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

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

The Washington Post [2/21/2026 5:20 PM, Maegan Vazquez, 24826K] reports President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for D.C. on Saturday, permitting federal agencies to provide disaster assistance to address a massive sewage spill in the Potomac River. The spill began in mid-January, when part of a major D.C. Water sewage pipeline called the Potomac Interceptor collapsed, flooding the Potomac River with about 234 million gallons of wastewater. The sewer line carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from the Virginia and Maryland suburbs to D.C. for treatment. The cause of the spill remains under investigation. The Environmental Protection Agency will be leading the federal response to the spill, according to a news release from the agency. The EPA is coordinating with D.C. Water to ensure that measures are taken “to protect public health and prevent additional overflows until the pipe is repaired and the Potomac Interceptor is fully functional again.” Repairs are slated to be completed by mid-March, before events in the region celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States are set to begin, according to the agency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also be “deploying a team to support incident management” and “working directly with local officials and federal partners to coordinate federal resources,” according to a social media post from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem. The assistance will be directed to D.C. and the area where D.C. has responsibilities in Maryland and Virginia, according to a FEMA news release. The AP [2/21/2026 6:00 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Trump’s approval on Saturday, allowing FEMA to provide equipment and resources to help with the response to the Jan. 19 spill after a pipeline ruptured. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had requested the federal help on Wednesday and declared an emergency. Trump’s approval of the disaster relief request comes after he criticized the handling of the spill, blaming local Democratic leaders and focusing especially on Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore. He said in his social media posts criticizing the response that local officials had not asked for emergency help and he intended to step in. However, the federal government was already involved in the repair and assessing the impact of the leak through the Environmental Protection Agency. NewsMax [2/21/2026 11:31 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K] reports that the assistance applies to the District of Columbia and areas in Maryland and Virginia where the District has responsibilities. FEMA said additional designations could be made later if requested and supported by damage assessments. Bowser declared a local public emergency on Wednesday and asked the Trump administration for support in a 15-day order. In her declaration, she directed emergency and city officials to "activate, implement, and coordinate mutual aid agreements between the District of Columbia and federal, state, or local jurisdictions as needed." Bowser also contacted Trump directly, requesting he declare a major disaster and authorize 100% federal reimbursement for costs incurred by the District and the utility company DC Water, reports The Hill.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/21/2026 4:16 PM, María Paula Mijares Torres, 18082K]
Washington Examiner [2/21/2026 1:01 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]
Univision [2/21/2026 6:58 PM, Staff, 4937K]

The Hill [2/21/2026 6:05 PM, Sarah Davis, 18170K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday targeted Democratic lawmakers over their continued refusal to back a funding package for the department in an update about the waste cleanup effort in the Potomac River. Earlier Saturday, President Trump approved Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) request for federal disaster assistance as the nation’s capital works to clean-up the river following a sewer line collapse. “Even as Democrat politicians shut us down and these men and women go without pay, DHS is committed to providing much needed aid to the Americans impacted by this disaster,” Noem posted on the social platform X. “We will not let our citizens suffer without help.” Noem’s criticism comes amid a DHS shutdown, after a funding vote for the department failed to pass the House earlier this month. Democrats called for Noem to step down from her role and have said they will not support funding for the department until several key reform demands are met to curtail federal agents’ use of force during immigration enforcement operations across the country. The Trump administration ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address a devastating sewage spill in the waterway.

FOX News [2/21/2026 11:01 AM, Marc Tamasco, 37576K] reports border czar Tom Homan told CNN’s Sara Sidner on Friday that ICE’s immigration surge in Minneapolis is "over," and that the agency’s footprint would shrink to approximately 150 agents "within a week." During his interview on "CNN News Central," Homan was asked about the status of the immigration agent drawdown in Minneapolis. Although Homan said he was unsure of the exact number of agents remaining in the city, he explained his plans for immigration operations in Minneapolis moving forward. "My plan is to get back to the regular footprint, which is 150, but with a couple of caveats," Homan said. "Number one, we do have a small team of security forces to back up ICE agents in case things get out of hand. And if law enforcement continues to respond like they’ve committed to, then we’ll pull that small force out." Despite the planned reduction of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Homan confirmed that the investigators probing alleged widespread fraud in the city will "remain until the investigations are over."

New York Times [2/21/2026 10:18 AM, Tracey Tully, 148038K] reports democratic lawmakers in New Jersey are using their legislative majorities to try to expand protections for the state’s sizable immigrant population in sweeping ways. One measure would bar law enforcement officers, including federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from wearing masks. Another would impose a 50 percent tax on privately run migrant detention centers. There are also calls for the state to divest from a tech company that sells a product that can help the police and military officials search digital data to locate people. On Thursday, two new Democratic members of the State Assembly injected the conversation with a dose of in-your-face Jersey attitude, introducing a bill that is encoded with an unsubtle message. Named the Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered act, the legislation, known by its blunt acronym, would expand residents’ rights under state law to sue immigration officials for unconstitutional conduct. “There have to be real consequences if ICE breaks the law,” said Katie Brennan, an Assembly Democrat from Jersey City who is sponsoring the bill with Ravi Bhalla, a former Hoboken mayor. Like Ms. Brennan, he was elected to the Assembly last year. Raj Mukherji, a Democratic state senator who proposed similar legislation in November, said he expected to introduce a nearly identical measure in the Senate on Monday. Mr. Mukherji, a former deputy Assembly speaker, said he was hopeful of passage, noting that courts had upheld states’ authority to reinforce federal civil rights protections. The sponsors said that the bill’s attention-grabbing name should not obscure its serious intent. A similar effort in Illinois, adopted with a far less flamboyant title, has encountered legal challenges by the Trump administration. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, did not comment on the New Jersey measure.

Reuters [2/21/2026 1:06 PM, David Thomas, 38315K] reports a federal immigration agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Texas in March 2025, months before the Trump administration began its deportation surge in Minnesota that led to the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, according to records released this week. Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was killed by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, attorneys for Martinez’s family said in a statement. A DHS agent fired multiple rounds at Martinez, who allegedly hit another DHS agent with his car as the agents assisted local police in South Padre Island, Texas, with traffic control following an accident on March 15, 2025, according to records obtained by American Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group. The agents were conducting immigration enforcement, the records show. Martinez’s shooting appears to be the first known instance of a U.S. citizen being killed during U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Federal agents conducting immigration enforcement shot at least five people in January alone, including Pretti and Good. Martinez was trying to comply with instructions from local law enforcement when he was shot, Charles Stam and Alex Stamm, attorneys for Martinez’s family, said in a statement. They called for a "full and fair investigation." Martinez, who was identified as a U.S. citizen in the redacted records, was taken to a hospital in nearby Brownsville, Texas, where he was later pronounced dead. The agent who was hit with a car went to the hospital for a knee injury and was later released, according to the report. A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that Martinez "intentionally ran over" an agent with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and another agent "fired defensive shots." The nearly year-old incident is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division, a DHS spokesperson said. A spokesperson with the Texas DPS said the case is still an active investigation by the Texas Rangers, declining to comment further. CBS News [2/21/2026 6:14 PM, Fin Daniel Gómez, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Nidia Cavazos, 51110K] reports that while his death was reported at the time, ICE’s involvement in the shooting was not disclosed until this week, over 11 months after the shooting. Democratic Texas state Rep. Ray Lopez, who serves as vice chair of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs, said he formally exercised authority under Rule 4, Section 6A of the Texas House Rules to compel Committee Chairman Cole Hefner, a Republican, to schedule a hearing on Martinez’s death. Lopez said it is the first public use of the provision, which was adopted during the 89th Legislative Session that concluded last June. The rule requires a committee chair to "promptly schedule" a hearing designated by the vice chair. Lopez requested a written response from Hefner by the end of business on Feb. 23. It was not immediately clear when a hearing might be scheduled. Local news outlets in Texas reported on Martinez’ killing last year, but the involvement of federal immigration agents in the fatal shooting was first revealed earlier this week by Newsweek, which used government documents recently released by the American Oversight Project, a nonprofit ethics watchdog, to connect the death with an internal ICE report. The internal ICE report, which redacts Martinez’s name, stated that the March 15 incident involved agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE, who were helping South Padre Island police officers control traffic in the late night hours following a major car accident. The report describes a blue Ford approaching the area where the ICE agents were directing traffic. The driver of the vehicle "failed to follow instructions," the internal report reads, and tried to continue driving. After commands from the agents, the report said the vehicle "slowed to a stop." The agents surrounded the car and directed the driver to exit the vehicle, the report said. The driver then "accelerated forward" and struck one of the ICE agents, according to the report, which said the federal officer "wound up on the hood of the vehicle." At that point, according to the report, another ICE agent fired "multiple rounds" at the driver through an open side window. The driver was given first aid and then transferred to a hospital in Brownsville, where the report said he was pronounced dead. A passenger who was in the vehicle, also a U.S. citizen whose name was redacted, was taken into custody at the scene by South Padre Island police, the report states. The agent who was struck by the vehicle was taken to an area hospital with a knee injury, where they were treated and released, ICE said in its report. In a statement provided to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, confirmed the fatal shooting, alleging that the driver "intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent resulting in him being on the hood of the vehicle. Upon witnessing this, another agent fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.". DHS said the incident is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Ranger Division, and deferred questions to Texas DPS. Christopher Olivarez, a Texas DPS spokesperson, confirmed to CBS News Saturday that an investigation was underway, adding, "We have no further information to provide.".

Breitbart [2/21/2026 3:58 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports on Saturday’s broadcast of “Fox News Live,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) stated that the DHS shutdown “is nothing more than people that are afraid of the base to just explain to them that shutting down the entire DHS will have no impact or make those kinds of reforms for ICE.” Fetterman said [relevant remarks begin around 2:40] that the earlier government shutdown “clearly…damaged our economy now, too,” and that’s a factor in the most recent GDP numbers, “and I was one of only [two other] Democrats that refused, constantly, to shut our government down, and here we are now. We, really — I was, now, the only Democrat to refuse that, and all the Democrats, we agree that we want to have some reforms on ICE, but this would have none of that involved in it. This shutdown is nothing more than people that are afraid of the base to just explain to them that shutting down the entire DHS will have no impact or make those kinds of reforms for ICE. And now we need to make sure that those resources are there, and I refuse to put the workers through now not getting paid for the second time in the last two or three months, America deserves more. And we should be able to count on keeping our government open, and now when you have a disaster like the sewage or a storm or anything, FEMA needs to always be ready, and now, why, I can’t — it’s just indefensible to shut down the DHS, especially because it’s not going to accomplish the kinds of goals and reform.” He added that “there’s a big part of the Democratic Party that’s afraid of the base.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [2/21/2026 5:53 PM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K] reports with Republicans and Democrats remaining at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, a prolonged stalemate could eventually disrupt operations at agencies such as FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard, Rep. Pete Sessions warned Saturday on Newsmax. "The bottom line is, Rob, we are actually nowhere," the Texas Republican told Newsmax’s "Saturday Agenda," saying Republicans view DHS and related agencies as essential to national security. "Any further delay is going to mean that the American people, once again, will see why we will pin the tail on the donkey," he added. Sessions blamed Democrats for the standoff and said the party has "lost the confidence of the American people" after four years under former President Joe Biden. He said Republicans are in a position of needing to move funding efforts forward because "the Democrats vote no."

NBC News [2/22/2026 7:00 AM, Allan Smith and Scott Wong, 43603K] report in and out of court, more than half of the amendments enshrined in the Bill of Rights are being fought over as a direct result of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. In his second term, Trump and his administration have been aggressive in stretching the boundaries of political conventions, resulting in a number of court challenges. Trump’s push to eliminate birthright citizenship, freeze federal funds and bypass Congress through executive orders have tested the separation of powers. The Twin Cities campaign, though, has been a flashpoint, with fights over at least six — the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and 10th — of the first 10 amendments. Conservative-leaning scholars see both lawyers and judges overstepping their bounds in fiery filings and opinions, while liberal-leaning counterparts see a notable disregard by the Trump administration for Bill of Rights provisions. “You could teach a great constitutional law seminar about the Bill of Rights just through the violations that have taken place in Minneapolis alone,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a former constitutional law professor. “There have been massive violations of the civil rights of minority groups in the past, like Native Americans and African Americans and Asian Americans, but it is hard to sum up any historical analogy to the systematic violation of all of the fundamental constitutional rights of the people in such a comprehensive and indiscriminate way.” Randy Barnett, director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution, said he saw the battle over the Bill of Rights in Minneapolis as “unprecedented” for how many far-fetched claims he believes advocates have made that have gained traction with district court judges. “As a Ninth Amendment scholar, I’m a little disappointed that this provision has yet to be thrown against the wall to see if it sticks,” joked Barnett, who represented the National Federation of Independent Businesses in its constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said the administration "is working to lawfully deliver on President Trump’s mandate to enforce federal immigration law and carry out the largest mass deportation campaign of criminal illegal aliens in history." "The real story should be the unrelenting unlawful rulings issued by lower court judges pushing their own policy agenda," she continued. "President Trump will not waver when implementing the agenda he was elected on."

Business Times [2/22/2026 3:16 AM, Ryan Mueller, 383K] reports the Department of Homeland Security committed more than $144 million to weapons, ammunition and related equipment in 2025, a sharp increase from the prior year, according to a new report analyzing federal procurement data, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection expand enforcement operations under President Donald Trump’s second term. The report, based on data from USASpending.gov and the Federal Procurement Data System, found that ICE increased spending commitments for weapons, ammunition and accessories by more than 360%, rising from $16 million in 2024 to more than $76 million in 2025. CBP more than doubled comparable expenditures, from $32.97 million in 2024 to more than $68 million this year. The procurement surge spans lethal and less-lethal categories. According to the report, DHS contracts in 2025 included: More than $30 million for ammunition. More than $25 million for less-lethal weapons and crowd-control tools, including tear gas, pepper spray and Tasers. $30 million for personal armor. $15.46 million for "guns through 30mm," including pistols, AR-style rifles and submachine guns. Sen. Adam Schiff criticized the procurement expansion, stating, "This misuse of taxpayer dollars to maximally arm federal immigration agents, including those with questionable vetting and insufficient training, must end." The Department of Homeland Security rejected the criticism. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN the issue was a "non-story" and said the agency has hired thousands of additional agents to meet enforcement targets. "It should come as no surprise that we purchase and acquire firearms for law enforcement," she told CNN.

FOX News [2/21/2026 2:55 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports Fox News contributor Guy Benson joins ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss why angel families are attempting to hold Democrats accountable and breaks down the apparent attack on a DHS office in Idaho. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [2/21/2026 4:22 PM, Samantha Olander, 40934K] reports Nancy Guthrie may have been abducted by drug cartel — but may still be in Arizona, one private investigator believes. Bill Garcia, a California-based PI with more than 35 years of experience, told Border Report he thinks the 84-year-old was abducted in a "money-making venture by people involved with a cartel" — but not taken into Mexico. "That particular area of Arizona is a high drug and money transporting area," Garcia said. "It has deepened my believe that this is in some way related to a money-making venture by people involved with a cartel."

FOX News [2/21/2026 7:08 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports the chances that Nancy Guthrie was brought across the southern border into Mexico remain low due to a number of factors, including the enhanced security measures being utilized by federal authorities there, one expert said. The border wall near Nogales, Arizona, some 60 miles from Tucson, the city where Guthrie resides, is several feet high and lined with barbed wire fencing for miles well beyond the city in both directions, said retired NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher. "When we look at how the border wall is aligned, it seems very difficult to get across from the United States into Mexico because this is not a porus environment," Porcher told Fox News Digital at the border crossing that separates Nogales, Ariz., from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Porcher also noted the surveillance cameras that line the border and the U.S. Border Patrol agents staked out in vehicles a few hundred yards apart in some areas. Authorities have said there is no evidence that Guthrie, 84, was taken across the southern border, but experts have noted the federal protocols automatically come into play regarding her alleged kidnapping. Despite the logistical problems of taking a captive across the border, Porcher said law enforcement should have immediately begun looking into the possibility, given Mexico’s proximity to Guthrie’s home. "I believe this is something that law enforcement should have attached too immediately within the first 72 hours, because it seems as if they were coming into a brick wall and not gaining any solutions as it relates to a kidnapping occurring," he said. "This is a point of contention that should have been addressed early on in the investigation," he added. Mexican authorities in Sonora have disputed claims that the FBI has asked them for help in the search for Guthrie , who was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills, Ariz., the unincorporated community where Nancy Guthrie’s home is located. The office of Sonora Attorney General Gustavo Rómulo Salas Chávez wrote on the social platform X in Spanish that "it has not received a formal request for collaboration in the case of a missing person in Arizona," referring to Guthrie. "To date, this institution has not received any formal request for collaboration, assistance, or exchange of information from U.S. authorities or Mexican federal agencies in relation to said case," Chávez’s office added. Pima County Chris Nanos has said that investigators have had any indication that Guthrie was taken across the border. "We know where Mexico is in relationship to this, and it’s a possibility. But no, we have nothing to indicate that," he previously said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [2/22/2026 6:07 AM, Rocío Muñoz-Ledo and Michael Rios, 19874K] reports a Colombian congresswoman whose conservative party is closely aligned with the right-wing ideologies of US President Donald Trump says her son was detained last month by ICE agents amid the US crackdown on immigration. Ángela Vergara says she decided to go public with the case last week in part because her son has not yet been allowed to return to Colombia despite having requested voluntary departure, but also to raise awareness about the harsh conditions Colombian immigrants are facing in the US. The case has sparked a debate online, with critics questioning why Vergara, a member of a party that often backs Trump, came out in defense of immigrants only after her son’s detention. Vergara has pushed back against the criticism, insisting that she has never supported immigration policies that she says violate human rights. “This isn’t a political issue; it’s really a human rights issue,” she told CNN. “Being a conservative politician doesn’t mean I agree with human rights violations in Colombia or anywhere else in the world.”

Bloomberg [2/21/2026 8:00 AM, Mary Ellen Klas, 18082K] reports the people of Social Circle, Georgia, want their community to be known as “Georgia’s Greatest Little Town.” It’s a sweet descriptor which adds to the already charming name a traveler gave the community 200 years ago. But if the Trump/Vance administration gets its way, Social Circle could soon become known for something repulsive. The Department of Homeland Security is barreling forward with a plan to make this once-sleepy town of 5,000 home to the largest federal detention center on the East Coast. A one-million-square-foot warehouse is being remade as a holding center for as many as 10,000 immigrants rounded up as part of the administration’s mass deportation campaign. The barbed-wire, high-security compound is expected to open in May, just 4,000 feet from the Social Circle Elementary School. Earlier this month, DHS quietly bought the Social Circle warehouse from PNK S1 LLC, a subsidiary of a Russia-based real estate developer. It paid $128.5 million, nearly five times the property’s latest assessed value. Ignoring the city’s zoning laws, it made the warehouse a crucial piece of its new hub-and-spoke immigration camp design. It’s part of a $38.3 billion expansion of DHS detention centers, needed as federal agents round up undocumented immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers from work sites, schools and courtrooms across the country to fill quotas for what has become President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport hundreds of thousands of racially profiled immigrants. DHS is calling it the “Detention Reengineering Initiative,” and by the end of the year, it plans to have eight mega-centers like the one in Social Circle and 16 smaller “processing sites” housing 1,500 people in a city near you. According to Project Saltbox, a journalist-run site that tracks the effort, ICE has already bought warehouses for mega-centers in Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Arizona. With a deep well of money supplied by a complicit and irresponsible Congress, Trump’s project aims to normalize the illegal detention of millions of immigrants who mistakenly once believed in the promise of America. But as these deals are closing, horror stories have started to pile up about the unsafe and unsanitary conditions in existing detention camps.

San Diego Union Tribune [2/21/2026 10:34 PM, Agustina Vergara Cid, 1257K] reports the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents in Minnesota rightly sparked outrage over the misconduct of federal agents. But these abuses don’t have to lead to death to be grave violations of constitutional rights. In October, ProPublica published a list of 170 documented cases of American citizens detained by ICE, and what those individuals endured in the process. One such case is that of George Retes, and it serves as a microcosm of some of what the mass deportations agenda is doing to Americans. On July 10, 2025, George Retes was driving to his job as a security guard on a Southern California farm when he encountered an ICE roadblock surrounded by protestors. Next thing he knew, his car was filled with tear gas and swarmed by federal agents who broke his windows and pepper-sprayed him. They proceeded to drag him out of the car, push him to the ground and put their knees on his body to immobilize him. From there he was transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. George says he was detained in an isolation cell for three days, incommunicado, without being presented to a judge or being allowed to contact legal representation. He was denied access to a shower to wash away the tear gas and pepper spray. Eventually, he was released without being charged with a crime and with no explanation for what happened. George’s detention came in the midst of a raid in Camarillo, California, on a marijuana farm as part of the government’s “mass deportations” agenda. But George isn’t an immigrant to be deported — he is a U.S. citizen born and raised in Ventura, Calif., and an Iraq war veteran. Soon after his detention, George would find out how challenging it is to hold the federal government accountable. He decided to try anyway and filed a complaint against the federal agencies involved in his detention under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), which he was required to do before he could sue. On February 18, he was finally able to file a lawsuit. Retes argues that his detention violated his constitutional rights—including his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. “Any detention has to comply with the demands of the U.S. Constitution,” said Marie Miller, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, who’s representing him. “For any detention, you need reasonable suspicion to stop someone, and probable cause to arrest them,” Miller further explained. “There’s not really evidence that officers could [reasonably] believe this U.S. citizen had broken the law, much less immigration law.” Regardless of what authority ICE may claim to have to detain George, they have none that can trump the U.S. Constitution. How could federal agents have known that George is a U.S. citizen? He told them, explicitly, and even told them he’s a veteran. “I’m a [U.S.] citizen, I’m just trying to get to work,” he said. Miller says George even told the agents where his ID was inside the car. “No one seemed interested,” she stated. “They didn’t seem to disbelieve him. They just seemed to not care.” This seeming indifference from federal agents regarding the questionable legality of their purported actions — not to mention their brutality — should alarm every American.

The Hill [2/22/2026 6:00 AM, Rebecca Beitsch and Julia Shapero, 18170K] reports the Trump administration’s deployment of a wide range of technologies to support its sweeping deportation push and respond to those protesting immigration raids is sparking pushback among Democrats and civil liberties advocates, who fear it may be abusing its power as it launches new tools. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has used funding from President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to invest in a range of technologies that can be used to track both migrants and U.S. citizens. DHS has purchased iris scanners, facial recognition software, web and social media scraping tools and even various cell phone tracking technologies among its new tools. Democratic lawmakers concerned about the surge of new technologies have responded with several bills seeking to rein in the power of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as critics question whether the agency is trampling civil liberties with cutting-edge equipment. “I think the chief concern is that ICE and DHS are pushing the boundaries of the law and the technologies that they’re using,” Don Bell, policy counsel at The Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight, told The Hill. “ICE is pushing extremely aggressively to meet the campaign promise of delivering a mass deportation program,” he added. “And so the overarching concern with that is surveillance doesn’t always remain limited to the groups that are being targeted, which is bad in itself. Oftentimes, it ends up being expanded to target other groups.” ICE officers have used several facial recognition technologies, including the Mobile Fortify app, which can capture facial images, contactless fingerprints and photos of identity documents that are compared to existing records to identify individuals, including to determine whether or not they are citizens. DHS has also purchased an iris-scanning app that can perform a reading from 10 to 15 inches away.

AP [2/21/2026 10:44 AM, Heather Hollingsworth] reports more than 20 towns with large warehouses have become stealth targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s $45 billion expansion of detention centers. Some communities complain that ICE isn’t telling them anything until after it has purchased space for thousands of detainees. In some cases, warehouse owners are refusing to sell.

AP [2/21/2026 11:54 AM, Heather Hollingsworth and Morgan Lee] reports in a Texas town at the edge of the Rio Grande and a tall metal border wall, rumors swirled that federal immigration officials wanted to purchase three hulking warehouses to transform into a detention center. As local officials scrambled to find out what was happening, a deed was filed showing the Department of Homeland Security had already inked a $122.8 million deal for the 826,000-square-foot (76,738-square-meter) warehouses in Socorro, a bedroom community of 40,000 people outside El Paso. Socorro is among at least 20 communities with large warehouses across the U.S. that have become stealth targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s $45-billion expansion of detention centers. As public support for the agency and President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown sags, communities are objecting to mass detentions and raising concerns that the facilities could strain water supplies and other services while reducing local tax revenue. In many cases, mayors, county commissioners, governors and members of Congress learned about ICE’s ambitions only after the agency bought or leased space for detainees, leading to shock and frustration even in areas that have backed Trump. ICE, which is part of DHS, has purchased at least seven warehouses in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas, signed deeds show. Other deals have been announced but not yet finalized, though buyers scuttled sales in eight locations.

FOX News [2/21/2026 2:25 PM, Greg Norman-Diamond, 37576K] reports German soccer team Werder Bremen canceled its planned trip to Minnesota, citing unrest caused by recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions there, reports said. The Bundesliga club was expected to visit Minnesota and Michigan in May to play exhibition matches, according to the BBC.

Daily Wire [2/21/2026 10:54 AM, Virginia Kruta, 2314K] reports Congressional candidate Justin Pearson (D-TN) refused to name even one illegal alien he would deport — even when asked directly — and instead delivered a series of comments attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Pearson began with a general complaint about ICE, claiming that no one in President Donald Trump’s administration could be "trusted" to hold themselves accountable to the people. He argued that both ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in their current forms should be dissolved entirely, and that new organizations with different priorities should be built from the ground up. "Even after the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, they didn’t want to share information about what was happening," he said. "Which is why we have to abolish ICE, why we have to abolish the Customs and Border Patrol in the way that they currently exist, and replace them with something that actually does the work that we need for them to do. Which is why we need a Congress that works —". Republican commentator Scott Jennings interrupted then, asking, "What work is that, by the way?" "I’ll tell you what the work is not," Pearson replied. "The work is not killing American citizens." Jennings asked the question several times, and while Pearson was ready and willing to say many times what ICE should *not* do, he could not come up with one thing that a newly-formed immigration law enforcement agency *would* do, other than aid in finding a path to citizenship for illegal aliens who were already in the United States. At no point was Pearson able to provide Jennings with an answer to his question as to what ICE should be doing or whether there were any illegal aliens he believed should be deported — and after several minutes, host Abby Phillip stepped in to change the topic.

Daily Caller [2/22/2026 12:26 AM, Elizabeth Lawrence, 803K] reports that, after repeatedly vowing to launch "the largest deportation operation in American history," President Donald Trump won 77 million votes and reclaimed the White House in 2024. His victory suggested the American people wanted him to remove the millions of illegal immigrants let in through President Joe Biden’s open border. And he began that task immediately – something one might call democracy in action. Now, one year into Trump’s second term, most Americans still support mass deportations – but after a series of deadly shootings involving immigration authorities and left-wing activists, many are experiencing unease related to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is getting the job done. It’s not like the American people have changed their minds on deportations since Trump took office. A January 2026 New York Times/Siena national poll shows that registered voters still support the Trump administration’s deportation efforts by a 50-47 margin. However, the same poll showed 61% of voters believe ICE has "gone too far" during deportation operations. After two deadly shootings between federal agents and anti-ICE demonstrators, it’s easy to see why this view has spread – both shootings are still under investigation, and while many observers insist the agents acted in self-defense, others claim abuse of police powers. That unease has translated into falling approval numbers for President Trump. A recent Napolitan News Service survey conducted before the most recent shooting shows "the president’s approval on Immigration sits at 48%, one point from his lowest rating in September.". The Trump administration has offered illegal immigrants a peaceful and easy way out: self-deportation. Illegal immigrants can avoid ICE altogether by leaving the country voluntarily. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) even offers illegal immigrants "cost-free travel, forgiveness of any failure to depart fines, and a $2,600 exit bonus to facilitate travel back to their home country or another country where they have lawful status through the CBP Home Mobile App.". Numerous people who entered the United States illegally have left on their own, but others appear unwilling, despite knowing how their stay will likely end. As the DHS warns: "If you don’t self deport, it’s not a matter of if ICE finds you. It’s a matter of when.". Unfortunately, millions of illegal immigrants have chosen to wait for ICE. Most deportation arrests haven’t made headlines, but in Minnesota, a network of left-wing activists has made it their mission to interfere with immigration enforcement and has dominated the news cycle as a result. They blow whistles to disorient agents, throw objects at federal vehicles, and physically insert themselves into active arrests, causing chaos and confusion. Then those same activists play the victim when things escalate.

FOX News [2/21/2026 8:52 AM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports Maryland’s plan to end local law enforcement cooperation with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has hit a snag as many local sheriffs plan to continue workaround efforts that still keep them in compliance with state law. After Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation this week to end long-standing programs known as 287(g) cooperation agreements between local law enforcement and ICE, sheriffs from nine counties declared they will continue working with federal immigration officials. Jenkins pointed out that his county has the longest standing 287(g) program in the country, adding that throughout the 18-year program, law enforcement in Fredrick County has helped turn over about 1,890 illegal immigrants to ICE. Lawmakers in Maryland are set to restrict local law enforcement cooperation with ICE even further next week, potentially making the ‘workarounds’ described by Jenkins illegal as well.

Washington Post [2/21/2026 3:29 PM, Liam Scott, 24826K] reports families of students at Woodbridge Senior High School in Virginia received an email Thursday warning that students could face disciplinary action if they left campus while participating in a walkout Friday. Prince William County Public Schools “is committed to the principles of free speech and expression and other forms of constitutionally protected expression,” wrote Heather Abney, the principal, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Washington Post. Staff would monitor the walkout, which was not sponsored by the school or district, while students are on campus to ensure their safety, Abney wrote. But anyone leaving school ground without permission “will face disciplinary consequences, including out of school suspension,” she said. The warning came one week after students at the school, plus Forest Park High School and Gainesville Middle School, conducted walkouts in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Hundreds of the Woodbridge High students left campus for a nearby road and shopping center, according to media reports. Afterward, Prince William County school officials suspended 323 Woodbridge High students for leaving school property, according to a district spokeswoman. “Generally, peacefully walking out results in an unexcused absence. Suspensions occur when students leave campus or engage in other disruptive behaviors, such as fighting,” Diana Gulotta, another Prince William County schools spokesperson, wrote in an emailed statement.

Univision [2/21/2026 5:15 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports in a Texas town on the banks of the Rio Grande and a high border wall, rumors circulated that federal immigration authorities wanted to buy three huge warehouses to transform them into a detention center. Local authorities rushed to find out what was going on, and a deed was produced showing that the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) had already closed a $122.8 million deal to purchase the 76,738 square meter (826,000 square foot) warehouses in Socorro, a community of 40,000 people outside of El Paso. “No federal government official bothered to pick up the phone or even send us any correspondence to warn us about what was about to happen,” said Rudy Cruz Jr., mayor of the predominantly Hispanic town where orchards and irrigation ditches share the landscape with shopping centers, truck stops, recycling plants, and distribution warehouses. Socorro is one of at least 20 communities with large department stores in the United States that have quietly become targets of the $45 billion expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. At a time when public support for the agency and President Donald Trump’s immigration offensive is waning, communities are opposing mass detentions and expressing concern that the facilities could strain water supplies and other services, while also reducing local tax revenues. In many cases, mayors, county commissioners, governors, and members of Congress only learned of ICE ‘s ambitions after the agency had purchased or leased detention space, prompting surprise and frustration even in areas that have supported Trump. “I feel,” commented Cruz, whose wife was born in Mexico , “that they do these things in silence so that there is no opposition.” ICE , part of DHS, has purchased at least seven warehouses in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, according to signed deeds. Additional deals have been announced but not yet finalized, although several buyers have blocked sales at eight locations .

Univision [2/21/2026 2:49 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports just days away from giving birth, an immigrant woman detained at the ICE detention center in Dilley lives under the constant threat of deportation and the uncertainty of not knowing where or under what circumstances her baby will be born. Juana Felipe Mateo’s biggest fear is that her baby will be born within the walls of the detention center, and that is compounded by the fear of what will happen to her other two young children who are with her. Juana has spent a third of her pregnancy in the detention center and although the Department of Homeland Security has tried to deport her on several occasions, her almost 9 months of gestation are a threat to her life. Juana says the federal agency has sought approval from several doctors to transfer her. “Yes, they took me to the doctor on Saturday and then I went to the airport with my daughter, but they need a document for the doctor, but they said ‘we’re going to go back again’, about eleven hours,” Juana told N+ Univision from Dilley. Despite the fact that her own life is in danger, the young mother is worried about the well-being of her other two children. “Sometimes I’m fine, sometimes I’m not. Sometimes the baby doesn’t eat, just a spoonful of beans and rice, that’s all. They don’t want to eat… when we came here they wore size three clothes, but now they wear size two. They’ve lost a lot of weight ,” said Juana. Her husband was deported to Guatemala two months ago, and although she would like to be with him, all she wants is a safe and clean place to give birth. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [2/21/2026 1:04 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports following a public records request to the City of El Paso, the 911 service released new audio recordings of medical emergencies reported from the ICE detention center at Camp East Montana, in Fort Bliss. The calls, which were made by medical personnel in January 2026, describe incidents with two different detainees: the Cuban immigrant, Geraldo Lunas , and the Nicaraguan, Victor Manuel Diaz. "He tried to hang himself, then we handcuffed him and he carried on," says a voice in one of the audio recordings. The call corresponds to January 3, 2024, the day Geraldo Lunas Campos died, who would be the second person to die in custody at that facility. In the audio, the operator corroborates the suicide report, although some parts of the audio are written with tones to omit information about the detainee’s condition. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/21/2026 8:05 PM, Alexandra Koch Fox, 37576K] reports federal authorities are investigating a suspected arson attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, after a suspect allegedly smashed a window, ignited a fire and hurled a propane tank into the building early Saturday. FBI Phoenix said that at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the Surprise Police Department responded to a report of criminal damage to the newly purchased ICE building. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Fox News Digital the suspect "broke a window, ignited a fire, threw a propane tank into the building, and fled.". The fire was quickly extinguished by the interior sprinkler system, the spokesperson said. The FBI confirmed authorities found a broken window at the warehouse and evidence of "minor and limited fire activity.". No suspect information or arrests have been announced as of Saturday afternoon. The incident came days after state and federal authorities launched an investigation into an attempted arson attack at a DHS office building in Meridian, Idaho. The suspect allegedly stole an ambulance from a bay at St. Luke’s West hospital on Wednesday, drove the ambulance through the parking lot, and retrieved gas cans that were staged in nearby vegetation, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea. The suspect, who has not been identified, then drove the ambulance directly into the North Portico building, which houses DHS offices, Basterrechea said. Investigators believe the suspect poured an accelerant inside and around the outside of the ambulance. However, the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies, according to Basterrechea. Officials said the location was known to the community. "There has been a lot of rhetoric surrounding the Department of Homeland Security leasing office space at this location," Basterrechea said. "Comments on social media, such as ‘property damage isn’t violence,’ is absolutely false. This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk.". The Meridian Police Department is leading the investigation into Wednesday’s attack in Idaho in coordination with the FBI, ATF, DHS, Idaho State Police and other regional law enforcement partners. The FBI is investigating Saturday’s incident in Arizona with assistance from the ATF. ICE and ATF did not immediately respond to additional inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Washington Times [2/21/2026 1:56 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a pardon Friday to Somboon Phaymany, erasing his 1997 conviction on 10 counts of premeditated attempted murder and effectively shielding him from being deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mr. Phaymany, a Cambodian citizen, was involved in a gang-related drive-by shooting as a 19-year-old, earning him a lengthy criminal record. That conviction stripped him of his green card and made him eligible for deportation, which ICE was trying to do in early 2020 when the coronavirus struck and a judge granted him a pandemic release. Now Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said he believes Mr. Phaymany has rehabilitated and granted him a pardon, erasing the conviction. Homeland Security said that erases the justification for ICE to deport him. “Governor Newsom pardoning an illegal alien convicted of attempted murder so he can remain in our country is absolute insanity,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told The Washington Times. “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his sanctuary politicians are protecting. He is putting the lives of all Americans at risk.” She said: “Somboon Phaymany lost his green card following his conviction for attempted murder and assault with a firearm. Following the conviction, he was placed in removal proceedings and issued a final order of removal by a judge. Gavin Newsom’s pardon took away this attempted murderer’s qualifying convictions that made him removable from the U.S.”

AP [2/22/2026 12:07 AM, Monika Pronczuk, 31753K] reports being gay in Morocco is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison. But it was the violence from her family that forced Farah, a 21-year-old gay woman, to flee the country. After a long journey to the United States and a third-country deportation by the Trump administration, however, Farah said she is now back in Morocco and in hiding. "It is hard to live and work with the fear of being tracked once again by my family," she told The Associated Press, in a rare testimony from a person deported via a third country despite having protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge. "But there is nothing I can do. I have to work." She asked to be identified by her first name only for fear of persecution. The AP saw her protection order and lawyers verified parts of her account. Farah said that before she fled, she was beaten by her family and the family of her partner when they found out about their relationship. She was kicked out of the family home and fled with her partner to another city. She said her family found her and tried to kill her. Through a friend, she and her partner heard about the opportunity to get visas for Brazil and fly there with the aim of reaching the United States, where they had friends. From Brazil, she trekked through six countries for weeks to reach the U.S. border, where they asked for asylum. They arrived in early 2025. But instead of finding the freedom to be herself, Farah said she was detained for almost a year, first in Arizona, then in Louisiana. She was denied asylum, but in August she received a protection order from an U.S. immigration judge, who ruled she cannot be deported to Morocco because that would endanger her life. Her partner, denied asylum and a protection order, was deported. Farah said she was three days from a hearing on her release when she was handcuffed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and put on a plane to an African country she had never visited, and one where homosexuality is illegal: Cameroon. She was put in a detention facility. "They asked me if I wanted to stay in Cameroon, and I told them that I can’t stay in Cameroon and risk my life in a place where I would still be endangered," she said. She was flown to Morocco. She is one of dozens of people confirmed to be deported from the U.S. by the Trump administration to third countries despite having legal protection from U.S. immigration judges. The real number is unknown.

FOX News [2/21/2026 10:58 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports Vice President JD Vance comments on deportations of criminal illegal migrants, Minnesota fraud, the DHS shutdown and the SAVE America Act on ‘My View with Lara Trump.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [2/21/2026 3:30 PM, Bob Price, 2238K] reports a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Aircraft Operations Division drone pilot detected three illegal immigrants moments after they crossed the Rio Grande early Thursday, guiding troopers and Border Patrol agents to the group. The female migrant was found wearing six colored wristbands on each wrist — a cartel method for tagging migrants by payment level and assigned crossing point — as she traveled with a three‑year‑old child. DPS spokesman, Lt. Chris Olivarez, posted a video on social media showing imagery from an Aircraft Operations Division drone that shows a group of migrants forming up to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas. Troopers used the drone to guide ground-based troopers and Border Patrol agents to the scene of the illegal border crossing. The law enforcement team tracked down the illegal aliens and found three people. The arrested included an adult male, an adult female, and a three-year-old child — all were identified as Mexican nationals. The team observed the mother and child wearing brightly colored wristbands on each wrist. The woman told the team the bands were placed on her and her child’s arms as cartel human smuggling "cargo" markers. The colors indicate how much she has paid and where she is assigned to cross the border. The drone operator and DPS ground teams are assigned to assist Border Patrol agents in securing the border under Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

ABC News [2/22/2026 12:44 AM, Ayesha Ali and Luke Barr, 34146K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is temporarily suspending its TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs due to the agency’s lapse in funding. "TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. The two programs, which allow expedited clearance processes for pre-vetted domestic and international travelers, are expected to be suspended starting at 6 a.m. ET Sunday, according to a DHS official. The DHS personnel assigned to these programs will be redirected to assist the broader traveling public. This is a rare move and will result in longer lines, likely frustrating many travelers. The two programs were not suspended during last year’s government shutdown. The decision to suspend these programs comes as the anticipated winter storm has already cancelled more than 5,000 flights across the country and as flights resume, travelers can be expected to be waiting in long lines. It also comes just weeks before the spring break travel rush. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will also halt "all non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters," Noem said, underscoring the impact of the upcoming winter storm. The ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson blasted the move. "This is Trump and Kristi Noem purposely punishing the American people and using them as pawns for their sadistic political games," Johnson said in a statement. "TSA PreCheck and Global Entry REDUCE airport lines and ease the burden on DHS staff who are working without pay because of Trump’s abuse of the Department and killing of American citizens," he said. The Washington Post [2/21/2026 9:46 PM, Marianne LeVine, Riley Beggin and Theodoric Meyer, 24826K] reports DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem said in a statement that the agency is “making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions” and prioritizing the “general traveling population” at airports and ports of entry. “This is the third time that Democrat politicians have shut down this department during the 119th Congress,” Noem said in a statement. “Shutdowns have serious real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers national security.” Democrats in Congress demanded Republicans agree to impose new restrictions on DHS after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, last month in Minneapolis. The White House negotiated with Democrats, but the two sides did not reach a deal before DHS funding ran out on Feb. 14. Among the changes the agency is making starting Sunday is suspending airport police escorts for members of Congress and other expedited services, the agency said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also halt all “non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters,” Noem said, noting the upcoming winter storm this weekend. Washington Post previously reported that DHS halted almost all travel amid the standoff over the agency’s funding. DHS is now requiring approval for all FEMA travel, including for disaster relief. Democrats have insisted that federal agents wear body cameras and don’t wear masks, get judicial warrants before raiding people’s homes, stop raids on “sensitive sites” such as churches and schools, and adhere to a new code of conduct similar to those of state and local police, among other demands. Congress has been gone from Washington for the past week on a prescheduled recess. Democratic leaders have been negotiating with White House officials over the break and sent a counteroffer Monday, according to a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York). The federal government has endured two other shutdowns in recent months, including one that lasted 43 days in the fall because of an impasse over expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. Much of the government briefly shut down several weeks ago before Congress passed legislation to reopen it. This shutdown is narrower: Lawmakers have funded every department except DHS, limiting the impact to an estimated 13 percent of the civilian federal workforce.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/21/2026 10:35 PM, Audrey Wan, 18082K]
The Hill [2/21/2026 11:34 PM, Sophie Brams, 18170K]
Reuters [2/21/2026 10:12 PM, Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru and David Shepardson, 38315K]
AP [2/22/2026 1:10 AM, Staff, 31753K]
CBS News [2/22/2026 12:29 AM, Faris Tanyos, 51110K]
NBC News [2/22/2026 12:06 AM, Julia Ainsley, Dennis Romero, Madison Lambert, 42967K]
CNN [2/22/2026 2:56 AM, Martin Goillandeau, 19874K]
FOX News [2/22/2026 3:47 AM, Michael Sinkewicz, 37576K]
Telemundo [2/21/2026 11:31 PM, Julia Ainsley and Dennis Romero, 2524K]

New York Times [2/21/2026 3:15 PM, Scott Dance, 148038K] reports after the botched federal response to Hurricane Katrina contributed to hundreds of deaths in 2005, Congress sought to prevent those deadly mistakes from repeating. It passed a law that gave more authority to the person running the Federal Emergency Management Agency and placed restrictions on the homeland security secretary, whose department oversees FEMA. The statute reflected concerns that FEMA’s mission suffered under leadership more focused on fighting terrorism and securing borders, and that the FEMA administrator needed to be able to make funding and personnel decisions. Two decades later, the law known as the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act has not prevented Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from micromanaging FEMA’s staffing, programs and spending. Some FEMA staff and emergency managers worry that Ms. Noem may be violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the post-Katrina reform law, with changes that whistle-blowers have warned leave FEMA less prepared for disasters. FEMA “is operating lawfully and in full compliance” with the post-Katrina reform law, Victoria Barton, a senior FEMA spokeswoman, said in a statement. “The secretary of homeland security has clear statutory and delegated authority to manage the Department, including decisions related to staffing, grants and program oversight,” Ms. Barton said. States, unions and advocacy groups have won court challenges to some of the changes Ms. Noem has made. But lawyers said that the 2006 statute is difficult to enforce. Internal FEMA documents reviewed by The New York Times and interviews with FEMA employees show Ms. Noem has been closely involved in changes to the agency’s staffing levels and capabilities.

The New York Times [2/21/2026 3:13 PM, Isabella Kwai, Judson Jones and Amy Graff, 148038K] reports a fierce storm was poised to blast the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with heavy snow and strong winds Sunday into Monday, leading forecasters to issue blizzard warnings for much of the coastal Northeast, including New York City, which faces as much as two feet of snow. The storm is expected to bring heavy snowfall, strong winds and blizzard conditions from Delaware to southern Connecticut, the National Weather Service said on early Saturday. Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said the winds will bring the blizzard conditions but also “create other problems, including moderate to major flooding and high surf at the coast.” He also said there could be widespread power outages with Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts at the highest risk. The blizzard warnings were in place for nearly 30 million people from Sunday morning until Monday afternoon, with the heaviest snowfall — one to two inches per hour, if not more — expected by Sunday night, the Weather Service said. Forecasters warned travel will be “dangerous, if not impossible” on roads, as it became clear that the Monday morning and evening commutes will be messy in the big cities, from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, to New York City to Boston. Bloomberg [2/21/2026 3:13 PM, Brian K. Sullivan and María Paula Mijares Torres, 18082K] reports Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned New Yorkers there’s “a slight chance we may see up to 20 inches, if not more” and that the blizzard may be more dangerous than a storm that hit the city in late January. The blizzard warning stretches from New Haven, Connecticut, south to Delaware, including New York and Long Island starting 6 a.m. Sunday. It’s likely to be extended into southern New England and Boston. The storm is forecast to strengthen so quickly Sunday — with its central pressure, a measure of strength, dropping 24 millibars in 12 hours — that the US Weather Prediction Center is calling it “a super bomb,” said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the agency. With temperatures near freezing, the snow will be wet and heavy. Combined with winds gusting as high as 55 miles (88 kilometers) per hour, it’s almost certain to topple power lines and trees, causing outages. Sunday flight cancellations are certain to rise, especially in the busy New York City area, causing a cascade of disruptive travel trouble at the start of the work week. Breitbart [2/21/2026 4:59 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports Park could see its first snowfall total of more than 12 inches in at least five years. Locations situated east of Interstate 95 and between Philadelphia and New York City are expected to see the most snowfall, which would make road travel dangerous. Forecasters said at least a foot of snow could cover the ground in Philadelphia, New York City and Boston, along with other communities, and affect flights at airports in those locales and others that lie within the winter storm’s path. Baltimore and other cities in the Mid-Atlantic are predicted to get several inches of snow, and a high potential for power outages exists anywhere affected by the winter storm system that packs winds capable of gusting to 40 mph and more. The nor-easter’s strong winds also will increase the storm surge that could cause localized flooding in coastal areas from Delaware and New Jersey to southern New England throughout Sunday and into early Monday morning. The low-pressure system was located off the coast of the Carolinas on Saturday afternoon and is projected to move to the northeast through Sunday, leaving heavy, wet snow and high winds in its wake.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [2/21/2026 12:10 PM, Doina Chiacu, 38315K]
CNN [2/21/2026 3:31 PM, Chris Dolce, Andrew Freedman, 19874K]
USA Today [2/21/2026 3:34 PM, Mike Snider, 70643K]

CBS Philadelphia [2/21/2026 2:48 PM, Joe Brandt, 51110K] reports New Jersey has issued a state of emergency as a winter storm with potentially 10+ inches of snow is on track to hit the state Sunday into Monday. The CBS Philadelphia NEXT Weather team expects this storm to start Sunday afternoon before intensifying Sunday night, when as much as 2 inches of snow an hour could fall. A blizzard warning is in effect along the New Jersey coast as this could produce whiteout conditions. Gov. Mikie Sherrill issued the state of emergency for Sunday, Feb. 22 and urged residents to stay off the roads during the storm. The state of emergency takes effect at 12 p.m.

Reported similarly:
CBS New York [2/21/2026 4:18 PM, Staff, 51110K]

Politico [2/21/2026 10:16 AM, Nick Niedzwiadek, 21784K] reports District of Columbia police searched Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s offices at the agency’s headquarters this month as part of its investigation of sexual assault allegations against her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, according to three DOL officials. Employees who work in the secretary’s suite were ushered out of their offices temporarily Feb. 5, and Metropolitan Police Department personnel entered and looked around, according to the DOL officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. It is unclear what the police were searching for or how long they stayed, but it is unusual for a local police force to seek access to federal property, and especially rare for them search the office of a Cabinet official. In addition to the secretary’s own office, the suite also includes the work stations of a number of aides and advisers who report to her. “LCD knew MPD was here but not why,” said one of the officials, referring to Chavez-DeRemer by her initials. Neither Chavez-DeRemer nor Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling was in the office at the time of the search. A DOL spokesperson declined to comment. An MPD spokesperson declined to comment. DeRemer’s attorney, James Bell, said his client “categorically, unequivocally, and emphatically denies each and every one of the allegations.” “The allegations are a complete fabrication manufactured by Labor Department insiders vying for the Secretary of Labor’s position,” Bell said in a statement. The U.S. attorney’s office in D.C., led by Jeanine Pirro, decided not to pursue charges against DeRemer after reviewing video of the alleged incident. “Based upon the evidence presented to this office in relation to the video, there is no indication of a crime,” USAO spokesperson Tim Lauer said in a statement to POLITICO. DeRemer’s attorney said in his statement that Federal Protective Service, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security that safeguards federal property, has also declined to bring charges. The New York Post first reported federal officials’ decision not to prosecute DeRemer. DHS said in a statement that as a law enforcement agency, it does not have prosecutorial authority and had kicked the investigation back to the DOL inspector general.

The Hill [2/21/2026 11:32 AM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K] reports the Trump administration will pay to outfit U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protective detail agents with two tailored suits, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to The Hill. The initiative, first reported by CNN on Friday and included in a public contract solicitation, emerged after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she did not like that USSS agents dressed in their own suits. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that the suits do “not have to do with optics” and denied the account regarding Noem. McLaughlin, who is stepping down from her role soon, told The Hill on Saturday that the move for the suits “is about fixing an inequity where non-uniformed graduates must pay for their uniform while uniformed division is provided with their uniform.” “This is meant to remove a financial strain when these men and women are first starting out in their secret service career and service to our country,” she said in a statement. The public solicitation posted online last week shows that protective detail agents will receive two navy-blue tailored suits made in the U.S. with “name embroidery on inside of jacket” and “suitable for year-round wear.” The suits are also required to be compliant with the Kissell Amendment of 2009, which restricts DHS to only acquiring “uniforms and other textiles from U.S. manufacturers, with certain exceptions,” according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. One source told CNN that offering suits could be a recruiting incentive to alleviate any financial hit on agents having to purchase their own. They added that the department had to seek out funding within its budget.

New York Times [2/22/2026 5:00 AM, Adam Sella, 148038K] reports in his first term, President Trump established the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to defend the nation’s infrastructure against cyberattacks. In his second, he has taken aim at the agency. Mr. Trump has sought to chip away at major aspects of CISA, a target of his ire after it undercut his false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. He has dismantled its election-related defenses, and called last year for a “comprehensive evaluation of all of CISA’s activities.” The lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, CISA’s parent agency, is only the latest setback, temporarily winnowing its already thinning ranks. In January 2025, CISA employed about 3,400 people. That number has dropped to below 2,400. The shutdown means employees are now furloughed, leaving fewer than 1,000 of them to continue working. The agency has navigated these cuts while being effectively rudderless without a Senate-confirmed leader. The result is a demoralized work force concerned about the agency’s ability to ward off threats, according to former agency officials. Lawmakers have shared those worries. “You just can’t lose a third of your work force and accomplish the mission and authorities that you have,” Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi, said after an oversight hearing in late January. Mr. Thompson, a co-sponsor of the law that created CISA in 2018, also cited a lack of resources and diminishing institutional knowledge as causes of the agency’s woes. Marci McCarthy, CISA’s director of public affairs, said in a statement that “CISA remains unwavering in its mission to protect the systems Americans rely on — strengthening federal networks, empowering businesses and fortifying critical infrastructure nationwide.” Since Mr. Trump’s electoral victory in 2024, chaos has become routine at the agency. During the transition, the Trump administration ramped up its scrutiny of the agency, asking employees to justify their work, in some cases by pointing to specific statutes and laws, according to one former official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Fear and rumors spread rapidly, including speculation over the possibility of a reorganization. At an oversight hearing in January, Madhu Gottumukkala, the agency’s acting director, pushed back on the idea that the agency had plans to reorganize, even as he acknowledged that it had undergone “a lot of changes in the last year.”

Politico [2/21/2026 10:00 AM, Maggie Miller, Dana Nickel and Antoaneta Roussi, 21784K] reports NATO countries’ restrained response to hybrid attacks is at odds with public opinion, new polling shows: Broad swaths of the public in key allied countries say actions such as cyberattacks on hospitals should be considered acts of war. The POLITICO Poll, conducted in the United States, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, showed a majority of people agreed that a cyberattack that shuts down hospitals or power grids constitutes an act of war. Canadians felt the strongest about the issue, with 73 percent agreeing. Respondents from all five countries also rallied behind the idea that sabotaging undersea cables or energy pipelines — which has occurred more frequently in recent years — should be considered be an act of war. The online survey was conducted from Feb. 6 to 9 by the independent London-based polling company Public First. State-backed hackers — often linked to Russia — have increasingly targeted critical sectors in recent years. But NATO allies are struggling to respond effectively. In 2024, a Russia-based ransomware gang conducted a massive cyberattack on U.S.-based medical bill clearinghouse, Change Healthcare, which exposed sensitive data on more than 190 million people. The U.K.’s National Health Service confirmed last year that a cyberattack on its systems, also committed by a Russian hacking group, contributed to a patient’s death. And in 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation accused Iranian government-backed hackers of attempting to infiltrate the Boston Children’s Hospital computer network. While these actions have not been officially labeled as acts of war, global governments are taking attacks on critical systems more seriously. NATO in 2014 said that a foreign cyberattack could trigger the alliance’s mutual defense clause, Article 5, effectively calling for multilateral action in response to hacks. But a NATO official said in 2022 that it’s unclear how severe a cyberattack would have to be to trigger a response, which could include “diplomatic and economic sanctions, cyber measures or even conventional forces, depending on the nature of the attack.” Security services in Europe have also more firmly called out the Kremlin for orchestrating digital attacks in the West, most recently targeting Poland’s energy infrastructure. But views on Russia as a global threat vary greatly between Europe and North America. A majority of respondents in Germany, France and the U.K. said Russia represents the biggest threat to peace, while fewer in the U.S. (39 percent) and Canada (29 percent) agreed. While the people surveyed in these five countries overwhelmingly considered major cyberattacks by adversaries against public infrastructure as acts of war, they felt less strongly about smaller-scale acts of digital sabotage. Less than half of the respondents across all five countries said that hacking and leaking the private conversations of political leaders should be considered an act of war. Even fewer considered spreading misinformation to influence an election to be an act of war.

NPR [2/21/2026 3:52 PM, Alana Wise, 28764K] reports the University of Mississippi Medical Center has closed all of its clinics in the state in response to a ransomware attack that impacted its phone and electronic systems, disrupting patient care. The attack was launched on Thursday, compromising the medical center’s systems, including its electronic health records platform Epic and its IT network. It’s unclear how long the effects of the attack would last or whether patient information had been compromised. UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs LouAnn Woodward said in a Friday statement that the university was working with law enforcement, including the FBI, to resolve the system outage. Out of an abundance of caution, she said, UMMC had taken all systems offline until they could test and confirm that they were safe to use. UMMC hospitals and emergency departments are still operational. Hospital officials halted care at the center’s total 35 clinics in the state. Appointments, including chemotherapy and elective procedures, were canceled as of Friday.

Daily Caller [2/21/2026 11:55 AM, Mark Tanos, 803K] reports a New York man carrying multiple firearms drove his rental car through a secured gate at a Nevada power facility Thursday before taking his own life, authorities said. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) announced the joint terrorism investigation Friday during a press conference with Boulder City Police Chief Timothy Shea and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto, according to an official statement on X. Officers responding to a 911 call around 10 a.m. discovered a silver Nissan Sentra that had breached the perimeter fence at a Department of Water and Power substation near Boulder City. The vehicle came to rest against large industrial wire reels inside the secured area. The driver was dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities identified the suspect as Dawson Maloney, 23, of Albany, Fox News reported. Officers found him wearing soft body armor and gripping a shotgun. Before the attack, Maloney had contacted his mother and allegedly called himself a "dead terrorist son," telling her he felt obligated to carry out the act. The weapons stockpile inside his vehicle included two shotguns, an AR-style pistol, loaded magazines, flamethrowers containing thermite, a crowbar, and a hatchet, according to Fox News. Investigators searching his hotel room recovered explosive components including ammonium nitrate, magnesium ribbon, metal pipes and gasoline. FBI agents executed two search warrants at Albany residences and recovered firearm components along with a 3D printer, ABC 15 reported. Hotel room searches also turned up books covering a range of extremist ideologies, including white supremacist, anti-government, environmental extremist, and both right-wing and left-wing materials. Authorities said there is no ongoing public threat.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [2/21/2026 10:20 AM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]

CBS News [2/21/2026 11:51 AM, Lucia I Suarez Sang, Joe Walsh, 51110K] reports President Trump said on Saturday that he is going to raise his global tariff to 15%, up from 10% he imposed on Friday, after the Supreme Court struck down a set of sweeping global tariffs. Mr. Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision "Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday," by the U.S. Supreme Court. Infuriated by the high court’s ruling, Mr. Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that enabled him to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tax on most imports to the United States. The law allows the president to impose a levy of up to 15% for 150 days, although it could face legal challenges. Friday’s tariffs were issued under a different law: Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. That legal provision lets the president impose duties of up to 15% for 150 days to deal with "large and serious" balance-of-payment issues. They are scheduled to take effect starting Feb. 24. It was not immediately clear when the president would sign an updated order. In addition to the temporary tariffs that Mr. Trump wants to set at 15%, the president said Friday that he was also pursuing tariffs through other sections of federal law, which require an investigation by the Commerce Department. The Supreme Court’s ruling did not impact tariffs that were issued under legal authorities aside from IEEPA, including Mr. Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminum and auto imports.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/21/2026 2:20 PM, Catherine Lucey and María Paula Mijares Torres, 18082K]

CNN [2/22/2026 4:35 AM, Julia Benbrook, 19874K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will increase the global tariffs he imposed a day earlier to 15% from 10%. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [2/2/2026 6:11 AM, Jan Wolfe, 38315K] reports the U.S. Supreme Court is set to explore legal questions arising from the fraught history of U.S.-Cuban relations when it considers the scope of a 1996 law that lets U.S. nationals seek compensation for property confiscated by the communist-led Cuban government. The justices hear arguments on Monday in two cases centered on the federal law called the Helms-Burton Act, one involving U.S. oil major ExxonMobil and the other involving the cruise lines Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. One of the law’s provisions, called Title III, allows for lawsuits in U.S. courts against entities that "traffic" in property confiscated by the Cuban government after the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. While the two cases focus on distinct legal issues, both raise the question of just how powerful a remedy Congress intended Title III to be. In both cases, the Supreme Court has the opportunity to eliminate barriers that claimants face in bringing Helms-Burton Act lawsuits. The justices have never before interpreted Title III, which Congress authorized the U.S. president to suspend if deemed "necessary to the national interests of the United States." Title III was long dormant due to presidential decisions to suspend it. But President Donald Trump, who has taken a hard line toward Cuba, lifted that suspension during his first term in office, unleashing a wave of about 40 lawsuits filed in 2019 and 2020 that have slowly made their way through the courts. Trump’s administration has declared Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security, cutting off the flow of Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean island nation and threatening to slap tariffs on any country supplying it with fuel.

Univision [2/21/2026 4:14 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the United States Embassy in Venezuela confirmed on Saturday, February 21, 2026, the second delivery of more than 65,000 kilograms of medical supplies destined for the Venezuelan people. With this latest shipment, the total amount of humanitarian aid reaches 71,000 kilograms, as part of a three-phase plan. The information was announced by Ambassador Laura Farnsworth Dogu, head of the diplomatic mission and the new U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in the country. Through the official social media accounts of the US Embassy in Venezuela , the diplomat confirmed that she personally oversaw the arrival of the shipment to the national territory.

Reuters [2/21/2026 4:49 PM, Louise Rasmussen and Pete McKenzie, 38315K] reports Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said on Saturday it had evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital Nuuk. The crew member has been transferred to the Greenlandic health authorities and the hospital in Nuuk, the Joint Arctic Command said in a statement. The evacuation was carried out using the Danish Defence Seahawk helicopter, it added.

Reuters [2/21/2026 5:20 PM, Feras Dalatey, 38315K] reports Islamic State claimed responsibility ⁠on ⁠Saturday for two attacks targeting ⁠Syrian army personnel in northern and eastern Syria, as the ​militant group signaled what it described as a new phase of operations against the country’s leadership. The ‌militant group said on its Dabiq ‌news agency that it had targeted "an individual of the apostate Syrian regime" in ⁠the city ⁠of Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province using a pistol, and attacked two ​other personnel with machine guns in the northern city of Raqqa. Syria’s Defence Ministry said in a statement that a Syrian army soldier and a civilian were killed on Saturday by "unknown assailants." A military source told Reuters the soldier belonged to the army’s 42nd Division. The attacks ⁠come amid ⁠a sharp escalation by ⁠IS against Syria’s leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda leader who broke with the ​group in 2016 before ⁠leading a coalition of Islamist factions that overthrew President Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024. On Saturday evening, IS released a recorded statement by its spokesperson, Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari, who said Syria had "moved from Iranian occupation to Turkish-American occupation.". The group said it had begun ⁠a "new phase of operations" in Syria, describing Sharaa as a "watchdog" of the global ⁠coalition and vowing that his fate would be no different from that of Assad.

New York Post [2/21/2026 11:47 PM, Anna Young, 40934K] reports Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed Saturday that Tehran will not "bow" to foreign pressure as war tensions mount with the US amid ongoing nuclear talks – even as Washington rolls out its biggest military buildup in the Middle East since the Iraq invasion. "World powers are lining up to force us to bow our heads," a defiant Pezeshkian said on state TV. "But we will not bow our heads despite all the problems that they are creating for us.". The remarks come as tensions soar over Iran’s atomic program, with President Trump warning the nation it has just 10 days to make a nuclear deal or face devastating airstrikes on its weapons facilities. An anticipated attack could also be directed at the Islamic Republic, potentially targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two US officials told Reuters. Trump has not ruled out the use of military force against the theocratic regime, and his military buildup in the region mirrors the one he amassed near Venezuela before the Jan. 3 raid to capture strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife. "They have something for every scenario," one Trump adviser told Axios of the Pentagon’s plan. "One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs. What the president chooses no one knows. I don’t think he knows.". The Iranian dictator — whose brutal crackdown on nationwide protests last month has killed at least 7,000 — also threatened on social media to sink US warships. Trump had vowed to come to the protesters’ rescue, but has thus far declined to take military action against Iran. "It is entirely possible we will see the regimes fall in Iran, in Venezuela and in Cuba, and we could also see governments replace them that want to be friends with the United States of America," Texas Senator Ted Cruz told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Wednesday night. The Republican said he told the president Iran’s regime is "teetering" and that the US has an opportunity to take military action, arguing that toppling it would mark the "most consequential geopolitical shift" since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "We’re not going to see hundreds of thousands of troops on the ground. We’re not going to see massive American casualties, but the president is willing to defend American national security interests," Cruz said.

{End of Report} RETURN TO TOP