’s visa was unlawfully canceled after she was detained at an airport over biological samples she was carrying, handing her a key legal victory in a case that has raised questions about the limits of government power at the border. In a decision issued Tuesday, the court said "the undisputed facts reveal that Ms. Petrova’s visa was impermissibly canceled." Petrova, a Russian-born researcher at Harvard University’s Kirschner Lab, has argued for more than a year that the cancellation was unlawful. She was stopped at Boston Logan International Airport last February after returning from Paris. Her visa was canceled; she was later placed into immigration proceedings and detention. This disrupted her groundbreaking work on advanced imaging technology that has the potential to transform cancer diagnostics, according to fellow researchers. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Petrova was "lawfully detained after lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country." Petrova described the incident differently.

Breitbart [4/8/2026 3:35 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports an illegal alien semi-truck driver is accused of killing Hendry Tamarez Nunez, a father of two and Maryland resident, in a highway crash in Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, the United States and Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the arrest of Dawood Hussain, an illegal alien from Pakistan who was previously given a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to drive a semi-truck on American highways. In October 2023, Hussain was driving a semi-truck in Pennsylvania when he allegedly began driving the wrong way on a highway, hitting Nunez, who died as a result of the crash. Hussain was subsequently charged with felony vehicular homicide. USCIS officials say their rigorous vetting procedures helped identify Hussain as a public safety threat, which led to his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. "Illegal aliens should not be operating 80,000-pound tractor-trailers on American roads," USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement.

Reported similarly:
Daily Caller [4/8/2026 11:19 AM, Jason Hopkins, 803K]

Axios [4/8/2026 7:15 AM, Linh Ta, 17364K] reports Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is working to launch low-cost immigration legal services to help refugees and immigrants obtain green cards. Refugees were previously eligible for SNAP benefits upon arriving in the U.S., but recent changes by the Trump administration now require them to have green cards. Later this year, most refugees on Medicaid will also need green cards to qualify. Nearly a year ago, LSI started taking steps toward obtaining U.S. Department of Justice recognition to provide legal immigration services. With the launch of the service, LSI plans to have an attorney and a DOJ-accredited representative on staff to help with navigating immigration paperwork. They plan to offer sliding-scale fees for the services, which are more affordable than private attorneys, says Nick Wuertz of LSI. A major problem for refugees is also "notarios," people who offer legal advice without credentials and may scam them or incorrectly file their paperwork.

Washington Post [4/8/2026 1:30 PM, Todd Wallack, 24826K] reports that a federal judge has ruled that the government improperly revoked the visa of a Harvard University researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos into the country in her luggage last year. Kseniia Petrova, a Russian citizen, was detained in February 2025 at Boston’s Logan International Airport after she returned from Paris and failed to tell customs agents about the research samples. Her lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, has said those kinds of customs violations normally carry a fine of up to $500 and possible forfeiture of the items. But in this case, U.S. Customs and Border Protection revoked Petrova’s visa and she spent four months in detention before being released on bail in June. She was charged with smuggling that month. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss in Vermont ruled that the government unlawfully canceled Petrova’s J-1 visa. Reiss said the government failed to cite any authority allowing Customs and Border Protection officers to cancel the visa for failing to declare the embryos. “The undisputed facts reveal that Ms. Petrova’s visa was impermissibly canceled because of the frog embryo samples and for no other reason,” Reiss ruled. Romanovsky, Petrova’s attorney, praised the decision. The Justice Department declined to comment. CBP did not immediately respond to questions about the ruling.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [4/8/2026 5:24 PM, Laura Romero, 34146K]

Daily Caller [4/8/2026 10:24 AM, Jason Hopkins, 803K] reports federal agents working along the southern border arrested five people wanted on serious felony charges abroad and in the U.S. in less than a week. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents assigned to ports of entry around Laredo, Texas, apprehended individuals charged with homicide, indecency with children and other heinous crimes in late March, according to information exclusively shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. The major busts follow in the wake of record-setting inactivity along the U.S.-Mexico border since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. "In the span of just five days, CBP officers at ports of entry in the Laredo area apprehended five fugitives with felony charges," Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement obtained by the DCNF. "The charges of those apprehended included homicide, sexual assault, and indecency with a child." "We have delivered the most secure border in American history," Bis continued. "We will not allow criminals to enter our country and terrorize our communities.”

Univision [4/8/2026 10:14 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Brian Morales , a U.S. citizen born in Denver , Colorado, was deported to Mexico after being stopped by traffic authorities while on his way to work in Texas . Despite having his birth certificate, social security card, and other official documents, which N+ Univision had access to, Morales had not processed his Real ID, which, according to him, contributed to the confusion that led to his deportation . “I told them I had my birth certificate and my social security number at home, and that if they wanted a picture I could show them, but they ignored me and made fun of me,” Morales recounted from a bus station in Mexico , where he was with other deportees, still disoriented. The U.S. citizen reported that several state police officers took him to a Border Patrol station , where they threatened him with imprisonment if he did not sign his departure from the country. For several days, Morales remained without contact with his family, and requests for information about his whereabouts sent to the Department of Homeland Security went unanswered. Furthermore, Morales’ family questions the legality of the process, and his brother Miguel Morales , who resides in Colorado, indicated that this was a case of racism. “I think it was racism, like judging the person,” he commented. His boss, Jesús Pargas , also indicated that he tried to explain to the authorities that Morales had documentation, but that it was not taken into account. Brian Morales was taken to Aguascalientes, Mexico , where he will be reunited with his family. The young man , who was taken to Mexico as a child and does not speak English fluently, decided to return to the United States a year ago. He has not yet decided whether he will try to return to his native country. "On April 3, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rocksprings, Texas station interviewed Bryan Jose Morales-Garcia after he was located by Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office deputies near Fredericksburg. Through a records check, agents determined that Morales-Garcia was in the United States illegally. Morales-Garcia also admitted to being a Mexican citizen and entering the country illegally. He was subsequently repatriated to Mexico on April 7," the report stated. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [4/8/2026 11:04 PM, Landon Mion, 37576K] reports Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is demanding that the Transportation Security Administration reintroduce its controversial policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes before going through airport security checkpoints. Duckworth called on the TSA to immediately reverse its move to end the "shoes-off" policy, calling former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to scrap the policy a "reckless act" that may put travelers at risk. "Secretary Noem’s decision to implement a shoes on policy on July 8, 2025, likely without meaningful consultation with TSA, was a reckless act," Duckworth wrote in a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill. "Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA’s mission," she added. "At a minimum, TSA’s failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight.” This comes after a classified watchdog report found that TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes, according to CBS News. Duckworth said the inspector general flagged the issue as urgent to Noem but that no action was taken. Duckworth said that the inspector general found that Noem’s policy shift had "inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system.” The former secretary’s failure to take corrective action after the report’s findings was "outrageous, unacceptable and dangerous to the flying public," Duckworth said. The senator argues that TSA’s lack of response may violate federal law, writing that the agency missed a legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog’s report. "Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and DHS’s own directives," Duckworth wrote. The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes during TSA screening was implemented in 2006. "We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience," she said at the time. "As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.” Duckworth accused Noem, who was removed by President Donald Trump last month and replaced by current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, of prioritizing politics over security. The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a "willingness to gamble the American people’s security," calling it a "stunning failure of leadership.” "Secretary Noem’s willingness to gamble the American people’s security in an unsuccessful attempt to boost her popularity was, and remains, a stunning failure of leadership—particularly following President Trump’s decision to launch an unconstitutional war of choice against Iran that DHS has determined, "is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States," she wrote. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

National Today [4/9/2026 4:22 AM, Staff] reports Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is calling on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to immediately reinstate its controversial policy requiring travelers to remove their shoes before going through airport security checkpoints. Duckworth says former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to end the ‘shoes-off’ policy was a ‘reckless act’ that may put travelers at risk, citing a classified watchdog report that found TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes. Duckworth wrote a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill demanding the agency reverse Noem’s policy change, which she says violates federal law by failing to outline corrective actions within the legally required 90-day deadline after receiving the watchdog’s report. The senator accused Noem, who was recently removed by President Trump, of prioritizing politics over security in an ‘unsuccessful attempt to boost her popularity’. Duckworth says the TSA has missed a legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog’s report on the security vulnerability created by Noem’s policy change. The senator is demanding the agency immediately reverse the policy.

The Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 12:30 PM, Molly Parks, 1147K] reports the Trump administration is proposing thousands of layoffs at the Transportation Security Administration as part of its 2027 budget proposal. The Department of Homeland Security used the budget proposal to begin advocating the privatization of the TSA, which former President George W. Bush established as a national security measure after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. In a new document from DHS, the agency detailed its plans to reduce the workforce by over 8,000 positions. "Through TSA’s strategic approaches to efficiency, the FY 2027 Budget’s total workforce represents a reduction of 8,385 positions and 9,439 [full-time equivalents] from the FY 2026 Annualized Continuing Resolution," the TSA budget overview congressional justification document reads. The proposed 2027 TSA budget allots for 53,199 positions and 50,398 full-time equivalents. The agency currently has about 65,000 employees. The Hill [4/8/2026 6:00 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 18170K] reports conservatives have long sought to outsource airport security, arguing that shifting screening to contractors would cut costs and improve operational efficiency. Critics — including labor groups and some Democrats — say private companies would prioritize profit over security, risking passengers’ safety and leading to significant job losses. The debate has taken on renewed urgency in recent weeks, after Congress failed to pass funding for the DHS, leaving TSA officers working without pay for weeks and straining airport operations nationwide. More than 500 officers resigned during the lapse, and thousands more skipped shifts each day, contributing to long security lines and flight delays. The administration is now proposing to expand the use of private screening through its latest budget request, touting the existing contractor-run program at nearly two dozen small airports around the country as a more flexible and cost-effective model that would shift screening away from a federal workforce.

CNN [4/8/2026 6:00 AM, Alexandra Skores and Tami Luhby, 19874K] reports struggling with insomnia and stress since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February, one Transportation Security Administration supervisor was awake at 3 a.m. on March 30 when she received the alert on her phone she’d been desperately waiting to get for weeks. A paycheck was deposited into her bank account, the first one in weeks. But as soon as she saw the amount, she thought, "Where’s the rest?" It was short at least $1,000 of back pay, dampening her relief. The few thousand dollars she did receive only covered close to half of her overdue expenses, she estimated. "The money was gone in a matter of days – just to cover the bills that I was able to cover," the supervisor at Tampa International Airport, who has been with the agency for a decade, said. "I still have to call all my creditors and work with different people to say, ‘Hey, just give me some time.’ It’s ridiculous." The supervisor, who requested anonymity discussing her job, is one of tens of thousands of TSA employees who received at least some of the back pay they were owed after President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA workers. The move came after Congress failed to reach a deal to fund the agency, leaving TSA employees working without pay. In turn, thousands of employees stopped coming to work leading to hours-long lines at many US airports. Trump paid workers with money from his sweeping domestic policy agenda package that he signed last summer.

Bloomberg Government [4/9/2026 4:59 AM, Zach Williams and Angélica Franganillo Diaz, 763K] reports President Donald Trump’s proposal to privatize airport screening services at some airports could be a financial boon for security companies tied to legal battles over improper gun training, pregnancy discrimination, and the implementation of security at the controversial Florida immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” Trump contends the idea would save the Transportation Security Administration—created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks—millions of dollars by expanding an existing program that already allows private contractors to oversee screenings at San Francisco, Orlando, and more than a dozen other cities. [Editorial note: "Consult source link for extended commentary."]

CNN [4/8/2026 5:04 PM, Dakota Smith, 19874K] reports a potent, multi-day Kona storm is lashing Hawaii with its first rounds of heavy rain, renewing a major flood threat as the state is still recovering from devastating floods in March. A few places could record multiple months’ worth of rain over just a few days, so a flood watch is in place for all of Hawaii until Friday afternoon, alerting the potential for significant flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to bring a widespread 4 to 8 inches of rain by Friday evening, with locally heavier amounts exceeding 10 inches possible. The Big Island and Kauai have the most potential to see these higher rainfall accumulations, but depending on how the storm evolves, the heaviest rainbands could hit any island.

NewsMax [4/8/2026 2:33 PM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K] reports that the Justice Department has assigned its civil rights division to investigate former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, whose testimony to Congress about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol violence drew backlash from President Donald Trump. The inquiry centers on allegations that Hutchinson may have lied to Congress and represents an unusual move by department leadership, reports The New York Times. Typically, such investigations are handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., not the civil rights enforcement division, which typically focuses on matters such as discrimination or police misconduct. Harmeet Dhillon, who has played a prominent role in advancing Trump administration policies, leads the civil rights division, while Jeanine Pirro is the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The investigation comes after a referral from an unnamed Trump ally in Congress, who accused Hutchinson of providing false statements to the House committee that examined the Capitol attack. Hutchinson, now 29, was an aide to Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff. In her televised testimony in June 2022, Hutchinson said Trump encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol despite concerns about potential violence. She also testified about claims that Trump attempted to join the crowd and became angry when prevented from doing so, including an allegation that he lunged at a Secret Service agent. Later testimony contradicted parts of that account.

FOX News [4/8/2026 7:34 PM, Bonny Chu and Adam Sabes, 37576K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has opened a criminal investigation into the disappearance of an American woman who was last seen in the Bahamas, a Coast Guard official confirmed to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, reportedly went missing Saturday while traveling by boat with her husband Brian Hooker, 58, according to Bahama officials. She reportedly fell into the water and was carried away by the current, according to Brian. Bahamian authorities have since launched extensive search-and-rescue operations, spanning marine, land, and aerial areas. Efforts have included the use of drones and professional divers to locate Hooker. Univision [4/8/2026 7:16 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports that the woman and her husband, Brian Hooker, left around 19:30 from Hope Town in the Abaco Islands on their way to their boat. The man stated that during the journey, adverse sea conditions caused Lynette to fall into the water, being washed away offshore by strong currents; she held the boat key at the time of the accident, which caused the engine to stop. Brian Hooker, 58, added Wednesday in a statement posted on social media that "the unpredictable sea and strong winds" caused his "dear Lynette to fall from our little boat." Afterwards, the husband rowed to shore, arriving at a marina around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, where he alerted authorities. The search and rescue operation is carried out by land, sea and air, with the collaboration of the U.S. Coast Guard. The State Department confirmed that it is working alongside Bahamian authorities to provide assistance to the family.

The New York Post [4/8/2026 11:26 PM, Zoe Hussain and Chris Bradford, 40934K] reports the husband of missing boater Lynette Hooker has been arrested in connection with the Michigan mom’s disappearance from a boat in the Bahamas after her concerned daughter raised the alarm. Brian Hooker, 59, was taken into custody in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, around 7:30 p.m Wednesday in connection with his wife’s disappearance — four days after she fell from an eight-foot hard dinghy en route to their yacht in Elbow Cay. Brian was not named by Bahamian cops when they announced his arrest, but Advardo Dames, the. Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, said he had been "taken into custody as a suspect.” Terrel Butler, Brian’s attorney, confirmed the arrest and said he "categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing," CNN reported. "He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation," Butler said. A US Coast Guard official confirmed that a criminal investigation into Lynette’s disappearance has been opened, but refused to share any further details, NBC News reported. The search for Lynette is now a recovery mission, and her mom Darlene Hamlett, wants answers from Brian about the disappearance. "I’m going to be interested in what he says, because I haven’t heard from him in almost two days," she said. The development comes after Lynette’s heartbroken daughter, Karli Aylesworth, said she believes "something might have happened" involving her mom and her stepfather when the avid boaters vanished at sea Saturday night. "I do believe something might have happened to her," she told Fox News. "There’s history of him choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there’s more to the story.” Aylesworth also revealed that her stepdad didn’t tell her that her mom was missing until around 24 hours after she vanished in the sea. Brian denied the accusations in a statement to the Daily Beast. Reuters [4/8/2026 8:33 PM, Jasper Ward, 38315K] reports Hooker, 59, has yet to be charged, and it was not immediately clear if he had legal representation. Bahamian authorities on Tuesday called off rescue efforts and started recovery operations in the area where Lynette Hooker went missing, a Royal Bahamas Defence Force spokesperson told Reuters. "The RBDF, along with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), conducted extensive search efforts between Elbow Cay and mainland Abaco," said the spokesperson for the Bahamian naval military forces. "The United States Coast Guard also assisted by ‌providing ⁠aerial surveillance. Despite these efforts, there were no confirmed sightings." The spokesperson said only a flotation device was discovered along the shoreline during its search. Lynette Hooker went missing while traveling at sea with her husband in the Abacos on April 4, police said. Brian Hooker said they left Hope Town, Abaco, around 7:30 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) on an 8-foot (2.4m) hard-bottom dinghy ⁠en route to Elbow Cay, according to police. According to the police report, Brian Hooker said his wife fell overboard with the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off before strong currents carried her away. Hooker paddled to shore after losing ⁠sight of his wife, according to the police report. After arriving on shore, he informed an individual of the incident and the police were alerted, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. Before being taken into custody, Brian Hooker ⁠posted on Facebook that he was "heartbroken over the recent boat accident." "Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart," he posted on Wednesday. "We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus."

Reported similarly:
NBC News [4/8/2026 8:49 PM, Tim Stelloh, 42967K]
USA Today [4/8/2026 11:56 PM, Amanda Lee Myers, 70643K]

ABC News [4/8/2026 1:11 PM, Meredith Deliso, 34146K] reports that the husband of an American woman reported missing in the Bahamas after going overboard on a dinghy has spoken out for the first time, saying he is "heartbroken over the recent boat accident.” The search is ongoing for Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. She and her husband, Brian Hooker, had departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for Elbow Cay around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. They were en route to their yacht, "Soulmate," when bad weather caused Lynette Hooker to fall overboard, her husband told authorities. The strong currents took her out to sea, authorities said. She was holding the boat key when she went overboard, causing the 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy’s engine to shut off, police noted. In a statement posted to social media on Wednesday, Brian Hooker, 58, said "unpredictable seas and high winds" caused his "beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy" near Elbow Cay. "Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus," he said. Brian Hooker subsequently paddled the boat back to shore, arriving at around 4 a.m. Sunday to a marina, where he reported his wife overboard to an individual who then alerted police, authorities said. The search and rescue operation has been conducted by land, sea and air and involved multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [4/8/2026 1:29 PM, Adam Sabes and Peter D’Abrosca, 37576K] Video: HERE

FOX News [4/8/2026 5:15 PM, Kelly McGreal, 37576K] reports a family of three was found after spending nearly a week stranded at sea. The group was located Monday by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Pacific Ocean after their trip was reported as overdue, the Coast Guard said in a news release. The family, two men and one woman, departed from Fananu Island — in the state of Chuuk and part of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the western Pacific Ocean — on March 30 for nearby Murillo Island. But they never arrived after their single outboard engine stopped working, according to officials. Authorities in the FSM as well as the U.S. Embassy reported the vessel missing April 5, prompting a search effort. Later that night, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Midgett spotted the family’s 23-foot skiff in waters off Chuuk State. Rescue crews faced difficult conditions during the operation. Waves reached up to 10 feet and the search area spanned more than 14,000 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard noted. Ultimately, all three individuals were rescued and uninjured. The family was then transported to Chuuk State. The search involved coordination between multiple Coast Guard units, including teams in Guam and Hawaii, as well as support from regional partners, the department said.

The Federal News Network [4/8/2026 3:29 PM, Michele Sandiford, 1297K] reports agencies say Iranian-linked hackers are targeting critical industries like the U.S. energy and water sectors. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint alert about the cyber campaign with the FBI and several other agencies on Tuesday. They say Iranian-linked groups are targeting programmable logic controllers across multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors. The hacks have already disrupted operations and led to financial loss for some organizations. CISA and other agencies say organizations across critical infrastructure sectors should apply the recommended cybersecurity mitigations for certain PLC devices. The Hill [4/8/2026 1:50 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports that Iran-linked hackers were responsible for recent disruptions to internet access for companies tied to U.S. oil, gas and water infrastructure, the FBI said in a report published Tuesday. The report warned that similar companies across the country should be aware of an increased push by hackers to take over programmable logic controller (PLC) systems, which can be used to digitally control physical machinery from remote locations. Secure internet access for PLCs from one company, Rockwell Automation, were removed by Iran-linked coders who then “maliciously interacted with project files and altered data,” according to the report. Hackers first gained access to some of the platforms in January of last year. All access to compromised platforms ended in March, the report said. The FBI said the move resulted in “operational disruption” and “financial loss.” FBI Director Kash Patel was personally impacted by hackers who leaked his emails and records related to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago. “We have seen both state and non-state actors in Iran pose real risk and show willingness to hurt people through compromising these systems. I fully expect them to keep up the pressure and target those sites they can get access to,” Rob Lee, the co-founder and CEO of the cybersecurity firm Dragos, told Wired.

AP [4/8/2026 3:56 PM, David Klepper] report hackers backing Tehran say an uncertain ceasefire between Iran and the United States and Israel won’t end their retaliatory cyberattacks, a warning that American cybersecurity experts say potential targets in the U.S. and Israel should take seriously. One leading hacking group known as Handala said after the ceasefire announcement that it was temporarily postponing attacks on the U.S. but would continue to target Israel. It vowed to revive its efforts against America when the time was right — demonstrating again how digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict. Already, the two-week ceasefire appears at risk of fraying over significant disagreements between the parties, which each are claiming victory in the war. U.S. authorities warned on Tuesday that hackers supporting Iran had burrowed into internet-connected computers used to automate and control technology in a variety of important industrial sectors. In a joint advisory from the FBI, National Security Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, officials urged organizations that use the technology to ensure their security precautions were up-to-date. Cybersecurity experts say the warning should be taken seriously by potential targets regardless of the sides announcing a temporary truce.

NewsMax [4/8/2026 9:36 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports a 21-year-old Pakistani national on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge after planning to target a Jewish center in New York City, an attack inspired by the Islamic State group. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Khan’s sentencing is set for Aug. 12. His guilty plea came about 18 months after he was brought to the United States from Canada, where he was arrested Sept. 4, 2024, in or near Ormstown, Quebec, about 12 miles from the New York state border. Khan had been living in Mississauga, Ontario, and came to Canada in June 2023 on a study permit. According to court records, which identified the target only as "Location 1," Khan told an undercover law enforcement officer that he planned to slaughter "as many Jewish civilians as possible" at a Jewish religious center to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack in southern Israel. He described the site as a place where "the most any Jews gather anywhere" and called it "the ultra orthodox hasidic jews world headquarters" and "the largest in the world.” "Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS," Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. "Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. "Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. "We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm.” "That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way," Clayton said.

Reported similarly:
AP [4/8/2026 6:08 PM, Larry Neumeister, 35287K]

New York Post [4/8/2026 3:39 PM, Ben Kochman, 40934K] reports two ISIS-inspired accused terrorists charged with hurling homemade bombs into a protest outside Gracie Mansion planned a separate attack driving a large vehicle into a crowd, new court files allege. Baby-faced Emir Balat, 18, and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi allegedly scrawled out a chilling list of targets — including "festivals," ""parades," a "protest," and "celebrations" — in a notebook seized by the FBI. The notebook described finding the "ideal vehicle" for conducting an attack, which was to be "load bearing," "large in size," "reasonably fast," and "heavy in weight," and discussed steps for making napalm, an incendiary substance used inside bombs and flamethrowers, court papers allege. Authorities recovered the notebook inside a car the two alleged homegrown ISIS supporters drove from their native Pennsylvania to the Upper East Side mayoral residence on March 7, the indictment says. The duo were also caught on the car’s built-in dashcam camera discussing plans to kill at least 60 people in the attack— and a chilling backup plan to toss the explosives in a café if all else failed, court papers say. Balat and Kayumi each face up to life in prison on various terrorism charges, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 10:56 AM, Asher Notheis, 1147K] reports the two suspects of a bombing attempt in New York City sought to kill up to 60 people at a protest, according to an indictment released Tuesday. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were indicted on eight counts for their alleged attempt at a bombing in New York City on March 7. The terrorism attempt happened near Gracie Mansion, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence. The suspects were arrested after throwing their explosive devices, the indictment said. "All I know is I want to start terror, bro, I want to petrify these people," Kayumi allegedly told Balat the morning before the attack, according to the indictment. According to the indictment, Balat directed Kayumi to commit the attack "as soon as you light it," citing how some of the bomb’s fuses go off quicker than others. Balat also calculated the attack was "gonna kill about 8 to 16 people," or as many as 30 to 60 people if it was carried out in a crowded area. Authorities also found multiple items in the vehicle used by the suspects, including a long coil of fuse, a notebook, and a dashboard camera containing three days’ worth of audio and video recordings. Inside the notebook was a page listing "acetone peroxide synthesis" and triacetone triperoxide, also known as TATP, which is "a highly sensitive primary explosive that is colloquially known as the ‘Mother of Satan,’" according to the indictment.

New York Post [4/8/2026 8:27 AM, Patrick Reilly, 40934K] reports the gunman who killed two people and wounded six others at Florida State University last year may have used ChatGPT to help plan the mass shooting, according to one of the victim’s attorneys planning to file a lawsuit against the chatbot’s maker, OpenAI. The AI "may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes," according to the law firm representing the family of Robert Morales, an Aramark worker and father of one who was shot dead by alleged shooter Phoenix Ikner on the Tallahassee campus in April 2025. "We have been advised that the shooter was in constant communication with ChatGPT leading up to the shooting," Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney and Hobbs told WCTV in a statement. "We also have reason to believe that ChatGPT may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes. We will therefore file suit against ChatGPT, and its ownership structure, very soon, and will seek to hold them accountable for the untimely and senseless death of our client, Mr. Morales," the firm said. There are more than 270 images of ChatGPT conversations listed as exhibits in the case.

SFGate [4/8/2026 2:16 PM, Olivia Hebert, 10094K] reports that a California man described by federal authorities as a co-founder of one of Mexico’s most infamous drug cartels has pleaded guilty to a major cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Santa Clara-born Erick Valencia-Salazar, 49, admitted in federal court to conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for unlawful importation into the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. Also known as “El 85,” Valencia-Salazar faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life behind bars, with sentencing scheduled for July 31. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said Valencia-Salazzar helped establish the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a Mexico-based criminal organization the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2025. As a leader, he recruited members and directed violence against rival groups to expand control over trafficking routes. Cole described CJNG as an organization that “uses violence as a business model,” linking its operations to the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine across the border. “Erick Valencia-Salazar co-founded the CJNG, one of the most violent drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, which shipped tons of cocaine into the United States and inflicted immeasurable damage on our country,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement. “Valencia-Salazar was also responsible for furthering the rampant violence in Mexico, at the expense of people’s lives and the safety of communities, that helped destabilize the region and allow crime to flourish.” Valencia-Salazar co-founded the cartel alongside notorious leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” court documents said.

CBS News [4/8/2026 6:05 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports NATO chief Mark Rutte is meeting with President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio days after the president expressed frustration with the military alliance over a lack of support in the war with Iran. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder joins with analysis.

FOX News [4/8/2026 9:25 AM, Morgan Phillips, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump will meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte Wednesday at the White House, just as transatlantic relations within the alliance have frayed during U.S. operations in Iran. Ahead of the meeting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a quote from Trump to reporters on NATO: "They were tested, and they failed." "It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense," she added. Leavitt predicted a "frank and candid" conversation between Trump and Rutte Wednesday afternoon.

Reuters [4/8/2026 6:54 PM, Staff, 38315K] reports NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday ​he believes that some NATO ‌countries were tested and failed amid Washington’s criticism over European allies not ​getting involved in the U.S. ​and Israel’s war against Iran. Rutte’s comments ⁠came after a meeting with ​U.S. President Donald Trump at the ​White House earlier in the day. During an interview with CNN, the NATO chief ​was asked if he believed ​NATO countries were tested and failed. "Some of them ‌yes, ⁠but a large majority of European countries, and that’s what we discussed today, have done what ​they promised ​before ⁠in a case like this," he told CNN.

Washington Post [4/8/2026 8:58 PM, Michael Birnbaum and Ellen Francis, 24826K] reports President Donald Trump appeared to hold back on Wednesday from taking dramatic action to reshape the U.S. relationship with NATO after a high-stakes meeting with its top leader, postponing for now the reckoning he has promised over Europe’s cautious approach to his war on Iran. The White House said in advance of the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Trump was planning to discuss the possibility of the United States exiting the alliance, a threat to the organization that for generations has been at the core of how the U.S. protects itself and its partners. But a Trump post on social media hours after the meeting made no mention of a pullout and simply repeated the president’s complaints about the alliance. “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!” Trump wrote. Trump, long a NATO skeptic, has been especially angry at alliance members in recent weeks for declining to take part in his attack on Iran, saying they had flunked his test of whether they would support the U.S. in a time of military need. He has said repeatedly that Europeans would soon find out his response. Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who has pursued such a deferential approach to Trump that last year he called the president “daddy,” has cheered the Iran war. But the campaign has strained Trump’s relations with European members of the alliance, who say the attack on Iran was both a violation of international law and bad strategy. Rising anti-American sentiment among their own voters is further limiting their appetite to defer to Washington. “He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte told CNN after the meeting. “But at the same time, I was also able to point to the fact that the large majority of European nations has been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they live up to the commitments.” Pressed on whether Trump threatened to quit NATO, Rutte avoided answering directly, saying that “it was a very open discussion. He clearly told me what he thought of what happened over the last couple of weeks.” Trump would face a legal fight if he attempted a formal withdrawal from NATO. But he could make clear that he wouldn’t commit the U.S. to the defense of other NATO nations should they come under attack, giving a green light to Europe’s adversaries interested in taking a bite of alliance territory. The prime beneficiary of such a change would be Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained of NATO’s expansion into former Communist countries. “It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday before the meeting.

Wall Street Journal [4/8/2026 6:30 PM, Annie Linskey and Robbie Gramer, 646K] reports the White House is considering a plan to punish some members of the NATO alliance that President Trump thinks were unhelpful to the U.S. and Israel during the Iran war, according to administration officials. The proposal would involve moving U.S. troops out of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and stationing them in countries that were more supportive. The proposal would fall far short of President Trump’s recent threats to fully withdraw the U.S. from the alliance, which by law he can’t do without Congress. The plan, which has circulated and gained support among senior administration officials in recent weeks, is early in conception and one of several the White House is discussing to punish NATO. It underscores the growing rift between the Trump administration and European allies following the president’s decision to launch the war with Iran. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte traveled Wednesday to Washington to meet with Trump. Rutte has sought to deepen ties with Trump despite tensions in the trans-Atlantic alliance and was among those who persuaded him not to take over Greenland. “It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday. She said Trump planned to have a very “frank and candid conversation” with Rutte. On Wednesday evening, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again.”

The Hill [4/8/2026 12:17 PM, Ella Lee, 18170K] reports the preservationists challenging President Trump’s White House ballroom project in the courts pushed back Wednesday on the government’s claim that halting construction would pose threats to national security. In a Wednesday court filing, the National Trust for Historic Preservation said that a judge’s order blocking further progress on the $400 million ballroom without Congress’s approval “plainly does not” present a national security emergency. “The District Court’s injunction does not prevent Defendants from working on the underground bunker their motion exhaustively describes; indeed, the Trust has never objected to that,” wrote lawyers for the preservationists. “The Court’s injunction simply prevents Defendants from constructing the ballroom without Congress’s specific and express approval. And as is obvious, the absence of a massive ballroom on White House grounds has not stopped this (or any other) President from residing at the White House or hosting events there. “Temporarily halting the ballroom project until it complies with the law will not irreparably harm Defendants or the nation.” The Trump administration is asking a federal appeals court to block U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s ruling that halted construction except where “necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House” while its appeal advances.

Daily Caller [4/8/2026 6:51 PM, Mariane Angela, 803K] reports Federal authorities arrested and charged a former military support employee Tuesday, accusing her of knowingly funneling classified information to a journalist over a period of years. Agents arrested 40-year-old Courtney Williams of Wagram, N.C. A federal grand jury later indicted her for violating the Espionage Act after transmitting sensitive national defense information to unauthorized recipients, according to the press release. Prosecutors say Williams, who once held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance, disclosed protected material despite repeated training and explicit legal warnings. Williams worked with a Special Military Unit from 2010 to 2016, where she had daily access to highly classified operations, tactics, and intelligence, according to court filings. As part of her role, she signed a nondisclosure agreement acknowledging that any unauthorized release of such material could trigger criminal prosecution. Investigators allege that between 2022 and 2025, Williams maintained sustained contact with a journalist, exchanging more than 180 messages and logging over 10 hours of phone conversations. In those communications, prosecutors say, she shared details that later appeared in published reporting and a book—some of which contained classified national defense information. The journalist identified Williams as a source and attributed statements directly to her. Authorities also allege that Williams compounded the breach by posting sensitive information on social media. Senior national security officials said the case is a stark example of insider risk. "Clearance holders accept a solemn obligation to protect the classified information entrusted to them," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. "That they do so is critical to the security of our Nation. When clearance holders violate that trust, the National Security Division will act swiftly to hold them accountable.” "We trust our war fighting individuals to cooperate as a team to protect our military and country," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle said. "We will pursue criminal charges to keep these warriors safe whenever we find leakers exalting their own feelings over the safety of the United States.”

FOX News [4/8/2026 11:44 AM, Anders Hagstrom, 37576K] Video: HERE reports the U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire as both sides engage in talks to secure a wider peace agreement Wednesday. Iran has proposed a 10-point plan and shared it with President Donald Trump, who said it represents a "workable basis on which to negotiate." The White House says that plan differs with the one Iranian officials released to the public on Wednesday, however, according to the New York Times. The publicly available plan demands that the U.S. end all primary and secondary sanctions against Tehran, as well as that Iran receive full control over the Strait of Hormuz. The plan also demands an end to U.S. attacks on Iran and its allies, a withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Middle East, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a United Nations resolution stating that the agreement will be binding. The U.S. would also have to compensate Iran for damage incurred during the war and accept Iran’s right to enrich uranium, according to the plan. In exchange, Iran would commit not to build nuclear weapons and enter into peace agreements with its regional neighbors. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [4/8/2026 10:23 AM, Caitlin Doornbos, 40934K] reports that President Trump on Wednesday said he is open to a controversial idea that would reshape global shipping lanes: allowing Iran to charge tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz — if the US gets a cut of the action. Speaking to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Trump suggested the concept is under consideration as both a security and economic measure. "We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture. It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people," Trump said. "It’s a beautiful thing." The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is considered an international waterway. About a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through it, making any policy shift there a matter of global consequence. OKing a toll would mark a dramatic shift in US policy toward Iran and maritime security in the region. Historically, Washington has pushed for free and open navigation through the strait, backed by naval presence to deter threats and ensure the flow of goods. Just hours after the cease-fire began, Iran has already begun demanding tolls via crypto to pass safely through the strait.

The Hill [4/8/2026 9:03 AM, Filip Timotija, 18170K] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” to carry out President Trump’s threat to eliminate Iranian civilization, a warning that was met with condemnation from Democrats and other critics. “We had a target set, locked and loaded, of infrastructure, bridges, power plants. Remember, this is a terror regime. The military regime used all of these things for dual use, to fund their military to fund their their terror campaigns,” Hegseth told reporters during the Wednesday morning briefing. “We had a lot of legitimate targets. They knew exactly the scope of what we were capable of.” On Tuesday morning, the president said in a post on Truth Social that a “whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again” unless “something revolutionary wonderful” happens to make a deal agreed by both Tehran and Washington. The threat of the attacks on Iranian infrastructure prompted worries about possible war crimes and a number of Democratic lawmakers called for invoking the 25th Amendment and for the president to be removed from office. Some Republicans disagreed with the president’s warning, too, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (Texas). Trump reset the time on his threat to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” Tuesday evening after the country agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks. In exchange, the U.S. and Israeli militaries would halt attacks on Iran. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [4/8/2026 1:26 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports that the Outnumbered panel examines the fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, highlighting uncertainties surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Harris Faulkner questions the timeline for lasting peace given Iran’s continued actions. Emily Compagno emphasizes the importance of regional allies and their pressure on Iran, while Griff Jenkins praises President Trump’s firm negotiation tactics as critical to the new diplomatic momentum. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [4/8/2026 7:09 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin says the Iranian regime wants a toll for ships passing through the strait on ‘Special Report.’

Washington Examiner [4/8/2026 1:24 PM, David Zimmermann, 1147K] reports that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reiterated his call for a congressional review of the newly brokered two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. While in favor of the Trump administration’s peacemaking efforts, Graham is skeptical about the tentative deal that was made on Tuesday. "The supposed negotiating document, in my view, has some troubling aspects, but time will tell," the longtime GOP senator posted on X Wednesday morning. "I look forward to the architects of this proposal, the Vice President and others, coming forward to Congress and explaining how a negotiated deal meets our national security objectives in Iran." The congressional review process would look similar to the one that came in response to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal under the Obama administration. "Fair and challenging questions with a full opportunity to explain, and a healthy dose of sunlight is generally the right formula to understand any matter," Graham wrote in a separate post Tuesday night about his desire for a congressional review of the peace deal. Congress is currently on its two-week spring recess, which ends with federal lawmakers returning to session on April 14. The ceasefire not only brings a pause in the fighting that started over five weeks ago, but it also helps reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels. The agreement is tenuous, so it remains to be seen if Iran keeps the narrow strait open for long.

Washington Post [4/8/2026 5:26 AM, Catherine Belton, 24826K] reports soon after the deadly Israeli attack that caused thousands of Hezbollah pagers to explode in September 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government offered its assistance to Iran, the key sponsor of Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the United States. “Our secret service has already contacted your services and we will share all the information we have gathered during the investigation,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, by telephone, according to a copy of a Hungarian government transcript of the Sept. 30 call obtained and authenticated by a Western intelligence service and reviewed by The Washington Post. “Every possible document will be shared with your services.” Hungary was in the spotlight at the time because the Taiwanese company whose brand was on the devices had told reporters they were manufactured by a Hungarian company under a licensing agreement. Szijjarto was keen to stress to Araghchi that his country had not been involved in any way in the Sept. 17 attack in Lebanon that killed 12 people and wounded as many as 2,800 and that the pagers had not been made in Hungary. But the call — and Szijjarto’s apparent readiness to curry favor with Iran’s foreign minister — pose uncomfortable questions about the Orban government’s relationship with Iran at a time when the Trump administration is locked in conflict with Tehran while at the same time the White House is providing support to Orban’s reelection campaign in a high-stakes election.

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