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

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

The AP [2/15/2026 3:03 PM, Ben Finley, 4464K] reports that White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota’s Twin Cities area and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead as part of the Trump administration’s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge. A “small” security force will stay for a short period to protect remaining immigration agents and will respond “when our agents are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control,” Homan told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He did not define “small.” He also said agents will keep investigating fraud allegations as well as the anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a church service. “We already removed well over 1,000 people, and as of Monday, Tuesday, we’ll remove several hundred more,” Homan said. “We’ll get back to the original footprint.” Homan announced last week that 700 federal officers would leave Minnesota immediately, but that still left more than 2,000 in the state. He said Thursday that a “significant drawdown” was already underway and would continue through this week. Homan said enforcement would not stop in the Twin Cities and that mass deportations will continue across the country. Officers leaving Minnesota will report back to their stations or be assigned elsewhere. When asked if future deployments could match the scale of the Twin Cities operation, Homan said “it depends on the situation.” NPR [2/15/2026 4:31 PM, Alina Selyukh, 28764K] reports Homan said an additional security force — described in size only as "small" — will stay to "respond to when our agents are out, and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control." "They’ll remain for a short period of time, just to make sure the coordination, the agreements we have with local state law enforcement stay in place, and they respond to a public safety threat when needed," Homan said, adding that he hoped that contingent of security forces "can be removed fairly quickly." On Thursday, Homan announced the conclusion of the Trump administration’s "Operation Metro Surge," which sent thousands of immigration agents into the state. This drew extensive protests, as agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens. USA Today [2/16/2026 11:30 AM, Christopher Cann, 70643K] reports that in his announcement of the withdrawal, Homan cast the operation as a success, touting the arrests of 4,000 undocumented immigrants, some of whom had been charged with violent offenses. Homan credited the withdrawal to "unprecedented" cooperation between national authorities and Minnesota state and local officials. The move was welcomed by state and local officials in Minnesota, but several disputed Homan’s claims and said no deals were struck to broaden cooperation with federal immigration authorities. But despite the controversy over the Minnesota operation, Homan has not ruled out future surges.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [2/15/2026 6:00 PM, Mariana Alfaro, 24826K]
The Hill [2/16/2026 9:59 AM, Tara Suter, 18170K]

NewsMax [2/16/2026 7:39 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said he is leaving open the possibility of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments in other sanctuary cities even as the administration winds down its enforcement surge in Minnesota. He told CBS’ "Face the Nation" that sending agents elsewhere "depends on the situation" and argued that "we need to flood the zone in sanctuary cities with additional agents" if local conditions warrant it. Homan’s remarks came as the Trump administration begins drawing down Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area after more than two months of heightened federal enforcement, legal clashes, and sustained protests that intensified following the fatal shootings of two individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during confrontations with federal immigration officers. At a Minneapolis press conference announcing the end of the surge, Homan said he and President Donald Trump agreed the operation should "conclude" because cooperation with local officials had improved and enforcement objectives had been met, but he made clear the withdrawal would be gradual and that a "small force" of federal officers would remain temporarily to protect agents and respond if protesters or what he called "agitators" confront personnel. "We’ll get back to the original footprint," Homan said, adding that the residual contingent would stay "for a short period of time … to make sure the coordination, the agreements we have with local and state law enforcement stay in place." Homan confirmed during his CBS interview that more than 1,000 agents have already left Minnesota and that hundreds more are expected to depart in the coming days, but he declined to specify how many officers would remain, saying only that the continuing presence would be sufficient to ensure officer safety and maintain operational stability.

FOX News [2/16/2026 4:00 PM, Leo Briceno, 37576K] reports Tom Homan, the border czar appointed by President Donald Trump to crack down on illegal immigration, believes the administration may still deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in other sanctuary cities as federal agents wind down their presence in Minnesota. Homan said he thinks that possibility depends entirely on whether cities with policies shielding illegal immigrants decide to cooperate with federal immigration efforts. "I think it depends on the situation," Homan said in an interview with CBS on Sunday. "I’ve said from day one that, you know, we need to flood the zone and sanctuary cities with additional agents. The number of agents depends on the situation on the ground [and] how many known criminal targets are out there." Homan’s comments come as the administration looks to redirect its immigration enforcement goals while, at the same time, taking its focus off of Minneapolis by ending Operation Metro Surge. Several cities voiced opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown from the outset of his second term, making it an official position of obstructing the administration’s work. In some cases, cities limited their partnerships with ICE by denying them access to holding facilities, refusing to share intelligence, or instructing local law enforcement to disregard their operations. Minneapolis was one of them. But the Twin Cities began to draw special attention from Trump and Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem last year when links surfaced between the state’s Somali immigrant community and as much as $9 billion in state benefits fraud.

FOX News [2/15/2026 3:00 PM, Max Bacall, 37576K] reports Border czar Tom Homan said Minnesota leaders should be grateful that the Trump administration made their state safer after some called on the federal government to reimburse damages they claim were caused during immigration enforcement operations. "A lot of things were broken, but it wasn’t because of Trump administration," Homan said Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend.” "The border — last four years, over 10 million illegal immigrants crossed that border. That was broken. Where were they then? Did Gov. Walz speak out against that, with the overdose deaths and the sex trafficking and... terrorists? No.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly requested federal funds after what they described as the major economic impact of recent immigration enforcement operations, while Homan argued the mission was a "great success" that made Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests safer and reduced sanctuary-style barriers to cooperation. Frey claimed his city sustained "$203 million in economic impact in just January alone.” "And so we’re calling on the federal government to fully step up, to provide direct financial assistance to our city," he said at a press conference. Walz said the federal government needed "to pay for what they broke." He proposed a $10 million emergency relief package for small businesses across the state affected by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The proposal calls for forgivable loans ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 to be distributed to eligible businesses that are able to demonstrate "substantial revenue loss" during "specified dates" tied to Operation Metro Surge.

Daily Caller [2/15/2026 3:31 PM, Anthony Iafrate, 803K] reports Border czar Tom Homan sparred Sunday with a CBS News host who pressed him about demands from Democrats to prohibit federal immigration enforcement officers from wearing masks when on duty. Homan told CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe he thinks demands from Democratic lawmakers that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal law enforcement personnel need to be unmasked on the job are "unreasonable." The border czar then cited statistics showing an increase of violence against ICE officers in recent months during his appearance on "Face the Nation.” "I don’t like the masks either, but because threats against ICE officers, you know, are up over 1500%, actual assaults and threats are up over 8000%. These men and women have to protect themselves," Homan told O’Keefe. The border czar appeared to cite Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data collected from January to December 2025 showing "a horrific 1,347% increase in assaults against ICE officers" as well as a "8,000% increase in death threats" against them. "As far as identifying themselves, they all have placards identifying themselves as ICE, ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations], HSI [Homeland Security Investigations], DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration], FBI, so, they all have placards on them," Homan continued. "So I’ll let the White House and members of Congress, you know, fight that out. But I think some of the asks are just— I think they’re unreasonable because there is no racial profiling."

The Washington Examiner [2/16/2026 3:59 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports the FBI formally rejected Minnesota state investigators’ request to access evidence related to Alex Pretti’s death that occurred during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement-related operation, according to officials. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has sought to access evidence and information related to the federal government’s investigation into Pretti’s Jan. 24 death. On Monday, BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said the agency was notified by the FBI the previous day that it would not provide BCA with any information or evidence collected in relation to Pretti’s death. Evans described the development as "concerning and unprecedented," and pledged to continue to pursue "all legal avenues to gain access to relevant" records. "Our agency has committed to the FBI and Department of Justice that should its stance change, we remain willing to share information that we have obtained with that agency and would welcome a joint investigation," he said in a statement. State Democrats had expressed concern that the FBI’s investigations into Pretti and Good would be biased due to statements the Trump administration made before the inquiry unfolded. A top adviser to President Donald Trump claimed Pretti was an "assassin," while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Pretti and Good as domestic terrorists immediately after the shootings. Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has been among state officials pushing for BCA to be involved with the shooting investigation. CBS News [2/16/2026 7:31 PM, Anthony Bettin, 51110K] reports that the FBI has also withheld evidence in the federal killing of Renee Good and the shooting of a Venezuelan national last month. The BCA said it has reiterated requests for evidence and information in all three shootings. "Our agency has committed to the FBI and Department of Justice that should its stance change we remain willing to share information that we have obtained with that agency and would welcome a joint investigation," BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. "We will continue to pursue all legal avenues to gain access to relevant information and evidence.” Federal agents shot and killed Pretti in south Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Federal investigators physically prevented BCA agents from gathering evidence at the scene, and the BCA successfully requested a restraining order to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from destroying or altering evidence. Days later, though, a federal judge lifted the order, saying the concerns over evidence tampering were undeveloped. On Sunday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told WCCO she plans to send a written demand for evidence in Pretti’s killing to the U.S. departments of Justice and Homeland Security. She previously sent a similar letter in regards to Good’s killing, and is investigating the shooting of the Venezuelan national as well.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [2/16/2026 4:43 PM, Staff, 2238K]
CNN [2/16/2026 1:54 PM, Holmes Lybrand, 612K]

NPR [2/17/2026 5:00 AM, Dana Ferguson, 34837K] Audio: HERE reports Minnesota Republicans have defended their decision to welcome social media influencers, including the MAGA-aligned content creator Nick Shirley, into the state to highlight the issue of fraud in Minnesota’s child care programs. What followed was a weeks-long federal immigration enforcement surge that led to upheaval in and around Minneapolis, thousands of arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Minnesota Democrats have blamed Republicans for the turmoil, but Republicans say a national spotlight was necessary to take on fraud claims in Minnesota’s government programs. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

FOX News [2/16/2026 11:48 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports the partial government shutdown stretched into another week after negotiators failed to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the weekend. Congress is on a weeklong recess and is not scheduled to return to Washington, D.C., until next week, leaving the shutdown’s end in limbo as both parties remain far apart on key provisions. Senate Democrats are demanding a series of reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a position they have maintained since the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good during ICE operations in Minnesota. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus are standing by a list of 10 proposed reforms, including requiring ICE agents to obtain judicial warrants and limiting the use of face coverings — proposals Republicans have described as red lines. "Americans are tired of masked agents conducting warrantless operations in their communities — secret police," Schumer said. "They’re tired of chaos, secrecy and zero accountability. That is not what law and order looks like, and Republicans simply cannot pretend that this outrage does not exist.” However, ICE received additional funding under previously passed legislation, and core enforcement operations are expected to continue. Other DHS agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Coast Guard, remain affected by the shutdown. The White House has led negotiations for Senate Republicans and offered Senate Democrats a proposal that they have rejected. Details of that proposal have not been made public. "This is a Democrat-driven shutdown caused by their intransigence and desire to use government funding for services all Americans rely on as a hostage in order to achieve an unrelated political goal," a senior White House official said.

Reported similarly:
Washington Times [2/16/2026 11:10 AM, Staff, 1323K]

FOX News [2/16/2026 3:37 PM, Breanne Deppisch, 37576K] reports Senior Trump administration officials defended the use of masks and other facial coverings by federal immigration enforcement officers, citing a sharp increase in assaults and violent threats against agents amid the administration’s hard-line immigration crackdown. White House border czar Tom Homan on Sunday defended the use of masks and other facial coverings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as necessary to protect agents from a rise in assaults and violent threats reported by the Department of Homeland Security. "I don’t like the masks, either," Homan said in an interview Sunday on CBS News’ "Face the Nation." Still, he said, "these men and women have to protect themselves.” His remarks come as Democrats in Congress have sharply criticized ICE agents’ actions in recent months, including the deployment of officers to major U.S. cities — Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis — as part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement effort. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Republicans earlier this month to order the unmasking of ICE agents, describing the step as one of many "guardrails" needed to protect the public and earn their support in resolving the DHS shutdown. Jeffries last week told reporters in the Capitol that unmasking federal agents is a "hard red line" for Democrats as Congress debated funding for DHS and ultimately failed to come to an agreement, the Associated Press reported. The Trump administration has cited concerns about the number and severity of threats against ICE officers and has vowed to aggressively prosecute individuals who target agents or solicit violence. Homan pointed to DHS reports from January citing a 1,500% increase in assaults against ICE personnel. Violent threats against ICE officers have also soared by a staggering 8,000%, according to data shared by the Department of Homeland Security in October. "From bounties placed on their heads for their murders, threats to their families, stalking, and doxxing online, our officers are experiencing an unprecedented level of violence and threats against them and their families," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement at the time.

FOX News [2/16/2026 3:21 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin explains the impact of the partial DHS shutdown on I.C.E. and reacts to Hillary Clinton’s comments about mass migration on ‘America Reports.’

NewsMax [2/16/2026 5:32 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports the Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog said it has been forced to suspend about 85% of its audits, evaluations, and inspections because of a lapse in funding during a partial government shutdown after Congress failed to approve new appropriations. Senate Democrats last week blocked a House-passed DHS appropriations bill for fiscal 2026 when their demands for changes to immigration enforcement were not met. The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster. The DHS Office of the Inspector General has eight active investigations into the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, Politico reported Sunday. The reviews include the use of facial recognition technology and allegations of excessive force by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Congressional Democrats first asked Joseph Cuffari, the DHS inspector general appointed during President Donald Trump’s first term, to investigate the use of force by ICE officers in June. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts wrote to Cuffari this month asking him to expedite the investigation following the January fatal shootings of anti-ICE protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, according to Politico. The shootings occurred after confrontations with federal law enforcement. DHS’ appropriations measure was carved out of a broader spending package in January to avert a partial government shutdown. The House passed a full-year DHS spending bill on Jan. 22. Although funding for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts was set through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, DHS risks losing funds for other agencies if the standoff continues.

The AP [2/15/2026 4:27 PM, Aamer Madhani] reports lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The work at ICE and CBP goes on unabated because Trump’s tax and spending cut law from 2025 provided billions more to those agencies that can be tapped for deportation operations. White House border czar Tom Homan said the administration was unwilling to agree to Democrats’ demands that federal officers clearly identify themselves, remove masks during operations and display unique ID numbers. Democrats also want to require immigration agents to wear body cameras and mandate judicial warrants for arrests on private property. The Daily Caller [2/16/2026 1:09 PM, Andi Shae Napier, 803K] reports that the Senate Democrats’ push for reforms follow the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month, and their exhaustive list of reforms released on Feb. 4 which many Republicans widely declared to be off the table. The list includes prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks, requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants and blocking immigration enforcement from polling centers, churches and schools. "Americans are tired of masked agents conducting warrantless operations in their communities — secret police," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "They’re tired of chaos, secrecy and zero accountability. That is not what law and order looks like, and Republicans simply cannot pretend that this outrage does not exist.” Meanwhile, ICE and CBP will largely go unaffected by the shutdown since Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act allocated $75 billion for ICE and $65 billion for CBP over multiple years. Border czar Tom Homan also signaled Thursday that immigration enforcement officers would still continue the DHS’s investigation into the fraud allegations surrounding Minnesota’s social services programs.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [2/15/2026 11:55 PM, Briseida Holguin, 51110K]

FOX News [2/17/2026 12:19 AM, Landon Mion, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown, as Republicans and Democrats have yet to reach a deal on Department of Homeland Security funding, while he also touted what he deemed as wins for his administration on issues such as the economy and crime. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump boasted of "great financial numbers" such as low inflation and falling fuel prices. "Great financial numbers, you saw low inflation, very low inflation. Prices are down. Way down. Gasoline is less than $2 a gallon in many places, which nobody expected to see," Trump said, although the national average for gas is closer to $3 and state averages in areas with the cheapest fuel still remain above $2. "But I did this going by the initial expression of drill, baby, drill. Prices are coming down very strongly. And as goes gasoline and oil and gas, so goes the rest of other products that are high … We inherited a mess, and we’ve brought our country back," he continued. When asked about the partial shutdown over DHS funding, Trump said it is a "Democrat shutdown" that has "nothing to do with Republicans," accusing Democrats of being upset with falling crime numbers, which he took credit for, even as data shows murder and other violent crime had been on the decline in major cities before his return to the White House. "This is a Democrat shutdown. This has nothing to do with Republicans, and Democrats shut down. They’re upset that the crime numbers are so good. They’re very unhappy that there’s a movement," he said.

Blaze [2/16/2026 1:40 PM, Landon Pfile, 1556K] reports a partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security entered its third day Monday, leaving thousands of Transportation Security Administration agents and other essential workers without pay as they continue performing critical duties at airports nationwide. The funding lapse, which began early Saturday, stems from a breakdown in negotiations between congressional Democrats and Republicans over proposed restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Even WPRI in Rhode Island noted Democrats’ role in the shutdown: "The Department of Homeland Security officially shut down on Saturday after Democrats refused to fund it. They want new restrictions on ICE agents following the deadly shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.” The shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have intensified tensions surrounding immigration enforcement. Democrats have insisted on new limits on DHS funding, while Republicans have accused them of holding up critical funding to secure policy concessions. TSA screeners, deemed essential personnel, are required to report for duty despite the funding lapse. Reporting from T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island, WPRI’s Sophia Szabo said TSA agents are still recovering from a 43-day government shutdown last year. "That’s a long time to work without a paycheck," Szabo said, noting lawmakers have roughly two weeks to reach a deal before another missed pay period. The impact on workers is mounting. The shutdown affects agencies within DHS, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 3:55 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Newsmax Monday that congressional Democrats’ goal in blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security is to set up "mass amnesty.” Emmer, the House majority whip, told "National Report" the Democrats have a bigger picture in mind than just a partial spending block against DHS. "And guess what? It’ll cause mass amnesty. Literally," he said. "That’s what this is, which is consistent with the open-border policy that they had under [former President] Joe Biden.” Emmer pointed to funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which was covered in an earlier appropriations bill. "That was fully funded through the bill that was passed and signed into law last July," he said. "In fact, our federal law enforcement, Immigration [and] Customs Enforcement officers, are funded through 2029." He said security-related government actions, however, are affected by the latest Democrat attempt to thwart government actions. On Sunday, border czar Tom Homan defended federal immigration agents as Democrats press for new restrictions tied to DHS funding.

Breitbart [2/16/2026 8:30 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports on Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) argued that Republicans are the ones shutting down DHS “because they refuse to hold ICE accountable” and stated that “Aligning ICE standards with those of other law enforcement agencies is the absolute minimum that should be done. But that’s just the start. I have zero confidence that ICE will operate in good faith under this administration, which is why I believe it should be completely overhauled and dismantled.” Host Dana Bash asked, “[T]here is now a partial government shutdown. The standoff is over federal immigration enforcement. Senate Democrats are demanding reforms to rein in agencies in exchange for a funding package. The Border Czar, Tom Homan, said the lapse in funding really isn’t impacting immigration operations nationwide, because, as you know, they already got a big chunk of change from a bill that was passed by Republicans last year. What’s the endgame here?” Grijalva answered, “Really, we just have to be clear, it’s Republicans who are shutting down DHS, and — because they refuse to hold ICE accountable. When a law enforcement agency murders two of its citizens, you would think that passing commonsense reforms like banning paramilitary face coverings wouldn’t be controversial. But they refuse to even take the most basic actions to ensure accountability. Aligning ICE standards with those of other law enforcement agencies is the absolute minimum that should be done. But that’s just the start. I have zero confidence that ICE will operate in good faith under this administration, which is why I believe it should be completely overhauled and dismantled. And I think that you were right to point out the Republicans handed ICE 75 billion in their big, ugly bill, and this came at the expense of programs that help working families afford groceries and healthcare.”

FOX Business [2/16/2026 9:17 AM, Staff, 7946K] Video: HERE reports Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., discusses the partial government shutdown and the future of the SAVE America Act on ‘Mornings with Maria.’

FOX News [2/16/2026 1:03 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer discusses the partial government shutdown fueled by a 10-point Democratic demand list that includes banning masks for ICE agents and requiring judicial warrants for enforcement.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 9:52 AM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports that Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Newsmax on Monday that a potential government shutdown is being driven by partisan politics rather than public safety. He said that Democrats are using immigration agencies as leverage while essential operations would continue. The Department of Homeland Security funding fight centers on a looming government shutdown as lawmakers clash over border security policy. Republicans are pressing for tougher immigration enforcement provisions while Democrats seek to pass a clean or minimally altered funding bill, leaving various federal agencies caught in the middle of a broader political standoff ahead of the funding deadline. When asked on "Wake Up America" about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his argument that Democrats are making "commonsense" proposals to avoid a shutdown, Murphy said, "There’s been nothing common sense about Chuck Schumer during his leadership reign." He argued that the broader debate over border security and immigration enforcement has been distorted by political messaging and media coverage. "But sadly enough, our mainstream media, which has literally joined the Democratic Party in trying to literally block everything that Trump has been doing, continues to flame the fuel, the fires, rather in what’s going on," Murphy said.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 8:52 AM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports that Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., on Monday accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of blocking a Department of Homeland Security funding deal and engaging in "performative politics" while frontline agencies go unpaid. During a recent interview on CNN, Schumer addressed Republicans, telling the majority party to "just go along" with what he called "common-sense proposals" from the Democrats to "rein in" President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Appearing on Newsmax’s "Wake Up America," Haridopolos said Schumer’s resistance to compromise is prolonging a shutdown that impacts critical national security operations. "It doesn’t look like right now it’s going to happen," he said of a deal to end the DHS shutdown which began at midnight on Saturday. "It’s a shame because, again, DHS is fundamental." Haridopolos underscored that essential personnel are being caught in the middle of partisan drama on Capitol Hill. "Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA agents are to be unpaid despite doing good work," he said. Haridopolos stressed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding – the Democrats’ main target – is not in question. "The ICE program has already been funded through 2028," he said.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 10:09 AM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports that Rep. Pete Sessions forcefully rejected Democrat demands to scale back immigration enforcement operations, arguing Monday on Newsmax that Republicans "should not give in" as a funding standoff over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues. The Texas Republican told "Wake Up America" that proposals aimed at limiting enforcement activities by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as the agents not being allowed to wear masks, amount to undermining federal agents carrying out laws passed by Congress. "There are going to be people that are out there who vigorously get in the way of law enforcement. They have their masks on," Sessions said. "These federal agents that are doing the job that we’ve asked them to do, and that 80% of Americans actually want them to do, needs to be done safely." The dispute comes with the government partially shut down as lawmakers remain deadlocked over funding for DHS, with Democrats pushing for policy changes tied to immigration enforcement as part of any long-term spending agreement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has argued that Democrat proposals are "common sense," including measures intended to curb what critics describe as overreach by immigration authorities. Sessions pushed back sharply, framing the debate as one centered on protecting law enforcement rather than restricting it, saying Republicans would continue to back ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel amid ongoing immigration enforcement efforts.

NewsMax [2/15/2026 2:29 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports that Democrats’ demands tied to Department of Homeland Security funding are merely "political theater" aimed at disrupting President Donald Trump’s upcoming annual address to Congress, Sen. Markwayne Mullin said on Sunday. "What we have been focused on and what I’ve been laser-focused on is DHS funding, trying to get away from this Democrat shutdown with DHS," the Oklahoma Republican said on CNN’s "State of the Union." Mullin framed the standoff as timed with Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address and said the dispute is "nothing but a distraction." "All this is political theater because the State of the Union that’s coming up a week from Tuesday," he said. "If this were really a serious conversation, they wouldn’t be holding the TSA workers, FEMA, or the Coast Guard hostage over something that cannot be done by their ridiculous shutdown of DHS," the senator added. Mullin said the Democrats’ stated goal of stopping immigration enforcement "can’t be done," and he pointed to long-term funding he said is already in place for key enforcement agencies. "They’re not stopping ICE from doing their job," he said. "They’re not stopping the border patrol from doing their job. "ICE and the Border Patrol are funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill up until 2028," Mullin explained. "The only thing they shut down are the federal agencies like FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA."

Breitbart [2/15/2026 1:36 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports Sunday on CBS’s "State of the Union," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi cannot be trusted to conduct independent investigations. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [2/16/2026 7:56 AM, Tara Suter, 18170K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem waved off criticism of recent comments she made about ensuring "we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country," calling the remarks "commonsense." In response to a clip from CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday in which Jake Tapper asks border czar Tom Homan about her comments, Noem said on the social platform X that it "must be exhausting to regularly manufacture outrage even over the most commonsense statements." "Yes, we must build election infrastructure that makes it easy and secure for eligible American citizens to vote—while preventing non-citizens, including illegal aliens, from casting ballots. The choice of who to vote for is obviously up to the voters themselves," she added. On Friday, Noem suggested that her department plays an expansive role in election security. The secretary alleged she has the authority to find "vulnerabilities" in the election system and put in place "mitigation measures" to ensure local and state elections are carried out "correctly." In a press conference in Arizona, Noem claimed elections were under the DHS’s mission of "maintaining critical infrastructure." The Washington Examiner [2/15/2026 7:52 PM, Zach LaChance, 1147K] reports border czar Tom Homan declined to clarify a recent statement from Homeland Security Kristi Noem on election security, specifically when she suggested her agency must be "proactive" in ensuring the "right leaders" are elected. Noem made the remark at a press conference in Arizona on Friday, in which she argued elections partly fall under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security. While pushing Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require photo ID and proof of citizenship for voting in U.S. elections, she underscored that DHS must do its part as well, including by having "the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country through the days that we have, knowing that people can trust it." As Noem’s comments have led to Democratic backlash, including from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Homan was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday what she meant. Shortly after Homan’s CNN appearance, Noem defended her election security comments, saying they were solely about ensuring only U.S. citizens vote in elections, while who they cast ballots for "is obviously up to the voters themselves."

FOX News [2/16/2026 12:00 PM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., reacts to lawmakers trading jabs over the partial government shutdown, DHS funding, Democrats’ ICE demands and more on ‘America’s Newsroom.’

Daily Caller [2/16/2026 4:37 PM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla told MS NOW host Ali Velshi on Sunday that married women would be unable to prove they could vote if the SAVE Act were enacted. The House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and photo ID for voting, on Wednesday by a 216-213 vote, sending it to the Senate, where it faces a tough road for passage due to united Democratic opposition. Velshi and Padilla claimed the legislation’s purpose was “discouraging people from voting.” “What about this nonsense about providing citizenship proof every time you vote, right? You guys do audit the voter rolls. So the point is, you know who’s on it, you make adjustments, you audit, you throw people off and you put extra people on,” Velshi claimed. “This is not a thing. I mean, I literally talk about discouraging people from voting, women who’ve changed their names that don’t match their birth certificate, their marriage name — married name doesn’t match their birth certificate, their license doesn’t match their birth certificate. This is nonsensical.” “Right, absolutely nonsensical. I mean, to insist on bringing your birth certificate or — or a passport, most — most, a lot of Americans don’t even have a passport because not everybody travels internationally,” Padilla claimed. “It’s the equivalent of a show me your papers law to be able to exercise your fundamental constitutional right to vote. And who would be impacted? You know, the SAVE Act may sound good in some quarters. You know, one big example is what you just said, a woman who may choose to change her name when she gets married. All of a sudden her birth certificate name is different than her ID. And that becomes a problem. It’s never been a problem. It isn’t a problem.” Despite opponents’ claims that black voters would be disenfranchised, CNN data reporter Harry Enten noted the high support for voter ID requirements among black voters and Democrats, with at least 70% of both subsets of the general population backing the proposal, during a Feb. 3 appearance on “CNN News Central.”

New York Post [2/15/2026 1:48 PM, Ryan King, 40934K] reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer boiled down the fight over the Department of Homeland Security’s shutdown to three main sticking points — as thousands of federal workers, including ICE agents and TSA screeners, are now going without paychecks. Schumer (D-NY) reiterated the three main pillars he outlined in late January, despite him and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) publicly laying out 10 specific demands after appearing to have some daylight between them. "The bottom line is we have three basic objectives to rein in ICE and end the violence," Schumer told CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday when asked if he’d accept anything less than the Dems’ 10 demands. Those three objectives include ending the Trump administration’s roving ICE patrols, stronger accountability for immigration enforcement officers, and barring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from wearing masks. DHS officially shut down at the end of Friday. Republicans previously funded ICE and Customs and Border Protection under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That means the partial government shutdown impacts other DHS agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Border czar Tom Homan said that ICE agents won’t get paid during the funding lapse. During prior shutdowns, the Trump administration managed to move money around to give them pay. The Post contacted ICE for clarification.

FOX News [2/15/2026 3:26 PM, Alex Miller Fox, 37576K] reports Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed Sunday that Senate Democrats will block the latest GOP-backed effort to require proof of citizenship to vote. "We will not let it pass in the Senate," Schumer told CNN’s Jake Tapper. "We are fighting it tooth and nail. It’s an outrageous proposal that is, you know, that shows the sort of political bias of the MAGA right. They don’t want poor people to vote. They don’t want people of color to vote because they often don’t vote for them.” Schumer’s comments came after Tapper pressed him on his opposition, noting that polling shows roughly 83% of Americans support some form of voter identification. That figure comes from a Pew Research poll published last year that found 71% of Democratic voters surveyed supported presenting an ID to vote. Still, Schumer and most Senate Democrats have criticized the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which passed the House last week and is expected to face a vote in the Senate. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and would establish a system for state election officials to share information with federal authorities to verify voter rolls. It would also allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pursue immigration cases if noncitizens are found listed as eligible voters. Schumer and his caucus have panned the bill as voter suppression targeting poorer Americans and minority groups. Schumer also pushed back on comments from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who earlier this week said elections "may be one of the most important things that we need to make sure we trust, is reliable, and that when it gets to Election Day that we’ve been proactive to make sure that we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country.”

FOX News [2/15/2026 5:00 PM, Hanna Panreck, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., compared the Republican Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to Jim Crow 2.0 again during an interview on Sunday, when pressed on the overwhelming support for requiring ID to vote in the U.S. The New York senator was asked about Department of Homeland Security (DHS) head Kristi Noem talking about DHS’s role in overseeing elections. She said in the clip played by CNN during "State of the Union" that they need to make sure come Election Day, the right people are voting. Schumer called the statement a "load of bull," and argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shouldn’t be anywhere near polling places. CNN’s Jake Tapper said, "About 83% of the American people, including a majority of Democrats, support voter ID laws.” "Well, yes, the voter ID laws that, first, each state can have its own voter ID laws, and some do and some don’t. But, secondly, what they are proposing in this so-called SAVE Act is like Jim Crow 2.0. They make it so hard to get any kind of voter ID that more than 20 million legitimate people, mainly poorer people and people of color, will not be able to vote under this law. We will not let it pass in the Senate. We are fighting it tooth and nail," Schumer said. "It’s an outrageous proposal, that is, that shows the sort of political bias of the MAGA right. They don’t want poor people to vote. They don’t want people of color to vote, because they often don’t vote for them," Schumer said.

Federalist [2/16/2026 12:45 PM, Brianna Lyman, 540K] reports Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) sent a letter Monday to senators laying out a simple way the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act can be brought to the floor for a vote without "nuking" the filibuster. The SAVE Act would require both documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID to cast a ballot. The legislation passed the House, but is stalling in the Senate, despite 50 Republican senators who co-sponsor or support the SAVE America Act, according to Roy’s letter, which was exclusively obtained by The Federalist. As Roy pointed out, Senator Majority Leader John Thune can "put the bill on the floor any time.” Roy, preempting talking points from some Republicans, lays out how Thune could successfully bring the SAVE America Act to a vote without nuking the filibuster. Roy explains that as long as all Senate Republicans who have either co-sponsored or publicly supported the legislation show up and presents a live quorum, it would force Democrats to talk non-stop to delay a vote at just 51 votes, rather than the typical 60-threshold filibuster. "The commonly accepted 60-vote ‘filibuster’ threshold to ‘shut off debate’ is not the ONLY way to force a vote in the Senate – the majority can force opposing Senators to speak," Roy said. Under current Senate rules, according to Roy, if there is a quorum, the Senate must either be voting or a member must be speaking. "In other words, if no one is speaking and a quorum is present, the vote on the pending business happens automatically," Roy explained.

Breitbart [2/16/2026 1:11 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports on Sunday on MS NOW’s “Velshi,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship and a photo ID to vote, is the “equivalent of a show me your papers law.” Padilla said, “Absolutely nonsensical. I mean, to insist on bringing your birth certificate or a passport, a lot of Americans don’t even have a passport because not everybody travels internationally. It’s the equivalent of a show me your papers law to be able to exercise your fundamental constitutional right to vote. And who would be impacted?” He added, “You know, the SAVE Act may sound good in some quarters. You know, one big example is what you just said, a woman who may choose to change her name when she gets married. All of a sudden her birth certificate name is different than her ID. And that becomes a problem. It’s never been a problem. It isn’t a problem. Or what about people who live in rural areas have to make their way to a county courthouse to verify their registration. When you already work in probably more than 18 hours a day just to make ends meet. It’s not just an inconvenience. Members of the military, when they’re deployed and they change from one base to another, have to go through hoops to update their registration, to exercise their right to vote when they’re when they should be focusing on their core missions and our national security. Again, the SAVE Act is a solution in search of a problem. The only thing that’s saved is Republican chances of holding on to power. That’s how desperate they are.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/16/2026 11:09 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, discusses the ‘SAVE Act,’ detailing citizenship proof requirements for voter registration and debunking claims it blocks married women on ‘The Will Cain Show.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Blaze [2/16/2026 1:25 PM, Rebeka Zeljko, 1556K] reports Democrats and legacy media have put forth several mischaracterizations and even flat-out lies about the GOP’s latest election integrity bill. The House passed the SAVE America Act Wednesday with unanimous Republican support and with even one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, joining the GOP. The bill would put in place basic election integrity requirements like providing proof of citizenship and photo ID to register and vote in federal elections. The bill is now in the Senate, where Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is leading the effort to pass the legislation. Although this proposal seems commonsense to most Americans, Democrats have caused a firestorm of hysteria and misconception. Here is the truth behind Democrats’ most common rebuttals. The SAVE America Act aims to protect ballots from election fraud, particularly from illegal aliens and noncitizens. Democrats are quick to point out that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections, and those Democrats who are willing to admit that noncitizens voting does occasionally happen insist it takes place at a negligible rate.

AP [2/16/2026 3:57 PM, Gerald Imray and Nalova Akua, 2238K] reports a new group of third-country nationals was deported by the United States to Cameroon on Monday, lawyers told The Associated Press, days after it came to light that the Trump administration sent nine people to the Central African nation last month as part of its secretive program to remove immigrants to countries they have no ties with. Lawyer Alma David of the U.S.-based Novo Legal Group said that a group of migrants who were not Cameroonian citizens arrived on a deportation flight that landed in the capital, Yaounde, on Monday. David and Cameroon-based lawyer Joseph Awah Fru said they believed there were eight third-country nationals on the plane but had not spoken to them yet. The two lawyers said they are giving legal advice to some of the nine migrants — five women and four men — from other African countries who were deported from the U.S. to Cameroon last month. The lawyers also expected to offer counsel to the new group of deportees, they said. “For now, my focus is handling their shock,” Fru said. A White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the second deportation flight to Cameroon but gave no details. The New York Times first reported Saturday on the group of nine sent secretly to Cameroon last month. Two of them have since been repatriated to their home countries, David said.

New York Times [2/16/2026 5:00 AM, Mitch Smith, 148038K] reports a standing-room-only crowd jammed recently into the only courtroom in Comanche County, Kan. Residents came on their lunch breaks, trekked in from their ranches and even closed down a hardware store so they could watch. They were there for the man at the defendant’s table, Joe Ceballos, who just weeks before had been re-elected mayor of Coldwater in a small-town landslide, with 101 votes to his opponent’s 20. There had been no time to celebrate. Hours before the votes were tallied, Mr. Ceballos, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was charged in state court with voting illegally as a noncitizen. Now Mr. Ceballos, 55, sat in the high-ceilinged courtroom, glancing downward as a prosecutor from the Kansas attorney general’s office rattled off a list of felony charges that could lead to years in prison: three counts of election perjury, three counts of voting without being qualified. “This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a news release that included a photo of Mr. Ceballos and of his signature on a voter registration form.

Washington Times [2/16/2026 11:31 AM, Mallory Wilson, 1323K] reports Corey Lewandowski, a longtime ally and former senior adviser to President Trump, gets paid to make Cameos while he also serves as a top adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Mr. Lewandowski currently works closely with Ms. Noem as a special government employee. But on Cameo, he takes on the role as a business promoter, a birthday well-wisher and a pep-talker. A DHS official told the outlet that although Mr. Lewandowski doesn’t need to get permission to make the videos for money because he’s only a special government employee, using his access to the president may be a violation of the Hatch Act, which restricts civil-service employees in the executive branch from engaging in political activity.

CBS News [2/15/2026 2:19 PM, Ibrahim Aksoy, 51110K] Video: HERE reports Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday that two of President Trump’s top advisers, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, "are not taking care of" Mr. Trump’s "legacy" on immigration and border security. "You’ve heard me talk about Stephen Miller, you know my opinion about Kristi Noem," Tillis told Ed O’Keefe on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "These are people that don’t look around corners and are not taking care of this president’s legacy.” Tillis, who is not running for reelection in 2026, said he believed that Republicans could hold onto its majority in the Senate. But he admitted that it could be more difficult for Republicans to keep a majority in the House. "I have questions about the House, and some of that comes from what I believe may have been a little bit of overreach with respect to redistricting," he said. Republicans kicked off mid-decade redistricting in Texas to net up to five seats for Republicans at the behest of Mr. Trump, but Democrats in other states responded to net more seats for themselves, making the outcome unlikely. But Tillis said his "beef" about the GOP’s chances in the midterms "almost always relates to what I consider to be how things are being done.” Tillis praised the president’s national security policy concerning NATO and said he intends to shield his legacy. "And if I have to speak bluntly, that’s what I’m going to do in my remaining time in the Senate," Tillis said. Miller and Noem have faced scrutiny following the shooting deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, last month by immigration agents amid the Trump administration’s crackdown in Minneapolis. Dubbed Operation Metro Surge, immigration enforcement agents have targeted undocumented immigrants in the Minneapolis area, but White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the controversial operation will conclude by next week.

San Diego Union Tribune [2/16/2026 3:47 PM, Ben Bayer, 1257K] reports ICE has now announced the end to its recent immigration enforcement “surge” in Minnesota, after its tactics resulted in the death of two people. As ICE tactics continue to undermine due process rights, the New York Times editorial board and kindred others have reflected on the role ICE plays in a broader challenge the Trump administration poses to democracy. Trump’s immigration policies are dramatically unjust. But meaningful reflection on what’s wrong with them means recognizing an uncomfortable fact: they are not “undemocratic” but all too much a product of democracy. It’s an uncomfortable fact that Donald Trump won the 2024 election, not just in the electoral college but by 2 million in the popular vote. And he did it by loudly campaigning for his immigration policy. He promised to carry out “the largest deportation effort in American history,” and his running mate suggested starting with deporting 1 million people. Remorseful Trump voters have no excuse for thinking they voted for something else. The signs of Trump’s democratic roots are often hidden behind critics’ evasive relabeling: his “populism.” His immigration policy aims to scandalize a broad class of voting citizens by demonizing the non-citizen minority. “Populism” is just another name for the democracy that certain elites don’t happen to like. They go back to calling it “democracy” when the majority targets the rights of minorities they happen to despise, like businessmen. In its basic, original meaning, “democracy” just means majority rule unconstrained by checks and balances designed to protect individual rights. Many have characterized Trump’s policies and ICE’s tactics as autocratic or even fascistic. They have a point. But democratic fascism is no contradiction. Remember, the Nazi party first rose to power in Germany after being freely elected in 1932.

Washington Times [2/15/2026 2:59 PM, Michael McKenna, 1323K] reports there may have been a better path that would have minimized conflict and violence, a path that would have deputized employers in the effort to preclude illegal immigration, and a path that would have almost certainly resulted in a greater number of self-deportations. That path, of course, is the national adoption of E-Verify.

New York Post [2/16/2026 10:34 PM, Andrew Arthur, 40934K] reports President Joe Biden not only allowed 6 million to 10 million illegal aliens to walk across the border during his term — he also granted a "quiet amnesty" to nearly 1 million. We’re only learning this now, as the Department of Justice revealed Biden officials improperly "terminated," "dismissed" or "closed" that many cases before the nation’s immigration tribunals. The tool for this deception was the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review — "EOIR," pronounced like Winnie the Pooh’s sad donkey friend — which oversees deportation cases. Under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden administration used EOIR to manipulate removal hearings, tanking pending cases in the name of "prosecutorial discretion.” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan tracked this scam, and in October 2024, his staff issued a report revealing that "more than 700,000 illegal aliens have had their cases dismissed, terminated, or administratively closed" under Biden, which "allowed those aliens to stay in the country indefinitely without facing immigration consequences." That report, released 12 days before the 2024 presidential election, went largely ignored even as early votes were being cast. EOIR has now issued updated statistics for that report — and revealed Biden allowed nearly 1 million illegal immigrants to remain "indefinitely without facing immigration consequences.”

The Hill [2/16/2026 6:32 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports a new analysis shows that enforcement agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local and state law enforcement agencies have increased by more than 900 percent during President Trump’s first term. The analysis, released Monday by criminal justice reform advocacy group FWD.us, found that there are 1,372 agreements between local law enforcement agencies and ICE, up from 135 in January 2025. The agreements are legal under section 287(g) of the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act. But the Obama administration, citing issues such as racial profiling, ended the 287(g) model in 2012. From January through early September, the number of 287(g) agreements increased from 135 to 958. That month, ICE announced that starting in October, it would fully reimburse participating agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained officer under the model, including overtime coverage of up to 25 percent of the officer’s annual salary. The federal immigration enforcement agency received $75 billion over the next four years, nearly tripling its annual budget. That funding is intended for new detention centers, as well as hiring personnel, transportation costs and detaining families, according to the American Immigration Council. More than half of the 287(g) agreements are between ICE and a municipality or police department, while 40 percent are between ICE and a county or sheriff’s department, and 7 percent are between ICE and a state agency, FWD.us noted.

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NBC News [2/16/2026 6:00 AM, Julia Ainsley, 42967K]
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FOX News [2/16/2026 6:32 PM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports as federal immigration operations continue across the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), continues to nab child sex predators residing in the country as illegal immigrants. Child grooming, sex and lewd acts with minors, including some under 14, possession of child pornography, domestic assault, assault with a deadly weapon, stalking and drug trafficking were among some of DHS’s "worst of the worst" arrests from Presidents Day weekend. "Over President’s Day weekend, the brave men and women of ICE arrested heinous criminal illegal aliens across the country convicted for sex crimes against children, rape, and drug trafficking," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "These violent criminals will never be allowed to harm children and innocent Americans again.” Meanwhile, according to McLaughlin, "nearly 70%" of ICE arrests are of illegal immigrants either charged, or convicted, of a crime in the United States. "Nothing will stop ICE law enforcement from removing them from American communities," the DHS assistant secretary concluded. Over the weekend, several of those illegal alien criminals arrested by ICE had previous charges related to child sex abuse. Efren Guzman-Lopez, who is originally from Guatemala, was picked up in Texas following a conviction for indecency with child-sexual contact and child grooming. Another criminal illegal alien convicted of sex offenses with a child, specifically lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, was picked up this weekend in California. The individual originally from Mexico, Javier Millan-Salgado, was also listed on the sex offender registry, according to DHS. "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)," the website’s homepage reads. "Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”

FOX News [2/16/2026 1:05 PM, Ashley Oliver Fox, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security told a court Friday that it could once again ban federal lawmakers from making unannounced visits to ICE detention centers after funding restrictions passed by Congress had expired. Government lawyers wrote to the D.C. federal court that there was "no lawful basis" for the court to continue blocking the policy, saying the partial government shutdown cleared the way for DHS to enforce it. The policy has been a point of contention in court for months as Democratic House lawmakers show up unannounced at facilities. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., used a recent surprise visit he made to a detention center in Maryland, for instance, to slam DHS for what he said were "disgraceful," overcrowded conditions. DHS first imposed a seven-day notice requirement for Congress members who wanted to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities last summer, leading 13 House Democrats to sue. The plaintiffs included Raskin, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who argued that since 2019, Congress and the president have passed funding bills that allowed lawmakers to conduct "real-time oversight of the true conditions" of immigration facilities. Government lawyers countered that the courts did not have the authority to resolve what they said was a legislative dispute and that ICE needed the seven-day notice to be able to "allocate the resources necessary for congressional visits.” "Those protocols therefore reasonably balance the need for safe and secure visits with Members’ interest in conducting oversight," the lawyers wrote. "The protocols are also consistent with ICE’s statutory obligations because § 527 does not prohibit ICE from deriving an advance notice requirement from some other statutory source of authority, and other statutes grant [DHS] and ICE broad discretion to oversee detention facilities.”

NPR [2/17/2026 5:00 AM, Jaclyn Diaz and Connie Hanzhang Jin, 34837K] reports the use of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that deputizes local police for immigration enforcement has dramatically expanded under President Donald Trump’s second term in office. The rapid expansion of the 287(g) program marks one of the most visible shifts in President Trump’s second-term immigration strategy. On Trump’s first day he signed the executive order, "Protecting the American People from Invasion," which called on the DHS secretary to maximize the use of 287(g) agreements and to structure them "in the manner that provides the most effective model for enforcing Federal immigration laws." The results have been swift. In 2019, during Trump’s first term, just 45 of these 287(g) agreements were signed, available data shows. As of Feb. 13, ICE reported 1,412 active agreements across 40 states and territories — more than 1,130 of them signed in 2025 alone. (DHS did not provide data prior to 2019 or between 2020 and 2025. NPR has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for this information). In a response to NPR’s questions, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said that these partnerships serve as critical resources to "arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country" and make the U.S. safer. However, available data is hard to parse and it’s unclear what arrests, detentions or deportations can be credited to this program. DHS said there were more than 675,000 deportations as of January 2026 in Trump’s first year back in office because of the administration’s crackdown on immigration. The Trump administration believes these partnerships are fruitful, with DHS pointing to operations in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has effectively required local law enforcement to sign 287(g) agreements with ICE, which netted 40,000 arrests. And in West Virginia, more than 650 "illegal aliens" were arrested over a two-week operation, according to McLaughlin.

Politico [2/16/2026 12:01 PM, Natalie Fertig, 21784K] reports federal immigration officers face the prospect of being pulled over by local cops in one Oregon city. In another, they may be banned from using tear gas against protesters. In California and Michigan, local officials want to keep ICE and the Border Patrol from using public property for enforcement and a liberal enclave in Massachusetts may ban agents from getting a job with its police department. The resistance to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement campaign has emerged as a potent local issue in cities across the U.S. amid widespread outrage, fueled most recently by the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. “Sand in the gears is the best approach that we have found so far,” said Jamie Dunphy, the president of the City Council in Portland, Ore., which has imposed a “municipal impact fee” on a building leased by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for operations in the city. Portland is also considering a ban on law enforcement using tear gas or any other chemical agents against protesters. Efforts to thwart the president’s immigration enforcement campaign are proliferating in liberal cities, including Cambridge, Mass., and Richmond, Calif., underscoring the public anger over the issue and how local officials are working to appease angry constituents demanding action. “This is something that we can control.” said Yi-An Huang, the city manager of Cambridge, Mass., which last week banned ICE from using city property for enforcement activity. There have not been instances of ICE using city property in Cambridge, Huang says, but he’s heard accounts from nearby cities. Many actions by cities face potential legal challenges. The Trump administration says efforts by local and state governments to curb immigration enforcement are misplaced. “Anyone pointing the finger at law enforcement officers instead of the criminals is simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson. In a separate statement, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol, said local laws that seek to control federal agents are illegal. “What these States are trying to do is unlawful, and they know it,” the agency said in a written statement. “Federal officials acting in the course of their duties are immune from liability under state law.”

ABC News [2/16/2026 5:05 AM, Staff, 34146K] reports as Khelin Marcano was preparing for her routine scheduled appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in December, she debated packing a bag full of her 1-year-old daughter’s clothes. While she and her husband had been attending appointments without issue, she knew others were being detained at government buildings by immigration authorities. "When they told us we were being detained, it felt like we already knew, all along," Marcano told ABC News. The family, including 1-year-old Amalia, was quickly sent from El Paso to Texas’ Dilley immigration detention center, where they were detained for 60 days -- joining hundreds of other families that the government has held for durations that advocates say exceed the limits established by federal court rulings. Those restrictions stem from the Flores Settlement, a 1997 legal agreement that a federal court has interpreted to mean that the government generally should not hold children in immigration custody for more than 20 days. As of last month, there were about 1,400 people being held at Dilley, including children and parents, according to RAICES, a legal immigrant advocacy group. The facility was closed during the Biden administration and was re-opened last year as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown ramped up. The 60 days that Marcano, her husband Stiven Prieto, and their daughter were held there is three times the general legal limit permitted by the settlement. "The Trump administration is holding children and families in detention for prolonged periods of time, weeks, months," Elora Mukherjee, the family’s lawyer, told ABC News. "Children and families at the Dilley facility don’t have access to sufficient clean drinking water, where they don’t have access to sufficient nutritious food, [and] don’t have access to adequate medical care. The family entered the U.S. using the Biden-era Customs and Border Protection app in 2024, according to court documents. They were processed and granted parole to live in the country while applying for asylum. The family was released last week after their 60-day detention and their first court date is scheduled for 2027, according to their attorney. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the family "was released into the country under the Biden administration," and confirmed their detention. "For years, the Flores consent decree has been a tool of the left to promote an open borders agenda," the DHS spokesperson said. "It is long overdue for a single district in California to stop managing the Executive Branch’s immigration functions. The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense to our immigration system.”

ABC News [2/16/2026 11:40 AM, Staff, 34146K] Video: HERE reports ABC News’ Luke Barr reports on Department of Homeland Security’s plans for new immigrant detention centers.

FOX News [2/16/2026 9:03 AM, Hanna Panreck, 37576K] reports House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries clashed with left-wing podcast host Wajahat Ali on Friday while facing questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Speaking with Ali and ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid during Reid’s show, Jeffries argued that one of the most actionable things Democrats could do right now is making it so state attorneys general can investigate and prosecute ICE agents, as Republicans control the House and the Senate and any action against the agency or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would require Republican support. Ali demanded Jeffries lead the push to abolish the agency all together. "I’m going to be a bit blunt here. Leaders lead, and what we’ve seen is people are impressionable. If you lead on something, people will follow. It seems the wind is behind your back for the first time ever. ICE has a history, CPP has a history of terrorizing Black and Brown communities," he said. "People are asking themselves, why are we, our taxpayer dollars, paying for masked, lawless men to terrorize our communities, kidnap people, take children, and kill Americans?". The left-wing personality said, "Why not lead and say abolish ICE? Because what you’re telling us is you want our taxpayer dollars to pay for a lawless mass armed agency to continue terrorizing our cities. And I’m trying to figure out how you, as a leader, can be telling Americans that their taxpayer dollars should be going to ICE.” Jeffries shot back and said, "I don’t understand anything that you just said.” Ali then added, "I spoke English.” The lawmaker argued that he had made clear that American tax dollars should be put towards making things more affordable, rather than brutalizing or killing them, in reference to ICE.

New York Post [2/16/2026 12:46 PM, Taylor Herzlich, 40934K] reports that the number of cryptocurrency payments to suspected human trafficking groups surged 85% in 2025 as digital assets play a growing role in illicit online schemes, according to a new report from analytics firm Chainalysis. Hundreds of millions of transactions on public blockchains exposed links between cryptocurrency payments and human trafficking networks, child sex abuse operations and online scams, according to the report, which was earlier cited by CNBC. Most of the alleged criminal crypto activity was traced back to a growing criminal ecosystem in Southeast Asia, though the payments themselves were sent from locations around the world, including North and South America, Europe and Australia, according to Chainalysis. International escort and prostitution services, scam compounds in Southeast Asia and criminals sharing child sex abuse materials largely relied on crypto payments, the report found. The shocking report also found that these human trafficking networks are no longer hiding on the "dark web" — but operating in plain view on messaging platforms like Telegram, where they recruit victims and organize crypto payments. "The key takeaway is that the true financial scale is large, at least hundreds of millions of USD worth of crypto transactions, and the physical harm is orders of magnitude greater than any dollar figure," Chainalysis intelligence analyst Tom McLouth told CNBC.

AP [2/15/2026 8:08 PM, Heather Hollingsworth, 120K] reports that federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds, a document released Friday shows, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly purchases warehouses to turn into detention and processing facilities. Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte posted the document online amid tension over ICE’s plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing center. It said ICE plans 16 regional processing centers with a population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees, whose stays would average three to seven days. Another eight large-scale detention centers would be capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days. The document also refers to the acquisition of 10 existing “turnkey” facilities. Plans call for all of them to be up and running by November as immigration officials roll out a massive $45 billion expansion of detention facilities financed by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-cutting law. More than 75,000 immigrants were being detained by ICE as of mid-January, up from 40,000 when Trump took office a year earlier, according to federal data released last week.

New York Times [2/17/2026 3:00 AM, Benjamin Oreskes and Jay Root, 148038K] reports for the better part of a decade, motorists on the New York side of the Peace Bridge in Buffalo have had to confront a vexing problem: One wrong turn, easily taken, and you’ll soon be in Canada. But under President Trump’s immigration crackdown, the inconvenience of a wayward trip has taken on dire consequences. A number of people, including some with legal residency status, have been detained for weeks pending deportation procedures. The latest episode occurred last month, when U.S. authorities arrested a University of Buffalo research scientist, Shovgi Huseynov, who tried to turn around before crossing the Peace Bridge and was detained for weeks, first in nearby Batavia, N.Y., and then in Michigan. Mr. Huseynov, a native of Azerbaijan whose lawyers said he had authorization to work in the United States through 2029, was released in late January. But the publicity over his detention sparked outrage, calls for reform and, earlier this month, a small gesture from Gov. Kathy Hochul. Ms. Hochul’s anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has soared in recent months, leading her to call for a prohibition on partnerships between police departments in New York and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In Buffalo, she has directed the State Department of Transportation to place temporary electronic signs at the entrance to the bridge’s roundabout warning drivers that they are heading to another country. “I am traumatized when I think about what is happening to families,” Ms. Hochul said at a news conference. “I mean, this insanity has to stop.” For now, motorists will have to be content with the electronic signage, which alternately flashes “Right Ramp” and “To Canada Only.”

New York Post [2/16/2026 8:33 PM, Josh Christenson, 40934K] reports a former top aide to New York Attorney General Letitia James runs a liberal nonprofit that is helping administer funding for anti-ICE trainings nationwide. Anna Brower, James’ chief of staff until this past September, serves as president of the Hopewell Fund, one of several members of a so-called “dark money” network of left-wing philanthropies administered until 2024 by Arabella Advisors. Hopewell doled out more than $91 million in grants that year for causes related to civil rights, social action and advocacy, per its latest tax filings, and serves as the fiscal sponsor of an organization called States at the Core. More than 12,000 people have been trained through States at the Core’s ICE Watch seminars since President Trump’s second inauguration, according to the nonprofit, though it’s unclear how much funding Hopewell has been helping it manage since it was founded in November 2024, the New York Times reported. “Upholding human dignity and safety is central to our mission, and we actively discourage individuals from disrupting or interfering with law enforcement activity,” Brower told The Post in a statement. Trainings from another group linked to a leader from States at the Core have urged demonstrators to go further and disrupt federal immigration enforcement — drawing the ire of conservative watchdog groups. Americans for Public Trust (APT) executive director Caitlin Sutherland said some seminars “deliberately” told protesters to obstruct enforcement operations, in apparent violation of federal law. “The IRS has made clear that nonprofits cannot fund illegal acts, and that specifically includes deliberately blocking traffic and disrupting government work,” Sutherland said.

CBS New York [2/16/2026 7:03 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports two men were detained Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near a church in Union City, New Jersey. Parish leaders say the men were just about to head inside Cristiana Dios De Amor Church on 19th Street to attend services. Resident Laura Nolasco captured the arrests on video. "I see everyone recording, so I’m like let me record just in case something happens," Nolasco said. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE did not target or raid the church, adding, "This type of garbage is contributing to our officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them.” DHS said the agents were conducting targeted surveillance for more than a mile before the stop and arrested El Salvadoran Emilio Ruiz-Esquivel, who was issued a final order of removal after failing to show up for his immigration hearing. The other man, Oscar Leonel Telong Gonzalez, is a Guatemalan who entered the U.S. illegally, DHS said. Rep. Menendez calls immigration enforcement "outrageous". Congressman Robert Menendez Jr., who serves the district, said the majority of ICE arrests have been taking place at scheduled check-ins and court hearings. "The fact that this happened yesterday outside of church is outrageous and should enrage every single American," Menendez said. "With respect to places of worship, as you know these used to be off-limits for immigration enforcement under prior administrations.” The DHS spokesperson urged those in the U.S. illegally to take advantage of an offer of, "$2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now.”

Univision [2/16/2026 3:02 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports concern is growing in Union City after two people were detained on Sunday by alleged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in front of a Christian church, just as they were heading to participate in Sunday service. The incident occurred on 19th Street, in front of the God of Love Christian Church, minutes before the religious service was scheduled to begin. Parishioners and neighbors recorded the moment when several armed and hooded men intercepted and handcuffed two young men. According to witnesses, the officers arrived in at least six unmarked vehicles. Some people stated that the officers had their faces covered, did not have visible badges, and never presented identification or a warrant during the operation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent a statement to N+ Univision New York denying that it had carried out an operation against a church in Union City, and called the information "garbage that contributes to attacks against its agents." He indicated that his officers carried out "selective surveillance before stopping a vehicle where they arrested Emilio Ruiz-Esquivel, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, and Oscar Leonel Telón González, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala."

CNN [2/17/2026 4:14 AM, Elizabeth Wolfe, 19874K] reports after losing four decades of his life serving time for a murder he maintains he did not commit, a gray-haired Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam prepared to step out of a Pennsylvania prison last October as a free man. Instead, a day after his charges were dropped, Vedam was swept up by ICE on a decades-old deportation order, his attorney said. The 64-year-old, who came to the US from India when he was an infant, was suddenly thrown into another painstaking legal battle. Now, a federal immigration judge on Tuesday will decide whether to release Vedam on bond while he fights his deportation. The hearing follows a ruling last week by the US Board of Immigration Appeals – the highest administrative body for interpreting and applying immigration laws – which determined Vedam’s case is an “exceptional situation” that warrants re-opening his immigration case, according to his attorney, Ava Benach. The original deportation order, which was thrown out by the Board of Immigration Appeals, was based on Vedam’s now-vacated murder conviction and a related drug charge, Benach said. After decades of maintaining his innocence, Vedam’s conviction was thrown out by a judge in August after it was revealed that prosecutors had withheld potentially critical ballistics evidence during his two trials. While Vedam’s family is “very hopeful” they will be reunited with him on Tuesday, they are aware of how challenging it is to navigate immigration cases during the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, Benach said. The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to fight Vedam’s release, saying in a statement Monday that the vacation of his conviction will not deter its efforts. Though DHS called Vedam a “criminal illegal alien,” his attorney said he is a permanent legal resident. “Having a single conviction vacated will not stop ICE’s enforcement of the federal immigration law,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences.”

NewsMax [2/16/2026 4:37 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K] reports Maryland sheriffs have said they will keep working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite an expected new law that would ban official agreements between law enforcement and the federal agency. Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, is expected to sign the law banning 287(g) agreements after it was passed Thursday by the Maryland General Assembly. "No politician or legislative body is going to tell me that I can’t communicate with another law enforcement agency on matters of public safety in my community," Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees told The Baltimore Sun. "I’m not going to stop." Sheriffs in the Maryland jurisdictions with 287(g) agreements told the Sun they would comply with the bill, but they would continue to communicate and work with ICE and are considering legal challenges to the law. "This is all political," Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said. "You can put any lipstick you want on it; it’s all political," Jenkins added. "The Democrats don’t want any cooperation with ICE. They don’t want any enforcement whatsoever." The counties are Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, St. Mary’s, Washington, and Wicomico.

Breitbart [2/16/2026 1:22 PM, Amy Furr, 2238K] reports some sheriffs in Maryland are vowing to continue working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in defiance of their Democrat governor. Gov. Wes Moore (D) is expected to sign a bill banning official agreements between local police and the federal agency, but the move may get some pushback, the Baltimore Sun reported Sunday. The bill may end 287(g) agreements, which eight Maryland counties currently have, according to CBS News. "The state currently allows two different types of 287(g) agreements. One that allows correctional officers to flag noncitizens to ICE and detain them for 48 hours, and another that allows officers to serve warrants on jailed noncitizens," the outlet said. According to the Sun report, Carroll County Sheriff James T. "Jim" DeWees is taking a hard stance regarding how he protects community members. He said, "No politician or legislative body is going to tell me that I can’t communicate with another law enforcement agency on matters of public safety in my community. I’m not going to stop.” DeWees also noted, "The bill bans the agreements, and then in typical Annapolis fashion, they supply no alternative," adding he will "create a policy within my office to continue working with ICE," per WBFF. Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. "Chuck" Jenkins said, "This is all political. You can put any lipstick you want on it; it’s all political. The Democrats don’t want any cooperation with ICE. They don’t want any enforcement whatsoever," according to the Sun article. Meanwhile, officials in Maryland’s Washington County recently approved a resolution giving their "full support" for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE, and other law enforcement agencies, Breitbart News reported Tuesday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/16/2026 5:01 PM, Bonny Chu, 37576K] reports authorities announced Monday that two illegal immigrants were arrested last week in connection with a "violent" home invasion in North Carolina that sent one victim to the hospital. The reported burglary occurred in a suburban neighborhood in the middle of the night on Wednesday, the Pitt County Sheriff said. "At 3:16 a.m. on February 11, 2026, Pitt County deputies responded to a reported assault at 200 Louis Street in the Cherry Oaks neighborhood of Greenville. Arriving deputies determined that the incident was a home invasion," the agency said. "Both arrested suspects were discovered to be in the United States illegally." Police arrested the suspects two days later, identifying them as 20-year-old homeless man Jonathan David Garcia-Lario and 21-year-old Chapel Hill resident Zaid Mayen. Investigators said they recovered related evidence at an apartment in Chapel Hill, roughly two hours from the crime scene. The suspects are accused of committing multiple serious crimes, including rape or an equivalent forcible offense, kidnapping, burglary and using a deadly weapon with intent to kill. They are each facing four felony charges for first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree forcible sex offense, and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury. Authorities did not confirm the nature or extent of the victim’s injuries but said the individual was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was notified, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to become involved. Authorities noted that an ICE detainer was placed on each individual, indicating that immigration agents may eventually take custody of them.

New York Times [2/16/2026 6:19 PM, Soumya Karlamangla, 148038K] reports a public-school teacher was killed on Monday when a man fleeing immigration agents in Savannah, Ga., crashed a car into the teacher’s vehicle, according to the local police. Shortly before 7:45 a.m., agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement were trying to pull over the man, Oscar Vasquez Lopez, 38, according to the Chatham County Police Department. Originally from Guatemala, Mr. Lopez was issued a final order of removal by a federal judge in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Officers were trying to apprehend him in Savannah when he “fled the scene, making a reckless U-turn and running a red light, colliding into a civilian vehicle,” according to a statement by the agency. The crash occurred outside a public school, Herman W. Hesse K-8 School, which serves about 1,000 students, the police said. There were no classes on Monday because of the Presidents’ Day holiday, but it was a planning day for teachers, according to the school’s website. The Chatham County Police Department said it was not involved with the ICE operation, nor had it been aware of it beforehand. The police arrested Mr. Lopez and charged him with first degree homicide, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic control device, according to Betsy Nolen, a spokeswoman for the police department. Department of Homeland Security officials said that Mr. Lopez had entered the United States illegally at an unknown date and location. A department spokeswoman pointed fingers at politicians and media whom she said have demonized ICE and encouraged resistance of agents. “Fleeing from and resisting federal law enforcement is not only a crime but extraordinarily dangerous and puts oneself, our officers and innocent civilians at risk,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the spokeswoman. “Now, an innocent bystander has lost their life.”

Reported similarly:
New York Post [2/17/2026 2:00 AM, Zoe Hussain, 40934K]
Breitbart [2/16/2026 5:33 PM, John Binder, 2238K]

CBS News [2/15/2026 4:12 PM, Zachary Bynum, 51110K] reports Georgia state Senator Jaha Howard and South Fulton Councilwoman Helen Zenobia Willis announced new legislative efforts Sunday aimed at preventing large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities from opening in metro Atlanta and elsewhere in Georgia. Speaking at South Fulton City Hall, the two Democrats outlined a proposed state Senate bill and a city resolution they say are designed to stop what they described as "industrial-scale" detention centers from being placed in local communities without public input. The announcement comes in response to reported plans for ICE "mega-center" facilities in Social Circle and Oakwood, including one site said to be designed to hold up to 10,000 detainees, a capacity larger than the population of some host communities. Howard said he plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit the use of state-controlled funds, tax incentives, subsidies or public-private partnership mechanisms to support the acquisition, construction, renovation, expansion or operation of ICE detention facilities. The proposal would also require environmental impact reviews, public hearings, and comprehensive site assessments before any detention facility could be considered. "We are here because of a proposal of a 10,000-bed detention facility in a town with fewer than 5,000 residents. That should give every Georgian pause," Howard said during the news conference.

Univision [2/16/2026 12:02 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Juan Uribe, a Colombian immigrant who lives in Florida, USA, made an urgent appeal on social media to find a compatible stem cell donor for his son, Max, who suffers from a rare blood disease and needs a transplant. It was on the TikTok platform where the Colombian immigrant asked for help from Hispanic communities living in the United States. The situation is complicated because many people are hesitant to register to help due to harassment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Colombian man is asking for help to find a fully compatible donor. Uribe explains that finding a compatible donor is difficult in minority communities and those for which there are no complete records.

USA Today [2/16/2026 12:13 PM, Thao Nguyen, 70643K] reports a Chicago teenager who garnered national attention for fighting for her father’s release after he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2025 has died, a family spokesperson said. Ofelia Giselle Torres Hidalgo, 16, died on Feb. 13 from stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, according to a statement from the family’s spokesperson. Torres Hidalgo had been diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer in December 2024. The teenager was undergoing cancer treatment and had been home visiting her family for the weekend when her father, Ruben Torres Maldonado, was arrested in October 2025 at a Home Depot store in suburban Chicago, a GoFundMe page set up for the family states. He was detained during the Trump administration’s "Operation Midway Blitz," a major immigration enforcement campaign that brought a surge of federal agents to the Chicago area. Torres Hidalgo "successfully fought for her father’s freedom," and an immigration judge in Chicago ruled three days before her death that her father was conditionally entitled to receive "cancellation of removal" due to the hardships his deportation would cause his children, who are U.S. citizens, according to the family’s spokesperson. The ruling provides Torres Maldonado with a path to obtaining lawful permanent residence and eventual U.S. citizenship, the statement said.

Reported similarly:
NBC News [2/15/2026 2:18 PM, Mirna Alsharif and Karen Cross, 42967K]

Detroit Free Press [2/16/2026 5:49 PM, Niraj Warikoo, 4749K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it has purchased a building in Romulus where it plans to build detention facilities to house immigrant inmates. The federal agency said the plans will bring jobs, economic growth and tax revenue to metro Detroit while targeting criminal illegal aliens. In a statement to the Free Press on Monday, Feb. 16, a spokesperson for ICE said the federal agency has "purchased a facility in Romulus, Michigan." Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said in a statement late Friday, Feb. 13, that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, had secured a building at 7525 Cogswell in Romulus. Asked by the Free Press if the building on Cogswell is the one they purchased, ICE confirmed they bought a building in Romulus and plan to build a center, but did not give a specific address. McCraight and other elected officials representing Romulus oppose ICE plans for any detention center, saying it will unfairly target communities and also hinder economic development. The site of the planned new ICE detention center would be close to airports in Wayne County that often carry immigrant detainees. U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, who represents Romulus, launched a petition Monday in opposition to the ICE center. “I stand with the people of Romulus in strong opposition to the Trump administration’s attempt to build their new ICE facility in Romulus," Thanedar said in a statement. “I’ve spoken with countless constituents from the city who are horrified by the rampant abuse that we’ve seen from ICE in recent months, and the absolute last thing that they want is for that abuse to come to their backyard." But ICE said Monday their plans for a detention center will benefit southeastern Michigan. "These will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards," a spokesperson for ICE told the Free Press in a statement. "Sites will undergo community impact studies and a rigorous due diligence process to make sure there is no hardship on local utilities or infrastructure prior to purchase. The Romulus facility and its construction are expected to bring 1,458 jobs to the area and would contribute $149.9 million to GDP. It’s also projected to bring in more than $33 million in tax revenue." In their statement, ICE included photos and names of five immigrants in Michigan arrested by ICE they said had criminal records and were illegal aliens. The men are from Laos, Vietnam, Cuba and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “These economic benefits don’t even take into account that removing criminals from the streets makes communities safer for business owners and customers," the ICE spokesperson said. "ICE is targeting criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S." The ICE spokesperson added that because of the new federal bill signed into law last year on July 4 known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," "ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities."

CBS News [2/16/2026 2:56 PM, Steven Rosenbaum, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the owners of a million-square-foot warehouse outside of Dallas said in a statement Monday they would not sell or lease the building to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Leaders and citizens of the small city of Hutchins have been on edge in recent weeks after The Washington Post, Bloomberg and other news outlets reported that the warehouse was among about two dozen nationwide that the Department of Homeland Security identified to possibly convert into detention centers for tens of thousands of people detained in immigration enforcement operations. A detention facility in the Hutchins warehouse could reportedly hold up 10,000 people, dwarfing the city’s population of 6,000. The warehouse is located along I-45 about 12 miles southeast of Downtown Dallas. The Hutchins City Council heard from concerned residents earlier this month, with Mayor Mario Vasquez saying that the federal government had not contacted the city or attempted to obtain any necessary permits. A group of state and local officials also held a news conference decrying the reported plans. There were even rumors that the warehouse had already been sold. Concerns among residents persisted, even as the DHS said there were no new detention centers to announce. On Monday, Majestic Realty Co. confirmed in a statement to CBS News Texas that it had been "contacted about the potential sale" of the building but the company "has not and will not enter into any agreement for the purchase or lease of any building to the Department of Homeland Security for use as a detention facility." "We’re grateful for the long-term relationship we have with Mayor Mario Vasquez and the City of Hutchins and look forward to continuing our work to find a buyer or lease tenant that will help drive economic growth," the statement said.

CBS News [2/16/2026 1:28 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he has launched an investigation into three school districts, including Dallas ISD, over students protesting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Over the last few weeks, students from several North Texas high schools have walked out during their lunch breaks and after school to demand changes within ICE, following the killing of two people in Minnesota and the arrest and deportations of civilians across the United States. Paxton’s office will investigate Dallas ISD, North East ISD in San Antonio and Manor ISD hear Austin, for these schools allegedly "facilitating and failing to keep students safe and accountable during various student protests against lawful immigration enforcement," his office said in a news release. Earlier this month, some members of the Texas State School Board and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned they could cut education funding if the demonstrations continue, and called for such investigations. The members and Abbott said the walkouts were a school safety issue and they believed school faculty may have influenced students to protest. The Houston Chronicle [2/16/2026 2:27 PM, Emily Donaldson, 2493K] reports San Antonio’s North East Independent School District is under investigation for allegedly facilitating student protests against U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday. Paxton said his office also is investigating Dallas ISD and Manor ISD near Austin “for facilitating and failing to keep students safe and accountable during various student protests against lawful immigration enforcement.” In early February, Paxton launched an investigation into Austin ISD over student protests. Thousands of Texas public school students have staged walkouts in recent weeks to protest federal immigration enforcement. School district officials have said they take no part in organizing or facilitating the protests but cannot keep students on campus if they choose to leave. Paxton said in a news release that he launched the inquiries because “it appears that these ISDs have taken little to no action to ensure the safety of students and to stop large-scale interruptions of classroom instructional time.” Paxton demanded that NEISD and the other districts provide information on their policies governing how and when students can leave campus, unexcused absences and security protocols. He also asked for internal communications related to the protests. “The Office of the Attorney General will investigate the use of public funds and whether any laws were violated,” wrote Paxton, who is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The AG’s investigation is focused on Churchill High School, NEISD spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said. The district plans to fully cooperate with Paxton’s requests and provide documents related to Churchill other schools “in the spirit of transparency,” she said. Last month, NEISD issued guidance to staff to clarify its policy on protests. “Staff was informed to follow our policies, which dictate that their role is to supervise students, maintain a safe learning environment, and remain professionally neutral,” Chancellor said. “Staff was reminded to not encourage, endorse, discourage, or attempt to persuade students about participating in a walkout or protest.”

New York Post [2/15/2026 7:33 PM, Zoe Hussain, 40934K] reports that the estranged twin daughters of an Irishman who has been held in a Texas immigration detention facility for nearly five months blasted their father as an absentee parent — arguing he should be sent back to Ireland to face long-standing drug charges, according to a report. Heather and Melissa Morrissey felt compelled to speak out after their father, Seamus Culleton, pleaded on RTÉ radio for Irish authorities to intervene in his US detention so he could return to his American wife and life in Boston, where he runs a construction company, according to the Daily Mail. The twins, who are about to turn 19, told the outlet that Culleton "abandoned" them when they were 18 months old, leaving their mother, Margaret "Maggie" Morrissey, to raise them alone. In a statement on X, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Culleton "received full due process and was issued a final deportation order from a federal judge." "On September 9, 2025, ICE arrested Seamus Culleton, an illegal alien from Ireland. He entered the United States in 2009 under the visa waiver program, which allows you to stay in the U.S. for 90 days without a visa," McLaughin said. "He failed to depart the U.S. He received full due process and was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on September 10, 2025. He was offered the chance to instantly be removed to Ireland but chose to stay in ICE custody, in fact he took affirmative steps to remain in detention."

FOX News [2/16/2026 11:48 AM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports a western state’s governor and attorney general are launching an investigation into potential violations of a statewide ban on sanctuary cities and sanctuary-jurisdictional policies, pledging zero tolerance for failure to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told Fox News Digital that he and Attorney General Austin Knudsen, both Republicans, will investigate the capital city of Helena under SB 200, which permits civil legal action and enforcement of fines against jurisdictions found in violation. "In Montana, we don’t tolerate defiance and we support our law enforcement officers," Gianforte told Fox News Digital. "While the attorney general’s initial investigation will focus on the city of Helena, we’re really sending a message to all local governments across the state: If you are found to be in violation of state law, there will be penalties.” In response to Helena City Commissioners’ vote to prevent local coordination with federal immigration enforcement, Gianforte and Knudsen announced the decision will be investigated as a potential violation of the sanctuary city ban originally authored by state Rep. Kenneth Holmlund, R-Miles City. Gianforte said he has "serious concerns" about the resolution’s compliance with state law and said that under the sanctuary city ban, no state or local agency may refuse to cooperate with DHS. In a letter to Knudsen formally requesting his office’s cooperation, Gianforte laid out how "securing the border has been a top priority of President Donald J. Trump after the previous administration let nearly 11 million illegal immigrants enter freely into the United States under their watch.”

NBC News [2/16/2026 2:54 PM, Bridget Bowman, 42967K] reports a federal judge on Friday ordered the release of a Filipino man from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, noting a "pattern of failures" in his medical care that "more likely than not resulted in the extreme pain and permanent disability.” Judge Tana Lin of the Western District of Washington wrote that the man, Greggy Sorio, saw his health decline while in the facility, eventually suffering two partial foot amputation surgeries, ulcerative colitis, blood loss, a kidney injury, a deficiency in vitamin D and "dramatic unintended weight loss.” Lin wrote the "unreasonable treatment" of Sorio violated the Constitution and that Sorio be released. Sorio entered the U.S. as a "lawful permanent resident" in 2007, according to the judge’s order, and was detained by ICE in March after he was released from prison. He was being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. In July, Sorio complained of blood in his stool, severe abdominal pain and yellowing of his skin and was denied requests to be sent to the hospital. By October, Sorio said he was "in extreme pain and could barely walk" and was sent to the hospital after several hours of waiting, the judge’s order recounted. Although Sorio was prescribed an antibiotic at the hospital, the ICE facility staff did not fill the prescription and seemed to believe he had been diagnosed with "inflammatory bowel syndromes," an apparent reference to irritable bowel syndrome, the order noted. A few days later, Sorio reported pain and swelling in his foot and said he was initially denied a hospital visit. When he went to the hospital on Oct. 22, he was determined to have a bone infection and went through two amputation surgeries. Sorio told NBC’s Seattle affiliate after he was released on Friday, "If they had sent me to the hospital in July when I was begging them, I wouldn’t lose my foot. It’s preventable. They could have prevented this.”

Daily Caller [2/16/2026 1:18 PM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports Students who walked out of Enumclaw High School in Washington state Friday assaulted and threatened to shoot independent journalists. Across the country, students have walked out of schools to protest operations by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), especially since Department of Homeland Security officers were involved in the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in January. Before the reporters who went by the X handles of "Conspiracookie," "ChrisxSims" and "DannyRebel333" were assaulted, they posted videos of the walkout. "If I had a gun, I’d pew-pew your motherfucking ass and all you bitches," one female student told "DannyRebel333" in videos taken shortly before another student punched him, adding, "I said what I said.” Another video showed a student punching "DannyRebel333" and moving around, yelling at the journalists. "DannyRebel333" later went to the emergency room to be evaluated for a concussion, "Conspiracookie" reported. Video showed police moving in and making arrests after the assaults, with at least two students being led away in handcuffs. Enumclaw Police confirmed that two arrests were made, with one student being charged with assault, obstruction and resisting arrest, while another was charged with obstruction, according to a Friday Facebook post. "Conspiracookie" posted that adults who were supervising the students at the protest appeared to be interfering when students were talking with the independent journalists.

New York Post [2/15/2026 9:33 PM, James Gant and Kenneth Garger, 40934K] reports that a radical group with a twisted mission to help high school students take on federal immigration officers has already scheduled its next anti-ICE "mass meeting" — as the White House on Sunday slammed "far-left organizations" that target law enforcement. "Dare To Struggle," which has urged kids to skip school and confront agents in cities across the US, organized a gathering that will take place at South Park Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Friday, one week after two youngsters attacked an agent during an unruly protest downtown. The organization’s "SoCal" offshoot is not shy in promoting chaos, encouraging the LA’s youth and others to "join the spring surge to melt ICE," in an Instagram post announcing their newest event. A second similar "mass meeting" advertised by Dare To Struggle SoCal will be held Friday in a greenspace in nearby Huntington Park, according to another social media post. The California Post, on Sunday, exclusively reported on Dare To Struggle SoCal’s agenda, which include ambitions to terrorize ICE and end mass deportations via radical means. Leaders of the organization with branches across the US had flooded social media with pamphlets urging followers to join their cause. The pamphlets include calls to "melt ICE" and "smash the mass deportation machine."

Los Angeles Times [2/16/2026 6:00 AM, oward Blume and Christopher Buchanan, 12718K] reports after some 150 students walked out of Redlands schools early this month in support of immigrants they were dealt an unexpected consequence: a temporary suspension of school privileges as administrators enforced rules that forbid them from leaving a classroom without permission. The punishment — the loss of access to sports, dances, performances and other school events — in a school system with a conservative-majority governing board stands in sharp contrast to the positive reception that student activism has received in some other California school systems, including Los Angeles Unified School District. The disparate actions show how school officials throughout various states and school systems — in blue and red regions — have been dealing with a wave of student walkouts that began in late January as part of national protests over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown. Redlands school officials said the suspension of privileges will remain in place until a student satisfies certain conditions, such as attending a session of Saturday school or performing four hours of community service. "The superintendent’s message is consistent: We care deeply about our students, and we recognize that many young people are dealing and engaging with issues they see in the news and in their community," said district Public Information Officer Christine Stephens. "Students have the right to express themselves peacefully. At the same time, the district must uphold its responsibility to maintain a safe, supervised learning environment during the school day.” Districts that expressed support for students’ free-speech rights included those in San Francisco and Sacramento. In Palo Alto, district officials worked with schools to make sure students could carry out their announced walkout safely. L.A. Unified officials have not set districtwide penalties for walkouts — and its leaders align with the students’ anti-ICE critique. Supt. Alberto Carvalho, an immigrant himself, has pledged to do all in the district’s power to maintain schools as sanctuaries for children of immigrant families — and activists patrol outside schools to help ensure safe passage to campus for parents and students.

New York Post [2/16/2026 2:28 PM, Ben Chapman, 40934K] reports this is the shocking moment a man pretending to be an ICE agent attacked a McDonald’s manager and threatened to deport him. Joshua Cobb, 40, is accused of impersonating a federal immigration agent and assaulting Daniel Martinez in upscale La Jolla, San Diego, on Thursday. Video of the incident allegedly shows Cobb leaping behind the counter and grabbing Martinez in a choke hold in the frightening lunchtime ambush. "Why do you think your 911 phone calls aren’t [expletive] working?" snarled Cobb in the video, just moments after wringing Martinez by the neck. After the attack was thwarted by the coworkers, Cobb still remained in the store and continued his preposterous rant. Martinez told a local newscaster he had worked at the busy fast-food joint on Nobel Drive for six years, and that Cobb was a regular customer there. San Diego PD spokesman Lt. Cesar Jimenez said: "Because of the concerns in California around ICE agents and the use of force, we wanted to make sure this people knew was not an ICE agent." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
Univision [2/16/2026 1:00 PM, Staff, 4937K]

Daily Wire [2/16/2026 1:40 PM, Drew Berkemeyer, 2314K] reports U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday delivered a blunt warning to foreign nationals entering the United States, saying visas are a privilege and will be revoked if visitors engage in activity deemed harmful to American national interests. Speaking during a joint press conference in Budapest alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Rubio emphasized that entry into the United States carries conditions that extend beyond border screening. "I’ve said this repeatedly — I don’t know why it’s so hard for some to comprehend," Rubio said. "A visa — no one’s entitled to a visa. There is no constitutional right to a visa. A visa is permission to enter our country as a visitor.” Rubio added that visitors who violate the terms of their stay — whether as students, journalists, tourists, or other temporary entrants — should expect swift consequences. "If you enter our country as a visitor and you undertake activities that are against the national interest or national security of the United States, we will take away your visa," he said. "In fact, if we knew you were going to do it, we probably never would have given you your visa.” The comments come amid heightened scrutiny of foreign nationals participating in political activism, campus protests, and media activity inside the United States, as the Trump administration signals a more aggressive enforcement posture toward visa compliance and national security screening. Rubio’s remarks were delivered during a high-profile visit to Hungary, likely chosen as an attempt to give a campaign boost to Orbán, who is up for re-election in April. Rubio repeatedly praised Orbán’s leadership and highlighted the close personal relationship between the nationalist leader and President Donald Trump. "I’m going to be very blunt with you," Rubio said. "The prime minister and the president have a very, very close personal and working relationship, and I think it has been beneficial to our two countries.”

Breitbart [2/16/2026 4:52 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making it clear to the world’s migrants that they do not have a right to immigrate to the United States. During a press conference in Budapest, Hungary, alongside Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Rubio said that the U.S. under the Trump administration is singularly focused on what benefits and does not benefit the national interest. Part of that, Rubio said, is ensuring that foreign nationals are aware that they do not have a right to a visa in the U.S. “My job at the State Department is, if I identify someone who I believe — someone who is a visitor, a guest in the United States — and we identify that their presence in our country poses a threat to our foreign policy, to our national security, we’re going to take that person’s visa away. We’re going to take their visa away,” Rubio said. “That’s what we’re going to do, we’ve done that in a lot of cases over the last year. We’ve done it.” “The fact is, visas are not a right. I’ve said this repeatedly; I don’t know why it’s so hard for some to comprehend it, so let me repeat it again: No one is entitled to a visa, there is no constitutional right to a visa,” Rubio said: A visa is permission to enter our country as a visitor. If you enter our country as a visitor, and as a visitor in our country, be it a student, a journalist, a tourist… and you undertake activities that are against the national interest, the national security of the United States, we will take away your visa. In fact, if we knew you were going to do that, we probably wouldn’t have given you your visa. That’s what we do.

New York Times [2/16/2026 11:00 AM, Amy Qin, 148038K] reports the floor was open at a regular City Council meeting in Frisco, Texas, and several speakers, riled by a recent viral video over visas for specialized foreign workers, wanted to make their views known.

During the nearly two-hour open floor this month, some opponents of the visas spoke about more typical concerns like job losses and suppressed wages, while South Asian residents expressed their fears over the rhetoric. And the leaders of Frisco, a rapidly growing suburb north of Dallas, emphasized the value and contributions of its population, one-third of whom are of Asian heritage. But the meeting displayed how the anger over the visa program has helped ignite racist rhetoric targeting the Indian community, not only in Frisco, but across the country.

Washington Examiner [2/16/2026 7:00 AM, Jack Birle, 1147K] reports the Trump administration has attempted to revoke temporary protected status for immigrants from multiple countries, but lower courts continue to find ways to block it despite a pair of wins for the Trump administration at the Supreme Court. More than a year after entering office, the Trump administration has faced continued lawsuits and injunctions for nearly every action it pursues, and the revocation of TPS for various countries has been no different. Unfavorable courts and procedural issues have been root of TPS revocation issues. While the administration continues to face legal battles with ending TPS, it continues to seek the termination of the status for additional countries. The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it would be ending TPS for Yemen, claiming the country no longer meets the standards for protection and reiterating the administration’s stance on the program. "TPS was designed to be temporary, and this administration is returning TPS to its original temporary intent. We are prioritizing our national security interests and putting America first," Noem said.

Daily Caller [2/16/2026 1:30 PM, Jason Hopkins, 803K] reports Ghislaine Maxwell’s answers on a U.S. citizenship form could come back to haunt her. The disgraced British socialite, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking minors as part of her ongoing relationship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, appears to have omitted key details of her criminal activity to immigration authorities when successfully obtaining U.S. citizenship over 20 years ago, documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) show. While federal immigration authorities did not confirm a current investigation into Maxwell, they did tell the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Trump administration would vigorously pursue any instances of fraud. "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in close coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), reviews cases where there is credible evidence that citizenship was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation," U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Matthew Tragesser told the DCNF. "We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards fraud in the naturalization process and will pursue denaturalization proceedings for any individual who lied or misrepresented themselves, regardless of who they are.” "We will continue to relentlessly pursue those undermining the integrity of America’s immigration system and work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure that only those who meet citizenship standards retain the privilege of U.S. citizenship," Tragesser continued.

FOX News [2/16/2026 11:13 AM, Staff, 37576K] Video: HERE reports Columbia University removed a virtual career fair advertisement for U.S. Customs and Border Protection following protests from students and faculty. Fox News correspondent CB Cotton reports on the backlash.

CBS Miami [2/16/2026 5:51 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports new details emerge about last week’s Customs and Border Patrol operation near U.S. 27 in West Broward, where agents stopped a vehicle registered to an undocumented immigrant. The investigation is ongoing as authorities clarify the events surrounding the high-profile traffic stop.

Houston Chronicle [2/15/2026 1:39 PM, Michael Garcia, 2493K] reports Federal border officers at Laredo say they seized almost $7 million worth of cocaine from an 18-wheeler carrying a shipment of roses and fresh flowers just days before Valentine’s Day. On Feb. 10, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted two inspections of the 18-wheeler, whose manifest reported that the truck was carrying the flowers. Inside, agents found 211 packages containing 516.76 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $6,899,798, the agency said in a news release. It’s not uncommon for officers to seize drugs from a shipment of flowers during Valentines Day, with several instances occurring in the past. “This substantial cocaine seizure at the World Trade Bridge highlights the steadfast dedication of our officers in safeguarding our borders and communities from the threat of illicit drug trafficking,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. The agency has seized more than 500,000 pounds worth of drugs each year since at least 2023, according to the agency’s website. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it continues to investigate the incident.

Breitbart [2/15/2026 6:07 PM, Bob Price, 2238K] reports Mexican drug cartels are conducting drone operations along the U.S.–Mexico border at industrial scale, with federal agencies now confirming tens of thousands of unmanned flights used to track Border Patrol agents, coordinate smuggling, and probe American airspace. In a statement to Breitbart Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed that agents detected more than 42,000 unmanned drone flights near the border in FY25, calling the threat "rapidly evolving" as cartels expand their aerial surveillance capabilities. "The counter‑unmanned aerial systems (C‑UAS) environment is rapidly evolving, as are cartel tactics," a CBP official said, responding to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas. "In FY25, CBP detected over 42,000 near‑border, unmanned drone flights. This highlights the magnitude of the problem, even if not every one of those threats was nefarious.” The CBP figure follows earlier testimony reported by Fox News in which a senior DHS counter‑drone official told Congress that cartels launched 60,000 drone flights in just six months — from July through December 2024 — averaging more than 300 cartel drone flights per day just south of the border. That DHS estimate included Mexico‑side operations and detections across multiple agencies, illustrating the full scope of cartel aerial activity. Together, the DHS and CBP numbers paint a stark picture: cartel drone operations are not only widespread but also accelerating. Federal officials say cartels use drones to map Border Patrol movements in real time, identify gaps in enforcement, direct migrant groups, and coordinate drug‑smuggling teams. Some cartel factions have already deployed drones carrying explosives against Mexican police and military units, raising concerns that similar tactics could eventually be used against U.S. law enforcement.

Breitbart [2/15/2026 6:25 PM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports the threat of cartel drone incursions along the U.S.-Mexico border, estimated at 40,000 to 60,000 incidents per year, was largely ignored under the Biden Administration. The February 10 airspace shutdown over El Paso underscores the serious challenges the Trump administration now faces as it finally gives the drone threats to the homeland the urgent attention they deserve. As reported by Breitbart Texas, on February 10, the incursion of a drug cartel drone spawned the issuance of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricted aircraft operations for El Paso and parts of eastern New Mexico, effectively closing all air traffic into or out of the border city. The unprecedented move, which initially called for a complete ground stop for all aircraft entering and leaving the El Paso International Airport, raised the ire of local, state, and federal officials, who bemoaned the lack of communication beforehand. The NOTAM was terminated less than eight hours later, punctuated by a social media post on X by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributing the closure to a cartel drone incursion offering followers a brief description of the conclusion to the air stoppage caused by the cartel drone incursion saying, "The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region.” The brief explanation by Secretary Duffy did not address the enormous efforts underway by the Trump administration to finally counter the drone threat that the Mexican cartels have posed for several years. The effort to focus on the largely ignored drone threat went into high gear after President Trump signed an executive order in June 2025 titled "Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty". In the order, Trump cited the dangers posed by criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors who have weaponized the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) against the United States. The President highlighted the threat in the order, saying, "Drug cartels use UAS to smuggle fentanyl across our borders, deliver contraband into prisons, surveil law enforcement, and otherwise endanger the public. Mass gatherings are vulnerable to disruptions and threats from unauthorized UAS flights. Critical infrastructure, including military bases, is subject to frequent — and often unidentified — UAS incursions. Immediate action is needed to ensure American sovereignty over its skies and that its airspace remains safe and secure.”

FOX News [2/16/2026 12:30 PM, Kelly McGreal, 37576K] reports Turtles, razor blades and even a replica pipe bomb were just a few of the shocking items confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2025, the agency reported recently. The agency detailed the security incidents in a post on its official Instagram account, showcasing items discovered in both carry-on and checked baggage at airports across the country. At Boise Airport (BOI), officers discovered a replica pipe bomb and imitation explosive materials inside a checked bag, TSA said. In two separate incidents, TSA officers discovered turtles hidden on passengers — one concealed inside a traveler’s pants at Newark Liberty (EWR), and two others hidden inside a bra at Miami (MIA). At Denver International Airport (DEN), TSA officers discovered 20 razor blades wrapped in paper towels and hidden in a passenger’s clothing. At Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA), TSA officers discovered a carry-on bag containing heroin, fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, ketamine, acid tabs, Xanax bars and other controlled substances concealed inside footwear.

CBS News [2/16/2026 8:15 PM, Daniel Wilkerson, 51110K] reports a partial government shutdown is now in effect, and some federal employees are working without pay. The workers affected include Transportation Security Administration officers who staff airport security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In a statement, they said the shutdown "has not affected operations.” Officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to continue safe and efficient operations. They say they are working closely with the airline and federal partners to minimize any potential impacts to passengers. According to the Transportation Security Administration, the agency employs nearly 65,000 people nationwide. [Editorial note: consult video at source link] NewsMax [2/15/2026 8:18 PM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports that under DHS’ shutdown contingency plan published in September, more than 95% of TSA employees are considered essential and are required to continue working during a lapse in appropriations. The remaining workers — 2,933 out of 64,130 — are furloughed. DHS had not publicly confirmed as of Sunday whether that contingency plan was being implemented in full during the funding lapse or whether nonexempt employees had been placed on furlough. Unlike during some previous shutdowns, air traffic controllers are continuing to receive pay because they fall under the Federal Aviation Administration, which is part of the Department of Transportation rather than DHS. Still, TSA leadership warned last week that the shutdown could strain airport security operations as unpaid officers struggle with personal financial pressures.

New York Times [2/16/2026 8:15 PM, Cynthia Silva, 148038K] reports after funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on Saturday, Transportation Security Administration employees expressed frustration at being forced to work without pay. Many have barely recovered from last year’s 43-day shutdown and now face the prospect of another period of financial uncertainty. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [2/15/2026 7:26 PM, Max Rego, 18170K] reports as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains without funding, air travel nationwide has been impacted. Employees of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), which is housed within DHS, are working without pay as of early Saturday morning — when the funding lapse began. According to DHS’s shutdown contingency plan published in September, just more than 95 percent of TSA employees are exempt and will remain on board during the shutdown. The remaining workers, an estimated 2,933 out of 64,130, were furloughed. That contingency plan was published prior to the record 43-day government shutdown last fall, which led to air travel delays nationwide due to TSA employees and air traffic controllers calling out of work. This time around, air traffic controllers are working with pay, as they fall under the Federal Aviation Administration — which is part of the Department of Transportation, not DHS. But Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting TSA administrator, warned last week that the shutdown will still impact air travel. McNeill also reiterated that roughly 95 percent of TSA employees are exempt, in line with the contingency plan from the fall. On Saturday, more than 5,100 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were delayed, with nearly 460 such flights canceled, according to data from FlightAware. On Sunday, over 6,500 U.S. flights were delayed, with nearly 330 such flights canceled.

NPR [2/17/2026 5:00 AM, Lauren Sommer and Rebecca Hersher, 34837K] reports the Trump administration is undertaking the biggest overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in a generation. President Trump has been a vocal critic of the disaster response agency and, shortly after taking office, he appointed a 12-person review council to propose sweeping changes to FEMA. Preliminary recommendations by that council would "eliminate FEMA as we know it today," according to a draft of its report obtained by NPR. The 89-page draft dates from December, when the FEMA Review Council was scheduled to adopt final recommendations, but the council’s final meeting was abruptly canceled. The final report is now expected in late March and could differ substantively from the December draft, although there have been no further public meetings of the council in the intervening months. In the draft report, responsibility for disasters would largely shift to states, which have long relied on the federal government to help survivors when a flood, hurricane or wildfire hits. FEMA’s workforce, already hit hard by staff reductions since President Trump took office, would be cut in half, compared to its size at the end of the Biden administration. Still, some of the suggested reforms have been discussed by emergency managers and disaster policy experts for a decade or more, including ideas that are included in a bipartisan reform bill currently being considered by Congress. Some of the changes proposed by the review council would require congressional action. The White House referred questions from NPR about the council’s proposed reforms to FEMA. FEMA did not respond to questions. An emailed statement from the Department of Homeland Security, which includes FEMA, says that the FEMA Review Council is still working on its final report, and that it is "an iterative process."

The Washington Post [2/16/2026 8:05 PM, Dana Hedgpeth, Carolyn Y. Johnson, and Joe Heim, 24826K] reports President Donald Trump said Monday that federal authorities will respond to a major sewage spill that occurred four weeks ago in the Potomac River, which flows between Maryland, Washington and Virginia. In a post on his social network, Truth Social, Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would play a key role in a response involving “Management, Direction, and Coordination” to protect the Potomac. FEMA is one of the agencies affected by the current partial government shutdown; in past shutdowns, its employees have largely been required to work without pay. White House officials did not immediately respond to questions about what the federal response to the spill would entail. Trump blamed “local Democrat leaders” for “gross mismanagement” in his post, and he singled out Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), suggesting that the governor is incapable of handling the situation. On Air Force One on Monday afternoon en route to Washington from Mar-a-Lago, Trump again criticized Moore. “I don’t like the fact that he did that horrible, you know, with the pipes and the Potomac, and he’s not doing the job,” Trump said. “I’m going to have to get the federal government involved in getting it fixed, because he can’t fix anything.” Moore, who often spars with Trump, accused the president of using the Potomac as a “talking point” and said the Environmental Protection Agency refused to participate in a major hearing about the cleanup Friday. “If the federal government is just now showing up to take action, we will work collaboratively — as we always do — to be responsive and keep the public informed about the federal government’s plan to remediate the damage,” Moore said in a statement. The AP [2/16/2026 8:39 PM, Aamer Madhani, 31753K] reports that the 1960s-era pipe, called the Potomac Interceptor, is part of DC Water, a utility based in Washington that’s federally regulated and under the oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Still, Trump, while spending the holiday weekend at his home in Florida, took to social media to say he “cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’” to turn the Potomac “into a Disaster Zone.” He said he has ordered federal authorities to step in to coordinate the response. “There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the Gross Mismanagement of Local Democrat Leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump added in his social media post. But Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Moore, said EPA officials did not participate in a recent legislative hearing about the cleanup and said the Trump administration has been broadly “shirking its responsibility” on the repair and cleanup of what University of Maryland researchers say is one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history. Asked why Trump was placing blame on Moore outside of Maryland’s jurisdiction, a White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Maryland was slow to coordinate with federal entities on the ruptured pipe and has not kept up with needed updates of the state’s water and wastewater infrastructure. Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will play a key role in coordinating the response, but noted the agency is being impacted by a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund DHS through September. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and FEMA.

Reported similarly:
Politico [2/16/2026 8:30 PM, Jacob Wendler, 21784K]
Breitbart [2/17/2026 1:01 AM, Staff, 2238K]
FOX News [2/16/2026 5:18 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K]
NewsMax [2/16/2026 6:28 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K]
USA Today [2/16/2026 8:27 PM, Francesca Chambers, 70643K]
Washington Examiner [2/16/2026 8:00 PM, Timothy Nerozzi, 1147K

Daily Caller [2/17/2026 1:01 AM, Andrew Powell, 803K] reports a serious fire weather risk is developing in the Plains, where strong winds, warm temperatures and extremely dry conditions are combining through Wednesday to potentially create highly dangerous circumstances. The region is already gripped by drought, with a lack of both rain and snow that has left grasses, brush and other vegetation exceptionally dry and ready to burn. Sunday, a State of Emergency was declared by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly in anticipation of the extreme fire weather, which is also expected to affect Nebraska and Colorado. This hazardous setup is driven by a powerful upper-level ridge breaking down, permitting consecutive weather disturbances to shift through the area. While the disturbances pass, winds will strengthen. By Monday evening, gusts were already reaching 40-50 mph.

Daily Caller [2/15/2026 5:32 PM, Andrew Powell, 803K] reports a strong alert has been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Los Angeles for a "very significant and dangerous" storm system expected early this week that poses a serious risk of flash flooding and even a few tornadoes. A pronounced dip in the jet stream will allow storms and plentiful moisture to surge through the West Coast. A succession of storms are forecast to blast the region, dumping several feet of snow on the higher elevations while delivering rainfall at lower levels. It’s expected that the bulk of the heavy rainfall will drop early in the workweek. A subtle but noteworthy threat of severe weather will accompany the rain Monday. At present, a level 1 out of 5 severe weather risk is forecast for Southern California.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 4:21 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports Ryan Routh, who was convicted of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign, has filed an appeal challenging his conviction and his life sentence. A notice filed with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals states that Routh intends to contest the verdict and the sentence imposed this month, according to The Hill. A jury found Routh guilty on five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks planning the attack and positioned himself near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024, placing a rifle through vegetation along the course perimeter. Witnesses testified that he was spotted before Trump, who at the time was a former president and would win reelection two months later, came into view. Routh fled after a Secret Service agent fired in his direction.

NBC News [2/17/2026 5:00 AM, Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube, Jonathan Allen, and Julia Ainsley, 43603K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s relationship with U.S. Coast Guard officials has become strained throughout her first year leading the department, according to two U.S. officials, a Coast Guard official and a former Coast Guard official. The tensions between Noem and the only branch of the U.S. military overseen by DHS stem from some early decisions she made that rankled Coast Guard officials, including a verbal directive to shift Coast Guard resources from a search-and-rescue mission to find a missing service member, the sources said. Noem’s leadership at DHS has created a specific split in the Coast Guard. Many rank-and-file members are motivated by her approach, where she showcases their work by joining them on operations and visiting their ships. Some more senior officials, however, see that approach as taking away from the Coast Guard’s traditional missions. The dynamic with more senior officials has only worsened in recent months as Noem oversaw a tenfold increase in the use of Coast Guard aircraft for migrant deportations, which has strained their limited resources, the sources said. The increase was captured in data compiled by ICE Flight Monitor, a non-profit group that tracks deportation flights. “It puts so much stress on the Wing,” the Coast Guard official said, referring to the branch’s aviation units.

New York Post [2/15/2026 4:01 PM, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, 40934K] reports that a boater and his pooch were plucked from the remnants of their shipwrecked sailboat in a daring Coast Guard rescue in South Carolina last week. The drama unfolded around 6:15 p.m. Friday, when the Coast Guard received a distress call from the stranded boater, who said his craft the Chusan had run aground on rocks near Winyah Bay. The maritime agency dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin chopper out of its Charleston station, and the stranded boater and his dog were both eventually lifted off the wrecked vessel’s deck and to safety, dramatic video footage of the rescue operation showed. "Our crews train extensively to respond to situations like this, and we’re grateful the mariner had a working VHF radio to call for help," Coast Guard Lt. Josh Hamilton said in a statement. "Running aground can quickly become dangerous, especially near rocks and shifting conditions," Hamilton said. "We encourage all boaters to carry proper communication equipment and continuously monitor Channel 16 so we can respond without delay when every second counts." The boater and his pup were flown to Georgetown Airport but were not seriously injured in the mishap, according to the Coast Guard. The boater was not identified.

Telemundo52 [2/15/2026 6:51 PM, Mekahlo Medina, 61K] reports federal immigration agents abandoned a Coast Guard facility on Terminal Island that, according to local officials and activists, was used for months as a base for security operations throughout Southern California. Representative Nanette Barragan stated on X that she confirmed with the U.S. Coast Guard in Los Angeles and Long Beach that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents withdrew from the base on Friday night. Officials and community groups have said the base has been used since last summer to conduct immigration raids across the region, prompting protests and vigilance from volunteers. Federal agencies have not publicly explained the move, and it remains unclear whether security operations will be relocated to another location in Los Angeles County.

San Diego Union Tribune [2/15/2026 8:47 PM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1257K] reports that the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a vessel with 14 suspected migrants aboard off the coast of Point Loma on Friday afternoon, federal officials said Sunday. The boat was spotted around 4:30 p.m. about 18 miles west of San Diego by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Forrest Rednour. The individuals on board claimed to be Mexican nationals, according to a news release. The group was taken to the Coast Guard base at Ballast Point, where they were turned over to another Department of Homeland Security agency for investigation, officials said. There were no reported injuries, the Mexican consulate in San Diego said Sunday. Consulate personnel interviewed those who were on board to offer assistance if needed.

Breitbart [2/16/2026 2:44 PM, Lucas Nolan, 2238K] reports Google has disclosed that multiple state-backed hacking groups, including a North Korean threat actor, have been utilizing its Gemini AI platform to enhance reconnaissance activities and accelerate various stages of cyber attacks. The Hacker News reports that Google’s Threat Intelligence Group revealed that the North Korea-linked hacking collective designated as UNC2970 employed the company’s Gemini generative AI model to synthesize open-source intelligence and create profiles of high-value targets as part of their campaign planning operations. According to a report shared with security researchers, this activity demonstrates an increasingly blurred line in AI between legitimate professional research and malicious reconnaissance efforts. The threat actor utilized Gemini to gather information on major cybersecurity and defense companies while mapping specific technical job roles and salary data. This intelligence gathering enables the creation of customized phishing personas and helps identify vulnerable entry points for initial system compromise. UNC2970, which shares overlap with groups tracked as Lazarus Group, Diamond Sleet, and Hidden Cobra, has gained notoriety for conducting "Operation Dream Job," a long-running campaign targeting aerospace, defense, and energy sectors by approaching victims with fraudulent job opportunities to deliver malware.

ABC News [2/16/2026 6:14 PM, Aaron Katersky, Luke Barr and Sasha Pezenik, 34146K] reports two victims were killed and several were injured from an apparently targeted shooting at an ice skating rink in Rhode Island on Monday, authorities said. The gunshots rang out around 2:30 p.m. at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, about 5 miles outside of Providence, according to Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves. Besides the two victims killed, three people who were shot and injured have been taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. The shooting appears to be a targeted and "family-related," the chief said, describing it as possibly a family dispute. The suspect is dead from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The FBI added that there’s "no imminent threat to public safety.” The FBI is responding to the scene and will provide state and local law enforcement with any necessary resources, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.

NewsMax [2/16/2026 9:47 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports more than two dozen members of a splinter faction of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua have been charged with a sweeping array of crimes, including murder, kidnapping, racketeering, and sex trafficking, according to a federal indictment unsealed Friday in New York. The Department of Justice announced that a 38-count superseding indictment was unsealed Friday in the Southern District of New York, charging 27 members of Anti-Tren, a criminal organization almost exclusively composed of former members and associates of Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment alleges widespread violence and exploitation, including a double murder in the Bronx on April 15, 2024; murder-for-hire plots; kidnapping in aid of racketeering; sex trafficking; and sex-trafficking conspiracy. Of the 27 defendants named in the superseding indictment, "21 were previously charged in a 12-count indictment, and of the six newly added defendants, five are now in federal custody," prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York condemned the gang’s activities, saying in a statement that the defendants "planned and carried out a series of horrific crimes, including gunpoint robberies, murders, and the exploitation of vulnerable young women through sex trafficking."

NBC News [2/16/2026 2:50 PM, Mirna Alsharif, 42967K] reports that the trial of a Georgia man accused of giving his 14-year-old son access to a firearm began on Monday, with prosecutors arguing his actions provided the means for the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School and defense attorneys contending that there was no way he could have known his son would cause harm. Colin Gray faces two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, 20 counts of cruelty to children, and five counts of reckless conduct in connection with the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School. He was arrested shortly after the shooting on allegations that he had allowed his son to possess a weapon. His son, Colt Gray, is accused of killing two students, two teachers and wounding nine others at the school in Winder, Georgia. Colt Gray has been charged as an adult with four counts of felony murder. A trial date has not been set for him yet. Opening statements kicked off in a courtroom in Barrow County Monday. Gray’s trial possesses some similarities to a case in Oxford, Michigan, where a 15-year-old committed a mass shooting at his high school in 2021. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, were ultimately sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison following a trial. Gray faces a maximum total of 180 years in prison if found guilty on all charges against him. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
ABC News [2/16/2026 11:42 AM, Staff, 34146K] Video: HERE

Blaze [2/16/2026 10:15 AM, Dave Urbanski, 1556K] reports two 15-year-old males are accused of threatening to shoot up Florida high schools and were arrested last week. One teen is from Volusia County, and the sheriff’s office said officers responded Thursday to a tip about him. The second teen is from Okaloosa County, and the sheriff’s office reportedly arrested him last Monday. Blaze News is not naming or showing the faces of the suspects due to their ages. The Okaloosa County 15-year-old lives in Fort Walton Beach and was charged with issuing a written/electronic threat to commit a mass shooting and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony, the sheriff’s office told WEAR-TV. The sheriff’s office said the teen’s threats were directed toward Choctawhatchee High School and that "investigation witnesses" told the sheriff’s office that the suspect "had been making increasingly specific threats between December 2025 and January 2026," the station reported. Officials were notified Jan. 16, WEAR said.

Daily Caller [2/16/2026 4:49 PM, Hudson Crozier, 803K] reports Dallas, Texas, resident Benjamin Song has agreed to testify in court about a terrorist attack by an “Antifa cell” prosecutors say he led, court records show. Song and eight others face a federal trial beginning Tuesday over a July 4, 2025, protest at an Alvarado immigration facility where Song allegedly began shooting at law enforcement. The 32-year-old activist and former Marine Corps reservist, who was previously on Texas’ “Most Wanted Fugitive” list, “will testify about the events of July 4, 2025 and the events leading up to that day,” his attorney said in a Thursday court filing. The trial marks the first U.S. terrorism case explicitly focused on Antifa, a violent leftist movement that President Donald Trump designated a terrorist organization in September. The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Song with riot, providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to use and carry an explosive, using and carrying an explosive, attempted murder of law enforcement, discharging a firearm for a crime of violence, a December grand jury indictment shows. Song and several others face up to life in prison if convicted on all charges. Song’s group arrived at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building at night in black clothing and began to throw fireworks and vandalize property, prosecutors say. When a local police officer approached protesters to speak with them, someone yelled “get to the rifles” and the mob fired 20 to 30 shots, according to charging documents. Song, later identified as the first person to open fire, hid overnight in a nearby forest after the incident, which triggered an eleven-day manhunt resulting in a SWAT team capturing him at a supporter’s Dallas apartment. She and three other co-defendants pleaded guilty to federal crimes in helping Song hide, accepting the first Antifa-related terrorism convictions in U.S. history, documents show.

FOX News [2/16/2026 9:38 PM, Emma Bussey, 37576K] reports around 100 U.S. troops and military equipment arrived in Nigeria Monday to help support local forces battling Islamic militants and other armed groups in the West African nation, the Nigerian military said. The U.S. personnel touched down as part of a broader security cooperation effort between Washington and Abuja with 100 more arriving over time. The arrival came at the request of the Nigerian government, which sought assistance with training, technical support and intelligence sharing as it confronts violence, the Associated Press reported. About 200 U.S. Africa Command personnel are expected to deploy to Nigeria in total and in what officials have described as a support mission aimed at strengthening the capacity of Nigerian forces. The effort is focused on combating Islamist extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have carried out attacks in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.

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AP [2/16/2026 8:02 PM, Dyepkazah Shibayan, 31753K]

Breitbart [2/15/2026 10:30 PM, Joshua Klein, 2238K] reports Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said his nation is ready to enter into a full security and economic partnership with the United States, arguing that it occupies what he called "perhaps the most strategically positioned territory in the region" — positioned along a maritime corridor that carries 30 percent of global container traffic, with abundant critical minerals and a stable, pro-Western foothold in a volatile corner of the world. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News from Dubai following meetings at the World Government Summit, Abdullahi detailed how Somaliland’s secure coastline, untapped resource base, and more than three decades of internal stability match core U.S. priorities — from safeguarding maritime trade routes and deepening counterterrorism cooperation to diversifying critical mineral supply chains away from China’s dominance. Abdullahi began by praising President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, pointing to what he described as multiple successful conflict resolutions and renewed American global leadership. "In my personal opinion, and in the opinion of my people, we see President Trump’s peace initiatives as the work of a great leader and a peacemaker who has now solved eight ongoing wars in the world," he said, noting that he has previously proposed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He described Trump’s leadership as "a service to the world" and "a service to peace," saying the president has restored the United States as a decisive force for stability.

ABC News [2/17/2026 4:34 AM, David Brennan, 34146K] reports special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law -- will lead American negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland, in high-stakes talks starting Tuesday regarding Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the U.S. standoff with Iran over the latter’s nuclear energy program. The talks on Ukraine will be in a trilateral format including American, Ukrainian and Russian representatives. They are the third instalment of the trilateral format following two rounds of recent negotiations in the United Arab Emirates. Those talks were described as constructive by participants, but appeared to have failed to achieve a breakthrough on key contentious points, such as the fate of Ukraine’s partially-occupied eastern Donbas region, the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and proposed Western security guarantees for Kyiv. Asked what he expected ahead of talks with Russia and Ukraine in Geneva on Tuesday, Trump on Monday put the onus on Ukraine to "come to the table fast," appearing to suggest that the U.S. and Russia "are in a position" to make a deal. "Well they’re big talks. It’s going to be very easy," Trump said. "Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you. We are in a position, we want them to come." Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Alexus Grynkewich -- the top U.S. commander in Europe and NATO’s chief military officer -- will also attend the Ukraine-Russian talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the U.S. delegation, a person familiar with the upcoming discussions told ABC News.

The New York Times [2/17/2026 1:29 AM, Aaron Boxerman, 148038K] reports nuclear talks between the United States and Iran were scheduled to resume on Tuesday in Switzerland, as the Middle East remained on alert over the possibility of an American attack should the negotiations collapse. Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy, and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, are expected to attend the negotiations on Tuesday in Geneva, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. Both men have helped lead Mr. Trump’s diplomatic efforts, particularly in the Middle East. Mr. Trump, speaking Monday on Air Force One, said he would be involved in the talks “indirectly” and that they’d be “very important.” He emphasized that Iran wanted to make a deal because they would not want the consequences of not making a deal. Mr. Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. forces in the region — including two aircraft carriers — after vowing last month to aid antigovernment demonstrators in Iran. The Iranian government subsequently quelled those protests in a bloody crackdown that killed thousands, according to rights groups. Now, Mr. Trump is calling on Iran to reach an immediate accord or else face the threat of a possible attack. Last week, Mr. Trump wrote on social media that he preferred a deal with Iran, but if one could not be brokered, “we will just have to see what the outcome will be.” Reuters [2/17/2026 12:03 AM, Olivia Le Poidevin, 38315K] reports "I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday. "We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. And we had to send the B-2s." The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of weeks of operations against Iran if Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters. Iran itself began a military drill on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway and oil export route from Gulf Arab states, which have been appealing for diplomacy to end the dispute.

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AP [2/16/2026 8:12 PM, Jamey Keaten and Stephanie Liechtenstein, 35287K]
FOX Business [2/16/2026 1:16 PM, Staff, 7946K] Video: HERE

Reuters [2/16/2026 7:37 PM, Steve Holland, 38315K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved "indirectly" in high-stakes talks between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran’s nuclear program set for Tuesday in Geneva, adding he believed Tehran wanted to make a deal. "I’ll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Tensions are soaring ahead of the talks, with the U.S. deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks do not succeed, U.S. officials have told Reuters. Asked about the prospects for a deal, Trump said Iran has long sought a tough posture in negotiations but learned the consequences of that approach last summer when the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Trump suggested Tehran was motivated this time to negotiate. "I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump said.

CBS News [2/16/2026 3:17 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the U.S. military is preparing for potential operations with Iran if President Trump orders an attack. Iran’s top diplomat has arrived in Geneva ahead of what is being described as "indirect" talks with the U.S. on Tuesday. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D’Agata has more.

CNN [2/16/2026 8:46 PM, Natasha Bertrand, et al., 612K] reports the US military is continuing a significant buildup of air and naval assets in the Middle East ahead of planned talks with Iran in Geneva on Tuesday. The pieces are being moved into place both to intimidate Tehran and to have options to strike inside the country should negotiations over its nuclear program fail, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN. US Air Force assets based in the United Kingdom, including refueling tankers and fighter jets, are being repositioned closer to the Middle East, according to sources familiar with the movements. The US is also continuing to flow air defense systems to the region, according to a US official, and several US military units deployed in the region that were expected to rotate out in the coming weeks have had their orders extended, said one source familiar with the matter. Dozens of US military cargo planes have transported equipment from the US to Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, according to flight-tracking data. On Friday evening, multiple fighter aircraft were also given diplomatic clearance to enter Jordanian airspace, according to open-source air traffic communications. Satellite images show 12 US F-15 attack planes have been positioned at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base since January 25. More broadly, open-source flight data reveals there have been over 250 US cargo flights into the region. President Donald Trump has been threatening military action against Iran for weeks, beginning last month when he warned Iranian leaders that he was prepared to order an attack if the government did not stop killing protesters. And on Friday, he said he believes regime change "would be the best thing that could happen" in Iran. The buildup of military assets and emphasis by Trump and senior members of the administration that regime change is preferable has the region on edge and increases the stakes for Tuesday’s talks. The Switzerland talks are expected to be led by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on the US side, with Iran represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Breitbart [2/16/2026 5:52 AM, Frances Martel, 2238K] reports the ruling Afghan Taliban, through top spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, declared in an interview on Sunday it is prepared to offer its "full support" to Iran in the event of an American attack. Mujahid reportedly made the remarks in an interview with Radio Iran that he published on his social media accounts. He was responding to questions about tension between Iran in the United States and ongoing attempts to organize talks between the leaders of both states. The government of Iran is currently engaging in a preliminary negotiation process with representatives of President Donald Trump, discussing during a first round of talks in early February the parameters for any potential future talks through an intermediary in Oman. Subsequent reports suggest that Iran, embroiled in a bloody crackdown against protesters and dissidents generally that some suggest has resulted in tens of thousands massacred, is seeking to negotiate an alleviation in the strict sanctions program it is facing through negotiations with the Trump administration. Sanctions on Iran intensified significantly last year after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found the country in breach of international law on nuclear energy development, triggering "snapback" sanctions paused during President Barack Obama’s tenure. Afghanistan borders Iran to its west and shared a violent jihadist terror structure as the undisputed government of its country. While the Taliban and Iranian "supreme leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei share a jihadist ideology and hatred of the United States, they have faced some neighborly tensions, particularly over control of water supplies on their mutual border and on immigration enforcement. Mujahid’s reported support for Tehran appears to be a thaw following belligerent comments on both sides over the control of water in the Helmand River. According to translations of Mujahid’s comments in various outlets, both favorable to the Islamist regime in Tehran and in opposition, Mujahid offered solidarity to the Iranian government but emphasized that the Taliban would not prefer to see war between America and Iran. The Iran-friendly outlet Al Mayadeen translated Mujahid as stating that the "people of Afghanistan," by which he meant the oppressive Taliban regime in charge, would "stand in solidarity and offer full support to their Iranian brethren" in the event of a war with America.

Bloomberg [2/16/2026 7:56 PM, Skylar Woodhouse, 18082K] reports President Donald Trump said that he’s discussing future weapons sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping and teased that he would soon make a decision about future defense support for the self-governing island. “I’m talking to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump told reporters Monday evening aboard Air Force One. The US’s military support for Taiwan has become one of the key points of contention between Washington and Beijing before the countries’ leaders are slated to meet in April in China. China has ramped up political and military pressure on Taiwan in recent years in a bid to reinforce its view that the island is part of its territory.

AP [2/17/2026 4:19 AM, Jim Gomez, 31753K] reports the United States plans to deploy more high-tech missile systems to the Philippines to help deter aggression in the South China Sea, where the treaty allies on Tuesday condemned what they called China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.” Beijing has repeatedly expressed alarm over the installation in the northern Philippines of a U.S. mid-range missile system called the Typhon in 2024 and of an anti-ship missile launcher last year. It said the U.S. weapons were aimed at containing China’s rise and warned that these were a threat to regional stability. China has asked the Philippines to withdraw the missile launchers from its territory, but officials led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have rejected the demand. U.S. and Philippine officials held annual talks Monday in Manila on broadening security, political and economic engagements and boosting collaboration with regional security allies. The U.S. and the Philippines outlined in a joint statement Tuesday specific defense and security plans for this year, including joint military exercises, Washington’s support to help modernize the Philippine military and efforts “to increase deployments of U.S. cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.”

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