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

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

The Washington Post [2/11/2026 3:46 PM, Jacob Bogage, Jeff Stein and Perry Stein, 24826K] reports the Internal Revenue Service improperly shared confidential tax information of thousands of individuals with immigration enforcement officials, according to three people familiar with the situation, appearing to breach a legal fire wall intended to protect taxpayer data. The erroneous disclosure was only recently discovered, the people said. The IRS is working with officials from the Treasury Department, Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security on the administration’s response. The IRS confirmed The Washington Post’s reporting in a court filing Wednesday afternoon. Dottie Romo, the tax agency’s chief risk and control officer, wrote in a sworn declaration that the IRS provided confidential taxpayer information even when DHS officials could not provide sufficient data to positively identify a specific individual. Federal law mandates strict protections of the identities of taxpayers, including the sharing of data within the federal government. Undocumented immigrants have for years paid taxes with assurances from the federal government that doing so would not result in them being targeted by immigration enforcement. But in a controversial decision, Treasury, which oversees the IRS, in April agreed to provide DHS with the names and addresses of individuals the Trump administration believed to be in the country illegally, pursuant to DHS requests. Federal courts have since blocked the data-sharing arrangement, holding that it violates taxpayers’ rights, though the government appealed those rulings. Before the agreement was struck down, DHS requested the addresses of 1.2 million individuals from the IRS. The tax agency responded with data on 47,000 individuals, according to court records. When the IRS shared the addresses with DHS, it also inadvertently disclosed private information for thousands of taxpayers erroneously, a mistake only recently discovered, said the people familiar, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Romo, in her declaration, did not state when the IRS learned of its error. She said the agency notified DHS on Jan. 23, to begin taking steps to “prevent the disclosure or dissemination, and to ensure appropriate disposal, of any data provided to ICE by IRS based on incomplete or insufficient address information.” She declined to state if the IRS would inform people whose data was illegally disclosed to immigration officials, and said DHS and ICE had agreed to “not inspect, view, use, copy, distribute, rely on, or otherwise act on any return information that has been obtained from or disclosed by IRS” because of the pending litigation. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said that under the data-sharing agreement, “the government is finally doing what it should have all along.” “Information sharing across agencies is essential to identify who is in our country, including violent criminals, determine what public safety and terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them, scrub these individuals from voter rolls, and identify what public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense,” the spokesperson said. The AP [2/11/2026 7:26 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports that the revelation stems from a data-sharing agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records. Romo added that Treasury notified DHS in January of the error and requested DHS’ assistance in "promptly taking steps to remediate the matter consistent with federal law," which includes "appropriate disposal of any data provided to ICE by IRS based on incomplete or insufficient address information.". The IRS-DHS agreement set off litigation between advocacy groups and the federal government last year. Public Citizen filed a lawsuit against the Treasury secretary, the Homeland Security secretary and their respective agencies on behalf of several immigrant rights groups shortly after the agreement was signed. Most recently, a Massachusetts federal court ordered the IRS to stop sharing residential addresses with ICE. And last November, a federal court blocked the IRS from sharing information with DHS, saying the IRS illegally disseminated the tax data of some migrants last summer. Advocates fear that the potential unlawful release of taxpayer records could be used to maliciously target Americans, violate their privacy and create other ramifications.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg Law News [2/11/2026 5:00 PM, Erin Schilling, Erin Slowey, 50K]
FOX News [2/11/2026 10:10 PM, Landon Mion, 37576K]

The AP [2/11/2026 5:51 AM, Seung Min Kim, Ben Finley, Mary Clare Jalonick, Konstantin Toropin, and Morgan Lee, 35287K] reports the Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser earlier this week, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to suddenly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details. The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days, stranding some travelers, but the closure ended up only lasting a few hours. The Trump administration said it stemmed from the FAA and Pentagon working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border. One of the people said the laser was deployed near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, which decided then to close the airspace to ensure commercial air safety. Others familiar with the matter said the technology was used despite a meeting scheduled for later this month between the Pentagon and the FAA to discuss the issue. While the restrictions were short-lived in the city of nearly 700,000 people, it is unusual for an entire airport to shut down even for a short time. Stranded travelers with luggage lined up at airline ticket counters and car rental desks before the order was lifted. The Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 10:09 PM, Claire Carter, 1147K] reports that the initially announced 10-day closure of airspace above El Paso International Airport was issued early Wednesday by the FAA without warning, then lifted just hours later after officials determined there was no threat to commercial aviation. The unusual chain of events began when the Pentagon authorized CBP to use a laser designed to counter drones believed to be operated by Mexican drug cartels near the Fort Bliss military post. The FAA was not informed in advance of the laser’s use, prompting it to issue a notice to airmen that said it was restricting flights for "special security reasons.". After eight hours, the FAA reversed course, lifted the airspace restriction, and resumed normal flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an X post on Wednesday morning that federal agencies were acting to address cartel drones in U.S. airspace. "The FAA and [Department of War] acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion," Duffy said. "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.". The abrupt closure disrupted early-morning travel plans for passengers and led to confusion among U.S. and Mexican officials, who said they were not notified before the FAA’s announcement. The New York Times [2/11/2026 5:49 PM, Matthew Cullen, 148038K] reports that the military has been developing high-energy laser technology to intercept and destroy drones, including those used by Mexican drug cartels. Military officials deployed it earlier this week against what they thought was a cartel drone, but which turned out to be a party balloon. The official explanation from the Trump administration for the shutdown was different. The transportation secretary, along with the White House, insisted that a sudden incursion of drones from Mexican cartels had forced the Federal Aviation Administration to halt all flights to and from El Paso. The airspace was reopened this morning. It was not clear if the balloon episode alone, or multiple incidents, prompted the F.A.A. to close El Paso’s airspace. But the aviation officials had determined that they did not have enough time to review whether the new technology could pose risks to other aircraft. They had warned the Pentagon, but their decision to halt all flights blindsided El Paso officials. Politico [2/11/2026 3:07 PM, Oriana Pawlyk and Chris Marquette, 21784K] reports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the closure pertained to a “cartel drone incursion” in the area, and that the department coordinated with the Pentagon to “swiftly address” the issue. “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” Duffy said on X. “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones,” the agency said in a statement, using the Trump administration’s preferred name for DOD. The FAA and the Pentagon “have determined there is no threat to commercial travel,” the statement added. But an aviation industry official, granted anonymity to discuss the nature of the restriction, told POLITICO that the restriction was put in place because the Defense Department has been using drones and testing some counter-drone technologies — including high-energy lasers — in the airspace, which neighbors Mexico, without sharing critical safety information on such operations with the FAA.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [2/11/2026 10:37 AM, Bob Price, 2238K]
Reuters [2/11/2026 9:06 AM, Katharine Jackson, 38315K]
CBS News [2/11/2026 11:38 AM, Jennifer Jacobs, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, et al., 51110K]

New York Times [2/11/2026 7:26 PM, Karoun Demirjian, Kate Kelly, and Jack Nicas, 148038K] reports that Federal Aviation Administration officials were forced to close El Paso’s airspace late Tuesday after the Defense Department decided to use new anti-drone technology without giving aviation officials ample time to assess the risks to commercial airlines, according to four people briefed on the situation. Those accounts, offered on the condition of anonymity because the officials were not authorized to comment publicly, challenge the official explanation from the Trump administration. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, along with representatives for the White House and the Pentagon, insisted on Wednesday that a sudden incursion of drones from Mexican drug cartels had necessitated a military response, which prompted the F.A.A. to close the airspace. The military has been developing high-energy laser technology to intercept and destroy drones, which the Trump administration has said are used by Mexican cartels to track Border Patrol agents and smuggle drugs into the United States. According to the people briefed on the situation, El Paso’s airspace was shut down when the Defense Department, operating out of Fort Bliss, a nearby Army base, decided to mobilize that new technology over the F.A.A.’s objections. The El Paso airspace was reopened Wednesday morning, after the White House told the FAA to lift its restrictions, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

New York Times [2/11/2026 4:58 PM, Jack Nicas and Paulina Villegas, 148038K] reports that Trump administration officials have warned for months about Mexican cartels using drones near the U.S.-Mexico border, saying they are used to surveil border agents and smuggle drugs. Mexican officials have publicly been more skeptical, downplaying the threat drones pose at the border. What is clear is that drones have become a prominent tool and weapon used by Mexican cartels across Mexico in recent years, according to cartel operatives, security analysts and some government officials on both sides of the border. Steven Willoughby, director of the counter-drone program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, testified to Congress in July that U.S. officials detected more than 60,000 drone flights within 500 meters of the U.S.-Mexico border in the second half of 2024 — or 326 flights a day — many at night and above the 400-foot maximum altitude allowed for drones. He added that U.S. officials have seized thousands of pounds of drugs transported across the border on drones since 2019, including over 1,200 pounds in the second half of 2024. In October 2023, he said U.S. officials intercepted a drone carrying 3.6 pounds of fentanyl pills traveling from Mexico into the United States. He suggested officials had arrested more than 1,500 people in relation to such drone activity at the border. Noting that Mexican cartels have been repeatedly shown to use drones in their warfare inside Mexico, Mr. Willoughby told Congress, “It is only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region.”

FOX News [2/11/2026 1:49 PM, Morgan Phillips, 37576K] reports that top U.S. military leaders are hosting more than 30 nations in Washington as the Trump administration moves to deepen security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere, prioritizing border control, drug trafficking and regional threats from global adversaries. "To put America First, we must put the Americas First," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday at the meeting, according to remarks shared by Joseph Humire, U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and the Americas. "We must work together to prevent any adversary or criminal actor from exploiting your territory or using your infrastructure to threaten what a great former American president, Teddy Roosevelt, once called ‘permanent peace in this hemisphere.’" The meeting, convened by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, comes amid a broader national security strategy that places heightened emphasis on threats closer to home: from fentanyl pipelines and transnational criminal networks to Arctic competition and instability in Venezuela. The conference also coincides with U.S. action against Mexican cartel drones that breached American airspace near El Paso, Texas. An administration official told Fox News that "Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."

AP [2/11/2026 6:20 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports the temporary closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday caused unease south of the U.S.-Mexico border and put the spotlight on the use of drones by Mexican cartels. The criminal groups have used the technology to modernize their operations, smuggle fentanyl, organize migrant border crossings, surveil territory and wage war on rival cartels and Mexican authorities. U.S. officials initially said the airspace was closed to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, though others familiar with the situation later put that explanation in doubt. Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone program, told Congress in July that cartels use drones almost daily to move drugs across the border and to monitor Border Patrol agents. According to their data, in the last six months of 2024 more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters (1,640 feet) of the U.S. southern border, mainly at night. Drug trafficking by air is not new and is linked to the history of Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso. In the 1990s, drug trafficker Amado Carrillo Fuentes, founder of the Juarez Cartel, specialized in transporting large drug shipments in small aircraft, earning him the nickname "The Lord of the Skies.". When he died under suspicious circumstances following botched plastic surgery in 1997, his brothers and sons continued operating out of Ciudad Juarez. Fifteen years later, when his brother Vicente was arrested — Vicente was sent from Mexico to the United States last year — it was estimated that 70% of the cocaine entering the United States came through Juarez. Mexico issued an international alert in 2010 about drug traffickers’ use of remotely piloted aircraft systems, and from then on the practice grew.

Daily Signal [2/11/2026 6:30 PM, Virginia Allen, 474K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security slammed Democrats for "vile attacks" against U.S. law enforcement following a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. "In yesterday’s hearing, Democrats doubled down on their vile attacks on our law enforcement, comparing them to Nazis and the secret police and calling them thugs," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement first provided to The Daily Signal. During the House Homeland Security hearing, which was focused on oversight of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, multiple Democrats criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., referred to ICE agents as "thugs"; Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., referred to ICE tactics as "outright fascist"; Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., accused acting ICE Director Todd Lyons of having "blood" on his hands and asked him if he believes he is "going to hell"; and Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., called DHS a "weapon," arguing the entire department should be "dismantled.". "While they were demonizing our law enforcement, our officers were risking their lives arresting criminal illegal aliens, including multiple child rapists, kidnappers, and violent assailants," McLaughlin said. McLaughlin says the anti-ICE rhetoric from Democrats "is inciting violent attacks" against agents. "Our officers are experiencing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats as they arrest murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists," she said. In addition to Lyons, Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Rodney Scott, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, testified before the House committee Tuesday. On Thursday, the three immigration officials will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

FOX News [2/11/2026 3:23 PM, Rachel Wolf, Adriana James-Rodil, 37576K] reports a vehicle that was reportedly being pursued by federal agents crashed in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday, leaving one person with non-life-threatening injuries. St. Paul Police said on Wednesday that officers were called to the intersection of Western and Selby Avenues at approximately 9:39 a.m. to respond to a vehicle crash. The department added that "it was reported that a large crowd had formed." "On February 11, ICE officers attempted to conduct a targeted vehicle stop of Alexander Romero-Avila, an illegal alien from Honduras RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration in 2022," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "In a dangerous attempt to resist arrest, this illegal alien tried to evade law enforcement and began driving recklessly and ran red lights, endangering public safety and law enforcement. Romero-Avila crashed his vehicle into multiple vehicles and a ICE law enforcement vehicle. Law enforcement immediately called 911 to get medical assistance. No members of the public or ICE officers were injured in the crash. The illegal alien was taken to Regents Hospital for evaluation of injuries," McLaughlin added. "These dangerous attempts to evade arrest have surged since sanctuary politicians have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest and provided guides advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest. Our officers are now facing a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks," McLaughlin said.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [2/11/2026 3:16 PM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K]

USA Today [2/11/2026 10:44 AM, Christopher Cann, 70643K] reports Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the aggressive immigration operation that saw the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents could end within days. Walz said at a Feb. 10 news conference that he spoke with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and border czar Tom Homan about the ongoing operation and walked away with the impression that it would soon be wrapping up. "We are talking days, not weeks and months, of this occupation," Walz said, adding: "It would be my hope that Mr. Homan goes out before Friday and announces this thing is done... That would be my expectation.". The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. Walz’s remarks come less than a week after Homan said he would pull 700 federal agents out of the state, citing greater collaboration with state and local law enforcement officials. Homan said a complete drawdown would hinge upon continued cooperation. The federal surge began in December and saw about 3,000 federal agents fan out across the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in a campaign that federal authorities described as the largest immigration operation ever. In January, immigration agents shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three and a poet, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who treated veterans, sparking protests nationwide and backlash against the Trump administration, including from some Republicans. In an attempt to quell the outrage, President Donald Trump sent Homan to take over operation in Minnesota, replacing Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who became the face of the administration’s militarized immigration enforcement. Homan quickly conceded that the operation needed to be "fixed" and said agents would shift to more "targeted" enforcement, focusing on undocumented immigrants with criminal records rather than broad street sweeps that had raised concerns over racial profiling and unconstitutional searches. Walz said that in his calls with Trump administration officials, he emphasized the need to bring down the number of federal agents to pre-surge levels, which was about 150 officers.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [2/11/2026 3:28 PM, Max Rego, 18170K]

Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 10:28 AM, Mia Cathell, 1147K] reports Senate Republicans set their sights on immigration fraud at a judiciary hearing on Tuesday, assembling witnesses who highlighted widespread abuse of immigrant-tied government benefits in the midst of Minnesota’s massive Somali fraud scandal. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), chairman of the Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, noted during opening remarks that Somali scammers overwhelmingly made up most of the fraudsters who were federally indicted in Minnesota over the past few years. According to Cornyn, out of the 98 federal Minnesota fraud cases filed so far, 85 defendants are of Somali descent. "Much of the fraud is committed by aliens, many of them criminal aliens," Cornyn continued. The senator cited a 2023 report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which calculated that Medicaid lost approximately $8 billion in funding a year due to fraud attributable to illegal aliens. "A quick internet search will reveal numerous instances of foreign nationals who’ve been convicted for fraud, everything from wire fraud, manufacturing and selling counterfeit documents, fraudulently obtaining mass numbers of H-2B visas, and much more," Cornyn said. Several of the GOP’s invited guests focused on Somali fraudsters, in particular, targeting and subsequently tapping immigration benefits with little government oversight. Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s border security and immigration center, said that, as a former consular officer who was tasked with adjudicating visa applications, he encountered rampant visa fraud in high-corruption countries like Somalia.

Washington Post [2/11/2026 1:39 PM, Tara Copp and Alex Horton, 24826K] reports the Trump administration has withdrawn all federalized National Guard troops from U.S. cities, after its repeated attempts to surge forces into Democratic-run states encountered judicial roadblocks. The pullout was completed last month with no public acknowledgment from the White House or the Pentagon other than a social media post weeks earlier in which President Donald Trump announced the troops’ removal. It was a remarkable turnabout after Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had insisted the mobilizations were necessary to combat what they claimed was unchecked violence and to support enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws. The White House on Wednesday referred questions to Trump’s Truth Social post from December warning it was “Only a question of time!” before crime would begin “to soar again,” necessitating a return “perhaps in a much different and stronger form.” The Pentagon did not address questions about the withdrawal. The deployments — including more than 5,000 troops to Los Angeles, about 500 into Chicago and 200 to Portland, Oregon — were ordered despite the vehement opposition from state and local leaders who labeled the administration’s actions an unlawful abuse of presidential authority. All of those service members were sent home by the end of January, according to U.S. Northern Command. The vast majority of the troops sent to L.A. were demobilized in late July, leaving 100 in the area before the pullout. More than 2,500 National Guard members remain in D.C. in response to Trump’s ordered deployment, but under a nonfederal status. Their mission — part crackdown on crime and part sanitation duty — is expected to last until the end of the year. Additionally, there is an ongoing Guard presence in Memphis and New Orleans, but those missions, while funded by the federal government under a novel agreement with the Trump administration, are overseen by each state’s governor. Spokespeople for the White House and the Pentagon did not immediately address questions about the troops’ withdrawal.

Breitbart [2/11/2026 11:23 AM, Alana Mastrangelo, 2238K] reports that Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) displayed a poster of an AI-generated image falsely depicting the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in which one AI-created federal agent is clearly missing a head during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday. "CBP personnel shot Alex Pretti — and he was face down on Minneapolis’s sidewalk — killing him in broad daylight," Thompson said as the fake, AI-generated image was displayed behind him while he attacked the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ironically, the Democrat congressman went on to claim that U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "gaslit the public" and "made up a demonstrably false story about Mr. Pretti" as the fake photo remained showcased behind him. However, one would assume that Thompson, the ranking member of the committee, should have known better, given that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) recently faced heavy backlash for displaying the same fake, AI-generated image while delivering remarks on the Senate floor late last month. As Breitbart News reported, social media users took to the comment section of Durbin’s X post — which included video footage of his remarks — to blast the senator and point out that he had presented a photo featuring an AI-created federal agent who was clearly missing a head. Unlike Durbin, Thompson at least correctly noted that Pretti had been shot by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official, but nonetheless failed to display a real image of the event while attacking the Trump administration on Tuesday. Like Durban, the Democrat congressman was slammed by social media users, who noted, "This is the same fake photo that Dick Durbin shared."

The Hill [2/11/2026 2:06 PM, Sudiksha Kochi, 18170K] reports that House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would fund every agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Office of the Secretary. The move comes as the stopgap measure to fund DHS at existing levels for two weeks expires in just two days. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have been demanding sweeping reforms to the White House’s immigration enforcement tactics after agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. But both sides have yet to strike a deal, as they continue to exchange counterproposals and engage in talks. DeLauro’s measure would provide full-year funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard, among other agencies and programs, according to a press release. It would also not allow funds to be transferred to ICE or CBP. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot be abolished, but I will not provide a single dime of funding until we see radical changes in how it operates. If Republican leadership blocks this legislation from moving forward, they are responsible for any shuttered agencies, furloughed workers, missed paychecks, or reduced services,” DeLauro wrote in a statement. It’s unlikely Republicans would be open to the bill, however.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [2/11/2026 6:24 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K]

NPR [2/12/2026 5:00 AM, Ximena Bustillo and Sam Gringlas, 34837K] reports the top officials of the three federal agencies that oversee immigration enforcement are slated to testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security today as their department is one day away from a potential shut down. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Todd Lyons, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow are appearing before the panel. They also testified before the House Homeland Security Committee earlier this week. Thursday’s hearing was called for by the committee’s chairman, Rand Paul, following the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was shot multiple times by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. During a town hall this week, the Kentucky Republican previewed the hearing, noting that he wanted to focus on the use of force by federal agents. "I’m going to ask the head of ICE on Thursday, what is the appropriate use of force? Some of these are women being thrown to the ground where the woman probably is maybe saying something nasty, something bad, or protesting, but you shouldn’t throw somebody to the ground for being obnoxious," he said, adding that he had concerns with the use of weapons. "Something’s got to be done better."

AP [2/11/2026 1:15 PM, Kevin Freking Mary Clare Jalonick, and Seung Min Kim, 2238K] reports that a disruption in reimbursements to states for disaster relief costs. Delays in cybersecurity response and training. And missed paychecks for the agents who screen passengers and bags at the nation’s airports, which could lead to unscheduled absences and longer wait times for travelers. Those were just some of the potential ramifications of a looming funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials who testified before a House panel on Wednesday. Congress has approved full-year funding for the vast majority of the federal government, but it only passed a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security that extends through Friday. In response to the killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis and other incidents, Democrats have insisted that any funding bill for the department come with changes to immigration enforcement operations. Finding agreement on the issue of immigration enforcement will be exceedingly difficult. But even though lawmakers in both parties were skeptical, a White House official said that the administration was having constructive talks with both Republicans and Democrats. The official, granted anonymity to speak about ongoing deliberations, stressed that President Donald Trump wanted the government to remain open and for Homeland Security services to be funded. Meanwhile, Republicans are emphasizing that a Homeland Security shutdown would not curtail the work of the agencies Democrats are most concerned about. Trump’s tax and spending cut bill passed last year gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement about $75 billion to expand detention capacity and beef up enforcement operations.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [2/11/2026 9:51 AM, Staff, 18170K] Video: HERE

Federal News Network [2/11/2026 6:10 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1297K] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s work to finalize an incident reporting rule would likely be further delayed if Department of Homeland Security components face another shutdown. Potential delays to CISA’s rule were among several shutdown impacts laid out by DHS officials during a hearing held by Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee’s homeland security subcommittee on Wednesday. A continuing resolution that is currently funding DHS agencies expires on Saturday. Republicans and Democrats have yet to strike an agreement over immigration enforcement reforms. Republicans argue Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are already mostly funded under last year’s tax and reconciliation bill, while other DHS components would bear the brunt of the shutdown. Many Democrats argue that more immigration enforcement reforms are urgently needed before moving forward with any DHS spending measure. Madhu Gottumukkala, CISA’s acting director, said CISA’s activities during a shutdown are limited to "sustaining the essential functions that are necessary to ensure the safety of human life or protection of property." About one-third of the agency’s workforce – roughly 900 people – continue working without pay during a shutdown. "Notably, this would mean that our efforts to achieve a final rule on cyber incident reporting, as required by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, would be paused and further delayed," Gottumukkala said. He added that CISA’s work to implement governmentwide cybersecurity directives like the one issued last week would also be hampered by a potential shutdown.

Roll Call Online [2/11/2026 8:33 PM, Aidan Quigley and Savannah Behrmann, 673K] reports lawmakers made no apparent progress toward a deal Wednesday on an extension of Department of Homeland Security funding, and the Senate appears set to leave town Thursday despite the Feb. 13 deadline to avoid a partial shutdown of that agency. With both chambers on recess next week, the impasse means the department might be without a big chunk of its funding until at least the week of Feb. 23, unless there’s a breakthrough or leadership calls members back to Washington early. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday that he wasn’t planning on keeping his chamber in town unless an agreement was close. "As soon as we can strike a deal, we’ll vote on it," he said. "Until then, I don’t know if there is any point in keeping people around here, sitting around doing nothing. I think it’s important that the people at the negotiating table double down, sharpen their pencils and strike a deal.". The White House is leading the negotiations with Democrats, who have made clear they will not vote for another stopgap extension of DHS funding without progress on an immigration enforcement deal that has not yet materialized. "If they don’t propose something that’s strong, that reins in [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], that ends the killing, don’t expect our votes," Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters leaving the Capitol on Wednesday. He also said Republicans have yet to provide legislative text. But with a continuing resolution the only alternative to a shutdown if they can’t reach a full-year deal in time, Republicans appear resigned to giving a CR a try.

FOX News [2/11/2026 4:23 PM, Leo Briceno, 37576K] reports agency heads that operate under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned a shutdown could cripple U.S. readiness across half a dozen areas as the agency looks poised to enter a funding lapse by the end of the week over Democrats’ demands to reform immigration enforcement operations. Five agency leaders delivered that message to the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday. Lawmakers entertained remarks from the directors of the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Secret Service, all of which receive funding from the DHS bill. Across the board, leaders said the shutdown would force the government to focus only on life-threatening missions at the cost of future preparedness.

Washington Times [2/11/2026 3:51 PM, Lindsey McPherson, 1323K] reports the public may not notice the impacts of a likely shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, but it would harm the essential employees who must work without pay to secure airports, respond to natural disasters, protect U.S. coasts and thwart cybersecurity attacks, administration officials told lawmakers Wednesday. The heads of key agencies pleaded with House appropriators for department funding by midnight Friday to avert a shutdown and spare their workers from having to find second jobs to make ends meet, as several did during the record 43-day shutdown last year. “Many are still reeling from it,” said Ha Nguyen McNeill, acting head of the Transportation Security Administration, describing “a mental and emotional toll” and lingering financial impacts despite back pay for workers. We cannot put them through another such experience,” she said. “It would be unconscionable.” Democrats are refusing to support the fiscal 2026 spending bill for the Homeland Security Department, or even a temporary stopgap measure, without changes to how the Trump administration carries out immigration enforcement. Republicans are willing to negotiate changes but have rejected some of the Democrats’ demands as efforts to undercut law enforcement. An imminent resolution is unlikely, making a shutdown all but inevitable. The panel heard testimony from top officials at TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Secret Service about the impact of another shutdown on their agencies. A shutdown also could affect the Secret Service’s ability to acquire counterdrone technology and other protective equipment needed for massive security events, such as the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary celebrations this summer, he said. The Secret Service’s work investigating financial crimes would be temporarily reduced.

Breitbart [2/12/2026 3:49 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports on Wednesday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said that ICE has tons of money and “The president would have the ability, likely, to declare that they need to continue operating.” Aguilar said, “$75 billion for ICE in the one big, ugly bill that you referenced…that’s seven times the ICE budget. The president would have the ability, likely, to declare that they need to continue operating. But they can use other funding. They can use that one-time funding. We are not — I am not going to offer my vote for ICE and CBP to continue the status quo that allows them to terrorize communities, to beat down doors, to rip people out of cars, and to shoot U.S. citizens. I’m just not going to do it, and my colleagues aren’t going to do it either. And so, we can continue to have that discussion about having real accountability to these agencies that mirrors every other law enforcement agency in this country, we can continue to have that fight, and we should, while allowing the other pieces of the Department of Homeland Security to continue. If my Republican colleagues choose to shut down Homeland Security, then they’re choosing that path. They’re choosing to shut down TSA, they’re choosing air traffic control disruption, and they’re choosing lapsing funding for the Coast Guard.” Earlier, he stated, “[T]he lead Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, just this morning put out language…I would encourage my Republican colleagues to think about that. It would ensure that we have continuous operations for FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, CISA, cybersecurity, all of these agencies that are engaged in actual homeland security, those should be funded through the continuation — through the remainder of the fiscal year.”

NPR [2/11/2026 4:28 PM, Scott Detrow, Christopher Intagliata, Jason Fuller, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports NPR’s Scott Detrow talks with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., about current congressional negotiations regarding funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Telemundo20 [2/11/2026 12:53 PM, Staff, 56K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could shut down as early as Friday if the Democratic blockade of its funding continues in Congress, which threatens to jeopardize the future of immigration operations that depend on this department. The Democratic Party is demanding greater transparency in the immigration raids that US President Donald Trump has launched since his return to power to detain and deport undocumented migrants, and which have already resulted in the deaths of two US citizens at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis. But the Democrats’ opposition is not the only obstacle to extending or approving DHS funding; the Republican caucus is also experiencing a schism between its hardliners and moderate wing that threatens the future of the agreement. For now, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is backing an annual funding bill, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to move forward with a stopgap measure.

CNN [2/11/2026 6:56 PM, Lauren Fox and Sarah Ferris, 19874K] reports Republicans’ warning for President Donald Trump is growing louder with the Department of Homeland Security set to shut down in just days: Don’t feel public pressure to relent on an issue central to his campaign. Even as the White House has engaged with Democrats over reforms to DHS, a growing chorus of members have urged Trump and his team to play hardball and instead fight for GOP priorities, like cracking down on so-called sanctuary cities in exchange for any Democratic demands on federal immigration enforcement. One such appeal came from Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, who golfed and watched the Superbowl with the president over the weekend. Schmitt’s view was the president didn’t need to yield to the other party’s demands, even with that critical funding deadline bearing down on Capitol Hill. "We should not be, in any way, shape or form kneecapping ICE," Schmitt told CNN. "President Trump ran on this issue. So again, I think this is a home game for us, and if the Democrats want to continue down this road, it’s just a loser for them.". Bolstering Republicans’ resolve if that Trump’s signature policy bill last summer injected DHS with billions for immigration enforcement – enough, they argue, to cover operations for months, if not years, to come. The impact of a shutdown instead would be felt primarily by other program like FEMA and TSA — something they say would make it harder for Democrats to defend their position in a prolonged stalemate. "I don’t know why we are entertaining policy initiatives on funding bills. If you want to have a debate and they want to put forth this stupid 20-point plan in legislation, let’s have the debate. They’ll lose," Schmitt challenged. (Democrats have sent the White House a series of demands from requiring the use of body cameras for agents to reining in roving patrols.). Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday evening that the White House plans to soon send over new details to Democrats in their ongoing negotiations but it remains unclear if a deal can come together before funding for DHS expires Friday. "I was at the White House 90 minutes ago, talking about that very thing. The White House is sending over a few terms — I don’t know if you’d call it a counteroffer — but they’re in negotiations with Senate Democrats," Johnson said about the status of the talks.

NewsMax [2/11/2026 12:35 PM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports that Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told Newsmax that Democrats are "trying to hold America hostage" as Congress fights over Department of Homeland Security funding, arguing Republicans won’t budge while funding for critical security agencies hangs in the balance. Appearing Wednesday morning on "National Report," Gonzales framed the funding fight as a high-stakes standoff that threatens frontline operations at the border and beyond. "Essentially, what has happened is the Democrats are trying to hold America hostage yet again," he said, accusing the party of targeting agencies that "don’t line up with what their agenda" demands. Gonzales warned the dispute could ripple across public safety functions, saying Democrats are "trying to hold the Coast Guard hostage," along with the Transportation Security Administration and "CISA, which is an organization that keeps us safe from cyber intrusions." "As Republicans, we’re pushing back against that," he said, adding, "We’re holding the line. We’re not giving any leeway." Gonzales also pointed to House action designed to shield core border enforcement from uncertainty. He said Republicans previously passed the "big, beautiful bill" to ensure "Customs and Border Protection, along with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], is fully funded." He argued that the brinkmanship on Capitol Hill is dangerous because emergencies at the border are not hypothetical. "It’s all fun and games politically until something terrible happens, until there’s a real emergency that occurs," Gonzales said. "There are emergencies happening every day along the border."

Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 3:51 PM, Asher Notheis, 1147K] reports Washington Examiner White House reporter Christian Datoc said the Trump administration is seeking to "make a deal" to avoid another government shutdown before the midterm elections. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to lapse on Friday at midnight. Datoc said that the White House has "publicly" been hesitant to engage with Democratic lawmakers on their various demands, such as "judicial warrants" for migrant arrests and DHS officers being "easily" identifiable. However, Datoc said "behind the scenes," senior White House officials have told him President Donald Trump views DHS funding as a "priority."

Roll Call [2/11/2026 2:20 PM, Nina Heller, 673K] reports after weeks of pressure from rank-and-file Republicans, the House on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at creating a federal voter ID mandate. Dubbed the SAVE America Act, it would require Americans to prove their citizenship when registering to vote and present photo identification when casting a ballot. It would also require states to submit their voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security for vetting of citizenship status. The proposal is a more expansive version of a previous iteration known as the SAVE Act, which the House passed in April. Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, the lead sponsor of the bill, described it as an effort to safeguard the country’s elections and dismissed the idea that it would make it harder for Americans to vote. "In this age of progressive suicidal empathy, basic concepts such as voter ID and proof of citizenship have been attacked as suppression," he said Wednesday on the floor. The New York Post [2/11/2026 7:15 PM, Victor Nava, 40934K] reports that the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act cleared the lower chamber in a 218-213 vote. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was the only Democrat to join Republicans and vote yes. President Trump strongly supports the bill and urged "all Republicans to fight" for the Save Act over the weekend, arguing in a Truth Social post that the country’s elections are "Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World.". "We are either going to fix them, or we won’t have a Country any longer," the president asserted. The Save Act, previously approved by House lawmakers last year, also requires states to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls and establishes criminal penalties for registering an applicant who fails to present proof of US citizenship to vote in a federal election. "Our Founders set forth our electoral processes 250 years ago, based upon the simple and ultimate principle that only Americans should vote," Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the sponsor of the bill, said on the House floor ahead of the vote. "But in this age of progressive, suicidal empathy, basic concepts such as voter ID and proof of citizenship have been attacked as suppression," he added. A whopping 83% of US adults are in favor of requiring some form of government-issued photo ID to vote, including 71% of Democrats and 95% of Republicans, according to a survey conducted by Pew Research. Only 16% of American adults oppose it. Critics of the bill argue that it will disenfranchise voters, particularly women who change their name after marriage and people who have lost track of their birth certificates and other documents. "It’s Jim Crow 2.0," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said of the Save Act in an interview with MS NOW earlier this month. NBC News [2/11/2026 6:45 PM, Sahil Kapur and Kyle Stewart, 42967K] reports that the 32-page legislation would require states to obtain documentary proof-of-citizenship "in person," such as an American passport or birth certificate, from someone in order to register them to vote in a federal election. The bill, which was revised from an earlier version to include new demands from Trump, also requires voters to show photo identification in order to cast a ballot in person. And it slaps new rules for mail-in ballots, requiring voters to submit a copy of an eligible ID when requesting and casting an absentee ballot. "It’s just common sense. Americans need an ID to drive, to open a bank account, to buy cold medicine, to file government assistance," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters. "So why would voting be any different than that?". Democrats say the legislation is designed to disenfranchise Americans, noting that voting by noncitizens is already illegal and very rare. Current law requires voters to attest to their citizenship under oath, with criminal penalties for violators. "This is a desperate effort by Republicans to distract," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters. "The so-called SAVE Act is not about voter identification, it is about voter suppression. And they have zero credibility on this issue.".

FOX News [2/11/2026 6:45 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 37576K] reports the House of Representatives passed a massive election integrity overhaul bill on Wednesday despite opposition from the vast majority of Democrats. The House passed Rep. Chip Roy’s SAVE America Act, legislation that’s aimed at keeping non-citizens from voting in U.S. federal elections. All but one House Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — voted against the bill. It passed 218 to 213. It is an updated version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, also led by Roy, R-Texas, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up in the Senate. Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections. It would also require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls and enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pursue immigration cases if non-citizens were found to be listed as eligible to vote. Democrats have attacked the bill as tantamount to voter suppression, while Republicans argue that it’s necessary after the influx of millions of illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. during the four years of the Biden administration.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 6:52 PM, Lauren Green, 1147K]

AP [2/11/2026 6:10 PM, Hannah Fingerhut, 35287K] reports Iowa’s top election official and a group of voters the state had flagged as potential noncitizens just ahead of the 2024 presidential election settled a federal lawsuit Wednesday that will prevent the state from relying exclusively on driver’s license records for citizenship data in the three months before an election. Several naturalized U.S. citizens initially sued Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate in late October 2024, alleging he infringed on their rights to vote when he directed election workers to challenge ballots from about 2,000 registered voters in an attempt to prevent people officials identified as possible noncitizens from voting. All five individuals were eligible to vote but had been included on the list. A review of Iowa’s voter rolls last year found a fraction of that number — 35 people who are not U.S. citizens — were among more than 1.6 million Iowa voters who cast ballot in the 2024 election, and there were 277 noncitizens registered to vote out of nearly 2.3 million. Under an agreement with President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, Iowa now can run searches for thousands of voters using names, birthdays and Social Security numbers through the federal government’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. That was one of the reasons Pate had argued to a federal judge that the lawsuit should be dismissed, saying the 2024 list of voters has been rescinded and that the lawsuit’s claims are moot. That list also cannot be used for any future ballot-related challenges or efforts to maintain voter lists, according to the settlement. In exchange, the naturalized citizens agreed to dismiss their claims. The settlement, signed by both parties, was filed in court Wednesday but had not yet been accepted by a federal judge. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa’s legal director, saw the settlement as a win in ensuring state officials would not be making last-minute eligibility challenges based on unreliable data.

NewsMax [2/11/2026 8:30 AM, Eric Mack, 3760K] reports Voter ID and proof of citizenship is not disenfranchising American voters or keeping them from voting; it is validating the power of their vote, not diminishing it, according to Rep. Sheri Biggs, R-S.C., on Newsmax. "I think this is common-sense legislation: You know, any American should want to secure our votes and to make sure that it is limited to American citizens," Biggs told "Wake Up America" on Wednesday morning as the House seeks to vote on the SAVE America Act, a revised version of the SAVE Act that the House GOP passed over a year ago, now adding vote ID requirements. "There’s no reason that a foreigner, or especially an illegal alien, should come in and cast a vote that would cancel out one of our American citizens, and it’s common sense.". Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is rejecting Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, urging the Senate to go nuclear to drop the filibuster to pass the voter integrity bill with a simple 50-vote majority. "Well, the president has made it very clear that this is important: I just got to feel like the Senate is going to do the right thing," Biggs told co-hosts Marc Lotter and Sharla McBride. "This is not only what President [Donald] Trump wants, this is what American citizens want. "And I know the voters in the third district of South Carolina, they sent me here to make a difference. And so, I’m going to fight until the very end to ensure that that happens.". Biggs, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, left "disgusted" by Democrats demonizing federal agents in a hearing Tuesday.

Breitbart [2/11/2026 5:53 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump is deporting hundreds of thousands of criminal migrants, and national crime rates are dropping fast, but the elite media sees no connection whatsoever. "Crime plunges in major cities despite Trump’s crackdown rhetoric," establishment outlet Axios declared on social media early Wednesday. "The bottom line: Experts aren’t sure why violent crime continues to fall," said the linked report. Trump’s deputies are eager to make the link between deportations and reduced crime. Border chief Kristi Noem told The Bongino Show: Under the leadership of @POTUS Trump, the murder rate has plunged to a 125-year low — with especially steep drops in cities where the @dhsgov law enforcement undertook targeted immigration enforcement and crime prevention operations. Our nation has also experienced a steep decline in fentanyl deaths, which have dropped over 30 percent … We are not going back to how things used to be!

AP [2/11/2026 4:10 PM, Matthew Brown] reports Montana’s Republican attorney general said Wednesday he’s investigating the city of Helena for potential violations of the state’s sanctuary city ban, after city officials passed a resolution discouraging cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The investigation comes amid heightened tensions nationally over President Donald Trump’s aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, which has sparked protests in many cities. Trump has said he intends to cut off federal funding for states home to "sanctuary cities" that resist his immigration policies. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said Helena faces a fine of up to $10,000 for every five days it’s found to be in violation of a 2021 state law that compels local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration agents. The resolution in Helena states city officials shall not disclose to outside agencies "any sensitive information," such as a person’s immigration status or national origin. Helena officials said they had not received official notice of the investigation but were aware of Knudsen’s announcement. The resolution in dispute was approved last month following "careful consideration of applicable local, state and federal law," the city said in a statement.

New York Times [2/11/2026 4:10 PM, Andrea Fuller, Albert Sun and Eileen Sullivan, 148038K] reorts last year, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement hired droves of new agents, the immigration pipeline lost staffers who process asylum claims and preside over court hearings, according to a New York Times analysis of new government work force data. The redistribution of resources lays bare the priorities of President Trump’s second administration. Mr. Trump made a campaign promise to conduct “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” At the same time, the administration has halted visa processing for immigrants from dozens of countries and tightened caps on refugee admissions. The recent fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis have set off a national outcry and a wave of protests about the unparalleled deployment of immigration agents in American cities. Before agents arrived in Minneapolis en masse, ICE’s work force had grown to more than 28,000, expanding by some 7,500 staff members last year. That’s a bigger expansion than any other government agency. ICE said in January that it hired about 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year — far more than what the employment data, published by the Office of Personnel Management, show. ICE said the official figures do not yet reflect the full scope of its recent hiring because of reporting lags. Regardless, it’s one of the few places the federal government has been hiring. Last year, ICE grew by 36 percent while the overall federal work force shrank by about 10 percent, The Times found. The changes were the result of a torrent of cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and a surge in voluntary resignations. Agencies that run other parts of the immigration system contracted even further. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which manages visas, green cards, naturalizations and other parts of the legal immigration process, shrank by 11 percent last year. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which adjudicates immigration cases, lost about 20 percent of its staff. Customs and Border Protection — the largest immigration enforcement agency — grew by about 1 percent, to more than 67,000 employees. The ICE hiring surge was made possible by the spending package Republicans passed last year that provided a $75 billion lump sum, which also bankrolled the large enforcement operations in cities like Minneapolis. The agency’s regular annual funding, however, remains a flashpoint. A standoff over Democratic demands for oversight — including bans on agents wearing masks — led to a partial government shutdown in early February. “We are proud of these new officers, agents and attorneys who are joining ICE’s mission to protect American families and enforce our immigration laws,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. Ms. McLaughlin said the fast hiring was necessary to “restore law and order to our communities.” She previously described agents as “highly trained in de-escalation tactics.”

New York Times [2/11/2026 8:39 AM, Evan Gorelick, 148038K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has hired a social media manager from the Department of Labor for a key communications job, despite posts he made on Labor Department media accounts that raised internal alarms over possible white-nationalist messaging. Peyton Rollins, 21, was hired this month to help run Homeland Security’s social media accounts, which have become public bullhorns for President Trump’s mass-deportation efforts and come under scrutiny of their own for appealing to right-wing extremists. Tricia McLaughlin, the Homeland Security spokeswoman, said her public affairs office had “no personnel changes to announce at this time,” but Mr. Rollins has put his new position on his personal website. He is now digital communications director, according to screenshots of a Homeland Security staff directory reviewed by The New York Times. At the Labor Department, he was digital content manager. Courtney Parella, a spokeswoman for the Labor Department, said only, “The department does not comment on internal or personnel matters.” Mr. Rollins has spent most of the past year giving the Labor Department’s social media pages a makeover in Mr. Trump’s image. Current and former employees said career staff members had been pushed aside after Mr. Rollins’ arrival and rarely, if ever, crafted social media posts once he took control. Instead, Mr. Rollins personally posted social media content, which he has included on his personal website. Agency posts of late have used evocative imagery, some reminiscent of the 1920s and 1930s, with phrases like “Restore American Greatness” and “the globalist status quo is OVER.” An image of Mr. Trump, with bombers flying overhead, was accompanied by the message, “One of one.” Mr. Rollins has also claimed credit for a massive banner with Mr. Trump’s visage that has hung from the Labor Department’s headquarters.

Chicago Tribune [2/11/2026 6:49 PM, Jason Meisner and Laura Rodríguez Presa, 5209K] reports an immigration judge on Wednesday denied bond to a Chicago man acquitted last month of charges he offered money for the killing of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. Juan Espinoza Martinez, who has lived in Chicago for decades but is not a U.S. citizen, was taken into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred to a jail in Clay County, Indiana, on Jan. 23, a day after a federal jury found him not guilty of murder-for-hire. U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Terre Haute ruled last week that Espinoza Martinez was unlawfully denied a bond hearing, where a judge would assess factors such as risk of flight and danger to the community in deciding whether he should be released pending his immigration proceedings. Per Hanlon’s order, a bond hearing was held Wednesday morning before an immigration judge, who ruled that Espinoza Martinez should remain in custody pending deportation to Mexico. His wife, Bianca Hernandez, said she and her family were disappointed by the judge’s decision. “We were really hoping he would come home,” Hernandez said. “But we knew this was going to be a fight, and we are not going to give up.” Hernandez, who met Espinoza Martinez when they were in high school, said she found it “absurd” that the judge chose to favor the government’s claims that Espinoza Martinez was a gang member or that he tried to put a hit on a federal agent. “He was initially detained based on false information. Homeland Security is still labeling him as a high-ranking gang member, even though it has been proven that he has no gang ties,” she said. As of Wednesday evening, Hernandez said she had not spoken to her husband or to the immigration lawyer representing him, Sussethe Renteria. “We still have to see what the next step is, but I know for sure we’re going to keep fighting to prove his innocence and find a way for him to come back home,” Hernandez said.

FOX News [2/12/2026 5:00 AM, Chuck DeVore, 40621K] reports the sudden closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Feb. 11 was a big deal — but likely not for the reason you think. For years, the Federal Aviation Administration has blocked meaningful action against rogue drones — whether mysterious swarms over sensitive U.S. military bases or increasingly bold incursions by Mexican drug cartels. The FAA’s perennial fear? That military countermeasures, from electronic jamming to kinetic options, might endanger civilian or commercial aircraft. This paralysis persisted even as threats mounted. I wrote about this bureaucratic inaction in October 2024, when unidentified drones — some up to 20 feet across — buzzed Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 consecutive nights in late 2023. These intruders flew over the headquarters of Air Combat Command, home to F-22 Raptors, and neared the world’s largest naval station in Norfolk and other critical sites. The Biden-Harris White House was briefed, yet nothing was done. Suggestions to jam signals, deploy directed energy or simply shoot them down were rejected as too risky or unauthorized. A risk-averse culture prioritized avoiding mistakes over defending American soil. The Feb. 11 incident in El Paso marked a dramatic break from that pattern — and a significant victory against the growing cartel drone threat. Mexican cartels have grown alarmingly sophisticated in drone operations. Department of Homeland Security data show more than 60,000 cartel drone flights along the border in the second half of 2024 alone — an average of about 330 per day. And these aren’t toys.

The Hill [2/11/2026 8:30 AM, Setareh Ghandehari, 18170K] reports the groundswell of anger in the aftermath of the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement officials in Minneapolis is palpable. Last week, Democrats in Congress responded with a unified resistance to passing a business-as-usual Homeland Security funding package, but their next move will be consequential. The violence we see today is a direct consequence of the $170 billion that Congress handed to Homeland Security in last year’s reconciliation bill, fueling the administration’s mass detention and deportation agenda at an unprecedented scale. At this pivotal moment, Congress is considering the 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which includes billions of dollars for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and other agencies driving the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. It is unconscionable that our elected leaders would continue to give money to agencies that have been wreaking havoc on communities across the U.S. Democratic lawmakers have stated that they won’t fund the Department of Homeland Security without oversight and accountability measures for its law enforcement, including stronger requirements for judicial warrants, an end to roving patrols, a “code of conduct” for use of force and a ban on masks. As Democrats consider these measures, it is critical that they remember that ICE, Border Patrol and other agencies in this department have a history of thwarting attempts at regulation, transparency and accountability at every turn. Mere oversight provisions and restating of existing law are insufficient. The most meaningful way to stop the violence and protect American communities is by cutting the funding that allows these agencies to carry out a campaign of violence and cruelty. The funding provided in last year’s reconciliation bill supersized the administration’s cruel targeting, detention and deportation of people that are vital contributors to communities across the country. This comes after two decades of steady annual budget increases and infrastructure growth for ICE, creating the largest detention system in the world, even before 2025’s massive expansion.

FOX News [2/11/2026 1:43 PM, David Marcus, 37576K] reports that Seamus Culleton, an illegal immigrant from Ireland was arrested last September by ICE, pursuant to a deportation order after he overstayed his 90-day visa by nearly two decades. Now, for the most cynical of reasons, he is the Left’s new anti-ICE cause celebre. The pro-Culleton argument is that he had a work visa, a pending green card application, is married to an American and has committed no violent crimes. But none of this changes the fact that his underlying 20-year stay was illegal, and there was an active deportation order against him. Culleton was given a chance to be taken directly to Ireland, but chose to stay and fight deportation, which he must and should do while in detention. Honestly, the only thing remarkable about this case, and here comes the cynical part, is that he is White and Irish. A central allegation against Trump’s deportation efforts is that they are essentially racist, that ICE is out there rounding up Brown and Black people based on their skin color. It’s an allegation the Department of Homeland Security vehemently denies and which has not been substantiated. Maybe it is too many to actually remove, but Trump was elected to try and try he is, even if the illegal immigrant has a lovely, lilting Irish brogue.

New York Times [2/11/2026 5:39 AM, Jamelle Bouie, 148038K] reports on Oct. 4, Marimar Martinez, a teacher’s assistant at a Montessori school, was driving in Chicago when she observed federal immigration agents on patrol. She had begun to honk her horn to warn her neighbors about their presence when she collided with a Border Patrol vehicle. Moments later, the agent in the vehicle, Charles Exum, fired multiple shots into Martinez’s car, hitting her again and again. (Later, Exum would brag to colleagues that he had “fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes.”) Prosecutors for the government charged Martinez with assaulting a federal officer and accused her of trying to ram Exum with her car. The Department of Homeland Security described her actions as domestic terrorism, a charge the agency would repeat after the death of Renee Good in January at the hands of another immigration agent. The government’s case unraveled, however, when it became clear that its story did not fit the evidence — evidence that officials with Customs and Border Protection tried to hide. The government dropped its case against Martinez a month later, and on Friday a federal judge authorized the release of the body camera footage so that the public could see the incident for itself. Recently, Martinez joined with other Americans brutalized by federal immigration agents to tell their stories to a forum of congressional Democrats led by Representative Robert Garcia of California and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Garcia and Blumenthal convened the event to collect testimony on — and highlight — “the violent tactics and disproportionate use of force by agents of the Department of Homeland Security.” The people who testified spoke to the terror of their confrontations with masked, armed and often trigger-happy federal agents. “I will never forget the fear, and having to quickly duck my head as the shots were fired at the passenger side of the car. Any one of those bullets could have killed me or two people I love,” said Martin Daniel Rascon, who was stopped by agents who broke the windows of the vehicle he was in and began firing when the driver, frightened, tried to escape. If democracy rests on mutual recognition, on our capacity to see one another as full and equal persons, then the power to speak and be heard lies at the foundation of democratic life. It is when we speak — when we argue, appeal, explain and testify — that we put into practice our belief in the ability of others to understand, reason and empathize. Or as Thomas Jefferson remarked in 1824, “In a republican nation whose citizens are to be led by reason and persuasion and not by force, the art of reasoning becomes of first importance.”

Bloomberg [2/11/2026 2:10 PM, Mary Ellen Klas, 18082K] reports that there’s something very cynical about Republicans’ efforts this week to pass a law requiring massive changes to the nation’s voting laws ahead of the November midterms. They must think Americans are easily fooled. The proposal, the SAVE America Act, revives a stalled 2025 effort to require Americans to show a government ID to vote and proof of citizenship to register. The measure passed the House last spring, but it never moved in the Senate. Now it’s back, on the heels of the president’s call to have Republicans “nationalize” the elections and take control away from the states. That’s exactly the opposite of what the Constitution requires, but it fits with President Donald Trump’s grand plan to disrupt the vote in November. In the last few weeks, Trump has wrongly said that “a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” and the Department of Justice has doubled down on its demands that states like Minnesota turn over privileged voter file data. On Tuesday, we got a clue about what the agency wants to do with those files. A court unsealed the search warrant in last month’s FBI raid of election offices in Fulton County, Georgia. The warrant revealed what skeptics feared: that the Justice Department is basing its probe on debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The new version of the SAVE Act fuels more of the president’s conspiracies — the ones relating to voting by mail. The act requires anyone who wants a mail-in ballot to provide proof of citizenship in person. Americans may be able to do their banking, file their taxes and get medical records online, but if this becomes law, they won’t be able to apply online for a mail ballot.

USA Today [2/12/2026 4:01 AM, Chris Brennan, 70643K] reports Barack Obama, in his two terms as president, was assigned a moniker he never embraced – "deporter in chief." Donald Trump, now in his second term as president, openly craves surpassing Obama in the deportation of undocumented immigrants in America. Trump is now putting up significant numbers, enough to potentially rival Obama’s record for deportations. But everyone I spoke to for this series of columns – comparing and contrasting how Obama and Trump approach immigration enforcement – told me that’s where the similarities end. And now, with American voters tuned in on immigration enforcement in the interior of our country, a look back at how we got here might help us understand how we reached this point of conflict and confrontation. Some kind of federal enforcement of America’s immigration laws is necessary, with Border Patrol agents guarding our boundaries and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working in the country’s interior. They have a job to do. And it should be targeted. But what I learned while reporting for this column is that any president, Obama or Trump, can quickly lose control of that targeting. Experts told me Obama, like Trump, promised to deport "the worst of the worst," undocumented immigrants with serious criminal histories. What we got with Obama, which might not linger in the memory of many Americans, was far broader than that. A key difference: Obama didn’t make a big show of it. Trump craves a cruel spectacle in deportations.

USA Today [2/12/2026 4:05 AM, Chris Brennan, 70643K] reports Barack Obama had a plan for comprehensive immigration reform, a legislative goal that eluded his predecessor as president, George W. Bush. He would first persuade Republicans to trust him by aggressively enforcing America’s immigration laws. It was a trade: enforcement for reform. It didn’t work. And the conservative backlash became part of a populist base, setting the stage for President Donald Trump’s emphasis now only on aggressive enforcement through secret police-style paramilitary invading forces in American cities. Now, Trump faces the backlash and the potential for a partial government shutdown, as public opinion in America has swung hard against his immigration overreach. That abusive approach could revive efforts at reforming how immigration laws are enforced. This series of columns explores how America enforces immigration laws, and what happens when Congress tries to reform the process.

Bloomberg Law [2/11/2026 8:19 PM, Shweta Watwe, 50K] reports the creator of a Facebook group designed to allow Chicago residents to share information about sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the creator of an app meant for the same purpose sued Trump Administration officials Wednesday for trying to suppress both speech mechanisms. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem "want to control what the public can see, hear, or say about ICE operations," according to the complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The officials coerced Facebook to disable the group and Apple to remove the Eyes Up app from the app store, the complaint alleged. The tech companies aren’t parties to the suit. The lawsuit follows a similar one alleging free speech violations that was filed in DC federal court in December by the makers of an app called ICEBlock. The Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 1:35 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports that a civil rights organization is suing the Trump administration for pressuring major technology companies to remove information tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing Washington violated free speech rights. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech absolutist group, is representing two plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit against the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice in an Illinois district court on Wednesday, alleging the Trump administration engaged in illegal censorship to control information. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi undermined constitutional protections when they "strong-armed" Apple and Facebook into removing ICE activity monitoring from company platforms, according to the group’s lawsuit. After pressure from the Trump administration, Apple removed Eyes Up and similar apps that allowed users to report sightings of ICE officials in real-time last fall, while Facebook removed a comparable account with over 84,000 members. "As we’ve seen across the country, especially in Minneapolis, citizen videos have informed discussion and debate about ICE’s operations and tactics," FIRE attorney Colin McDonell said in a statement. "The right to share information about our government is essential to a free society. If someone goes out and commits a crime, they can and should be punished for their actions. But in a free society, we don’t punish protected speech."

Telemundo Amarillo [2/11/2026 2:47 PM, Staff, 2K] reports a new bill in Congress could add extra jail time for people who attack ICE agents. The Protecting ICE Act, backed by Senator John Cornyn and other U.S. senators, aims to reduce the rising violence against federal agents. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports that vehicle attacks against ICE agents have increased by 3,200%. If passed, the law would add and establish more penalties for attacking an ICE agent. The bill stipulates that if someone assaults, injures, interferes with, or resists an agent while using a deadly weapon, the maximum prison sentence would increase from 20 to 40 years. If a person uses a car to assault an officer, the law would establish a minimum penalty of 5 to 10 years, depending on the severity of the injuries. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee awaiting further action.

FOX News [2/11/2026 12:04 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that acting ICE Director Todd Lyons refused to resign under pressure from Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who offered him the ultimatum to do so, or "side with the killers." The heated exchange during Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing isn’t the first time Swalwell has confronted ICE over its mass deportation operations. He previously co-authored the "ICE OUT Act" with fellow committee member Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., which would strip qualified immunity from federal immigration agents. Near the close of his questioning, Swalwell told Lyons that continuing to lead ICE is a "choice" and highlighted his preceding decorated military and law enforcement career. "You are what I would call ‘otherwise employable’. I think most people would agree this is not the only job that you can get. But since you’ve been on this job, women have been dragged by their hair through streets. A 6-year-old child battling stage-four cancer has been deported. And it turns out he was a U.S. citizen," Swalwell claimed. The Alameda lawmaker, who is also running for governor, said people are fleeing ICE "through the fields where they work" and that "disgraceful" statements from DHS brass should convince Lyons to find a new job.

NewsMax [2/11/2026 10:39 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports Democrats’ call for judicial warrants before arresting illegal aliens would reportedly severely hinder Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The demand that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "improve warrant procedures and standards" could grind ICE’s enforcement and removal efforts to a near halt, immigration experts told The Washington Free Beacon. Under current law, ICE agents rely heavily on administrative warrants authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Those warrants, issued by senior agency officials after a finding of probable cause, allow agents to arrest individuals unlawfully present in the United States and carry out civil immigration enforcement actions, including deportations. Judicial warrants require a judge’s signature and are generally tied to separate federal criminal offenses. Requiring ICE to obtain judicial warrants in routine immigration cases would impose a significantly higher legal threshold and lengthier review process, critics say. Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told the Free Beacon that the change could slash ICE’s enforcement capacity by as much as 90%. With immigration courts already facing record backlogs and what she described as "activist judges" inclined to delay or deny requests, enforcement operations could slow "to almost a crawl.". "The Democrats don’t want ICE to be able to do their job," Ries said, arguing that calls to "abolish ICE" have now evolved into procedural hurdles designed to cripple the agency from within. ICE was arresting roughly 1,000 illegal aliens per day toward the end of 2025, according to the Free Beacon.

Daily Caller [2/11/2026 10:47 AM, Christine Sellers, 803K] reports that an Army veteran who has lived in the U.S. for 50 years was recently deported to Jamaica despite having an active appeal, according to CBS News. Godfrey Wade was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, where he remained for nearly five months before he was deported, CBS News reported. Wade came to the U.S. lawfully in 1975, enlisted in the Army, served overseas, and was honorably discharged. In September 2025, he was pulled over for failing to use a turn signal and was arrested for driving without a license, the outlet reported. ICE detained Wade following his arrest due to a 2014 removal order linked to a 2007 bounced check and a 2006 simple assault charge. The assault charge did not involve physical violence, and Wade paid the bounced check and related fines, according to his attorney. ICE cited the 2014 removal order when officials claimed Wade did not show up for a hearing that same year, according to CBS News. Wade was unaware of the removal order until he was arrested, his attorney said, and the hearing notices sent to the address used by ICE were returned as undeliverable, according to court records cited by CBS News. Democratic Georgia Rep. David Scott sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Feb. 5 asking that Wade be given the chance to have his case heard in court and his removal be halted. Wade was deported on Feb. 5, the same day Scott sent the letter, 11 Alive reported.

Daily Caller [2/11/2026 9:37 AM, Jason Cohen, 803K] reports that Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul clashed with journalist Katie Couric as she minimized the reported percentage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of violent criminals during an interview posted to her YouTube channel on Wednesday. During the interview on her channel, Couric quoted CBS News’s Monday reporting that out of around 400,000 immigrants ICE arrested during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, less than 14% had violent criminal records, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by the outlet. Paul argued that the percentage should not be the focus, noting that if Couric’s daughter were raped by an illegal immigrant, the percentage would not matter to her. "[I]sn’t all this talk about ridding the country of violent criminals a massive overstatement if less than 14%, again, of the 400,000 immigrants being arrested had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses?" Couric asked. Paul criticized Minneapolis for what he said was a policy of refusing to turn over jailed illegal immigrant criminals, regardless of their crimes. He said he believed the majority of Americans were moderate and disapproved of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Border Patrol agents, but also supported deporting convicted and incarcerated illegal immigrant rapists. Border czar Tom Homan on Feb. 4 announced a withdrawal of 700 federal law enforcement personnel from Minnesota. He highlighted an "increase in unprecedented collaboration" with state and local authorities, including access to jails.

Daily Caller [2/11/2026 8:34 AM, Jason Hopkins, 803K] reports that Democrats are demanding federal agents obtain judicial warrants before arresting illegals on private property, a move experts liken to a Trojan horse that would weaken American immigration enforcement for years to come. Judicial warrants have become a flashpoint in immigration enforcement, with sanctuary jurisdictions increasingly claiming that administrative warrants are not enough and a judge’s signature should be a prerequisite to any type of cooperation. Capitol Hill Democrats have seized on the issue, threatening to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if judicial warrants — along with body cameras and uniform requirements — aren’t mandated for personnel on the ground. "Requiring a judicial warrant for every ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] arrest would severely weaken the agency’s ability to enforce the law, and it would overwhelm the courts, which is likely what anti-ICE advocates in Congress are attempting to accomplish," Tony Pham, who previously served as acting ICE director during the final months of the first Trump administration, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The chances of Republicans adopting Democrat demands to curtail Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are basically nil, a Republican staffer involved in the negotiations told the DCNF, describing the demands as non-starters. The demand for judicial warrants among the left reached a fever pitch after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti amid anti-ICE protests in January.

CNN [2/11/2026 7:43 AM, Matthew Lally, 19874K] reports that Rep. Mike Haridopolos defends ICE officers, and tells CNN’s Audie Cornish he supports body cameras for agents as DHS shutdown looms. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FedScoop [2/11/2026 10:40 AM, Staff, 56K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s top official rejected claims from lawmakers Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security component is building a database for protesters. The alleged detractor database has been referenced in several reports by think tanks, letters to DHS officials from lawmakers and in interviews with border czar Tom Homan. During Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., cited a well-circulated clip of an ICE agent in Portland, Maine, telling a person videotaping that she would be added to a “nice little database.” “I can’t speak for that individual,” said Todd Lyons, who serves as acting director of ICE. “But I can assure you that there is no database that’s tracking United States citizens.” Despite Lyons’ pushback on the database claims, skepticism is persistent as stakeholders point to reports to the contrary. FedScoop reached out to DHS for clarification. Tricia McLaughlin, the agency’s assistant security for public affairs, reaffirmed that there is no database of domestic terrorists run by DHS. “We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” McLaughlin said in an email. “Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime.” A recent attempt at a destructive cyberattack on Poland’s power grid has prompted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to publish a warning for U.S. critical infrastructure owners and operators. Tuesday’s alert follows a Jan. 30 report from Poland’s Computer Emergency Response Team concluded the December attack overlapped significantly with infrastructure used by a Russian government-linked hacking group, and that it targeted 30 wind and photovoltaic farms, among others. CISA said its warning was meant to “amplify” that Polish report. In particular, CISA said the attack highlighted the threats to operational technology and industrial control systems, most commonly used in the energy and manufacturing sectors. And CISA’s alert continues a recent agency focus on securing edge devices like routers or firewalls, after a binding operational directive last week to federal agencies to strip unsupported products from their systems. “The malicious cyber activity highlights the need for critical infrastructure entities with vulnerable edge devices to act now to strengthen their cybersecurity posture against cyber threat activities targeting OT and ICS,” the alert reads. CISA urged owners and operators to review the Polish report, as well as security guidance from other U.S. agencies.

Daily Caller [2/11/2026 12:19 PM, Hudson Crozier, 803K] reports that President Donald Trump dramatically expanded a little-known program allowing local law enforcement to assist deportation operations even in liberal states, documents show. Since 2019, more than 1,350 local agencies have penned agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including 68 from Democratic states and 88 in swing states, a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis of ICE records found. Liberal activists and officials are coming up with ways to thwart the contracts, known as 287(g) agreements, after Trump’s officials gained a foothold for ICE around the country under his first and second terms. The 287(g) contracts are "the most effective tools [ICE] agents can use to integrate with local and state law enforcement," Chad Wolf, former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) head in Trump’s first term, told the DCNF. He now leads homeland security and immigration policy at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. Democrats and groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argue that local law enforcement should focus on local offenses, while supporters of 287(g) partnerships say they let ICE take migrants from jails without hunting them down in neighborhoods. "We have had tremendous success when local law enforcement work with us including 40,000 arrests in Florida," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the DCNF. "Elected officials who refuse to cooperate with DHS law enforcement are wasting law enforcement time, energy, and resources, while putting their own constituents in danger," McLaughlin said. Washington State, Oregon, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine and New Mexico already have state-level policies banning 287(g) partnerships, ICE’s website and state records show. Democrats in other states aim to follow suit.

The Hill [2/11/2026 6:00 AM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 18170K] reports a growing number of schools are offering remote learning in the face of attendance drops due to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, bringing back pandemic-era problems — and some new ones as well. While schools around Minneapolis offered virtual learning to combat the substantial increase in student absences in the face of the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge, the option comes at a cost, with educators struggling to switch their lessons plans while still catering to those who are coming into class. Last year, schools in Southern California faced the same situation, and Springfield, Ohio, may be next, bringing back unhappy memories for educators of the learning loss and behavioral issues that followed COVID-era closures. David Law, superintendent for Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota, said his school already had an online program, so it was easier to allow students who felt unsafe going outside to switch. But others are having a tougher time. “For a district that didn’t have a preexisting online program, then you had to identify staff that wanted to teach in that platform and reassign and regroup, and that’s really hard. It’s hard for teachers. … It’s hard for kids because you haven’t been learning in that format. I know one of my neighboring districts took two days off to transition to an online platform,” Law said. School districts in Minnesota began transitions to online learning after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good on Jan. 7. Since then, the slaying of Alex Pretti and multiple recorded clashes with protesters have only raised tensions, and some schools are seeing attendance drops of more than half.

USA Today [2/11/2026 12:35 PM, Christopher Cann, 70643K] reports striking trend is unfolding at federal courthouses across the nation: Judges appointed by both parties are issuing uncharacteristically scathing rebukes of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown. A senior district judge in Texas blasted the administration in January for what he described as an "ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas.". Minnesota’s chief judge said in an order that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has "likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence." Another federal judge called President Donald Trump an "authoritarian" and accused the administration of trampling on the First Amendment. Fierce criticism from members of the judiciary – including judges appointed by Republican presidents – comes as the Trump administration expands its campaign to carry out the largest mass deportation in American history. Since returning to office, Trump and top administration officials have taken swift actions to intensify immigration enforcement, from surging federal agents to major cities to halting bond hearings for detained undocumented immigrants. In response, a growing number of district court judges have criticized the administration in written opinions and in court, accusing ICE of knowingly violating hundreds of court orders and condemning the tactics used by federal officers during raids across the country. The White House and Department of Homeland Security officials have pushed back, criticizing the judges as "activists," including some long supported by Republicans. In a statement, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that detainees receive proper due process and that the Trump administration is "more than prepared to handle the legal caseload" stemming from its enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. In emailed comments to USA TODAY, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson criticized the backlash from judges: "Federal judges swear to faithfully and impartially enforce the law, so it is appalling that these clearly biased lower courts continue to attempt to push their unlawful policy agendas from the bench. President Trump will continue to uphold his constitutional duty to enforce the law and implement the agenda he was elected on.".

Washington Post [2/12/2026 5:01 AM, Michelle Boorstein, 24149K] reports if clergy are usually more priest or more prophet, Rabbi Darby Leigh saw himself as priest. Someone whose main calling was pastoral, helping teens prepare for bar mitzvahs, comforting congregants in hospice, bearing witness to intimate moments. Then came Minneapolis. The massive ICE crackdown there — with its stories of federal law enforcement shooting U.S. citizens, separating families and deporting undocumented people, even those trying to go through legal channels — led Leigh to feel called in a new way, to go to Minnesota and join the opposition. He didn’t end up doing it. But some of his congregants began pushing: What are we doing? How are we defending democratic norms? “Historically, I had the idea I was leading the way to a better future. I was a kind of ‘active,’” he said. “But in the moment we’re in, I’m coming to a new realization. They say faith leaders’ job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. This moment needs all of us to say: I’m willing to be a bit more uncomfortable.” That call to become more visible, more confrontational, more activist brought Leigh this week from his Concord, Massachusetts, synagogue to a three-day training at the D.C. synagogue Adas Israel. There, he and more than 140 rabbis and cantors from around the country heard lectures about the historic role of clergy in opposing authoritarianism, studied concrete organizing tools such as boycotts and walkouts, and how to build relationships with local sheriffs. And they prayed. They broke into groups to discuss what, specifically, they would do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement came to their community. With reports that Massachusetts is preparing for a potential ICE surge, for Leigh the exercises didn’t feel purely hypothetical.

Blaze [2/11/2026 12:30 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security set the record straight after a Boston official accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement of abducting "a neighbor." Last week, Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén issued a statement concerning an "ICE abduction in Rozzie Square." "Earlier this morning, in broad daylight, ICE abducted a neighbor right out of their car in front of Family Dollar in Rozzie Square," he wrote. Pepén stated that "community members and business owners took immediate action" to notify a local organization providing services to immigrants, document ICE’s vehicles, and move the individual’s car to "a safer location." "We are working with our local partners to find out more about the individual taken and how to assist in bringing them back home," Pepén continued. "To say that this is scary and not right is an understatement." Pepén insisted that "no one should be scared to do their daily errands regardless of their status — especially in our vibrant community." "Make no mistake, these abductions do not make anyone safe. Neighbors caring for neighbors do and I will continue to fight to get ICE out of our communities," Pepén concluded. He encouraged Boston residents to report any ICE sightings. McLaughlin stated that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, those who break the law "will face the consequences." "Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.," she added.

New York Times [2/12/2026 3:00 AM, Maria Cramer, 148038K] reports a New Jersey woman who was detained by federal immigration agents nearly a year ago suffered a seizure after she fell and hit her head in a Texas detention center, her lawyers and federal officials said on Wednesday. The woman, Leqaa Kordia, who has been held at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, since March 2025, was brought to a hospital last Friday and remained there for 72 hours before being taken back to the detention center, said Sarah Sherman-Stokes, Ms. Kordia’s immigration lawyer. Ms. Kordia, 33, arrived in the United States from the West Bank in 2016, moving in with her mother in Paterson, N.J. She was arrested in April 2024, when scores of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Columbia University to protest the war in Gaza. She was issued a summons, the case was dismissed and her arrest report was sealed. But federal officials began investigating Ms. Kordia about a year later.

Univision [2/11/2026 7:53 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced three measures Wednesday to restrict ICE’s operations (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in the state: an executive order banning the use of state property without a warrant, a portal to report agency activity, and a website with rights information in 22 languages. Executive Order Number 12 prohibits ICE agents from using buildings, parking lots, parks, highways, or state facilities such as preparation areas, processing centers, or bases of operations to execute civil immigration actions without a court order signed by a judge. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office launched an online portal (njoag.gov/portal) where residents can upload videos and photographs of ICE operations. The government is calling for people to document from a safe distance. The state launched the site nj.gov/knowyourrights with constitutional rights information when interacting with federal agents, guides in 22 languages, connection to pro bono legal services and the Directiva de Confianza para Inmigrantesstate Immigrant Trust Directive.

USA Today [2/11/2026 7:32 PM, Staff, 70643K] reports more than 150 rabbis and cantors protested outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, in what organizers said was the largest all-Jewish protest of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge. "I will not stand on the blood of my neighbor! I will not stand idly by," they sang in English and Hebrew, referencing a Biblical passage. The hundreds of rabbis, cantors, and other Jews waved signs stating "resisting tyranny since Pharaoh" and "looking more like Nazi Germany every day," as they protested the government’s mass arrests and removal of immigrants. "It’s time the Jewish community has got to stand up and say, ‘You know what? What’s going on is not acceptable. It’s just not acceptable. It doesn’t comport with Jewish values,’" said Sol Glasner, 74, of Chevy Chase, Maryland. "I’m delighted to see so many Jews come out and express themselves as Jews. Specifically as Jews. We’re Jewish Americans, we’re concerned as Americans, and we’re concerned as Jews.". Beth Rubin, 67, said she drove six hours from Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend because she sees ICE on a path toward what her family fled in the 1930s. "We lost 17 people in different concentration camps," she said. "What is happening today to immigrants, to citizens, to innocent people, and to people who have overstayed their visas, to the undocumented and the documented is very similar to what happened then.". Since immigration agents dramatically increased arrests and deportations in major cities in early summer 2025, pastors, ministers, imams, rabbis, and priests have stood between police and protesters, calling it a moral moment they have to meet. They’ve been arrested by ICE agents in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon. They have been taken into custody at the U.S. Capitol and in congressional offices and spoken, prayed, and marched at the peaceful "No Kings" rallies that drew millions to the streets in thousands of communities across the United States.

Breitbart [2/11/2026 7:09 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking custody of an illegal alien accused of raping three children in Asheville, North Carolina. Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes, a 29-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been arrested by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and charged with three counts of statutory rape. The first alleged sexual assault occurred in July 2024, while police investigated the alleged second assault in September 2025. Juarez-Talamantes was hit with the third count of statutory rape after police identified another victim in January of this year. While Juarez-Talamantes remains at Buncombe County Detention Center, ICE agents have lodged a detainer to ensure that he is not released back into the community, should he be released by local police for any reason. "This depraved sicko is charged with raping three children. This criminal illegal alien has no place in American communities," the Department of Homeland Security’s Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "We are calling on Asheville sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this pedophile back into our communities to prey on more innocent children," McLaughlin said. "If politicians allow state and local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE, we can get criminals like this out of our country.".

CBS News [2/11/2026 7:57 AM, Christopher Harris, 51110K] reports that the City of Oakwood says it has not been contacted by federal officials about a proposed immigration detention facility reportedly listed within its city limits. In a statement released last week, Oakwood leaders said national media outlets reached out to the city about a reported list of proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, including one allegedly identified in Oakwood. City officials say they have received no communication from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, or any other federal agency about plans to establish a detention center there. "The City of Oakwood has not received any communication" regarding such a facility, the statement reads. Officials added that if the city is formally approached about a detention center, the public will be notified immediately. The city also acknowledged that a facility of that scale could have significant infrastructure impacts. "The City is aware of the potential infrastructure impacts such a facility could have on our community," the statement reads. B.R. White, city manager for the town of Oakwood, told CBS News Atlanta, that Oakwood found out about the plan for DHS to purchase two warehouses on Monday when they received word from Georgia U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde. "I have received confirmation that DHS is advancing its plan to convert a warehouse in Oakwood into a small ICE processing facility," Clyde said in a statement. "My staff and I will remain in contact with DHS and ICE officials to gather more information as the project moves forward. We will also continue coordinating with local officials as we receive additional details." Clyde added that he supports the agency’s broader mission while also prioritizing local concerns.

Reported similarly:
Univision [2/11/2026 8:28 PM, Staff, 4937K]

Washington Times [2/11/2026 4:27 PM, Matt Delaney, 1323K] reports Alabama authorities arrested an illegal immigrant on charges of kidnapping a family of three from their own home last month. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said they charged Juan Carlos Argueta Guerra, a Guatemalan national, in the case that involves a missing mother and her two children. A judge ordered him to remain behind bars Wednesday on a $900,000 bond. Investigators linked the suspect to the Jan. 31 kidnapping that saw Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, 17-year-old daughter Niurka, and two-year-old son Anthony taken from their house. Police have struggled to gather clues about why the family was abducted or where they could be now. Ms. Cac and Niurka are both illegal immigrants from Guatemala, and the pair had their final deportation orders issued last April. Officials said toddler Anthony is a U.S. citizen. Mr. Argueta Guerra’s suspected accomplice, 60-year-old Silverio Garcia, is also an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. Mr. Garcia was arrested last week on a weapons charge in connection to the kidnapping. Authorities said Mr. Argueta Guerra has an active detainer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mr. Argueta Guerra is due back in court Friday for his arraignment.

Washington Post [2/11/2026 6:00 AM, Joanna Slater, 24826K] reports one evening last summer, Donna Hughes-Brown was handcuffed and led into a filthy holding cell somewhere in Kentucky, where insects crawled out of a drain and feces streaked the walls. The Missouri grandmother’s life had taken an unrecognizable turn days earlier, when federal agents pulled her off an arriving flight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, arrested her and told her she would be deported. Her crime? Writing two bad checks, for a combined total of less than $75, more than a decade earlier. Hughes-Brown, a lawful permanent resident of the United States since she was a child, would go on to spend 143 days — nearly five months — in detention. She was only released at the end of last year after an immigration judge granted an application to stop her removal. Her story underscores just how far the Trump administration is willing to go in its quest to boost deportations, extending its dragnet to people who are legally present in the country with minor offenses from years earlier. For those swept up in the expanding deportation drive, it is also increasingly difficult to win release, resulting in lengthy detentions such as the one Hughes-Brown experienced. In November, the number of people released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention into the U.S. fell about 70 percent from a year earlier, according to a recent report from the American Immigration Council. When asked about Hughes-Brown, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, defended her agency’s handling of the case. A conviction for passing bad checks does “not make for an upstanding lawful permanent resident,” McLaughlin said in an email. A spokesperson for ICE did not respond to a request for comment. Hughes-Brown, 59, is an Irish citizen and green-card holder who immigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1978. Before last year, she never imagined she would become a target of the administration’s clampdown on immigration, she said, and she believed that everyone should come to the country legally, like she did. Now back home in small-town Missouri, Hughes-Brown said she thinks constantly of the women she left behind in detention: Jeimy, a 25-year-old from Guatemala who is married to an American citizen; Grace, a woman from Venezuela with a congenital heart condition; Beata, a Polish green-card holder with two convictions for minor retail theft more than a decade ago, her story an echo of Hughes-Brown’s. “It was the intent for this to happen to so many people,” Hughes-Brown said. “It doesn’t really matter how you got here, the end result is the same.”

FOX News [2/11/2026 10:05 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports a federal judge in Louisiana has released four illegal immigrants with lengthy rap sheets that include convictions for murder and child sex crimes from law enforcement custody earlier this month. On Feb. 6, Judge John deGravelles, an Obama appointee who sits on the bench for the Middle District Court of Louisiana, granted the four defendants release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the Department of Homeland Security said. "The ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims," said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "Releasing these monsters is inexcusably reckless. President Trump and Secretary Noem are now enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country.". "We are applying the law as written," she added. "If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period."

New York Post [2/11/2026 7:55 PM, Victor Nava, 40934K] reports the Department of Homeland (DHS) slammed a federal judge in Louisiana Wednesday for ordering the release of four illegal immigrants, including ones with attempted murder and child sex crime convictions, from an ICE detention facility. The four men all have disturbing rap sheets and have been released from ICE’s "Louisiana Lockup" at Angola Prison in accordance with the judge’s order, according to DHS. "Judge John deGravelles, appointed by Barack Obama, released FOUR violent criminals back onto American communities, and unfortunately, the ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The released individuals are: Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian national who was issued a final order of removal in September of 2024 and has a previous conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor, according to DHS. Luis Gaston-Sanchez, described by the DHS as an illegal immigrant from Cuba with convictions for homicide, assault, resisting an officer, concealing stolen property and two counts of robbery, who had been issued his final order of removal in September 2001. Ricardo Blanco Chomat, also from Cuba, and previously convicted of homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, burglary, robbery, larceny, and selling cocaine, according to DHS. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in March 2002. Francisco Rodriguez-Romero, who is from Cuba as well, also has a previous homicide conviction along with a weapons offense, the department said, noting that his final order of removal was issued way back in May 1995. DHS noted that despite the "historic number of rulings from activist judges," the department is "working rapidly and overtime to remove these aliens from detentions centers to their final destination — home.". "Releasing these monsters is inexcusably reckless," McLaughlin said. "President Trump and Secretary Noem are now enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country. "We are applying the law as written. If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.".

Chicago Tribune [2/11/2026 3:54 PM, Alexandra Kukulka, 5209K] reports an Indiana immigration bill allowing local and state police to enforce federal immigration laws and for those officers to cooperate with ICE was amended Tuesday Senate Bill 76, authored by State Sen. Liz Brown, states that the enforcement of federal immigration laws may be carried out by federal, state or local law enforcement. Under the bill, the department of correction will provide training to all sheriffs-elect on how to cooperate with the United States immigration and Customs Enforcement. When the bill was heard on second reading by the House Tuesday, state representatives proposed 25 amendments to the bill. Six amendments passed and the remaining 19 amendments failed. The bill was amended in the House Judiciary committee last week by State Rep. J.D. Prescott, R-Union City, to more closely align with the bill he proposed last year known as the FAIRNESS Act: Fostering and Advancing Immigration Reforms Necessary to Ensure Safety and Security. The bill moves forward for final consideration by the House.

Chicago Tribune [2/11/2026 11:28 AM, Caroline Kubzansky, 5209K] reports that a judge has dismissed yet another set of Operation Midway Blitz-related charges, this time against a man who had been accused of resisting or impeding federal agents during the Trump administration’s expansive immigration raids in and around Chicago late last year. Prosecutors moved to drop the charges Feb. 5, according to court records. Erik Meier had been due back in court for a hearing Wednesday morning, with a trial scheduled for March 9, records show. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez’s Tuesday order to dismiss the misdemeanor case against Meier without prejudice makes him at least the 17th defendant swept up and charged in protests around Operation Midway Blitz last fall to later be cleared. Meier’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is the latest in a string of charges stemming from the blitz to later fall apart weeks or months after they are brought. That trend prompted one federal judge to excoriate the U.S. attorney’s office for bringing charges at such speed that later facts hamstrung a grand jury indictment or forced prosecutors to dismiss a case as not provable. The initial accusations against protesters — such as assault for shutting a car door on the leg of a federal agent or ramming and domestic terrorism for participants in protesting car caravans — mirror repeated claims from senior officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that their agents suffered horrific abuses at the hands of protesters. But those allegations of abuse have disintegrated under judicial review over and over, even as DHS officials insist they stand by the statements they made in September and October at the height of the blitz.

Blaze [2/11/2026 3:35 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) touted big plans to go after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. However, the city’s top prosecutor is calling out Johnson’s anti-ICE executive order as a "wholly inappropriate" disaster, while alleging the mayor’s claims of collaboration are "not true." In late January, Johnson signed the "ICE on Notice" executive order, which directed the Chicago Police Department to investigate and document any alleged illegal activity by federal agents, then refer that evidence to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution. Johnson claimed that Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office was "in complete support of this executive order." O’Neill Burke rebuked Johnson’s claims, writing in a post on X, "Mayor Johnson’s statement is not true. The CCSAO did not receive the Executive Order until it was released to the public. We do not provide legal approval of any matter until we’ve reviewed it. On such a critical issue, it’s important we get it right." Johnson’s office responded to the criticism, claiming that it had "reviewed the language with the State’s Attorney’s Chief of Policy and made edits based on their feedback."

Bloomberg [2/11/2026 2:24 PM, Maia Spoto, 50K] reports that immigration detainees at a Minnesota federal building are sleeping on the floor with shackled ankles in freezing cells as trash piles up, two immigration lawyers said in declarations detailing their court-ordered visit to the facility. They have little ability to contact lawyers, according to the documents. Their visit Monday to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where detainees are held following their arrests, followed a Sunday ruling from Judge Nancy Brasel that lawyers representing the proposed class of detainees must be able to speak in-person with detainees at the facility, but said they couldn’t bring cell phones or cameras… [Editorial note: consult extended commentary at source link]

Univision [2/12/2026 4:03 AM, Staff, 4937K] reports activists protested this Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at more than two dozen Target stores in the United States to pressure the retail chain to take a public stance against the immigration raids , which began 5 weeks ago in its home state of Minnesota. ICE Out Minnesota, a coalition of community groups , religious leaders, unions and other critics of the federal operation, called for demonstrations to continue at Target locations for a full week. The company’s headquarters are in Minneapolis , where federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti last month , who had participated in protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and its name adorns the city’s Major League Baseball stadium and a stadium where its basketball team plays. “They claim to be part of the community, but they don’t stand up to ICE ,” said Elan Axelbank, a member of the Minnesota chapter of Socialist Alternative, which describes itself as a revolutionary political group. He organized a protest Wednesday outside a Target store in Minneapolis’ Dinkytown shopping district. In addition, demonstrations were planned in St. Paul, Minnesota; Boston; Chicago; Honolulu; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Diego; Seattle and other cities, as well as in suburban areas of Minnesota, California and Massachusetts. Target declined to comment on the protests on Wednesday.

Univision [2/11/2026 2:53 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports after four months of confinement in an immigration detention center in Texas, Maria Alejandra Montoya and her daughter, Maria Antonia Guerra, just 9 years old, returned to Colombia this weekend, hoping to one day return to New York. The mother and child were initially detained in Orlando, Florida, and later transferred to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, a facility operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that has been criticized for deplorable conditions. According to María Alejandra, immigration authorities offered her two options: accept voluntary deportation or face formal expulsion, with the possibility of appealing while she remained detained. Ultimately, she opted for voluntary departure to avoid further legal consequences. The Trump administration’s recent decision to pause visa issuance for 75 countries, including Colombia, presents a new obstacle.

New York Post [2/11/2026 11:06 AM, Emily Crane, 40934K] reports that an Irishman who overstayed his 90-day tourist visa more than 15 years ago has been held in a Texas immigration detention facility for nearly five months rather than be deported, despite calling it a form of "torture." Seamus Culleton, who is married to an American woman, told Irish media that he has a valid US work permit and a pending green card application when he was suddenly picked up by agents in Boston, where he runs a construction company. He was cuffed and eventually flown more than 2,000 miles from home to a camp facility at Fort Bliss Army base in Texas, where he alleges he’s been locked in the same "filthy" room. "It’s a nightmare down here," Culleton complained to RTE, claiming he is "in fear for my life.". "It’s just a torture, I just don’t know how much more I can take.". The Kilkenny native claimed that he did not know why he was being held — while admitting that he refused to sign papers approving his deportation. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin cited that as proof that the Irishman chose to stay in detention, while stressing he was only in the country by overstaying his initial tourist visa. Politicians in the detained man’s native Ireland have vowed to complain to the White House about his case.

Univision Austin [2/11/2026 7:48 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports neighbors in the North Lamar area north of Austin reported the presence of federal immigration agents who, according to testimonies and videos released on social media, were knocking door-to-door in a residential division. The events occurred on the morning of February 11, when security cameras in this area captured officers, allegedly from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their uniforms, arriving at different homes and requesting information. Residents warned on social media about the operation, asking the community to exercise caution and remember that they are not required to open the door if the agents do not file an order signed by a judge. So far, federal authorities have not issued an official statement detailing the specific objective of the operation in that area. A few kilometers away from North Lamar, in the parking lot of a Autozone located at 8917 Research Blvd, another video of the arrest of a man, who identified himself as Jesus, was captured. The images show how a Hispanic woman approaches the detainee and asks her name, in addition to reminding her that she has the right to remain silent and to request legal representation. Subsequently, the agents put him in a blue vehicle and take him from the place. Witnesses who spoke outside the cameras indicated that the vehicle did not belong to the detainee, but was allegedly used by the officers. They also noted that the man was accompanied by an older adult and a minor who remained on the spot. According to these accounts, the boy was seen crying after the arrest. When questioned by similar actions, Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, said in a congressional that immigration agents conduct intelligence operations aimed at certain individuals and do not.

Daily Caller [2/11/2026 11:40 AM, Jack Cowhick, 803K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied Wednesday an individual arrested during a prostitution sting operation in Bloomington, Minnesota worked as a background checker for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Brashad Johnson, 36, was one of 30 arrested during Bloomington Police Department’s "Operation Lookin’ For Love… In All The Wrong Places," Bloomington Police Department Booker Hodges said in a press conference on Tuesday. Hodges called the arrest "the most disturbing" the department has made. "He is a backgrounder for ICE, Homeland Security, and federal agencies. So, when you’re getting your security clearance, this is one of the guys that does your backgrounds," Hodges claimed during the press conference. "Which is kind of scary," the police chief added. "We locked him up. I don’t think he’s gonna be passing a background check no time soon." The DHS denied Johnson is affiliated with ICE in any capacity. "This individual is NOT an ICE employee or contractor," a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. "He has no affiliation with ICE. This is just another smear peddled by sanctuary politicians and the media leading to a 1,300% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement."

NBC News [2/11/2026 6:07 PM, Minyvonne Burke, 42967K] reports the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday against federal, state and local law enforcement agencies following an October immigration raid at a racetrack in Idaho. About 400 people, including U.S. citizens and children, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit. The raid took place at La Catedral racetrack in Wilder, a popular destination that draws Latino families and celebrates Mexican culture. The 64-page class-action complaint alleges that more than 200 officers in armored trucks and helicopters descended on the arena on Oct. 19. The officers had flash-bang grenades, and their guns were drawn, the ACLU said in a news release. The suit names multiple agencies as defendants, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and Idaho State Police, as well as local agencies. "The facts haven’t changed: ICE helped dismantle an illegal horse-racing, animal fighting, and a gambling enterprise operation out of a property known as [La Catedral] Arena in Wilder, Idaho and lawfully arrested more than 105 illegal aliens," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "ICE didn’t zip tie, restrain, or arrest any children. Plaintiff’s lawsuit is just another attempt to obstruct President Trump from delivering on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of illegal aliens."

(B) CBS Mornings [2/11/2026 10:40 AM, Staff] reports that the controversial tactics being used in President Trump’s immigration crackdown are being raised. A dramatic raid on a horseracing event in Idaho last October showed police and federal agents had swept in wearing tactical gear and detained nearly 100 undocumented immigrants but they also detained more than 300 US citizens and legal residents, some with zip ties. A new lawsuit accuses the local sheriff and federal authorities of using excessive force including against children. In an email, the Department of Homeland Security first said it was a conspiracy theory; in a subsequent email, they denied ICE agents zip tied children.

New York Times [2/11/2026 9:55 AM, Hiroko Tabuchi, 148038K] reports Federal agents have fired so much tear gas near Mindy King’s apartment in Portland, Ore., that she and her 13-year-old son bought gas masks to wear inside. Her neighbor, Diane Moreno, has gone to urgent care, twice, with tightness in her chest, and bloody discharge from her nose. The problem, they say, is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office less than 100 feet away from their homes. For months, ICE agents have sporadically used tear gas against protesters outside the facility. The repeated use of the chemicals, Ms. King and others fear, poses a serious threat to their health. Now, she and other residents at their affordable housing complex are suing the Trump administration, making a novel legal accusation. The U.S. government is knowingly releasing poison gas into the homes of its own citizens, they allege in their lawsuit. The chemicals bind to walls, carpets, clothing, furniture and even children’s toys, they say, creating a toxic environment. Legal experts said the case is unusual in that it focuses on the public health and environmental harms of tear gas use, beyond questions of civil rights or police conduct. The lawsuit also claims that federal agents have at times deployed chemical munitions not for crowd control, but to create dramatic visuals for conservative media influencers invited to the facility. A hearing in the case, which seeks an injunction against further use of the chemicals, is scheduled on Friday. “I can’t believe I’m living in a world where I have to worry about tear gas in my home,” said Ms. King, a single mother of two whose apartment in the apartment complex, Gray’s Landing, has a direct view of the ICE facility. “There’s no sense of security. This isn’t home anymore.” The case speaks to the intensity of the recent federal immigration crackdown in cities across the United States, experts say. In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said federal agents were “authorized to do what is appropriate and necessary in each situation to diffuse violence against our officers.” The lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security and its secretary, Kristi Noem, and related agencies. It was “not remotely ICE’s fault,” that the Portland ICE facility was the site of frequent protests, Ms. McLaughlin said. (A federal judge recently characterized the protests in Portland as “largely peaceful” and has blocked the deployment of the National Guard to the city.)

FOX News [2/11/2026 5:50 PM, Andrew Mark Miller, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is speaking out against immigration rhetoric from Democrats and launching an investigation after a U.S. citizen in Oregon was arrested and found with a manifesto stating his plans to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Last week, the St. Helens Police Department north of Portland arrested an 18-year-old during a traffic stop after he was found with knives and materials used to manufacture Molotov cocktails, according to police, Fox 12 Oregon reported. The individual, Rayden Coleman, is also alleged to have authored a manifesto outlining a plan to kill ICE agents at a Portland ICE office in an attack using Molotov cocktails and a gun. Additionally, Coleman reportedly told investigators about his plan and that he planned to pick up an AR-15 the next day from a licensed dealer to carry out the attack. He also reportedly admitted making statements about beheading ICE agents. "Every day there are more assaults, more vehicle-ramming attacks, more attempts to kill our officers," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "Now, we have an American citizen planning to kill ICE officers with Molotov cocktails and gun them down. It’s disturbing. Sanctuary politicians comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police and slave patrols have real-world consequences. The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must end." DHS says there is an ongoing investigation into the Oregon arrest with ICE Homeland Security Investigations and that Coleman is facing state charges on six counts of manufacturing a destructive device and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault.

Los Angeles Times [2/11/2026 3:43 PM, Brittny Mejia, 12718K] reports that a federal judge this week ordered ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to provide "constitutionally adequate healthcare" to people detained in California’s newest and largest immigration detention center. In her Tuesday ruling, U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney also required an external monitor be appointed to ensure compliance, including through review of medical records and on-site inspection and interviews with patients and staff at the California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert. Chesney ordered the government to provide detainees with timely and confidential access to attorneys, temperature-appropriate clothing and blankets free of charge and access to adequate outdoor recreation spaces for at least an hour a day. The ruling comes in the case of seven detainees who in November filed a federal class-action lawsuit in the Northern District of California against Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement alleging medical neglect, unsanitary living conditions and abusive treatment by the staff at the facility, which opened in August. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. CoreCivic, which operates the facility, also did not immediately respond. The lawsuit was brought by the Prison Law Office, the American Civil Liberties Union, the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice and Keker, Van Nest & Peters.

San Francisco Chronicle [2/11/2026 3:34 PM, Ko Lyn Cheang, 3833K] reports a federal judge on Tuesday ordered the appointment of an external monitor to oversee California’s largest immigration detention facility to ensure detainee’s constitutional rights, including to medical care, are being met. The decision came as part of a class action lawsuit filed in November by seven detainees over what they alleged were inhumane conditions at the privately owned facility located in the Mojave Desert. The complaints echoed alarm bells being raised across the country, including in San Francisco, about conditions inside immigration detention facilities as the Trump administration carries out its mass deportation agenda. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney ordered that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security provide people detained at California City Detention Facility in Kern County with adequate medical care, “temperature appropriate” clothing and blankets and timely access to their lawyers. The judge provisionally certified more than 1,000 people detained at the facility now and in the future as a class. ICE and DHS disputed the allegations and claimed that conditions at the facility comply with national detention standards.

FOX News [2/11/2026 7:52 PM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports child sex charges continue to pile up against an illegal alien soccer coach accused of sexually attacking and murdering one of his players. Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 44, an illegal immigrant "gotaway" from El Salvador, is now being slapped with more child sex charges after he was charged with raping and murdering a teen boy he coached, including sodomy and oral copulation with a minor under 16. Garcia-Aquino, after entering the United States, established himself in the San Fernando Valley as a soccer coach. His work managing these teams made him a visitor of Whitsett Fields Park in North Hollywood, a major place where youth soccer games in the area are played, and where Garcia-Aquino allegedly met 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez, who he subsequently sexually assaulted and then murdered. Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office slapped nine more child sex charges against Garcia-Aquino this week – eight counts of sodomy of a person under age 16 and one count of oral copulation of a minor under 16, according to an amended complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. Garcia-Aquino reportedly pleaded not guilty to the additional charges through his attorney, according to local media reports. Fox News Digital inquired with the L.A. County Public Defender’s Office but did not receive a response in time for publication. The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case against Garcia-Aquino, declined to comment further on the ongoing case. A complaint from the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles indicates that on March 28, Garcia-Aquino murdered 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez while sexually assaulting him. The same complaint also accuses Garcia-Aquino of a second sexual assault and rape on a child from December 2022. Meanwhile, a separate case involving sexual assault charges against Garcia-Aquino that occurred on Feb. 22, 2024, was also reportedly added to the case later down the road. He also allegedly assaulted this minor numerous other times between September 2022 and July 2023, according to the complaint. Now, as the charges pile up against the illegal immigrant soccer coach, he could face the death penalty. "13-year-old Oscar "Omar" Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country," the Department of Homeland Security said last year. "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, child predators, pedophiles and murderers will be hunted down and removed from America’s communities.".

Reported similarly:
Blaze [2/11/2026 6:10 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K]

New York Post [2/11/2 Illegal immigrant soccer coach accused of raping, killing player could face death penalty026 10:47 PM, Katie Jerkovich, 40934K] reports an illegal immigrant youth soccer coach in SoCal could get the death penalty for allegedly raping and murdering one of his own players. Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal from El Salvador, is facing more child sex charges in addition to being accused of raping 13-year-old Oscar "Omar" Hernandez and leaving his body on the side of the road in March 2025. The Los Angeles District Attorney filed nine new charges against Garcia-Aquino, 44, — separate from the brutal murder he’s accused — and alleged sex related crimes he was already facing involving two other teenage boys stemming from a December 2022 incident and another in February 2024. The new charges include eight counts of sodomy of a person under age 16, and one count of oral copulation of a minor under 16, involving one of the two surviving alleged victims, according to an amended complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. Garcia-Aquino pleaded not guilty to the new charges through his attorney.

New York Post [2/11/2026 8:12 PM, Jeremy Louwerse, 40934K] reports a Mexican national has been arrested for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 10. The Department of Homeland security nabbed Jose Hilario Millan-Flores, 30, of Mexico, on February 2. Jose Hilario Millan-Flores, 30, was nabbed for lewd acts with child under 14, sodomy with victim under 10, sexual penetration of victim under 14 and obstructing a public officer. The Los Angeles ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations caught up with him on Feb 2nd.

Daily Wire [2/11/2026 5:00 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports that when a truck collided with a woman’s car on a major roadway in Jefferson, Georgia, on August 27, 2024, the 20-year-old driver didn’t think twice about the person who crashed into her. The man who hit her spoke some English, but made a phone call in a foreign language while local police responded to the accident, according to police body camera footage obtained by The Daily Wire. The young woman, who requested anonymity due to the nature of her career, said she later learned that the driver lacked insurance coverage. The victim had to undergo physical therapy for roughly nine months after the accident. It wasn’t until more than a year later, as stories started to arise about illegal immigrant truckers causing major collisions on America’s roads, that she began to question things. The truck driver, Uzbek national Jakhongir Yuldashev, crossed the border illegally into Yuma, Arizona, just two years before the crash, according to immigration records reviewed by The Daily Wire. He was later released from federal custody after posting his immigration bond, a federal law enforcement source said. He allegedly collided with the young woman while hauling an Amazon trailer, exposing a greater issue of how major companies contracting truckers may be unknowingly using illegal labor, a Daily Wire investigation has revealed. Yuldashev received a trucking license in Pennsylvania, allowing him to move Amazon packages and freight across the country, according to police records.

USA Today [2/11/2026 1:45 PM, Trevor Hughes and James Ward, 70643K] reports that California officials say last summer’s immigration raids — and the protests that followed across the Los Angeles region — inflicted more than $1 billion in economic damage, disrupting businesses, transit and daily life in immigrant communities. A new report commissioned by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors links the losses to aggressive federal enforcement actions that sparked unrest, closures and a widespread pullback in consumer activity. The report estimates more than $1 billion in lost productivity, sales and wages, as businesses closed and customers stayed home amid heightened enforcement and protest activity. County officials said about 17,000 riders stopped using public transit, further slowing commerce. Undocumented workers, the report noted, generate more than $250 billion in economic output annually, support more than 1 million jobs, and contribute roughly $80 billion in labor to the county’s economy. "The pervasive climate of fear across impacted neighborhoods … fundamentally altered consumer behavior," the report concluded, with residents avoiding certain areas and reducing spending across immigrant communities. Businesses also reported roughly $200,000 in losses from vandalism, according to the report. In addition to widespread graffiti, multiple vehicles were set on fire during the unrest, including at least one police SUV, officials said. The protests began in early June after Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out raids across the Los Angeles area as part of President Donald Trump’s push for aggressive immigration enforcement.

NBC News [2/12/2026 5:00 AM, Colleen Long, Laura Strickler, Daniella Silva, and Nicole Acevedo, 43603K] reports the Trump administration is dramatically expanding an effort to revoke U.S. citizenship for foreign-born Americans as it works to curb immigration, according to two people familiar with the plans. Over the past several months, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency within the Department of Homeland Security that’s responsible for legal immigration, has been sending experts to its offices around the country or reassigning staff members to focus on whether some citizens processed through those offices could now be denaturalized, these people said. The goal of emphasizing naturalized citizens is to supply the office of immigration litigation with 100 to 200 possible cases per month, one of the people familiar with the plans said. Such cases have typically been very rare, involving people who concealed criminal histories or previous human rights violations during their application processes. The New York Times first reported the quota. By comparison, throughout the four years of President Donald Trump’s first term, the administration formally filed a total of 102 such cases, according to the Justice Department. The effort is part of the overall push by Homeland Security to drastically curtail immigration and deliver on Trump’s policy agenda. The push has included DHS’ sending scores of immigration enforcement officers into U.S. cities on deportation missions and purchasing mega warehouses to hold detainees. DHS has also increasingly sought to remove legal immigrants from the U.S. by revoking thousands of visas, including for some people who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, and trying to deport green card holders. A spokesman for USCIS, Matthew Tragesser, said the agency reviews cases of naturalized citizens when there is credible evidence that citizenship was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation.

Breitbart [2/11/2026 1:07 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports that about 90,000 undocumented students reach the end of high school each year and researchers say their opportunities to pursue higher education are rapidly shrinking. The President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and the Migration Policy Institute found that about 75,000 students without legal status graduate annually. It is a milestone that has been encouraged by state and federal policy for decades as migrants seek citizenship in the United States, but rollbacks on tuition equity and other policies are making it harder for many of them to continue their education. The study is based on U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics data from 2023, prior to President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. However, his more aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and pressure to end birthright citizenship and temporary protected status have made the future of these students one with even more challenges, Corinne Kentor, senior manager of research and policy with the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, told UPI. "We’re seeing a lot of institutions who are trying very hard to retain services for students and also comply with a bunch of very confusing directives coming at the federal level," Kentor said. "There’s a fear about keeping programs and services that are particularly geared toward the immigrant-origin students available because the institution wants to make sure that they’re in compliance with federal directives."

Breitbart [2/11/2026 5:54 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration has uncovered immigration fraud in the majority of cases referred to and completed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraud investigators thus far. During a congressional hearing this week, USCIS Director Joe Edlow told Congress that fraud investigators at the agency have cracked down on immigration fraud and have uncovered a shocking number of cases where immigrants secured visas or green cards through fraudulent means. In particular, Edlow highlighted USCIS’s Operation Twin Shield, which was launched last year to target marriage fraud, H-1B visa fraud, and student visa fraud in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, region. As Edlow noted, USCIS’s Operation PARRIS is currently re-reviewing thousands of refugee cases in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, particularly refugees from Somalia.

NPR [2/11/2026 4:55 PM, Matt Sepic, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports refugees from three continents are suing the Department of Homeland Security, saying immigration agents illegally arrested and detained them as part of a Trump administration review of asylum seekers.

New York Post [2/11/2026 3:57 PM, Josh Christenson, 40934K] reports prosecutors have charged the leader of an international human smuggling ring who conspired to illegally bring dozens of migrants across the northern border to New York City and other locations in the US, according to unsealed court filings. Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado, a 27-year-old migrant from the Dominican Republic, ran a roughly 70-member trafficking group that sought to bring at least 48 illegal immigrants — including young children — from Central and South America from Canada into northern Vermont, the filings stated. From there, filings in Vermont district court Wednesday also alleged, Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 37, of Puerto Rico and other members in 70-person encrypted chat messaging platform would drive to pick up the migrants to "New York City and beyond." The migrants were flown into southern Canada before linking up with Luna Rosado using cellular location data on the messaging app. The proceeds, which topped $10,000, were purportedly laundered by Luna Rosado as part of the operation that stretched from August 2022 to March 2024 — leading to two additional charges. Ortiz is expected to make an initial appearance in a Burlington, Vermont, federal courtroom on Feb. 17. Prosecutors have asked courts to order both detained pending trial, and noted that while Ortiz is on conditional release, Luna Rosado currently resides in Ocala, Fla., and is being transported north for detention in the same district by the US Marshals.

USA Today [2/11/2026 1:16 PM, Irene Wright, 70643K] reports that a traveler bound for France was instead taken into custody inside the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when his checked bag was found to be filled with marijuana, airport officials say. Kash Berthelot, a 41-year-old from California, was at his departure gate when he was escorted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to an inspection station, according to a Feb. 9 news release from U.S. CPB. Berthelot was traveling with two suitcases, and when they were opened in inspection, vacuum-sealed bags were found inside. Officials said the bags contained a "green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana.". The total weight of the marijuana was 19 kilograms, or about 42 pounds. Berthelot was arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on marijuana trafficking charges and will be subject to state prosecution. "CBP officers nationwide continue to observe a trend of transnational criminal organizations attempting to transport marijuana through passenger baggage and express delivery to Europe, where high-quality marijuana can generate significant profits," officials said. Georgia law does not authorize the sale or possession of marijuana in leaf for or infused in food products. Physicians are unable to prescribe marijuana for medical use.

ABC News [2/11/2026 5:54 AM, Staff, 34146K] reports that Marimar Martinez was shot five times by Charles Exum, a Customs and Border Protection agent during Operation Midway Blitz in October. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [2/11/2026 9:47 AM, Jeramie Bizzle, 51110K] reports that bodycam videos of the moments surrounding the shooting of Marimar Martinez were released on Tuesday evening after a judge ruled they could be made public. Martinez was wounded in the shooting by a Border Patrol agent in October in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood. The three videos, each between 15 and 20 minutes long, show the scene before and after the Oct. 4 shooting, much of it lining up with what Martinez’s attorney has maintained all along, after the federal government dropped its charges against her. In one of the videos, the agents inside their vehicle are heard saying "we are boxed in" before their vehicle collided with another vehicle. Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum then exited the vehicle, and five shots were then heard. Video of the shooting by Exum was not shown. A black GMC Envoy was then shown reversing and hitting another vehicle before leaving the scene. Also released were images of the agent’s vehicle and text messages by Exum. One text message read, "put that one in your book buddy," to which the responding message read, "good shootin, lol." He then replies, "gracias senior.". Martinez was shot five times in that incident. The Department of Homeland Security claimed she chased the agents and rammed her car into an agent’s car during an immigration protest near Pershing Road and Kedzie Avenue, but nearly two months after she was shot, federal prosecutors dropped assault charges that had been filed against her. A judge dismissed the charges with prejudice, which prevents the government from filing them against her again.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/11/2026 4:22 PM, Megan Crepeau, 763K]

CBS Chicago [2/11/2026 7:13 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent who shot a Chicago woman five times last fall has been placed on administrative leave, as video footage and other evidence from the incident provide new insight on what happened the moments before and after Marimar Martinez was shot.

Bloomberg [2/11/2026 10:47 AM, Megan Crepeau, 50K] reports that a Chicago woman who survived a shooting by a Border Patrol agent in October is preparing to sue, her attorneys said at a press conference Wednesday. They plan to send a Federal Tort Claims Act claim to the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, the first step toward filing a tort lawsuit on behalf of Marimar Martinez. Violence by immigration agents is under heightened scrutiny after the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Martinez herself spoke to members of Congress at a forum on agents’ use of force last week. Martinez is also preparing for a civil-rights suit, though such matters are notoriously difficult to pursue against federal officers. “We can go forward, we can hold them accountable,” said Michael Gallagher of Gallagher Law Offices. Gallagher said they intend to ask for tens of millions of dollars in damages and hope to proceed quickly. Attorneys representing the family of Renee Good, who was killed by immigration agents in Minnesota last month, also are preparing to initiate civil proceedings. The US Supreme Court has severely curtailed the ability to file constitutional claims against federal officers, known as Bivens claims. Despite “Bivens being very narrow, we still have a path forward under that claim, because this is unjustified deadly force,” Gallagher said. Gallagher said he hopes they ultimately set the kind of precedent that will help make it easier for others to bring similar suits. The case is United States v. Martinez, N.D. Ill., No. 1:25-cr-00636. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [2/11/2026 6:23 PM, Sophia Tareen, 35287K] reports Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino praised a federal agent who shot a Chicago woman during an immigration crackdown last year, according to evidence released Wednesday by attorneys who accused the Trump administration of mishandling the investigation and spreading lies about the shooting. Marimar Martinez, a teaching assistant and U.S. citizen, was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October while in her vehicle. She was charged with a felony after Homeland Security officials accused her of trying to ram agents with her vehicle. But the case was dismissed after videos emerged showing an agent steering his vehicle into Martinez’s vehicle. Her attorneys pushed to make evidence in the now-dissolved criminal case public, saying they were especially motivated after a federal agent fatally shot Minneapolis woman Renee Good under similar circumstances. Martinez’s attorneys are pursuing a complaint under a law that permits individuals to sue federal agencies. They outlined instances of DHS lying about Martinez after the shooting, including labeling her a "domestic terrorist" and accusing her of having a history of "doxxing federal agents." The Montessori school assistant has no criminal record and prosecutors haven’t brought evidence in either claim. In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said use-of-force incidents "are thoroughly investigated" and the agent involved, Charles Exum, was placed on administrative leave.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [2/12/2026 3:12 AM, Kristy Kilburn, 38315K]
(B) Good Morning America [2/11/2026 8:36 AM, Staff]
Univision Chicago WGBO [2/11/2026 3:20 PM, Staff, 4937K]

CNN [2/11/2026 12:17 PM, Andy Rose, Bill Kirkos, Alaa Elassar, Danya Galnor, Lauren Mascarenhas, 19874K] reports that newly released government evidence from last year’s Border Patrol shooting of a Chicago woman revealed body camera footage from the shooting, previously unseen text messages from the agent who shot her and praise from the then-top Border Patrol official just hours after the incident. The documents released by federal prosecutors were obtained by CNN affiliate WLS. A judge ordered the release last week, clearing the way for key evidence in the case to be made public, including body camera footage, text messages and emails. Charges have been dropped against the woman, but she and her attorney argue the footage would have public value in the wake of a pair of deadly shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year. Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old American citizen, was shot multiple times by a Customs and Border Protection agent after her vehicle and a CBP vehicle collided amidst the immigration crackdown in Chicago – named Operation Midway Blitz – on October 4. Federal prosecutors, alleging she rammed the agent’s car, charged her with assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. Martinez acknowledged she had been following Border Patrol vehicles before she was shot but denied any wrongdoing.

ABC News [2/11/2026 3:04 PM, James Hill, Armando Garcia, and Laura Romero, 34146K] reports a CBP vehicle operated by agent Charles Exum appeared to swerve into a car being driven by a Chicago woman before Exum exited his vehicle and shot her multiple times, according to new video footage released in the case. The footage appeared to be at odds with government claims that the agents were rammed by the car driven by Marimar Martinez, who survived after being shot five times by Exum. Body camera footage and other evidence was released Tuesday after a federal judge last week granted a motion to permit the public release of the materials in the case. The government in November dismissed the charges it had brought against Martinez after it had accused her of participating in an "ambush" of CBP agents by ramming them with her car. The criminal complaint against Martinez alleged that -- after the collision -- Exum fired defensively after Martinez drove her vehicle toward him. After the incident, DHS officials claimed that CBP agents opened fire on Martinez in self-defense, alleging she was "armed with a semi-automatic weapon" and was driving one of three vehicles that "cornered" and "rammed" the CBP agents’ vehicle.

Washington Examiner [2/12/2026 5:00 AM, Christian Datoc, 1394K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an enforcement action against a Wisconsin-based manufacturing company last year, which persons familiar with the matter say could foreshadow criminal charges against the company or its employees for tariff evasion. The company, called Milwaukee Tool, is headquartered in Milwaukee but is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries, which acquired it in 2005 for more than $600 million. TTI has similarly acquired a number of other previously American-owned hardware manufacturers, including Dirt Devil, Imperial Blades, Hoover, and Oreck. Customs and Border Protection launched a federal investigation into Milwaukee Tool last year after the Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity filed a complaint alleging that the company was transshipping products manufactured in China to the United States through Taiwan and Vietnam, the coalition told the Washington Examiner. The investigation resulted in an unnamed enforcement action, according to CBP.

FOX News [2/11/2026 1:58 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports that Border authorities in Texas arrested three American citizens over the weekend at three separate border crossings for alleged child sex crimes, authorities said. The arrests happened at ports of entry in Laredo, Del Rio and Hidalgo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Fox News Digital. "These three apprehensions in short succession highlight the critical role CBP plays in protecting the most vulnerable among us," said Donald R. Kusser, director of field operations for CBP’s Laredo Field Office. "The apprehension of individuals wanted for heinous crimes, such as the sexual assault of a child or injury of a child, elderly or disabled individual underscores our dedication to public safety and our collaborative efforts with law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served and to protect our communities," he added. The first arrest happened Saturday at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo. Rito Bueno, 64, was in a vehicle that was referred for a secondary inspection. Once there, officers confirmed Bueno was wanted in Bexar County for aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was arrested and taken to the Webb County Jail. The next day, Anthony Magana Mendoza, 22, was at the Anzalduas International Bridge that connects Mission, Texas, with Reynosa, Tamaulipas state, in Mexico when he was also referred for a second inspection. Jose Kaleb Juarez, 19, was taken into custody at the Del Rio International Bridge upon border personnel there learning of his warrant for alleged sexual abuse of a child. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [2/11/2026 2:55 PM, Rachel Frazin, 12595K] reports a key official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated Wednesday that he believes the nation’s threshold for the declaration of major disasters is too low as various changes loom for the agency under the Trump administration. During a congressional hearing, FEMA associate administrator Gregg Phillips slammed what he described as an “artificially low threshold” for this disaster aid mechanism. “There [were] some.. calculation challenges when the Stafford Act was first passed, they didn’t update it, and that created an artificially low threshold for a major disaster,” Phillips told the House Appropriations Committee. “I believe that much of the complication that we are seeing is really related to this artificially low threshold that allows more major disasters to be created, thereby …opening the door to more [Disaster Relief Fund] funding,” he added. Under the Stafford Act, presidents can declare a major disaster and, in doing so, unlock federal assistance for impacted people and infrastructure. Phillips’s comment comes as the administration is weighing changes at FEMA, which the Trump administration has said for many months it would seek to reform. CNN reported late last year that one of the changes it is considering is raising the threshold to qualify for disaster aid. The Trump administration has made headlines for some high profile disaster aid denials to states. Both President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have previously floated eliminating FEMA entirely. They have more recently said they hope to make changes at the agency — though a meeting to announce proposed changes was abruptly canceled in December. During Wednesday’s hearing, Phillips also appeared to acknowledge a funding backlog at the agency as Noem personally reviews major expenditures.

New York Post [2/11/2026 6:00 AM, Josh Christenson, 40934K] reports Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) in an exclusive interview on "Pod Force One" said he is "not satisfied" with the public findings of investigations into the assassination attempt against President Trump on the campaign trail in Butler, Pa., nearly two years ago. McCormick told The Post’s Miranda Devine in the latest episode of the podcast, out Wednesday, that there are many "unresolved" questions Americans have about the shooting and that to rebuild trust the government needs to be radically transparent. "I’m not satisfied," said the Pennsylvania Republican, who witnessed Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, shoot Trump in the right ear, kill Corey Comperatore, 50, and injure two other rallygoers at the Butler Farm Show grounds on July 13, 2024. "I’m not satisfied about what happened because when you go to the place and you see how close it was, the idea that a lone gunman — I’m typically not one who’s prone to conspiracy theories — but the fact that a lone gunman could get up there at that distance," McCormick explained. "It was less than 150 yards, so prominent you now see all the people with the cell phones taking pictures, seems just hard to imagine such a breach — and such a breach in security, such a breach in protocol," he added.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [2/11/2026 1:30 PM, Marc Tamasco, 37576K]
NewsMax [2/11/2026 9:00 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K]

Reuters [2/11/2026 3:25 PM, David Shepardson, 38315K] reports the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to briefly close El Paso airport to all traffic was prompted by safety concerns over testing of a new laser-based counter-drone technology at the nearby U.S. Army Fort Bliss, sources told Reuters. It was not the first time the issue has impacted flights. In March, testing of counter-drone technology near Reagan Washington National Airport by the U.S. Secret Service and Navy led to numerous flight crews receiving faulty alerts of potentially nearby aircraft, the FAA and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said. "The FAA had previously warned the Navy and the Secret Service against using that specific spectrum band due to interference risks," Cruz said. A Secret Service spokesperson denied the agency had conducted any drone system testing and added it "has been coordinating with the FAA to ensure our systems do not interfere with FAA frequencies or commercial air traffic operations." The FAA said some crews aborted landings and executed go-arounds as a result of the alerts that aim to prevent collisions.

Daily Signal [2/11/2026 6:15 PM, Rebecca Downs, 474K] reports as federal authorities continue to investigate concerning incidents against Vice President JD Vance, the latest being an alleged assassination threat, conservatives are speaking out against the increasingly violent rhetoric of the Left. Shannon Mathre, a 33-year-old man from Toledo, was recently indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged crime, one which Zack Smith, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal was "very specific," and considered a true threat not protected by the First Amendment. This incident again raises concerns about political rhetoric. Smith brought up "Democratic politicians using inflammatory rhetoric," specifically, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., claiming that federal law enforcement officers were not real law enforcement officers; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry telling Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers "to get out of his city using very rude, very vulgar language"; and comments from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., about "fighting [President Donald] Trump’s agenda in the streets.". U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi also spoke out in the wake of Mathre’s arrest. "As a society, we must remain united in our zero tolerance for political violence. This individual will now answer for his actions to a federal court," he told The Daily Signal. According to the Department of Justice, Mathre allegedly threatened to kill the vice president during his trip to Ohio last month. He was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service and appeared before a judge on Feb. 6.

Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 9:00 AM, Christian Datoc, 1147K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard is awarding a contract to an American arm of Canada’s Davie Shipbuilding, Davie Defense, Inc. to construct the final five of 11 Arctic Security Cutter icebreakers ordered by President Donald Trump last year. In October 2025, Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced a new partnership between the United States and Finland to build out America’s icebreaker fleet, a critical leg of the president’s Arctic defense strategy. The partnership dictated that four of the American icebreakers be constructed in Finland, the undisputed global leader in icebreaker construction, with the remaining seven built domestically in the United States. "America has been an Arctic nation for over 150 years, and we’re finally acting like it under President Trump. Our adversaries continue to look to grow their presence in the Arctic, equipping the Coast Guard with Arctic Security Cutters will help reassert American maritime dominance there," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "Revitalizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking capabilities is crucial for our security and prosperity, and today’s announcement is an important step in that direction.". Davie will construct two of its five awarded Arctic Security Cutters at the Helsinki Shipyard in Finland and anchor construction of the remaining three at shipyards in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. While the decision to award the final icebreaker contract to a to a subsidiary of a Canadian shipbuilding company may raise some eyebrows in Washington, given the recent threats the president has levied against America’s northern neighbor, a senior Trump administration official pointed to the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact signed by the U.S., Canada, and Finland last November. "We have a trilateral agreement, and it’s working out great for us," the official stated.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/11/2026 9:34 AM, Kirsi Heikel, 18082K]

FOX News [2/11/2026 12:59 PM, Ashley Carnahan, 37576K] reports that a Coast Guard veteran, his wife and two children were found dead inside a Florida home in what investigators believe may have been a case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Deputies with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that they responded to a residence on Banyan Track Way around 10:25 p.m. on Saturday for a welfare check and discovered the family deceased inside the home. The victims were identified as 33-year-old Yohan Sanchez, 37-year-old Rebeca Santos, 15-year-old Michael Melendez and 2-year-old Samuel Sanchez. Authorities suspect the deaths are the result of carbon monoxide exposure, though the official cause of death is pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office said no foul play is suspected, and the investigation is ongoing. Fox 35 Orlando spoke with Sanchez’s mother and brother, who said the family is struggling to process the sudden loss. Jackie Soto told the outlet that she had just spoken with her son by phone the night before he died. She said their conversation was short and routine, and he was baking a cake at the time. The local station reported that the U.S. Coast Guard is covering funeral costs for Sanchez, but not for his wife or children. Coast Guard funeral benefits typically apply only to service members, meaning arrangements for family members are left to relatives.

AP [2/11/2026 2:34 PM, Eric Neugeboren, 35287K] reports that Nevada’s IT agency has rolled out a new policy aimed at standardizing the privacy of state data, months after a massive cyberattack crippled certain systems for weeks. The policy announced Wednesday from the Governor’s Technology Office marks the first time the state will have clear-cut categories for data sensitivity. Officials said this will allow agencies to go beyond simply denoting something as "sensitive" or "personal" and will ensure private data is not treated the same as public information. "Agencies can now rely on a shared baseline for how information is categorized and protected, reducing uncertainty and hesitation when exchanging data," a release announcing the policy said. Officials said the policy was in the works long before the cyberattack shut down state systems in late August, but the policy reflects Nevada’s efforts to set uniform IT policies across agencies. In 2023, the state rolled out guidance on the use of artificial intelligence. Data will now be classified as one of four categories: "public," "sensitive," "confidential" or "restricted." It is up to individual agencies to determine the proper category, and if the classification is unclear, the data must be put in the more restrictive category. Under Nevada’s public records law, information is by default a public record unless specific confidentiality provisions apply. The policy said it does not change what is considered a public record.

Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 8:00 AM, Tom Rogan, 1147K] reports two Department of War memorandums seen by the Washington Examiner show that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has relocated a "Cross Functional Team" managing the so-called "Havana Syndrome" or "Anomalous Health Incidents" concern. The CFT has been moved from the powerful office of the Undersecretary of War for Policy to the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering. The development follows reporting by the Washington Examiner last December that the War Department was preparing to make just this move. Numerous sources continue to tell the Washington Examiner that they fear this move will weaken the CFT’s support for victims, its analytical independence, and undermine evidence-based efforts that indicate some AHIs are consequences of Russian intelligence service activity. Specifically, the employment of novel pulsed microwave weapons. CBS News reported last week that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) wrote to Hegseth, warning that this move would damage efforts to support AHI victims. As the Washington Examiner noted last year, "Hundreds of subsequent [AHI] incidents have been reported globally by American diplomats, intelligence officers, and military personnel. AHI symptoms include dizziness, auditory disruption, traumatic brain injury, and loss of gait. Some victims have suffered serious disabilities and premature death. There is even circumstantial evidence that former President George W. Bush may have been a victim.". Following Hegseth’s sign-off on this relocation, the CFT will now fall under the leadership of Undersecretary Emil Michael and the day-to-day leadership of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies Peter Highnam. While Highnam has appointed himself as the CFT’s new director, he does not have direct experience on this problem and is already managing other high priority research areas. Alongside his "scaled directed energy" focus, Highnam’s office is focused on applied artificial intelligence, hypersonics, quantum and battlefield information dominance, contested logistics, and biomanufacturing. Multiple sources fear the CFT will be deprioritized among these other concerns. Two sources added that Highnam has referred to AHI victims as "damaged.". In one memo seen by the Washington Examiner, Highnam states that "Effective immediately, the Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team will transition to the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering as part of a strategic effort to strengthen scientific governance, enhance technical rigor, and ensure long-term stability of research and interagency coordination supporting the AHI mission.".

Reuters [2/11/2026 7:46 PM, David Jeans and Deepa Seetharaman, 38315K] reports the Pentagon is pushing the top AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic to make their artificial-intelligence tools available on classified networks without many of the standard restrictions that the companies apply to users. During a White House event on Tuesday, Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael told tech executives that the military is aiming to make the AI models available on both unclassified and classified domains, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Pentagon is "moving to deploy frontier AI capabilities across all classification levels," an official who requested anonymity told Reuters. It is the latest development in ongoing negotiations between the Pentagon and the top generative AI companies over how the U.S. will use AI on a future battlefield that is already dominated by autonomous drone swarms, robots and cyber attacks. Michael’s comments are also likely to intensify an already contentious debate over the military’s desire to use AI without restrictions and tech companies’ ability to set boundaries around how their tools are deployed. Many AI companies are building custom tools for the U.S. military, most of which are available only on unclassified networks typically used for military administration. Only one AI company - Anthropic – is available in classified settings through third parties but the government is still bound by the company’s usage policies.

FOX News [2/11/2026 5:58 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an executive order directing the Department of War to pursue new agreements with coal plants to ensure a “more reliable” electric grid.

Los Angeles Times [2/11/2026 3:46 PM, Ari natter and Jonathan Ferro, 12718K] reports that the Trump administration plans to appeal a series of court rulings blocking efforts to stop construction of offshore wind farms, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Wednesday. "Absolutely we are," Burgum told Bloomberg Television. "There will be further discussion on this." U.S. judges have overturned five orders by the Trump administration to halt work on multibillion-dollar offshore wind projects, with the most recent ruling occurring earlier this month involving a project off Long Island being developed by Orsted A/S. Last month, the same Washington-based judge, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, allowed Orsted to resume work on its Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island. Other projects by Dominion Energy Inc., Equinor ASA and Iberdrola SA, have also prevailed in court. Burgum said during the interview that offshore wind farms pose a national security threat because they could interfere with radar systems and make the U.S. more vulnerable to drone attacks. The Trump administration has also argued the projects are unreliable, expensive and shouldn’t be subsidized by taxpayers. Proponents of wind energy contend those claims are bogus.

New York Times [2/12/2026 3:40 AM, Eric Schmitt and John Ismay, 330K] reports dozens of military chiefs from the Western Hemisphere gathered on Wednesday in Washington for the first time to discuss a wide range of security issues that the Trump administration says are paramount to safeguarding the United States. The rare meeting to strengthen regional cooperation was convened by Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It brought together top military leaders from 34 countries, Pentagon officials said on social media. Officials said earlier that the participants would include military chiefs from nations such as Denmark, Britain and France that have territories in the area. During the daylong event at a Washington hotel, General Caine led a discussion on the administration’s new national security and defense strategies, which prioritize the Western Hemisphere above Asia and the Middle East, according to officials briefed on the conference. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, the new head of the military’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, pressed for further coordination to fight drug-trafficking and transnational criminal groups in the region, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss conference details. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, the head of U.S. Northern Command, which oversees homeland defense and Greenland, spoke about border controls and how advanced sensors — in space, on land, in the air and at sea — can help nations monitor their borders, the officials said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the gathering as it opened. Joseph M. Humire, the acting assistant defense secretary for homeland defense and the Americas, posted pieces of Mr. Hegseth’s remarks on social media in which the defense secretary said the United States was “on offense” against “narco-terrorists” in “our hemisphere.” “We must work together to prevent any adversary or criminal actor from exploiting your territory or using your infrastructure to threaten what a great former American president, Teddy Roosevelt, once called ‘permanent peace in this hemisphere,’” Mr. Hegseth said, according to Mr. Humire’s post.

Reuters [2/12/2026 12:04 AM, Colleen Howe, 36480K] reports China’s chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang met Mexico’s Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas in Beijing on Monday, in the first face-to-face talks since Mexico imposed higher tariffs on Chinese imports, drawing warnings from Beijing. The two countries conducted in-depth exchanges on bilateral economic and trade relations and other issues, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Mexico announced in December steep tariff increases on China and other countries without free trade agreements with Mexico - most up to 35%. The move was widely interpreted by analysts as an attempt to placate U.S. President Donald Trump, who levied significant tariffs on Chinese goods. Mexico’s duties apply to thousands of goods including automobiles, auto parts, textiles, clothing, plastics and steel. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the tariffs are intended to increase domestic production and address trade imbalances. The tariffs are expected to have the biggest impact on China, which is Mexico’s second-largest trading partner after the United States. China’s Commerce Ministry had warned Mexico to "think twice" before levying tariffs and said it would take steps in response to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, but it has so far not announced countermeasures.

NewsMax [2/11/2026 5:56 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports the Pentagon is preparing to deploy a second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as President Donald Trump warned that nuclear negotiations with Iran must produce results. Trump made clear that military options remain on the table. The Wall Street Journal reported that defense officials are developing plans to send another carrier to join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already operating in the region. The move would significantly expand America’s naval firepower amid mounting tensions. Trump said earlier this week that if talks with Tehran falter, he would not hesitate to reinforce U.S. forces. "We’re not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters, adding that while discussions are ongoing, "if we don’t make a deal, we’ll handle it the other way.". Trump emphasized that he preferred diplomacy but underscored that pressure is part of the strategy. "They understand that," he said of Iranian leaders. "We want peace, but it has to be real peace.". The Journal reported that the USS George H.W. Bush is being readied for possible deployment pending a final order from the president.

Washington Examiner [2/11/2026 2:00 PM, Sean Durns, 1147K] reports that the Chinese Communist Party is fighting an undeclared war on American soil. Recent events prove as much, showcasing the CCP’s success at both subversion and sabotage. Regrettably, they also illustrate how poorly positioned the United States is to confront these growing threats. On Jan. 31, Las Vegas police and the FBI executed a search warrant in an east Las Vegas Valley residence. The details of what they found are shocking. Police found a "possible biological laboratory" in the home, including "refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids." This might sound innocuous. It’s not. The incident mirrors a horrific discovery in California two years earlier. In October 2023, the Justice Department announced the arrest of Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese citizen. The Reedley lab that Zhu and others operated has become infamous. A subsequent investigation by the House Select Committee on China provides some of the gruesome details. Thousands of vials with labels such as COVID-19, HIV, malaria, dengue fever, Ebola, and other infectious diseases and viruses were discovered, along with no fewer than 1,000 transgenic mice "specifically genetically modified and bred to simulate the human immune system for the purpose of laboratory experimentation.". Suffice to say, these are very deadly pathogens. Ebola alone has a mortality rate of 25% to 90%. Individuals later identified as Chinese nationals were found on site wearing white lab coats, glasses, masks, and latex gloves.

{End of Report} RETURN TO TOP