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

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

The New York Times [3/16/2026 6:27 PM, Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports Greg Bovino, the combative border official empowered by the Trump administration to run major immigration operations across the United States, plans to retire in the coming weeks, he told The New York Times on Monday. Mr. Bovino had a decades-long career with the U.S. Border Patrol, running operations along portions of the southern border since he joined the agency in the 1990s. He became a household name, however, as he oversaw sprawling operations within the country starting last summer in Los Angeles, then Chicago and New Orleans, and finally in Minnesota in January. His brash style, including his regular social media commentary, earned him criticism from the left and praise from the right. The operations his team conducted spurred lawsuits and allegations of racial profiling. At one point, his team led an operation at a Chicago apartment complex in which agents rappelled from a helicopter. The scene was filmed and sent out on social media shortly after the arrests were made. NewsNation [3/16/2026 6:34 PM, Zach Kaplan, Ali Bradley, 4464K] reports Bovino was stripped of his commander-at-large title in late January, two days after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, who was shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. Renee Good was also fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. At the beginning of the month, the Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation into Bovino after he was accused of making antisemitic comments about U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen in Minnesota. Bovino’s March 31 retirement coincides with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s exit. Noem was fired from her role and reassigned within the Trump administration at the beginning of the month. Breitbart [3/16/2026 9:13 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports Chief Bovino spoke with Breitbart Texas on Sunday and announced he would be leaving the agency with a sense of immense pride, saying, "The greatest honor of my entire life was to work alongside Border Patrol agents on the border and in the interior of the United States in some of the most challenging conditions the agency has ever faced." Bovino went on to add, "Watching these agents out there giving it their all in some of the most dangerous of environments we have ever faced was humbling." As the well-known face of President Trump’s interior immigration enforcement operations, Bovino led Border Patrol agents on deployments involving sweeping raids miles inland from the immediate border. The seasoned Border Patrol chief’s approach to conducting and directing operations in large metropolitan areas marked a sharp departure from the traditional roles of the Border Patrol.

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NBC News [3/16/2026 6:31 PM, Jennifer Jett, 42967K] reports an Afghan immigrant who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan died less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a U.S. advocacy group and a family friend said Sunday. Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died of unknown causes Saturday, a day after he was taken into custody outside his apartment complex in the Dallas suburb of Richardson. In a statement Sunday, ICE described Paktyawal as a "criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan" and said his death was under investigation. Paktyawal, a father of six who had applied for U.S. asylum, was about to take his children to school Friday morning when he was surrounded by masked men who drove up and put him in handcuffs, Rahmanullah Zazy, a family friend and leader in the local Afghan community, told NBC News in an interview. Speaking to relatives from ICE custody later that day, Paktyawal — who had no known health issues — said he was not feeling well. In a statement, his family said they were told he was admitted to hospital late Friday, and then told Saturday morning that he had died. AfghanEvac, a San Diego-based group that advocates for Afghan allies, called for an immediate investigation, saying it was "not normal" for a healthy 41-year-old to die so suddenly in federal custody. "Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here," Shawn VanDiver, the group’s president, said in a statement. "His family deserves answers. The American public deserves answers. The U.S. service members who fought alongside Afghan partners deserve answers.". Paktyawal is at least the 12th person this year to die in ICE custody under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, compared with more than 30 last year, the highest in two decades. ICE said in its statement that Paktyawal had been arrested in a "targeted enforcement action" and that he had not reported any prior medical history. It said it was "committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments." The AP [3/16/2026 7:30 PM, Juan A. Lozano, 16072K] reports “Calling a man a criminal without a conviction while claiming there is ‘no record’ of service without checking interagency systems looks less like fact-finding and more like damage control,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac. “The government should be explaining how a 41-year-old father of six died less than 24 hours after entering ICE custody.” A cause of death is still pending from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office. But Paktyawal’s family said he was not ill. “We still cannot understand how this happened. He was only 41 years old and was a strong and healthy man. His children keep asking when their father will come home,” the family said in statement. Paktyawal was arrested by ICE on Friday and during his medical intake exam at a Dallas ICE field office, he complained of shortness of breath and chest pain, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Lauren Bis said in a statement Monday. CNN [3/16/2026 9:50 AM, Michael Williams and Masoud Popalzai, 19874K] reports that ICE contacted paramedics, who transported Paktyawal to a Dallas hospital, DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said. On Saturday, Paktyawal’s tongue was swollen and he received an IV drip. His condition deteriorated Saturday morning and he died shortly after 9 a.m. local time after receiving CPR and other resuscitative efforts from physicians, Bis added. An initial report from the Dallas County Medical Examiner listed no cause or manner of death. Paktyawal’s death marks the 12th of a detainee in ICE custody this year.

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Washington Post [3/16/2026 7:48 PM, Maria Sacchetti, 24826K] reports the global fallout from the United States’ escalating war against Iran — along with acts of violence this month at a Michigan synagogue, a Virginia university and a Texas bar — prompted warnings from national security experts about the potential for rising threats to the country. But the Department of Homeland Security, the sprawling federal agency charged with helping keep the nation safe, has not provided the public with its own assessment of the dangers facing the United States. DHS officials have not issued an updated National Terrorism Advisory since the most recent one expired in September. And they have not published a Homeland Threat Assessment, an annual report which highlights “the most direct, pressing threats” to the nation, since President Donald Trump took office. In the first half of March, authorities published 24 press releases on the DHS website, most of them focused on the agency’s enforcement activities targeting illegal immigration. None of the bulletins, however, mentioned whether the department was taking additional actions to safeguard the public in the aftermath of the attacks on the synagogue, university or bar. Nor did they address an alleged attempt by two teenagers on March 7 to detonate bombs at an anti-Islam rally near the residence of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim. “The silence is baffling,” said Tom Warrick, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy. “The fact that we’re having silence after a series of terrorist attacks cries out for some updated guidance on what’s going on and what people need to do.” DHS did not answer questions from Washington Post about the lack of public national security updates on the current threat environment since the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran in late February. However, DHS said in an email that officials have been actively monitoring the security situation despite a partial shutdown of the agency because of Congress’s deadlock on a funding bill. On March 7, authorities said, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the National Fusion Center Association held a conference call with more than 1,450 state and local law enforcement officials across the country to provide threat updates and to ask them to share tips about suspicious activity. “Federal law enforcement continues to coordinate directly with local officials and provide critical intelligence to safeguard our nation from terrorist threats,” DHS said in the email. Created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, DHS oversees more than 20 federal agencies and 260,000 employees charged with safeguarding the nation’s airports and borders, managing natural disasters and combating public-safety threats. Since Trump took office, the agency’s leaders have been overwhelmingly focused on enforcing civil immigration laws, including spending millions of dollars to hire more immigration officers, expand detention facilities and add equipment. DHS’s aggressive tactics in pursuing the president’s mass-deportation agenda have led to widespread opposition from Democrats in Congress and an impasse with Republicans over the department’s budget, causing a partial shutdown of DHS that began Feb. 14. As the U.S. war against Iran enters its third week, some lawmakers and national security experts are voicing concerns that DHS has been distracted from its charge to prevent terrorist attacks and keep the public informed of growing international and domestic threats.

The Washington Times [3/16/2026 12:08 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports that Congressional Democrats asked the Justice Department on Monday to investigate whether departing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem committed perjury by telling lawmakers President Trump knew about her $220 million contract for a self-deportation ad campaign. Ms. Noem told senators in testimony earlier this month that the president knew she was going to issue the contract. She said she’d even run the idea by him before she took office. Mr. Trump, though, told Reuters he “never knew anything about it.” Democrats said Ms. Noem also may have lied to lawmakers when she said she wasn’t involved in picking the firms that won the contract, which produced ads prominently featuring Ms. Noem urging illegal immigrants to go home. Ms. Noem said the contracts were competitively bid, but Democrats presented evidence showing that wasn’t true. Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrats on the Senate and House judiciary committees, said the evidence shows Ms. Noem “repeatedly misled” the two committees. FOX News [3/16/2026 2:22 PM, Elizabeth Elkind and Alex Miller, 37576K] reports that Congressional Democrats are seeking criminal charges against Kristi Noem weeks after President Donald Trump ousted her from leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the top Democrats on their respective chambers’ Judiciary Committees, sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday accusing Noem of lying to Congress during back-to-back hearings earlier this month. "A number of her statements appear to violate criminal statutes prohibiting perjury and knowingly making false statements to Congress," the letter said. "After months of evading our Committees’ requests to testify in routine oversight hearings, Secretary Noem made a series of demonstrably false statements in a brazen attempt to undermine critical congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security." The top Democrats on the Senate and House Judiciary committees charged that there were four categories of statements Noem made during her testimony before the respective panels where the DHS chief could have perjured herself. Among those answers the lawmakers scrutinized were whether DHS follows court orders, Corey Lewandowski’s role in DHS contracts, whether immigration enforcement has detained U.S. citizens, and most notably the contracting process for a $220 million ad campaign heavily featuring Noem. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment on Democrats’ letter. The New York Post [3/16/2026 7:30 PM, Victor Nava, 40934K] reports that a DOJ spokesperson fired back in a statement: "The DOJ has received the latest political stunt from the Democrats who should instead vote to reopen the Department of Homeland Security.". Meanwhile, a DHS spokesperson declared: "Any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically FALSE.". The Democrats listed four categories of statements from the hearings where Noem "knowingly and willfully made false statements to Congress," including the former South Dakota governor’s remarks about a $220 million publicity blitz. Noem testified that President Trump personally approved the DHS ad campaign, which prominently featured the DHS secretary, when grilled by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). However, in an interview with Reuters, Trump declared, "I never knew anything about it" when asked if he approved the ad campaign. "These two statements are clearly inconsistent; one of them has to be false," the lawmakers noted. The DailySignal [3/16/2026 4:10 PM, Fred Lucas, 474K] reports that a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson asserted in an email to The Daily Signal Monday, "Any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically false." Even the two Democrats suggested the referral was symbolic, given that they didn’t expect Bondi to act. However, they implied a possible future Democrat administration could target Noem.

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The Hill [3/16/2026 1:59 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports that Judiciary Committee Democrats in both chambers on Monday urged the Justice Department to investigate whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lied under oath about several matters when appearing before Congress. The March 16 letter targets Noem’s comments about a $220 million ad campaign in which she urged migrants to leave the country, as well as her comments about whether the Department of Homeland Security has complied with judicial orders. The letter notes that Noem told the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3 that President Trump approved of the ad. She had previously told last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference that Trump had asked her to craft the ad to thank him for his work at the border. Shortly before he removed her from her post, Trump told Reuters that he “never knew” of the plans for the $220 million ad, contracts for which were funneled to allies of Noem. “These two statements are clearly inconsistent; one of them has to be false,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on each panel, wrote in the letter. It goes on to hammer Noem for claims that the contracts were awarded through the proper channels. The lawmakers also questioned Noem’s assertion that “we do comply with federal court orders.” “Any claim that Secretary Noem committed perjury is categorically FALSE,” a DHS spokesperson said in response to the letter. Noem denied that U.S. citizens are being detained when asked about the matter in the back-to-back days of testimony. The lawmakers said those statements “are demonstrably false.”

The AP [3/16/2026 4:58 PM, Gisela Salomon, 35287K] reports Salvadoran nationals who were deported from the United States have been arbitrarily detained in El Salvador and have disappeared into the Central American nation’s prison system, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Monday. The detainees featured in the report are among more than 9,000 Salvadorans deported from the U.S. since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration in January 2025. Some of them were deported alongside Venezuelans and sent to the Center for Terrorism Confinement, a mega prison in El Salvador also known as CECOT, according to the New York-based human rights group. The report did not say exactly how many people are subject to arbitrary detention. The group interviewed 20 relatives and lawyers of 11 Salvadorans who were deported from the U.S. between March and October 2025 and immediately detained in El Salvador. The detainees cannot communicate with their families or talk to lawyers, the group said. Reuters [3/16/2026 10:57 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports "The United States should stop casting people into the black hole of El Salvador’s prison system," said HRW Americas Director Juanita Goebertus. Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemy ⁠Act, a little-used wartime law, to deport immigrants considered a national security risk with no due process. Neither the U.S. nor El Salvador has presented evidence the detained Salvadorans are gang members, beyond U.S. claims that some belong to the MS-13 gang, Human Rights Watch added. El Salvador’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the HRW report. Lawyers and family members denied the men had any gang links and said they were often left unaware of detainees’ locations. Human Rights Watch interviewed ⁠20 relatives and lawyers of 11 Salvadorans deported between mid-March and mid-October 2025 and immediately detained, finding none had been brought before a judge or allowed contact with family.

Reuters [3/16/2026 11:34 AM, Nate Raymond, 38315K] reports that a federal appeals court on Monday lifted a judge’s order that invalidated a Trump administration policy allowing for the rapid deportation of migrants to countries other than their own without providing them a chance to raise any concerns they have for their safety. A 2-1 panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the administration’s request to pause U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s February 25 ruling that declared the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s policy unlawful while the government pursues an appeal. Murphy had concluded that the policy, adopted in March 2025 as part of Republican President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, failed to protect migrants’ due process rights and could lead to their swift deportation without notice to unfamiliar and potentially dangerous countries. In asking for Murphy’s "fatally flawed" ruling to be stayed, the administration noted it twice before convinced the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene ⁠in the case and was ready to ask the justices to do so again if the appeals court did not act. The Supreme Court previously lifted a preliminary injunction Murphy issued in April protecting the due process rights of migrants facing deportation to third countries and later cleared the way for eight men to be sent to South Sudan. "The district court’s order creates an unworkable scheme that materially impairs the ability of the government to enforce the immigration laws," Justice Department lawyers wrote.

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FOX News [3/16/2026 2:16 PM, Alex Miller and Adam Pack, 37576K] reports that Senate Democrats say they want to end the government shutdown but have repeatedly blocked GOP attempts to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as they push for immigration enforcement reforms. On Friday, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said at a news conference following an antisemitic attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in her state that "certainly" Congress must fund DHS. However, Slotkin and most Senate Democrats have voted four times to block DHS funding, including several attempts to temporarily reopen the agency while negotiations continue. Slotkin is just one of several Senate Democrats calling for an end to the shutdown. Republicans argue the votes are part of a broader Democratic strategy to blame them for blocking efforts to reopen DHS. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., accused Democrats of trying to shift blame for the shutdown. "Well, that’s what they do, right? And they’re good at it. They’re really good at it," he told Fox News Digital. "And the big difference is they have 90% of the legacy media backing them up." "So it’s hard, but again, four times this afternoon, the Democrats voted against funding DHS," he continued. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of using the federal workers of a variety of agencies under DHS, like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as "hostages."

Breitbart [3/16/2026 11:13 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports that, on Monday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) stated that “Democrats and Republicans have both wanted to fund TSA for some time, and, also, the Coast Guard and FEMA and everything else. What we don’t want to fund is ICE.” Smith said, “Democrats and Republicans have both wanted to fund TSA for some time, and, also, the Coast Guard and FEMA and everything else. What we don’t want to fund is ICE. And the notion that, somehow, that’s trivial, ICE basically murdered two people in Minnesota. The rights of Americans are being violated all across this country. The notion that that should be reformed is an important substantive issue, too. … [T]he two people who got killed in Minnesota and…all the people who have suffered because of this, that’s real, too.” He added, “And there’s a simple solution: Fund everything but ICE. And we’ve had that on the table for three or four weeks. Now, I will say, we need to get in there and figure it out and get this done. But whenever people say oh, Congress, they’re just not paying attention, they just have — these are substantive, really important issues that I kind of think we ought to address. Now, yeah, let’s get to work, let’s figure it out. I know how serious it is and how important it is, and we need to get this solved. Don’t disagree with that at all.”

The Hill [3/16/2026 1:46 PM, Mike Lillis, 18170K] reports that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is launching an effort to force a vote on legislation to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), minus funding for the immigration enforcement agencies at the center of controversy on Capitol Hill. In a letter delivered Monday to fellow Democrats, Jeffries said party leaders this week will unveil a discharge petition on legislation funding most of DHS — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — but not the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than 30 days because Donald Trump and Republican extremists refuse to get ICE under control,” Jeffries wrote. “Meanwhile, hardworking employees of the TSA, CISA, Coast Guard and FEMA have been forced to work without pay.” ICE and CBP have been under heavy scrutiny following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in January in Minneapolis, where officers from both agencies were conducting operations as a part of President Trump’s deportation surge. The killings prompted Democrats to demand tougher rules governing immigration enforcement officers as a condition of winning their support for funding DHS — a demand Trump and Republicans have so far refused.

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Breitbart [3/16/2026 6:08 PM, Warner Todd Huston, 2238K] reports the Democrat’s shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is entering its fourth week, snarling America’s airports and forcing Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay. The nation’s airports have been suffering long security lines as fewer TSA agents are serving at airport checkpoints and as the ones who have come to work remain unpaid thanks to the Democrats obstructing passage of the DHS budget. Some airline CEOs have sent a letter to Congress to demand that TSA workers and other federal air travel employees continue to get paid so that airports will continue running smoothly, according to Fox News.

ABC News [3/16/2026 2:28 PM, Luke Barr, 34146K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is encouraging Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees who are furloughed due to the partial government shutdown to apply for unemployment, according to internal documents reviewed by ABC News. The shutdown directly affects the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and FEMA, which are not funded until Congress can resolve its differences over funding the agency. The information went to FEMA employees who are furloughed and now asked to file with unemployment departments in the state in which they are based. DHS is asking creditors for "flexibility" for its employees "who are experiencing challenges with making timely payments, including consideration of waiving any late fees associated with delayed or incomplete mortgage or rent payments until the situation is resolved." "Because DHS employees will not receive pay during the lapse in appropriations, many are experiencing difficulty in meeting their financial obligations, including rent and mortgage payments," a letter dated March 15 to creditors from DHS says. "This challenge is compounded by the fact that many employees are still affected by the previous 43-day lapse in appropriations. This lapse is expected to be temporary and is entirely beyond our employees’ control." Funding for DHS lapsed in mid-February when Democrats refused to vote for it, demanding that reforms be made to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of its immigration enforcement operations, in particular in Minnesota, where Renee Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot during encounters with federal agents in January. The Trump administration accuses congressional Democrats of playing politics at the expense of the American people.

FOX News [3/16/2026 5:37 PM, Adam Pack, 37576K] reports Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, got into a heated exchange Monday afternoon over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding after the progressive lawmaker attempted to interrupt the senator’s news conference. The shouting match comes as the DHS shutdown entered its fifth week Monday, with negotiations to end the stalemate appearing to stall in recent weeks. Senate Democrats near unanimously blocked a Republican effort Thursday to fully fund the agency, citing opposition to spending measures that do not rein in immigration enforcement. Cornyn, who is vying against Attorney General Ken Paxton, R-Texas, in a runoff election for a fifth Senate term, held a news conference outside the Austin airport on Monday to protest Democrats’ refusal to fully fund DHS. The airport is currently advising passengers to arrive at least 2.5 hours before departure due to a shortage of TSA workers. Cornyn also brought lunch to TSA employees who are reporting to work without pay — a gesture that Casar criticized. Casar, however, has repeatedly voted against a full-year DHS appropriations bill that would fund the salaries of TSA employees through the end of September. The Texas Democrat has instead pushed for a standalone measure to fund TSA while leaving the immigration enforcement-related functions of DHS without funding. Republicans have characterized that proposal as a nonstarter, arguing that every individual employed by DHS — including those working for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — should be paid. House Democrats are expected to force a vote as early as this week on legislation that would fund the non-immigration portions of DHS. Roughly 300 TSA officers have resigned and absences have more than doubled since the shutdown began, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday. The departures come after many TSA employees — who often live paycheck to paycheck — were also required to work without pay during a 45-day shutdown in fall 2025.

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Washington Examiner [3/16/2026 3:24 PM, Lauren Green, 1147K]

FOX News [3/16/2026 11:17 AM, Max Bacall, 37576K]Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday sounded the alarm on prolonged airport delays during the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, warning that the funding stalemate is crippling Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations and leaving the country vulnerable. Duffy told "Sunday Morning Futures" that some TSA agents were turning to other sources of income to provide for their families, leading to airport security wait times of three to four hours at some airports as spring break begins for millions of students. About 300 TSA agents have quit, he said, and call-outs have doubled after agents missed their first full paychecks. The Transportation secretary blamed Democrats for the funding standoff and accused holdouts of caring more about illegal immigrants than American travelers. "This is what these Democrats want. And so my hope is that Democrats will come to their senses, open up DHS and then have a negotiation, have a conversation, but in the process, don’t hold America hostage to just get what you want," he said. DHS has been partially shut down for 30 days and counting as Republicans hold out for a budget proposal that fully funds all parts of Homeland Security, while Democrats say they’re willing to fund individual branches within the department, including TSA, but not Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) until the Trump administration agrees to immigration reform. The shutdown persists amid multiple terrorism-related incidents in the past week, including an ISIS-inspired bomb plot in New York, a synagogue vehicle ramming and shooting in Michigan, and a shooting targeting ROTC members at Old Dominion University in Virginia. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Daily Caller [3/16/2026 10:09 AM, Harold Hutchison, 803K] reports Democratic South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn told MS NOW host Al Sharpton on Sunday that his party closed the government to force the defunding of federal immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump secured $75 billion of funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out immigration enforcement operations, which have been bitterly opposed by Democrats. Clyburn claimed that Republicans’ refusal to agree to defund ICE was the reason the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remained unfunded. "This is an issue about ICE," Clyburn told Sharpton. "Not anything to do with TSA, not anything to do with FEMA, nothing to do with the Coast Guard. All of these are wrapped up in this bill that the Republicans are refusing to put on the floor. We will vote for that, but we are not going to fund ICE to continue killing people, to continue masking themselves so no one can identify them."

FOX News [3/16/2026 9:13 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt discusses ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran and criticizes Democrats for blocking Homeland Security funding on ‘Fox & Friends.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [3/16/2026 9:50 AM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports that Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Monday that Democrats are deliberately trying to deceive Americans into believing Republicans are responsible for the Department of Homeland Security funding impasse, even as threats continue to mount at home. During an appearance on Newsmax’s "Wake Up America," Sessions pushed back against what he called a "deliberate" Democrat "misstep" after host Marc Lotter pointed to growing security concerns and recent terror attacks. "We’re dealing with terrorists and potential terrorists here at home," Lotter said. "We’ve still got a stalemate with the funding fight for the Department of Homeland Security." "And now air travelers waiting in long lines, the rest of the country vulnerable," the host added, noting the U.S. had "three terror attacks just in a month." Lotter turned to comments from Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on NBC’s "Meet the Press," where he claimed Democrats had offered "vote after vote, resolution after resolution" to reopen agencies and that Republicans had voted those efforts down. He then asked Sessions, "These are not serious resolutions, are they, congressman?" "No," Sessions replied. "As a matter of fact, that’s a deliberate misstep there that [Schiff] intentionally took to try and deceive people." The congressman said Schiff’s remarks were not just inaccurate but part of a broader Democrat pattern aimed at confusing voters about which party is blocking progress on DHS funding.

Washington Examiner [3/16/2026 10:27 AM, Asher Notheis, 1147K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security has been operating without funding since Feb. 14. Some network anchors have asked if it’s "responsible" for Democrats to hold up this funding as the United States faces potential terrorist attacks amid the military operation in Iran, "Operation Epic Fury," to which Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Republicans have voted down these attempts. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Sunday he won’t fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but would be willing to fund other DHS agencies. Concha contended that Democrats "own this" shutdown, and some media outlets are starting to press them about it. "They don’t seem to care that national security is at risk," Concha said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends First. "The goal is power. The goal is the midterms. The goal is taking back the House so they can put Donald Trump in impeachment for perpetuity, and at this point, I think they know they’re losing that narrative." Concha predicted Congress will make "movement" on funding DHS this week. He highlighted how incredibly long lines "going into parking lots" are plaguing airports, and said, "Who knows who’s in those lines," as airline security is at stake. Transportation Security Administration officers have said that financial stress, staffing shortages, and rising callouts are beginning to affect screening operations at airports nationwide as thousands of workers continue to miss paychecks. About 60,000 TSA employees have been working for a full month, receiving reduced pay.

ABC News [3/16/2026 7:00 PM, Allison Pecorin, 34146K] reports the Senate is expected to take up the SAVE America Act this week after President Donald Trump earlier this month thrust the bill into focus with a threat to withhold his signature on all other legislation until the GOP voting reform bill hits his desk. Debate on the bill could kick off in the Senate as soon as Tuesday, but on Monday the president seemed doubtful that it would get to his desk. "I think it’s imperative that it gets done. I’m not sure it is," Trump said when asked about the bill’s outlook. "I hope [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune can get it across the line. He’s trying. I mean, he told me this morning. I spoke to him, he’s trying," Trump said. "I think it’ll be a very, very bad thing for our country if they don’t. We’re just asking for basic things," Trump said. Things could get quite heated on the floor, but ultimately the legislation, despite having a passionate base of GOP supporters, will almost certainly fail.

ABC News [3/16/2026 1:04 PM, Allison Pecorin and John Parkinson, 34146K] reports it’s set to be a critical week in Congress as lawmakers continue to scrutinize the Iran war -- with opportunities to press the Trump administration as members of the president’s Cabinet and senior military commanders are set to make appearances. The country’s top intelligence community officials make their way to Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday, when Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel as well as top officials from the Defense Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency are scheduled to appear before the House and Senate Intelligence committees for the Worldwide Threats hearings. While these are annual hearings, this year’s presentation comes amid heightened focus on the intelligence community because of the Iran war as lawmakers mull a potential emergency supplemental bill to fund the open-ended operation. The money that has so far been spent to fund operations in Iran comes out of Pentagon funds already allocated by Congress. Congress has not yet approved any additional funding for the war with Iran.

CBS News [3/16/2026 12:11 PM, Nikole Killion, 51110K] reports senators are set to vote on the SAVE America Act this week, while lawmakers remain at odds over Department of Homeland Security funding as a partial government shutdown drags on. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/16/2026 11:03 AM, Taylor Penley, 7946K] reports that Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., detailed his rationale for refusing to support the SAVE Act in its current form despite acknowledging that voter ID requirements are not "unreasonable." "It’s needlessly complicated," Fetterman said Monday on "Mornings with Maria." The Pennsylvania Democrat stressed that while he supports requiring identification to vote, he believes the House-passed bill goes further than necessary and fails to account for the security of existing voting systems, particularly mail-in ballots. "I have said it’s not Jim Crow, and it’s not extreme things, but mail-in voting is absolutely secure," Fetterman said. "Some of the best examples in the country are red states like Florida and Ohio." Fetterman pointed to Florida as a model, noting the state passed legislation similar in spirit to the SAVE Act while also affirming the integrity of mail-in voting. "I would remind people watching [that] Florida just passed the essential version of the SAVE America Act, but they also said mail-in voting is absolutely secure, and that’s going to be part of us going forward," he said. Fetterman also reminded viewers that requiring voter identification itself is not controversial among most Americans but argued the current legislation goes beyond that principle. "It’s not a radical idea for Americans to provide ID, but that’s not what Save America is right now," he said. "And they’re attaching all of these other things that is a distraction to the core." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [3/16/2026 9:57 PM, Jasmyn Jordan, 2238K] reports that, as the Senate prepares to consider the SAVE America Act this week, voter identification and election integrity are emerging as central political issues heading into the 2026 elections, with Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) opposing the legislation even as polling in his state shows strong support for its provisions. The SAVE America Act — legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter identification in elections, while also addressing mail-in ballot rules and other provisions — is expected to come before the Senate this week. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass the bill, calling it "one of the most critical pieces of legislation in our nation’s history." President Donald Trump stated he will not sign other bills until the SAVE America Act is passed. Polling cited by the administration suggests broad national support. A Harvard-Harris survey found 71 percent of registered voters support the SAVE America Act, including 91 percent of Republicans, 50 percent of Democrats, and 69 percent of independents. The issue may be particularly consequential in Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators seeking reelection in 2026. Polling conducted in the state by the Heritage Foundation indicates strong support among Georgia voters for policies similar to those in the SAVE America Act. According to the poll, 90 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of independents, and 55 percent of Democrats support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The survey also found 89 percent of Republicans, 54 percent of independents, and 58 percent of Democrats support requiring states to remove noncitizens from voter registration rolls. Support for the SAVE America Act itself measured 91 percent among Republicans, 55 percent among independents, and 47 percent among Democrats. The poll also found roughly two-thirds of Georgia voters say they would be more likely to support a senator who votes for the SAVE America Act. Ossoff has described the SAVE America Act as "a nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad-faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.". The Georgia senator also previously criticized the state’s 2021 election integrity law, calling it "Jim Crow" and claiming it would "suppress Black voter turnout.". However, turnout data released by the Georgia Secretary of State in 2022 showed record early-voting participation after the law took effect. A total of 857,401 voters cast ballots during the early-voting period for the 2022 primary, including 795,567 early in-person votes and 61,744 absentee ballots. According to the Secretary of State’s office, the turnout represented a 168 percent increase over the 2018 gubernatorial primary and a 212 percent increase compared with the 2020 presidential primary. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the record turnout demonstrated confidence in the state’s election system and said the Election Integrity Act struck a balance between access and security.

New York Post [3/16/2026 2:33 PM, Chadwick Moore, 40934K] reports that a Mauritanian illegal immigrant marked for deportation since 2002 has continued to live in the US and is a registered Democrat who voted in every election since 2008, authorities claim. Mahady Sacko, 50, who goes by the nickname "Sacko Scorpion," was busted last week in Philadelphia for allegedly falsely claiming citizenship to cast a 2024 ballot. He was picked up in a joint operation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI who charge he "falsely represented that he was a US citizen in order to vote and register to vote" in the last presidential election, according to a press release. Sacko denied the charges when called by The Post, claiming: "Everything is a lie! They are lying about me!" before hanging up. He has yet to enter a plea in his case. As the issue of election security ramps up in Congress with the SAVE act, Sacko’s arrest was one of nearly a dozen uncovered by The Post of non-citizens allegedly voting in US elections, sometimes for decades, with many remaining listed as active voters on state rolls, even after their convictions. Another Pennsylvania voter, Indian citizen Kaushalkumar Patel, 47, of Allentown will stand trial this month for allegedly voting illegally in the 2020 election in Penn. Patel’s lawyer Philip Steinberg previously said he’s waiting for more information from the government laying out their case against Patel, saying in a statement: "Mr. Patel has lived a law abiding life in the United States for over 20 years. He works, pays his taxes and is an active participant in his community. He is also the proud father of two young daughters."

AP [3/16/2026 3:54 PM, Lisa Mascaro, Rebecca Santana, and Joey Cappelletti, 1323K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security will soon be under new management, an opportunity to reset President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda or to double down on his signature campaign promise to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history. The White House’s political director recently encouraged party lawmakers during a retreat at the Republican president’s golf club in Florida to focus on immigration enforcement against criminals, a pivot from the mass deportation agenda he ran on. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the aggressive operations have created a “hiccup” for the party, which is now embarking on a “course correction.” Yet all indications are that Trump’s mass deportation operation is not stalling out but intensifying, with billions of dollars being spent to hire Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, build warehouse detention sites and meet the administration’s goal of rounding up and removing some 1 million immigrants from the U.S. this year. “We are at an interesting moment where it has been an inflection point — the public has finally seen what mass detention and mass deportation mean,” said Sarah Mehta, who tracks the issue at the American Civil Liberties Union. “This is not an agency that’s slowing down,” she said. “They’re really going forward with some of the cruelest policies.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president’s policies have sent immigrants out of the U.S., either through forced deportations or on their own, and sealed up the U.S.-Mexico border. “Nobody is changing the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda,” she said.

NewsMax [3/16/2026 1:08 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports that major conservative groups are pressing the Trump administration to intensify deportation efforts against migrants in the U.S., reports the Daily Caller. The push comes as the White House recently told Republicans to tell constituents the focus is on deporting hardened criminals ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Matt O’Brien, deputy executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told the Daily Caller that Trump "secured a second term in the White House largely on the promise to enforce the entirety of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as written by Congress. "Those of us who value national sovereignty and the rule of law are now concerned that Team Trump is going to revert to the same lazy, selective enforcement policies relied on by past presidents." Lora Ries, a senior immigration policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, added: "Americans voted for a change, and millions of inadmissible aliens entered during Biden’s four years. "So just focusing on worst of the worst criminal aliens, that gets you hundreds of thousands, but it doesn’t get you millions, and we need millions deported." Their organizations helped form a new advocacy group aimed at pressing President Donald Trump to increase deportation efforts.

Daily Caller [3/16/2026 8:55 AM, Jason Hopkins, 803K] reports as the Trump administration appears to shift its sweeping mass deportation agenda, rattled immigration hardliners warn the move could become a midterm liability. Major conservative groups are pushing President Donald Trump to make 2026 the year he shifts his mass deportation agenda into overdrive. However, the calls come at a time when the administration — reeling from two deadly shootings in Minneapolis and tanking public support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — is seemingly backing down from a wider deportation policy that targets all illegal immigrants, not just criminals. With a razor-thin 217-214 GOP majority in the House of Representatives, the stakes for the president’s agenda are high as midterm elections loom. Just a few House elections will decide whether Democrats can regain control of key committees, block major bills and become a general obstacle to the president’s legislative priorities.

CNN [3/17/2026 4:05 AM, Lauren Fox, Sarah Ferris, and Priscilla Alvarez, 19874K] reports in his early days in Congress, Markwayne Mullin tried pairing his suit jacket and tie with a pair of jeans on the House floor. Then-House Speaker John Boehner reprimanded the young Republican for breaking the dress code. He might have come to Washington dressing as an outlier, but the 48-year-old – who still wears his cowboy hat on occasion to preside over the Senate floor – has learned a lot since. Since coming to Washington in 2013, Mullin has built a brand on Capitol Hill as a straight-talking, former MMA fighter who is the rare partisan warrior who can tout White House talking points on Fox News and then sit down to cut the occasional deals with Democrats. The affable Oklahoman has spent decades building strong connections across both chambers in the US Capitol – which eventually helped catapult him into the president’s inner circle. Now, Mullin is nominated to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security, a post that will require him to execute the president’s signature campaign promise on immigration, which has turned into one of the party’s biggest political liabilities heading into the midterms. He is also about to test just how much he can keep his outsider bona fides while doing Trump’s bidding. Mullin will sit before the Senate Homeland Security Committee Wednesday, just two weeks after he was suddenly tapped for the post and more than a month into a partisan government shutdown of the very agency that – if confirmed – he would run. Now on the other side of the dais, Mullin is expected to face a grilling from Senate Democrats – some of whom have years-long friendships with him but are under intense pressure to oppose him amid the fractious immigration politics of this moment.

AP [3/17/2026 12:23 AM, Rebecca Santana and Gabriela Aoun Angueira, 16072K] reports that, should Sen. Markwayne Mullin be approved as the next secretary of Homeland Security, he will walk into the department’s sprawling Washington, D.C., campus with his work cut out for him. Immigration enforcement is at a crossroads. Disaster-hit states and their lawmakers are angry at delayed federal assistance. Frustrated travelers face long airport security lines due to a monthlong funding battle in Congress. Mullin would take over from embattled outgoing secretary Kristi Noem, who entered office with President Donald Trump’s backing but whose social media-driven management style of the government’s third-largest department contributed to her downfall. “We’ve got serious management problems at DHS, and we need somebody steering the ship,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., adding that he told the Oklahoma senator a full audit of the department is needed. Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, has earned a reputation as a combative presence in the Senate. After 13 years in Congress, he has the confidence of fellow lawmakers and is expected to follow the White House’s policy priorities. His confirmation hearing is set for Wednesday. A top challenge for Mullin would be taking over the administration’s centerpiece policy of mass deportations, which has triggered a surge of immigrant arrests, sparked fear in communities and raised concerns about detention and enforcement tactics. A year of high-profile operations resulted in high arrest numbers but also criticism that officers were too aggressive. The shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal officers sparked calls for reform at immigration enforcement agencies. Approval of Trump’s immigration approach is down from when he started his second term, with most Americans saying Trump has “gone too far.” The souring public mood could force Mullin to recalibrate how the agencies he would oversee implement the deportation push. Since being nominated, Mullin has not publicly revealed his vision for running the department and has declined to answer questions. He is likely to be a faithful ally to Trump in his new role. In the Senate, he has been less focused on legislation and more engaged as a de facto spokesman for the White House — talking to the president often and amplifying his messages in the hallways of the Capitol and behind closed doors. He has been a strong supporter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the congressional funding approved last summer that super-charged immigration enforcement. Following the shooting deaths of the U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, he backed law enforcement and blamed local leaders for rhetoric that he said had “emboldened” protesters. John Sandweg, a former acting director at ICE during the Obama administration, said Mullin will need to balance pressures from different players inside the administration over how to conduct future enforcement operations — whether to ramp up deportations through arrest sweeps or keep enforcement more targeted on people who’ve committed crimes. “He’s going to have to reconcile ... are we about numbers or about quality?” said Sandweg. “And I think he’ll face a lot of pressure to also deliver on numbers.”

Daily Signal [3/16/2026 7:00 AM, Pedro Rodriguez, 474K] reports a House subcommittee will examine whether the Supreme Court’s decision that states cannot deny the children of illegal aliens access to taxpayer-funded K-12 education incentivized more aliens to come to the U.S. illegally. The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government will hold a hearing Wednesday on the Supreme Court’s decision in Plyler v. Doe (1982), Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal Friday. The Supreme Court allowed illegal alien children to enroll in public schools, ruling that state laws preventing their enrollment violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. "Decades ago, the Supreme Court’s erroneous decision in Plyler v. Doe set a misguided precedent by extending taxpayer-funded public education to those in the country illegally," Roy told The Daily Signal. "As our schools face growing strain, it’s time for Congress and the courts to reexamine this decision and put American students and taxpayers first." The hearing will also explore the "policy implications" of "allowing large numbers of illegal aliens to overwhelm public schools, strain resources, teachers, and hinder class learning.".

Daily Wire [3/16/2026 8:28 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2314K] reports Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on Friday that the Trump administration would make America’s roads safer by continuing to ensure that truck drivers understand English. Joined by GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Duffy visited Monroe County, Wisconsin, on Friday to highlight the allocation of $8.4 million to improve infrastructure in the region and the moves made by the Trump administration to make highways safer. Duffy’s comments come amid several high-profile incidents involving illegal immigrant truck drivers across the country. "We have a longstanding rule that you have to speak English if you’re going to have a commercial driver’s license," Duffy said Friday. "And the Obama administration had put a slap on the wrist for that offense. We brought a penalty back for not being able to be English proficient in the cab." Duffy added that he wished he had law enforcement under his control to help enforce the English proficiency requirements, saying the Department of Transportation was dependent on state partners to crack down on unauthorized drivers.

CBS Los Angeles [3/17/2026 12:30 AM, Luzdelia Caballero, Matthew Rodriguez, 51110K] reports federal immigration officials appealed a judge’s decision to dismiss a deportation case against an undocumented Orange County gardener, who is also the father of three U.S. Marines in Orange County. Attorney Lisa Ramirez, who represents 48-year-old Narciso Barranco, said the federal government filed the appeal just before the deadline. "It came on the very last day that was allotted by the judge," Ramirez said. Following the judge’s decision in February, then-Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that her staff would appeal the "lawless" ruling. "This activist judge’s ruling does not change the fact that Narciso Barranco is an illegal alien," she said in February. Immigration agents arrested Barranco outside an IHOP in Santa Ana last June. Witnesses recorded a video of Barranco screaming in pain as four agents piled on top of him and punched him during the arrest. Department of Homeland Security officials defended the agents’ actions, saying Barranco is "an illegal alien who tried to evade law enforcement." They said a video of the incident shows Barranco swinging a weed whacker at an agent’s face and refusing to comply with commands. Ramirez said the allegations from DHS were not true. "It was never a factual allegation that the government charged him with, so it was never an issue we had to refute," Ramirez said. Barranco was held for three weeks before being released on bond with an ankle monitor. While he was able to return home, Barranco said the last nine months have felt like his freedom was taken away because he’s afraid of being detained again. He’s stopped working and rarely leaves home. While he felt relieved after his case was dismissed, Barranco said the appeal broke his family’s heart. "I felt very sad," Barranco said. His wife said it’s heartbreaking to watch him live in fear. "I don’t know what’s going to happen," wife Martha Barranco said in Spanish. The federal government’s appeal also paused Barranco’s application for parole in place, a program that allows the immediate relatives of military members to apply for legal status. "But now, because of the appeal, he will have neither the parole in place nor will his eligibility for his green card move forward," Ramirez said. Barranco said he came to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago to work hard and to create a better life for his family. Barranco’s family said they’re holding on to hope and will fight until their father becomes a legal permanent resident of the U.S.

Washington Examiner [3/16/2026 10:14 AM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports that Ecuador over the weekend launched a major military offensive against drug "mafias" in the country, an operation that is being carried out with support from the United States. Over the next two weeks, criminal organizations in several violence-plagued provinces, including Guayas, Los Rios, and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, are being targeted, with U.S. logistical support. Authorities have imposed a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the coastal provinces, effective until March 30. A total of 75,000 Ecuadoran police and soldiers have been deployed in the effort, according to Interior Minister John Reimberg. "35,000 police officers from Ecuador’s National Police deployed in Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and El Oro," Reimberg wrote in a warning to cartel members posted to X, translated from Spanish. "To the mafias: your time is up. Nothing stops us." The U.S. and Ecuador had previously launched joint strikes on "designated terrorist organizations" in the South American nation, the U.S. Southern Command said earlier this month. The latest Ecuadoran raids are ongoing, as authorities seek to root out the country’s notorious cartel presence. Ecuador’s location between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest producers of cocaine, makes it a prime shipping location for narcotics. Around 70% of the drugs produced by its two neighbors flow through Ecuador. Reimberg on Wednesday previewed the curfew, explaining that it meant to avoid "collateral victims from the attacks we are about to launch." "We have significant support from U.S. forces for the operations we are about to carry out," he said at the time.

New York Post [3/16/2026 7:22 PM, Staff, 40934K] reports the United States saw four terror attacks on its soil in just the two weeks since the Iran war began, yet Democrats voted yet again last week to #Defund Homeland Security. Are they trying to help the terrorists? They also seem to hate TSA workers and flight passengers: Chaos has reigned at airports around the nation, with hours-long security lines; the shutdown has prompted 300 agents to quit and others to take unscheduled leaves rather than work without pay. The defunding’s latest horror: The Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Bombing Prevention just canceled a training class on how to handle IEDs. The OBP had to do that even though Islamic terrorists tossed two of those very devices near Gracie Mansion just days before. Not to mention the terrorist who drove a truck filled with flammable liquids and fireworks into a Michigan synagogue packed with kids. The OBP is operating with only six of its 18 instructors. Brilliant. Actually, it’s unthinkable: Airport misery and flight safety are bad enough, but defunding bomb prevention — at a time like this? Dems are holding the nation’s security and air travel hostage in a purely symbolic protest to prove their hatred of ICE to their base. The funding cutoff doesn’t even hit ICE, which already got ample cash in last year’s Big Beautiful Bill Act. Yet the donkeys just won’t budge, even as the pain — and risks — mount. No matter that they’re dumping on some of the very people (unionized TSA workers) Democrats claim to champion. Massive security lines have plagued airports in Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Austin and more; the TSA absence rate at some airports has been crippling: Houston’s Hobby Airport had 53% of its TSA officers call out March 8 and 47% the next day. New York’s JFK saw 21% of its TSA staff call in sick over the past month.

USA Today [3/17/2026 4:31 AM, Nicole Russell, 67103K] reports if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it probably runs straight through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, where some unpaid TSA agents are still showing up to work while an incompetent Congress still collects its salary. Around the country in recent days, weary travelers waited in long security lines at major airports, and some even missed their flights. According to internal TSA statistics obtained exclusively by CBS News, about 300 agents have quit their jobs as they missed their first paycheck due to a lack of Department of Homeland Security funding. The long lines affected several major airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and two Houston airports − the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. According to DHS, the partial government shutdown, which started a month ago, forces about 260,000 employees to work without pay, including TSA agents, Coast Guard personnel and Secret Service agents. The TSA itself isn’t very effective. I think it should be scrapped, and airports should hire private security, but I know that’s not likely to happen. Airport security is still vital, and TSA employees on the clock should still get paid for the job they’re doing, especially if lawmakers who have forced the partial shutdown are still collecting tax-funded paychecks. When politicians get paid while the people doing the work don’t, that’s not democracy. It’s hypocrisy and an abuse of power.

NPR [3/16/2026 4:13 PM, Jay Price, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports federal immigration agents are dressing like elite military special operators. Some say there are reasons for all that camouflage that go well beyond finding and arresting undocumented immigrants.

Breitbart [3/16/2026 6:16 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports an illegal alien is on the run after he rammed his vehicle into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Burlington, Vermont. "On March 11, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted vehicle stop to arrest Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sancheminal, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico. He was previously arrested for criminal trespassing and driving under the influence," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Lauren Bis said. "During the attempted arrest, Corona-Sanchez [sic] weaponized his vehicle and rammed our ICE law enforcement officers," Bis said. "He fled on foot into a nearby residence and remains at-large. This is just the latest in a disturbing trend of vehicle attacks.". ICE officials are asking for anyone with knowledge of Corona-Sanchez’s whereabouts to contact the agency through its tip line at (866) 347-2423 or fill out the tip form via the agency’s website. According to ICE, Corona-Sanchez [sic] first crossed the United States-Mexico border in 2021 and was subsequently deported the following year. At an unknown date and location, Corona-Sanchez crossed the border again, a felony, as an unknown got-away.

FOX News [3/16/2026 8:47 PM, Louis Casiano , Bill Melugin, 37576K] reports an illegal immigrant from El Salvador wanted for alleged child rape and living near a school was arrested last week, a month after anti-ICE agitators blew an operation conducted by federal authorities to capture him, Fox News has learned. Video footage taken by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Feb. 12 in Boston, a sanctuary city, showed anti-ICE activists shouting obscenities to an agent recording them from inside a vehicle. At the time, ICE was attempting to take into custody Walter Roberto Vides-Ortez, who is wanted in his native El Salvador for child rape. The agents were at Vides-Ortez’s home in East Boston while in their vehicles. They were waiting for him to come out when they were quickly surrounded by activists who blew whistles, cursed at them, and said they were traumatizing children at a nearby elementary school down the street. One agitator called the agents a "criminal.". Their cover was blown, no arrest was made. Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. Vides-Ortez was arrested on March 12. An ICE agent told Fox News that Vides-Ortez was living near a school and was on the streets much longer than he should have been, posing a public safety risk. He entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2016, the same year El Salvador issued an arrest warrant for him. It is believed he fled to the U.S. to avoid prosecution. ICE and Trump administration officials have repeatedly said that ICE is going after illegal immigrants who have committed crimes while in the United States. A video taken by one agitator in Minnesota, shows an ICE agent confronting people in St. Paul who he said were honking their car horns and disrupting federal officers as they attempted to take a suspect into custody. "We’re here to arrest a child sex offender and you guys are out here honking," the agent says in the video. "No, we’re press," someone off-camera responds. "We’re not honking.". The agent then points to a nearby vehicle. "That vehicle right there is honking and impeding our investigations while we’re trying to arrest a child sex offender. That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS Baltimore [3/16/2026 6:02 PM, Ashley Paul, 51110K] reports Harford County officials are trying to determine how to challenge Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s bill signing that prohibits law enforcement from collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Last month, the governor signed emergency legislation to ban the 287(g) program, which had allowed deputies to conduct immigration screenings in jail. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler on Monday met with American Constitutional Rights Union Executive Director Lt. Col. Allen West to discuss how to move forward. Undocumented immigrants murdered Kayla Hamilton and Rachel Morin in the last few years in Harford County, which is why Sheriff Gahler said the program needs to stay. He said that in the eight years they participated in the 287(g) agreement, there was never a single complaint.

DailySignal [3/16/2026 12:30 PM, Virginia Allen, 474K] reports that Multiple parents in Fairfax County, Virginia, say a man groped their daughters in crowded school hallways. Now, the Department of Homeland Security is asking “Virginia sanctuary politicians” to not allow the alleged perpetrator, who is an illegal alien, back into the community. Israel Christopher Flores-Ortiz is from El Salvador. He illegally entered the United States in 2024 and was released, according to DHS. He is in 11th grade at Fairfax High School just outside Washington, D.C. “This 19-year-old should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “This is yet another example of the Biden administration’s failed open border policies.” Flores-Ortiz now faces nine counts of assault and battery. The charges against Ortiz follow accusations from multiple female students that Ortiz walked up behind them and placed his hand between their legs, moving it from front to back, 7News’ Nick Minock reports. “There’s a group of about 12 individuals that have reported this assault,” a mother of one of the victims exclusively told 7News. “It was all perpetrated by a single individual who is a stranger to the girls. He just sneakily walked up behind them and put his hand in between their legs. It was not just a butt smack or a butt grab. It was a groping of a private area,” the mother said, adding that the groping had been happening for several months. DHS has logged an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer for Ortiz, asking Fairfax County to turn Ortiz over to ICE for deportation upon his release.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/16/2026 5:30 PM, John Binder, 2238K]

FOX News [3/16/2026 2:03 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports that Rhode Island Democrats have introduced a bill that would bar police departments from hiring ICE agents brought on during President Donald Trump’s second term, escalating the state’s pushback against federal immigration enforcement. Immigration enforcement agents, including those within ICE, have come under fire in recent months from Democratic lawmakers and governors opposed to the tactics involved in Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which the president has said are necessary due to the open-border effects of the Biden era. In Rhode Island, companion bills in the House and Senate dubbed the ICE OUT Act would amend the Law Enforcement Officers’ Due Process Accountability and Transparency Act to add a section denoting the new restriction. "A law enforcement agency… shall not employ any individual who was hired as a sworn officer of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency on or after January 20, 2025," the bill reads. The policy would take effect in October 2026 and would not affect any officers already hired out of ICE’s ranks. The bill’s top sponsor in the House, Democratic state Rep. Karen Alzate of Pawtucket, said during a recent hearing that the policy would help bolster public-police relationships in Rhode Island, according to the Providence Journal. In response, Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that "sanctuary politicians" in Rhode Island are wrongly casting ICE agents as villains while they continue to be targeted, threatened and doxxed just for doing their jobs. "They should be grateful that these newly hired ICE officers stepped up to keep criminal illegal aliens off of Rhode Island’s streets," Bis said.

FOX News [3/16/2026 4:24 PM, Preston Mizell, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer request for a Mexican illegal migrant who was charged with soliciting sexual content from children under 10 years old. Angel David Rubio Marin allegedly used "Robux," the currency used in the Roblox video game platform, to entice children to send him sexually explicit videos and images of at least three young children under 10 years old. He was arrested in Prince William County, VA. Rubio Marin was previously charged with two counts of public masturbation, but was released in Virginia prior to the current charges, according to DHS. "This sicko preyed on innocent children by offering to pay them in a video game currency in exchange for child pornography," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in a statement. "This illegal alien was RELEASED from jail after an arrest for public masturbation. This case is a perfect example of why we need state and local cooperation with ICE." "We are calling on Virginia sanctuary politicians and Governor Spanberger to commit to not releasing this child predator back into Virginia neighborhoods," Bis added. "No one wants this pedophile loose on American streets." Rubio Martin entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown place and time, according to DHS. The department was quick to bash Democratic Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who ended cooperation with state agencies and federal immigration authorities through an executive directive in February shortly after her inauguration.

CBS News [3/16/2026 4:57 PM, Dan Raby, 51110K] reports the City of Social Circle has a new message for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: No water or sewer services for its planned detention center until city officials get some information. On Monday, the city shared a statement saying that it has placed a lock on the water meter connected to the warehouse the ICE plans to convert into a facility that could hold thousands of immigration detainees. The city said it informed an ICE representative about the lock shortly after the sale of the property when the agency asked "how to establish an account." Department of Homeland Security documents previously obtained by the city showed that ICE planned to turn the warehouses on Hightower Trail into a "mega center" expected to hold 7,500 to 10,000 detainees. Once construction has begun, the agency estimates to begin accepting detainees sometime between mid-May and June, and is expected to employ 2,000 to 2,500 staff. The documents show DHS estimates detainees will stay in the centers for about 60 days. The facility is also planned to have holding areas, gyms, recreational spaces, cafeterias, a gun range, and other services. From the first time that Social Circle was informed of the plan, the city has expressed concerns over how the detention center may strain its services. The agency has argued in an infrastructure analysis that the detention facility will be designed "to not affect the existing infrastructure adversely in any way."

FOX News [3/16/2026 6:09 PM, Stepheny Price, 37576K] reports an illegal immigrant is facing a murder charge after police say she shot her girlfriend and hid the victim’s decomposing body inside a closet at a Charlotte apartment. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say 23-year-old Lhis Birito Costa was arrested in connection with the death of 26-year-old Evelin Carolina Enamorado-Cisnado. Officers were called Tuesday afternoon to an apartment in east Charlotte for a welfare check after a caller reported someone inside the home might be dead. When officers entered the apartment, investigators say they discovered Enamorado-Cisnado’s body hidden inside a closet, behind a door and covered with several towels. Detectives said the victim’s body had already begun decomposing. Police said Costa was located and arrested Wednesday in connection with the case. She was transported to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Law Enforcement Center, where homicide detectives interviewed her. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Costa remains in custody at the county jail. Officials also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Costa, meaning federal immigration authorities have requested notification before she is released.

The New York Times [3/16/2026 5:49 PM, Maria Cramer, 148038K] reports a New Jersey woman who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024 has been released from a federal immigration detention center in Texas, where she had been held for more than a year. The woman, Leqaa Kordia, 33, was freed on Monday, about a month after she said she had been chained to a hospital bed following a seizure inside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where she described filthy and inhumane conditions. She has not been charged with a crime. On Friday, she appeared before an immigration judge, who ordered her released on $100,000 bond. It was the third time that the judge had ordered her release. But government lawyers had appealed the judge’s earlier decisions, forcing her to remain in detention. On Monday, she was released after the government did not make another appeal. Her lawyers and family said her health had diminished considerably at the center, where she had lost weight and was experiencing fainting spells. The AP [3/16/2026 6:18 PM, Jake Offenhartz and Kendria LaFleur] reports Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old from the West Bank who has lived in New Jersey since 2016, had been held in a U.S. immigration detention center in Texas since last March. Kordia was among roughly 100 people arrested outside Columbia University during protests at the school in 2024. An immigration judge had ordered her released on bond three times. The government challenged the first two rulings, but Kordia was freed Monday after it did not challenge the third. She was recently hospitalized for three days following a seizure after fainting and hitting her head at the privately run detention facility. The charges against her for the protest were dismissed and sealed. Information about her arrest was later given to the Trump administration by the New York City Police Department, which said it was told the records were needed as part of a money laundering investigation. Kordia was arrested during a March 13, 2025, check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Jersey. She was detained immediately and flown to Prairieland Detention Center, south of Dallas. She was among a number of people arrested after the Trump administration began using its immigration enforcement powers on noncitizens who had criticized or protested Israel’s military actions in Gaza, many students and scholars at American universities. Federal officials have accused Kordia of overstaying her visa, while scrutinizing payments she sent to relatives in the Middle East. Kordia said the money was meant to help family members suffering during the war. An immigration judge found “overwhelming evidence” that Kordia was telling the truth about the payments.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [3/16/2026 10:26 PM, Jesse Zanger, 51110K]
CNN [3/16/2026 6:20 PM, Zoe Sottile, 19874K]

NBC News [3/16/2026 8:26 PM, Staff, 42967K] reports a Palestinian woman has been released from an immigration detention center more than a year after she was arrested for overstaying her student visa following her participation in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Leqaa Kordia, 33, is the last person arrested during those demonstrations to be released from custody. Her lawyers argued that the Trump administration targeted her for protesting military actions in Gaza. Her visa was terminated in January 2022 for lack of attendance, according to the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, an immigration judge ordered that Kordia be released on $100,000 bond. It was the third time the same judge had ruled in her favor. Federal lawyers fought the judge’s previous rulings, keeping her detained despite the order. In a statement Monday, a DHS spokesperson said Kordia was arrested last March for violations related to her overstaying her student visa. The previous year, the spokesperson added, local law enforcement had arrested her for her involvement in protests at Columbia University. "The facts of this case have not changed: Leqaa Kordia is in the country illegally after violating the terms of her visa," the spokesperson said. "The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.". At Kordia’s third bond hearing, the judge described the government’s arguments against her release as "disingenuous," according to a statement from her lawyers forwarded to NBC News by the Institute for Middle East Understanding. "Ms. Kordia has missed family gatherings and celebrations, has missed out on joining further, lawful protests, spent Ramadan in confinement twice, and was hospitalized for three days after suffering the first seizure of her life," the statement read. She experienced fainting episodes and other signs of poor health during her detention, advocates said. In February, Kordia suffered a seizure and was admitted to a hospital near the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Her legs were chained to a hospital bed for 72 hours, according to Kordia’s lawyers. DHS said all federal detainees receive medical care in emergencies. "For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they receive in their entire lives," DHS said in emailed statement last month. Kordia’s ordeal brought renewed attention to her arrest, which lawyers argued was carried out in retaliation for her pro-Palestinian activism. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for her case to be dropped during a conversation with President Donald Trump at the end of February. Nearly 200 relatives of Kordia’s have died in Gaza since war broke out in 2023, her lawyers said. Kordia’s cousin said her time in detention took a massive toll on their family. "We are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude at the release of our beloved Leqaa Kordia," Hamzah Abushaban said in a statement. "This past year has taken an unimaginable toll on Leqaa and our entire family.". "No family should have to endure what ours has experienced," the statement continued. "Today, we celebrate Leqaa’s return home. Tomorrow, we continue the fight for justice.". CORRECTION (March 16, 10:29 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated when the Gaza war began and where Kordia’s relatives died. The war broke out in 2023, not 2024, and Kordia’s relatives died in Gaza, not the West Bank.

ABC News [3/16/2026 1:44 PM, SLaura Romero, Luke Barr, and Armando Garciataff, 34146K] reports an Afghan immigrant who died after being in immigration custody for one day worked alongside U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan, according to an immigrant advocacy group. Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died last week at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas, Texas. He is the 43rd person to die in ICE custody during the second Trump administration, according to lawmakers. According to ICE, 36 detainees have died in ICE custody since Jan. 23, 2025. By federal law, ICE makes public all reports regarding detainee deaths while in custody within 90 days, according to the agency. "For many years, Nazeer worked alongside American forces during the war in Afghanistan," the group AfghanEvac said in a statement on behalf of Paktyawal’s family. "It was dangerous work, but he believed in helping bring stability to his country and protecting the people around him. After Afghanistan fell, the United States helped evacuate our family in 2021, and we came here hoping for safety and a better life.". An ICE statement Sunday said that Paktyawal died Saturday morning at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas, following his arrest the day before. It described Paktyawal as "a criminal illegal alien from Afghanistan" who had "a known criminal history," including an arrest for alleged SNAP fraud and another for alleged theft, both last year. The Department of Homeland Security on Monday confirmed that Paktayawal entered the U.S. in 2021 but said that his parole expired in August 2025. The agency did not address questions about an active asylum application. In a statement to ABC News on Monday, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said Paktyawal’s tongue was swollen and said that he "received an epinephrine drip." "Later that day, medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Bis further said. "At approximately 9:10 a.m. CDT, a physician at Parkland Hospital pronounced Paktyawal deceased after multiple resuscitative efforts, including mechanical device and medical professional interventions." "No one in ICE custody is denied access to proper medical care," Bis added. "It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody.".

CBS News [3/16/2026 6:19 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports authorities say the defendants plotted more than a fireworks demonstration, citing terrorism and explosives. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Tampa Free Press [3/16/2026 12:49 PM, Maria Hernandez, 88K] reports federal authorities confirmed Friday that a 25-year-old Indian national, Sukhdev Singh, is in custody following a collision in Indianapolis that left an American citizen fighting for their life. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that Singh, who was illegally present in the United States, was operating a semi-truck using a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) issued by the state of New York. The incident occurred on March 6, 2026, around 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of E Raymond Street and I-65. Indiana State Police arrived at the scene to find a pedestrian had been struck by the heavy vehicle. After identifying Singh and determining his immigration status, state troopers contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Agents arrived that evening to take Singh into federal custody, where he currently remains pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and is listed in critical condition. According to DHS records, Singh received a non-domiciled CDL from New York on January 2, 2025. The case has reignited a fierce debate over state-level licensing policies. Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis voiced criticism regarding the oversight of heavy machinery on U.S. roads. “It is common sense: illegal aliens should not be operating 18-wheelers on American highways,” Bis stated. “It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating 18-wheelers on America’s roads. Sanctuary governors like Kathy Hochul must stop giving illegal aliens driver’s licenses before even more Americans get injured or killed.”

Washington Post [3/17/2026 5:00 AM, Sarah Blaskey, 24826K] reports a rookie immigration officer fresh out of the Trump administration’s abbreviated basic training program made critical errors in paperwork that became the government’s justification for detaining a California man for days in December, federal court records show. The officer, Nolan De Long, was hired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a recruitment surge that began last summer as the administration pushed for record numbers of arrests and deportations. One of De Long’s first assignments involved arresting Carlos De La Garza, a 55-year-old longtime Berkeley resident, at the end of a routine appointment related to his green card application, court records show. De Long later acknowledged his mistakes that day in a sworn statement filed in court and obtained by The Washington Post. Due to his “lack of experience,” he said, he had misunderstood federal immigration jargon and believed that De La Garza’s residency bid had been denied — though it hadn’t. He repeated his misunderstanding on a form that government attorneys cited in court to justify the detention. On the same form, he also wrongly reported that De La Garza had admitted to illegally entering the country in 2015. The errors were exposed when De La Garza challenged the legality of his detention in federal court. Attorneys for the government dropped their opposition to his release after discovering their case relied on De Long’s misrepresentations. De Long apologized to De La Garza and the court, saying he understood the “seriousness of this mistake.” De Long had been on the job for less than a month, and it was only the second time he had completed the particular form he bungled, court records show. At basic training, he had received only one-third of the instruction time the agency once dedicated to teaching recruits how to fill out that form, according to a review of court filings and Department of Homeland Security records obtained by The Post. While De Long did not directly attribute his mistakes to his training, the case underscores questions members of both parties raised in congressional hearings last month about the rapid hiring and training of new ICE officers.

FOX News [3/16/2026 1:08 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports that California mother and grandmother Angie Morfin, whose 13-year-old son, Ruben, was executed at point-blank range by an illegal alien gang member, shared a message for incoming Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin: "Make sure no other mother has to get the call I did." "Ruben was just a little boy with dreams of growing up, getting married, and having a family of his own," she told Fox News Digital, adding, "For 34 years I’ve fought to keep his memory alive, so he didn’t die in vain.". She shared that she is hopeful that Mullin, a current Republican senator from Oklahoma who is set to take the reins at DHS at the end of the month, "will continue to listen to Angel Families and stand with us as we fight to make sure no other mother has to get the call I did.". In a recent interview with The American Border Story, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, Morfin said her family remains devastated decades after losing Ruben. "I cry for him today, like if it was just yesterday," she shared. Morfin founded Moms Against Gang Violence, a California-based advocacy group for stricter law enforcement. She has also testified before Congress on the need for stricter immigration enforcement. She explained that her advocacy on behalf of victims like Ruben is "my way of keeping him alive." She praised President Donald Trump’s hard-line policy against illegal immigration, saying "it takes guts to do what he’s doing." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

San Francisco Chronicle [3/16/2026 10:00 AM, Jessica Flores, 3833K] reports that members of California’s congressional delegation on Monday called for an investigation into the recent deportation of a Bay Area mother and her two young children, including a 6-year-old boy who is deaf. In a letter sent Monday, the lawmakers demanded that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State work with the family’s legal representatives to return them back to the United States through humanitarian parole so the deaf child can access their assisted hearing devices and receive medical support. Congress members also urged the federal agencies to explain what legal basis they used to deport the family, why they withheld the boys’ hearing equipment and how many minors with disabilities have been deprived of their assistive devices. “This case raises serious concerns about the treatment of vulnerable families and children in immigration proceedings,” according to the letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Democratic Sens. Adam B. Schiff and Alex Padilla and Reps. Eric Swalwell of Castro Valley, Lateefah Simon of Oakland, Kevin Mullin of San Mateo, Zoe Lofgren of San Jose and Nanette Barragán of Carson (Los Angeles County) signed the letter. Federal immigration officers arrested 28-year-old Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, of Hayward, on March 3 during what she believed was a routine immigration check-in at the ICE office in San Francisco. Her two children, ages 4 and 6, were with her at the time of the arrest.

Telemundo [3/16/2026 11:55 PM, Cecilia Treviño, 56K] reports a new report from San Diego County warns that the region’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program could run out of funding as the number of people detained in federal immigration custody increases. According to data published by ICE’s Integrated Decision Support System, the growing number of people at the Otay Mesa detention center is causing a sharp increase in demand for legal representation. Under current funding, the county indicated that the program can serve approximately 525 detained users and 25 unaccompanied minors each month. However, projections indicate that approximately twice as many people may need legal assistance during the next fiscal year. Even suspending the intake of new cases starting in July may not be enough to cover all the anticipated expenses. The San Diego County Immigrant Legal Defense Program, known as ILDP, is projected to face a double-digit deficit in millions of dollars if the number of detained migrants continues to rise. The county report notes that the program has been providing services to detained immigrants since April 2022. At that time, the program served an average of 56 people per month and had 11 attorneys providing services. As of December, the number of clients has risen dramatically. The program is averaging about 1,200 clients per month this fiscal year with 56 attorneys providing legal representation.

New York Post [3/16/2026 7:40 PM, Ben Chapman, 40934K] reports a shocking photo made public Monday by the federal government shows the gruesome bite mark left on an ICE officer after an alleged Tren de Aragua gangster attacked him during an immigration raid. Federal prosecutors say Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, bit the ICE officer on his forearm during an operation on July 15 near San Diego’s Mission Bay waterfront. Bastardo, 32, is a member of the international Tren de Aragua gang who was wanted on an immigration charge, federal authorities said. Bastardo was among a group of suspects targeted in an immigration raid in the beachside area when he began violently resisting his apprehension there, federal authorities said. During his arrest for an immigration violation, Bastardo engaged in a five-minute struggle with federal officers culminating in the bite, prosecutors said. He was charged with assault on a federal officer, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. "Our office will continue to prioritize the protection of federal officers engaged in their lawful duties," said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon in a statement. Bastardo was living in the United States without legal immigration status and was ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on June 10, after failing to appear for court, according to prosecutors. ICE took Bastardo and other suspects from campers that were parked in a beachside area, according to witnesses who filmed the raid. But as officers tried to bring Bastardo into custody, he went wild, according to a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Bastardo bit one ICE officer in the arm and kicked another in the chest before the officers brought him under control, federal authorities said. Bastardo’s mouth left a disgusting purple bruise where he bit the agent. His teeth marks are clearly visible in a photo of the injury circulated Monday by federal prosecutors. Officers placed Bastardo under arrest, along with four other illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. The statement also said Bastardo was "confirmed to be a member of the violent transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua.".

The New York Times [3/16/2026 5:57 PM, Ann E. Marimow, 148038K] reports the Supreme Court on Monday declined to immediately allow the Trump administration to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants living in the United States, and instead agreed to hear oral arguments in the matter in late April. As part of President Trump’s crackdown on immigration, the administration has moved to terminate a program, known as Temporary Protected Status, that has allowed migrants from certain troubled nations to live and work legally in the United States. At issue in the cases before the Supreme Court are protections for some 350,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the Supreme Court to intervene after lower court judges sided with the migrants and postponed plans to terminate their deportation protections. Instead of issuing a quick-turn order, the justices said on Monday that they would formally review the two cases on an expedited basis and provide clarity on when the administration can end protections for groups of migrants. Monday’s brief order did not provide any reasons for the deferral, as is typical in emergency matters. It said the arguments would be scheduled for the week of April 27, meaning the justices are likely to rule on the issue in June or early July. NPR [3/16/2026 5:26 PM, Zoe Sobel, Nina Totenberg, 28764K] reports that in two separate emergency appeals, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block lower court orders that have continued TPS for Syrians and Haitians while their cases are litigated. Rather than let that play out in the lower courts, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asserted the time was right for the high court to act now, "given lower courts’ persistent disregard" for this court’s actions in other TPS cases. In an unsigned order, the court agreed with Sauer that the broader TPS question needs to be decided and set expedited arguments for April on several questions. The first is whether TPS designations are reviewable by the courts and if so, whether the TPS holders have some valid claims. Finally, the court will determine whether the TPS holders equal-protection claim fails on the merits. There were no noted dissents. NewsMax [3/16/2026 5:28 PM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports Congress created temporary protected status in 1990 to let people already in the U.S. remain and work legally when war, natural disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions make it unsafe to return home, and the protection is granted for limited periods without creating a direct path to citizenship. The Trump administration says the secretary of Homeland Security has broad authority to decide when a country no longer qualifies for the program and that courts should not second-guess those determinations, especially where immigration enforcement, foreign policy and national interest judgments are involved.

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Breitbart [3/16/2026 5:28 PM, John Binder, 2238K]
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NewsMax [3/16/2026 5:24 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is urging Congress to pass legislation that would expand the federal government’s ability to revoke citizenship and deport aliens who commit certain crimes or obtain citizenship through fraud. Schmitt renewed his push for the proposal during an appearance Monday on Fox, the Gateway Pundit reported, as a partial government shutdown continues to affect parts of the Department of Homeland Security. Schmitt said the standoff over DHS funding has left key agencies dealing with disruptions, including unpaid Transportation Security Administration personnel and operational challenges at airports. "This is just the height of stupidity by the Democrats. It’s essentially a temper tantrum because they don’t like President [Donald] Trump," Schmitt said during the interview. Schmitt’s legislation, known as the Protect America Act, would broaden the criteria for denaturalizing individuals who gain citizenship but later become involved in certain criminal activities, including fraud or supporting terrorism. "Citizenship should mean something," Schmitt said. "The deportations need to continue, and we also need to expand the category of people who can be denaturalized and sent home.".

NewsMax [3/16/2026 9:49 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., told Newsmax on Monday that his proposed legislation would fundamentally reshape U.S. immigration policy by prioritizing assimilation and national security, while restricting entry from several adversarial nations and ending what he called abuses in the current system. Ogles said on "Rob Schmitt Tonight" the legislation, dubbed the Halt Immigration from Countries with Inadequate Verification Capabilities Act, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and represent one of the most sweeping immigration reforms in decades. "Well, I mean, all you have to do is, quite frankly, watch your show, watch the news, and you see the terror attacks," Ogles said. "You see how immigration was weaponized against the American people during the Biden administration," he said. Ogles argued the U.S. should have greater control over who is admitted. "It’s a very pragmatic approach. We get to prioritize who comes to this country. Guess what? It’s our country. We get to decide who comes in," Ogles said. "That also means we get to decide who leaves," he said. Ogles said his proposal would repeal the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, which ended national-origin quotas and reshaped the U.S. immigration system. He said the current system encourages "chain migration," allowing immigrants to sponsor extended family members. "You have the chain migration where one person comes in, and suddenly, their entire family gets to follow," Ogles said. "That ends.". The bill would also eliminate the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire certain foreign workers. "The H-1B visa scam; that ends," he said. Ogles framed the legislation as a national security response following what he described as a recent wave of terror attacks carried out by naturalized citizens from the Middle East and Africa. "Every day that this immigration system stays in place, we have literal terrorists coming into this country," he said. "And oh, by the way, under Joe Biden, because the border was so porous, we have literal terror cells that are operating in our country, on our soil, and we don’t know where they are," Ogles said. According to Ogles, the legislation would emphasize stricter vetting and a system focused on assimilation. "Let’s get back to the basics and thoroughly vet people who are coming into this country and make sure they belong here," he said.

DailySignal [3/16/2026 3:50 PM, Fred Lucas, 474K] reports the Service Employees International Union has sued the Trump administration over a new security clearance policy for immigrants working at airports. The lawsuit against Customs and Border Protection is the second filed by the powerful union against the Trump administration in the same week. The SEIU is joined by four former employees of Logan International Airport in Boston, who say they lost their jobs because of the policy. The CBP adopted new guidelines last year that determined asylum applicants and recipients of Temporary Protected Status cannot qualify for security badges to access certain restricted areas at airports. Lawful permanent residents and those already granted asylum are still eligible for access under the new policy, but those seeking contingent protections, such as TPS holders or current asylum applicants, are not eligible. Plaintiffs contend the new policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act by not providing an adequate explanation. The policy change makes airports safer, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. The lawsuit says that other airports are being affected, including San Francisco International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and Orlando International Airport.

FOX News [3/16/2026 2:19 PM, Eric Mack, 37576K] reports that the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and U.S. Border Patrol arrested 15 illegal immigrants with criminal records during a "targeted" enforcement operation in Key Largo. The operation, part of "Operation Tidal Wave," was carried out March 9 by FHP’s Criminal Alien Apprehension Team (CAAT) in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officials said all 15 illegal aliens had prior criminal histories, including charges or convictions for battery and domestic violence, drug possession and distribution, burglary, theft, home invasion, aggravated battery, firearm offenses and obstruction of justice, among others. Some also had prior deportation offenses and failures to appear in court. "The Florida Highway Patrol leads in the apprehension and arrest of criminal illegal allies who have committed violent crimes here or abroad," Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Executive Director Dave Kerner wrote in a statement. "Our Criminal Alien Apprehension Team (CAAT) and federal partners are executing targeted, coordinated operations that remove criminal aliens off our streets. This is what accountability looks like, and Florida will continue to lead with decisive action to protect our residents." Authorities said in a Thursday announcement that those arrested were nationals of Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala and were unlawfully present in the United States. According to FHP, the agency has apprehended more than 9,000 Illegal immigrants since March 2025 through the federal 287(g) program, including more than 1,600 with prior criminal histories. The FLHSMV wrote it is committed to securing its states streets and communities.

The New York Times [3/16/2026 4:55 PM, Gabe Castro-Root, 148038K] reports travelers at a growing number of U.S. airports are encountering shuttered security checkpoints and waiting hours in lines that extend well outside the terminals as the partial government shutdown enters its fifth week. About 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have been working without pay since Feb. 14 as Congress remains at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the T.S.A., because of a disagreement on immigration enforcement. T.S.A. officers missed their first full paycheck on Friday after receiving only a partial paycheck at the end of February. As bills and rent come due, a growing number of T.S.A. employees have picked up second jobs, sometimes calling out sick to do so. More than 300 officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to the department. A handful of small airports bore the brunt of the disruptions in the early stages of the shutdown, but in recent days the long lines have spread to busier hubs. Bloomberg [3/16/2026 11:30 AM, Allyson Versprille, 18082K] reports President Donald Trump and his administration blamed Democrats for longer airport security lines amid a partial government shutdown, as severe weather threatens to exacerbate passengers’ travel woes Monday. In a post to Truth Social, Trump said “crazed Democrats are not allowing TSA Agents to get paid.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy a day earlier said on social media platform X that travelers can “thank a Democrat” for longer-than-normal lines. The comments came after Transportation Security Administration workers missed their first full paycheck due to the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have refused to support funding for the department until reforms are made to immigration enforcement after federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, has said that Democrats offered legislation to fund certain agencies including TSA, while negotiations continue related to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Republicans BLOCKED the funding,” Schumer said in a social media post on March 11. Flight delays and cancellations from a severe storm system expected to bring heavy winds and possible tornadoes to the East Coast on Monday is compounding the problems travelers are facing at airports.

CNN [3/16/2026 4:00 AM, Tami Luhby and Amanda Musa, 19874K] reports one month into the partial government shutdown, hundreds of Transportation Security Administration workers going without full pay have quit, while others have taken unscheduled time off, prompting more travel headaches as a winter storm slams the Midwest and spring break travelers try to fly. At times Monday, wait times reported at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport stretched up to nearly two hours long. More than 300 TSA agents have quit, the Department of Homeland Security said in an X post Friday. This weekend, TSA workers missed their first full paycheck since the partial shutdown began in mid-February after funding for DHS, which oversees TSA, lapsed amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over federal immigration reform. In a letter Sunday, the CEOs of major airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, urged Congress to restore DHS funding and embrace a bipartisan solution to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during shutdowns. "It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid," the letter said. CBS News [3/16/2026 4:51 PM, Mark Strassmann, 51110K] reports that Sunday saw the highest call-out rate during the partial shutdown so far, with 10.19% of staff at all airports calling out, according to TSA data as of Monday. The previous highest call-out day so far was Saturday, when 9.25% of staff called out. The airports with the highest call-out rates as of Monday were the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport, according to the TSA data. Over the weekend, some travelers dealt with long lines at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport amid the trifecta of spring break, an incoming storm and TSA staffing shortages. In Austin, Texas, the airport posted pictures online of a crowded departures hall. In Atlanta, the screening checkpoint was jam-packed, too, with a wait time at one point of nearly two hours. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
FOX News [3/16/2026 5:16 PM, Ashley J. DiMella, 37576K]

NBC News [3/16/2026 2:00 PM, Jay Blackman, Tom Costello, and Doha Madani, 42967K] reports that staffing issues at the Transportation Security Administration surged over the weekend after officers missed their first full paycheck due to a partial government shutdown, creating hourslong wait times for travelers as callouts increase operational concerns, according to the Department of Homeland Security. On Sunday, there were more than 111 incidents where shortages threatened "operational integrity," situations that the DHS describes as "hotspots." Travelers across the country reported lengthy TSA queues that snaked through airports, with some waiting one to two hours at security checkpoints. Houston Hobby International Airport reached a 55% callout rate on Saturday, which the DHS has described as the highest since the department funding lapsed last month. Acting TSA Administrator Adam Stahl told NBC News on Monday that certain airports are disproportionately impacted, though there have been significant issues across the United States. "Austin this morning was particularly problematic... security, of course, is unimpacted in terms of the security system, but things will continue to worsen in terms of impact to wait times," Stahl said. Houston, New Orleans and Atlanta are where the most concentrated rate of "hotspots" have occurred since the shutdown began, according to DHS. Wait times exceeded an hour at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, which serves as a Delta Airlines hub and is considered one of the busiest airports in the country. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/16/2026 3:52 PM, Elizabeth Elkind, 37576K] reports a House GOP lawmaker is unveiling new legislation aimed at easing airport chaos that’s hitting travelers across the country during the ongoing partial government shutdown. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., introduced a bill on Monday to ensure Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are paid during shutdowns by creating a Transportation Security Trust Fund to help operations and personnel wherever needed. It would be funded by the Aviation Passenger Security Fee, also called the 9/11 passenger security fee in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. It’s a small cost collected by airlines — $5.60 for a one-way trip and up to $11.20 for a round-trip — for flights that originate in the U.S. and is meant to go toward passenger security. Langworthy’s proposal comes days after TSA agents missed their first full paychecks of the shutdown, which has now gone on roughly a month with no end in sight. While they are entitled to back pay when the shutdown is over, the lack of a consistent paycheck and uncertainty over its duration have forced scores of TSA agents to call out sick and look for other ways to earn income to pay bills and feed their families. Travelers in places like Louisiana and Texas have been asked to arrive hours early for flights to accommodate longer wait times for security. Delays have also been exacerbated by bad weather in parts of the country, including up and down the East Coast.

The Hill [3/16/2026 2:08 PM, Michael Bartiromo, 18170K] reports that the U.S. Government is currently facing its second partial shutdown of the 2026 calendar year, albeit one that only affects the Department of Homeland Security. Agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) include the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), among others. The majority of employees at these agencies will continue to work, but many — and specifically those in the TSA — are working without pay until the shutdown is resolved. TSA agents missed their first full paycheck Friday, March 13. During last year’s government shutdown, outgoing DHS Secretary Kristy Noem had indicated that some DHS employees would still be paid with funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. TSA agents at major airports across the country, however, are not among those receiving their biweekly checks, the DHS has repeatedly emphasized in messages posted to X. Blaming the Democrats for the shutdown is also a common theme among posts from the DHS, a tactic the department used during the shutdown in late 2025. A representative for the DHS did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for additional information. The partial government shutdown began on Feb. 14, after congressional Democrats and President Trump failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the DHS through September. Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department over objections to its immigration enforcement tactics, and say they will hold their votes until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Houston Chronicle [3/16/2026 2:04 PM, Jarrod Wardwell, 2493K] reports that in a push to fix the hours-long airport security waits across the country, 10 airlines asked Congress to end the partial government shutdown and start paying Transportation Security Administration agents and aviation workers. CEOs of Southwest, United, JetBlue, Delta and other U.S. airlines published a letter Sunday urging lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for more than a month due to a stalemate over federal immigration policy. The shutdown has cut pay for employees including TSA agents who keep security lines flowing at airports in Houston and across the country. Wait times have lasted for hours as a result in some locations, like Hobby Airport. "Americans—who live in your districts and home states—are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown," the letter states. "Yet, once again air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown." The CEOs asked lawmakers to pass bipartisan legislation, including a bill that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz introduced during the record-long government shutdown in October, to ensure pay and benefits for TSA officers, air traffic controllers and other FAA employees while the government isn’t funded. As many as 171 million passengers could fly this spring in what would be a new record driven by spring break plans, the FIFA World Cup 2026 and celebrations for the United States’ 250th anniversary, according to the letter.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [3/16/2026 10:15 AM, David Zimmermann, 1147K]

The Hill [3/16/2026 11:24 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports airlines for America CEO and former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Monday said he hopes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown currently affecting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will end by April. “At most, my hope is that it’s maybe the first week in April, at most, when the new secretary comes in,” Sununu said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” “That’s an opportunity for MarkWayne Mullin [R-Oklahoma], who has been a senator, who knows the process, has friends on the Democrat side, provide a leadership opportunity for the rest of America. So hopefully, that’s the worst we see,” he added. Earlier this month, President Trump replaced DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with Mullin amid scrutiny over her handling of immigration enforcement operations nationwide. Mullin received early support from Democrats and Republicans, signaling a smooth confirmation process. However, Democrats have refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a DHS sub-agency, without significant reforms, including judicial warrants, body-worn cameras and the removal of face masks from officers and agents. In an effort to leave TSA workers out of the controversy, Democrats introduced a bill that would have funded all DHS agencies except ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but Republicans blocked it. The standstill has impacted airports nationwide, increasing wait times and leaving TSA workers without pay following last year’s 43-day record shutdown. “The airlines didn’t ask for this. We have nothing to do with the political disputes there,” the CEO told anchor Blake Burman. Sununu says he hopes Democrats will vote to fund DHS after Noem’s ouster and after getting bipartisan support to use body cameras during immigration operations. “Democrats looked for some leadership change out of Homeland Security. The Republicans capitulated and Kristi Noem has been moved out. They wanted body cameras. That’s happening. They wanted the Minnesota situation better managed and calmed down. That’s happening,” Sununu said. “So not to play sides, but now hopefully the Democrat leadership can step forward and say, OK, this is what we’re willing to give up and actually find a compromise.”

New York Post [3/16/2026 10:24 AM, David Propper, 40934K] reports that dangerous storms and the TSA pay freeze have forced more than 2,000 flights to be canceled across the country as major airports were paralyzed by ground stops Monday morning. Flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport ground to a halt, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston was experiencing ground delays, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. On top of the thousands of canceled flights, there were more than 9,500 delays nationwide, Duffy said. Late winter storms are battering the eastern half of the US on Monday and Tuesday. The Midwest was dealing with blizzard conditions while the Eastern part of the US was facing severe thunderstorms expected to bring volatile winds and flooding, according to AccuWeather. About 200 million people would be affected, the weather service said. Flyers were already dealing with travel headaches in the US as airport security officers were forced to work without pay because of a partial government shutdown, leading around 300 workers to quit. The Homeland Security Department’s funding lapsed on Feb. 13 after Congress failed to strike a deal on immigration enforcement reforms that Democrats want.

Breitbart [3/16/2026 9:21 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports that, even before a round of mid-May blizzards started blanketing an area stretching from South Dakota to northern Michigan on Saturday, a partial government shutdown already was making air travel miserable for Americans. Extreme winter weather snarled all manner of transportation across the Midwest, while airports in Atlanta, Charlotte and elsewhere on the East Coast were slowed by pounding rain, on top of an increasing number of TSA employees either calling out sick or quitting their jobs because they are not getting paid. As of early evening on Monday, there were 21,549 total flights delayed in the United States and 5,159 flights that were canceled, Flight Aware reported. The Department of Homeland Security, which is home to the Transportation Security Administration, has not been funded since Jan. 30 amid a debate in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security, of which TSA is a part. Democrats and Republicans in Congress disagree on adding guardrails for DHS agencies involved with immigration amid a crackdown by the Trump administration, which has left TSA unfunded. The nation’s air traffic controllers, customs agents and TSA agents missed their first paycheck over the weekend, which has led to hundreds of TSA employees quitting their jobs, the New York Post reported. The partial shutdown already had affected security and other services at airports, leading to long lines and advice that travellers arrive at the airport even earlier because of how backed up they have been. On Sunday afternoon, as airports, travellers and millions at home prepared for winter weather to roll through overnight, the trade association Airlines for America, which represents both passenger and cargo airlines, sent an open letter to Congress pleading for them to fund TSA on predictions of what is already happening. The CEOs, which include the leaders of the biggest U.S. passenger airlines, as well as FedEx and UPS, said that without funding TSA they expect travel issues during spring break, the World Cup and other national travel dates to be as chaotic as they were last year during the longest government shutdown in history. Making matters worse has been a wide range of extreme weather across the country, from steady showers and a tornado watch shutting down Charlotte Douglas International Airport several times this morning — with the same occurring at major airports in Atlanta, Newark, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, the Charlotte Observer reported. The weather is not expected to let up, either, with the National Weather Service predicting that while the Midwest will get a bit of a break, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and some tornadoes — as of early afternoon more than 34 million people were under tornado watches between Florida and New Jersey — expected later into the evening.

USA Today [3/16/2026 3:04 PM, Eve Chen and Kathleen Wong, 70643K] reports that a major storm is causing widespread flight cancellations and delays across the Northeast. Airlines are issuing travel waivers, allowing passengers to rebook flights without penalty. Travelers also face long TSA security lines due to a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse. As a powerful storm barrels toward the Northeast on Monday, March 16, airlines are already bracing for widespread disruptions while travelers face another hurdle at the airport: unusually long security lines tied to a funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security. Airlines have begun canceling and delaying flights ahead of the system, with hundreds already scrubbed from schedules and more expected as heavy snow, strong winds and poor visibility move into the region. Over 3,200 U.S. flights have been canceled as of 11 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, La Guardia Airport, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport are the hardest hit airports so far. Even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on X of the "major storm today impacting flights nationwide" on Monday. Carriers have begun issuing travel waivers allowing passengers to change flights without penalties to reduce airport congestion. At the same time, Transportation Security Administration checkpoints have reported significantly longer wait times because of reduced staffing during the funding lapse. Travelers should plan to arrive earlier than usual, as airlines are not required to refund tickets if a passenger misses a flight due to long security lines or airport delays outside the airline’s control.

CNN [3/16/2026 10:02 AM, Ivana Scatola, 19874K] reports long lines and delays are growing at some US airports as hundreds of Transportation Security Administration workers — going without full pay during the partial government shutdown — have quit or taken unscheduled leave. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS New York [3/16/2026 12:41 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports TSA employees missed their first full paycheck due to the partial government shutdown. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [3/16/2026 11:05 AM, Irene Wright, 70643K] reports that airports across the country are facing security line delays and more as a partial government shutdown forces Transportation Security Administration agents to work unpaid. That stress was compounded Monday in Atlanta as severe weather and major storms brought planes to a halt. Severe thunderstorms and wind hit Fulton County early Monday morning, with tornado warnings in some areas around the Atlanta metro. A ground stop was issued from 8:50 a.m. to 10 a.m. from the FAA, with a 60% probability it could be extended. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 400 flights were delayed at the Atlanta airport as of 9:20 a.m. Monday, and more than 200 flights had already been canceled. The majority of flights belong to Delta Air Lines, headquartered in Atlanta. That number will likely grow as the ground stop pushes morning flights into the afternoon, and afternoon flights into Tuesday. Once the ground stop has been lifted, passengers will still have to contend with the long waits at TSA to get to their flight on time. As of 9:30 a.m., the wait at the main TSA checkpoint for the domestic terminal was 90 minutes, the wait at the north checkpoint was 75 minutes, and the lower north checkpoint was closed. The south checkpoint, used for PreCheck passengers, still had a 30 minute wait, despite the expedited screening process.

Telemundo 51 [3/16/2026 8:59 AM, Lena Salzbank, 162K] reports that this weekend, Spring Break vacations and the partial government shutdown created the perfect storm for delays at South Florida airports. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, more than 420 delays and 50 cancellations were recorded on Sunday, while Miami International Airport saw 505 delays and 23 cancellations. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been unable to pay its 50,000 federal employees because lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have not yet approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Some TSA agents are calling in sick so they can take on a second job, and according to authorities, there is concern that the situation will worsen as the shutdown drags on. Telemundo 51 spoke with travelers who waited in line for over two hours just to enter the building and check in. Others said their flights had been delayed three or four times. "We couldn’t even get dropped off; no cars could get in—nothing," said one woman. "I was expecting a calmer situation, but the lines wrapped all the way around the airport," commented another traveler. By Monday morning, the situation had improved, but passengers are advised to confirm their flight status with their airlines and arrive at the airport early.

CBS News [3/16/2026 11:23 PM, Marvin Hurst, 51110K] reports Transportation Security Administration data show the agency has lost 366 officers since the partial government shutdown began more than a month ago. Johnny Jones, with the Local 100 in North Texas, said he knew of a few who had resigned but could not confirm a connection between their departures and the Capitol Hill stalemate. He could confirm the financial crunch it’s having on workers. "They missed their paycheck this weekend. It was a big fat zero in a bank account," he said. "And two weeks before that, most officers received anywhere between 25 and zero percent.". A gain on zero hit a home hard. Jones said he and his family were going to drive to either New Orleans or Disney World. No paychecks means no vacation for his daughter and son. "Right now, she’s playing volleyball. Getting a little bit of spring break volleyball in, but that’s about it. Nothing’s going on," he said. "My son can’t go nowhere. It’s his last year in high school.". TSA officers, or TSOs, according to salary updates on TSA Career, start with a base salary range from $34,454 to $55,486. Since 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 14, the distribution of that salary has been in jeopardy because Republicans and Democrats cannot agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Money going to ICE is either an issue of reform or a non-starter, depending on which side is chosen. Proposed legislation, the Shutdown Fairness Act, from Republican Senator Ron Johnson, to pay essential workers during government shutdowns, supposedly had bipartisan support. It was introduced on Oc.15, 2025. Eight days later, the effort failed by a 54-45 vote in the Senate. Reconsideration on Nov 7. "Sure, the federal employees would love to see it pass. I just don’t think that the politicians want to pass it," Jones said. "With that bill being passed, it would probably eliminate the leverage that they want to use to use the federal employee to whatever they need to use this for in their political bargaining.". Funding sparked a fire outside of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Congressman Greg Casar was outside the facility speaking to reporters when Sen.John Cornyn arrived to deliver food to TSOs. CASAR: There’s a bipartisan bill to fund just the TSA. Can we do that together? CASAR: Not acceptable to fund just the TSA. CORNYN: How about all the terrorist attacks, like we’ve seen down in Sixth Street? Do you want those to continue? Tell the Democrats to vote for funding the DHS. CASAR: Let’s talk about each one. Would you fund the TSA with me? Sounds like, instead of bringing people burgers, he should bring them their paychecks. With no end in sight, donations and gift cards have been going to TSA employees across the country. Jones said it’s a band-aid to a severed leg, even though they are grateful. "They need $3,000 or $4,000, not $20 for gas so you can get to work," Jones said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [3/16/2026 11:46 AM, Nathan Diller, 70643K] reports that travelers going through security this morning at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) were in for a wait just to get inside. The airport posted footage on X showing the general security line for its Checkpoint 1 stretching out of the building, well past the sidewalk out front and into a walking path at 4:30 a.m. local time on March 16. The video pans past flyers with backpacks and rolling suitcases, alternately inching forward and standing still under a dark sky as they make their way to the indoor screening area. The airport said it was expecting “a record-breaking volume of people” that day, with about 38,000 flyers scheduled to depart. By 5:30 a.m., the line had shortened a bit and moved inside by 5:41, according to subsequent posts, though the airport noted it was “still seeing some lines outside for general screening with CLEAR.” The news comes as airports across the country have grappled with long lines amid a partial government shutdown that has left TSA workers without regular pay. Unscheduled officer absences have more than doubled and over 300 employees have left altogether since it began in mid-February, according to CBS News, and strains have shown as spring break has ramped up. "Today, travelers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly 3 hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel," TSA previously told USA TODAY. "These frontline heroes received only partial paychecks earlier this month and now face their first full missed paycheck, leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages."

New York Times [3/16/2026 2:46 PM, Nazaneen Ghaffar, 148038K] reports a powerful weather system was sweeping across the Eastern United States on Monday, disrupting travel and school as it brought the potential for widespread storms and even tornadoes. By early afternoon, more than 34 million people were under an almost continuous patchwork of tornado watches — meaning the conditions were in place for tornadoes to form — from Florida to New Jersey, including Washington. More urgent tornado warnings are likely throughout the day, with the most severe storms expected in the afternoon and evening. The weather is causing delays and cancellations at airports, particularly along the East Coast. As of Monday afternoon, there were more than 10,000 delays and canceled flights in and out of the country, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. Delays are also rising. At La Guardia International Airport, departures are delayed about 45 minutes because of thunderstorms. Flights to Kennedy International Airport are delayed more than three hours. Departures are also paused at select airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Tampa International Airport in Florida, because of difficult weather conditions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Several school districts across Maryland, D.C. and Delaware announced early dismissals and closures because of the weather. Several major tourist attractions in Washington announced they would close early, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo and the Washington National Cathedral. The area of greatest concern stretches from northern South Carolina northward into Maryland, according to Evan Bentley, a meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center.

AP [3/16/2026 6:10 PM, Seth Borenstein, Sarah Brumfield, and John Seewer, 1323K] reports that Chaotic weather, from surprising heat in California to the threat of storms rolling into the East Coast, put over half the U.S. population in the path of extreme conditions Monday. Storms across the nation’s eastern half forced airlines to cancel roughly 4,000 flights nationwide Monday, and many schools closed early in the mid-Atlantic states, where high winds were in the forecast. Blizzards buried parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota while torrential rains flooded homes and washed out roads in Hawaii. In Washington, the House and Senate postponed votes, and federal agencies told workers to go home early. But by late afternoon, the expected rough weather had failed to develop and a tornado watch expired. Airport delays and cancellations piled up Monday in some of the nation’s largest airports — including those in New York, Chicago and Atlanta. The private weather service AccuWeather calculated that more than 200 million people were under threat Monday of some kind of dangerous weather. Those range from extreme heat and wildfire advisories to flood and freeze watches from the National Weather Service. The storm system that dropped snow by the foot in the Midwest barreled toward the East Coast with the potential for high winds and tornadoes, the weather service warned Monday. “Wind is the primary threat, but within any of these areas of strong wind there could be some embedded tornadoes,” said Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with the weather service. The biggest threat stretched from Maryland to the upper edge of South Carolina. In New York City, four people, including a child, died Monday afternoon after a fire in a three-story apartment building spread during heavy winds. Blizzard conditions continued in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Monday after the storm walloped parts of Wisconsin and Michigan with several feet of snow. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

WCCB Charlotte [3/16/2026 11:30 PM, Morgan Fogarty] reports a tornado tracking tool used by FEMA is back up and running. The critical mapping program is used by search-and-rescue teams nationwide, helping them pinpoint a tornado’s path of destruction within minutes of touchdown. The agency’s contract for that program expired in February, and an internal request to renew it was reportedly caught up in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s strict spending-approval process, leaving rescue teams without the tool. It’s now been restored, following Noem’s departure from the DHS. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX Business [3/16/2026 12:37 PM, Bradford Betz and Alex Nitzberg, 7946K] reports more than 3.400 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled as of early afternoon on Monday as a massive weather system disrupted air travel across parts of the country, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to impose ground stops at some airports while others faced lengthy delays, according to FlightAware and FAA data. More than 5,400 delays involving U.S. flights were also recorded as of early Monday afternoon, FlightAware data showed. The disruptions come during the busy spring break travel season — one of the peak periods for airline demand — leaving many travelers scrambling to find alternative flights. The airports topping the chart with the most cancellations based on origin airport included Chicago O’Hare, LaGuardia, and Charlotte/Douglas, according to FlightAware. The three hubs also topped the cancellation chart based on destination airports as well. Some of the other major U.S. hubs reporting cancellations included Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Orlando International Airport, indicating the severe weather was disrupting flights across multiple regions of the country. Major airlines were also heavily affected. American Airlines had more than 500 cancellations, followed by Southwest Airlines with more than 400, Delta Air Lines with more than 400, as well as many others. The travel disruptions come as a powerful March storm system sweeps across the United States, bringing blizzard conditions to parts of the Midwest and a rare severe storm threat along the East Coast.

ABC News [3/16/2026 12:39 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports more than 600,000 acres in central and western Nebraska have burned in three major wildfires, resulting in one death on Sunday, officials said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [3/16/2026 5:19 PM, Kate Perez, 70643K] reports four wildfires have burned nearly 750,000 acres of land in central and western Nebraska collectively, the largest in the state’s history that has resulted in one death, closed roads and a declared state of emergency, officials said. The Morrill, Cottonwood, Anderson Bridge and Road 203 fires have burned a collective 747,167 acres of land in the state as of March 16 with 0% containment, according to officials and data from wildfire tracking app Watch Duty. While a March 16 update on the Morrill and Cottonwood fires states there was little to no activity on the fires’ perimeters, crews are still prepping for upcoming Red Flag conditions and the impact of a significant drought in the area. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued an emergency proclamation on March 13 in response to the fire, deploying 29 state National Guard soldiers and airmen to assist local fire crews along with a fixed-wing fire suppression aircraft, two Nebraska Army National Guard helicopters and a crew to fight the fires with aerial water drops. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency also requested and received approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, which will support efforts to mitigate, manage and control fires on public or private forests or grasslands.

CyberScoop [3/16/2026 11:20 AM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports ransomware remains a scourge that shows some signs of relenting, but incident responders and threat hunters are busier than ever as more financially-motivated attackers lean exclusively on data theft for extortion. Attacks that only involve data theft for extortion may not be more prevalent than traditional ransomware when attackers encrypt systems, but momentum is moving in that direction, Genevieve Stark, head of cybercrime intelligence at Google Threat Intelligence Group, told CyberScoop. “When you look at the actors in the English-speaking underground, those actors are almost all just focusing on data-theft extortion right now,” Stark added. This includes groups like Scattered Spider, ShinyHunters, Clop and other groups that have been responsible for some of the largest and farthest-reaching attacks over the past few years. Google Threat Intelligence Group’s research report on ransomware, which it shared exclusively and discussed with CyberScoop prior to release, underscores how the evolution and spread of cybercrime can cloud a collective understanding of ransomware, or attacks that use malware to encrypt or lock systems.

MeriTalk [3/16/2026 2:55 PM, Weslan Hansen, 27K] report Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., and four other House Democrats are asking federal watchdogs to investigate how officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) handled polygraph tests taken by the agency’s former acting director, Madu Gottumukkala. In a March 13 letter to the inspectors general of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Intelligence Community, the lawmakers raised concerns about whether Gottumukkala failed two polygraph tests and whether agency officials followed proper procedures tied to those results. Gottumukkala told Congress in January that he did not fail a polygraph test – first reported by Politico – administered before the official could gain access to highly sensitive cyber intelligence information. The lawmakers’ request centered on whether CISA complied with federal rules governing polygraph failures and security clearance reviews, as well as broader questions about potential retaliation against agency staff involved in administering the exams. “We write with deep concern regarding the … [DHS] investigation into whether cybersecurity staff provided false information to the former Acting Director of the [CISA],” Democrats wrote. “We understand that Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala directed a newly created provisional investigatory unit to investigate this incident rather than referring it to the Inspectors General for an independent audit.” The lawmakers pointed to federal statute requiring that if an official fails a polygraph test, the agency must notify the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which then reviews the individual’s security clearance.

New York Post [3/16/2026 5:44 PM, Josh Christenson, 40934K] reports Empire State law enforcement agencies have been waiting five months for $86 million in funding from the Department of Homeland Security that helps thwart terror attacks. DHS has left the NYPD, FDNY and others on the hook for the grant money after pledging to reverse a $187 million cut in its funding last October, reps for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office told The Post. The timing for the funding lapse hurts law enforcement, as New York has "the highest risk of terrorism in the nation" and just recently responded to a terror plot outside of the New York City mayor’s mansion, per Hochul’s office. The funding would reimburse the law enforcement agencies for its patrols around sensitive targets like houses of worship, hiring intelligence analysts, and funding tech such as radiation detectors to monitor for explosives and bomb squads. New York has been left in the lurch despite an alleged ISIS-inspired attack earlier this month outside Gracie Mansion, with lawmakers and US officials warning of an enhanced threat environment since the start of the Iran war.

CNN [3/16/2026 9:53 AM, Tim Lister, 19874K] reports if the United States assumed, before attacking Iran, that the major oil producer would be reluctant to close the Strait of Hormuz for fear of blocking its own oil exports, it miscalculated. Traffic through the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil output normally flows, has been severely curtailed since the start of the latest Middle East conflict two weeks ago. At least 16 vessels in the region have been struck by drones or other weapons, with Iran claiming responsibility for some of the attacks. But Iran itself is shipping oil through the strait in almost the same volumes as before the war, earning the much-needed cash to sustain its economy and war effort. In addition, there were already millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil at sea looking for buyers before the conflict began. Tanker tracking data and satellite images show that Iranian crude has flowed through the strait even as the conflict has crippled exports of crude and natural gas from nearby Persian Gulf countries. Energy analysts at trade data and analytics company Kpler estimated Thursday that Iran had been able to export 12 million barrels since the conflict began on February 28. Maritime intelligence company TankerTrackers has an even higher estimate: 13.7 million barrels as of the middle of last week. Those figures would suggest that Iran is managing to ship about 1 million barrels per day (bpd). That compares with its average exports of 1.69 million bpd last year, according to Kpler’s data.

Reuters [3/16/2026 9:04 AM, Saurabh Sharma and Krishna N. Das, 16072K] reports that Iran has asked ⁠India ⁠to release three tankers seized in February as ⁠part of talks seeking the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Indian authorities seized the three Iran‑linked tankers near Indian waters alleging they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship‑to‑ship transfers at sea. Tehran has also sought supplies of certain medicines and medical equipment, according to one of the sources, an Iranian ⁠official. Iran’s ambassador to New ⁠Delhi met Indian foreign ministry officials on Monday to discuss the issue, the source said. The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. India’s foreign ministry, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, and Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Iran recently allowed two Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers to pass through the strait, according to Indian officials, and one of them returned to western India on Monday. Traffic has ground to a near standstill on either side of the strait since the ⁠beginning of ⁠the war in Iran.

Reuters [3/16/2026 11:40 PM, Alexander Cornwell and Jonathan Landay, 38315K] reports Iran launched fresh attacks on the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the kind of strikes on U.S. Gulf allies that President Donald Trump said had not been expected, but which sources said he had been warned about before the conflict. Six foreign diplomats in the Gulf and the wider Middle East have told Reuters it was widely anticipated that Tehran would target Gulf Arab states if the U.S. or Israel attacked Iran, an assessment they said was shared by regional and Western governments. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off, with U.S. allies rebuffing Trump’s request for help to reopen the critical waterway, raising energy prices and fears of inflation. There was no let-up in attacks by both sides early on Tuesday, with Iran launching missiles on Israel overnight, underscoring that Tehran still retains the capacity to carry out long-range strikes despite more than two weeks of pounding by U.S. and Israeli weapons. The Israeli military said it was targeting "Iranian regime infrastructure" with a new wave of strikes across Tehran, as well as Hezbollah sites in Beirut, a day after saying it had drawn up detailed plans ⁠for at least three more weeks of war with Iran. According to Israeli media reports on Tuesday, Israel’s military targeted Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, but it was not clear if he was killed or wounded. Neither Iran, nor the Israeli military, have commented on the reports. Rockets and at least five drones targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad early on Tuesday, Iraqi security sources said, describing it as the most intense assault since the war began. Two U.S. officials said no injuries were reported so far. Iran also targeted the United Arab Emirates, where attacks forced the temporary closure of airspace and a drone hit an oil facility in Fujairah, a key port for Emirati oil exports, for a second consecutive day. The cascading disruptions threaten to completely sever the OPEC producer’s remaining crude export outlet from global markets, potentially deepening a crisis that has sent energy prices surging. UAE authorities said debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in Abu Dhabi’s Bani Yas area, killing one Pakistani national, while a fire caused by a drone attack was being fought at Abu Dhabi’s Shah gas field. Trump said Iran’s strikes against its neighbours, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait were a surprise. However, Trump was warned that attacking Iran could trigger strikes against U.S. Gulf allies, according to a U.S. official and two sources familiar with U.S. intelligence reports. The U.S. official, who like the other two requested anonymity to discuss the issue, said Trump was briefed before the war that striking Iran could trigger a broader regional conflict, especially if Tehran saw those countries condoning or ‌actively supporting the ⁠U.S. bombardment.

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