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.

Reuters [2/26/2026 11:36 AM, Andrew Chung, 38315K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration asked the ⁠U.S. ⁠Supreme Court on Thursday to intervene ⁠in its effort to strip deportation protections from about 6,000 Syrians living in the United States. The Justice Department in an emergency request asked the Supreme Court to lift a judge’s November decision that blocked ‌the administration’s move to end Temporary Protected ‌Status, or TPS, for Syrians while litigation challenging the move continues. It is the third time the administration has ⁠turned to the ⁠Supreme Court related to its efforts to terminate these protections for migrants. The court sided with the administration on both previous occasions, involving the revocation of TPS for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. TPS is a humanitarian designation under U.S. law for migrants from countries stricken by war, natural disaster or other catastrophes, shielding people given this status from deportation and allowing them to work in the United States. Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has ⁠moved ⁠to terminate TPS for 12 ⁠countries including Syria. Similar lawsuits have led to court rulings that are currently blocking the end of TPS for people from nations including Ethiopia, South Sudan, ⁠Haiti, Syria and Myanmar. TPS was first extended to Syrians in 2012 during former President Barack Obama’s administration, after the country plunged into a civil war that culminated with the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, an appointee of the Republican president, announced in September that Syria’s TPS designation would end, noting that the ⁠situation there "no longer meets the criteria for an ongoing armed conflict that poses a serious threat ⁠to the personal safety of returning Syrian nationals.” FOX News [2/26/2026 11:12 AM, Alex Nitzberg, 37576K] reports "This application marks the third time that the government has been compelled to seek a stay from this Court after lower Courts have baselessly blocked the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determinations regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) just before they took effect," the filing declares. The document notes that the high court previously issued stays amid legal wranglings pertaining to the administration’s move to terminate TPS for Venezuela. "Both times, this Court’s orders reflected that the government is likely to succeed on the merits of its purely legal arguments—including that 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(5)(A) expressly bars judicial review of direct or indirect challenges to the Secretary’s TPS determinations," the filing asserted. "And both times, the Court’s orders reflected that the government established irreparable harm and that the balance of the equities weighed in its favor." "The lower courts’ arrogation of core Executive Branch prerogatives irreparably harms the government, and respondents’ alleged harms were inherent in the temporary nature of the program that Congress designed," the administration argued. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved to terminate TPS for Syria last year. The New York Times [2/26/2026 3:05 PM, Ann E. Marimow, 148038K] reports that the Trump administration announced in September that it was ending the program for Syrians. It has been ending T.P.S. for various groups of migrants as part of its immigration crackdown as the president moves to expel a larger set of migrants from the United States. Efforts to end the program for more than one million foreign nationals have prompted a number of legal challenges, including from a group of Syrian nationals who sued over the termination of the protections in October. D. John Sauer, the solicitor general, filed an emergency request on Thursday asking the justices to halt a lower court order that has blocked the administration’s efforts to end the protections. He said the ruling was inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s temporary orders in another case involving hundreds of thousands of migrants from Venezuela. Mr. Sauer also urged the Supreme Court to formally review the underlying legal questions to provide lasting guidance for lower courts considering the issue.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [2/26/2026 12:16 PM, Greg Stohr, 18082K]
AP [2/26/2026 10:19 AM, Staff, 1257K]
CBS News [2/26/2026 10:36 AM, John Fritze, 51110K]

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 2:10 PM, Jack Birle, 1147K] reports that the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to lift a lower court’s block on ending temporary protected status for people from Syria, marking the third time the DOJ has had to ask the justices to lift an order blocking the removal of TPS. Solicitor General D. John Sauer stressed that lower courts have continued to "impermissibly bypass" federal law that explicitly strips courts of their ability to second-guess TPS decisions made by the Department of Homeland Security. Sauer asked the justices to lift a block on the revocation of TPS for Syrians, as they have done twice before when lower courts have wrongly blocked the Trump administration from lifting TPS for immigrants from other countries. "This application marks the third time that the government has been compelled to seek a stay from this Court after lower courts have baselessly blocked the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determinations regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) just before they took effect," Sauer wrote. "The lower courts’ arrogation of core Executive Branch prerogatives irreparably harms the government, and respondents’ alleged harms were inherent in the temporary nature of the program that Congress designed," Sauer added. Sauer argued that the ruling in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York blocking TPS for Syria from being revoked was a "spurious" objection to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s reasoned analysis, which was that the Middle Eastern country no longer met the criteria for TPS.

NewsMax [2/26/2026 4:55 PM, Jim Thomas, 3760K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security is disrupting security and planning work for the 2026 World Cup and the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. She said reviewers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency were sidelined as grant decisions for host-city preparations remain on hold. In a post on X, Noem wrote that FEMA "was in the final stages of reviewing applications to ensure proper oversight when Democrats shut down the government, putting significant portions of the FEMA staff on administrative leave.” "No funds have been awarded yet under the FIFA World Cup Grant Program. The longer DHS goes without funding, the less prepared our nation will be for threats at the FIFA World Cup and America 250.” "This Democrat shutdown directly impacts DHS’s ability to keep Americans safe at these events and our national security," she added. The Senate vote that stalled DHS funding took place Feb. 12. Senators rejected a cloture motion to proceed to HR 7147, a consolidated appropriations measure, by a 52-47 vote. Noem’s warning comes as host-city officials and outside groups have raised concerns that a prolonged funding lapse could complicate security coordination for the tournament, including planning for crowds and related events.

Reported similarly:
The Hill [2/27/2026 2:47 AM, Tara Suter, 18170K]

Politico [2/26/2026 3:48 PM, Sophia Cai] reports with just over 100 days until kickoff, the 11 U.S. World Cup host cities remain in limbo over when they will receive their share of $625 million in federal security funding — an uncertainty that local officials warn could upend planning for one of the largest sporting events in American history. On a recent call with the White House FIFA World Cup Task Force, led by Andrew Giuliani, host city officials pressed him for answers about the long-promised grants. According to three people familiar with the conversation, granted anonymity to discuss the call candidly, they received little clarity beyond the explanation that there is just an “administrative delay.” The uncertainty comes amid the ongoing partial government shutdown — and a broader slowdown in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding — which are compounding security challenges ahead of the tournament. “With now only 106 days until the competition begins, we wanted to express to you the importance of finalizing and resolving any administrative concerns regarding the distribution of FIFA World Cup security grants,” the World Cup Host Committees wrote in the letter to the White House task force on Wednesday that was reviewed by POLITICO. Underscoring the urgency, they called the funds “critical to delivering a safe, secure, and successful World Cup this summer.” Congress, with President Donald Trump’s backing, included $625 million in World Cup security funding in last year’s sweeping GOP megabill. Host committees said they submitted their applications by a December deadline, and that the official Notice of Funding Opportunity listed “no later than” Jan. 30 as the anticipated award date. That date has passed, and the cities have yet to receive notification of the formal awards of the tens of millions of dollars they’re counting on to help put on the tournament. “The $625 million in security funding is essential to executing safety and security measures at the level required for a global event of this scale,” the letter states. The committees warned they need the money soon to comply with procurement requirements and purchase equipment in time for the matches. “We need to start making commitments now on signing contracts, sending out [requests for proposals], putting out purchase orders and things of all that nature,” said one of the host committee executives granted anonymity to speak frankly. “So that’s really where the pinch point is, more than anything else right now. And it’s hard to do those things without some confirmation.” The issue burst into public view Tuesday during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, where local officials described a growing logjam in federal grant funding. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently halted the disbursement of non-emergency FEMA grants during the partial government shutdown, saying the agency must prioritize disaster response. The move affects counterterrorism and security grants distributed through FEMA — the same pipeline used for World Cup security funding.Noem said in a statement Thursday morning that FEMA had been in the “final stages” of reviewing applications from World Cup host cities when the shutdown hit, putting “significant portions” of FEMA staff on administrative leave. “The longer DHS goes without funding, the less prepared our nation will be for threats at the FIFA World Cup and America 250,” Noem posted.

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 3:37 PM, Ramsey Touchberry, 1147K] reports the White House is unable to repurpose funding to pay Department of Homeland Security workers at agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration during the partial government shutdown, a senior administration official told the Washington Examiner. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) floated the option as a possible lifeline for those going unpaid at DHS agencies such as TSA, the Coast Guard, and Secret Service amid "slow moving" immigration enforcement negotiations with Democrats in exchange for funding. But a senior administration official, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Thursday that because of the discretionary appropriations structure for DHS, the White House budget office cannot shift funds from other accounts as it did during last year’s shutdown to pay military troops with unspent research, development, and procurement defense funds. Instead, the official pressed for Democrats, who are blocking funding until a deal is reached on new restrictions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to relent on their demands. On Thursday, he described bipartisan talks on ICE as "slow-moving" but maintained "hope for a breakthrough."

CBS News [2/26/2026 11:32 AM, Staff, 51110K] reports that there is still no consensus in Congress on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns reports. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [2/26/2026 6:05 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports Deep State activists within the Department of Homeland Security secretly bugged the phones and computers used by top political appointees, agency chief Kristi Noem told the PBD Podcast. Elon Musk’s deputies "helped me identify [the Deep State allies who] downloaded software on my phone and my laptop to spy on me, to record our meetings," Noem said on February 26. The Deep State actors also had their own spy base within the DHS building. Noem also said she is trying to reconstruct the movement of scientists through U.S. government and Chinese laboratories before the coronavirus crash. The Daily Caller [2/26/2026 7:32 PM, Mariane Angela, 803K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that members of her own department secretly installed spyware on government-issued devices used by Trump administration officials, including her phone and laptop, allowing staffers to record meetings and monitor internal communications. Noem said on "PBD Podcast" that tech experts, including Elon Musk and members of his team, helped her uncover what she described as unauthorized surveillance software embedded on devices assigned to political appointees. Noem said the discovery came after outside technology specialists examined DHS hardware and flagged suspicious software activity. "I can’t believe what I found since I’ve been in this department. I just found the other day a whole room on this campus that was a secret skiff secure facility that had files nobody knew existed. So we just happened to have an employee walk by a door and wonder what it was and started asking questions," Noem said. "We went in there. There was individuals working there that had secret files that nobody knew about on some of these most controversial topics like that, and now I’ve got that turned over to attorneys, and we’re getting to the bottom of what exactly happened there.” When asked for additional details to support Noem’s allegations, a DHS spokesperson declined to elaborate, saying, "We will let the Secretary’s post speak for itself." Noem reiterated in a post on X that DHS staff had installed surveillance software on devices used by her and other political appointees and that officials discovered secure rooms containing hidden files that were later turned over to attorneys. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. The secretary said Customs and Border Protection maintains extensive records that she has begun reviewing alongside information from national laboratories under her jurisdiction. "We have CBP which is Customs and Border Protection. They know every traveler that comes into this country, every good that comes in, they’re the ones who assess and collect all of the tariffs, but the information that they had on travelers that came in during COVID, what are national labs, which I also have national labs under my jurisdiction," Noem added. "They’re scientists that participated with that Wuhan lab, how they were traveling back and forth between each other and working on those experiments. It’s been eye-opening, and I’ll tell you, Patrick, even from the time I came into this office it was, Elon and his team were extremely helpful to me. They helped me identify that some of my own employees in my department had downloaded software on my phone and my laptop to spy on me to record our meetings.”

The Hill [2/26/2026 1:43 PM, Sophie Brams, 18170K] reports that Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who has been pushing for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment, came face-to-face with her on Wednesday, demanding reforms within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the agency remains shut down. “Today, I met with Secretary Kristi Noem and, again, confronted and held her accountable for her lawlessness and violations of our civil rights,” Ramirez wrote Wednesday evening on the social platform X. “While I am clear her days in public office are numbered, Noem currently holds the Office of the Secretary. As such, she has an obligation to execute her oath of office and abide by U.S. laws,” she added. The closed-door meeting, which Ramirez described to NBC News as “heated and tense,” came as Democrats have repeatedly insisted that they will not support a DHS funding measure unless it includes new restrictions on federal law enforcement officers participating in the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Ramirez said she asked Noem to commit to policy changes in several areas, including prohibiting officers from entering sensitive locations, a standardized use of force policy, an end to “warrantless” arrests and searches and better standards of care for migrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities.

New York Times [2/26/2026 6:29 PM, Frances Robles and Patricia Mazzei, 148038K] reports the men arrived in Cuban waters aboard a speedboat that apparently had been stolen the night before in the Florida Keys. The Cuban government said 10 Cubans left from the United States on a Florida-registered vessel armed with assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms. Their goal when they arrived on Wednesday was, the government said: “to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes.” They opened fire on the Cuban Coast Guard, the government claimed. Four of the men died and six more were wounded in the gunfight. A day later, few details have emerged about the deadly shootout, raising questions about who the men were and how and why they sailed to Cuba’s shores. Were they freelance militants with a poorly laid out plan? Part of a carefully set trap by the Cuban government at a time of increased tensions with the United States? The episode was the latest in a decades-long often bellicose history between Cuba’s government and militant exiles determined to take it down. For years, Cuban exiles have tried to infiltrate Cuba, planted bombs in Havana and even plotted to assassinate Fidel Castro. One of the survivors was initially erroneously reported to be Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, a 31-year-old activist who fled Cuba in 2017 and was home in Miami this week, fielding calls from reporters. The inclusion of Mr. Azcorra’s name among the list of the detained raised questions about what the Cuban government knew about the plot. Having his name even though he was not on the boat suggested that government agents could have known about the operation in advance, experts said.

The Hill [2/26/2026 12:47 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports a shootout aboard a U.S. boat in Cuban waters on Wednesday resulted in four deaths and six injuries that have raised already high territorial tensions between Cuba and the U.S. U.S. and Florida officials are leading an investigation into the incident that took place off the Florida Keys and the citizenship status of those killed and wounded. The Cuban government, which was engaged in the shootout, said the majority of the 10 people on the boat “have a known history of criminal and violent activity,” according to The Associated Press. The government has claimed the individuals on the boat were there for “terrorist purposes.” However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was “not going to base our conclusions on what they’ve told us.” The U.S. Coast Guard and State Department are currently investigating the incident alongside law enforcement from Florida, where the boat was registered. Tensions were already high between Washington and Havana amid an ongoing oil blockade and increased pressure for Cuban regime change following President Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Florida lawmakers are pushing Cuba for answers about the identity and status of those on board the boat who Cuba detained. Officials in Havana have identified seven of the 10 passengers. Six of those identified are living, including Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. The Cuban government also identified one of the four passengers killed as Michel Ortega Casanova, who was one of the four killed on the boat, according to Cuba’s Interior Ministry. Three others have not yet been identified. Two are under criminal investigation by the foreign government.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [2/26/2026 9:43 AM, Staff, 37576K]

ABC News [2/26/2026 6:00 PM, Bill Hutchinson and Meredith Deliso, 34146K] reports at least one American citizen was killed and another injured in a deadly gun battle between Cuban border guards and a group of individuals aboard a U.S.-registered boat that occurred off the coast of the Caribbean island nation, two U.S. State Department officials and a White House official told ABC News on Thursday. The U.S. officials also confirmed that one of the individuals on the boat was holding a K-1 visa, which allows foreigners to enter the U.S. to marry an American citizen. Four people aboard the boat were killed and six others on the vessel were injured in the "confrontation" on Wednesday, about one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones in the Villa Clara province on Cuba’s north coast, the Cuban Ministry of Interior said. Those on board the U.S-registered speedboat, which had been reported stolen in Florida, allegedly opened fire on Cuban border guard troops as they approached the boat in an attempt to identify it, the Cuban ministry said Wednesday. In the aftermath of the gunfight, the ministry said assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms were seized from the speedboat. The six people who survived the incident were detained, the ministry said, while another man who was "a citizen sent from the United States to facilitate the reception of the armed infiltration" was arrested. The Cuban ministry further said most of those aboard the boat "have a known history of criminal and violent activity.” "We have stated this on repeated occasions and we reaffirm it today: Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist and mercenary aggression that seeks to affect its sovereignty and national stability," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez said in a statement Thursday morning.

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USA Today [2/26/2026 5:55 PM, Kim Hjelmgaard, Rick Jervis, Francesca Chambers, and Jayme Fraser, 70643K]

FOX News [2/26/2026 8:35 AM, Rachel Wolf, 46783K] reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio held back his judgment when addressing the shootout between Cuba’s coast guard and a U.S.-registered speedboat. The secretary called the situation "highly unusual" and emphasized the need for the U.S. to evaluate the facts of the incident before giving its response. While speaking with reporters in Saint Kitt on Wednesday, Rubio said the U.S. was "going to have our own information" on the incident, and it would be evaluated to determine what occurred. He also said, "There are a number of things that could have happened," but refused to speculate on various scenarios. "Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in the open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time. But we’re going to find out," Rubio said. "We’re not going to base our conclusions on what they’ve told us. And I’m very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here, and we will know it soon. And then, you know, we’ll respond appropriately based on what that information tells us." One reporter asked about the possible consequences for Cuba if those on the boat were Americans, but Rubio would not give an answer, saying there was more analysis of the facts that had to be done. Vice President JD Vance confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that Rubio had briefed him on the situation. Similarly to Rubio, Vance said several details remained unknown and the U.S was closely monitoring the situation.

Breitbart [2/26/2026 9:50 AM, Frances Martel, 2238K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday evening the government of President Donald Trump is working to verify the facts surrounding an alleged shootout at sea between an alleged Florida speedboat and the Cuban communist coast guard. The Communist Party’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday it had allegedly engaged a speedboat registered in Florida, killed four people, and detained at least six others. On Thursday morning, the Communist Party’s official newspaper Granma reported the names of six people allegedly on the speedboat when it was stopped and claimed that they were "terrorists" attempting to attack the Cuban government. Among those named are individuals that the Castro regime had previously identified as "terrorists" on a mostly spurious "terror" list featuring human rights activists and Youtubers. Neither the Castro regime nor the White House have offered any more details at press time on Thursday morning, though some American outlets have claimed to speak to relatives of those on board who suggested that the individuals involved were deeply committed to overthrowing communism in their native country. The Castro regime has a decades-long track record of unjustifiably killing civilians at sea, including children and American citizens, with impunity. Secretary of State Rubio, speaking to journalists in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, offered journalists no details on the situation, other than confirming that no one involved is believed to be a U.S. government official and that there is no reason to believe the speedboat was involved in any American government operation. He suggested that journalists approach the Castro regime’s "facts" on the situation with extreme skepticism. "We will know quickly many more facts about this incident than we know right now. The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans," Rubio noted. "We will verify that independently.” "I don’t know who has possession of the vessel, which is the first thing we want to have. We obviously want to have access to these people if they are American citizens or U.S. residents," Rubio added. "But I’m not going to speculate now because right now, still a lot of the information that’s out there is information that’s been provided by the Cubans. We are going to verify that information independently and reach our own conclusions.”

Breitbart [2/26/2026 12:49 PM, Frances Martel, 2238K] reports the Cuban Communist Party identified seven individuals of the ten that it claims were onboard a Florida-registered speedboat intercepted in a fatal shootout on Wednesday. Among those named are two individuals the Castro regime had previously identified as "terrorists." Friends and family identified the one man the Castro regime identified as killed by Cuban Coast Guard agents – Michel Ortega Casanova – as a Tampa-based "patriot" who was "obsessed" with ending the 67-year-old communist regime in his home country. The Cuban embassy in Washington published a statement from the Interior Ministry on Wednesday announcing that it had used violence to intercept a speedboat traveling near northern Cuba. "When a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, carrying five service members, approached the vessel for identification, the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel," the Cuban regime claimed, "resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel. As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured.” On Thursday morning, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, Granma, published an article accusing the individuals on the alleged speedboat of terrorism and identifying six individuals the communist regime purportedly has in its custody and a seventh killed in the shootout. "It has been established that the neutralized speedboat, with the Florida registration FL7726SH, transported ten armed persons who, according to the preliminary declarations of the detained, had the intention of executing an infiltration with terrorist ends," Granma claimed.

CBS News [2/26/2026 9:50 AM, Kerry Breen, 51110K] reports the brother of one of the men who was killed after taking a U.S.-registered speedboat into Cuban waters and allegedly opening fire on the country’s border patrol said his sibling was fixated on overthrowing Cuba’s government. Misael Ortega Casanova, brother of Michael Ortega Casanova, told the Associated Press that his brother had fallen into an "obsessive and diabolical" quest to free Cuba from its communist government. Cubans in the United States and Cuban Americans have long protested the current Cuban government, and accused the island’s leadership of human rights violations. "They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives," Casanova said of his brother and the nine other men who were aboard the boat. The Cuban government said Wednesday afternoon that a speedboat registered in Florida had entered Cuban waters carrying weapons and 10 Cuban nationals who lived in the U.S. The group allegedly planned to carry out a terrorist attack on the island, the Cuban government said, and had assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms aboard the vessel. Cuba’s interior ministry said all 10 passengers had "a known history of criminal and violent activity." The speedboat was approached by a border patrol boat and opened fire on it, the government said. The border patrol returned fire, killing four people and wounding the other six passengers. The six wounded passengers were arrested and received medical assistance, the Cuban government said. "Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist and mercenary aggression against its sovereignty and national stability," President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X on Thursday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the U.S. government does not have any other information besides what the Cuban authorities have said. He said that the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and other agencies are looking into the incident. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Post [2/26/2026 8:58 PM, Christine Armario, Samantha Schmidt and Aaron Schaffer, 24826K] reports a day before Amijail Sánchez González entered Cuban waters on a Florida-registered speedboat, his family says, he called his elderly parents on the island to tell them he was heading their way. In the hour-long phone call, they urged their son not to make the trip, his brother told The Washington Post on Thursday. Sánchez González, a 47-year-old tree trimmer in Miami who has been critical of Cuba’s communist government on social media, was wanted by Havana on accusations of promoting terrorism. In late 2024, his brother said, authorities detained their parents, both of whom are fighting cancer, and held them for months to pressure him to return to the island and turn himself in. But he had become obsessed with his mission to “liberate Cuba,” Edisbel Sánchez González said. He wanted to show the world “an act of courage.” Amijail Sánchez González is now under arrest in Cuba, where authorities say he and nine other Cuban nationals tried to infiltrate the country Wednesday on a speedboat “for terrorist purposes.” According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, the men opened fire on a patrol vessel off the island’s northern shore early Wednesday, wounding its commander, and the Cuban vessel returned fire, killing four men and wounding six. At least one of the dead crew members and one of the survivors were U.S. citizens, a U.S. official said Thursday. The men were not sophisticated mercenaries, relatives said, but poorly trained activists who wanted to send a message. Some of the men’s families identified them as members of Autodefensa del Pueblo (People’s Self-Defense), a loosely coordinated organization known for asking people in Cuba to put up anti-government signs on walls there and send photos to be posted on social media.

New York Post [2/26/2026 6:38 PM, Chris Bradford and Ronny Reyes, 40934K] reports a Florida truck driver who was killed in a shootout with Cuba’s coast guard has been pictured for the first time. Michel Ortega Casanova fell into an "obsessive and diabolical quest" for Cuba’s freedom, according to his brother. He was among the 10 Cuban nationals who allegedly took a Florida-registered speedboat packed with weapons and ammunition to infiltrate Cuba, Havana officials said. Casanova’s brother, Misael, said his brother "became so obsessed" with the plot that neither he nor the three others killed in the incident thought "about the consequences.” "My mother is devastated," Misael told the Associated Press after his family learned of Casanova’s death. Misael, who spoke about how Cubans had endured "great suffering," said his family was in the dark about the operation, which Caribbean authorities defined as an attempt to infiltrate the country for "terrorist ends.”

AP [2/26/2026 7:44 PM, Andrea Rodríguez, Milexsy Durán and Dánica Coto, 35287K] reports Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, said Thursday that the island’s government is communicating with U.S. officials following the fatal shooting of a U.S. boat in Cuban waters. He said the Cuban government is willing to exchange information with U.S. officials, adding that Cuba plans to ask them for information on the suspects involved and what means they used to organize the trip. Cossío added that the U.S. government has shown willingness "to cooperate in clarifying the facts.” Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior said that on Wednesday morning, a Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 armed Cubans from the U.S. opened fire on soldiers off the island’s north coast, and that troops responded, killing four suspects and injuring six others. One Cuban official also was injured, the government said. A U.S. official said Thursday that at least one American citizen was killed and another wounded in the incident. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation into Wednesday’s firefight, said another member of the 10-person crew was in the U.S. on a visa and several others may have been green card holders. On Wednesday evening, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident. "The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently as we gather more information, and we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly," Rubio said. Cossío noted that Cuban authorities have regularly provided the U.S. with information on people he asserted "have been involved in promoting, financing, and organizing violent and terrorist acts against Cuba.”

Breitbart [2/26/2026 11:07 AM, Staff, 2238K] reports Cuba vowed Thursday to defend against "terrorist and mercenary" attacks after reporting it had killed four gunmen on a US-registered boat — a bloody incident that added to deepening tensions between Havana and Washington. President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced Wednesday’s incident as an attempted "infiltration" and said "Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist and mercenary aggression against its sovereignty and national stability." Cuban authorities said their forces responded after coming under fire from a Florida-registered speedboat just off the communist island’s north coast. Four of the alleged assailants were killed and six wounded, the interior ministry said. All aboard were Cubans living in the United States, according to the ministry. The survivors were detained and are accused of intending to "carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism," the ministry said, reporting that assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other military-style gear were seized. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had nothing to do with the clash and would "respond accordingly" after investigating.

FOX News [2/26/2026 11:35 AM, Greg Norman-Diamond, 37576K] reports that Russia warned Thursday against any "provocative actions" around Cuba after a shootout between the country’s coast guard and a U.S.-registered speedboat that left at least four dead. The remark comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was "going to have our own information" on Wednesday’s incident, and that "we’ll respond appropriately based on what that information tells us." "The situation around Cuba, as we can see, is heating up. The main thing is the humanitarian component. All humanitarian issues concerning Cuban citizens must be resolved, and no one should create obstacles," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, according to Reuters. "As for security around the island, it is, of course, very important that everyone remain restrained and refrain from any provocative actions," he added. Cuban officials say five service members approached the Florida-registered speedboat detected within Cuban territorial waters. Occupants then opened fire on Cuban troops, who returned fire, according to the Cuban foreign ministry. The ministry reported that "four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured." The Cuban vessel’s commander was also injured, according to the ministry.

AP [2/26/2026 2:51 PM, Travis Loller, 31753K] reports a representative of the U.S. Attorney’s office testified in federal court on Thursday that the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia was justified while acknowledging that the charges coming two years after a traffic stop in question was “extraordinary.” Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation has galvanized both sides of the immigration debate, claims that the criminal prosecution is vindictive and pushed by officials from President Donald Trump’s administration to punish him after they were forced to bring him back to the United States. He wants the charges dismissed. While Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen, a court order from 2019 prevents him from being deported to that country. That’s because an immigration judge determined he faced danger in El Salvador from a gang that had threatened his family. Abrego Garcia, 30, immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager but has an American wife and child. He has lived and worked in Maryland for years under the supervision of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

CNN [2/26/2026 6:23 PM, Devan Cole, 612K] reports a federal prosecutor in Nashville who secured criminal charges last year against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran national who was illegally deported by the Trump administration, attempted to convince a federal judge on Thursday to not toss out the case based on a finding that it was likely vindictively pursued. The high-stakes hearing was the latest flashpoint in a sprawling web of court cases Abrego Garcia has been ensnared in since his hasty deportation last March to a notorious mega prison in El Salvador and the administration’s initial reluctance to bring him back came to symbolize President Donald Trump’s slapdash and contentious approach to immigration enforcement. But the criminal case Abrego Garcia was brought back to the US to face last year has essentially been on life-support in recent months after US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw found evidence of a “realistic likelihood” that he’s the target of a vindictive prosecution that was pursued, in part, by high-ranking Justice Department officials in Washington, DC. Over several hours of testimony before Crenshaw on Thursday, Robert McGuire, who is leading the prosecution, repeatedly stressed that department leaders in Washington played no role in bringing the pair of human smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia and that he was the one calling all the shots in the matter. “Who made the decision to seek an indictment of Mr. Abrego?” Associate Attorney General Stan Woodward asked McGuire at one point. “I did,” McGuire replied, adding that nobody at the Department of Justice’s headquarters asked him to pursue the charges. “The charging decision – that was my decision,” McGuire said. “I wanted to feel good about it on my own.” That Thursday’s hearing happened at all is a remarkable turn of events in a criminal case that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche once described as “strong.” The department had for months tried to avoid being put in the awkward position of having to defend its prosecution of Abrego Garcia but amid the legal wrangling, it’s been forced to turn over some internal communications that appeared to undermine the assertions made by McGuire last year and again on Thursday. The integrity of the case has come under serious doubt by Crenshaw in recent months as he’s assessed Abrego Garcia’s claim that he’s being prosecuted in retaliation for successfully challenging his wrongful deportation, concluding that the Maryland father of three has shown evidence of a “realistic likelihood” that he’s the target of a vindictive prosecution. That determination could soon lead him to throw out the case.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [2/26/2026 6:02 PM, Jeremy Roebuck, 24826K]

FOX News [2/26/2026 11:14 PM, Michael Sinkewicz Fox, 37576K] reports a federal prosecutor acknowledged Thursday that the decision to charge Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia two years after a routine traffic stop was "extraordinary," while defending the human smuggling case as legally justified. Abrego Garcia, 31, has become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate since last March, when he was deported to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order in what Trump administration officials acknowledged was an "administrative error.” The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration had to work to bring him back to the U.S. After returning in June, Abrego Garcia was taken into federal custody in Nashville and detained on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking dismissal of the charges on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution. A 2019 court order prevents Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge determined he faced danger from a gang that had threatened his family. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager and has been under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Abrego Garcia was accused in court records of repeated domestic violence against his wife, who alleged multiple incidents of physical abuse in protective order filings. She later withdrew the protective order request and has defended her husband publicly. The Department of Homeland Security has also said he was living in the U.S. illegally and has alleged ties to MS-13, disputing portrayals of him as simply a "Maryland man." His attorneys have denied the gang allegations. Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera footage from when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding shows a calm exchange with officers. While officers discussed suspicions of smuggling among themselves — noting there were nine passengers in the vehicle — Abrego Garcia was issued only a warning. First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified Thursday that his decision to charge Abrego Garcia was based on the evidence. "I had previously prosecuted several human smuggling cases," McGuire said, noting that after seeing video of the traffic stop, "I was immediately struck by how similar what was being depicted in the body cam was to those investigations.” McGuire said Abrego Garcia’s vehicle belonged to someone with "a human smuggling background" and added that the route was "suspicious.” "It was a large number of individuals traveling in one SUV with a driver who spoke for the group. No one had luggage… the car had Texas plates… the route was suspicious," McGuire said.

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 7:02 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports a Department of Homeland Security Investigations official testified Thursday that the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia strengthened as investigators continued reviewing the facts, pushing back on claims that the prosecution was politically motivated. Rana Saoud, the DHS Investigations special agent in charge of the Nashville region at the time, told the court she initiated the inquiry after learning of a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop involving Abrego Garcia and said agents followed the evidence where it led. "If the facts did not add up, we would have ceased to move forward," Saoud testified. "The case just kept getting stronger.” The court proceedings unfolded on Thursday for a rare hearing established after U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, ordered the government to defend why the human smuggling case brought against Abrego Garcia wasn’t a form of vindictive prosecution brought in light of his court-ordered return to the United States last summer. Saoud said she first became aware of the stop in April last year after receiving a news article from the Tennessee Star and denied being directed by superiors to pursue charges, according to the Associated Press. On cross-examination, she acknowledged the matter drew heightened attention largely because of Abrego Garcia’s public profile, agreeing the case was notable "because of who the defendant was" and that he "was in the news all the time at that point.” The hearing is part of a legal fight over whether the prosecution was justified or vindictive following Abrego Garcia’s mistaken deportation to El Salvador and subsequent court-ordered return to the U.S. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire also testified that he ultimately decided to bring the charges after reviewing evidence tied to the 2022 stop, during which Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding while transporting nine passengers. Although the encounter ended with only a warning, McGuire said the circumstances resembled smuggling cases he had previously prosecuted, citing the lack of luggage, the travel route, and the vehicle’s alleged ties to someone with a smuggling background.

Washington Post [2/26/2026 6:00 AM, Hannah Knowles and Natalie Allison, 24826K] reports republicans inside the White House and around the country spent Wednesday amplifying a clip that they hope will become a campaign salvo in this year’s midterm elections. The moment, about an hour into President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, was conceived by Trump and his top advisers as a trap for Democratic lawmakers, asking them to stand if they agree that “the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” The effort to highlight the contrast between Republicans’ robust clapping and Democrats’ decision to stay in their seats began immediately on social media and carried into Wednesday, as House Republicans’ campaign arm held meetings to discuss how they could use the moment in ads. “Remember this when you head to the polls in 2026, 2028, and beyond,” the Trump War Room declared. The moment showed how Republicans still see immigration as a potent political issue, even as polling shows them losing their longtime edge on the topic — and as strategists from both parties say the midterms will hinge on the economy. Democrats, and some Republicans, say Trump’s overreach has turned the issue of immigration in their favor, creating other viral images that will haunt the party in the midterms: A U.S. citizen fatally shot by border agents. A 5-year-old in a bunny hat detained. Almost 6 in 10 voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration and say the president has gone too far in trying to deport undocumented immigrants, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll ahead of Trump’s address. But Republicans are still elevating the issue, which strategists say could help turn out their core supporters amid a daunting voter enthusiasm gap with Democrats. They have sought to link immigration to a host of other issues, from welfare fraud to crime.

AP [2/26/2026 5:25 PM, Steve Karnowski, 3833K] reports that Gov. Tim Walz denounced the Trump administration’s latest threat to withhold federal funds from Minnesota as another step in a “retribution” campaign as he unveiled a package of legislation Thursday intended to fight fraud in public programs, a persistent problem that provided an impetus for the federal government’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The Democratic governor made the announcement a day after Vice President JD Vance said the administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive drive against the misuse of public funds. Walz’s proposals were in the works well before Vance’s announcement. They followed other initiatives Walz launched previously to try to come to grips with a problem that eventually helped lead him to drop his bid for a third term. “This is a targeted retribution against a state that the president doesn’t like,” Walz said at a news conference, where he said the administration is using the same kind of “false information” on fraud as a “pretext” the way it did to justify Operation Metro Surge, in which the Department of Homeland Security sent over 3,000 federal officers into Minnesota. The Trump administration’s move to freeze the Medicaid funds was part of a larger effort to spotlight fraud around the country. The administration had previously cited allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Minneapolis-area Somali residents as a reason for a massive enforcement surge there.

Daily Wire [2/26/2026 6:23 AM, Cameron Arcand, 2314K] reports that the SAVE America Act continues to face hurdles toward passage in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune cautioned against a "talking filibuster" strategy to get the legislation to the president’s desk, according to Punchbowl News. The legislation would require documentary proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, as well as a valid ID shown at the ballot box. Legislation in the Senate typically needs 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and advance to final passage. There is even some Republican pushback on the proposal, including from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). On Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom" on Wednesday, Thune said that the Republicans will get "the Democrats on the record" for the proposal, calling it a "losing proposition" for Democrats to go against it, but noted that he would like to see an end to the Department of Homeland Security’s funding lapse first. In reference to the talking filibuster, he told reporters on Thursday that "you’ve got to have pretty much unanimous support for tabling all amendments. And we’ve looked at, gamed it out what the first week would look like under a scenario like that, and you’d be voting on 30 amendments, and I think you’d probably only have two of the 94 speeches."

NewsNation [2/26/2026 2:45 PM, Teodora Mitov, 4464K] reports that the U.S. aims to process 4,500 refugee applications from white South Africans per month, far above President Donald Trump’s stated refugee program cap, and is installing trailers on embassy property in Pretoria to support the effort, a U.S. contracting document said. The new target, contained in a previously unreported document from the U.S. State Department dated January 27, signals a push to ramp up admissions from South Africa, while refugee applications from other areas have been severely curtailed. Trump has said the U.S. would only admit 7,500 total refugees from around the world in fiscal year 2026, while a much higher cap of 40,000 to 60,000 was discussed internally last year. Only 2,000 white South Africans had entered the U.S. as refugees as of January 31 under a program launched in May 2025, although the pace has picked up in recent months. The ambitious target could also face administrative delays in Washington, which in recent weeks have halted all refugee travel to the U.S., including white South Africans, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. The White House referred questions to the State Department. The South African Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. said last year that more than 67,000 people had expressed interest in relocating.

Daily Caller [2/26/2026 10:01 AM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports that a Democratic congressman brought an illegal immigrant to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton invited Marcelo Gomes da Silva, who was detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he overstayed a student visa, to the speech. Gomes da Silva was hustled to the ex-Marine’s congressional office after the Department of Homeland Security noted he was in the country illegally in a Tuesday evening post on X, according to a Wednesday statement. "During last night’s State of the Union address inside the U.S. Capitol, a decision was made out of an abundance of caution to pull Congressman Moulton’s guest, Marcelo Gomes da Silva, from the House gallery audience after the official government account for the Department of Homeland Security issued this tweet at 8:24 PM ET targeting and harassing Marcelo," Aidan Curran, Moulton’s communications director, claimed in the release. "Marcelo was escorted from the House gallery at approximately 9:45 PM by a staff member from Congressman Moulton’s office. After leaving the State of the Union, Marcelo returned to Congressman Moulton’s office and watched the remainder of the speech from there," Curran added.

Daily Caller [2/26/2026 10:58 AM, Ireland Owens, 803K] reports that Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed Wednesday her guest at the previous day’s State of the Union address was "forcibly removed" from the House chamber and then arrested. "Reports indicate she [Rahman] was aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention," Omar said in the statement. "She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters." "The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy," the Minnesota Democrat continued. Omar added that she is calling for "a full explanation of why this arrest occurred." "All State of the Union tickets clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited," The U.S. Capitol Police told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement on Thursday. "At approximately 10:07 p.m., a person in the House Gallery started demonstrating during the State of the Union Address. The guest was told to sit down, but refused to obey our lawful orders. It is illegal to disrupt the Congress and demonstrate in the Congressional Buildings, so 43-year-old Aliya M. Rahman of Minneapolis, MN, was arrested for D.C. Code §10-503.16 – Unlawful Conduct, Disruption of Congress." Omar’s office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. Rahman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 10:37 AM, Asher Notheis, 1147K] reports Washington Examiner investigations editor Sarah Bedford said there is frustration within the Democratic Party over the "unhinged way" some members protested Tuesday’s State of the Union. President Donald Trump called out Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Wednesday for their heckling during his speech, suggesting they "should either be institutionalized or deported." Following this annual speech, Bedford said there is "discomfort" within Democratic circles over how some members appeared as Trump spoke at the Capitol. "That’s not something the Democratic congressional leadership wanted to see from their members, there was a sort of admonition from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries [D-NY] for just everyone to cool it, don’t make us look dumb, and it feeds into the narrative that Donald Trump has about congressional Democrats when he stood there at the podium and called them crazy and said they’re impossible to work with and they’re irrational," Bedford said on the Hugh Hewitt Show, guest-hosted by Kurt Schlichter. "Then in some ways, a few of them sort of proved Donald Trump right by screaming at him and refusing to stand for the notion that the government should support American citizens over illegal immigrants," Bedford said. "They sort of played right into Donald Trump’s trap, so optically, it wasn’t a very good night for Democrats.” Bedford asked if former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would have allowed this "nonsense" to take place in her party. She added that Democrats "don’t have a leader in Congress or really anywhere," which is building frustration within the party’s voter base. Bedford said Democrats are reading the frustration that the voter base wants the party to be "more obstructionist" to Trump’s agenda, which is playing a role in the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown. However, this isn’t "necessarily" what these voters want.

FOX News [2/26/2026 7:51 AM, Stephen Sorace, 37576K] reports the man accused of squirting Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with a syringe of apple cider vinegar during a town hall in Minneapolis last month will remain in custody until he stands trial, according to court documents. Magistrate Judge David Schultz ordered Anthony Kazmierczak, 56, to remain in custody pending trial, citing "exceedingly serious and dangerous circumstances" of the assault allegations. "The Court further finds detention is warranted in this case because clear and convincing evidence shows that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community, should Mr. Kazmierczak be released pending trial," Schultz wrote in the order of detention dated Monday. Omar was speaking about immigration policy and called for a transparent investigation and legal action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the abolition of the agency when the alleged attack happened. She also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign or "face impeachment.” Kazmierczak allegedly admitted to Minneapolis police during his arrest that he had squirted vinegar on Omar.

Bloomberg [2/26/2026 6:30 AM, Ruth Whittaker, 18082K] reports after receiving $170 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Department of Homeland Security went on a shopping spree. One result has been an expanding arsenal of surveillance tools that it is now deploying in interior immigration enforcement, often against American citizens — a dangerous development that threatens some of their most hallowed constitutional rights. One of the most visible examples of these tools is mobile facial recognition, which is playing a growing part in the administration’s expansive sweeps in American cities. DHS also has contracts with mobile cell-site simulators, which pose as cell towers and can collect location data from all mobile devices within an 8-block radius, and license plate readers, which track the movements of every license plate on the road. They also reactivated a partnership with Paragon Solutions, an Israeli hacking company whose tools can extract data from phones even if they are locked or communication is over encrypted apps, after the Biden administration had suspended the contract over reports of misuse by foreign governments. Since the first Trump administration, DHS has also relied on private data brokers to buy vast databases of consumer location information. In the six months leading up to the surge in Minneapolis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s data storage needs reportedly tripled. It’s unclear how much of this activity aligns with the Fourth Amendment or Supreme Court precedents requiring law enforcement agencies to get a warrant before accessing the contents of a cell phone or mobile location data. In fact, DHS’s deployment of these tools may not even align with its own policies. An internal DHS memo advised agents that individuals can’t opt out of facial recognition scans when they’re used for immigration enforcement, but TSA guidelines state that anyone can opt out of facial recognition at the airport without delaying security screenings. To be sure, enforcing immigration law is a legitimate government function. But building a domestic surveillance dragnet is not.

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 6:00 AM, Sen. John Cornyn, 1147K] reports while the outrage surrounding the Somali day care center scam has largely subsided, there may be an even deeper scandal going on in Minnesota than initially meets the eye, with tentacles reaching across the globe. Over the past two years, the Department of Homeland Security has reported that approximately $700 million in cash has been flown out of the Minneapolis airport in suitcases to far-flung destinations. This enormous sum has been largely tied to Somali nationals. No one knows where this money has come from or where it is going, but here’s the most alarming part: This activity is not currently illegal. To address the national security risks posed by this clandestine movement of funds, I will introduce legislation that will tighten TSA regulations for noncitizens transporting cash through American airports and allow us to literally follow the money. My legislation, the Stop Somali Currency Airport Smuggling through Hawalas Fraud Act, will strengthen the customs form for noncitizens taking cash out of the country to ensure we know who is moving it and why. The bill will require disclosure of whether the cash was received from a government contract or benefit program, and additional information about both the individual transporting the cash and the recipient. By requiring the form to be filed 72 hours in advance, my legislation will give U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents time to fully vet the form before allowing noncitizens to leave our country carrying large sums of money. This legislation offers a necessary update so that illegal immigrants can no longer legally fly out of the United States to their home countries with suitcases full of cash.

The Hill [2/26/2026 1:47 PM, Sarah Davis and Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers will not be stationed at polling sites this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed during a Wednesday meeting with secretaries of state from across the country. While the DHS official ruled out ICE presence at polling sites, she made other remarks to election officials casting doubt on the accuracy of U.S. voting systems and declined to confirm states should maintain control of elections. Heather Honey, the DHS’s assistant secretary for election integrity, made the assurance during the private call in a response to a question from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D). Weber, per a statement from her office, asked whether states would be alerted to potential immigration operations near polling sites. According to another source present for the call, Honey told election officials that “any suggestion that ICE will be at polling places is disinformation.” “ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action,” the agency said.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 1:51 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]

New York Times [2/26/2026 7:49 PM, Mitch Smith and Ernesto Londoño, 148038K] reports the chief federal judge in Minnesota accused federal officials of continuing to disobey judicial orders related to immigration enforcement and then mischaracterizing the scope of their missteps. The judge, Patrick Schiltz, threatened to hold government officials in criminal contempt if the pattern continued, writing in a scathing order on Thursday that, “one way or another, ICE will comply with this court’s orders.” “The court is not aware of another occasion in the history of the United States in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt — again and again and again — to force the United States government to comply with court orders,” wrote Judge Schiltz, who was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush. Across the country, federal judges have repeatedly called out Trump administration officials in recent weeks for testifying dishonestly, representing the law inaccurately and failing to comply promptly with their orders, especially on immigration-related matters. Tensions between the judiciary and the Trump administration have been especially high in Minnesota, where the courts have been overwhelmed with lawsuits stemming from a crackdown on illegal immigration. On Thursday, Judge Schiltz identified 210 orders issued in 143 cases in Minnesota in which he said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had not complied with court orders. Federal officials had previously taken issue with Judge Schiltz’s characterization of their compliance with orders. In his opinion, the judge quoted from an email that he said was sent to him by Daniel N. Rosen, the state’s top federal prosecutor, that acknowledged some missteps but argued that the judge had overstated their scope. Judge Schiltz acknowledged in his ruling that federal officials had not disobeyed orders in some cases he had previously cited, but noted dozens of additional examples where he said the government did not obey a judge’s instructions. Among the errors: missing deadlines for releasing detainees, transferring a detainee to Texas against a judge’s order and not filing required updates with the court. Mr. Rosen declined to comment on Thursday. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington Post [2/26/2026 11:56 AM, Jeff Stein, 24826K] reports a federal judge has found that the Internal Revenue Service violated federal law “approximately 42,695 times” when it shared confidential taxpayer addresses with immigration enforcement officials last summer. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the ruling Thursday as part of ongoing litigation over a data-sharing arrangement between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security. Federal law requires that before the IRS hands over a taxpayer’s address, a requesting agency must first provide the IRS with the name and address of the person it’s looking for. The requirement exists to ensure that the government can access confidential tax records only for individuals it has already specifically identified. The ruling finds that DHS did not follow this law. The judge wrote that the vast majority of the nearly 47,300 taxpayer addresses the IRS shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August were disclosed without the IRS confirming that ICE provided a valid address for the person whose records it was seeking. “The IRS violated the [Internal Revenue Code] approximately 42,695 times by disclosing last known taxpayer addresses to ICE ... without confirming that ICE’s request set forth the ‘address of the taxpayer with respect to whom the requested return information relate[d],’” the judge’s opinion stated. The case is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where the government is appealing Kollar-Kotelly’s November order that blocked the data-sharing arrangement. The Washington Post reported that the IRS had improperly shared confidential tax information of thousands of individuals with immigration enforcement officials. That report was confirmed by a subsequent court filing by Dottie A. Romo, the IRS’s chief risk and control officer. DHS officials have defended the data-sharing agreement as necessary to crack down on illegal immigration. “Information sharing across agencies is essential to identify who is in our country, including violent criminals, determine what public safety and terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them, scrub these individuals from voter rolls, and identify what public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense,” DHS said in a prior statement.

Reported similarly:
AP [2/26/2026 3:27 PM, Fatima Hussein, 35287K]
Washington Times [2/26/2026 4:00 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K]

DailySignal [2/26/2026 5:50 PM, Fred Lucas, 474K] reports in the span of two days, courts have issued somewhat conflicting rulings about what the Internal Revenue Service can do to assist the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for the District of Columbia determined that almost 43,000 addresses the IRS shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement last August were provided without confirmation of a valid address. Two days earlier, in a separate case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia gave a green light for the Internal Revenue Service to share information about illegal aliens with the Department of Homeland Security. The D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court decision rejecting a temporary injunction on the IRS’ actions until the case is completed. The court also said the plaintiffs "are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claims." In the case led by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, an immigrants’ rights group sued the Treasury Department last March over the information sharing. The IRS shared taxpayer identification numbers and address information with the Department of Homeland Security to assist in finding illegal aliens in the country. The IRS assigns taxpayer identification numbers to individuals who lack Social Security numbers, usually noncitizens, so those individuals can file taxes. Both cases focus on IRS data sharing. However, the D.C. Circuit ruled that a federal statute allows for sharing data with other federal agencies. By contrast, the district court ruling focused on whether the IRS followed proper procedures in sharing the data.

CBS News [2/26/2026 12:53 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports Ryan Schwank, who testified against ICE training practices under the Trump administration, joins CBS News with his lawyer, David Kligerman, to discuss what he alleges is a "deficient, defective, and broken" training program. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [2/26/2026 7:18 PM, Jonah E. Bromwich, 148038K] reports a federal judge on Thursday said that the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey had lost its credibility and was intentionally violating immigration-related orders, the latest rebuke from a judiciary that has grown increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration. The judge, Zahid N. Quraishi, added that if the Trump administration continued to make immigration arrests under a rationale that had already been found legally unacceptable, those arrests would most likely have to be justified through sworn testimony by administration officials. That strict standard would reflect an extraordinary lack of faith in the government and would place an additional burden on it every time it made an arrest of that nature. “Efforts by the court in this district to protect detainees’ rights have been largely frustrated by the government,” Judge Quraishi wrote, saying that officials from the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey had admitted to violating more than 70 orders from judges there. He added that he would “not stand idly by and allow this intentional misconduct to go on. It ends today.” The Justice and Homeland Security departments did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Judge Quraishi’s comment are the latest in a series of stern rulings in recent weeks from federal judges who are increasingly impatient with the administration and willing to accuse it of breaking the law. Last week, a California judge, Sunshine Sykes, wrote that “Americans have expressed deep concerns over unlawful, wanton acts by the executive branch,” and characterized its acts against noncitizens as a terror campaign. And earlier this month, a Minnesota judge, Laura M. Provinzino, found a Justice Department lawyer in contempt of court, saying, “What the court will not tolerate is what happened here: disobedience and radio silence.” Judge Quraishi is a former federal prosecutor and army veteran who was appointed as a district judge by President Biden. He previously worked as a lawyer at the Department of Homeland Security. The case in which Judge Quraishi issued his ruling involved a 29-year-old woman from El Salvador who crossed the border in August 2016 and was apprehended by the Border Patrol. The woman, Diana Cartagena Hueso, was found to have credible fear of returning to El Salvador and was referred for hearings in which she could have attempted to claim asylum. However in October 2016, she was released and has lived in the United States for the last decade.

Axios [2/26/2026 8:37 AM, Avery Lotz and Brittany Gibson, 17364K] reports ICE is on a multi-billion-dollar quest for new immigration detention facilities, but they’re increasingly facing pushback from an unlikely foe: Republicans. The Trump administration has prioritized investing tens of billions of dollars to increase how many people it can hold in immigration detention, and ICE has a limited amount of time to spend it. While Republicans may back the president’s immigration blitz on a national level, they’ve been leading voices of local pushback against ICE’s warehouse expansion while hinting at an old refrain: not-in-my-backyard. Republican elected officials in Mississippi, New Hampshire, Tennessee and beyond have fought proposed facilities in their states. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) recently celebrated DHS striking its plans for an ICE facility that triggered public outcry in suburban Merrimack. She thanked DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for "hearing the concerns" of residents. Tennessee GOP Rep. Clark Boyd, who said a city outside of Nashville would be "strained to the max" by a prospective facility, told the Tennessee Lookout that Sen. Masha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) would work with federal officials to stop it. Blackburn said on Tuesday that DHS would not move forward with a Wilson County facility, applauding Noem’s dedication to "finding the best possible location" for a new detention center. Rep. Mike Collins, who’s running to be Georgia’s GOP Senate nominee, said in a recent statement that he agrees with the community resistance to an already-purchased facility in the small town Social Circle. The facility is planning to hold roughly 10,000 immigrants. While blue-leaning states and Democratic elected officials have also been voicing concerns and protesting, intraparty pushback has been able to pump the breaks on ICE’s buying spree. DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Axios that the sites "will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards" and will "undergo community impact studies." She added that "Secretary Noem aims to work with officials on both sides of the aisle to expand detention space to help ICE law enforcement carry out the largest deportation effort in American history."

Bloomberg [2/26/2026 6:30 AM, Sophie Alexander and Fola Akinnibi, 18082K] reports as Immigration and Customs Enforcement dramatically shrinks its network of detention facilities to focus on a small number of large warehouse jails, it’s approached sellers ranging from billionaires to asset managers and commercial real estate giants to make it happen. Several potential sellers — including companies owned by billionaires Jimmy Pattison and Ed Roski — have opted not to sell after public pressure and community backlash. Republican officials in states like New Hampshire and Mississippi said plans there were scrapped after speaking with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Despite the opposition, DHS has managed to acquire at least seven locations for roughly $700 million so far. That’s only the start of what could be a historic and expensive transformation. In the “Detention Reengineering Initiative” made public earlier this month, DHS said it expects to spend $38 billion to build its planned government-owned immigration jail network. Earlier this month, officials in Social Circle, Georgia, said administration officials told them ICE would reduce its roster of detention facilities from more than 200 across the country to just 34. Many of the sites the agency is planning to use are currently empty industrial warehouses. The initiative would expand the agency’s bed capacity to 92,600. If completed as envisioned, the largest of those facilities could detain as many as 10,000 people — double the size of ICE’s plans for what’s currently the biggest immigration jail in the country, a tent camp in El Paso, Texas. DHS representatives didn’t respond to a request for comment for this story but an ICE spokesperson said in an earlier statement that it has “worked diligently to obtain greater detention space including purchasing new properties.” The spokesperson added that the warehouses will be “well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.”

Reuters [2/26/2026 6:02 AM, Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, 38315K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is struggling to keep pace with vetting new hires during its historic recruitment push and is laying out a process to deal with allegations of past misconduct among recruits, the agency said in an internal email on Monday, underscoring concerns about ICE’s rapid expansion. The email, sent to supervisors with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division and seen by Reuters, said the "high volume of new hires" and stalled background checks could create uncertainty for field offices when allegations arise related to actions before joining ICE, and that allegations should be referred to the internal Integrity Investigations Unit. "If a Field Office receives derogatory information about a newly hired employee’s conduct prior to ERO employment (e.g., termination or resignation in lieu of termination from another law enforcement agency for misconduct), please refer the matter to IIU," it said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said in January it had hired 12,000 ICE officers on top of an existing force of 10,000 officers, although a federal workforce database showed fewer hires, creating a net gain of 6,200 when factoring in departures. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis denied ICE was struggling to process background checks and said the email was meant to inform supervisors of resources available to them. "This was not highlighting any vetting problems, but rather a reminder of the services and resources ICE provides supervisors," she said. "All new hires go through extensive background checks and continuous vetting when they are hired including criminal and financial checks."

CNN [2/27/2026 5:01 AM, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken, 19874K] reports US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers receive far less training than almost any other federal agents given a badge and a gun — even less than officials tasked with investigating exotic animal smuggling and odometer fraud, a CNN analysis found. ICE officers historically have received less training, but the agency recently cut the number of training days for new recruits in half amid the Trump administration’s steep deportation quotas and aggressive hiring spree. "They’re not being adequately trained for what they’re being tasked with," said Marc Brown, who until 2024 worked as an instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), where ICE recruits are trained. "Some of the mistakes you would make in training, now you’re making them in the field.” CNN reviewed academy training requirements for roughly 30 sworn officer roles at the 20 largest federal law enforcement agencies and found that only US Court probation officers and federal prison guards require fewer training days than ICE deportation officers. Many federal law enforcement positions require more than double the training days — including Internal Revenue Service criminal investigators, Secret Service police officers and Capitol Police officers. Even smaller, more obscure federal jobs outside of CNN’s analysis undergo more training than ICE officers, including law enforcement officers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who safeguard the country’s fisheries, and Bureau of Engraving and Printing police, who protect facilities where US currency is produced. Several agencies did not respond to requests for information, so in these cases, CNN included the most recent, public information on sworn roles and training requirements from government documents.

San Francisco Chronicle [2/26/2026 7:00 AM, Theresa Cheng, 3833K] reports over the past year, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has spilled into emergency departments and hospitals across the country. And with the federal government’s 2025 decision to allow immigration agents into sensitive locations like medical facilities and schools, hospitals have become frontlines of heated battles. Thirty-two people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in 2025, the highest recorded number of deaths in more than two decades — and most died in hospitals near detention centers. The death toll in 2026 already outpaces last year’s. Detainees are often held in overcrowded conditions, with inadequate food, little to no health services and without their necessary medications. In October, ICE stopped paying some of its onsite medical providers for detainee care, and a growing number of ICE medical providers have quit due to what they have described as “inhumane conditions” in detention facilities. In a country where an estimated 290,000 people have been detained in a single year, all of this adds up to more detained sick people flooding hospitals and emergency departments like the one I work at in San Francisco. Unlike doctors in private or even public clinics, who may turn patients away due to insurance status, emergency department physicians are required by federal law to treat or stabilize anyone with an emergency medical condition. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act ensures that people experiencing medical emergencies can count on emergency care regardless of who they are or how much money they have. But even beyond the law, many doctors like me choose to work in the medical safety nets of our country, despite mounting pressures: worsening hospital overcrowding, a disastrous federal budget and Affordable Care Act tax credit expirations that will inevitably bring even more patients to our doors.

Breitbart [2/26/2026 11:09 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports that, thursday on MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said President Donald Trump was building Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into an army “that’s going to be policing American streets.” Schiff said, “We wanted to go through DHS contracting records and document just how much they’re spending to militarize this new, you know, effectively new police forces, palace guard of the presidents that is wreaking such havoc in our cities. And we found dramatic increases in spending on weapons, as you said, ICE agents will be equipped with now 3 to 4 times the amount of weapons as the previous year. Customs and Border Protection doubling their expenditure on the same.” He added, “I think what we’re seeing is a dangerous combination of a much more heavily armed immigration, law enforcement, complex. At the same time, we heard whistleblower testimony this week that they’ve cut the training for these new ICE agents. And they’re getting inadequate training on when to use these weapons and how to use these weapons. That is a really dangerous mix. And we wanted to sound the alarm with this report that we’re seeing the emergence of a kind of law enforcement or immigration enforcement industrial complex, because it’s not just the weapons. We’re seeing dramatic increases in expenditures on detention centers. They want to build around the country. And this is a way of gathering its own momentum. And we need to be aware of what’s happening, that we’re building a not small army now, that’s going to be policing American streets.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [2/26/2026 3:28 PM, Rachel Wolf, Preston Mizell, Gillian Turner, and Sandy Ibrahim, 37576K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital that agents detained a Columbia University student who was in the country illegally. The student, who DHS identified as Elmina Aghayeva, had a student visa that expired in 2016. "ICE arrested Elmina Aghayeva, an illegal alien from Azerbaijan, whose student visa was terminated in 2016 under the Obama administration for failing to attend classes. The building manager and her roommate let officers into the apartment. She has no pending appeals or applications with DHS," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Columbia University in New York City said on Thursday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered a residential building and detained a student. The university said the federal agents entered the residential building at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time. "Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details," Columbia University said in a statement. "It is important to reiterate that all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient." Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

NewsMax [2/26/2026 12:33 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports that Columbia University said Thursday that federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a residential building and detained a student. "Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person.’ We are working to gather more details," the school’s acting president, Claire Shipman, said in a letter to the campus. Ellie Aghayeva posted on Instagram a photo showing her in the back of a vehicle with the caption: "Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help." Aghayeva, a senior majoring in neuroscience and political science from Azerbaijan, came to the U.S. on a visa in 2016. In an emergency petition filed Thursday, attorneys for Aghayeva said she was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement inside her student housing and then transferred to a federal detention center in Lower Manhattan. The agents did not have a warrant, her attorneys said, but "represented they were searching for a missing person to gain entry.” Dozens of faculty, students, and community members gathered outside Columbia’s gates to protest Aghayeva’s detention, according to the Columbia Spectator. Shipman noted in her statement that "all law enforcement agents must have a judicial warrant or judicial subpoena to access non-public areas of the University, including housing, classrooms, and areas requiring CUID swipe access. An administrative warrant is not sufficient." DHS had not released a statement about Aghayeva’s detention.

CNN [2/26/2026 7:00 PM, Alaa Elassar, 612K] reports a student at Columbia University in New York was detained Thursday morning after federal immigration agents allegedly used deception to gain entry into a campus residential building, according to university officials. At approximately 6:30 a.m., agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia residential building in New York City and took a student into custody, Columbia University’s Acting President Claire Shipman said in a letter. The student’s identity has not been released. University officials say agents misrepresented their purpose in order to access the building. "Our understanding at this time is that the federal agents made misrepresentations to gain entry to the building to search for a ‘missing person,’" Shipman wrote. "We are working to gather more details.” Columbia said it is working to contact the student’s family and ensure the student has access to legal support. The New York Times [2/26/2026 11:57 AM, Sharon Otterman, 148038K] reports Ms. Aghayeva posted a one-second video on her popular Instagram account showing her in the back of a vehicle with the caption: “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help.” Her detainment appears to represent a significant escalation of immigration enforcement on Columbia’s campus after months of relative quiet. Mahmoud Khalil, who had recently graduated from Columbia, was detained in the lobby of his university dormitory building in March 2025. Lauren Bis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the agency was preparing a statement about the most recent operation that would be released soon. Columbia did not provide details about the identity of the detained student, or the location of the building where the student had been arrested. In her statement, Ms. Shipman said that the detention had taken place at about 6:30 a.m. and that the university was working to reach the student’s family and to provide legal support.

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Washington Times [2/26/2026 5:10 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports Homeland Security said Thursday that it has released an illegal immigrant student from Columbia University, hours after President Trump promised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani that she would be set free. DHS said Elimina Aghayeva was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at her university apartment. Mr. Mamdani said he raised the matter with Mr. Trump in a phone call and the president said she would be freed. “He has just informed me that she will be released immediately,” the mayor said on social media. Ms. Aghayeva posted to social media after the arrest, saying Homeland Security “illegally arrested me.” Columbia University said Ms. Aghayeva was arrested early in the morning and said the immigration officers “made misrepresentations” to gain access to the residential building, which is owned by the school. The university said immigration officers need “a judicial warrant or a judicial subpoena” to access non-public areas of university buildings.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [2/26/2026 12:36 PM, Dana Rubinstein, Nicholas Fandos, Sally Goldenberg and Tyler Pager, 148038K]

The Wall Street Journal [2/26/2026 8:54 PM, Victoria Albert, Terell Wright, and Joseph Pisani, 646K] reports Elmina Aghayeva, the Columbia University student who was detained by federal immigration officials early Thursday, has been released, according to the school. “The University is relieved and thrilled that our student, Ellie, has been released from detainment,” Columbia said on social media. Acting President Claire Shipman said in a video message Thursday that the student was detained by five federal agents in an off-campus residential university building. Shipman said agents “misrepresented” themselves to get into the building, saying they were looking for a “missing child.” She said security cameras captured the agents showing photos of a child. The agents didn’t have a warrant, Shipman said. The Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond Thursday to a request for comment. Earlier, DHS said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Aghayeva, of Azerbaijan, because she wasn’t living in the country legally. It said that the building manager and Aghayeva’s roommate let officers into the apartment. The agency also said that Aghayeva’s visa was terminated under President Barack Obama in 2016 for failing to attend classes and that she didn’t have any pending applications with DHS. It couldn’t be determined why Aghayeva was released. The few hours of whirlwind was uncommon for DHS, which often fights vigorously to keep immigrants in custody after their arrest. Several students arrested last year, including Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, spent weeks or months in detention before judges ordered their release. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office asked ICE not to move Aghayeva out of the city, and ICE cooperated with the request, according to a City Hall spokesperson. Mamdani later discussed her case directly with President Trump when the two met in Washington, D.C. After the meeting, Trump told Mamdani over the phone that she would be released, the spokesperson said. The White House and ICE didn’t respond to a request for comment. The AP [2/26/2026 8:46 PM, Jake Offenhartz, 35287K] reports that a spokesperson for DHS, Tricia McLaughlin, denied allegations levied by some state officials that agents had gained entry to her apartment by posing as New York City police officers. She didn’t respond to questions about whether they had claimed to be seeking a missing person.

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The Hill [2/26/2026 5:06 PM, Lexi Lonas Cochran, 18170K]
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FOX News [2/26/2026 1:41 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul withheld judgment when asked about DHS allegedly detaining a Columbia University student, but said that the federal agents needed to be retrained. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [2/27/2026 10:41 AM, Sharon Otterman, 330K] reports in a dizzying sequence of events, a Columbia University undergraduate arrested by federal immigration agents in her college apartment Thursday morning was released later in the day after New York City’s mayor intervened directly with President Trump. It was the clearest sign yet that Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has vocally opposed Mr. Trump on immigration enforcement matters, holds enough sway with the president to bend a highly charged situation through personal relationship and persuasion. The drama at Columbia began unfolding shortly after 6 a.m. on Thursday, when five plainclothes immigration agents arrived at the university-owned apartment building of the student and demanded to be let inside, said Claire Shipman, the acting president of Columbia, in a statement released Thursday night. The officers falsely told the building superintendent that they were from the Police Department and said that they were searching for a missing child. The superintendent let the officers in, Ms. Shipman said. Once the agents entered the apartment, it was clear that they had misrepresented themselves. “No one should disappear at the hands of the government,” Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, said in her statement. “No student should be taken from their dorm through deception. These incidents demand an independent investigation and real accountability. New York will not look the other way.” As chance would have it, Mr. Mamdani was headed to Washington for a previously scheduled meeting with Mr. Trump to pitch him on a real estate project. There, the mayor spoke up. “I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elmina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning,” Mr. Mamdani said, describing his conversation with Mr. Trump in a social media post. Just after 3 p.m., the White House called with a reply. “He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” Mr. Mamdani wrote.

The AP [2/26/2026 10:03 PM, Staff, 42967K] reports that a car chase involving federal immigration enforcement officers led to a multivehicle crash Wednesday in Newark, New Jersey, city officials said. Mayor Ras Baraka said on social media that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to pull over a van in the state’s largest city when the driver fled. He said the ICE agents gave chase, resulting in an accident involving several vehicles, including one carrying three children. Baraka said the driver of the van was injured and taken to the hospital. It was not immediately clear the extent of the driver’s injuries or why the person was being pursued by ICE. Baraka said Newark police were not involved with ICE’s investigation and only responded to the crash. Spokespersons for Baraka, Newark police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment. But the Democratic mayor, in his statement on X, criticized ICE’s actions as reckless and dangerous. He noted that New Jersey state law bans law enforcement officials from chasing vehicles unless a suspect poses an immediate threat. CBS New York [2/26/2026 6:34 PM, Naveen Dhaliwal, 51110K] Video: HERE reports that according to city officials, ICE agents tried to pull over a van just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, but the driver took off. ICE pursued, and the fleeing driver crashed into two vehicles at the intersection of Shanley and Clinton avenues, officials say. Two 15-year-olds and a 12-year-old who were in one of the vehicles the driver struck were taken to a local hospital for complaints of pain. The driver who fled was also taken to a local hospital with unspecified injuries. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the driver is in the country illegally and had previously been charged with receiving stolen property, and claimed he rammed his vehicle into federal law enforcement vehicles during the pursuit. DHS said he was taken into ICE custody after the crash. A witness said dozens of people came outside after hearing the crash. "It probably was like eight or nine ICE agents, and probably like 30, 40 people that came outside," one witness said. "And when they saw that, they was real calm. They started to back up.” The witness said when he saw the fleeing driver was injured, he confronted ICE agents. Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement, in part: "Federal authorities should adhere to local laws regarding vehicle pursuits and exercise common sense. Based on the damage they are inflicting on our communities, ICE has no business engaging in chases at anytime, anywhere — but especially in densely populated areas, and on roads still being cleared from a significant snowstorm. ICE cannot come into our city and recklessly put innocent people in harm’s way while they try to apprehend their targets.

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The Hill [2/26/2026 12:31 PM, Anthony DiLorenzo, 18170K] reports a high-speed pursuit involving federal immigration agents ended in a chain-reaction crash Wednesday in Newark, sending several people, including schoolchildren, to the hospital and prompting calls for a state investigation. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents caused the crash by illegally chasing a man through city streets Wednesday morning. The pursuit ended when vehicles connected to the operation collided with three civilian cars, witnesses and city officials said. Shamad Davis, who witnessed the incident, said immigration agents began chasing a man driving a work van at high speed before the situation spiraled into a crash. “He flew up the hill and they started chasing him,” Davis said. “Next thing you know, it was a full collision and all three cars were totaled.” Three young siblings riding in a Lyft on their way to school were inside one of the vehicles struck during the crash, according to Newark Public Safety officials. Davis said the children appeared shaken and injured after the collision. “One was hysterical and couldn’t control herself,” he said. “Another complained her head was hurting, and the boy said his ankle was injured.” Video from the scene showed the children’s mother angrily confronting masked federal agents as emergency crews treated victims nearby. A crowd of residents gathered, shouting at immigration officers as tensions escalated. Immigrant advocates criticized federal enforcement tactics, arguing civil immigration matters should not involve dangerous vehicle pursuits. “It’s not up to ICE to be chasing people around,” said Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. “Whether someone has charges or convictions is a matter for the criminal legal system.” The man targeted by agents was seen being taken to a hospital on a stretcher. It’s unclear what happened following his hospitalization. Authorities said no life-threatening injuries were reported.

New York Post [2/26/2026 5:27 PM, Chris Nesi, 40934K] reports three children were injured in Newark as an illegal immigrant from El Salvador on the run from ICE smashed his car into both law enforcement and civilian vehicles in a desperate attempt to escape — but the New Jersey city’s mayor blamed the agency for the trail of destruction. ICE was conducting a targeted operation to arrest Christian Oswaldo Guevara-Guerra, a Salvadoran national in the country illegally with criminal charges who was first ordered for removal by an immigration judge in October 2017, according to DHS. Agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Guevara-Guerra in Newark on Wednesday when he attempted to speed away and rammed his vehicle into multiple cars, some of which contained children. Three children — two 15-year-olds and a 12-year-old — were taken to the hospital as a result of the incident, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, wrote in an anti-ICE screed scolding the agency for pursuing the suspect in the first place. Guevara-Guerra, who’s been previously busted on charges of receiving stolen property, was arrested and treated for injuries at a local hospital.

New Republic Online [2/26/2026 4:31 PM, Edith Olmsted, 4894K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement discovered that GEO Group, the country’s largest private prison company, had falsified the death records of an inmate—but that didn’t stop the federal agency from throwing even more money at them, according to The Intercept. On December 6, 2023, Frankline Okpu, a 37-year-old man from Cameroon, died in solitary confinement at the GEO Group’s Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, after staff members failed to carry out orders from his physician—and then lied about it. Okpu was placed in solitary confinement after an altercation with a guard, during which he allegedly ingested a synthetic form of cannabis mixed with a tranquilizer. After refusing treatment at the emergency department and the infirmary, Okpu was placed in solitary, and his medical provider ordered that staff members check on him every 15 minutes to ensure his safety. Surveillance footage reviewed by ICE showed that of the 219 visual inspections GEO staff members were required to perform, 94 inspections, or 42 percent, were not done properly. In 33 inspections, staff members did not look through the window into Okpu’s cell to actually observe him. In 38 inspections, the staff checked on him outside of the required 15-minute timeframe. Twenty-three of the recorded inspections never occurred at all. When reviewing GEO Group’s death report for Okpu, ICE found that there were several inconsistencies between medical staff’s documentation and surveillance footage from that morning, The Intercept reported. On the morning of Okpu’s death, he was scheduled to attend a dentist appointment, but when the resident adviser went to retrieve him, he did not respond. The adviser then relayed to the dental assistant that Okpu had refused treatment, and the dental assistant filled out a refusal form. ICE determined that GEO had "failed to comply" with the requirement to obtain a signed refusal form after attempting to counsel the patient to accept treatment.

Breitbart [2/26/2026 1:37 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2238K] reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer for Yordan Basilio Diaz Vera, a criminal alien who was charged in Kentucky for sexually assaulting a female Lyft passenger. Diaz Vera, who is a Cuban national and is in the U.S. illegally, was arrested for sodomizing a woman he picked up as a Lyft driver. The victim said that Diaz Vera picked her up, but instead of driving her to her doctor appointment, he drove to a secluded area, pulled a gun on her, then assaulted her, a DHS press release states. The migrant was charged with sodomy, menacing, and kidnapping by authorities on Louisville, Kentucky. "Yordan Basilio Diaz Vera was released into our communities under the Biden administration before he went on to to brutally sodomize a mother of four at gunpoint in Louisville. This criminal illegal alien is a monster who has no right to be in our country and this crime was entirely preventable," said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "We have lodged an arrest detainer requesting local authorities notify ICE law enforcement instead of RELEASING this predator from jail into Louisville neighborhoods. President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow sexual predator illegal aliens to roam free in America." Diaz Vera illegally entered the U.S. in November 2022 under the Biden administration and was released into the country. DHS is warning Louisville authorities not to release Diaz Vera unless they are alerted first so he can be taken into custody by federal officials.

Axios [2/26/2026 3:54 PM, Joe Guillen, 17364K] reports a newly uncovered federal document confirms the U.S. government’s intent to use a Romulus warehouse as an ICE detention facility — even as the city’s mayor said he still doesn’t know who owns the property or how many people could be held there. The disclosure marks the first official federal acknowledgment tied directly to the site near DTW. It sets up a potential clash over local zoning authority and federal power, Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight told Axios Detroit in an exclusive interview Thursday. McCraight said the city’s legal team located a notice on the Department of Homeland Security website Wednesday night tied to a federally required floodplain review. The property lies within FEMA-designated flood hazard areas, according to the federal notice, which shows federal officials have already evaluated environmental impacts tied to floodplain regulations. Romulus City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the facility earlier this week.

Washington Times [2/26/2026 6:07 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports the chief federal judge in Minnesota lambasted the Trump administration on Thursday for its continued inability to follow court orders in releasing illegal immigrants and raised the possibility of pursuing criminal contempt charges against government officials. Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said it was “beyond the pale” that the administration surged immigration enforcement officers into the state without the Justice Department being ready for the tsunami of legal challenges that followed. He also criticized President Trump’s chief prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, for his defiance and for chasing away so many of his office’s own lawyers. “The judges of this district have been extraordinarily patient with the government attorneys, recognizing that they have been put in an impossible position by Rosen and his superiors in the Department of Justice,” he wrote. “What those attorneys ‘didn’t deserve’ was the administration sending 3,000 ICE agents to Minnesota to detain people without making any provision for handling the hundreds of lawsuits that were sure to follow.” Judge Schiltz had previously scolded the government for not complying with the federal court’s release orders. He said he’d had all of the judges check their records and he came up with 96 defied orders in 74 cases. Mr. Rosen had replied to the judge in an email challenging the data. He said he had asked a lawyer to review a sample of 12 of the cases. One was a duplicate and, in eight of the other 11, the migrants were released on time. In six cases there was “no violation at all,” Mr. Rosen said. “Judge, please pardon me for being so direct, but your order of January 28 did not merely contain some errors,” he wrote. “Assuming the statistical sample we chose is as representative of the whole as I believe it likely is, the information compiled by others for your order was far beyond the pale of accuracy for an order that would be wielded so publicly and so sharply.”

Blaze [2/26/2026 3:15 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are being lauded as heroes after they saved the life of a 4-year-old boy who almost drowned in a Minnesota hotel pool. The officers were off duty and eating their lunch on Friday when a panicked mother asked them to save her son, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. The two immediately provided CPR to the boy before Plymouth Police officers arrived and took over the emergency revival of the boy. After 10 minutes of additional CPR, the boy began breathing on his own. He was reported to be awake and alert after being transported to a local medical center. The DHS included a letter from police that said the ICE officers had likely saved the child’s life by attending to him immediately.

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FOX 9 Plymouth [2/26/2026 2:08 PM, Kilat Fitzgerald, 37576K]

Telemundo [2/26/2026 10:10 PM, Steve Karnowski, 2524K] reports Minnesota’s top federal judge issued a stern warning Thursday to the state’s U.S. Attorney and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, telling them they must comply with court orders or risk being charged with criminal contempt. Judge Patrick Schiltz, appointed to the position by President George W. Bush and considered a conservative, disagreed with an email he received on February 9 from federal prosecutor Daniel Rosen, in which Rosen accused the judge of exaggerating the degree of noncompliance with court orders by ICE, amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown on immigration in Minnesota. His order issued this Thursday is just the latest in a series of critical and sometimes scathing statements and rulings by federal judges in Minnesota and other parts of the country against the way the Trump Administration has tried to carry out mass deportations of immigrants, often citing violations of due process and humane treatment standards. In a ruling issued Thursday by another judge, Rosen, the head of his civil division, and representatives of ICE were ordered to appear Tuesday for a contempt hearing for failing to comply with court orders to return the detainees’ property. Schiltz had previously described ICE as a habitual violator of court orders related to intensified enforcement measures. In a January 28 order, he expressed "grave concern" after federal judges in Minnesota identified 96 orders that ICE had violated in 74 cases. In Thursday’s order, Schiltz indicated that the government’s response "was not to better comply with the court orders, but to attack the court." Rosen told Schiltz that his office’s review of a "statistically sound sample" of 12 of those 74 cases had found a high rate of compliance, and complained that the judges’ perception "fell far short of the necessary accuracy in the case of an order that would be enforced so publicly and so severely. The lawyers in my civil division did not deserve this." Schiltz wrote in a new order filed Thursday that he asked his judges and court clerks to review the figures. Although he said they discovered some errors, affecting both sides, they concluded that ICE had violated 97 orders in 66 of the cases mentioned in his previous order. "Increasingly, this court has had to resort to the threat of civil contempt to compel ICE to comply with orders," he wrote. "The court knows of no other instance in U.S. history in which a federal court has had to threaten contempt, time and again, to compel the U.S. government to comply with court orders." The presiding judge also attached a list documenting 113 additional violations of orders in 77 more cases, most since the original count. "The judges in this district have been remarkably patient with the government’s lawyers, recognizing that Rosen and his superiors at the Justice Department have put them in an impossible position," Schiltz wrote, noting the wave of resignations that has left Rosen’s office understaffed. "What those lawyers ‘didn’t deserve’ was for the Administration to send 3,000 ICE agents to Minnesota to detain people without taking any steps to address the hundreds of lawsuits that would undoubtedly follow." Neither Rosen nor ICE officials immediately responded to a request for comment.

Politico [2/26/2026 8:28 PM, Myah Ward, Nick Reisman and Madison Fernandez, 21784K] reports the Trump administration wants to swiftly expand its capacity to detain immigrants, but the deadly immigration operation in Minneapolis, along with other decisions that have alienated communities, may be emboldening a growing number of Republicans to say no thanks. This week, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte became the second high-profile Republican politician to convince the Department of Homeland Security to look elsewhere, after plans for a Merrimack detention facility sparked local outcry. That followed Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker’s successful push for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to abandon plans for a site earlier this month. Other similar skirmishes are playing out in communities around the country, with local officials complaining about lack of communication or coordination from the administration among other ills. That all could jeopardize the scope and speed of the administration’s deportation plans, which envisions purchasing 34 facilities by the end of November. So far, at least nine have been purchased, according to internal DHS documents reviewed by POLITICO and public records. “It’s a huge problem,” said a Trump administration official, granted anonymity to speak freely about the detention warehouse plan. “The mismanagement of Minneapolis lost us the narrative, and the dominos are falling as a result.” The latest GOP fracture comes as the Trump administration recalibrates its public immigration enforcement posture after political blowback in Minneapolis. The effort is forcing vulnerable Republicans to navigate local opposition, testing their influence with the White House and turning Trump’s national immigration agenda into a hyperlocal land-use fight. Meanwhile, immigration hawks warn that Republicans are squandering a prime opportunity to supercharge the president’s deportation push. “We have this great opportunity, and what you see now from Republicans, congressional members — whether it’s national or state — you have this cowardice, this backing down,” said Mark Morgan, who served as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol during the first Trump administration. “Because they see it as a political liability.” An ICE spokesperson said Noem had a “great discussion”with Ayotte last week, while adding that New Hampshire has been a strong partner in executing the president’s immigration agenda. The spokesperson said the secretary aims to work with both Republicans and Democrats to expand detention capacity to “carry out the largest deportation effort in American history”and “keep Americans safe. “

Axios [2/26/2026 7:21 AM, Staff, Kyle Stokes] reports it’s been two weeks since the Trump administration declared an end to "Operation Metro Surge," but new federal court filings show the number of ICE agents in Minnesota remains far above pre-surge levels. National attention has shifted away from the story of the Trump administration blitz that sent some 3,000 federal agents — including ICE and Border Patrol personnel — to Minnesota, killed two U.S. citizens and led to hundreds of arrests. But on the ground, it’s not clear the surge has ended, with some activists and officials saying aggressive tactics continue outside the public spotlight. According to a sworn statement filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota by ICE’s St. Paul Field Office Director Samuel Olson, roughly 400 federal agents remain assigned to Minnesota and could stay through March. That’s still more than twice the 190 ICE officers that typically cover all of Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and the Dakotas.A separate court filing submitted earlier this week shows Border Patrol personnel assigned to the operation were fully demobilized by Monday.

Chicago Tribune [2/26/2026 1:42 PM, Alexandra Kukulka, 5209K] reports that the Indiana Senate gave final approval to an immigration bill that allows local and state police to enforce federal immigration laws and for those officers to cooperate with ICE. With the 37-11 vote in favor of the bill, it heads to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk for signature to become law. State Sen. Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, and State Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, joined all Democrats present to vote against the bill. Leising said because she represents a rural district, she was concerned about the impacts the bill will have on the state’s agricultural industry. For two hours, the Senate discussed the bill as it debated whether to support the amendments the House made to the bill. State Sen. Liz Brown, who authored Senate Bill 76, said the House made many changes to the bill, including banning written and unwritten sanctuary city laws and requiring that federal employment verification standards are followed, among other things. “We are a sovereign nation only if we have secure borders. The last administration did a disservice to immigrants and, more importantly, to U.S. citizens by ignoring our immigration laws and removing any barriers to entry,” Brown said. “When President Trump’s teams began asking for state and locals to assist federal law enforcement, it has been of the utmost importance to me that we respect the concerns, safety and otherwise, of law enforcement.”

FOX News [2/26/2026 12:00 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports that Jennifer Bos, the mother of a woman who was found dead and covered in bleach in an illegal immigrant’s dumpster in a Chicago suburb, described the emotional moment she met President Donald Trump and shared his three-word message to her: "Watch what happens." In an interview with Fox News Digital, Bos described being part of a group of families of migrant crime victims known as "Angel Families" who met with the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for a memorial ceremony Monday. She called the meeting "moving," saying, "I could feel how important that we are to [Trump] when we aren’t important to anyone else, that means everything." This, however, was not the first time Bos had met the president. In an earlier White House bill signing ceremony, Bos said she was able to get the president’s attention and share her concerns about her daughter’s alleged killer being let back onto the streets free by Illinois sanctuary policies. "My daughter had been missing for two months. We were searching frantically for her, and she was ultimately discovered in the backyard, in a garbage can full of bleach, of an illegal immigrant in Lake County, Illinois. And he was arrested that day, and he spent the night in jail. He went to court the next morning and was released immediately afterward to just go back home," Bos explained.

The Hill [2/26/2026 4:57 PM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K] reports a Texas grand jury on Wednesday rejected indictments regarding a fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents that left a U.S. citizen dead last year. The grand jury’s decision follows the death of Joshua Orta, who was with Ruben Ray Martinez when he was shot and killed by a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent while driving in South Padre Island in March 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed Martinez “intentionally ran over” the agent, which caused another agent to fire “defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public.” Lawyers for Martinez’s family called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to disclose its findings after investigating the shooting to determine if Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which HSI operates under, is providing an accurate account of why Martinez was killed. A DHS spokesperson told The Hill on Wednesday that HSI special agents were helping local police with a “major accident.” The special agent they claim was struck by Martinez’s blue Ford was hospitalized with a knee injury.

USA Today [2/26/2026 8:56 AM, Madeline Mitchell, 70643K] reports Tiffany Barrera, 31, is a newly widowed mother in San Antonio, Texas, with five children who attend three different schools. Her afternoons are chaotic, with school pickups at 3:00, 3:45 and 4:15 p.m. "It’s crazy," Barrera said. "Right now, I’m (struggling) to even get gas money to go and pick up the kids from school, so I have to ask the school if they can hopefully give me a bus route to come pick up my kids." Her partner, Jose Sanchez, who was deported in November and died in January while trying to cross the Rio Grande, used to help with school drop-offs and pickups, Barrera said. He was also the primary breadwinner of the family, while Barrera took care of the house. "He was all we had," said Barrera, who was born in the U.S. "He was our main support. He did everything for us." Barrera is now reeling, adjusting to life as the sole caregiver for her five children, who are all, like her, grieving. Her kids are having trouble eating and sleeping. They get counseling services at school, she said, but they need more support. So does she. There’s no readily available data that shows how many women have found themselves in similar situations in recent months, but it is an emerging trend, said Michelle Méndez, Director of Legal Resources and Training at the National Immigration Project. The Trump administration says there have been more than 622,000 deportations through January 2026, but the administration has declined to provide the underlying data to support the figure. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show 344,000 deportations so far under Trump. Most children in the U.S. with an undocumented immigrant parent are citizens who were born in the U.S., according to a Pew Research Center report. As of 2023, the report found 7.5 million U.S. households included unauthorized immigrants, and about 4.6 million American children lived with an unauthorized immigrant parent. Sanchez was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in November, just a few days before Thanksgiving. He was a roofer and was returning from his second job of the day. Two days after his arrest, Sanchez was deported from San Antonio, where he’d lived for 13 years, to Mexico. A month and a half later, in early January, he died while trying to cross the Rio Grande to come back to his family.

Axios [2/26/2026 3:55 PM, John Frank, 17364K] reports Gov. Jared Polis is reversing course on his attempts to provide federal immigration authorities with sensitive state records. The case shined a spotlight on the tension between federal immigration enforcement and Colorado’s privacy and sanctuary protections. The Democratic governor ordered state officials in 2025 to comply with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoena for personal data of undocumented children in Colorado, even though state law prohibits data sharing with federal immigration agents. Now he wants a Denver judge to issue a ruling permanently prohibiting the release of the information, the Denver Post reports. His attorneys argued in a court filing Friday that ICE hadn’t enforced the subpoena and no longer needs the information. If the judge grants Polis’ latest request, it would permanently block the administration from complying with the ICE subpoena.

Reuters [2/26/2026 8:22 PM, Kanishka Singh, 38315K] reports Denver Mayor Mike Johnston signed an order on Thursday authorizing the Democratic-governed city’s police to protect peaceful protesters against federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and banning ICE from city property. Republican President Donald Trump’s administration has used ICE in an immigration crackdown that has been condemned by human rights advocates, especially after the January fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota. In the aftermath of those shootings, Democratic mayors and governors have sought ways to counter Trump’s actions. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signed an order prohibiting agencies from using any city-owned parking lots, ramps, garages, or vacant lots to stage immigration enforcement operations. Johnston’s order says that in the event of civil immigration enforcement operations, including a surge in ICE agents, the city’s law enforcement agencies "shall use their established de-escalation protocols to try to protect peaceful protestors" and ensure public health, safety, and the preservation of free speech rights. "If we see any ICE officer using excessive force against a Denver resident, we will step in to detain that officer and remove them from the situation," Johnston said in a news conference about the order. "We hold our own officers to that standard, and we will hold any ICE agent to the same," he added. The White House said local officials should work with ICE and not against it. "Anyone doing otherwise is simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement cited by Politico. Trump has cast his crackdown as aiming to curb illegal immigration and improve domestic security. He has also threatened Democratic cities and states with federal funding freeze. Rights groups say the crackdown has created a fearful environment for both citizens and immigrants, while violating due process and free speech rights.

Reported similarly:
Axios [2/26/2026 5:25 PM, Esteban L. Hernandez, 17364K]

NewsMax [2/26/2026 9:48 PM, Jim Thomas, 3760K] reports Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, signed an executive order Thursday directing city police to protect peaceful anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters and authorizing officers to detain federal agents who use deadly force. The move is a sharp escalation in the city’s pushback against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Johnston said at a news conference that the order is meant to ensure federal agents follow the same standards Denver applies to its own officers. "If we see any ICE officer using excessive force against a Denver resident, we will step in to detain that officer and remove them from the situation," Johnston said, Politico reported. "We hold our own officers to that standard, and we will hold any ICE agent to the same." Police Chief Ron Thomas stated that officers will refrain from intervening in authorized immigration enforcement activities. "Federal agents are expected to follow local laws and public safety regulations," Thomas said. "All law enforcement officers have a statutory obligation to intervene if they witness illegal or excessive force being used by any law enforcement officer, to include federal agents." The order directs the Denver Police Department to protect peaceful protesters, provide emergency medical assistance, and de-escalate conflicts with ICE officers. It also directs local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute any ICE officer who assaults, shoots, or kills someone in Denver. The executive order also prohibits the use of city-owned property, including parks or parking lots, for immigration enforcement staging or operations. Johnston said the order reflects lingering outrage over the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal agents deployed to Minneapolis last month. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed Jan. 24 in Minneapolis during a confrontation involving federal immigration agents, and Good was killed Jan. 7 in Minneapolis after an encounter with an ICE officer. Denver’s announcement comes days after Trump, in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, called on Congress to "end deadly sanctuary cities that protect the criminals" and to enact penalties for public officials who block the removal of criminal immigrants.

FOX News [2/26/2026 4:42 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports Denver Democratic Mayor Mike Johnston announced an executive order Thursday directing city authorities to detain an ICE agent considered to have used excessive force against or who "assaults or shoots or kills" civilians in the Mile High City. The announcement comes weeks after Philadelphia’s top prosecutor made headlines by likening ICE agents to Adolf Hitler’s Geheime Staatspolizei and warning of similar repercussions that have yet to be put into practice, as Johnston’s now have. Johnston went on to say he would not abide by "abduction[s]" of residents, remarking that "no one will have to worry if their dad will be abducted when he heads to the store."

Breitbart [2/26/2026 5:02 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports a Boise, Idaho woman is accused of stealing an ambulance last week and ramming it through an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility to protest President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Lauren Bis, 43-year-old Sarah Elizabeth George allegedly stole an ambulance on February 19 before driving the emergency vehicle through the St. Luke’s Portico Building in Meridian, Idaho. George then allegedly poured gasoline into the ambulance in the hopes of igniting a fire that would have set the facility ablaze. ICE has leased the building in the past. A photo of the incident, exclusively obtained by Breitbart News, shows the point of impact where George allegedly drove the stolen vehicle through the ICE-leased building. George has been arrested and charged with felony attempted destruction of federal property and malicious destruction of property by fire.

FOX News [2/26/2026 3:41 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports Oregon Senate Democrats unanimously voted to kill an effort to require that federal authorities be notified when an illegal immigrant convicted of a violent felony is about to be released from prison, leading the chamber’s top Republican to say the majority is choosing ideology over common sense. This particular minority report would have directed state officials to notify federal authorities when an illegal immigrant convicted of a violent felony, such as murder, was about to be released. That would give ICE an opportunity to transfer the person to its custody without the kind of expansive resource deployment seen in some uncooperative blue cities. The original and active SB 1594 would require Oregon’s Justice Department to consult with the state Office of Immigration and Refugee Advancement on updated "model policies" at immigration facilities. Critics of that view said it would run counter to the left’s tendency to protest broad ICE operations in certain localities. Oregon’s corrections department previously tracked the immigration status of those convicted of felonies but has not run a check since 2022, after a 2021 bill restricted the tracking of whether an inmate has an ICE detainer, according to a source familiar with the matter.

San Francisco Chronicle [2/26/2026 10:30 AM, Staff, 3833K] reports Theresa Cheng is not only a UCSF professor and emergency department doctor, but she’s also a civil rights attorney. Her expertise in the medical and legal fields offers a unique perspective on the fallout from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. As Cheng wrote in an Open Forum on Thursday, hospitals have become a battleground in the immigration fight now that federal agents are allowed to operate in medical facilities. “The public conversation has really been focused on immigration crackdowns in the community and in detention centers and immigration courts, but not so much in health spaces,” Cheng told me. When ICE brings people to hospitals for treatment, or arrests them at hospitals, medical personnel find themselves in confrontations with agents who try to dictate care or block access to patients. Emergency departments treat anyone who comes through the door, citizen or not, and treatment decisions should be made solely for medical reasons. “They’re meant to be spaces where everyone can be treated equally and get the same emergent quality care as the next person,” Cheng told me. “When we erode these spaces, … we’re just dismantling the very safeguards of what the health care system is supposed to do.” So far, there are no laws or professional guidelines for how medical personnel should deal with federal agents. Cheng is working with the National Immigration Law Center to update a set of protocols for the care of patients who are in immigration custody. And while you may think this fight is only happening in Minneapolis or near detention centers in Texas, Cheng said California is not immune, especially the Los Angeles area, which was targeted in an earlier immigration enforcement surge. “I think this is only going to worsen dramatically. We’re definitely going to feel it in the Bay Area,” Cheng said. “ICE is expanding dramatically and rapidly at breakneck speed in this next year.”

Telemundo 20 [2/26/2026 1:41 PM, Dana Williams and Dave Summers, 56K] reports that Escondido city leaders are facing growing opposition over a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows federal immigration agents to train at a city-owned shooting range. Dozens of protesters gathered outside Escondido City Hall before the city council meeting on Wednesday, demanding that officials cancel the agreement. Many of them later entered the council chamber to voice their opinions at the start of the meeting. The contract allows DHS personnel—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents—to use the city’s 22-acre police training facility, located just outside the city limits. Escondido police train at the shooting range and rent it to other agencies when not in use. On January 15, the city signed an agreement with DHS to provide “use of the shooting range to agents to meet the qualifications required to carry out their mission by conducting investigations.” The information is published on USAspending.gov, a government website that tracks federal spending. A spokesperson for the Escondido Police Department clarified that this agreement is the second extension of a contract that began in 2024 and added that similar agreements have been in place since 2013.

NewsMax [2/26/2026 8:29 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that in net migration reminiscent of the Great Depression era, the U.S. last year saw more people move out than move in, according to statistics. New estimates show that net international migration — the difference between those entering and leaving the country — has plunged sharply, with projections indicating the U.S. could experience net negative migration for the first time in more than half a century. The shift comes amid tighter immigration enforcement, economic pressures, and a growing number of Americans choosing to relocate abroad. The U.S. recorded an estimated net loss of roughly 150,000 people in 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported. Immigration totals fell dramatically from a peak of nearly 6 million in 2023 to between 2.6 and 2.7 million last year. At the same time, deportations and voluntary departures surged, with the Department of Homeland Security reporting 675,000 deportations and 2.2 million "self-deportations." Census Bureau estimates show net international migration dropped from 2.7 million in 2024 to 1.3 million in 2025 and is projected to fall to roughly 321,000 in 2026 if trends continue. Officials noted the decline was driven both by reduced immigration and increased emigration. While the Trump administration has touted the numbers as proof of its promise to secure the border and restore order to the immigration system, another trend is drawing attention: more American citizens are leaving the country in record numbers.

Politico [2/26/2026 4:05 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil, 21784K] reports the Department of Homeland Security admitted to Congress this month that it deported dozens of unauthorized immigrants who are protected under U.S. law because they were brought as children to the United States, according to a letter made public Thursday. Responding to an inquiry from Senate Democrats, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged in the Feb. 11 letter that immigration officers detained as many as 261 recipients of Deferred Action for Child Arrivals, often referred to as Dreamers. Eighty-six of them were deported, Noem added. The Obama-era DACA program was designed to prevent unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children before 2012 from being deported. The program allows Dreamers to work and study in the United States, provided they continue to clear federal background checks when their status is up for renewal. In the letter, Noem claimed that 241 of the 261 people who were detained had “criminal histories,” but did not elaborate on the charges they faced. Since the Trump administration returned to the White House, U.S. immigration officers have detained and sometimes deported individuals accused, but not convicted, of minor infractions of U.S. law, including traffic infractions and nonviolent misdemeanors. Noem also noted that DACA is “a temporary forbearance from removal within the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security. It comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States indefinitely.” Democrats on the committee, who released the letter, expressed outrage, arguing Noem’s claims are difficult to believe without additional details in light of the scrutiny DACA recipients go through. They argued that DACA recipients undergo background checks every single time they try to renew their legal protection to stay in the United States, making it unlikely these recipients had serious criminal records. “We won’t accept partial information, and we demand that Secretary Noem provide more information on their basis for arresting and deporting DACA holders immediately,” Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said in a statement. Durbin is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Dreamers have been caught in legal limbo since the Obama administration created DACA in 2012. Their supporters on Capitol Hill have hoped that a comprehensive immigration reform package offering them a path to U.S. citizenship would eventually materialize. But the Trump administration has shown no willingness to open any pathways for unauthorized immigrants to achieve legal status in the United States. Efforts to grant Dreamers legal status have also stalled in the Senate.

Washington Times [2/26/2026 10:00 AM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports the Department of Homeland Security arrested 261 people who were here under the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty program and had deported 86 of them, the department revealed in a letter to Congress made public this week. The data, sent to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, covered the period from Jan. 1 to Nov. 19 last year. DHS said the vast majority of those arrested — 241 — had “criminal histories.” The Democrats decried the arrests, calling them “deeply troubling.” “These arrests disrupt families, harm communities, and inflict unnecessary social, emotional, and economic costs. And it is a waste of taxpayer dollars,” they said in a statement. They also questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s statement that most of the arrestees had criminal records, saying she didn’t provide any details to support that figure. They called on Ms. Noem to reveal the basis for the arrests and deportations. In her letter to senators, the secretary had said privacy interests limited what she could say about the cases. “ICE has determined that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy of the DACA recipients, which outweighs any public interest of releasing this information without their consent,” she said. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created in 2012 under President Obama as a workaround to normal immigration law. It categorically granted a stay of deportation to illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before age 16 and who had worked toward an education and kept a relatively clean criminal record.

Daily Wire [2/26/2026 7:19 PM, Virginia Kruta, 2314K] reports several prominent Democrats decried the fact that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended a number of DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipients during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, demanding that they be given a “path to citizenship” in spite of data showing the “vast majority” of them had criminal histories. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released a joint statement with Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), protesting the arrests and casting doubt on Homeland Security’s assertion that 92% had criminal histories outside of immigration-related civil violations. “News of DACA recipients being arrested and deported is deeply troubling. These arrests disrupt families, harm communities, and inflict unnecessary social, emotional, and economic costs. And it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Secretary Noem’s response to our letter claims that 241 of the 261 DACA recipients arrested had ‘criminal histories,’ without providing any further details. DACA recipients go through strict background checks every time they renew this protection, and the Trump Administration has not hesitated to arrest immigrants with no serious criminal convictions and falsely label them the “worst of the worst.” In the face of this Administration’s actions, it is important for Congress to protect young people who know no other home than the United States and continue the critical work to find a pathway to citizenship for them. We won’t accept partial information, and we demand that Secretary Noem provide more information on their basis for arresting and deporting DACA holders immediately.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in her letter to Durbin, explained, “[DACA] comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States indefinitely. Aliens with certain criminal histories will not be considered for DACA. Further, those who violate the terms are also subject to termination and removal.” According to data compiled by the federal government and shared in Noem’s letter to Durbin, immigration agents arrested 261 DACA recipients in the first ten months of 2025 — and 241 (92%) of those arrested had criminal histories apart from civil immigration violations. Just over one-third (86) of those arrested were subsequently deported. Durbin responded by claiming that the arrests were “wrongful,” despite the overwhelming number with criminal histories, and that “Dreamers” should be given a path to citizenship. “The Trump Administration just admitted to wrongfully arresting 261 DACA recipients. 86 were deported. Dreamers deserve a path to citizenship, not deportation,” he posted on X on Thursday. DACA was a program implemented by former President Barack Obama’s administration, and offered work permits and temporary deportation protections for those who either entered the United States illegally or overstayed their visas when they were children. President Trump’s first-term attempt to terminate DACA altogether was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2020.

FOX News [2/26/2026 2:00 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that a proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development rule would crack down on illegal immigrants or unqualified people living in public housing, closing a loophole established amid major departmental reforms under President Bill Clinton in 1996. Current HUD rules allow "mixed-status" households to use public housing under what is called the "do not contend" provision, in which a person living among a public housing family can declare they "do not contend" their HUD eligibility under their immigration status, and the family instead receives prorated housing assistance. The HUD-ineligible family member or members may remain in public housing so long as the family accepts their diminished subsidies, according to reports. The new HUD rule, proposed this week under Secretary Scott Turner, would eliminate the option for residents to say they "do not contend" and instead require every member to verify citizenship or prove eligible noncitizen status to continue receiving housing assistance. The proposed rule would not categorically prohibit noncitizens from public housing, but those remaining would have to prove they are eligible for taxpayer-funded assistance. While illegal immigrants would be barred, green-card holders are fully eligible under federal housing law. People admitted to the U.S. under official refugee or asylee status also remain eligible, as well as individuals whose DHS order of removal is being legally withheld due to threat of personal harm in their home country.

The Hill [2/26/2026 8:09 AM, Andrew Dorn, 18170K] reports the Trump administration is weighing a move that could require banks to collect citizenship information from customers, according to multiple reports. The potential action, reported by the Wall Street Journal and Semafor, could come as an executive order and may apply to both new and existing bank customers. While nothing has been finalized, such a decision would mark an escalation in the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration and could ultimately have banks requesting additional documentation, such as passports, from customers. REAL IDs — which do not prove citizenship — would not be considered eligible, Semafor reported, citing people familiar with the talks. “Any reporting about potential policymaking that has not been officially announced by the White House is baseless speculation,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to NewsNation. As it stands now, U.S. banks are not required to verify a customer’s citizenship status specifically, and there is no ban on opening accounts for noncitizens, the Journal noted. Banks do collect basic information — including a customer’s name, date of birth, address and identification number — under “know your customer” regulations meant to guard against illegal money laundering and terrorist financing. A move to require citizenship information would likely face pushback from the banking industry and could be complicated to implement, with one financial services lobbyist telling Semafor the idea is a “complete nightmare” logistically.

AP [2/27/2026 1:00 AM, Gisela Salomon, Jack Brook and Sarah Raza, 35287K] reports their family spent years opposing Venezuela’s socialist system. The government retaliated by sending men to beat the father, a state oil company worker whom it accused of being uncooperative. Other relatives were threatened. The situation became so untenable that the family fled the country for the United States in 2021 after it obtained refugee status, according to one of the daughters, a 24-year-old clothing salesperson who was interviewed by The Associated Press. The six siblings and their parents settled in Minnesota in 2023, living peaceful lives until the Trump administration said it was casting new scrutiny on refugees. One priority is those admitted to the U.S. under former President Joe Biden, whom the government accuses of prioritizing quantity over detailed screening and vetting, with an initial focus on 5,600 refugees who settled in Minnesota and are not yet permanent residents, making them particularly vulnerable. Last month, three masked officers got out of a black SUV with tinted windows outside a St. Paul apartment complex, handcuffed the Venezuelan woman and her mother and told them their legal status was under review, according to the woman, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation. Overturning years of precedent, immigration authorities have arrested or questioned dozens of refugees in Minnesota, attorneys and advocates say, with more detentions likely to come nationwide.

CBS News [2/26/2026 11:34 PM, Ken Molestina and Lexi Salazar, 51110K] reports in Texas, tens of thousands of immigrants are shielded from deportation thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known DACA. The Obama-era policy was created in 2012 to protect immigrants from deportation who were brought into the U.S. without documentation as children. It also gives these immigrants work authorization. But an ongoing legal case threatens to strip work authorization from DACA recipients in the Lone Star State, leaving them on edge and in a state of limbo. In 2018, Texas joined several states in a lawsuit against the federal government attempting to end DACA, claiming the program is unlawful and costs the state money by providing recipients with public services. Last year, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that while the federal government can protect DACA recipients from deportation, it’s illegal to grant them work permits. The court’s ruling only applied to Texas, as it said Texas was the only state that proved DACA had caused it financial harm. Now, the case is before Houston-based U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who will review the 5h Circuit Court’s guidelines. So far, no deadline has been set as to when Hanen could offer a final ruling. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Federal News Network [2/26/2026 4:06 PM, Drew Friedman, 1297K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to use funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to exempt and pay over 57,600 employees during the DHS shutdown. Tens of thousands of federal employees at U.S. Customs and Border Protection are expected to continue receiving pay during the Department of Homeland Security’s current funding lapse, according to an email viewed by Federal News Network. CBP, a component of DHS, plans to use discretionary funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to exempt and continue paying more than 57,600 agency employees who have been working throughout the partial shutdown this month. Details of the agency’s decision come from an email sent this week by the National Treasury Employees Union, obtained by Federal News Network. Under the current shutdown, CBP will "exempt" and provide pay to a large portion of its workforce, including law enforcement personnel and certain civilian agency employees. Some other CBP employees, however, are still considered "excepted" and will not receive pay until after the shutdown ends.

New York Post [2/26/2026 6:44 PM, Lisa Fickenscher, 40934K] reports while corporate giants like FedEx and Costco sue for refunds on President Trump’s tariffs, smaller US businesses that have suffered more painful hits from the levies are also starting to take action, The Post has learned. On Tuesday — days after the tariffs were smacked down last week by the Supreme Court — FedEx said it paid $1 billion in tariffs in 2025, sparking a 16% hit to its earnings. By comparison, Basic Fun — the company that makes Tonka Trucks, Lite Brite and Care Bears – said $7 million in tariffs last year tanked its projected earnings by 65%. On Feb. 13, the $200 million toy company based in Boca Raton, Fla. sued US Customs and Border Protection in the US Court of International Trade to get its cash back, court documents show. "We are really just waiting for clarity, hoping that we will be next in line to get a refund behind the [early] litigants," Basic Fun Chief Executive Jay Foreman told The Post. Liberty Justice Center, the nonprofit that won the SCOTUS ruling, filed motions on Tuesday in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Court of International Trade to initiate refunds. A federal appeals court ruling requires the White House to respond to the motion by Friday. Sara Albrecht, chair of the Liberty Justice Center, said the administration appears to be gearing up for a lengthy fight. The White House may delay its response until March 17, when the Supreme Court issues its final order on the records, she said.

Breitbart [2/26/2026 10:09 AM, AWR Hawkins, 2238K] reports the suspect who allegedly shot at a Border Patrol agent Sunday near the U.S./Canada border had a driver license for a male then changed to a driver license "denominated to be female," according to U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. WMUR quoted Creegan saying, "This individual did have a previous Massachusetts driver’s license that was denominated to be male and now has a New Hampshire driver’s license, which is denominated to be female. So, it’s a reasonable assumption that the person has decided to transition their gender." The shooting occurred after a Border Patrol agent pulled over 26-year-old Blu Zeke Daly and asked if he used other names. The Concord Monitor noted the agent learned that Daly also used the name Cullen Zeke Daly, then the suspect drove away. The Border Patrol agent followed the suspect "to the Pittsburg Port of Entry on the U.S.-Canada border," but because it was only slightly after midnight Sunday, the gate to the crossing had yet to be opened. The agent stopped behind Daly, turned on his lights, and exited his vehicle. At this point Daly allegedly shot at him. The Border Patrol agent returned fire, wounding Daly.

NBC News [2/26/2026 5:25 PM, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports a nearly blind refugee who didn’t speak English was found dead in New York state days after he was left at a coffee shop by Customs and Border Protection officers, according to authorities. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam was preventable and "deeply disturbing and a dereliction of duty by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection." Ryan also called for accountability for CBP and for the agency to answer why and how this happened. CBP said in a statement to NBC News that the Buffalo Police Department on Feb. 19 alerted Border Patrol about a noncitizen in their custody. CBP determined Shah Alam had entered the U.S. as a refugee in December 2024 and "was not amenable to removal" and could not be deported. Border Patrol agents offered Shah Alam a ride, "which he chose to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station." The agency declined to answer if Shah Alam’s family or friends were notified of his release and when it would take place, as well as what country the man was from. Hochul also called for accountability and an independent investigation into the incident.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [2/26/2026 10:17 AM, Emily Mae Czachor, 51110K]
CBS News [2/26/2026 1:06 PM, Staff, 51110K]

New York Times [2/27/2026 3:00 AM, Ana Ley, 148038K] reports the visually impaired refugee from Myanmar had spent a year at a county jail in Buffalo, when, on a cold winter day, he was picked up by Border Patrol agents and left alone at a coffee shop. Five days later, he was found dead. The case, first reported by the Buffalo nonprofit news outlet Investigative Post, triggered outrage across New York State. Public officials and immigration advocates expressed dismay over the officers’ decision to drive the refugee, Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, to the coffee shop without apparently telling his relatives or his lawyer where he was. City officials said that Mr. Shah Alam could not speak English. The circumstances that spelled the fate of Mr. Shah Alam remain murky. His body was found at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, miles away from the Tim Hortons restaurant where the officers had released him from their custody. The Buffalo Police Department said that he had died of health complications but did not further specify the results of an autopsy report. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said in an emailed statement that the officers had offered Mr. Shah Alam a courtesy ride after he was released from the jail, and that he accepted. The officials said that they dropped him off at the Tim Hortons, which they determined to be a “warm, safe location near his last known address, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station.” “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance,” the email from Customs and Border Protection said. It remained unclear on Thursday why the Border Patrol agents had released Mr. Shah Alam. The statement from the agency did not address that, saying only that Mr. Shah Alam was “not amenable to removal” back to Myanmar, without further explanation. Customs and Border Protection referred questions about his disappearance and death to the Buffalo Police Department. An autopsy had ruled that Mr. Shah Alam’s death was not a homicide. Sean M. Ryan, the mayor of Buffalo, released a statement calling the decision “unprofessional and inhumane.”

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [2/26/2026 9:45 PM, Evan Hill and Joanna Slater, 24826K]

NPR [2/27/2026 4:44 AM, Alex Simone and Michel Martin, 34837K]
reports a community and family in Buffalo, New York, are searching for answers after a refugee who had gone missing after being released from federal custody found dead last week.

Reuters [2/27/2026 2:52 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports a nearly blind refugee from Myanmar missing since his release from a Buffalo jail into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol has been found dead on a downtown street, city authorities said on Wednesday (February 25). [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Wall Street Journal [2/27/2026 1:07 AM, Joseph Pisani, Bowdeya Tweh, and Micah Maidenberg, 646K] reports the Pentagon said it shot down a “seemingly threatening” drone near the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday, prompting aviation officials to expand flight restrictions around an area of Fort Hancock, Texas. Democratic lawmakers said the U.S. shot down one of its own drones. The incident occurred when the Defense Department “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace,” the Pentagon said in a joint statement with Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Pentagon said the incident took place far from populated areas and that there were no commercial planes in the vicinity. It said it has been working with the FAA and CBP to prevent drone threats by Mexican cartels at the southern border. “Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system,” said a joint statement by Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Andre Carson of Indiana, top Democrats on committees overseeing aviation and homeland security issues. The lawmakers criticized the “lack of coordination” between the Defense Department, the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP. The Pentagon, in the joint statement with the FAA and the CBP, said: “These agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.” Bloomberg [2/26/2026 11:10 PM, Allyson Versprille, 18082K] reports “Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system,” Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security Committees said in a statement Thursday night. The lawmakers, including Representatives Rick Larsen, André Carson and Bennie Thompson, said the issues stem from a lack of appropriate training for counter-drone operators and poor coordination among the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security and the FAA. Under the law, the Pentagon has the authority to detect and mitigate threats from drones near sensitive military facilities and assets. But the military is supposed to coordinate counter-drone measures with the Transportation Department and the FAA beforehand if they might affect aviation safety or civilian operations. Two people familiar with the matter said that coordination hasn’t been taking place. The CPB drone operators didn’t inform the military’s laser unit that it was launching, according to one official. Earlier this month, the FAA temporarily closed the airspace near El Paso because of concerns over the use of the same laser system and the potential effects on civilian aircraft at El Paso International Airport. The FAA imposed flight restrictions, which drew a backlash from local officials and were initially intended to last 10 days, on Feb. 10 but lifted them the following day. Administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, said the closure occurred because drones flown by Mexican drug cartels had breached American airspace. Yet other people familiar with the situation said it was really because of the Department of Homeland Security’s operation of the Pentagon’s laser system without coordination with the FAA.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [2/27/2026 12:07 AM, Faris Tanyos, 51110K]
CNN [2/26/2026 10:31 PM, Pete Muntean, Alexandra Skores, Katherine Dautrich, 612K]

AP [2/27/2026 1:54 AM, Josh Funk and Konstantin Toropin, 31753K] reports the U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said. The case of mistaken identity prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to close additional airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. The military is required to formally notify the FAA when it takes any counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace. Washington U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and two other top Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees said they were stunned when they were officially notified. “Our heads are exploding over the news,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. They criticized the Trump administration for “sidestepping” a bipartisan bill to train drone operators and improve communication among the Pentagon, FAA and Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP. “Now, we’re seeing the result of its incompetence,” they said. The FAA, CBP and the Pentagon issued a joint statement late Thursday that acknowledged the military “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.” The statement said it happened far from populated areas and commercial flights as part of the administration’s efforts to strengthen protections at the border. “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” the statement said.

Reuters [2/26/2026 2:24 PM, Ted Hesson and Nellie Peyton, 16072K] reports that the U.S. aims to process 4,500 refugee applications from white South Africans per month, far above President Donald Trump’s stated refugee program cap, and is installing trailers on embassy property in Pretoria to support the effort, a U.S. contracting document said. The new target, contained in a previously unreported document from the U.S. State Department dated January 27, signals a push to ramp up admissions from South Africa, while refugee applications from other areas have been severely curtailed.

New York Times [2/26/2026 1:06 PM, Santul Nerkar and Tracey Tully, 148038K] reports a woman who stowed away on an international flight in 2024 without a passport or ticket has been arrested and detained in Italy, after she boarded a flight from Newark to Milan without a boarding pass, according to two people familiar with the situation. Svetlana Dali was detained at Malpensa Airport after she boarded United Airlines Flight 19 without a ticket, after evading airport security and gate agents, according to the people, who asked not to be named because it was an ongoing law enforcement matter. In a statement, a spokeswoman for United Airlines said it was “investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities.” It was the latest bizarre incident in the traveling saga of Ms. Dali, who was convicted last year of stowing away on a flight from New York to Paris in November 2024, an event that exposed a shocking security breach during one of the busiest times of year for air travel. She evaded the podium where a Transportation Security Administration official would have checked her identification, before eluding gate agents by blending into a crowd that was boarding the flight. After boarding the plane to Paris, Ms. Dali hid in bathrooms for most of the flight. Eventually, after cajoling from a flight attendant, Ms. Dali exited the bathroom but then meandered around the plane, saying her name was Amy Hudson when asked who she was. Ms. Dali was flown back to the United States in December 2024 and made a court appearance. She then tried to remove her GPS monitor and flee the country on a bus to Canada, but was detained in Buffalo.

Reported similarly:
AP [2/26/2026 3:51 PM, Bruce Shipkowski, 35287K]

FOX News [2/26/2026 9:35 AM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is taking emergency measures amid a partial DHS shutdown that dragged on for another week, as a top lawmaker who oversees transportation warned of potential economic fallout at airports. While Democrats have held up funding for DHS, their intended target — ICE — remains resourced due to a $75 billion infusion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. Over the weekend, several reports claimed DHS was prepared to pause TSA PreCheck — the program that allows qualified frequent fliers a speedier pass through security. But a TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that PreCheck remains "operational with no change for the traveling public.” "As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly," the spokesperson said. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also told CNN on Wednesday that one contingency could arise in which unpaid TSA officers may need to find alternative employment to provide for their families. At that point, "we’ll have to prioritize where the most travelers go through their security checkpoints," she said. So far, there have been no noticeable flight delays due to the TSA shutdown.

Washington Examiner [2/26/2026 1:40 PM, Molly Parks, 1147K] reports that the Tampa International Airport’s social media team is pushing against travelers wearing pajamas on its premises, a move that comes months after the airport crusaded against Crocs footwear. "It’s time to ban pajamas at Tampa International Airport," the airport posted on social media. "The madness stops today. The movement starts now. Help Tampa International Airport become the world’s first Crocs-free AND pajama-free airport." The Tampa airport’s social media team made headlines in 2025 after announcing that travelers could follow updated Transportation Security Administration guidelines and keep their shoes on in security "unless you’re wearing Crocs." The airport’s social media head, C.J. Johnson, confirmed the Crocs post last year was a joke, as the airport continues to encourage travelers to shed the holey shoes. "After successfully banning Crocs and giving everyone the amazing opportunity to experience the world’s first Crocs-free airport, it’s time to take on an even larger crisis," the Tampa airport’s social media post read. A spokesperson for the Tampa International Airport confirmed to the Washington Examiner that the anti-pajama policy is a joke. "Tampa International Airport regularly shares lighthearted, satirical social media content as part of our ongoing effort to engage with our followers. Today’s post about ‘banning’ pajamas was another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates. We encourage our passengers to travel comfortably and appreciate our loyal followers who enjoy the online humor," the Tampa International Airport said.

Bloomberg [2/26/2026 6:00 AM, Zahra Hirji, 18082K] reports President Donald Trump says he wants to shift the responsibility of handling disasters from the federal government to cities and states. But his administration quietly dismantled a division working towards that goal by making the public more prepared for snow, flooding and hurricanes. In a bid to cut costs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency closed the Individual and Community Preparedness Division, or ICPD, and many of its programs last year, according to an internal document seen by Bloomberg News and people familiar with the unit. Victoria Barton, a spokesperson for FEMA, confirmed the agency shut down the division in September as part of an effort to root out "ineffective programs that waste taxpayer money and create bureaucratic red tape.” A small, low-budget FEMA program, ICPD reached millions of Americans through educational materials and training sessions on how to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. It provided guidance ranging from checklists to identify key personal documents to keep safe during a crisis to formal training on how to locate and rescue people in certain situations before help arrives. “The true first responders are the neighbors — it’s neighbors helping neighbors,” said Deanne Criswell, President Joe Biden’s FEMA chief. “They get the tools and resources and the knowledge from programs that are funded through [ICPD].” This latest retreat from disaster preparation by FEMA, which Bloomberg News is reporting for the first time, comes after the agency stopped approving certain funding to boost local defenses against future hazards. FEMA also ended another grant program funding billions in resiliency upgrades to big infrastructure projects, though a federal court ruled this move was unlawful.

CNN [2/26/2026 4:14 PM, Gabe Cohen, 19874K] reports the Trump administration is releasing more than $5 billion in long-delayed disaster aid to states – but not to several Democratic-led states where President Donald Trump has clashed with governors, according to four sources familiar with the plan. States rely on these funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for disaster recovery and mitigation, but more than $14 billion has been stuck in the pipeline, in part because of strict spending rules imposed by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. While more than one-third of that backlog is now being released, a handful of states, including California, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado, are being left out, raising new concerns that the administration is playing politics with critical emergency assistance, the sources said. In a statement to CNN, DHS denied that politics are playing any role in the process, pointing to other funding that has gone to a “diverse group of states,” including several led by Democrats. Some money in the most recent release went to two tribes in California, but not the state itself.

CBS News [2/26/2026 6:14 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports the first North Texas World Cup match is 108 days away, but a partial federal shutdown could disrupt security planning because the region is relying on a $625 million FEMA grant. FEMA is part of Homeland Security, one of the agencies affected by the shutdown.

Telemundo [2/26/2026 8:30 PM, Cecilia Treviño, 56K] reports volunteers accompanying immigrants in federal court in downtown San Diego were detained and cited for allegedly loitering and failing to comply with a federal officer’s instructions, according to two of those involved. The events occurred during what, according to the volunteers, was supposed to be a routine day of court observation. However, they say they ended up with more questions than answers after the arrest. Patrick Corrigen showed the citation he received. With the document in hand, Corrigen explained that he and other volunteers were cited for "failing to comply with the directions and instructions of a federal officer." Corrigen said he volunteers three days a week at the federal court to accompany immigrants and always follows the established rules. "They put us against a wall and told us not to move." Corrigen alleges that officers from Federal Protective Services, under the Department of Homeland Security, accused them of loitering and told them to leave unless they had business in court. Robert Kovelman was also detained. He said he has been a volunteer observer for months. "As I have done for many months now," Kovelman said they asked the officers if there were any changes to the rules regarding observation in federal court. "They didn’t show us anything, and they told us it’s not their job to explain it to us." According to Kovelman, the officers refused to offer any explanation. It’s ridiculous, Kovelman said, noting that he believes they have a right to be in a federal building. Telemundo 20 contacted the Department of Homeland Security to ask if the rules have changed regarding the presence of observers in federal court, but did not receive an immediate response. The volunteers believe that what happened could be an effort to reduce the presence of people recording and documenting detentions inside the court. Kovelman said the group of volunteers who were detained plans to challenge the summons in court to clarify whether or not the rules have changed.

AP [2/26/2026 10:50 AM, Staff, 1257K] reports the trial began this week of a Pakistani man who U.S. prosecutors say had ties to the Iranian government and traveled to New York to meet with men he thought he was recruiting to carry out political assassinations on American soil, including potentially of President Donald Trump. Asif Merchant, 47, faces a life sentence if he’s convicted of terrorism charges. His trial got underway Wednesday in a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors said in court filings that a man who Merchant initially met when he arrived in New York in April 2024 later notified authorities about the plot and became a confidential informant, The New York Times reported. Merchant later paid a $5,000 advance to two would-be assassins who were actually undercover FBI agents, prosecutors said.

Washington Post [2/26/2026 2:00 PM, Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards, 24826K] reports that a federal judge on Thursday ruled that construction on President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom can proceed, for now, citing procedural issues and not weighing the merits of the complaint. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the request for a preliminary injunction sought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation but invited the organization to revise its challenge. “If Plaintiff is inclined to amend its complaint... the Court will expeditiously consider it and, if viable, address the merits of the novel and weighty issues presented,” Leon wrote. Leon found that the National Trust had wrongly invoked the Administrative Procedure Act to attempt to block Trump’s project, saying that the law did not apply to the White House executive residence because it is not an agency. He also wrote that the organization was relying on “a ragtag group of theories” in its bid to stop construction. Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, said that the proper challenge would have been framed as an argument that Trump has exceeded his statutory authority in seeking to build a new ballroom by drawing on private funds and without congressional approval. A spokeswoman for the National Trust said it would promptly amend its complaint.

FOX News [2/26/2026 5:48 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports USCG rescue swimmer and Legion of Merit recipient Scott Ruskan discusses being honored by President Donald Trump at the State of the Union and reuniting with a girl he saved on ‘The Will Cain Show.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [2/26/2026 12:28 PM, Rhea Caoile, 46783K] reports that Marine crews from the San Diego area interdicted three boats suspected of smuggling 36 migrants into the U.S. from Mexico, authorities said Thursday. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), all three happened as part of a coordinated response across multiple targets on Saturday, Feb. 21. The first vessel was detected southeast of San Clemente Island, located west of San Diego, by a crew from CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO). After the crew deployed two warning shots, the suspect vessel stopped without further incident, CBP said. Ten suspected migrants, all claiming Mexican nationality, were found onboard and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Haddock. About 30 minutes later, the same AMO crew found a second vessel suspected of carrying migrants attempting to enter the country illegally. Nine people, also claiming Mexican nationality, were found onboard and transferred to Haddock. A third vessel was later found in the same area with 17 migrants suspected of entering the country illegally. All 17 also claimed to be from Mexico. The individuals were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol for processing and the suspect vessel was seized, CBP said. The seizures were part of a larger operation that happened over the weekend, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Politico [2/26/2026 9:55 PM, Dana Nickel, Maggie Miller and John Sakellariadis, 21784K] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is shaking up its leadership following months of instability. Madhu Gottumukkala, the former acting director, is taking on a new role as DHS’s director of strategic implementation, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. He was appointed deputy director of the agency by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem last spring. Nick Anderson, the executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, will step in as CISA’s acting director while the agency waits for a Senate-confirmed director, the official added. In a statement, the DHS official told POLITICO that Gottumukkala “has done a remarkable job in a thankless task of helping reform CISA back to its core statutory mission.” ABC News first reported the change in leadership at CISA. Neither Gottumukkala nor Anderson immediately responded to requests for comment. The news comes as congressional scrutiny over Gottumukkala’s leadership at the agency has grown louder in recent weeks. At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing last month, ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) grilled Gottumukkala on POLITICO reporting that he had failed a counterintelligence polygraph last summer, which resulted in six career CISA staffers being placed on leave. DHS later dismissed the polygraph as “unsanctioned” and accused staff of “misleading” Gottumukkala about the need for the test. In a separate hearing this month, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), who oversees CISA’s budget for the House Appropriations Committee, chided Gottumukkala about why he had not submitted an agency reorganization plan he said CISA owed him ahead of this month’s DHS shutdown. And Senate Judiciary Committee Panel Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent CISA a letter earlier this month pressing the agency over recent POLITICO reporting that Gottumukkala uploaded sensitive government files to a public version of ChatGPT, prompting an automated security alert meant to stop theft or unintentional disclosure of government material from federal networks. A spokesperson for Grassley said the agency had not responded yet due to the DHS shutdown. The leadership changeup also comes days before Noem is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of an oversight hearing of DHS.

CyberScoop [2/26/2026 9:15 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports Madhu Gottumukkala is out as acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, with current agency executive director for cybersecurity Nick Andersen replacing him as the interim leader. News of Gottumukkala’s departure breaks one day after CyberScoop reported on widespread dismay with the agency’s performance during the first year of the Trump administration, with significant criticism aimed at Gottumukkala’s leadership on both sides of the aisle after a number of unflattering stories about his stewardship. “Madhu Gottumukkala has done a remarkable job in a thankless task of helping reform CISA back to its core statutory mission,” a Department of Homeland Security official told CyberScoop Thursday. “He tackled the woke, weaponized, and bloated bureaucracy that existed at CISA, wrangling contracts to save American taxpayer dollars.” Gottumukkala, served as chief information officer under then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, now secretary of DHS, before he was picked as deputy director of the agency. Sean Plankey’s nomination to serve as full-time director of CISA has stalled, leaving Gottumukkala as the acting director in his place. Gottumukkala will take on a new role at DHS, as director of strategic implementation. Andersen has won more favorable reviews from industry and cyber professionals during his tenure at CISA than did Gottumukkala, whom some still praised for his technical acumen.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [2/26/2026 6:28 PM, Luke Barr, 34146K]

Politico [2/26/2026 5:22 PM, John Sakellariadis, 21784K] reports CISA’s top information technology official and its senior-most human relations officer were recently told to accept another role at DHS or resign, according to three current officials and one former official with knowledge of the moves. The reassignment orders were sent to Chief Information Officer Bob Costello and acting Chief Human Capital Officer Kevin Diana. Acting CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala previously tried unsuccessfully to oust Costello, with whom he had clashed over agency contracting decisions, POLITICO reported last month. Two of the four people said the recent order against Costello was tied to the same underlying dispute. A third said Diana was also connected to that disagreement but declined to specify how. All four were granted anonymity for fear of retribution. CISA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the moves.

FOX News [2/26/2026 9:39 AM, Kurt Knutsson, 37576K] reports that your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity. They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing. Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users. Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed. These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

FOX News [2/26/2026 6:37 PM, Alexandra Koch Fox, 37576K] reports authorities recently announced a superseding indictment against Sinaloa Cartel Tijuana Plaza leader René "La Rana" Arzate-García, and his brother, Alfonso "Aquiles" Arzate-García, for trafficking massive amounts of drugs into America — with the U.S. State Department offering a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to their arrests. La Rana, who took on a greater, hyperviolent role within the Sinaloa Cartel, is charged with narcoterrorism, conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, material support to a foreign terrorist organization, international conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, and money laundering. The Arzate-Garcia brothers have jointly controlled the Tijuana Plaza for the Sinaloa Cartel for the past 15 years, maintaining authority through violence, strategic alliances, and deep local influence, including political and police corruption, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Despite ongoing conflicts, authorities claim they continue to manage the critical trafficking corridor, making them key figures in sustaining cartel operations, including trafficking deadly illicit fentanyl, designated by the Trump administration as a "weapon of mass destruction," into U.S. communities. Court documents allege La Rana uses paramilitary fighters to patrol and control territory, as well as drones equipped with explosives to conduct surveillance. Officials said his group also has an extensive collection of military grade and high-powered firearms and weapons, including assault weapons and grenade launchers. "Foreign terrorist organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel have spent decades poisoning our children and committing acts of unimaginable violence against innocent civilians — no longer under President Trump," Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement.

San Diego Union Tribune [2/26/2026 7:07 PM, Alex Riggins, 1257K] reports Federal authorities in San Diego have long alleged that brothers René and Alfonso Arzate Garcia are high-ranking members of the Sinaloa cartel who, for roughly 15 years, have used violence and corruption to control key drug-trafficking routes from Baja California into San Diego. On Thursday, officials took their boldest step yet to publicly ratchet up the pressure on the brothers, who were first indicted in San Diego in 2014, announcing $5 million bounties for information leading to their capture. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon also unsealed a new narcoterrorism indictment against René Arzate, the younger of the siblings, alleging that in recent years he has climbed the ranks of the Sinaloa cartel to become one of the group’s “most prolific drug traffickers and enforcers.” Leaders of the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Diego field offices promised that René Arzate — a 42-year-old known as “La Rana,” or “The Frog” in English — will soon be captured and face justice. “René Arzate Garcia’s days as a narco-terrorist are numbered,” James Nunnallee, DEA San Diego’s acting special agent in charge, said during a Thursday news conference. “His days as a plaza boss for the Sinaloa cartel … are numbered.” The Arzate brothers were previously designated as drug kingpins in 2023 by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The new actions announced Thursday were not directly related to Sunday’s killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the purported leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. But the Arzate brothers and their faction of the Sinaloa cartel have for years allegedly been in a bloody conflict across Baja California with an opposing faction of the Sinaloa cartel that had reportedly allied with the CJNG.

NewsMax [2/26/2026 6:47 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports the Trump administration announced Thursday it is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the arrests or convictions of two brothers alleged to be leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said it is offering rewards of up to $5 million each for Rene Arzate-Garcia and his brother, Alfonso Arzate-Garcia. The rewards are being offered in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Diego Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. According to the DEA, the brothers have controlled the Tijuana Plaza for the Sinaloa Cartel for the past 15 years, maintaining authority through violence, strategic alliances, and deep local influence, including political and police corruption. Last year, the Trump administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. In 2014, the Arzate-Garcia brothers were charged in the Southern District of California with drug trafficking offenses in separate indictments. They have been fugitives since. On Aug. 9, 2023, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated both brothers under Executive Order 14059, which targets foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade. "To the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel who remain at large: Hide. Run. Fight. Flee," Adam Gordon, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement. "The illusion is that you have a choice. The reality is that you can either surrender to justice or you’ll be brought to justice." Earlier Thursday, the Department of Justice unveiled a superseding indictment against Rene Arzate-Garcia, charging him with narcoterrorism, conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, international drug trafficking conspiracy, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he oversaw large-scale shipments of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the U.S. and carried out enforcement operations, including kidnappings and executions, on behalf of the cartel. The narcoterrorism charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, along with a possible $20 million fine. Additional counts carry mandatory minimum sentences of 10 to 20 years and potential life terms. If convicted on the most serious charges, he faces the possibility of life in prison.

Reported similarly:
AP [2/26/2026 10:48 PM, Staff, 3833K]

Washington Post [2/26/2026 1:34 PM, Isaac Arnsdorf, 24826K] reports Pro-Trump activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that claims China interfered in the 2020 election as a basis to declare a national emergency that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting. President Donald Trump has repeatedly previewed a plan to mandate voter ID and ban mail ballots in November’s midterm elections, and the activists expect their draft will figure into Trump’s promised executive order on the issue. The White House declined to elaborate on Trump’s plans. “Under the Constitution, it’s the legislatures and states that really control how a state conducts its elections, and the president doesn’t have any power to do that,” said Peter Ticktin, a Florida lawyer who is advocating for the draft executive order. Ticktin attended the New York Military Academy with Trump and was part of his legal team that filed an unsuccessful 2022 lawsuit accusing Democrats of conspiring to damage him with allegations that his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. “But here we have a situation where the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes,” Ticktin went on. “That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it.” The emergency would empower the president to ban mail ballots and voting machines as the vectors of foreign interference, Ticktin argued. The idea of claiming emergency executive powers based on allegations of foreign interference attaches new significance to the administration’s actions to reinvestigate the 2020 election. Trump has never accepted defeat, while never finding evidence of widespread fraud. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is leading a review of election security that officials said focuses on foreign influence. A 2021 intelligence review concluded that China considered efforts to influence the election but did not go through with them. Ticktin said he’s had “certain coordination” with White House officials but declined to specify, citing safety concerns. But his input has successfully led to a presidential action before. Ticktin represents Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk imprisoned on state charges arising from breaking into voting equipment, whom Trump said he pardoned in December. (The presidential pardon did not free Peters from her nine-year prison term because the president has no power over state crimes.) A White House official said the staff is regularly in communication with a variety of outside advocates who want to share their policy ideas with the president, but any speculation about his actions or announcements is just speculation.

AP [2/26/2026 12:00 PM, Fatima Hussein, 16072K] reports the U.S. is moving to sever a small Swiss bank from access to the U.S. financial system for its alleged support for Iranian and Russian actors, as U.S. and Iranian officials hold indirect talks Thursday in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear negotiations. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network proposed a federal regulation Thursday that, if finalized, would prohibit U.S. institutions from doing business with MBaer Merchant Bank AG, which has no relation to the larger Swiss bank Julius Baer. The bank is accused of funneling over $100 million through the U.S. financial system on behalf of criminals out of Iran and Russia. Founded in 2018, MBaer is both small and new as a bank. A banking profile in 2020 showed MBaer had roughly $245 million in assets, making it the 200th largest bank in Switzerland. But because it is small, the Treasury Department’s announcement is notable because it effectively implies that a significant amount of the bank’s overall business is tied to illicit money flows. A Treasury readout of the new regulation states that MBaer “is a critical access node to the U.S. dollar for a wide variety of illicit actors, putting U.S. national security at risk and undermining the integrity of the U.S. financial system.” Treasury alleges that since its inception, MBaer has enabled money laundering and facilitated corruption and terrorist financing, including for Russian criminals and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Reuters [2/26/2026 9:45 PM, Mikhail Flores, 38315K] reports the navies of the Philippines, the U.S. and Japan trained alongside each other in the South China Sea this week to ramp up cooperation among the military allies, the Philippines’ armed forces said on Friday. Since 2023, the Philippines has worked with a number of countries to assert its rights and maritime entitlements in the South China Sea. China claims most of the resource-rich waterway, rejecting a 2016 arbitral award that has voided its historical claims to the area. In a statement, the Philippine military said the joint activity "underscores the sustained commitment of partner forces to enhance interoperability, reinforce maritime security, and improve Maritime Domain Awareness in the region." The Philippines deployed its Antonio Luna frigate, helicopters and fighter jets to the joint drills. Japan deployed a P-3 Orion aircraft while the U.S. sent guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey and a Poseidon plane. Exercises included replenishment at sea, joint air patrols, fly-bys and communications check exercises. The Philippines also held similar exercises with Australia and the U.S. on February 15 and 16.

Los Angeles Times [2/26/2026 11:34 AM, Fanny Brodersen, Jon Gambrell, and Melanie Lidman, 12718K] reports that Iran and the United States were holding another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and potentially avert another war as the U.S. gathers a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East. President Trump wants a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran also hopes to avert war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. If America attacks, Iran has said U.S. military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets, putting at risk tens of thousands of American service members. Iran has also threatened to attack Israel, meaning a regional war again could erupt across the Middle East. "There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told India Today in an interview filmed Wednesday just before he flew to Geneva. "Since the Americans’ bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be engaged and be involved, so it is a very terrible scenario."

FOX News [2/26/2026 1:02 PM, Morgan Phillips, 37576K] reports that China is expanding a network of space facilities across Latin America that could strengthen Beijing’s military surveillance and war-fighting capabilities in the Western Hemisphere, according to a new report. A new report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party identifies at least 11 PRC-linked ground stations, radio telescopes and satellite ranging sites in Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile and Brazil — installations the panel says may have dual-use military applications. The report calls on the Trump administration to "halt the expansion" of Chinese space infrastructure in the region and "ultimately seek to roll back and eliminate" PRC space capabilities in the hemisphere that threaten U.S. interests. According to the findings, the analysis relies on open-source reporting, satellite imagery and Chinese planning documents that elevate space cooperation as a pillar of Beijing’s relations with Latin America. Lawmakers argue China’s military-civil fusion strategy makes it difficult to separate academic or commercial space cooperation from potential military applications. "Beijing uses space infrastructure in Latin America to collect adversary intelligence and strengthen the PLA’s future warfighting capabilities," the report states.

Reuters [2/26/2026 11:23 PM, Jonathan Landay, Humeyra Pamuk and Gram Slattery, 38315K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran will soon have a missile that can hit the United States is not backed by U.S. intelligence reports, and appears to be exaggerated, according to three sources familiar with the reports, casting doubt on part of his case for a possible attack on the Islamic Republic. In his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump began making his case to the American public for why the U.S. could launch strikes against Iran, saying Tehran was “working on missiles that will soon reach” the United States. But there have been no changes, two sources said, to an unclassified 2025 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that Iran could take until 2035 to develop a "militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile" (ICBM) from its existing satellite-lofting space-launch vehicles (SLV). “President Trump is absolutely right to highlight the grave concern posed by Iran, a country that chants ‘death to America,’ possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles," said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly. One source said that even if China or North Korea - which closely cooperate with Iran - provided technological assistance, Iran would probably take up to eight years at the earliest to produce "something that is actually ICBM level and operational." The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive intelligence, said they were unaware of any U.S. intelligence assessments that Iran was developing a missile that could soon range the U.S. homeland but did not rule out the possibility of a new intelligence report they were unaware of. New York Times first reported that U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran is probably years away from having missiles that can hit the United States. RUBIO SAYS IRAN ON ‘PATHWAY’ TO WEAPONS THAT CAN REACH U.S. Trump’s claim about Iran’s missile capability came as representatives from the U.S. and Iran negotiate over Tehran’s nuclear program, with no signs of a breakthrough that could avert potential U.S. strikes amid a massive military buildup in the region. The U.S. president has done little to explain publicly why he might be leading the U.S. into its most aggressive action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

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