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 [3/17/2026 5:15 PM, Gabe Castro-Root, 148038K] reports with more than 30 percent of Transportation Security Administration officers absent from work at several airports across the United States this week, a senior T.S.A. official warned on Tuesday that the ongoing partial government shutdown may force the closure of small U.S. airports. In an appearance on Fox News, Adam Stahl, the acting deputy administrator of the T.S.A., said that if the shutdown continues, “it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up.” Nick Dyer, a T.S.A. spokesman, explained in a phone interview that airports would be closed only if so few T.S.A. officers showed up to work at an airport that they were unable to fully staff a security checkpoint. He did not comment on how soon any closures might take place or which airports could be affected, saying only that any decisions would be made “on a case-by-case basis.” About 50,000 T.S.A. officers have been working without pay since Feb. 14, when Congress let funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the T.S.A., expire over a disagreement on immigration enforcement. More than 10 percent of T.S.A. officers across the United States did not show up for work on Sunday and Monday, the highest rates of absence during the shutdown so far, according to D.H.S. A growing number of T.S.A. employees have picked up second jobs to pay their bills, sometimes calling out sick to do so, and on Tuesday the department said 366 officers had quit since the shutdown began. A growing number of airports across the country have seen hourslong security wait times as a result. Reuters [3/17/2026 10:56 AM, David Shepardson, 38315K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security said overall absences among Transportation Security Administration airport security officers was 10.2% on Monday, close to the 10.1% who failed to show up for duty on Sunday. But the absenteeism rate was much higher at some major airports on Monday including 30% at New York’s JFK, 37% ⁠at Atlanta, 35% at Houston Hobby and 39% at New Orleans, DHS said. Some 50,000 TSA officers have been forced to work without pay for the last month due to the budget standoff. "As the weeks continue, if this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports - particularly smaller ones if callout rates go up," Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox News’s "Fox and Friends." Large airports may be able to continue security operations by closing all ⁠but a few checkpoints, but small airports with a single checkpoint could be unable to staff it with absenteeism at the same rates. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said airports "are reaching a breaking point." Typically, under 2% of TSA workers call in sick or do not ⁠report to work, DHS said. DHS said 366 TSA officers have quit their jobs. Last fall, a 43-day government shutdown led to widespread flight disruptions, and the FAA ordered a 10% flight cut at major ⁠airports. FOX News [3/17/2026 11:35 AM, Max Bacall, 37576K] reports that union leaders representing TSA workers warned Monday that "every available financial option has been exhausted" as agents cope with "eviction notices, vehicle repossessions, empty refrigerators and overdrawn bank accounts.” Stahl said some TSA workers are living paycheck to paycheck, sleeping in their cars or even having blood drawn to afford their expenses. He said he spoke to one officer who couldn’t afford care for her child with special needs. About 300 TSA officers have quit, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday, and a TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the nationwide callout rate has shot up to 10.19% during the shutdown, compared to just 2% before. Stahl called on Senate Democrats to return to the negotiating table, imploring them to reopen DHS, the TSA’s parent agency.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [3/17/2026 1:00 PM, Ryan King, 40934K]
The Hill [3/17/2026 4:29 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 18170K]
NewsMax [3/17/2026 11:47 AM, David Shepardson, 3760K]
USA Today [3/17/2026 1:17 PM, Zach Wichter, 70643K]
Washington Examiner [3/17/2026 11:44 AM, David Zimmermann, 1147K]

CBS News [3/17/2026 5:48 PM, Nicole Sganga, 51110K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is using discretionary funding to continue paying active-duty U.S. Coast Guard personnel during the department’s ongoing shutdown, even as civilian employees remain unpaid, according to several U.S. officials and a department spokesperson. Pay for DHS’s more than 250,000 employees has been up in the air since its funding lapsed in mid-February due to a breakdown in negotiations in Congress over immigration enforcement. Roughly 76,600 people work for the Coast Guard, including roughly 41,200 active-duty service members, 6,400 reservists and 19,700 auxiliarists, alongside about 9,300 civilian employees. For military families, the uncertainty around pay has created financial strain. The shutdown is also affecting other DHS components, including Transportation Security Administration officers and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency employees, many of whom are working without pay or are furloughed. Large numbers of TSA agents have called out of work due to missing paychecks, leading to long lines at some airport security checkpoints. TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl told CBS News the agency’s ability to assist its staff through the shutdown is "very much constrained" by congressional appropriations, but "I can tell you emphatically that we’re doing absolutely everything we can." In contrast, immigration personnel at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are largely continuing operations with minimal disruption. Those agencies are flush with cash due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which congressional Republicans passed last summer, allotting more than $150 billion to both agencies. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who is departing her job at the end of this month, told lawmakers in early March that ICE and Secret Service agents are still getting paid.

AP [3/18/2026 12:06 AM, Eric Tucker, David Klepper and Stephen Groves, 34146K] reports top Trump administration national security officials facing back-to-back congressional hearings starting Wednesday are expected to be pressed on the war in Iran, including a deadly strike on a school, as well as the FBI’s capacity to prevent terror attacks inside the United States. The annual worldwide threats hearings involving the government’s senior-most intelligence officials are taking place at a time of scrutiny over the U.S. military campaign in the Middle East and heightened concerns about terrorism in the homeland following recent attacks at a Michigan synagogue and Virginia university. The testimony before the House and Senate intelligence committees is expected to center on the war and in particular the revelation that outdated intelligence likely led to the U.S. firing a missile that hit an elementary school in Iran and killed over 165 people. The outdated targeting data was reported to have come from the Defense Intelligence Agency, whose director, Lt. Gen. James H. Adams, is among those set to testify. The White House says the strike is still under investigation. The hearings, which begin Wednesday in the Senate and continue Thursday in the House, are also likely to delve into internal administration debate over the war given the resignation this week of Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Kent said Tuesday that he could not “in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war and that he did not agree that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S. Hours later, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, whose office oversaw Kent’s work and who is expected at the hearings this week, wrote in a carefully worded social media post that it was up to Trump to decide whether Iran posed a threat. She did not mention her own views of the strikes. Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe may also be questioned over recent intelligence assessments about Iran, including one that showed U.S. strikes are unlikely to result in a regime change in Tehran, and another that cast doubt on claims Iran was preparing to strike first. The hearings are also likely to focus on Kash Patel’s leadership of the FBI. It will be his first public appearance on Capitol Hill since video surfaced last month showing him partying with members of the U.S. men’s hockey team following their gold medal win at the Winter Olympics. He has fired dozens of agents in his first year on the job, raising concerns about an exodus of national security experience at a time when the U.S. is confronting an elevated terrorism threat. This month alone, a gunman wearing clothes with an Iranian flag design and the words “Property of Allah” killed two people at a Texas bar; two men who authorities say were inspired by the Islamic State were arrested on charges of bringing homemade powerful explosives to a protest outside the New York City mayoral mansion; a man with a past terrorism conviction opened fire inside an Old Dominion University classroom in Virginia; and a Lebanese-born man in Michigan drove his car into a synagogue. The FBI has said that it is working around the clock to protect the country.

NPR [3/18/2026 5:00 AM, Ximena Bustillo, 34837K] reports Oklahoma GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin will take questions from fellow senators on Wednesday as he seeks to become the second secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under this Trump administration. President Trump selected Mullin for the post earlier this month after announcing that he would remove DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from running the agency and instead appoint her as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a regional coalition of Latin American countries. The swap in leadership comes after a tumultuous few months at DHS. An immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota resulted in protests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Mullin is expected to face questions from the Homeland Security Committee about his response to the recent turmoil — as well as what tone he takes on mass deportations and internal oversight at DHS. "How the Homeland Security Secretary responds to a crisis sends signals to everyone from the department’s own personnel, to the American people, and to the entire world," the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters, Mich., is set to say in his prepared opening remarks, which were shared with NPR. "It’s not the role of the secretary to be a cable news commentator in the wake of a crisis."

NewsMax [3/17/2026 6:37 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K] reports ahead of Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing Wednesday to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Republican senators are hoping he will assure them of how he plans to move DHS forward following the chaotic tenure of outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem. At the hearing, Republicans also hope their Oklahoma senator can make the case for why the department needs to be funded, Politico reported. Democrats have blocked funding for DHS for five weeks, leading to a partial government shutdown. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he wants to hear how Mullin plans to handle FEMA. "I want to hear what Markwayne’s thoughts are with respect to getting managerial control of the agency," Kennedy told reporters Tuesday. "I want to hear Markwayne’s thoughts on getting money to those areas of our country that have been struck by disaster," Kennedy added. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said last week she wants DHS to have better communication with Congress, a problem that persisted under Noem. NewsMax [3/17/2026 8:47 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security is moving quickly through the Senate as bipartisan support builds for President Donald Trump’s pick to safeguard the nation. According to a post on X by Reuters reporter David Shepardson, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — led by Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., and ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich. — will hold a confirmation hearing Wednesday morning, with a committee vote possible as early as Thursday. The fast-tracked timeline underscores growing momentum behind Mullin, a staunch advocate for border security and national defense. The White House has touted Mullin as "exactly the right person" to continue the administration’s record-setting efforts to secure the homeland, citing his experience and commitment to the America First agenda. Support has poured in from across the Republican conference, with lawmakers praising Mullin as a "proven fighter" who will build on the Trump administration’s success in restoring order at the southern border and strengthening national security agencies. In a notable sign of bipartisan backing, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., also signaled his support, saying he plans to vote "aye" on Mullin’s confirmation.

The Daily Signal [3/17/2026 6:52 PM, Virginia Grace McKinnon, 474K] reports President Donald Trump’s new nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., prepares to appear before the Senate, Democrats continue to keep DHS shut down. "It’s extremely disappointing that Democrats are once again putting petty politics over the safety and security of our nation," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told the Daily Signal. Pfluger, a House Homeland Security Committee member that chairs the subcommittee on cybersecurity, spoke to The Daily Signal before Mullin’s Wednesday appearance on Capitol Mullin will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning. The Oklahoma senator is Trump’s choice to replace former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The AP [3/17/2026 4:51 PM, Rebeca Santana and Gabriela Aoun Angueira, 31753K] reports 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.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [3/17/2026 2:40 PM, Trevor Hughes and Lauren Villagran, 70643K]

Politico [3/17/2026 3:18 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Ali Bianco, 21784K] reports Republican lawmakers are hoping that Sen. Markwayne Mullin will rescue the Department of Homeland Security from tumult they felt under outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem — and looking for assurances of that at his confirmation hearing Wednesday. While Mullin is widely expected to be confirmed, the hearing will be an opportunity for Republicans to hammer home the need to fund DHS as a partial government shutdown enters its fifth week. It will also be a chance for Democrats to press the Oklahoma Republican on any changes he may push to make with the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on unauthorized immigration — an approach that an increasing number of Americans disapprove of. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), whose questions helped accelerate Trump’s ousting of Noem, said he wants Mullin to show his leadership, particularly in contrast to Noem. “I want to hear what Markwayne’s thoughts are with respect to FEMA. I want to hear what Markwayne’s thoughts are with respect to getting managerial control of the agency,” Kennedy told reporters Tuesday. “I want to hear Markwayne’s thoughts on getting money to those areas of our country that have been struck by disaster.” Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said she’s hoping for better communication between DHS and Congress, explaining that under Noem’s leadership, it was difficult to get answers from DHS. “In general, you couldn’t get a return phone call from the Department of Homeland Security on anything. And that’s never been the case with any other agency,” Lummis told reporters last week. “So that was a surprising faux pas.” After President Donald Trump said he would nominate the first-term Oklahoma senator, Republicans hailed the move, with some openly saying a change was needed from Noem’s divisive and controversy-filled tenure atop the department. Mullin already enjoys the support of some of Noem’s biggest GOP critics — including Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who both called for Noem’s departure after immigration officers in Minneapolis shot and killed two American citizens in January. Murkowski told reporters Tuesday that Mullin is “pretty conservative,” but added that Mullin has a good sense of “the temperature of Congress and what can and cannot happen” and “what people back home are saying.”

Washington Post [3/17/2026 7:05 PM, Liz Goodwin and Marianne LeVine, 24826K] reports Sen. Markwayne Mullin once pointed to experiences abroad to explain why he sprang into action to help Capitol Police respond to rioters breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, standing with officers who barricaded the door to the House chamber. “I’ve been in those situations before overseas,” the burly former college wrestler said on C-SPAN a few months later, “and I recognized that there was an issue really quick.” When the host asked him to elaborate, though, Mullin demurred: “I don’t want to get into that.” Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma whom President Donald Trump nominated to replace Kristi L. Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security, has repeated versions of the story on multiple occasions over the years, in public interviews and private conversations with congressional colleagues. He also has talked about completing “special assignments” in other countries and intimately discussed the “smell” of war, though he has acknowledged he never served in the armed forces. During the Biden administration, Mullin drew public attention for two aborted attempts to travel to Afghanistan after the botched withdrawal of U.S. forces, saying he was trying to rescue stranded Americans. Some fellow politicians and lawmakers who have heard his stories say they are puzzled by the claims, given that Mullin is not a military veteran and did not appear to hold a job in foreign affairs or work for a defense contractor. Before entering Congress in 2013 — he served as a House member for a decade before entering the Senate — Mullin had taken over and expanded his father’s plumbing business in Oklahoma.

FOX News [3/17/2026 6:00 AM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] reports Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., is drawing support from some of Congress’ most vocal China and Cuba hawks — and even some Democrats — to lead the Department of Homeland Security, though critics say the combative lawmaker lacks the experience and temperament for the post. The nomination comes as the Department of Homeland Security sits at the center of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and broader homeland security agenda, placing whoever leads the agency in charge of border enforcement, FEMA disaster response and counterterrorism operations at a time of mounting geopolitical pressure. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who sits on the Homeland Security Committee and will question Mullin at Wednesday’s confirmation hearing, said his fellow Oklahoman is the "right man at the right time" to lead the agency. "With the most secure border, now is the time to build on that progress and continue protecting our homeland," Lankford said. "Unfortunately, in Oklahoma, we understand a thing or two about natural disasters, and FEMA is ready for reform," Lankford added, expressing optimism Mullin will bring reform to the key DHS sub-agency. "Markwayne Mullin will be a strong leader in turning FEMA around.”

Politico [3/17/2026 11:06 AM, Jordain Carney and Myah Ward, 21784K] reports Senate Democrats sent over their latest proposal for immigration enforcement changes at the Department of Homeland Security as a shutdown of the vast department drags into its second month. The offer, confirmed by a White House official and two other people with knowledge of the matter, is the latest of several the two parties have traded since the funding lapse began Feb. 14. NewsMax [3/17/2026 8:06 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected a plan presented by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., that would partially fund the Department of Homeland Security. Jeffries’ plan would fund the agencies within DHS other than Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. He launched a discharge petition to try to force a vote on his bill that would see TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) funded. TSA employees have begun to miss paychecks, leading to employees quitting and long lines at airport security. The discharge petition would require 218 signatures, meaning Jeffries would need support from Republicans for it to be put up for a vote. Johnson argued Republicans have voted numerous times to fund DHS only for the bills to die in the Senate due to lack of Democrat support to overcome the 60-vote legislative filibuster. "The discharge petition is really a petition to defund the police," Johnson said. "The law enforcement agencies that are part of the Department of Homeland Security or what they are targeting.” "Now, instead of doing what’s right and putting an end to this charade, Democrats insist on tearing the bill apart piece by piece," Johnson added, noting Democrats want key agencies to go without funding unless they can reopen the border to illegal aliens. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called the Democrats’ proposal "a defund the police discharge.” "One of the dumbest political ideas maybe in the history of American politics — but the Democrats aren’t done with it," Scalise said. "Now that you’re in another moment of Democrat-created chaos, what is their answer? To defund law enforcement again.”

Reported similarly:
The Hill [3/17/2026 11:38 AM, Alexander Bolton, 18170K]
NewsMax [3/17/2026 5:13 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K]

The Hill [3/17/2026 12:22 PM, Emily Brooks, 18170K] reports that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday dismissed a plan backed by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) to fund agencies within the Department of Homeland Security other than Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), dubbing it an effort to “defund the police.” Jeffries on Monday launched a discharge petition effort to try to force a vote on legislation to fund a large portion of DHS — including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Coast Guard — as Democrats continue to seek reforms to immigration enforcement and refuse to fund the agency. It needs 218 signatures, requiring support from a handful of Republicans, to force action. Johnson noted that Republicans have passed full DHS funding in the House multiple times without support from Democratic leaders. “Now, instead of doing what’s right and putting an end to this charade, Democrats insist on tearing the bill apart piece by piece,” Johnson said. “The discharge petition is really a petition to defund the police,” Johnson said. “The law enforcement agencies that are part of the Department of Homeland Security or what they are targeting.” Johnson accused Democrats of refusing to fund TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard “unless they can reopen our borders to illegal aliens.” Johnson was echoing House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who earlier in the Tuesday press conference called the Democratic proposal a “defund the police discharge.”

The New York Times [3/17/2026 5:48 PM, Michael Gold, 148038K] reports White House officials on Tuesday outlined narrow adjustments the administration would make to federal immigration enforcement operations to answer Democratic demands for major changes in exchange for funding the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to Senate Republicans, the administration ignored several of Democrats’ top priorities, including blocking immigration officers from wearing masks to shield their identities and requiring them to obtain warrants from judges to enter private homes or businesses. And the proposal did not address Democrats’ call for a use-of-force policy, a central demand they made after federal immigration officers killed two American citizens in Minneapolis. But the letter, sent to two top Republicans overseeing funding for the Department of Homeland Security, suggested that the White House, which once took a hard-line stance defending its aggressive enforcement tactics, was open to at least some moderation to make a deal to reopen the department. The letter came on the 32nd day that the department has been shut down, and as travelers are experiencing growing delays at U.S. airports as the spring traveling season gets underway, with Transportation Security Administration officials who are working without pay calling out sick or quitting. USA Today [3/17/2026 7:02 PM, Zachary Schermele, 70643K] report that the letter underscores the intensifying pressure on the Trump administration and lawmakers to end the shutdown of the agency that has been widely scrutinized since the killings of two Minnesotans by Homeland Security agents earlier this year. It also emphasized just how entrenched Republicans and Democrats remain in their respective political positions, even as the shutdown’s impacts multiply by the day. The letter made no mention of banning face coverings, something Democrats have insisted is a priority. And even its most significant concessions included caveats (or have already been agreed to in other ways or laid out in federal law). Still, the letter’s authors — border czar Tom Homan and James Braid, the White House director of legislative affairs — argued the administration has tried to negotiate in good faith to end the funding impasse. The Daily Caller [3/17/2026 7:20 PM, Reagan Reese, 803K] reports "The Administration has worked in good faith to again reach bipartisan agreement on full funding for the entire Department of Homeland Security and institute common–sense operational improvements to federal immigration enforcement operations that enhance the safety of American communities," the letter reads. "Democrats must stop holding the safety and security of the American people hostage and move forward with fully funding DHS," the letter adds. A senior White House official told reporters on a background call that Democrats have been unwilling to negotiate to reopen the agency. FOX News [3/17/2026 6:32 PM, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports "The Democrats have once again responded with a counteroffer that does not indicate the seriousness that this moment needs," a senior White House official said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., countered that the White House wasn’t negotiating seriously, either. "The issue is, they’re not getting serious," Schumer said. "The key issues of warrants when you bust into someone’s house, the key issue of identity of police and no masks, they haven’t budged on those.”

Reported similarly:
Univision [3/17/2026 6:02 PM, Staff, 4937K]

Federal News Network [3/17/2026 5:23 PM, Drew Friedman, 1297K] reports tens of thousands of federal employees across DHS have been feeling financial strain after working for over a month, without pay, throughout the shutdown. After more than four weeks of a shutdown across the Department of Homeland Security, many federal unions and employee organizations are calling for relief for the impacted agency employees. Out of more than 260,000 DHS personnel, tens of thousands of employees have been feeling financial strain after working over a month without pay. That includes workers at the Transportation Security Administration, FEMA, Coast Guard, Secret Service and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Many employees missed a full paycheck last Friday — the first entirely skipped payday since the shutdown began. Despite no real progress by lawmakers toward a DHS spending agreement, National Treasury Employees Union President Doreen Greenwald demanded Congress find a way to reach a bipartisan solution to immediately end the funding lapse, which started Feb. 14. The current shutdown is the third time since October 2025 that some DHS employees have had to work without pay. Although federal employees are guaranteed back pay once a shutdown ends due to a 2019 law, missing paychecks still causes immediate financial hardship for many.

CNN [3/17/2026 5:06 PM, Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, Adam Cancryn, 19874K] reports both parties on Capitol Hill remain unmoved in their fight over President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, threatening to drag out the Department of Homeland Security shutdown for days – if not weeks – more. Even as a top official warned Tuesday the US could soon be forced to shutter some airports, top party leaders are responding to the mounting political crisis by blaming their opponents. These Democrats have repeatedly tried to force Republicans to fund DHS’ other key functions, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But Republicans are equally firm that Democrats are the ones blocking the funding and insist they will not fund slices of the department. The impasse is also colliding with the confirmation process for Trump’s pick to lead the agency, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is set to appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee for a grilling on Wednesday.

NewsMax [3/17/2026 10:41 AM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports that Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., on Tuesday blamed Democrats for the monthlong Department of Homeland Security shutdown, saying the impasse is disrupting spring break travel and straining agencies charged with protecting the country. The partial shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House failed to reach a deal on DHS funding, and by Tuesday it had stretched into its 32nd day, with Homeland Security the only annual appropriations bill still unresolved. McDowell said on "Wake Up America" that Democrats could end the standoff but have chosen not to do so. "Democrats can end the madness whenever they want to, but they don’t want to, and they don’t have a plan," McDowell said. "They have no ideas. "They have no solutions for any problems. All they know is that they hate the president and they hate Republicans, and that’s not a solution that does anything for Americans that care about affordability, that care about safety." McDowell said Republicans want DHS fully funded and accused Democrats of putting immigration politics ahead of public safety. "If we want to fund the DHS, we need to do it completely," he said. "But, you know, if the Democrats care more about criminal, illegal aliens than they do the safety of our homeland, I’d be happy to go visit the ballot box in November and vote based on that message." The shutdown has become increasingly visible to travelers as airport security lines lengthen at major hubs during the spring travel rush, with The Associated Press reporting waits of more than three hours at Houston’s secondary airport and delays of more than an hour in cities including New Orleans and Atlanta.

NewsMax [3/17/2026 12:46 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports that Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told Newsmax he’s had his fill with congressional Democrats who are blocking funding for immigration enforcement. Meuser said on "National Report" Tuesday, "Enough already." Meuser said any government employee not getting paid should "call your Democrat member and say, My goodness, allow us to get a paycheck." He said Democrats’ opposition to immigration enforcement has gone far enough. "If my Democrat colleagues haven’t noticed, we’re at a very heightened level of emergency in our nation right now. The Coast Guard’s not getting paid." Meuser pointed out that Democrats have chosen to play a dangerous game with U.S. security. "They’re doing this just to continue to press." "You know why? Because they don’t care about the results," he said. "They care about the politics. "And I’m pretty outraged about it, as are many." Meuser said Republicans have attempted to initiate some changes in the immigration enforcement process to smooth what some say are rough edges. "Let’s set new rules that make sense for ICE." But Meuser said there are bigger issues involved. "Let’s work on these sanctuary cities, which are a breeding ground for crying out loud, for hardened criminals that came here illegally." "And do what’s right. What’s right for the interests of our country, not what’s right for the midterms, as far as they’re concerned." Meuser added that he believes the Democrats have no intention of supporting a secure America. "Democrats are about disruption."

NewsMax [3/17/2026 10:56 AM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports that Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks criticized Democrats’ latest effort to force a vote on a "clean" Department of Homeland Security funding bill, telling Newsmax on Tuesday that the move is a political maneuver driven by mounting public backlash over travel disruptions and security concerns. The Iowa Republican on Newsmax’s "National Report" took aim at a proposed discharge petition — a procedural tactic that would allow the minority party to bypass House leadership and bring legislation directly to the floor — arguing it comes only after weeks of pressure tied to the ongoing shutdown. "Now they want to pretend like they want to fund DHS, and this is only because they’re getting pushback," she said. The proposed legislation would fund DHS operations without provisions related to immigration enforcement, including support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans have opposed such efforts, arguing that immigration policy and border enforcement are central to the broader funding debate. Miller-Meeks said the standoff has already had tangible consequences, particularly for the Transportation Security Administration, where employees have faced missed paychecks and declining morale. "Record numbers of employees that are actually retiring or quitting from TSA," she said, "and this is a direct result of Democrats not funding the government over something that has largely resolved and a problem of their own making. "So, sanctuary cities, local law enforcement [are] not working with ICE agents or Customs and Border Protection to remove violent criminal illegals from their communities. This was a problem of the Democrats’ making."

NBC News [3/17/2026 4:26 PM, Sahil Kapur, Frank Thorp V and Ryan Nobles, 42967K] reports Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to bring up the SAVE America Act to overhaul election laws nationwide, kicking off what’s expected to be a highly contentious debate on the floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has promised "an extended debate" on the legislation, which President Donald Trump has labeled his "No. 1 priority." But it doesn’t have a viable path to pass in the Senate. The legislation would require Americans to show proof of citizenship — passports or birth certificates — in person to register to vote. It would require voters to show photo identification to cast ballots, including by mail. And it would empower the Department of Homeland Security to flag suspected noncitizens to states for disqualification from voter rolls. Because the House sent it as a "message," the Senate could begin debate with a simple-majority vote. The debate could continue for days, into the night and potentially through the weekend, according to a Republican leadership aide. But the bill remains subject to a 60-vote threshold to end debate and move to pass it, and Democrats have made it clear they’ll block it. Thune has said Republicans don’t have the votes to sustain a "talking filibuster" or to trigger the "nuclear option" to change Senate rules and get rid of the 60-vote hurdle.

Reuters [3/17/2026 6:10 AM, David Morgan, 38315K] reports President Donald Trump is pressing Congress to pass sweeping election-security legislation that he calls his "No. 1 priority" for Congress this year, though it is expected to fall short in the Senate. Democrats and independent analysts say the so-called SAVE America Act, which requires proof of U.S. citizenship in voting, could disenfranchise Americans in November who ‌lack ready access to passports, birth certificates and other forms of identification. The bill requires states to submit complete official voter registration lists to the Department of Homeland Security, allowing federal officials to verify the immigration status of people already registered to vote. States would then be required to remove any non-citizens found on the rolls. Democracy advocates say the procedure could misidentify eligible voters as ⁠non-citizens, leading to their removal from voting rolls and possible prosecution.

Wall Street Journal [3/17/2026 11:07 AM, Anvee Bhutani, 646K] reports President Trump has made passing new voter-eligibility legislation his top priority. The SAVE America Act would ratchet up ID requirements while also removing noncitizens from voter rolls and creating new legal liabilities for election officials, all taking effect immediately upon being signed into law. Trump says the rules would eliminate fraud and has called it crucial to Republicans winning the midterm elections. He also wants to ban most mail-in voting, which is set to be proposed as an amendment. Democrats say the legislation goes far beyond verifying identification, potentially discouraging millions of legitimate voters if implemented before November. A few Republicans also oppose the measure, warning that it would exert too much federal control over elections that should be administered by states and could cause hardship for rural voters and others who register and vote by mail. Senate debate is set to start Tuesday.

FOX News [3/17/2026 11:06 AM, Michael Dorgan, 37576K] reports that President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that he will not endorse any lawmaker who votes against the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, escalating pressure on Republicans as the bill heads to the Senate. Trump made the pledge in a Truth Social post Tuesday morning, warning that any Republican or Democrat who opposes the measure would face political consequences. "The Save America Act is one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress, and America itself," Trump wrote. "I WILL NEVER (EVER!) ENDORSE ANYONE WHO VOTES AGAINST ‘SAVE AMERICA!!!’" Trump has long pushed for stricter election laws — making election integrity a central pillar of his 2024 campaign — and has repeatedly questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden. The SAVE Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and impose stricter voter ID rules. Trump said the bill also touches on issues including mail-in voting, transgender athletes and medical care for minors. "No Men in Women’s Sports, No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our Children. 90% to 99% ISSUES ALL! Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. If they do, each one of these points, separately, will be used against the user in his/her political campaign for office - A guaranteed loss." The GOP-led House passed the bill in February, largely along party lines.

AP [3/17/2026 5:21 PM, Jennifer Peltz, 35287K] reports just over a year ago, the Trump administration began an immigration enforcement campaign that swept up multiple people who had taken part in pro-Palestinian activism on U.S. college campuses. The last of those people, Leqaa Kordia, was released Monday after the government stopped fighting a judge’s repeated orders that she be freed on bond. Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman and daughter of a U.S. citizen, had been in detention since her arrest March 13, 2025, in New Jersey during an immigration check-in. Federal officials cited Kordia’s role in what they deemed to be "pro-Hamas protests." Though not well known as an activist, she had been arrested at a 2024 demonstration outside Columbia University in New York. The charges were later dismissed. Kordia’s immigration case isn’t over. Federal officials accuse her of overstaying her student visa after leaving an educational program; she has said she believed she was allowed to stay under a different immigration mechanism she was pursuing. Some other students and scholars were deported or left the U.S. after learning their visas had been revoked.

Daily Wire [3/17/2026 7:38 AM, Drew Berkemeyer, 2314K] reports a federal appeals court handed the Trump administration a significant legal victory Monday, allowing it to continue deporting migrants to third countries as an ongoing legal battle over the policy plays out. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s authority to carry out so-called "third-country removals," a key component of the administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda. The court did not provide a written explanation for its decision but moved to expedite the next phase of the case. The ruling lifts restrictions imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, who had previously blocked the policy and argued that migrants must be given a "meaningful opportunity" to contest deportation to countries where they have no ties. Murphy’s order had required the government to first attempt removal to a migrant’s home country or country of citizenship before pursuing third-country options. The First Circuit’s majority included Judge Jeffrey Howard, an appointee of George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, appointed by Joe Biden. Judge Lara Montecalvo, also a Biden appointee, dissented. The decision marks the latest chapter in a contentious legal fight over the administration’s effort to expand deportations to countries willing to accept migrants whose home nations refuse to take them back. The administration has reportedly reached agreements with countries including Cameroon, South Sudan, and Eswatini. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security have defended the policy as a necessary tool to remove dangerous individuals from the United States, arguing that many of those subject to third-country deportations have been convicted of serious crimes.

Reuters [3/17/2026 12:16 PM, Ted Hesson, 38315K] reports that U.S. Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino plans to retire at the end of March, he confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, marking the formal departure of a prominent leader of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Bovino, 55, led confrontational immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other major U.S. cities. Under his leadership, masked border agents clashed with residents as they scoured neighborhoods for possible immigration offenders. "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 told the conservative news outlet Breitbart in an interview published on Monday. He did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters why he planned to leave now. Even before Noem’s firing, Bovino was removed from his role as a Border Patrol "commander-at-large" in January after Good and Pretti were killed, with ⁠Reuters and other outlets reporting he would soon retire. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan was named the top official overseeing the Minnesota crackdown, which then was scaled back. U.S. Customs and Border Protection ⁠spokesperson David Kim said Bovino had not yet filed retirement paperwork. Kim said Bovino, who grew up in North Carolina, missed bear hunting and harvesting apples while leading Trump immigration operations.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/17/2026 9:59 AM, Staff, 2238K]
USA Today [3/17/2026 12:03 PM, Thao Nguyen, 70643K]

AP [3/17/2026 5:59 PM, Elliot Spagat] reports Gregory Bovino, who became a face of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in large cities, confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he plans to retire from the Border Patrol in the coming weeks. Bovino, 55, joined the Border Patrol in 1996 and steadily rose through the ranks. Bovino retires as chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California, sector, a position he held since 2020.

The Hill [3/17/2026 6:00 AM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports tensions are running high between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its inspector general, a Trump appointee who is pushing back on agency leadership, claiming they are trying to stifle his investigations. DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari has had his own rocky tenure as the head of that office, but he’s clashed with outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, telling lawmakers at least 11 of his investigations have been “systematically obstructed” by her office, including a criminal probe. President Trump fired Noem amid a swirl of potential conflicts, including questions about a contract for a $220 million ad campaign that went to her allies. Cuffari’s alert also alarmed GOP lawmakers, who questioned why she was interfering with his work. The matter reached a breaking point when DHS last year decided to classify a report from Cuffari’s office that reviewed Noem’s shift in airport security screening, ending the policy that passengers remove their shoes. But the man pushing back is an unusual suspect, in part because Cuffari has had his own fair share of issues. “I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Joe Cuffari appears to be trying to conduct some oversight over these critical issues,” said Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general who was both hired and fired by President Trump in a mass dismissal of inspectors general. “The DHS story has been the albatross on the IG community for years.”

New York Times [3/17/2026 10:13 AM, Adam Sella, 148038K] reports that when election officials in Arizona opened their online candidate portal last summer, it was immediately clear that it had been hacked. The photos of aspiring public servants had been replaced by red and black images of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first supreme leader. After similar episodes in recent years, state officials often contacted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, the primary federal agency responsible for election cybersecurity. The agency, created by President Trump in 2018 to protect critical infrastructure, including elections, from cyberthreats, would have lent resources to stop the attackers and notified other election officials across the country so they could bolster their defenses. But after the hack last summer, Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, decided not to ask for CISA’s help. Arizona officials managed to stop the cyberattack, restore the website and ensure that no sensitive voter data had been compromised, though CISA might have been able to help them work faster and cheaper. “They were sort of our one-stop-shop support, kind of standing by with this encyclopedia of potential resources,” Mr. Fontes said. But under the second Trump administration, he said, “that just has disappeared,” and he has lost trust in the agency. Since returning to office, Mr. Trump has tried to bend election mechanics to his will, kicking off a redistricting war with little precedent, bombastically calling for elections to be “nationalized” and having the F.B.I. seize materials from the 2020 election in Georgia and Arizona.

Wall Street Journal [3/17/2026 4:41 PM, Dustin Volz, 646K] reports the top U.S. counterterrorism official said Tuesday he had resigned over his concerns with the war in Iran, marking the first significant departure from the Trump administration related to the conflict. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said in a social-media post on X, in which he shared a screenshot of his resignation letter addressed to President Trump. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he wrote. Kent’s abrupt departure is the first significant public sign of dissent within the Trump administration over the president’s handling of the Iran war, which is now in its third week. While some Trump supporters outside the administration have been critical of the president’s actions, the administration has largely presented a united front. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Kent’s letter contained many false claims. “As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first,” she said in a post on X. “President Trump would never make the decision to deploy military assets against a foreign adversary in a vacuum.” Senior administration officials haven’t publicly furnished evidence Iran was readying to launch a pre-emptive attack against U.S. assets on its own, but said the concern was what Tehran would do if Israel launched an assault first. That rationale has drawn sharp criticism from congressional Democrats as well as some influential Republicans voices outside the administration. “I always thought he was a nice guy but weak on security,” Trump told reporters when asked about Kent on Tuesday. “When I read his statement I realized it’s a good thing he’s out. He said Iran is not a threat.” The AP [3/17/2026 4:03 PM, Seung Min Kim and David Klepper, 5209K] reports Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. His resignation reflects unease within President Donald Trump’s base about the war and shows that questions about the justification for the use of force in Iran extend to at least one senior member of his administration. The change in personnel at one of the nation’s top counterterrorism offices comes amid heightened concerns about terrorism in the homeland following attacks within the past week at a Michigan synagogue and a Virginia university

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [3/17/2026 10:11 AM, Seung Min Kim and Kevin Rector, 12718K]
CNN [3/17/2026 5:02 pM, Zachary Cohen, 19874K]
Daily Signal [3/17/2026 12:36 PM, George Caldwell, 474K]

Daily Wire [3/17/2026 6:52 AM, Staff, 2314K] reports a top intelligence official is stepping down over opposition to strikes on Iran, claiming the United States was pressured into the war by "Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Joe Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced he was leaving his position because President Trump was waging war against Iran at the behest of Israel. He said he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran." "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," he insisted in a letter to the president, parroting claims that Trump and his top officials have denied. Former Trump officials immediately responded to Kent, a military veteran who was given an administration post after losing a congressional election, labeling him a "crazed egomaniac."

ABC News [3/17/2026 2:45 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports President Trump responded to the U.S. counterterrorism director’s resignation, telling reporters “it’s a good thing he’s out” after Kent said Iran did not pose an imminent threat. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [3/17/2026 1:32 PM, Nick Gilbertson, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump said Tuesday that "it’s a good thing" that Joe Kent has resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center and that Kent was "very weak on security.” Trump’s comments came during a bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Oval Office when a reporter asked him for his reaction to Kent’s resignation. Kent notably said that "Iran posed no imminent threat" in his letter to the president. "I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security. I didn’t know him well," Trump said. "But when I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it," Trump added. "And many people, many of the greatest military scholars, are saying for years that [a] president should have taken out Iran because they wanted a nuclear weapon," Trump continued. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted a short time earlier that Kent’s resignation letter contained "many false claims," chief among them being Kent’s claim that "Iran posed no imminent threat.”

Reported similarly:
Blaze [3/17/2026 1:45 PM, Rebeka Zeljko, 1556K]

Breitbart [3/17/2026 2:58 PM, Jasmyn Jordan, 2238K] reports Joe Kent’s resignation from his national security post over opposition to military action against Iran follows earlier public statements in which he warned about threats posed by the country and supported striking its ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities. Kent stepped down March 17, 2026, as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran." In announcing his resignation, Kent added that Iran "posed no imminent threat to our nation" and said the war was started "due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." In his resignation letter to President Trump, Kent stated that continued Middle East conflicts "robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation." He added that he "cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people," citing both his extensive combat deployments and his experience as a Gold Star husband. The stance contrasts with Kent’s earlier public posts on X, where he described Iran as a significant threat and advocated for direct action against its military capabilities.

Washington Examiner [3/17/2026 11:00 AM, Robert Carmona-Borjas, 1147K] reports that History does not always announce its turning points with ceremony. Sometimes it reveals them through the clarity of a single decision. President Donald Trump’s choice to place outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at the center of the Shield of the Americas is one of those decisions. It is not a gesture. It is not a public-relations exercise. It is not a symbolic appointment designed to satisfy a news cycle. It is a recognition that the greatest threat now confronting the Western Hemisphere is not confined to borders, narcotics, or migration in isolation. It is the emergence of a criminal-political order that corrodes republics from within, captures institutions, launders power through democratic appearances, and projects instability directly toward the United States. Those who treat this initiative lightly are not misunderstanding a personnel choice. They are misunderstanding the age in which we live. For too many years, the hemisphere has been interpreted through the comfortable laziness of compartmentalized analysis. Drug trafficking was discussed as one issue. Illegal immigration as another. Human trafficking as another. Corruption as another. Democratic erosion as another. That framework is no longer merely obsolete; it is an obstacle to survival. These are not parallel crises. They are the visible branches of the same poisoned tree. What we are facing in the Americas is not simply organized crime. We are facing the fusion of organized crime with political power, the convergence of cartel violence with state corruption, the penetration of public institutions by illicit finance, and the consolidation of regimes that preserve the outer shell of legality while destroying the substance of freedom.

New York Times [3/17/2026 5:01 AM, James Densley and Jillian Peterson, 148038K] reports until recently, if asked to profile a typical mass shooter, we would have described a middle-aged man who was socially isolated and in despair. He was not in the grip of a political ideology, nor did he have a mental health condition such as schizophrenia. Rather, he was deeply despondent about a life crisis, perhaps a divorce or a job loss. In attacking a workplace or a group of people he blamed for his problems, he was both exacting vengeance and effectively or literally committing suicide. Over the past several years, something has changed. We are witnessing the emergence of a different paradigm: a mass shooter no less despairing about life’s hardships but younger, highly connected to online social networks and seemingly convinced that in acting violently he or she is carrying out the only meaningful act possible in a world otherwise devoid of meaning. This shift is highly significant for our understanding of the online-fueled pathologies that afflict our society and for the policies that could help prevent such tragedies.

Washington Examiner [3/17/2026 4:54 PM, Christian Datoc, David Sivak, 1147K] reports White House officials detailed their latest Department of Homeland Security funding proposal to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, which includes requiring immigration officers to self-identify if confronted during immigration enforcement proceedings, a major sticking point for Democrats during the weekslong shutdown negotiations. The Washington Examiner obtained a letter sent Tuesday by President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, and White House Legislative Affairs Director James Braid to Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) detailing the five concessions the White House extended to Democrats.

Breitbart [3/17/2026 5:34 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is continuing to arrest illegal aliens convicted of crimes like murder, child sexual abuse, and robbery, among others. "Yesterday, ICE arrested criminal illegal alien murderers, pedophiles, and sex criminals – the very definition of depraved," the Department of Homeland Security’s Lauren Bis said in a statement.

FOX News [3/17/2026 4:52 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports a federal judge has ordered federal immigration authorities to release an illegal immigrant gang member with multiple unlawful entries into the United States and whose criminal history includes rape and robbery, Fox News Digital has learned. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, an Obama appointee, ordered the release of Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. "This activist, Obama-appointed judge RELEASED Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador and MS-13 gang member, from ICE Custody," said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "Releasing violent criminals is inexcusably reckless and now this criminal will be able to perpetrate more crimes against innocent Americans."

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National Today [3/18/2026 12:20 AM, Staff]

FOX News [3/17/2026 5:29 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports America First Legal president Gene Hamilton shares how anti-I.C.E. protests are disrupting law enforcement, with activists delaying arrests of alleged criminals on ‘The Will Cain Show.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/17/2026 11:03 AM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports that a former high-ranking National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security official is warning that coordinated, technology-driven anti-ICE resistance is endangering operations through digital sabotage in cities across the United States. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Stewart Baker, a cybersecurity and national security expert, said that the use of new and emerging technology by agitators "has changed the atmosphere in which ICE is operating.” "It’s already a game changer," said Baker. Following reports that anti-ICE agitators are using the encrypted messaging app known as Signal to track and impede agents, Baker said, "We’re going to see more of that, and it’s not easy to stop. Much of what’s being done there is perfectly lawful speech, but it is on the edge of causing serious harm.” Baker served as NSA general counsel under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and DHS assistant secretary for policy under President George W. Bush. Beyond Signal, there is chatter among activists about the use of sophisticated but cheap technology that serves as counter-surveillance measures. Some of these methods are detailed in a thought piece titled "How Hackers Are Fighting Back Against ICE" by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit digital civil liberties organization. Among the methods identified by EFF are a piece of hardware called "OUI-SPY" and a database called "DeFlock" that can be used by activists to detect and log the presence of law enforcement cameras and other technology that would otherwise be hidden. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Bloomberg [3/17/2026 9:00 AM, Nacha Cattan, 18082K] reports in Roxbury, New Jersey, a suburban township about 40 miles west of New York City, the mayor and the entire town council are Republicans. Yet the community is locked in a bitter fight against one of President Donald Trump’s signature immigration initiatives: the administration’s plan to convert a warehouse there into a federal detention center. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security paid roughly $129 million to acquire the 470,000‑square‑foot building from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and real estate investment management firm Dalfen Industrial. Federal officials intend to transform the site into a facility capable of holding as many as 1,500 people — a scale that has angered residents who say they weren’t consulted and learned of the sale only after it appeared in the local newspaper. In the weeks since, opposition has intensified and local officials have begun exploring legal options.

FOX News [3/17/2026 9:35 PM, Greg Wehner, 37576K] reports Pittsburgh police officers did not intervene as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents struggled to detain a suspect near a police station, and claims circulated that officers were told to stand down. Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said he is not aware of any order directing officers not to act and has launched an administrative review into the incident. "To that end, I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred in front of the Zone 3 police station where ICE agents were struggling to take someone into custody," Lando said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh reported that the incident unfolded as ICE agents attempted to detain a suspect near the Zone 3 station, when the individual began fighting and kicking ICE agents. Radio host Colin Dunlap said a Pittsburgh police officer told him police had been instructed to stand down during the confrontation. "It has been alleged by some individuals that Pittsburgh police officers were ordered not to intervene and were forced to stand by and watch," he continued. "While our officers did not intervene in this particular situation, I am not aware of any order given that forbid them from doing so.” The incident occurred near the Zone 3 station, where ICE agents had stopped a vehicle at a nearby gas station and attempted to take a suspect into custody, according to Lando. While officers did not intervene, Lando emphasized that Pittsburgh police do not enforce federal immigration law and are not involved in ICE operations. "Our job is not, and has never been, to conduct immigration enforcement," Lando said. "We do not collaborate with ICE. We do not check immigration status on calls for service. We do not participate in ‘roundups.’". He added that officers are still required to respond to emergency calls for assistance, including from other law enforcement agencies, but are instructed to assist only in securing the scene before returning to service. Lando said he has directed the Zone 3 commander to conduct a review to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident. Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor has said the city will continue its policy of not assisting ICE operations, according to CBS News Pittsburgh. O’Connor, a Democrat, made the comments in January after a fatal ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis, calling the incident a "tragedy" and emphasizing that Pittsburgh aims to remain a welcoming city for immigrants.

Breitbart [3/17/2026 4:09 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is urging Virginia officials, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), to ensure that an illegal alien, accused of child sex crimes, is not released into the community. This week, ICE agents lodged a detainer against 20-year-old illegal alien Angel David Rubio Marin after he was arrested in Culpeper, Virginia, and charged with soliciting sexual content from children under 10 years old. Police allege that Rubio Marin solicited photos and videos from at least three children under the age of 10 years old by offering to pay them "Robux," the digital currency used in the game video game Roblox. In 2024, Rubio Marin was arrested in Prince William County on two counts of public masturbation. Following that arrest, local officials released him into the community rather than turning him over to ICE agents.

FOX News [3/17/2026 10:46 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports that Fairfax parents and DHS criticize Virginia’s sanctuary policy after an illegal immigrant, Israel Flores Ortiz, is charged with groping students. Gov. Spanberger faces scrutiny for ending ICE cooperation. Former Clinton advisor Mark Penn weighs in. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [3/17/2026 2:26 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested an Afghan national, brought to the United States by former President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, who has since been convicted of indecent exposure to a minor. On Monday, DHS officials announced the arrest of Basir Ahmad Safi, an Afghan national who was given humanitarian parole in U.S. thanks to Biden’s massive resettlement of Afghans in 2021. Safi had been arrested in September 2023 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Florida, facing charges of lewd or lascivious exhibition, soliciting a child via computer, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and child abuse. Ultimately, Safi was convicted of indecent exposure to a minor. "This unvetted Afghan pedophile was let into our country by the Biden administration. He should never have been allowed into our country or given the opportunity to prey on innocent children," DHS’s Lauren Bis said: “Operation Allies Welcome was a Biden-era parole program that let thousands of unvetted Afghan nationals including terrorists, sexual predators, pedophiles, domestic abusers, and kidnappers into our country. Under President Trump’s leadership, DHS has been focused on identifying, arresting, and removing public safety threats like Basir Ahmad Safi from our country.”

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [3/17/2026 6:15 PM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K]

FOX News [3/17/2026 4:58 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation in Florida busted a "deeply disturbing" illegal animal cruelty operation involving baby monkeys by U.S. citizen Francisco Javier Ravelo. According to the Justice Department, Ravelo, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to distributing videos depicting the torture of both adult and baby monkeys that involved mutilation and burning. The DOJ said Ravelo personally distributed more than 40 torture videos and that his actions violated the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term. Ravelo now faces up to seven years in prison. The DOJ said the animal cruelty scheme was exposed in an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is the primary criminal investigations arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

Axios [3/17/2026 2:23 PM, Yacob Reyes, 17364K] reports Tampa Mayor Jane Castor revised the city’s policies for undocumented immigrants who come forward as victims of or witnesses to crimes. The new guidance makes it harder for them to interact with law enforcement without their immigration status being disclosed to federal authorities — and enables the state to obtain and share that information. Attorney General James Uthmeier gave Castor until the end of the month to direct the Tampa Police Department to reverse policies that prohibit disclosure of the immigration status of victims or witnesses. The policies flagged by Uthmeier barred officers from asking about the immigration status of "cooperative" victims and witnesses and did not require them to share that information with federal authorities. It also prohibited officers from engaging in "broad-based immigration enforcement actions," like workplace enforcement operations and traffic checkpoints, to name a few. When faced with the choice of pushing back against the state or dropping protections for undocumented victims and witnesses entirely, Castor landed somewhere in the middle. The police department’s new policy borrows language from state statutes, exempting disclosure only if the victim or witness is deemed "necessary" to a criminal investigation. It also retains a prohibition of bias-based policing, which says, in part, that "enforcement actions shall never be initiated, influenced or based upon an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin, religion."

Univision [3/17/2026 9:45 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Mayor Jane Castor announced that the city reviewed an internal Tampa Police Department policy after receiving a warning from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who questioned whether the rule might violate state law prohibiting so-called “sanctuary policies.” In a letter to the state, the mayor explained that the language in question had been amended and that the updated version of the policy had been distributed to department officials. According to Castor, the city has no intention of violating state or federal law regarding immigration cooperation. The controversy arose after the attorney general’s office sent a notification to the city indicating that a Tampa Police Department policy could limit the sharing of information with federal immigration authorities . The letter warned that if the policy was not corrected by a deadline set by the state, the city could face civil penaltiesIn his response, Castor indicated that the change eliminates the questioned language and clarifies that the department’s policy adheres to Florida statutes that regulate cooperation with immigration authorities. Among the legal provisions cited by the city is the state law that allows law enforcement agencies to withhold immigration information about victims or witnesses of crimes when those individuals cooperate with an investigation or their testimony is necessary for the case. It also stipulates that a person cannot be detained solely on immigration grounds if they are a victim or witness of a crime. City officials have indicated that the original policy sought to maintain the trust of immigrant communities so that they would report crimes and cooperate with authorities without fear of immigration consequences. The mayor also emphasized that the Tampa Police Department continues to collaborate with the federal government through the 287(g) program , which allows local agencies to work with immigration authorities in certain functions. According to the city, the department currently has six officers and two supervisors assigned to that program Florida law requires participation in the 287(g) program in jails in all 67 counties of the state, although participation by municipal police departments is not mandatory . The dispute arises in the context of Florida state law that prohibits so-called “sanctuary policies.” Chapter 908 of the Florida statutes states that state and local law enforcement agencies must “make their best efforts to support the enforcement of federal immigration laws “ and prohibits local governments from adopting policies that restrict the sharing of immigration status information with federal authorities.

CBS Miami [3/17/2026 11:12 AM, Staff, 51110K] reports a group of Florida sheriffs on a state immigration enforcement board sharply criticized the federal government’s mass deportation efforts Monday, a stark departure from hardline policies in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has spearheaded collaboration with federal officials to remove all undocumented immigrants. Some members of the State Immigration Enforcement Council, which is comprised of four sheriffs and four city police chiefs, said immigrants who aren’t criminals should be able to stay in the country, under certain conditions. "Those are the folks we need in this country that we embrace, because we are a country of immigrants," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, council chair. "But we have allowed, what I call the criminal troublemaker, to just flood in this country and victimize people. And I think a path for the good folks with a good intention, for the right reason, is reasonable.” The shift is notable in Florida, where DeSantis pushed for a state law last year requiring state and local law enforcement officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. That law also set up the council. And Florida was the first state to set up makeshift detention centers such as "Alligator Alcatraz" in South Florida.

Los Angeles Times [3/17/2026 5:19 PM, Carlos De Loera, 12718K] reports Estefany Rodriguez, the Nashville reporter who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier this month, remains in custody despite being granted bond. Her lawyer, Joel Coxander, said in a virtual news conference Monday that an immigration judge granted her release on bond, but that she must remain in a south Louisiana processing center while attorneys for ICE decide whether or not to appeal the decision. If the government lawyers decide to take action, Rodriguez would remain in detention while the appeal is processed. If no appeal is filed, she can be released by posting her $10,000 bond while her case moves through the court system. ICE has until the end of day Tuesday to decide if it will appeal. Rodriguez, who works for the local news network Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, was detained on March 4 during a traffic stop outside of a gym while with her husband, Nashville Noticias reported in an official statement. Born in Colombia, Rodriguez came to the U.S. five years ago with a valid work permit and is married to a U.S. citizen, her lawyers have claimed. In court documents filed Monday and reviewed by The Times, Rodriguez’s legal team argued that she was arrested without a proper warrant. In an X post from March 7, the Department of Homeland Security provided a photo of a warrant for Rodriguez that was dated March 4. ICE lawyers have previously claimed that Rodriguez’s detention is not a violation of the Fourth Amendment because a warrant was presented at the time of arrest. Rodriguez’s team alleged that ICE had not previously filed that warrant with the court. Her lawyers also claimed that she was unable to make contact with her legal representation for over a week after being detained. A DHS spokesperson told The Times earlier this month that Rodriguez was arrested because her tourist visa had expired in September 2021.

FOX News [3/17/2026 8:47 AM, Michael Dorgan, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rebuked an Illinois clerk after she warned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that they "won’t be tolerated" at polling places ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek earlier this month warned ICE agents — whom she labeled "thugs" — to steer clear of polling stations, insisting illegal migrants do not vote in elections. DHS pushed back on her comments in a statement to Fox News. "ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations. ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action," a DHS spokesperson said. Kaczmarek released a statement on March 3 railing against any potential ICE activity at polling sites, saying it is a crime for federal agents to interfere in elections or intimidate voters. "It is a crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, to deploy federal ‘troops or armed men’ to any location where voting is taking place or elections are being held…" she said. "Those crimes will not be tolerated in DuPage County. Not on my watch. ICE, go away. Do not even try. You will fail.”

FOX News [3/17/2026 9:29 AM, Andrew Mark Miller, 37576K] reports that the city of Minneapolis has seen a dramatic increase in auto thefts so far in 2026, causing rising pressure on Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey to address the situation. The worrying trend was highlighted by Crime Watch Minneapolis, a volunteer-operated news organization, which shared a graphic on X showing how widespread the problem has become throughout the city. More than 1,000 auto thefts were reported in January and February of this year in Minneapolis, a city of approximately 430,000 people. This represents an increase of nearly 35% compared to the same period last year, according to Crime Watch Minneapolis. The trend appears to be continuing into March, with at least 14 reported auto thefts between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on March 14 and six more during the afternoon on that same day, according to the news site. Over the last few months, Walz and Frey have made numerous statements attacking ICE and blaming federal immigration authorities for making the city less safe. Earlier this year, the two were the focus of a Department of Justice investigation into an alleged conspiracy to coerce or obstruct federal law enforcement during U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota. Additionally, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara suggested to local media that Trump’s Operation Metro Surge was a "contributing factor" to the rise in auto thefts because "officers and investigators were consistently pulled from their normal assigned duties.” "This isn’t an ICE problem," retired Minnesota State Patrol Lt. John Nagel told Fox News Digital. "It’s a deterrence problem."

Telemundo 48 El Paso [3/17/2026 2:33 PM, Luisa Barrios, 19K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to Telemundo 48 El Paso that Amentum will assume the role of the government’s prime contractor for the management of Camp East Montana. The company had previously collaborated with the agency in the management of this facility. This announcement follows a clarification issued by ICE on March 11, stating that the detention center is neither closing nor planning to do so; rather, it is undergoing a transition to a new provider following the termination of the previous contract by the Department of Homeland Security. According to a statement issued by an ICE spokesperson, Amentum was deemed the most suitable company to assume this responsibility due to its size, experience, and track record—factors that position it as the ideal partner at this time. ICE noted that it will work closely with Amentum to implement higher standards of medical care, as well as more rigorous case review processes and intake procedures, in addition to ensuring compliance with operational requirements under clear measures of accountability. The agency reiterated that it will continue to ensure that all individuals in its custody receive the necessary level of care, services, and medical support—in accordance with its detention standards—while the operational transition at the facility takes place.

Houston Chronicle [3/17/2026 5:38 PM, Matt deGrood, 2493K] reports a group of Houston residents demanded more change Tuesday during the first council meeting since Mayor John Whitmire acknowledged that Houston police officers had violated policy by directly transporting drivers to federal immigration agents. Tuesday’s public response comes after Police Chief Noe Diaz announced policy changes in the face of growing criticism over the Chronicle’s reporting that officers in at least two cases had violated department rules when they transported drivers to ICE agents. Under the new directives, officers now must call a supervising sergeant to the scene each time they come across a driver with a noncriminal ICE administrative warrant and should wait no longer than 30 minutes for a federal agent to arrive.

FOX News [3/17/2026 9:54 AM, Greg Norman-Diamond, 37576K] reports an illegal immigrant from Venezuela was sentenced to eight months and two days in custody for biting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on the forearm during a 2015 arrest, prosecutors said. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said the sentence was given to Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera on Monday after he pleaded guilty on March 3 to a charge of assault on a federal officer. The charge carried a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. "Our office will continue to prioritize the protection of federal officers engaged in their lawful duties," U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement. "Assaulting a federal law enforcement officer is a serious offense and any actions that put agents and officers at risk will not be tolerated," added Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. "We will continue to hold all individuals who assault law enforcement or interfere with investigations and operations fully accountable." The Attorney’s Office released an image purportedly showing the ICE agent’s injury following the bite. Bastardo, 32, was living in San Diego at the time of the incident, which unfolded near the city’s Mission Bay neighborhood, authorities said. "Bastardo pleaded guilty March 3, 2026, admitting that on July 15, 2025, he assaulted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer by biting him on the forearm," according to the Attorney’s Office.

NBC News [3/17/2026 11:35 AM, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports they were offered a path to a green card reserved for young immigrants who experienced abuse or abandonment in their countries of origin. Then the Trump administration detained and deported them. From Jan. 20 to Dec. 22 of last year, ICE detained 265 and deported 132 young people with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), according to a letter the Department of Homeland Security sent to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., obtained exclusively by NBC News. "They are tearing them away from the stability that they’re in, the lives that they’re building on their pathway to permanent protection," said Rachel Davidson, the director of the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, part of the National Immigration Project. Because of a backlog of green card applications, since 2022, the youths were also typically protected by a policy for immigrants with SIJS known as deferred action. That shielded them from deportation and allowed them to work legally in the U.S. as they waited in a visa backlog to be able to apply for green cards. In June, the Trump administration ended deferred action for SIJS recipients, but that policy is on hold as it makes its way through a court case.

Breitbart [3/17/2026 1:07 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh the Trump administration’s authority to end the temporary protected status of Syrian and Haitian immigrants. The high court announced Monday that it will take up the case as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate the protected status of more than 350,000 immigrants, putting them at risk of deportation. The case centers around former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision to end temporary protected status for Haiti, which was set to take effect last month. The day before this decision was to take effect, a federal court blocked the move while legal challenges play out. Noem’s effort was challenged by a group of five Haitian nationals in December. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ordered that it was "substantially likely" that Noem’s decision was motivated by race and her "hostility to nonwhite immigrants.”

Breitbart [3/17/2026 5:00 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports an illegal alien gang member, living in the United States on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), is charged with the vicious murders of Aurelia Choc, her 17-year-old daughter, Niurka Choc, and her 2-year-old son, Anthony Choc, in Mobile County, Alabama. This week, Hector Argueta-Guerra, an illegal alien from El Salvador and member of the violent street gang known as Sur 13, appeared in a Mobile County courtroom to face capital murder charges. Argueta-Guerra was denied bond at the hearing. The charges come after the Choc family’s bodies were found in a wooded area near Summerdale, Alabama. Authorities had been searching for the family since January 31. Last month, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials revealed that Argueta-Guerra had been able to stay in the U.S. on TPS. Argueta-Guerra has also been wanted in El Salvador for terrorism and organized crime stemming from 2016, 2018, and 2024 charges.

AP [3/17/2026 11:48 AM, Staff, 35287K] reports while the federal EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is often associated with large urban real estate developments, a new flour mill project in rural Oregon highlights how global capital is being deployed to strengthen American manufacturing, rebuild local food supply chains, and create jobs in underserved communities. EB5 Visa Investors, an EB-5 Regional Center operator and sponsor, has launched an EB-5 investment offering supporting construction of the new Blue Mountain Mill by Cairnspring Mills at 46721 Tokti Road in Pendleton. The 27,000-square-foot facility is located within a federally designated rural Targeted Employment Area in Umatilla County and is expected to create approximately 557 direct and indirect jobs through construction and operations, including more than 20 full-time local living-wage jobs, while increasing Cairnspring’s production capacity more than tenfold. "All of our farmers use regenerative farming practices that replenish soil health," said Kevin Morse, CEO of Cairnspring Mills. "We pay them a premium over commodity prices, and everything we do is about adding value across the supply chain."

Breitbart [3/17/2026 6:49 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports the Irish government used the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as an opportunity to ask for an Irish migration path into U.S. jobs and homes. Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Taoiseach, or prime minister, asked for the path when he met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday to celebrate Irish-U.S. ties: In fact, I’d love if we could develop a legal pathway between the U.S. and Ireland into the future because of our [shared cultural] history … No-one is in favor of illegal immigration or so forth. "Uh-huh," Trump responded without further comment. But Martin’s pitch for a new migrant path was largely lost amid media questions about the Persian Gulf, Russia, and other non-Irish topics. Those questions prompted Trump to slam Ireland’s and Europe’s strategy of economic growth via migration: You’ve allowed millions and millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there … You’d better do something … or you won’t have a Europe.

Washington Times [3/17/2026 6:04 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports President Trump may have cooled the U.S.-Mexico border, but the latest data shows unauthorized migrants are now surging into America’s interior. The Department of Homeland Security calls them “inadmissibles,” and they show up at airports and seaports without fully valid paperwork. Their numbers have more than doubled in recent months, from about 8,500 in August and September to more than 19,000 in January, according to the latest data available. Analysts at the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse said the surge coincides once again with a major jump in parole. Mark Morgan, who served as acting commissioner at CBP during the first Trump administration, said the public data is insufficient to determine what is happening.

NewsMax [3/17/2026 3:43 PM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports Border Patrol agents have apprehended 307 Iranian nationals attempting to enter the country illegally since President Donald Trump took office last year, according to information obtained by The Center Square from a federal agent familiar with the data. The figure reflects arrests made between ports of entry nationwide and does not include encounters handled by Customs and Border Protection at official crossings. Under current policy, none of the 307 Iranian nationals apprehended have been released into the United States. Instead, all have been transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention, prosecution, or removal, according to the report. That marks a shift from prior years. Between 2021 and 2024, under the Biden administration, about 1,500 Iranian nationals were apprehended by the Border Patrol, with 729 released into the U.S., according to previous reporting cited by The Center Square.

CBS News [3/17/2026 8:29 PM, S.E. Jenkins, 51110K] reports Border Patrol officers caught a tractor driver trying to sneak 39 pythons over the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this month, officials said. On March 5, CBP officers at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas, came across a 2021 Peterbilt tractor headed toward Mexico, and selected the vehicle and driver for inspection. According to CBP, the driver declared that he was not traveling with prohibited goods, but the officers found 39 pythons hidden inside the tractor. Exporting live reptiles from the United States to Mexico requires compliance with several U.S. and international regulations. "The interception of live pythons at the World Trade Bridge highlights the vigilance and dedication of our CBP officers in enforcing laws that protect both our borders and our environment," said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. "CBP remains committed to preventing the illegal importation and exportation of wildlife and ensuring compliance with all federal regulations." CBP said that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents were contacted and took custody of the animals, which were taken to a controlled environment due to their condition. CBP did not say what the conditions of the pythons were. Export violations totaling $34,824 in penalties were issued and CBP seized the tractor and trailer. The Fish and Wildlife Service and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [3/17/2026 11:14 PM, Raymond Sanchez, 40934K]

Univision [3/17/2026 4:37 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a high-speed chase in the border city of Laredo, Texas, ended without injuries when Border Protection agents on the ground and in the air operations branch stopped a vehicle suspected of transporting undocumented immigrants, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported Monday. The border security agency’s report states that six people were arrested after the chase, "including a pregnant woman and a minor." It was also reported that "the driver faces serious charges for illegal trafficking after transporting people in the trunk."

Washington Examiner [3/17/2026 6:00 AM, Anna Giaritelli, 1147K] reports bipartisan blowback from elected officials in Texas has stalled the Trump administration’s plans to erect a border wall through Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Following outcry from Democrats and Republicans in the red state, the Department of Homeland Security agency overseeing border wall planning and construction quietly shifted plans this month to instead use technology to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border in and around the national park instead of a 30-foot steel wall to deter illegal immigration. An interactive map on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection website that previously showed the wall would run for hundreds of miles through the national park and the surrounding region of the border was updated to show the region would instead be secured with "detection technology." The park runs along approximately 120 miles of the international border. Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland of Terrell County, a former Border Patrol agent, told the Washington Examiner on Monday the change followed pushback from community members and leaders in the region, including five sheriffs who pleaded with the Trump administration not to build a wall through the natural landscape. "We’re all sheriffs in the Big Bend region where they had planned to build this barrier, and we all stood by each other to say, ‘There are better ways to accomplish this,’" Cleveland said.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/17/2026 8:15 AM, Bethany Blankley, 46783K]

NBC News [3/17/2026 7:33 PM, Staff, 42967K] Video: HERE reports Americans living along the southern border are concerned with President Donald Trump’s longtime plan for a border wall stretching hundreds of miles. Authorities have recorded a significant decrease in illegal crossings, but the Department of Homeland Security still plans to push ahead with funding the ambitious construction project. NBC News’ Ryan Chandler speaks to locals about how the wall will impact their lives and livelihoods.

FOX News [3/17/2026 6:06 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K] reports border authorities arrested 23 illegal immigrants over the weekend in a failed alleged smuggling operation off the California coast. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) air and marine crews intercepted a panga-style vessel Saturday just west of San Clemente Island near San Diego, the agency said. When a crew intercepted the boat at around 1 p.m., it found 23 illegal immigrants on board. They were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Diego.

Bloomberg [3/17/2026 4:24 PM, Allyson Versprille, 18082K] reports federal airport security screeners on Monday called out of work at the highest rate since the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security began more than a month ago. About 10.2% of Transportation Security Administration checkpoint agents skipped work Monday at airports across the US, according to data from the department. Call-out rates were even higher at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports, which saw roughly 30% and 21% stay off the job, respectively. The situation was most dire at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, with more than a third of TSA agents calling out at each location. “If this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up,” Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday. President Donald Trump and his administration have sought to blame Democrats for the disruptions, while Democrats say they’ve offered solutions that would fund parts of the DHS, including TSA, while negotiations continue over funding for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Still, lawmakers remain at an impasse as Democrats seek reforms after federal agents killed two Americans during controversial immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this year. Travelers have encountered long lines snaking through terminals during the partial shutdown, prompting airports to warn passengers to show up hours before their flight. According to DHS, at least 366 TSA officers have left their jobs during the department’s current shutdown.

CNN [3/18/2026 5:08 AM, Alexandra Skores, 19874K] reports more than a third of the security screeners at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport didn’t show up to work Tuesday, the airport’s general manager said, causing passengers to have to wait in line for up to two hours. Long lines have stretched through different airports this week as Transportation Security Administration officers worked without pay during the busy spring break travel season. On Friday, more than half of TSA employees called out at Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport. They are among the 61,000 government employees in the Department of Homeland Security caught in the middle as Congress remains locked in a stalemate over funding the agency. “The traveling public has been really nice,” said Aaron Barker, the local American Federation of Government Employees union president for Atlanta. “What is shocking, though, is a lot of people are unaware that we are in a government shutdown.” Employees are dealing with “eviction notices, vehicle repossessions, empty refrigerators and overdrawn bank accounts,” he said, while the travelers they serve may not even realize the hardship. At least 366 transportation security officers have quit since the start of the most recent shutdown, according to DHS.

CNN [3/17/2026 5:16 PM, Curt Merrill, Matt Stiles, 19874K] reports air travelers are facing longer lines at security checkpoints as Transportation Security Administration workers go without full pay during a partial government shutdown. TSA employees just missed their first full paycheck since funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed in mid-February, and there’s no sign the impasse will break soon on Capitol Hill. CNN is tracking TSA security wait times at 15 major airports across the United States, including those in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver.

NPR [3/17/2026 4:03 PM, Gabriel J. Sánchez, Christopher Intagliata, 28764K] Audio: HERE reports travelers around the country are being hit with weather, airline and security delays.

AP [3/17/2026 5:35 PM, Emilie Megnien and Rio Yamat, 40934K] reports that travel disruptions continued Tuesday in the U.S. as airlines worked to recover from a powerful storm system that had already snarled flight schedules a day earlier. Carriers canceled more than 1,000 U.S. flights on Tuesday and delayed about 4,200 others, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. The disruptions were most severe at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with over 200 flights canceled and roughly 450 delayed. The disruptions follow a chaotic Monday for air travel, triggered by powerful storms that dumped snow by the foot in the Midwest and swept through the eastern half of the country, leading to thousands of cancellations at major hubs, including in New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Gusts approached 50 mph (80 kph) in parts of New York, the National Weather Service said. Kelly Price, who was trying to get home to Colorado after a family vacation in Orlando, Florida, said her Sunday night flight wasn’t canceled until early Monday. “By that time, the only place for us to sleep was the airport floor. So we’re all tired and frustrated,” she said, adding that the soonest flight she and her family could book doesn’t leave until Tuesday afternoon. Air travel was already under pressure before the storms. A partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 has thinned staffing at some security checkpoints, at times leading to longer lines. And airports are crowded with spring break travelers and fans heading to March Madness, the annual NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments.

FOX News [3/17/2026 1:21 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown causes widespread airport chaos and hardship for federal workers. Unpaid TSA agents and severe weather lead to major travel delays and cancellations. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/17/2026 3:00 PM, Adam Pack, 37576K] reports that Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is seeking to pin the blame on Republicans as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown begins to snarl air travel in his state despite repeatedly voting against funding bills. Ossoff, who is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent running for re-election, has appeared to embrace Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., hardball tactics during the 32-day partial shutdown. The Georgia lawmaker has joined nearly all Democrats in repeatedly voting against full-year DHS funding bills as the party demands reforms to immigration enforcement in exchange for their support for funding the agency. With the shutdown beginning to wreak havoc on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — the world’s largest — Ossoff is showing few signs of breaking ranks with his party to end the funding lapse. Rather, he has chosen to blame Republicans for the current impasse. "Senate Republicans have blocked multiple attempts to pass legislation to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and key agencies," an Ossoff spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Republicans should stop objecting to this common-sense proposal." Republicans have consistently shot down Democrats’ attempts to withhold appropriations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while funding the non-immigration functions of DHS. However, Senate Republicans insist that all DHS employees must be paid and report to work as the nation faces a rise in terror threats.

OutKick [3/17/2026 6:59 PM, Tomi Lahren] reports ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure: Look at those lines, folks. That is the visual representation of how few Fs Democrats give about not only TSA agents and other unpaid DHS workers, but the American people in general. As you know, Democrats have voted 4 times against reopening and funding DHS. They say this is to force Republicans to "reform" immigration enforcement, but even that nonsensical reason is pure performative bulls--t because ICE and CBP are already funded for years under the Big Beautiful Bill. So, yeah, what they’re doing here is even more pathetic. In order to reopen and, ya know, pay the poor people who are working for zilch right now, they DEMAND Republicans agree to make it damn near impossible for immigration law to be enforced. Democrats let these people in, by the way, millions of them, many of whom are dangerous and some of whom are terrorists. They opened the door for us to be slaughtered, defrauded, and ripped off, and now they demand Republicans let it continue. They’re also totally cool with TSA and other workers going without pay just to hammer home the message. But you know this. What I can’t figure out here is why Democrats feel and truly believe this message — again, a totally performative one — is a winner for them. Either they are way off base and tone-deaf, or we have enough absolute morons in this country to make that true. I REALLY hope it’s the former. TSA workers and others going without pay while still showing up to work, thank you. Truly. SA agents make roughly $50K a year. Most of these people live paycheck to paycheck, and that’s when they’re getting a damn paycheck. And this is the SECOND time they’ve had to go without pay in the last 6 months — and the second time Democrats have done it to them. Ya know, life is tricky enough for lower and middle-income working Americans. The last thing they should have to worry about is when they’re gonna get paid for the work they’ve already done. I know hundreds have already quit, and I don’t blame them. I hope President Trump will offer some kind of bonus for these workers who are showing up and doing the work, ironically, so Democrats can coddle illegals who showed up here illegally and either do no work, or take American jobs. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS Philadelphia [3/17/2026 6:26 PM, Laura Fay, 51110K] reports additional security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport are set to close starting Wednesday as a partial government shutdown affecting TSA drags on. The checkpoints at Terminals A-West and F will close starting Wednesday, in addition to Terminal C, which is already closed, according to PHL. TSA PreCheck will be available at Terminals A-East and D/E, the airport website says. The checkpoint in Terminal C closed last week because the partial government shutdown was affecting Transportation Security Administration staffing. PHL said at the time that officials hoped closing the checkpoint would allow TSA agents to fill staffing holes in other terminals. The closures come as the partial government shutdown continues to affect the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol, Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies. Roughly 50,000 TSA officers are being required to work without pay during the Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that began Feb. 14. Affected workers missed their first full paychecks Friday.

CBS News [3/17/2026 7:08 PM, Zachary Bynum, 51110K] reports travelers passing through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport may face longer security lines as staffing shortages affect Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Roughly 36% of TSA employees assigned to the Atlanta airport did not report to work during the ongoing federal funding stalemate, raising concerns about potential disruptions at the world’s busiest airport. The staffing issues come as TSA workers missed their first full paycheck since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February after funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security lapsed. When reached by CBS News Atlanta, airport officials said they are working to keep passenger traffic moving despite the staffing challenges. "Hartsfield-Jackson is working closely with our partners to help manage passenger flow and support the traveling public," the airport said in a statement to CBS News Atlanta. "Travelers are encouraged to allow additional time for security screening and arrive at least three hours ahead of their flights. We appreciate the patience of our passengers and extend our sincere thanks to the federal personnel and airport employees who continue working to safely move travelers through the airport during this time.”

CBS News [3/17/2026 6:34 PM, Jack Fink, 51110K] reports as lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints grow at some airports in Texas and across the country, so too does the sense of frustration among members of Congress of both parties from North Texas. On Friday, the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is set to become the second-longest in U.S. history. It comes during the war against Iran and after four separate incidents, some of them deadly, including the shooting at a bar on 6th Street in Austin, that are being investigated as terror attacks by naturalized citizens. In an interview with CBS News Texas on Tuesday, U.S. Rep.Brandon Gill, R-Flower Mound, blamed Democrats. "We passed a bill out of the House that Democrats agreed to," said Gill. "It was conferenced with the Senate, and they decided to back out of that agreement in order to score political points. This is on them. They’ve got to come to their senses. Holding up this bill makes the country less safe.”

CBS Baltimore [3/17/2026 3:55 PM, J.T. Moodee Lockman, 51110K] reports an EF-1 tornado touched down on Maryland’s Eastern Shore Monday as much of the state experienced severe storms, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The agency’s storm damage survey team determined that the tornado touched down in Ridgely, Caroline County, with maximum winds of 100 mph. Two rounds of severe storms passed through the region on Monday, bringing flooding, damaging winds and power outages. According to the NWS, an area of straight-line winds was also confirmed near Sudlersville and Millington in Queen Anne’s County with estimated wind speeds of 70 to 90 mph. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a State of Preparedness ahead of the storms, and Baltimore leaders mobilized several agencies to prepare for any impacts. The severe weather prompted hundreds of delays and cancellations at BWI Airport, along with several other airports along the East Coast. More than 235 flights were delayed, and 165 were cancelled, according to FlightAware.

CBS Colorado [3/17/2026 2:25 PM, Christa Swanson, 51110K] reports firefighters are working to extinguish a wildfire that broke out in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest on Monday. SJNF staff posted a notice on the national forest’s Facebook page just before 5:45 p.m. stating that a fire sparked on the west side of Highway 550 on national forest land and was burning through the Gambel Oak and Ponderosa Pine trees. In an update Monday night, national forest staff said the fire was burning in steep, rugged terrain. The Los Pinos Fire District constructed a fire line around approximately half of the fire’s footprint, which had grown to about 1.5 acres by late Monday night. Officials said dead trees posed a significant threat to the firefighters. Additional San Juan National Forest firefighters hiked into the area on Tuesday to assist with cutting fire lines and extinguishing heavy fuels. Officials also ordered a Black Hawk helicopter from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to deliver water. The San Juan Hotshots and other national forest crews are assisting the LPFD with containment efforts.

ABC News [3/16/2026 10:14 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports the Coast Guard was able to rescue the man, who authorities say was warned not to venture out due to whiteout conditions. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CyberScoop [3/17/2026 5:30 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports the U.S. government shouldn’t rigidly stick to traditional designations about which agency takes the lead on engaging with critical infrastructure sectors, the acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Tuesday. Sector risk management agency designations have long governed which agency is at the forefront of government efforts to protect each of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, with CISA responsible for eight of them. “When we look at our sector risk management agency construct, that’s important for a lot of reasons, It’s less important to abide by that strictly and say ‘CISA is the Sector Risk Management Agency for telecommunications,’” CISA’s Nick Andersen said at an event hosted by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute. Rather, when responding to cyber incidents or undertaking other engagements with the private sector, the question should be who has the best relationship with a certain sector. “We may have some owner-operators within a certain critical infrastructure sector that maybe the person they’re best positioned to receive resources from is us, or maybe it’s [Department of] Energy, or maybe it’s EPA, or maybe it’s FBI or NSA, or so forth and so on,” he said. “We just have to be comfortable with taking off those blinders and saying, ‘I don’t necessarily need to be in charge all the time no matter who I am. I just need to make sure that this owner-operator has the best partner teed up to lead that engagement.’”

CyberScoop [3/17/2026 4:30 PM, Tim Starks, 122K] reports National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross said Tuesday that the Trump administration isn’t aspiring to enlist the private sector to conduct offensive cyber operations, but instead to help the government by keeping them abreast of the threats they’re facing. The recently-released national cyber strategy talks about incentivizing companies to disrupt the networks of adversaries. “I’m not talking about the private sector, industry or companies engaging in a cyber offensive campaign,” Cairncross said at an event hosted by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute. “What I’m talking about are the technical capabilities, the ability of our private sector to illuminate the battlefield from what they’re seeing, to inform and share information so that the USG [U.S. government] can respond to get ahead of things.” The idea of enabling U.S. companies to undertake disruptive or offensive campaigns against malicious hackers, or to at least aid in U.S. government offensive operations, has regained currency in some GOP circles in recent years. Some companies have shown an interest in doing so, especially if laws are changed to make it more viable. That trend coincides with growing calls from Trump administration officials — and now the release of the cybersecurity strategy — to go on the offense against hackers, although Cairncross emphasized again that the strategy pillar to “shape adversary behavior” isn’t just about conducting cyber offensive campaigns, but to use other government mechanisms to put pressure on hackers, be they legal or diplomatic. The government can go about shaping the “risk calculus” “in a more agile fashion” with private sector help, he said.

FOX News [3/17/2026 7:52 PM, Nora Moriarty, 37576K] reports Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Democrats of holding the government hostage during a dangerous time as the party refuses to budge in a gridlocked funding battle. "They are holding all these agencies of government hostage, including TSA, including the cyber office – which runs all of our cyber operations – and here we are living in a dangerous world where we’re worrying about Iranian cyber operations," he said. Thune joined "Special Report" on Tuesday to discuss the congressional gridlock caused by Democrats over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and passage of the SAVE America Act. Thune’s comments come as airports nationwide face massive disruptions and long wait times with TSA agents not showing up to work because of the partial government shutdown of DHS. "There are a whole range of DHS functions that are funded by that appropriations bill that the Democrats are choosing not to open," he said. "I don’t know how you can defend a ‘defund law enforcement’… argument which is essentially what they’re making.” The Senate voted Tuesday to open debate on the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. "This is about safe and secure elections in this country and making sure that we have an election process that is actually with the right people, not just the illegals who are in this country, have an opportunity to vote," Thune said. Thune explained to Fox News what the GOP’s objective is with the upcoming debate discussions. "What we wanted to do is put them on the record, force them to defend a position which we think is indefensible, particularly with where the American people are on this," he told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier. The SAVE America Act is part of President Donald Trump’s hallmark legislative agenda. He has threatened to not approve any other bills unless Congress complies with his demands. Thune said voter identification is "broadly" supported by Americans of all political parties and that Democrats’ maneuvering on the issue could be an opportunity for the GOP to capitalize politically. "I think that’s a fairly simple position and one that Democrats ought to eventually get on board with," he told Fox News. "But if they don’t, it’s obviously an issue that we [GOP] will be able to use, I think, in the fall elections. So, it has politics around it.”

FedScoop [3/17/2026 6:30 PM, Lindsey Wilkinson, 56K] reports the Federal Aviation Administration is gathering information from potential private-sector partners to inform the buildout of its defenses against cyber and quantum threats, according to documents published this month. The cybersecurity-focused market survey and quantum-related request for information are targeting the systems at the core of the Department of Transportation component’s multiyear, multibillion dollar modernization initiative: the National Airspace System and Air Traffic Control. The FAA is looking for vendors that could improve its information security and operations, such as penetration testing, vulnerability evaluations and incident response coordination among other tasks. The scope of the project also includes assessing the current NAS cybersecurity posture to identify capability gaps, test emerging tech tools and recommend improvements. The DOT component is also planning to move its NAS, ATC and IT systems infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography, a concept centered around mitigating attacks from future quantum computers by adopting new encryption methods.

Univision [3/17/2026 5:17 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the agency added Vietnamese-born Trung Duc Lu and American Samuel Ramirez to its list. Ramirez was captured in a joint operation with Mexican authorities just days after being added to the most wanted list, as detailed by FBI Assistant Director of the Criminal Division, Heath Janke, at a press conference. Aguirre is accused of leading an international network that allegedly steals millions of dollars from financial institutions in the United States to finance the transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua, designated by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization. Janke emphasized that this is the first time a cybercriminal has appeared on the most wanted list. US authorities are also searching for Lu, an alleged member of the "Born to Kill" gang, for his involvement in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of two Vietnamese brothers in Philadelphia in August 2014. The fugitive, who lived in the Queens borough of New York, was indicted by a federal court in Pennsylvania in 2019 on several charges, including conspiracy to kidnap, interstate travel for criminal purposes, extortion, and marijuana distribution. Meanwhile, Samuel Ramirez, according to Janke, is in US custody awaiting homicide charges for the killing of two women during a shooting at a bar in Washington state. After his inclusion on the list was made public, investigators located him in Sinaloa, Mexico, where he was arrested by Mexican agents before being extradited to the United States.

AP [3/17/2026 11:30 AM, Michael Kunzelman, 1323K] reports that President Donald Trump’s sweeping act of clemency for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol also should apply to a man charged with planting pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, the suspect’s attorneys argue in a bid to get his case dismissed. In a court filing Monday, defense attorneys assert that Trump’s blanket pardons extend to the charges against Brian J. Cole Jr. because his alleged conduct on Jan. 5, 2021, is “inextricably tethered” to what happened at the Capitol on the following day. They’re asking U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to throw out the case before trial. Justice Department prosecutors didn’t immediately respond in writing to the defense’s request. In a previous court filing, prosecutors said Cole, under questioning by FBI agents, denied that his actions were related to the Jan. 6 proceedings at the Capitol. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of all 1,500-plus people charged in the attack by a mob of his supporters. Nearly a year later, Cole was arrested on charges that he placed two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night before the riot. The devices didn’t detonate before law enforcement officers discovered them on Jan. 6.

The AP [3/17/2026 11:24 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports a shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico on Tuesday left one person dead and another wounded, according to military officials. The Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, in southern New Mexico, was put on lockdown at about 5:30 p.m. because of reports of an active shooter near the base convenience store, according to a statement released by the 49th Wing. The person wounded has been taken for medical treatment, according to the statement. Security officials confirmed the base is safe and the lockdown was lifted. “Emergency personnel are responding to the situation and there is no threat at this time,” the statement said. The base convenience store was closed until further notice, the base said in a post on Facebook. Neither the names of the people shot nor additional details on the shooting have been released. The roughly 93-square-mile (240-square-kilometer) base houses the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and includes combat-ready airmen and guardians, according to its website. USA Today [3/17/2026 11:24 PM, Thao Nguyen, 70643K] reports that the lockdown was lifted shortly after when security forces personnel confirmed that the area was safe. Military officials did not provide further details on the incident but said one person was dead and another had been wounded. The person who was injured was transported for medical treatment, according to the 49th Wing. “Emergency personnel are responding to the situation and there is no threat at this time,” the 49th Wing said in the statement. The Holloman Air Force Base was originally established in 1942 as an air field west of Alamogordo, about 90 miles north of El Paso, Texas. The base is primarily home to the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and provides "combat-ready airmen and guardians," according to its website.

NewsMax [3/17/2026 5:57 PM, James Morley III, 3760K] reports a senior Pentagon official told lawmakers Tuesday that U.S. military operations targeting Latin American drug cartels are likely to expand, potentially including ground deployments, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, Politico reported. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Humire described the current effort, Operation Southern Spear, as "just the beginning," defending ongoing lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats as necessary deterrence. Since early September, U.S. forces have conducted 45 strikes, killing at least 157 people and contributing to reported declines in maritime trafficking routes. Democrats sharply criticized the operation as an open-ended conflict lacking clear objectives or legal grounding. Lawmakers questioned whether the strikes comply with rules of engagement and warned they could amount to extrajudicial killings.

CNN [3/17/2026 6:26 PM, Sol Amaya, 19874K] reports like the Lernaean Hydra of Greek mythology, the serpentine monster that grew two new heads for every one cut off, organized crime in Latin America is proving difficult to defeat with the kind of decapitation strategy apparently favored by President Donald Trump. For every drug kingpin who falls, several others are willing to succeed him. On March 7, Trump convened a gathering he dubbed the Shield of the Americas Summit at his golf club in Doral, Florida, where a dozen Latin American leaders agreed to form a "military coalition" against organized crime. In a speech to attendees, Trump described it as "a coalition to eradicate the cartels." But analysts consulted by CNN agree that decapitating criminal organizations is unlikely to end the problem of drug trafficking. Besides the availability of candidates to replace the fallen leader, fights to succeed him often create fragmentation and violent struggles, complicating the state’s ability to respond.

New York Times [3/17/2026 9:12 AM, Vivian Nereim, 148038K] reports it took only a few days of Iranian attacks before the Persian Gulf states, which have long relied on American security guarantees, decided they needed more help. Despite the presence of major U.S. bases, or because of them, Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at the Gulf. And the costly American-made interceptors these nations relied on were in short supply globally. So Saudi Arabia reached out to Ukraine, a nation with experience fending off Russian drones modeled on Iranian ones. The United Arab Emirates got help from France and Australia. And several Gulf governments asked Italy to provide anti-drone and antiaircraft systems. The Gulf’s authoritarian leaders, close American allies, have long questioned the value of their American security guarantees. Now, they are in the cross hairs of a regional war that their ally, the United States, started. And complaints about the limited value of American protection are growing louder.

Washington Examiner [3/17/2026 12:34 PM, Lauren Green, 1147K] reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) plans to move forward with a clean extension for the federal government’s foreign spy powers amid threats of Iranian terrorist cells. Johnson announced Tuesday he plans to move forward with a clean extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, despite a push to attach a voter identification bill or include reforms to the legislation. "My plan is to move a clean extension of FISA, as you know, FISA and Section 702, is responsible for the large measure of intelligence that we use to protect and keep Americans safe, it expires in April, and we’re looking at that deadline and hoping that we can get a clean authorization done for at least 18 months now," Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. "Last time it was up for reauthorization, we instituted 56 substantive reforms to FISA; by every measure and review, those are working just as we planned. We’ve not had the abuses that were happening before those reforms," he continued. FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of non-citizens overseas and was last re-upped in 2024, lapses next month and is coming under a spotlight amid the Iran war and warnings of domestic terrorist cells ready to inflict revenge attacks. GOP rebels are promising to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, legislation requiring ID to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship to register to vote, to the FISA bill.

Washington Post [3/17/2026 2:24 PM, Adam Taylor, 24826K] reports that the State Department has ordered all U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide to “immediately” undertake security evaluations, citing “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a cable sent Tuesday that was reviewed by The Washington Post. The cable stated that “ALL posts worldwide” should convene Emergency Action Committees (EAC), multidisciplinary teams designed to identify and plan for threats, and to review their “security posture.” The cable was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and stated that the order had come from Undersecretary for Management Jason Evans. Though similar orders have been sent to diplomatic posts in the Middle East over past weeks, Tuesday’s order appeared to mark the first time that all posts globally had been ordered to review their security due to the Iran war. The State Department declined to comment beyond saying that the disclosure of internal communications was “inappropriate” and that EAC meetings were “a standard element of our risk management and preparedness protocols.” Multiple U.S. embassies have been targeted by Iran and its proxies since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign started Feb. 28, with several missions temporarily closing and U.S. personnel ordered to leave several countries. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was left partially “unrecoverable” after a drone attack this month, with parts of the roof “collapsed” and other areas contaminated by smoke, according to assessments reviewed by The Post. Though most of the threats have focused on the U.S. presence in the Middle East, there have also been several incidents of violence elsewhere, including gunshots outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and an explosion near the U.S. Embassy in Oslo.

Daily Wire [3/17/2026 5:59 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2314K] reports President Donald Trump said Monday that he could do "anything" he wants with Cuba, suggesting the United States could potentially take over the island nation and topple its communist government. When asked about his plans, Trump said he believed he would "have the honor of taking Cuba" in "some form." After capturing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and launching a military operation against Iran, Trump has said that Cuba could be the next focus of his administration. "I mean whether I free it, take it, I could do anything I want with it," Trump said during an event at the White House. "They are a very weakened nation right now. They were for a long time, very violent, very violent leaders. Castro was a very violent leader. His brother is a very violent leader. Extremely violent. That’s how they governed. They governed with violence, but a lot of people would like to go back." Trump, who has restricted oil shipments to Cuba through sanctions, said Cuban leaders are now in talks with U.S. officials. "They’re talking to us. It’s a failed nation. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing," Trump said.

Reuters [3/17/2026 11:40 AM, Feras Dalatey, Maya Gebeily, and Timour Azhari, 38315K] reports that the United States has encouraged Syria to consider sending forces into eastern Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah, but Damascus is reluctant to embark on such a mission for fear of being sucked into the war in the Middle East and inflaming sectarian tensions, five people briefed on the matter said. The proposal to Syria’s U.S.-allied government reflects intensifying moves to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, which opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon. The idea was first discussed by U.S. and Syrian officials last year, said two of the sources - both Syrian officials - and two others familiar with the discussions. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The idea was raised again by U.S. officials around the time the U.S. and Israel began their war against Iran. The two Syrian officials said a U.S. request came shortly before the war began. A Western intelligence source said it was just after it started. Reuters spoke to 10 sources for this article - six Syrian officials and government advisors, two Western diplomats, a European official and a Western intelligence source. All said Syria’s Sunni Islamist-led government had been cautiously considering a cross-border operation but remained hesitant. U.S. encouragement for a Syrian operation in eastern ⁠Lebanon and Syria’s hesitation to carry one out have not previously been reported.

AP [3/17/2026 5:19 PM, Melanie Lidman, Jon Gambrell and Justin Spike, 35287K] reports Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official, was widely believed to be running the country as it reeled from the killing of its supreme leader and a widening war. Israel said Tuesday that it killed Larijani in an overnight strike. Israel’s military also said it killed Iranian Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, who led a powerful internal security force that has crushed waves of mass protests against the Shiite theocracy. Iranian authorities later confirmed both deaths. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top security officials were killed in the surprise U.S. and Israeli strikes that started the war. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, who was appointed to replace him, has not been seen in public, and Israel suspects he was wounded. The killing of top leaders has so far had little impact on the war itself, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard continues to fire missiles at Israel and Arab Gulf countries. Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, sending prices up and rattling the world economy.

New York Times [3/17/2026 3:23 PM, Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman and Farnaz Fassihi, 330K] reports the Israeli military killed the man who was both Iran’s top national security official and its de facto ruler during the war, Iran and Israel said on Tuesday, dealing another severe blow to a regime that has been hammered by nearly three weeks of punishing U.S.-Israeli strikes. The killing of the official, Ali Larijani, removes one of Iran’s most prominent voices of defiance and underscores Israel’s ability to target Iran’s most senior military and political figures. The Israeli military also killed the head of the Basij, a powerful Iranian paramilitary force, Israel and Iran said. Israel announced their deaths on the same day that Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, became the first senior member of the Trump administration to quit over the war with Iran. In a letter to President Trump, which he posted on social media, Mr. Kent argued that Israeli officials and the American news media had deployed a “misinformation campaign” that had undermined Mr. Trump’s “America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.” His resignation widened a growing rift within Mr. Trump’s political movement over the war and, more broadly, over Israel and its role in American foreign policy. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Mr. Kent wrote. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Mr. Larijani, 67, a former speaker of the Iranian Parliament and the head of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, had helped Iran prepare for war and was a close confidant of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader who was killed in an Israeli airstrike at the start of the bombing campaign on Feb. 28. Despite his stature within the regime, he was seen as an influential pragmatist with the clout to negotiate with the United States. His death could embolden Iranian hard-liners who believe that the Islamic republic can survive only by reinforcing its repressive rule. The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had also killed Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij, a large paramilitary force deployed by the Iranian authorities to enforce security and violently suppress dissent. Fars, an Iranian news agency, later posted a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards confirming that General Soleimani had been killed. Iranian state media also confirmed that Mr. Larijani had been killed and called him a martyr. A funeral procession for Mr. Larijani will be held on Wednesday, Fars reported, along with a funeral for Iranian naval officers who were killed when their frigate was torpedoed by an American submarine off Sri Lanka. Mr. Larijani’s death immediately heightened anxiety within Iran about the direction of the war and the country’s future, according to two Iranian officials. He was among a group of officials whom Ayatollah Khamenei had asked to devise a plan to ensure the Islamic republic would survive if he were assassinated, according to senior Iranian officials.

Reuters [3/18/2026 3:27 AM, Cara Angeline Oliver, 38315K] reports Iran says an Israeli strike killed its top security chief, triggering retaliation and escalating a war already shaking global energy markets. It all comes as U.S. President Donald Trump clashes with allies over the Strait of Hormuz and the resignation of his top counterterrorism official.

Wall Street Journal [3/17/2026 9:00 PM, Dov Lieber, Benoit Faucon, and Shayndi Raice, 646K] reports Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, strolled confidently in dark sunglasses and a black coat Friday through a rally of regime loyalists in central Tehran. It was his first public appearance in a war in which he was a known target. “Brave people. Brave officials. Brave leaders. This combination cannot be defeated,” he wrote later on X. Four days later, he was dead. Early Tuesday morning, Israel’s intelligence services found Larijani gathered with other officials at a hideout on the outskirts of Tehran and killed him with a missile strike. That same night, Israel got a tip from ordinary Iranians that the leader of the feared Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, was holing up with his deputies in a tent in a wooded area in Tehran. It was the sort of payoff Israel had been hoping for after blowing up Basij headquarters and command posts for more than two weeks, forcing its members to gather out in the open. Soleimani, too, was struck and killed. Israeli and American leaders said at the outset that the war with Iran would create the conditions for Iranians to topple their regime. The killings early Tuesday were milestones in that campaign made possible by the fast-accumulating damage from airstrikes and a growing harvest of intelligence about possible targets. With thousands of regime members killed—from top leaders to street-level grunts—Iranians are reporting that a sense of disorder is starting to take hold. Security forces are under stress and on the run as they threaten protesters to stay off the streets and direct strikes at the U.S., Israel and Arab neighbors across the Persian Gulf. Detailed target lists and battle-damage reports viewed by The Wall Street Journal give an inside look at the enormous effort being deployed to wear them down. The documents show the effort began in the early days of the war and continues to ramp up. Israel is chasing security forces from their headquarters to muster points then on to hide-outs under bridges in an effort to disrupt their activity and show Iranians that the enforcers are being taken out. So far Israel says it has dropped 10,000 munitions on thousands of different targets, including more than 2,200 related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij and other internal security forces. It believes thousands have been killed or wounded.

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