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 [3/20/2026 5:13 PM, Chris Cameron and Carol Rosenberg, 148038K] reports the U.S. military struck a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, sinking the vessel and leaving three men adrift at sea, the Defense Department said on Friday. Hours later, the U.S. Coast Guard said it recovered two dead bodies and one survivor from the same area and turned them over to Costa Rica’s Coast Guard. A Coast Guard spokesman did not directly connect the rescue operation to the boat strike, instead saying that U.S. Southern Command notified them of “three individuals in distress,” a phrase usually used in a peacetime and civilian context. The U.S. Southern Command announced the strike on social media with a 16-second video clip that showed a small boat moving in the water suddenly exploding. The end of the video shows the vessel burning. The U.S. authorities did not provide details about the survivor, whose nationality is unknown. U.S. Southern Command had said in its own statement that it had “notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.” Thursday’s strike, the 46th of its kind since the campaign started in September, raised the death toll from the strikes to at least 159. Legal specialists on the use of lethal force have said the strikes are illegal, extrajudicial killings because the military cannot deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat of violence, even if they are suspected of engaging in criminal acts. When people survive the initial strikes that blow up the boats, the Coast Guard is dispatched to find them. Most of those survivors are never found, and they are presumed dead. U.S. officials have been directed to send any rescued survivors back to their home countries or to a third country, to avoid potential court cases involving survivors in U.S. jurisdiction that could force the Trump administration to show evidence justifying the lethal boat strikes. The AP [3/20/2026 8:18 PM PM, Javier Córdoba, 31753K] reports Steven Umaña, regional operations coordinator for the Costa Rican Red Cross, said that at 8:15 a.m. Friday he received the alert from the Coast Guard about a shipwreck. "Upon arrival, one person was found with severe burns and significant chest trauma and was transported in critical condition to the Golfito Hospital. In addition, two people were found with no vital signs," Umaña said. Such strikes have been sharply criticized by governments in the region as the Trump administration has taken a more aggressive approach toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including staging a military operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. According to the SOUTHCOM report, on Thursday the U.S. carried out a "lethal kinetic strike" on a boat it said was operated by a criminal group the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. A video posted by the administration shows an explosion of the boat. "Intelligence confirmed that the low-profile vessel was transiting known drug trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific and was involved in drug trafficking operations," the post said. The Washington Post [3/20/2026 6:35 PM, Alex Horton, 24826K] reports that the strike was the 46th since early September, officials said, totaling 159 people killed. All three people onboard survived the strike, the statement said. The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf diverted from its patrol to comb the site of the attack, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Later, one survivor and two deceased people were recovered and transferred to the Costa Rican Coast Guard, the statement said. The operation is only the second known instance of suspected traffickers who survived an attack and lived long enough for rescuers to arrive. Thirteen people have survived initial strikes but are presumed dead after suspended searches, according to Pentagon figures. An October strike in the Atlantic left two survivors and two people killed, and although the Trump administration and Pentagon have described traffickers as narco-terrorists, the two survivors were repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador without facing charges in the United States.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [3/20/2026 2:04 PM, Staff, 38315K]
NBC News [3/20/2026 1:13 PM, Dareh Gregorian and Mosheh Gains, 42967K]
FOX News [3/20/2026 2:02 PM, Alexandra Koch, 37576K]

ABC News [3/20/2026 4:39 PM, Allison Pecorin and Lalee Ibssa, 34146K] reports Democrats once again on Friday blocked a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security on Friday as they continue to insist on reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection in exchange for funding the agency. It marks the fifth time since the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security -- which began in mid-February -- that the funding bill has failed to be advanced in the Senate. The vote comes as many federal workers continue to go unpaid and travelers face massive lines at airports as Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay call out. The bill that Republicans put forward on Friday to fund all of DHS would have needed 60 votes to advance. It fell short by a vote of 47-37. Democrats have said they will fund the department only if changes are made to the agency in the wake of the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this year. Democrats said that they will continue to block funding until their demands on body cameras, judicial warrants and unmasking officers are met. There are signs of potential progress though as Border Czar Tom Homan met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday to discuss DHS funding, and Majority Leader John Thune told ABC News that there will be another meeting between lawmakers and Homan later Friday. These meetings follow repeated demands by Democrats for the White House to engage in the negotiations over ICE reform. Thune said that Friday’s meeting with Homan would be critical in determining whether there could be movement on funding. Murray, who was part of the negotiations with Homan Thursday, said that the conversations were "productive," but that the "basic challenges remain." She said that Democrats remain "very far apart" from Republicans and the White House on a path forward. With long airport security lines plaguing travelers across the country, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are feeling the heat to hammer out a deal. As negotiations continue there have been efforts by Democrats to fund other agencies in DHS other than ICE -- like the Coast Guard, TSA, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. But Republicans have blocked those efforts, saying that Democrats need to negotiate a full funding package rather than taking a piecemeal approach. Democrats are expected to continue efforts to fund these agencies, including TSA, while negotiations proceed. But right now, it does not seem that Republicans are open to this approach. CBS News [3/20/2026 4:39 PM, Caitlin Yilek, 51110K] reports Schumer said that lawmakers would have another chance to fund TSA on Saturday, when a procedural vote on legislation funding the individual agency is expected.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [3/20/2026 5:51 PM, Josh Christenson, 40934K]
AP [3/20/2026 6:13 PM, Kevin Freking]
CNN [3/20/2026 8:43 PM, Morgan Rimmer, Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, 612K]
Daily Caller [3/20/2026 4:05 PM, Andi Shae Napier, 803K]

The Hill [3/20/2026 3:54 PM, Alexander Bolton, 18170K] reports the shutdown of the Department of the Homeland Security (DHS) stretched to 35 days on Friday as Senate Democrats voted to block a House-passed bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical federal agencies. A motion to advance the bill failed 47-37, falling short of the 60 votes it needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster. Centrist Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote “yes.” Sixteen senators from both parties missed the Friday vote. It marked the fifth time that Democrats voted to block the Homeland Security Appropriations bill since funding for the department expired on Feb. 14. Democrats have dug in their heels against any bill that would fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without implementing reforms to immigration enforcement operations, such as requiring federal officers to obtain judicial warrants before entering homes and banning them from wearing masks. Democrats have instead offered proposals to split off funding for TSA, the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies from the parts of the Homeland Security Department responsible for immigration enforcement. Democrats have attempted several times to pass this funding via unanimous consent, but Republicans have objected each time. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said Democrats will force a vote Saturday on a proposal to fund TSA and alleviate long waits at security lines around the country, which have grown to several hours at some airports. Schumer offered a motion Thursday to invoke cloture on Senate Rule XXV to set up Saturday’s vote on funding TSA but not ICE or CBP. Homan will meet with Democrats again later in the day Friday to continue the negotiations. FOX News [3/20/2026 3:49 PM, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports long airport lines and rising concerns about threats at home weren’t enough to stop Senate Democrats from blocking Homeland Security funding again Friday. The latest failed attempt comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown hit its 35th day, tying it for the second-longest shutdown in history. As airport lines stretch for blocks and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents go without pay, and concerns about further attacks in the U.S. increase after two shootings last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus aren’t budging. They have tried several times to force votes on standalone funding bills for other portions of DHS that don’t involve immigration operations, including several attempts to pay TSA agents, which have been blocked. Democrats, after over two weeks of radio silence, sent the White House another counteroffer. The administration dubbed it an unserious effort by Democrats and, in response, made public a list of five concessions it was willing to offer to reopen DHS. But that offer and public counter led to a closed-door meeting with border czar Tom Homan on Capitol Hill on Thursday, where Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Katie Britt, R-Ala.; Angus King, I-Maine; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; and Patty Murray, D-Wash., had the first real face-to-face meeting of the shutdown. That same group is expected to meet again on Friday, Thune said. They plan to force a vote on just funding TSA, which will also likely fail. And Thune isn’t keen on letting lawmakers leave Washington, D.C., again until the government reopens, given that after next week, they’ll get a two-week break for Easter.

FOX News [3/21/2026 5:16 AM, Leo Briceno, 37576K] reports as a partial government shutdown blows past the one-month mark, Democrats are demanding lawmakers shrink the size of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) funding lapse — while leaving out the agency at the heart of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in their view, can stay shut down. "We already said we’d open everything in the department except ICE, so the answer is yes," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said when asked about partial funding for DHS. "Republicans won’t agree because they’re trying to hold the security of the country hostage." His position was echoed by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. "We need to fund every aspect of it other than ICE. We’re going to fight on the ICE funding. I mean, they already have $75 billion," Khanna said, noting that ICE itself already received funding through Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. In light of those appropriations, Republicans believe Democrats have assumed an unsustainable position as they continue to shoot down efforts to fund DHS in its entirety. "They’re not interested in reopening, right? Their whole thing is: ‘Okay, we’re doing a shutdown to go out there and affect ICE and Border Patrol.’ But ICE and border patrol are the ones that are not even affected by this shutdown. They’re funded by the One Big, Beautiful Bill that passed previously," Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., said. "How long do I foresee Democrats lying to their base? Forever," Mast added. Calls to implement the partial funding stance have grown louder since the shutdown first began.

NewsNation [3/20/2026 1:18 PM, Ali Bradley and Jeff Arnold, 4464K] reports that Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, is again being called into action by the White House, this time in an effort to bring a partial government shutdown involving the Department of Homeland Security to an end. Homan met Thursday with a group of centrist Democrats as the shutdown, which has dragged on for more than a month, continues. The meeting thrust Homan back into the spotlight after Trump called Homan into Minneapolis in late January to quell the controversy created by the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. The meeting between the border czar and Democrats lasted for more than an hour. The Trump administration has blamed Democrats for the shutdown, which has snarled traffic at airports across the country, as TSA workers, who are under the DHS umbrella, have gone unpaid during the now 44-day shutdown. The Democrats who met with Homan on Thursday have broken away from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in an effort to help negotiations with Republicans move forward. More than 120,000 DHS employees are working without pay during the shutdown, as travelers attempting to navigate U.S. airports have experienced serious delays as staffing shortages have created headaches for Americans attempting to take to the skies. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday that conditions will only worsen if the shutdown does not end soon.

NPR [3/21/2026 6:00 AM, Ximena Bustillo, 34837K] reports families are having an even harder time than usual talking to loved ones in immigration detention or finding out where they’re located during the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown, a Texas Democrat says. The plight of families adds to the patchwork of complaints from Democratic lawmakers and attorneys about oversight and other issues while the agency enters a sixth week without government funding. "I have had numerous constituents reach out to my office who have been unable to locate family members or secure medical treatments for those held in detention, all while Members of Congress continue to receive inconsistent responses from this administration regarding the scope of their oversight authority and the role of the agency during a lapse in funding," Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, said in a statement provided to NPR. The White House and Republicans have spent the last month blaming Democrats for the shutdown, which has slowed some operations across the agency. During a recent confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to be the new head of the department, Republicans criticized the shutdown and argued that it was blocking necessary programs while allowing immigration enforcement to continue. Democrats have sought changes to immigration enforcement before funding the agency. But Johnson says politics shouldn’t stop oversight.

NewsMax [3/20/2026 8:50 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports U.S. cybersecurity has been "minimized if not eliminated" by the Democrats’ refusal to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told Newsmax on Friday, warning that the ongoing standoff is putting Americans at risk. Appearing on "Wake Up America," Meuser said the partial shutdown of DHS is having far-reaching consequences beyond airport delays, impacting everything from counterterrorism efforts to cyber defense. "Cybersecurity has been minimized if not eliminated," Meuser said. "That’s a big deal." The Pennsylvania Republican pointed to disruptions affecting multiple agencies under DHS, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which plays a key role in defending U.S. networks from foreign threats. The shutdown has already led to long airport lines and strained TSA operations, but Meuser emphasized the more serious concern is the reduced ability to detect and stop bad actors. Meuser also highlighted a recent Capitol Hill visit by former ICE Director Tom Homan, who met with Senate Republicans and some moderate Democrats to outline the risks posed by the funding impasse. Homan, known for his tough stance on border enforcement, reportedly stressed the urgent need to restore DHS operations amid growing national security concerns.

Daily Caller [3/20/2026 8:36 PM, Mariane Angela, 803K] reports Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman criticized his own party Friday, saying that Democratic leadership puts political games ahead of federal workers’ livelihoods. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reports that the shutdown has forced numerous agencies—including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—to operate under "emergency protocols." Appearing on "The Record with Greta Van Susteren," Fetterman said he was the only Democrat to resist shutting down the government, warning that the ongoing closure punishes employees while doing nothing to advance policy goals. "I was the only Democrat through this entire thing to refuse to shut our government down. This is wrong. Now you can want to reform ICE. That’s reasonable, now, but it has no impact on that directly," Fetterman told Greta Van Susteren, before mentioning long lines at airports nationwide. "Now, look what happened in Michigan. You had an individual with a connection with Hezbollah. He came driving into the synagogue in Michigan, looking to kill 150 toddlers there. So with all the kinds of security, not just TSA, all of DHS is shut down at that. So that’s also our cybersecurity agency, that’s another part of it," Fetterman said. Earlier this month, a man drove a truck carrying explosives into a synagogue in Michigan, breaking through its entrance. Israeli officials later reported that the assailant’s brother once held a leadership position in the extremist group Hezbollah. (RELATED: TSA Calls To End Now 25 Day ‘Democrat Shutdown’ With Airport Lines Out The Door, Terror Threats Abounding). Fetterman criticized Democrats for prioritizing political goals over public safety. "For me, the Democrats are afraid of their base to just tell them, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do the right thing. We’re gonna reopen this.’ I will work for the new Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin. That’s why I voted for him. We agree on many, many things about our Homeland Security," Fetterman added. "So I know I’ve been taking some heat from voting for him, but again, he’s a good guy and he’s someone that I can work with. And now why? Let’s just reopen DHS, pay everybody, stop all these lines and make our nation more secure.” The Senate failed Friday to end the partial government shutdown as Democrats, for the second time in under a year, withheld votes over a policy dispute. With attendance low, the chamber fell short of the 60 votes needed in a 47-37 tally on the 35th day of the DHS shutdown, leaving TSA workers unpaid during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote to reopen the government. The rest of his party remains united blocking full funding for DHS until their proposed sweeping changes to ICE and CBP are approved.

The Hill [3/20/2026 4:05 PM, Sarah Davis, 18170K] reports Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Republicans should move to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a two-step funding process to overcome Democratic opposition. The department has been shut down for more than a month as Democrats continue to demand major reforms to DHS’s immigration enforcement arms, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The Louisiana Republican told Dasha Burns, the host of C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” show, that the Senate could approve a funding bill for all agencies under DHS except for ICE and then pass a separate funding measure for the immigration agency through a reconciliation bill. The reconciliation process would allow Republicans to override the Senate’s 60-vote majority requirement and only require a simple majority of 51 votes in order to pass the funding measure. On Thursday, President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, met with several centrist Democratic lawmakers to discuss a path forward on the funding bill. The group did not reach a resolution, and Homan said they will “keep talking.”

Breitbart [3/20/2026 9:48 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports that, on Friday’s broadcast of MS NOW’s “The Weeknight,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said that Democrats are “going to hold firm” on the DHS shutdown “and Republicans will be held accountable.” Co-host Michael Steele asked, “[A]re you going to hold the line and keep this administration on the point that ICE is out of control, you’re prepared to give you everything else, you’re — you want to talk TSA, here’s the bill and the money, you want to talk about other national security interests because we’re right now at war, here’s the bill and the money. But ICE, on our streets, terrorizing our citizens, until you clean that up with masks off and weapons down, no cash for them? Is that the message, or how do you guys see this weekend playing out?” Blumenthal answered, “Well, first, let me just say, I have no objection to working through the weekend. Normally, I’d be working through the weekend in Connecticut. But, yes, we’re going to hold firm, because we have seen the videos, so has America, and the people of America are absolutely appalled, they’re demanding reforms. And, tomorrow, we’re going to have a vote on a measure to fund TSA, and Republicans will be held accountable. We want to fund TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA, and Republicans have been objecting to a unanimous consent resolution that would pay them.” Blumenthal added, “What we have left is simply — as you’ve put it so well — the question of whether we fund an agency that is out of control, needs to be reined in, lawless and reckless, dragging people out of their cars and their homes without judicial warrants, putting them in unmarked cars, masked agents with no identification, that’s not America. And we need to impose this discipline.”

FOX News [3/20/2026 11:00 AM, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports that the top Senate Republican argued that while Senate Democrats may be the ones voting against reopening the government, they’re not the ones calling the shots. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital in an interview that as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues, it’s Democrats’ voters who are pushing them to continue blocking funding for the agency. "The Democrats up here on the Hill are so afraid of their far-left base," Thune said. "And I think the far-left base, their demand right now, is defund ICE, defund law enforcement, which is not, by any stretch, a reasonable position." The agency has been shut down for 35 days, putting the latest closure into record-breaking territory. Senate Democrats have, so far, blocked four attempts to reopen the agency over demands for stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and how agents operate in the field. Negotiations had ground to a halt for several weeks, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus staying quiet on the latest offer from the White House. That communication breakdown began to thaw this week when Democrats responded with an offer the White House dubbed unserious. And signs of a deal further improved on Thursday when a handful of Democratic negotiators sat down for the first time with Senate Republicans and border czar Tom Homan.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 2:02 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports Friday on Fox News Channel’s "Americas Newsroom," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said the Democratic Party’s "hatred of President Trump is just so much greater than what they know is in the best interest of the safety" of the American people. While discussing the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Thune said, "I never thought I would see the day when a political party in this country, the Democrat Party, their hatred of President Trump is just so much greater than what they know is in the best interest of the safety and security of the American people. I mean, this department has been shut down now for 35 days. The administration has been trying for all 35 of those days to get the Democrats to the table. You mentioned the meeting that happened yesterday. Finally, the Democrats were shamed into sitting down with Tom Homan and with Republican senators to actually talk about this. But we’ve got to get this solved. And, the Democrats are just playing politics with it. They seem to be happy with where we’re at. One of their leaders the other day said, we’re very serene, very serene with where things are. Well, I can tell you one thing. The American people aren’t serene, and their safety and security is at risk the longer this drags on." He added, "All the all of the department, these law enforcement agencies, they need to be funded. Obviously, the Coast Guard needs to be funded. FEMA needs to be funded. Our cyber programs in this country need to be funded. These are all things that are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security. And all agencies and functions that are shut down right now because of the Democrats 35 day shutdown.”

Washington Examiner [3/20/2026 7:00 AM, Christian Datoc, 1147K] reports the war in Iran and the Department of Homeland Security shutdown are pushing President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal 2027 far beyond the standard delivery window, Trumpworld insiders say. Congress sets a statutory deadline for the president to deliver a budget request for the coming fiscal year by the first Monday of February, but recent presidents have trended toward submitting their requests weeks after delivering the annual State of the Union address. Still, Trump is just days away from hitting a month since his State of the Union address, and multiple sources pointed to Iran and the DHS shutdown for the delay. Two former administration officials, both of whom maintain close contacts with the White House and are familiar with the budget timeline, tell the Washington Examiner that the White House Office of Management and Budget had been targeting a late-March submission, but that it remains to be seen whether that window will extend further into April. "It’s still [to be decided], but the latest chatter is OMB is slow-rolling it while the overseas situation and DHS lane shake out. They don’t want to lock in numbers or policy positions that could get overtaken by events or complicate the Hill strategy," one of those sources explained. "My guess is it comes once there’s a bit more stability on both fronts."

FOX News [3/20/2026 10:49 AM, Alex Nitzberg, 37576K] reports that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have both endorsed Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., for U.S. Senate. "Kevin Hern is a proven conservative leader and fighter for Oklahomans in the House, where he has championed our shared Republican agenda. He will be a great asset in the Senate and has my full support and endorsement," Thune said in a statement. "Kevin Hern is a principled conservative, Oklahoma-first leader who knows what it means to create jobs and unleash prosperity. He is a fighter for President Trump’s agenda, and we’re excited to welcome him to our Republican majority as Oklahoma’s next Senator," Scott said in a statement. President Donald Trump has tapped GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to take over the role of Department of Homeland Security secretary. If the Senate confirms Mullin to serve in the post, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, will get to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy, but that appointment would come with a significant catch. Oklahoma state law stipulates that "a person who is a prospective appointee shall submit to the Secretary of State an oath affirming that the person will not file as a candidate for the office when it next appears on the ballot." In a post on X last week, Stitt wrote, "I appreciate @POTUS taking time to meet to discuss the importance of appointing a new U.S. Senator for Oklahoma. President Trump has made a great selection in Markwayne Mullin to join his cabinet, and I am committed to making a swift decision on his replacement once Mullin is confirmed by the Senate." Trump endorsed Hern for the Senate seat last week.

USA Today [3/20/2026 1:24 PM, Bart Jansen, 70643K] reports that Sen. Markwayne Mullin vows to take a number of conciliatory steps governing immigration enforcement if he is confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security but the White House contends it isn’t softening President Donald Trump’s crackdown. The Oklahoma Republican’s nomination to succeed Kristi Noem offers an opportunity to reset immigration policy after the department has been roiled by massive protests against enforcement surges and the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens. Mullin committed to having Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers obtain judicial warrants before entering homes or businesses to arrest suspects. He aims to make ICE more a transportation service than front-line pursuer of suspects. He pledged to consult local officials before opening new detention facilities. And he said he regretted calling Alex Pretti "deranged" before the investigation concluded into his fatal shooting by immigration authorities. Mullin’s arrival would come after the announced retirement of Border Patrol official Greg Bovino, who oversaw enforcement surges that sparked protests in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, took control of the enforcement surge in Minneapolis and dramatically reduced staffing there. Noem previously agreed to have immigration officers wear body-cameras on duty. But Trump made immigration enforcement a top domestic priority and the White House said nothing would change, despite a Wall Street Journal article reporting that Trump was rethinking his approach to immigration.

NewsMax [3/20/2026 9:27 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will be confirmed as Department of Homeland Security secretary next week, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Friday, expressing confidence his colleague will take charge at a critical moment for national security. Speaking on "Wake Up America," Lankford said Mullin is well-positioned to lead DHS as the agency faces mounting challenges, including a partial shutdown that has strained operations nationwide. "Secretary Mullin will be in his spot by this time next week," Lankford told co-hosts Marc Lotter and Alison Maloni. "He will do a very good job. He’s a workaholic and very focused on what it takes to actually fix the problem." Mullin’s expected confirmation comes as the Department of Homeland Security grapples with funding disruptions that have led to long airport lines, staffing shortages, and warnings that some airports could face closures if the situation continues. Lankford criticized Democrats for the standoff, calling it a "Democrat shutdown" driven by efforts to weaken immigration enforcement. "They are more worried about ICE than they are about Iran," Lankford said. "Their long-term goal is to defund ICE and Border Patrol so those agents don’t get paid, they quit, and we end up with open borders."

Washington Examiner [3/20/2026 6:16 AM, Jeremy Lott, 1147K] reports the new nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security walked into his confirmation hearings with an unexpected endorsement in tow. “If anyone is willing to stand their butt up to protect America, it’s Markwayne Mullin,” said Teamsters President Sean O’Brien in a playfully worded statement from early March, shortly after it was announced that former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was out as DHS secretary and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was in as her replacement to head the sprawling agency. O’Brien’s words echoed the taunts that the two had thrown back and forth at each other in an actual Senate hearing that almost ended in a knockdown, drag-out fight. In a November 2023 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, the freshman Oklahoma senator and former MMA fighter read out words that O’Brien had written about him on social media. O’Brien had called Mullin a "clown" and a "fraud" who should "quit the tough guy act" unless he was willing to take the union leader on physically. "You know where to find me. Anyplace, anytime, cowboy," Mullin read O’Brien’s words back to him. He followed those with a challenge of his own: "Sir, this is a time, this is a place. If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here." More heated words followed: And that’s what he did. The Oklahoma senator stood up, began to remove the wedding band from his left hand, and started to walk around the raised dais to get at O’Brien. Then-HELP Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) intervened. Through a mix of orders, shaming, and a whole lot of banging of the gavel, the octogenarian managed to avoid a nightmare scenario of one of his colleagues pummeling a witness. Sanders likely did both men a favor that day.

Axios [3/20/2026 4:44 PM, Stephen Neukam, 17364K] reports Senate Democrats are preparing to use a procedural maneuver to revive a Biden-era immigration policy — or at least get caught trying, Axios has learned. Democrats are using the Congressional Review Act to go on offense on immigration, an issue that contributed to their defeat in 2024. They plan to force a vote on a CRA bill as soon as next month to reinstate automatic extensions of work permits for hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The goal is to get Republicans on the record on a policy Democrats argue has harmed the American economy — and forced thousands of immigrants to lose their work authorizations.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 7:20 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports banking groups are trying to block a White House plan to exclude millions of illegal migrants from the nation’s banking system, according to Washington Post. The plan would pressure migrants to self-deport and so help President Donald Trump carry out his 2024 promise and mandate to deport millions of illegal migrants admitted by the Democratic Party and their business allies. "The Trump administration has delayed an executive order that could have required banks to collect and report more information on the immigration status of their customers, after Wall Street and small community lenders pushed back," the newspaper reported on March 20. It added: In meetings with administration officials, representatives of the banking industry argued that requiring millions of existing customers to provide records verifying their citizenship status was not practical. The delay has not been previously reported, and such an order could still be revived, said the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions. But it is expected to be significantly narrowed from earlier drafts. The article is written by one of the Post’s banking reporters, and it reflects the banks’ desire to stop or shrink the deportation of illegal migrants.

NewsMax [3/20/2026 3:55 PM, Theodore Bunker, 3760K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration has delayed a proposed executive order that could have forced banks to gather more information about customers’ immigration status after major financial institutions and community lenders pushed back on the idea, people familiar with the discussions told The Washington Post on Friday. The proposal had been under development as part of the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda. But banking industry representatives told administration officials in meetings that forcing millions of customers to verify citizenship would be impractical, costly, and disruptive. The White House has not issued such an order as of Friday, and the administration is still working on an immigration-related banking measure, according to reports and official administration signals. A White House official has denied the government had seriously considered broad audits of current customers. Any narrower version could instead apply only to new accounts.

NPR [3/20/2026 5:37 PM, Regina Medina, 28764K] reports the family of a 5-year-old Minnesota boy and his father who were detained by U.S. immigration agents in January is now fighting an immigration judge’s ruling that rejects their claim for asylum.

ABC News [3/20/2026 10:34 PM, Laura Romero and Armando Garcia, 34146K] reports the Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to swiftly remove Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as a court allows. In a series of filings on Friday, administration officials asked a judge to dissolve a preliminary injunction that bars them from re-detaining Abrego Garcia and deporting him. Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported last March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison -- despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he and his attorneys deny. He was brought back to the U.S. in June to face the human smuggling charges, to which he pleaded not guilty. Although Abrego Garcia has said he’s willing to be sent to Costa Rica, Acting Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said in a memo filed in court that he has "decided to disregard" that request and intends to send him to Liberia if Abrego Garcia is ordered removed from the U.S. In part, Lyons said Abrego Garcia initially had designated his home country of El Salvador as his chosen place to be sent during his initial removal proceedings in 2019 before a judge barred his deportation finding that his life could be at risk if he were to return there. He then attempted to designate Costa Rica as the country of removal six years later. "Neither the statute nor the regulations permit an alien to designate a country of removal beyond the initial opportunity granted in removal proceedings. If, as here, an alien were permitted to designate a country of removal years after the conclusion of removal proceedings, an alien could avoid ever being removed by endlessly designating new countries of removal," Lyons wrote. Lyons also said the administration had already negotiated Abrego Garcia’s removal with the government of Liberia and that abandoning that agreement "could cast doubt on the diplomatic reliability of the United States.” The memo went on to say: "Accordingly, after careful consideration, I have decided that Mr. Abrego Garcia’s removal to Costa Rica at this time would be ‘prejudicial to the United States.’". In a sworn declaration, a top ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations official said the government has gone as far as to have the contractor that handles removals to Liberia draw up a "mock itinerary," which showed Abrego Garcia could be on a flight to Liberia within five days of the government’s request. The government is asking a federal judge to rule on its motion to dissolve the order barring his removal by April 17. "Any attempt by this Court to permanently enjoin the government from exercising its authority to remove the Petitioner from this country is in direct contradiction to established judicial norms, and a clear error of law," attorneys for the government wrote.

AP [3/21/2026 1:19 AM, Monika Pronczuk, 16072K] reports that, when a U.S. immigration judge told a 28-year old refugee from East Africa that he was free to leave detention in California after 13 months, he was overjoyed. Though an asylum request was denied, the judge ruled he could not be deported home because it would put him in danger. “He told me: ‘Welcome to the U.S.,’” the refugee told The Associated Press, which saw his legal documents. “You are now protected by the U.S. law, so you can leave the center, work and stay in this country.” But he was never freed, and instead was later handcuffed and put on a flight to Equatorial Guinea, an authoritarian petrostate in West Africa that signed a secretive deal with the Trump administration and has become a transit hub for deported migrants. It holds him and others in detention, and has no asylum policy. He requested anonymity for fear of repercussions, saying he fled his country after being beaten, persecuted and imprisoned because of his ethnicity. He is among 29 people deported to Equatorial Guinea, which the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, has called “one of the most corrupt governments in the world.” The first American pope, Leo XIV, who has criticized the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants as “extremely disrespectful,” is visiting Equatorial Guinea in April. At least seven African nations have signed deals with the U.S. to facilitate deportations of third-country nationals, which legal experts said are effectively a legal loophole for the U.S. Most deportees received legal protection from U.S. judges shielding them against being returned to their home countries, their lawyers said. AP previously interviewed a gay asylum-seeker from Morocco who was deported to Cameroon and, believing she had no choice, agreed to be returned to her home country, where homosexuality is illegal. In a phone interview, the 28-year-old refugee said authorities in Equatorial Guinea pressure him to return home even though he lodged an asylum application there, which AP has seen. “They told us there is no any asylum or any protection in this country for us,” he said. “So the best option is to leave the country as soon as possible.” But he said returning to a country ravaged by ethnic conflict was “not an option.” The U.S. is deporting people to third countries “to circumvent laws that forbid sending a person to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened,” said Meredyth Yoon, litigation director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, who has helped deportees to Equatorial Guinea. She verified significant parts of the 28-year-old asylum-seeker’s account. “Once deported, these individuals face impossible alternatives: indefinite detention without access to counsel, or forced deportation to the very countries they fled from,” she said. The 29 people deported to Equatorial Guinea were from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauritania, Angola, Congo, Chad, Georgia, Ghana and Nigeria, according to their visiting lawyer, who requested anonymity given the country’s human rights record. He said authorities did not allow him to see most of them.

Blaze [3/20/2026 2:25 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is cheering after a federal bill aimed at improving trucking safety crossed a major hurdle. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved Dalilah’s Law, a bill that bans states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and limits issuance to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and holders of specific work visas. The legislation also requires the revocation of any existing ineligible CDLs. ‘I wanted you guys to see firsthand the consequences of even just one driver getting by because it’s devastating.’. Additionally, the bill mandates that testing and recertification be conducted only in English. States that do not comply may face withholding of federal highway funds. Dalilah’s Law was named after Dalilah Coleman, a child who sustained critical and life-altering injuries at 5 years old as a result of a 2024 multi-car wreck in California caused by an illegal alien truck driver. The illegal alien driver, Partap Singh, was issued a CDL by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Singh in August. The DHS, which announced its support for the proposed bill in February, applauded the House committee for approving the legislation on March 18. "I am so grateful that the House Republicans passed Dalilah’s Law out of [the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee] today," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated. "What happened to Dalilah Coleman is a tragedy that could have been PREVENTED if California had not granted commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens who should have never been here in the first place. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have worked to deliver justice for the families impacted by illegal alien crime and have ensured that the tragedies they endured will no longer continue.”

National Review [3/20/2026 12:49 PM, Audrey Fahlberg, 109K] reports Democratic Senators Peter Welch of Vermont and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut are requesting documents and information from two subcontractors behind the $220 million ad campaign that played a key role in outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s downfall. In letters to Strategic Media Services Inc. and Smart Media Group LLC, first shared with National Review, the lawmakers request information regarding both companies’ agreements with Safe America Media LLC, a company that signed a limited-bid contract to produce advertising for the DHS marketing campaign and received $143 million as a result.

Washington Post [3/20/2026 5:45 AM, Editorial Board, 24826K] reports passengers are waiting in long lines at airports across the country because security screeners are going unpaid and not showing up to work. They’re going unpaid because politicians in Washington disagree about immigration policy. It makes no sense, but fortunately there’s a way to prevent this from ever happening again. Currently 20 American airports use private contractors, not the Transportation Security Administration, to screen passengers. And those private contractors still get paid regardless of whether Congress passes legislation on time. The federal government’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) allows airports to apply to use qualified private companies for passenger screening, rather than relying on unionized federal employees. TSA still gets to set all the regulations and standards for the private screeners. The agency just doesn’t do the screening itself. This is a much better way to do airport security. A government agency regulating itself creates conflicts of interest. International Civil Aviation Organization standards say that security providers and regulators should be independent. Major countries around the world follow this best practice. Canada, Britain, Germany, France and Spain use private contractors for passenger screening. Even in other countries where the government is the provider, it’s rarely a national bureaucratic agency doing the screenings. While most of the 20 airports with private screeners are small, one is San Francisco International Airport. Checkpoints have been running smoothly at the major hub.

New York Times [3/20/2026 7:39 AM, Sarah Mervosh, Miriam Jordan, and Hamed Aleaziz,148038K] reports the number of children being held in detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined dramatically in recent weeks, as the Trump administration scaled back some of its most aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. Earlier this year, after a surge of arrests in Minnesota and elsewhere, hundreds of children were being held with their parents at a federal detention center in Dilley, Texas, where families described poor medical care, inadequate food and water and little education for children. Now, that number has dwindled. While some families were deported, others have been released back into the country. As of this week, 53 children and 49 parents were being held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the federal government’s only detention center for families, according to internal government figures reviewed by The New York Times. There were about 500 children and 450 parents at the facility in mid-January, according to RAICES, a nonprofit that provides legal services to families inside Dilley. The number of detained families is at one of its lowest points since the Trump administration reintroduced the practice of detaining families last year. (Another 225 single adult women are being held elsewhere at the facility, down from more than 400 in January.) The numbers have dropped as the Trump administration shifted to a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement in recent weeks, with fewer arrests in February. The intense crackdown in Minnesota resulted in the deaths of two American citizens, led to thousands of arrests and triggered political blowback, with polls suggesting that a majority of Americans believed ICE’s tactics had gone too far. A U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity attributed the decline to several factors, including new deportations from Dilley, the Border Patrol sending fewer families to Dilley who had recently crossed into the United States and a court requirement to release children from custody after a certain period of time.

New York Times [3/20/2026 11:28 AM, Caroline Kitchener, Charo Henríquez, and Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports Candy Castillo Collantes was six months pregnant when she stepped inside the giant tent where she would live for the next 47 days. Her enclosure at the South Texas detention center held dozens of bunk beds, she said, with one tiny slit for a window. Women wailed late into the night for their husbands and children. When Ms. Castillo Collantes experienced vaginal bleeding and asked for medical care at the facility, she and her lawyer said, she was offered only water, prenatal vitamins and a temperature check. “It’s not a center that we know has a doctor,” Ms. Castillo Collantes, a 38-year-old Venezuelan who obtained temporary legal status under the Biden administration, said in an interview from the facility in late February. “The people here can’t tell you that everything is fine.” Ms. Castillo Collantes had heard from other detainees about a woman who had gone into labor at their detention center months earlier. She was terrified that she could be next. Pregnant women who have been swept up in President Trump’s immigration crackdown have been held in detention centers as late as eight months into their pregnancies without adequate food or medical care, according to a New York Times examination of 10 cases. The Times review found that, in those cases, the Department of Homeland Security violated longstanding agency guidelines for how to treat pregnant women in detention, subjecting them to conditions that medical experts say can jeopardize the health of mothers and their babies. Pregnant women said they were served food covered in cockroaches and water that tasted like bleach. They described how Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shackled their hands and feet, refusing to believe that they were pregnant until a bump appeared. One woman said ICE agents ignored her as she lay on the floor screaming in pain, and took her to the emergency room only after her fellow inmates began banging on the door for help. This account is based on interviews with pregnant women either currently detained or recently released, as well as an analysis of court filings, government documents and medical records.

New York Times [3/20/2026 5:02 AM, Albert Sun, Allison McCann, and Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports the pace of ICE arrests nationwide has topped 1,100 per day on average in 2026, far higher than the rate last spring of roughly 600 arrests per day, despite a slight dip in recent weeks. New data analyzed by The New York Times reveals that the pace of these arrests has varied across the country in sometimes surprising ways. Some places that did not have high-profile ICE operations this year, such as Florida and San Antonio, have still seen high and steadily increasing numbers of arrests. In other areas like Los Angeles and Chicago that were targeted by ICE with aggressive enforcement operations last year, the number of arrests has fallen steeply in recent months. And in some areas — notably many places with so-called sanctuary policies in place — the arrest rate is flat, or up only slightly. The administration’s high-profile operation in Minnesota this year, in which two U.S. citizens were killed, resulted in a steep increase in arrests there: ICE’s St. Paul field office arrested more than 5,000 people from mid-December through March 10. But four other field offices arrested more people during this same time period, led by the Miami area — with nearly 10,000 arrests — followed by the field offices in Dallas, Atlanta and San Antonio.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 4:09 PM, Amy Furr, 2238K] reports a man and woman who are reportedly siblings from Venezuela are accused of being involved in a sex trafficking ring operating in New York City and Seattle. The pair was arrested recently near the University of Washington and are facing sex trafficking conspiracy charges, Fox 13 reported Thursday. The outlet identified the suspects as Jose Luis Hernandez Perez and Andreina Del Carmen Hernandez. Investigative reporter Katie Daviscourt shared images of the suspects on Thursday along with the complaints in which a witness identified them as siblings.

Newsweek [3/20/2026 2:18 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports House Democrats have introduced a package of bills that aims to limit the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States. The legislation aims to limit civil immigration enforcement in and around World Cup venues, fan zones, and public transport amid growing concern among lawmakers and advocates that ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations could create fear for international visitors and immigrant communities as the United States prepares to co‑host the tournament with Canada and Mexico. Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, told lawmakers that the agency would be a "key part of the overall security apparatus" for the tournament and declined to rule out enforcement operations around matches during a Congressional hearing in February. New Jersey Democratic Representative Nellie Pou, whose district includes MetLife Stadium, where the World Cup final will be held, asked Lyons whether the agency would pause operations around matches, saying visitors’ confidence was "plummeting and jeopardising the World Cup," to which Lyons replied that ICE is "dedicated to securing that operation, and we are dedicated to the security of all of our participants as well as visitors." The Save the World Cup Act, introduced by Pou, would ban civil immigration enforcement near World Cup matches and related fan festivals. The legislation specifies that areas surrounding stadiums, parking lots, and fan zones should not be used for enforcement sweeps that could deter attendance or disproportionately affect local communities. The U.S. will host matches in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Arlington, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

NewsMax [3/20/2026 8:56 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that the number of families detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has dropped due to the Trump administration shifting to a more targeted approach to immigration enforcement in recent weeks, according to a report. According to figures cited by The New York Times, the number of children and parents held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas — the nation’s primary family detention facility — has fallen sharply from roughly 500 children and 450 parents in January to just more than 50 children and fewer than 50 parents this week. The decline comes as federal authorities scale back sweeping enforcement actions in favor of more focused operations targeting individuals deemed higher priorities, while also increasing deportations and releases in compliance with federal court requirements. Administration officials say custody decisions are made on a "case-by-case basis" under U.S. law, balancing enforcement priorities with legal obligations, including longstanding limits on how long children can be held in detention. The shift reflects a more strategic approach after earlier crackdowns, including a high-profile operation in Minnesota, sparked political backlash and raised concerns among some voters about overly broad enforcement tactics. Supporters of the administration say the updated strategy demonstrates a commitment to enforcing immigration law while avoiding unnecessary detentions.

New York Times [3/20/2026 2:52 PM, Megan Twohey, Shawn McCreesh, and Hamed Aleaziz, 148038K] reports that last June, the man credited with introducing President Trump to his wife asked the administration for a favor. Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent turned presidential special envoy, had learned that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend was in a Miami jail, arrested on charges of fraud at her workplace. They had been in a custody battle over their teenage son. Now he saw an opportunity. He reached out to a top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explaining that his ex was in the country illegally, according to records obtained by The New York Times and a person familiar with the communications. Could she be put in ICE detention? That could help him get his son back. The official, David Venturella, promptly called the agency’s Miami office to ensure that ICE agents would pick up the woman from the jail before she was released on bail, according to the records and a person with knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity to discuss it. During the call, Mr. Venturella noted that the case was important to someone close to the White House. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said in a statement that Ms. Ungaro was detained and deported because she was on a long-expired visa and had been charged with fraud. “Any suggestion that she was arrested and removed for political reasons or favors is FALSE,” the statement said.

NBC News [3/21/2026 6:00 AM, Mike Hixenbaugh, 43603K] reports the boy in the grainy video feed sounded desperate. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” he said. “Nothing is good here.” Since early March, 9-year-old Deiver Henao Jimenez had been held with his parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas, where children have complained of limited education, lights that never turn off and moldy food. Now he was on a video call with someone who said she wanted to help: Ms. Rachel. Wearing her signature pink headband, the popular children’s entertainer leaned toward the screen, trying to comfort the boy. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said in a warm, high-pitched voice familiar to millions of children and parents. “A lot of people want to try to help.” Deiver told her he missed his friends and that the food at Dilley made his stomach hurt. But that wasn’t what worried him most. Before he was detained, he had won his school spelling bee and placed third at regionals, earning a spot at New Mexico’s state competition in May. “I want to leave and go to the spelling bee,” he said. Ms. Rachel tried to reassure him. “You have a real gift for spelling. You’re so smart.” Then her smile faltered. “It was unbelievably surreal to see this sweet little face and feel like I was on a call with somebody who’s in jail,” Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, told NBC News in an exclusive interview this week. “It broke me, and it was something I never thought I’d encounter in life.” Like many Americans, Accurso said she first became aware of the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, in January, after federal immigration agents detained the father of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos in Minneapolis and sent them both to the remote, prisonlike facility. A photograph of the child — wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack — spread widely online, drawing national attention to the center and the treatment of families held there. They were eventually released but the family’s asylum claim was denied this week. In the first year of its expanded immigration crackdown, the Trump administration placed more than 2,300 children into detention with their parents, with the overwhelming majority held at Dilley, according to figures provided by court-appointed monitors. Many have been held for several weeks or months. During that time, Accurso — whose educational videos for babies and toddlers have made her one of the nation’s most recognizable kids’ entertainers — has become an increasingly prominent voice speaking out on behalf of vulnerable children. She has drawn attention to the plight of children in war-torn Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and drawing backlash from critics who have accused her of picking sides in global conflicts. She has repeatedly defended her advocacy under a simple mantra: “I see all children as precious and equal.”

New York Post [3/20/2026 5:31 PM, Craig McCarthy and Matt Troutman, 40934K] reports a New York Democrat wants to bar businesses from scoring any city or state contracts if they don’t disclose work with ICE, The Post has learned. The original bill pushed by Assemblywoman Grace Lee (D-Manhattan) had simply required businesses to provide the state copies of contracts cut with the immigration enforcement agency. But Lee quickly amended the proposed "ICE Contract Transparency Act" on Thursday to include a harsh penalty — debarment, meaning a cut off from government contracts — amid a growing furor over an agreement allowing ICE officers to park at Pier 40 along the Hudson River.

Reuters [3/20/2026 12:58 PM, Jasper Ward, 38315K] reports that New Jersey sued the Trump administration on Friday over a proposed federal immigration detention center in its state. The move follows Maryland, which sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last month to stop construction of a similar facility in the state. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport’s lawsuit against DHS and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeks ⁠to halt a plan to convert a vacant warehouse into a large-scale detention facility, which would have the capacity to hold 1,500 detainees. The Trump administration plans to convert the warehouse and operate the immigration detention center without addressing the state’s concerns about water, sewage and public safety, New Jersey said. It also does not account for the site’s sensitive environment or whether the warehouse is "an appropriate place" for detention, ⁠according to the state’s leaders. An ICE spokesperson said the agency evaluated the use of existing facilities to help minimize environmental impacts, including potential impacts to protected species, sensitive natural resources, and valued cultural resources before purchasing the ⁠site. Now, in year two, the Trump administration plans ⁠to spend more than $38 billion on detention centers, a move that would increase ICE’s total bed capacity to 92,600.

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [3/20/2026 2:13 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K]
(B) FOX 5 News Block [3/20/2026 4:08 PM, Staff]

Blaze [3/20/2026 4:45 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports a Democratic governor is perpetuating the party’s efforts to shut down President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans by filing a lawsuit against a new detention center. The Trump administration planned to convert a massive warehouse for use by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Roxbury, a township of about 23,000 residents in New Jersey. On Friday, the town announced a lawsuit to block the plan, and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, posted on social media that her administration had signed on. The complaint accuses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of violating four laws while trying to convert the 470,000 square-foot warehouse into a center that could house as many as 1,500 people. The lawsuit alleges that DHS ignored required environmental review in their rush to convert the facility. A spokesperson for ICE fired off a response to the governor.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 1:16 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested an illegal alien with a long criminal record after he allegedly drove over a Pennsylvania man and pulled a knife on him in a violent road rage incident. This week, ICE agents arrested 27-year-old Christopher Leon Bailey of Jamaica. According to police, on January 23 Bailey was the aggressor in a road rage incident in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, involving another driver. Police said Bailey chased down the driver, nearly hitting him with his car, before pulling a knife on the man and attempting to stab him. Bailey then allegedly re-entered his vehicle and proceeded to drive over the man before fleeing the scene. Bailey was subsequently arrested by Pennsylvania law enforcement and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, recklessly endangering another person, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, disorderly conduct, and reckless driving. In 2009, Bailey overstayed his tourist visa and was arrested in March 2023 by ICE agents for having violated immigration law. That same month, though, a federal immigration judge declared that Bailey was not a public safety threat and ordered his release from federal custody. "This serial criminal illegal alien’s crime spree in our country is over. It’s outrageous that this repeat criminal was released by an immigration judge in 2023 and allowed to victimize more innocent Americans including this individual he intentionally ran over and threatened with a knife," the Department of Homeland Security’s Lauren Bis said in a statement: Thanks to our law enforcement, this public safety threat is off our streets. Under President Trump, DHS has unleashed ICE to target dangerous criminal illegal aliens, like Christopher Leon Bailey, and restore law and order to our communities. ICE officials reveal that Bailey had an extensive criminal record, including arrests and convictions for robbery, larceny, disorderly conduct, and possession of stolen property in New York City, New York.

Bloomberg Industry Group Bloomberg Law [3/20/2026 1:50 PM, Alex Ebert, 763K] reports federal immigration authorities must be stopped from using a Roxbury, NJ warehouse for a detention center or risk overwhelming local utilities infrastructure, a complaint filed Friday claims. Plans to flip a 470,000-square-foot building federal officials purchased from Goldman Sachs would violate procedural laws and imperil the health of the detainees and surrounding community, the state and city alleged in their lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. "The Roxbury Warehouse is a logistics center fit for Amazon Prime packages, not people—among other things, it currently has a total of four toilets, despite the planned influx of up to 1,500 detainees and hundreds more ICE employees," said the complaint. "Indeed, the influx of up to 1,500 detainees requiring potable water and sewage conveyance would strain beyond capacity the local water and sewage systems, threatening water availability and risking sewage overflows into land and water," the complaint said. Roxbury Township’s Republican mayor and entirely-Republican town council also oppose the warehouse conversion, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said in a news conference Friday. "Let’s be honest about this. This case isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe again," US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.

Univision [3/20/2026 6:46 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the first of five high school students detained for several days in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, after an incident during a student protest against ICE with a man who turned out to be local police chief Scott McElree, entered a probation program designed to prevent her from having a criminal record, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Three other teenagers had their hearings postponed in Bucks County juvenile court, while a lawyer for a fifth student is seeking to have the assault charges dropped altogether. The 15-year-old was participating in a student protest against ICE immigration policies , organized by about 35 students from Quakertown Community High School in February, where they left the building with signs and chanting “No more ICE!” During the protest, the teenager was held by the arm around her neck by McElree, who was in civilian clothes. According to her lawyers, the students did not know that the man was the police chief.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 6:16 PM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports Louisiana authorities arrested 30‑year‑old Jamie Borne after probation officers allegedly discovered a child‑sized sex doll and electronic devices suspected of containing child sexual abuse material during a routine visit to his New Orleans home. The probationer told investigators he worked as a Roblox programmer. According to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, 30-year-old Jamie Borne was arrested by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Louisiana State Police for suspicion of possessing child sex abuse materials and for possessing, trafficking, or importing a child sex doll. During the investigation, Borne revealed he was a Roblox gaming platform programmer. The arrest occurred after a routine visit to Borne’s home by New Orleans District Probation and Parole officers. Borne was serving two years’ probation related to a conviction for throwing smoke grenades and firing a gun into an occupied tent in New Orleans in 2023 at the time of the probation visit.

The Hill [3/20/2026 10:38 AM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K] reports that the lawyers for a Colombian journalist reporting in Nashville who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers earlier this month said she was released on Thursday. Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez Flórez was arrested on March 4 during a traffic stop and held in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. She was released on $10,000 bond. “We are grateful that Estefany is able to walk away with her freedom to be with her family as she continues to fight for her right to remain in her community and in the U.S.,” Mike Holley, one of her defense attorneys, said in a statement. ICE accused Rodríguez of violating her visa conditions. However, Holley cited court records showing that she entered the U.S. lawfully and has applied for political asylum and legal status through her husband. Rodríguez has a valid work permit with no criminal history. Holley, an attorney with the nonpartisan organization Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights, argued in a wrongful detention court challenge that his client was targeted for her reporting that has been critical of ICE’s tactics. He accused the Trump administration of violating her First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. “Now that she has been released from ICE detention we will be able to update Federal Judge Eli Richardson on her status as we continue with her habeas case,” he said in the statement.

Reported similarly:
Telemundo [3/20/2026 2:15 PM, Staff, 2524K]

Breitbart [3/20/2026 4:17 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Nashville, Tennessee, have arrested an immigrant whom officials call "a monster" with a lengthy record that includes domestic abuse, crimes against children, arson, and kidnapping. Last week, ICE agents arrested Luis Meza-Olivera, a legal immigrant from Peru, after the agency received a tip from his daughter’s school, in which officials said the girl feared that he would kill her mother after having recently been released from jail. "Luis Meza-Olivera is a monster whose daughter feared he would kill her mother. This criminal alien from Peru should NOT be loose on American streets," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Lauren Bis said in a statement. Meza-Olivera will remain in ICE custody pending deportation to Peru. The Daily Wire [3/20/2026 8:04 AM, Leif Le Mahieu, 2314K] reports a foreign national from Peru with a history of violent crimes was detained by federal immigration authorities after a Tennessee school official alerted ICE to a child’s warning that her father might kill her mother. Earlier this month, a young girl in Nashville told school officials she feared Luis Meza-Olivera would kill her mother. The school reported the concern to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and federal agents arrested Meza-Olivera on March 14, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. Meza-Olivera, who had recently been released from Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, Tennessee, has an extensive criminal record. "Luis Meza-Olivera is a monster whose daughter feared he would kill her mother. This criminal alien from Peru should NOT be loose on American streets," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. "Thanks to a school official who left a tip for ICE, this individual is now in ICE custody and will enter removal proceedings." Bis added that others should follow the lead of the school official and report tips to ICE.

Los Angeles Times [3/20/2026 6:46 PM, Gisela Salomon, 12718K] reports a 19-year-old Mexican migrant died at a county jail in Florida that has been holding immigrant detainees, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to ICE, Royer Perez-Jimenez “died of presumed suicide,” although an official cause of death remains under investigation. The death of Perez-Jimenez on Monday is the 46th reported under Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the start of President Trump’s administration in January 2025, according to a count by the Associated Press. Perez-Jimenez is the second person to die in ICE custody this week, after an Afghan immigrant — whose family said he had been evacuated from his country after working for years with U.S. forces — died in a Texas hospital after being detained by immigration authorities. Since the beginning of this year, 13 immigrants have died in ICE custody. Perez-Jimenez is the youngest to do so since the beginning of Trump’s second term. The Office of the District 21 Medical Examiner did not respond to an AP request for the autopsy report. The Florida prosecutor’s office referred any requests for information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney general’s office.

Telemundo Washington DC [3/20/2026 10:46 PM, Staff, 120K] reports President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Friday that her government will request a “thorough investigation” into the death of a 19-year-old Mexican man in a Florida jail used to detain immigrants. According to confirmation from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) , the individual in question is Royer Perez-Jimena, an immigrant from Mexico , who was accused of a felony fraud by impersonating an officer, as well as resisting an officer. In expressing her condolences for the death, Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference that "we will use all means to continue our protest" and indicated that although U.S. authorities reported that the migrant committed suicide, "we want a thorough investigation," she affirmed. ICE reported on Thursday that Pérez-Jiménez “died of a presumed suicide” earlier in the week at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida, although it acknowledged that the cause of his death is still being investigated. The young Mexican man had been arrested on January 21 by officers from the Edgewater Police Department and was charged with minor offenses. A month later he was transferred and placed in the custody of immigration services. Sheinbaum mentioned that in addition to a “much stronger” diplomatic letter that will be sent to the US government regarding the young man’s death, the Mexican Foreign Ministry is analyzing “various measures,” but did not give details. Mexico confirmed on March 2 the death of another Mexican who was in ICE custody at a processing center in Adelanto, California. Pérez-Jiménez is the second person to die in ICE custody this week after an Afghan immigrant —whose family said he had been evacuated from his country after working for years with the U.S. Armed Forces— died in a Texas hospital after being detained by immigration authorities. Thirteen immigrants have died while in ICE custody so far this year. Pérez-Jiménez is the youngest detainee to die in the agency’s custody and the 46th reported since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
CBS News [3/20/2026 1:00 PM, Staff, 51110K]
Telemundo [3/20/2026 1:54 PM, Staff, 2524K]
Univision [3/20/2026 7:16 PM, Staff, 4937K]

CBS Miami [3/20/2026 8:04 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports people are calling out managers of downtown Miami’s federal detention center for parking a truck trailer with noisy air conditioner chillers near neighbors’ windows. A spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Prisons said it is temporary and necessary. "The Federal Detention Center (FDC) Miami currently has one portable chiller stationed in the rear of the institution," Donald Murphy, of the federal Bureau of Prisons’ Office of Public Affairs, said in an email to CBS News Miami Investigates. "The chiller has been stationed in this location for multiple years due to ongoing malfunctions within our chiller systems." On North 5th Street at North Miami Avenue, renters and people passing by hear the noise. "It’s non-stop constantly," said Gianna, a woman living in the area who only provided her first name. Charlie Argueta, who also lives nearby, said, "You get used to it. If they don’t know about it, it’s cause they never lived downtown." Prison reports said that those air conditioning units are outdated and need to be replaced, but the city says it has no plans to. The FDC Miami houses 1,400 inmates being held by U.S. Marshals, in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, or awaiting trial in the U.S. Southern District of Florida courthouse. Hundreds of people work there as well.

Washington Times [3/20/2026 2:17 PM, Steve Karnowski, 31753K] reports clergy will be allowed to minister to immigrants in a holding facility at the headquarters of the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minnesota, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell granted an injunction requested by Minnesota branches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and a Catholic priest who had sued the Department of Homeland Security. Under his ruling, clergy will be allowed in-person pastoral visits to all detainees at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, the site of frequent protests over roughly the 3,000 federal officers who had surged into the state at the height of the crackdown. Blackwell said the plaintiffs had met their burden of proving that they’re likely to succeed when the case reaches a final conclusion, and that restrictions on the religious freedom of clergy to minister to detainees constitutes “irreparable harm.” He ordered both sides to meet within four business days to try to agree on details for how to provide access that takes into account the government’s legitimate security concerns, and then submit a plan within seven business days, or competing proposals if they can’t agree.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 4:56 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports an illegal alien is now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after allegedly killing Fort Bend County, Texas, Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Lewis in a hit-and-run accident last month. "Deputy Kenneth Lewis served his community honorably as a law enforcement officer — and he would still be with us today if it were not for this criminal illegal alien who should’ve never been in our country in the first place," the Department of Homeland Security’s Lauren Bis said in a statement. On March 14, ICE agents took custody of illegal alien Dennis Arguello-Acosta. According to investigators, Arguello-Acosta hit Lewis on February 21. Lewis, who was in his sheriff’s uniform at the time, had pulled over to help drivers who had been in a minor crash when he was hit by Arguello-Acosta’s vehicle, investigators allege. Lewis died from his injuries at a nearby hospital. The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined local law enforcement to help find the driver who had fled the scene after hitting Lewis. ICE officials said they took Arguello-Acosta into custody so that he would not be released onto the streets. ICE officials said Arguello-Acosta may soon face state charges.

Axios [3/20/2026 4:20 PM, Jay R. Jordan, 17364K] reports a proposal from three Houston City Council members could curtail police cooperation with ICE. The move could set up a showdown between progressive council members and Mayor John Whitmire, who has been reluctant to change how the Houston Police Department interacts with immigration officials for fear of angering the Trump administration. An HPD policy enacted in March 2020 mandates police officers contact ICE agents when they encounter someone with an administrative warrant for removal from the U.S. Police Chief J. Noe Diaz this month announced ICE agents have a 30-minute window to respond after a Houston Chronicle investigation found two officers potentially violated the policy by personally transporting detainees to ICE agents. Officers referred people to ICE agents 186 times under the policy, from March 2020 through December, per HPD data obtained by Axios. Nearly 150 of those referrals happened in 2025 after the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement. Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin and Edward Pollard are offering new rules that say officers have the discretion whether to call ICE agents if they encounter someone with an administrative warrant. It also states officers can detain someone only for as long as necessary, as long as it relates to the initial reason for the encounter, like a traffic stop. Officers would no longer be able to wait for ICE agents if there’s no other reason to hold the individual. The policy would not apply to those with criminal warrants and requires additional transparency from HPD on how often it contacts ICE. If approved, it could go before council members as soon as April.

Houston Chronicle [3/20/2026 11:41 AM, Julián Aguilar, 2493K] reports U.S. Army reservist Christopher Busby knows he needs to fly to stay current with his training requirements as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. But the sharpness and concentration he needs in the cockpit have eluded him since late December when his wife, Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez, was detained during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Houston. “I have not flown one time, nor do I plan on flying until she’s home,” Busby told the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t feel like I’m in the mental state to safely fly people around.” Kenny-Velasquez has been in the U.S. since 2021, when she fled Venezuela and sought asylum. She has no criminal history and was doing what Busby and her attorney, Javier Rivera, said she was supposed to: show up at scheduled appointments required as part of her asylum application. Kenny-Velasquez is one of thousands who have been entangled in the Department of Homeland Security’s deportation apparatus while trying to obey the rules. The scheduled meetings she attended were once viewed as routine steps to verify information like addresses and other details for asylum seekers. Under the Trump administration, the meetings have become bait to detain immigrants and pad detention and deportation statistics, attorneys said. Kenny-Velasquez has since been denied bond by an immigration judge after she was deemed a flight risk. She’s being held at a Houston detention center while the chances that she’ll be deported increase daily. Her next hearing is scheduled for April 1, when a judge could decide she’s had enough time to be granted relief and order her removed. “It is absolutely nonsensical because where was she detained? She was detained at a check-in,” Rivera said. “She attended all prior check-ins, complied with all conditions, (she’s) married to a U.S. citizen in the process of petitioning for her. The idea that she would be a flight risk is hilarious.” Kenny-Velasquez is now seeking assistance through a program for military families to secure her release before time runs out. She and Busby have also turned to U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who represents the Austin area where the couple lives, to help draw attention to her case.

Newsweek [3/20/2026 11:51 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson signed a pair of new bills Thursday that prohibit federal immigration agents from wearing masks, as well as and impose harsher penalties for impersonating a law enforcement officer. The measures, approved by the state Legislature earlier this month, are part of a push by Democratic lawmakers to prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks during enforcement. Since last year, Democrats in more than 30 states have filed legislation seeking to restrict the use of facial coverings by law enforcement officers, according to the Associated Press. Senate Bill 5855 takes effect immediately under an emergency clause and restricts law enforcement officers, including federal agents such as those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, from wearing masks that obscure their identities while interacting with the public. Under the law, officers are generally barred from using face coverings such as ski masks or balaclavas during official duties. Exceptions are allowed for undercover operations, tactical assignments, medical or religious reasons, and protective gear required for safety. The measure also requires officers to display identifying information and allows individuals detained by officers in violation of the rule to pursue legal action. The second measure, House Bill 2165, targets the impersonation of law enforcement officers and passed with bipartisan support, clearing the House in a 66 to 29 vote and the Senate 30 to 18. The bill expands the definition of law enforcement officer under state law to include federal agents with authority to detain individuals, including those working in immigration enforcement. It creates a new offense of false identification of a peace officer, making it a gross misdemeanor to present oneself as law enforcement without authorization.

Los Angeles Times [3/20/2026 5:46 PM, Brittny Mejia, 12718K] reports as part of an ICE operation, plainclothes agents on Thursday pulled an accused MS-13 shotcaller out of a downtown federal courtroom, catching attorneys and the judge off guard, and casting uncertainty over the fate of his pending criminal trial. Mark Sedlander, a defense attorney, said the agents, and at least one deputy U.S. marshal, surrounded and detained his client, Orlando Olivar, shortly after U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. left the bench following a pre-trial status conference on Thursday. The agents did not identify themselves and did not display or mention a warrant, he said. He asked them to wait for the judge to return, but said they immediately whisked his client from the courtroom through the holding-cell door. Sedlander said the prosecutor told him they had no control over ICE. Olivar is now listed in an ICE inmate locator as being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Prosecutors have accused Olivar of being a shotcaller of an MS-13 clique, which Sedlander said his client denies. Olivar is charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. Olivar, who has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent, is set to go to trial on May 19. He had been out on bond. Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis confirmed that ICE arrested Olivar, whom she described as "a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador." Bis said his criminal history includes charges for robbery, drug trafficking, drug possession and trespassing. Bis said Olivar was arrested by ICE at the United States Marshals Service building "in a controlled transfer between the U.S. Marshals and ICE. He will remain in ICE custody until removed to El Salvador," she said. "This is a perfect example of law enforcement cooperation to ensure criminal illegal aliens are not released into American neighborhoods."

Telemundo52 [3/20/2026 9:32 PM, Staff, 61K] reports a transgender woman claims that when she went to a routine appointment with immigration services, she was detained and held in the mental health unit of a detention center. This occurred despite the fact that she had a stay of deportation after applying for asylum upon fleeing her home country due to gender-based persecution. Gloria Sánchez states that she was initially detained at the Santa Ana detention center, but because she had already completed her gender transition, she was transferred to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center, where she was also reportedly not accepted for having completed the transition to female. “I thought my life was over,” she said. A routine visit with immigration services, Sánchez says, put her on the brink of deportation. “I was scared, I panicked, I went into shock,” she said. Sánchez states that in 2008 she filed an asylum claim after fleeing her native country, Mexico, due to gender-based persecution, because she is a transgender woman. “I’ve met people who were deported—friends of mine—and were killed within a month of returning to that country, where there is zero tolerance for the transgender community,” she said. Her asylum request was denied, but an immigration judge has since granted her a “withholding of removal” order, which prohibits her deportation to her country of origin. But when she arrived at the immigration office in Santa Ana last September, she says the immigration officer would not let her leave. “The deportation officer clearly told me that they couldn’t deport me to my home country because of the program I was in, but they were going to try to deport me to a third country. They never told me which country they wanted to deport me to,” said Sánchez. From that day on, Sánchez was held in three detention centers and ended up at the one in Adelanto. “They told me they didn’t know what to do with me because I was a transgender woman who had undergone surgery, so they didn’t know what to do,” said Sánchez, adding: “They decided to put me in a place where people with mental health issues were held.” Although she says she does not suffer from mental health issues, Sánchez was held in that unit for six months. “From the very moment I arrived, I suffered bullying, racism, and discrimination; I was harassed, I was abused—psychologically and physically—I went through everything in that place,” said Sánchez. With the help of family and friends, Sánchez, who claims to have no criminal record, managed to hire a lawyer who filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge an arrest deemed unlawful because she had a stay of deportation order and was only required to undergo routine check-ins with an immigration officer. The petition was granted a week ago by a federal judge, securing her release and preventing her deportation for now, without due process. Ashkan Yekrangi, Gloria’s attorney, said that people “should be careful with routine inspections. Many people are being detained; at the very least, they should have a lawyer on the phone. We cannot rely on releases on bail; only habeas corpus petitions are working.” Telemundo 52 reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday to learn details about Sánchez’s arrest. In our request for comment, we also asked about the process for detaining transgender women in detention centers, but we have not received a response. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [3/21/2026 3:26 AM, Nicole Hong, Jonah E. Bromwich, William K. Rashbaum and Annie Correal, 330K] reports President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, who has had a volatile relationship with President Trump, is under criminal investigation by at least two U.S. federal prosecutors’ offices, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. The investigations, which have not been previously reported, were being conducted by the U.S. attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and they have involved prosecutors who focus on international narcotics trafficking as well as agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, the people said. The inquiries have been exploring, among other things, Mr. Petro’s possible meetings with drug traffickers and whether his presidential campaign solicited donations from traffickers, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss active investigations. The investigations, which are separate, are in their early stages, and it is unclear if either will result in criminal charges. There was nothing to indicate that the White House had a role in initiating any investigation. Mr. Trump and Mr. Petro have spoken repeatedly by phone this year, and they met in person last month. But Mr. Trump, who has frequently wielded criminal inquiries as a cudgel against his rivals and enemies, had previously criticized Mr. Petro, calling him a “sick man.” And he could use the investigations as leverage in seeking more cooperation from Colombia, which is both the world’s top producer of cocaine and one of America’s most crucial allies in cracking down on narco-terrorism in the region. Mr. Trump could also use the existence of the investigations to try to influence the outcome of Colombia’s presidential elections in May. Mr. Petro, his country’s first left-wing president, is limited to one term but has asked supporters to rally behind his handpicked successor. Over the past year, Mr. Trump has weighed in on several other elections in the region, helping fuel a right-wing wave. In a social media post on Friday, Mr. Petro denied that anyone was investigating whether he had ties to drug traffickers. “I have never in my life spoken with a drug trafficker,” he said. Instead, he said, he had spent years exposing links between drug traffickers and Colombian politicians, a reference to his work as a lawmaker more than 20 years ago to reveal ties between the government and right-wing paramilitary groups. Colombia’s embassy in Washington issued a separate statement emphasizing that there had been no “formal determination or notification” by American authorities regarding any investigation. “Throughout his public life, President Gustavo Petro has consistently and unequivocally confronted criminal activity,” it said, noting that included fighting “transnational criminal organizations involved in narcotics trafficking.”

Reported similarly:
Univision [3/20/2026 3:06 PM, Staff, 4937K]

FOX News [3/20/2026 5:19 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports House Majority Whip Tom Emmer says a string of recent terrorist attacks by naturalized citizens exposes serious flaws in U.S. immigration law, arguing it’s "more imperative now than ever" to pass the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act to allow the government to remove "America-hating terrorists" from the country. First introduced by Emmer in January, the SCAM Act would expand the U.S. government’s ability to revoke citizenship from naturalized citizens convicted of being involved in terrorism, fraud or espionage. The Senate version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. The bill, which on the House side currently sits in the House Judiciary Committee, allows prosecutors to use crimes committed after naturalization as evidence that an individual falsely claimed good moral character during the citizenship process, effectively arguing their citizenship was invalid from the start. The SCAM Act already has nearly 50 House co-sponsors, according to Emmer. Once it is scheduled for a vote, he believes it will not have an issue passing and may even receive some bipartisan support from Democrats recognizing the gravity of the issue.

Federalist [3/20/2026 6:30 AM, John and Andy Schlafly, 540K] reports a bright spot in immigration policy, the issue on which President Trump polls the best among his supporters, is the progress being made toward removing so-called refugees from our country. On Monday, Trump won the second of two court victories in March in favor of his policy to roll back the Democrat practice of importing massive numbers of refugees from the Third World. Upon taking office, President Trump ended the misuse of the refugee program by issuing Executive Order No. 14163, "Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program." Biden had brought in more than 100,000 so-called refugees in fiscal year 2024, which was the highest level in 30 years. Trump has properly sought to revoke the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of whole groups of Haitians and Syrians who were brought into our country under the fiction that they were being politically persecuted back home. The theory that allowed thousands of Syrians to remain in our country as refugees from the former Assad regime no longer applies, and it’s time for them to go home. Yet lower federal courts in liberal New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., have stymied the Trump administration’s efforts to revamp Biden’s policies. Trump’s phenomenal solicitor general, John Sauer, applied for emergency relief with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay two of these lower court decisions against Trump, and the 9th Circuit ruled directly for Trump in the third case. On Monday, the Supreme Court mostly granted Trump’s requested relief by scheduling oral argument on this issue by late April and thereby signaling that a full decision will be rendered by the end of June. While the court did not authorize the immediate removal of these refugees, it appears that their return will become possible by summer. As a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained in response, "The Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare.”

Washington Post [3/21/2026 5:00 AM, Arelis R. Hernández, Jake Spring, John Muyskens, and Thomas Simonetti, 24826K] reports the Trump administration is building hundreds of miles of border wall through iconic national parks, public lands and ecologically sensitive wilderness, empowered by provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill that provided $46.5 billion in funding and a 2005 law that waived dozens of environmental rules for border security projects. The “Smart Wall” project calls for a wall in parts of rugged Texas desert that are experiencing historically low border crossings and a second wall across parts of California, Arizona and New Mexico that already have barriers from the first Trump administration, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents recently posted online. The aggressive pace — three new miles of wall a week — has alarmed advocates and national parks staff who say the construction will destroy pristine country, threaten endangered species, and cut off access to sacred Indigenous and archaeological sites. And it has sparked an unusual degree of bipartisan pushback, with sheriffs, conservative county judges, environmentalists and Texas state lawmakers lobbying Trump officials to change course. “This is one of the largest public works projects in recent history for the U.S.,” said Eamon Harrity, wildlife program manager for Sky Island Alliance, a conservation nonprofit based in Tucson. “It’s fairly scary to think about the lack of oversight, the complete authority to build these walls without considering the environmental impacts.” The Department of Homeland Security has issued waivers under the 2005 REAL ID Act, allowing the department to disregard the wall’s impact on plants and animals normally protected by the Endangered Species Act. The project is exempted from the National Environmental Policy Act — a sweeping law that mandates an extensive review of a federal action’s potential impacts and public consultation that can take years. Sorting through complicated legal and property ownership issues slowed down border wall construction in Texas during the first Trump administration. But the federal government is now skipping meetings with local officials and landowners and awarding contracts to out-of-state firms. Last month, the Army Corps of Engineers sent packets to Texas landowners along the wall’s path containing maps showing the land they planned to take. The proposed construction could include anything from ground sensors and infrared cameras to 30-foot steel bollards affixed with floodlights and gravel roads for Border Patrol vehicles — and often all of the above.

Breitbart [3/20/2026 6:06 AM, John Binder, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is celebrating the 10th consecutive month where the agency did not release a single illegal alien from the United States-Mexico border into the U.S. interior. This week, DHS officials announced that for the tenth month, the agency released zero illegal aliens apprehended at the border into American communities — a major turnaround from former President Joe Biden’s expansive catch and release policy that saw millions released from the border. "Ten straight months of zero illegal aliens released at the border. President Trump promised to secure the Border, and that is a promise we delivered," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. "We have the most secure border in American history. Our borders are closed to lawbreakers." Similarly, the Trump administration marked the 13th consecutive month where there have been fewer than 9,000 illegal border crossers captured at the border. This indicates a 95 percent decline in border apprehensions compared with Biden-era levels. As Breitbart News has detailed, on the first day of his second term, Trump signed 10 executive orders to drastically reduce illegal immigration. Among the executive orders was one that declared a national emergency at the border to use the full weight of the federal government and its resources to shut the border off from human smuggling and drug smuggling by the Mexican drug cartels.

The Hill [3/20/2026 10:15 AM, Alexander Bolton, 18170K] reports that the Senate approved by unanimous consent Thursday a proposal to end the special treatment members of Congress get at airports that allows them to speed through or skip the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) screening checkpoints. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) proposed the legislation on the Senate floor Thursday night to force Democratic colleagues to have to wait in the same long security lines as the rest of the flying public during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has now stretched for 35 days. Security screening lines have been especially long at Houston’s Hobby Airport, where people have had to wait three to four hours to get through TSA lines. Wait times have increased dramatically at airports around the country in large part because more TSA agents are missing work during the shutdown as they’re not getting paid. “Staffing constraints have not only led to longer wait times around the country but also significant delays, disruptions and missed flights,” Cornyn said on the floor, blaming Democrats for the Homeland Security shutdown. “The only reason I can fathom, other than being completely out of touch, that our Democrat colleagues would do this is not all members of Congress are being forced to experience the same mess of their own making,” Cornyn said. “As many Americans probably don’t know but most of us in Washington do know, airports around the country allow members of Congress to bypass the usual TSA screening process at airports nationwide. In other words, they get to skip the line. This should end today,” he said.

Reported similarly:
CNN [3/20/2026 4:19 PM, Camila DeChalus, Veronica Stracqualursi, 19874K]

CBS News [3/20/2026 12:32 PM, Skyler Henry and Kelsie Hoffman, 51110K] reports delays at major U.S. airports across the country persist as Transportation Security Administration officers continue to work without pay and call-outs mount as the partial government shutdown drags on. "I think it’s ridiculous they need to open the government back up, it’s time," Colin McDonald, a traveler at Philadelphia International Airport, said. Travelers and TSA officers are calling on lawmakers in Washington to end the partial shutdown, which began on Feb. 14, and fund DHS. "Get it passed. Work together. Come together so that we can continue to pay our people and care for the folks who keep our nation running," said Corinne Gunter, who was at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The staffing shortages have led to long wait times for flyers. As of early Friday afternoon, wait times of 120 minutes were reported at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

CNN [3/21/2026 4:30 AM, Alaa Elassar, 19874K] reports unpaid Transportation Security Administration workers are struggling to stay afloat – and on the job – amid a partial government shutdown that has frustrated travelers inching through security lines that stretch for hours, with wait times only expected to worsen this weekend. "I feel bad for everyone except for the people in Washington, DC," said Carlos Monroe, a traveler whose family waited for more than three hours at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport early Friday but still missed their 6 a.m. flight. "It’s just not fair," Monroe said, lamenting from the airport’s food court as his wife sat nearby with her head down. "The big people aren’t paying the price for the little people.” By early Saturday, the strain was already visible at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where the security wait time stretched to a little over two hours. In Orlando, the wait time was approaching an hour, while at JFK airport in New York, travelers faced a wait of over half an hour – early signs of a weekend rush colliding with thin staffing. The situation is poised to deteriorate even further as some TSA officers, who some lawmakers say are being treated as "political pawns," continue working without pay since the shutdown began in mid-February, while others, pushed to the brink, are walking away from the job altogether. In airports across the country, security lines are snaking through roped-off corridors and spilling into crowded atriums, while terminals buzz with restless, exasperated passengers clutching boarding passes and checking phones. Visibly strained officers in blue uniforms move travelers along as best they can, many carrying their own quiet anxiety about missed paychecks and an uncertain road ahead. Officials warn this may only be the beginning. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the current disruptions are "child’s play" compared to what could happen if TSA workers miss another paycheck, a scenario that could push an already strained system closer to collapse. And if the shutdown continues, some airports may be forced to close, other officials have said. Airports are supposed to be places of motion, a steady current of departures and arrivals, of reunions and escapes. But this week, that rhythm is breaking down – and travelers are left wondering when they’ll make it to the people and places waiting on the other side.

FOX News [3/20/2026 1:15 PM, Staff, 7946K] reports that Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warns that TSA wait times will only worsen, potentially leading to small airport shutdowns if Congress does not provide funding soon for the Department of Homeland Security on ‘Varney & Co.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Post [3/20/2026 5:10 AM, Chris Bradford, 40934K] reports a top TSA official warned that security problems at airports are likely to get worse before they get better due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown — as he blasted Congress for "holding" the agency hostage. Adam Stahl, the acting Deputy TSA Administrator, warned Thursday that airports could be forced into suspending operations due to mass callouts that have led to widespread flight disruptions. "Callout rates are one of many factors that help to inform our security footprint at every single airport, but again I can tell you, this is going to get worse before it gets better, particularly if we don’t have a resolution within the coming days and weeks," he said on NewsNation’s "The Hill." Stahl wouldn’t comment on how many airports could be affected, but warned the impact on smaller hubs could be severe. "And so again, small airports may be particularly impacted because they have fewer lanes and they have fewer people, and so, if a certain three or four out of 10 employees call out, we may, to ensure we’re not degrading security, we may have to temporarily suspend operations at those airports," he said. The shutdown is in its fifth week — while Democrats and Republicans appear no closer to a compromise.

Reuters [3/20/2026 6:26 PM, David Shepardson, 38315K] reports U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday he is worried disruptions at major airports will increase as a partial government shutdown continues with no end in sight. Airlines and travel groups fear absences among the 50,000 Transportation Security Administration airport security officers could increase again this weekend. Long lines were seen at major airports on Friday, including in Atlanta and Houston, with spring break travel in full swing. "If a deal isn’t cut, you’re going to see what’s happening today look like child’s play," Duffy told CNN. He warned earlier this week that small airports could shut down soon if staffing issues worsened. The shutdown entered its 35th day on Friday and TSA officers are not getting paid. They are set to miss a second full paycheck on March 27, Duffy noted. "This situation is placing increasing strain on the frontline workforce responsible for protecting millions of travelers," said the U.S. Travel Association, airlines, hotel chains and other companies in a joint letter. TSA absences fell slightly on Thursday to 9.8% nationwide from 10.2% Wednesday but were higher at some major airports, including 29% at New York’s JFK, 27% at New Orleans, 23% at Baltimore-Washington, 32% at Atlanta and over 30% at both Houston airports, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

AP [3/20/2026 5:16 PM, Rio Yamat, 35287K] reports eviction notices. Vehicle repossessions. Empty refrigerators and overdrawn bank accounts. Union leaders and federal officials say these are just some of the financial pressures Transportation Security Administration agents are facing during an ongoing government funding lapse — the third shutdown in less than six months that has forced the officers who screen airport passengers and luggage to keep working without pay. The public is experiencing the consequences in long wait times at some airports as more TSA officers take time off to earn money on the side or cut back on expenses. At least 376 have quit their jobs altogether since the shutdown began on Valentine’s Day, according to the Department of Homeland Security, exacerbating staff turnover at an agency that historically has had some of the U.S. government’s highest attrition and lowest employee morale. “It’s just exhausting. Every day it just feels like this weight gets heavier and heavier on us,” Cameron Cochems, a local TSA union leader in Boise, Idaho, told The Associated Press. Airport screeners have spent nearly half of the past 170 days with their paychecks held up by politics — 43 days last fall during the longest government shutdown in history, four days earlier this year during a brief funding lapse, and now 35 days and counting during the current shutdown, which affects only the Department of Homeland Security. They are considered essential so have to keep showing up for work whether they get paid or not. Cochems, who has worked as a TSA agent for more than four years and is vice president of his regional American Federation of Government Employees chapter, said the number of resignations likely doesn’t fully capture the extent of the agency’s personnel challenges. He thinks many more officers would already have walked away in a stronger job market. “I think more people are staying with the TSA that don’t want to be here,” Cochems said. The House Committee on Homeland Security has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to review the partial shutdown’s impact on the TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies within DHS.

FOX Business [3/20/2026 7:54 AM, Staff, 7946K] reports Former Trump Official Katie Miller joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to sound off on the DHS shutdown, TSA disruptions, and the political fight over border security, election integrity and the SAVE Act. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

(B) NBC News Daily [3/20/2026 3:34 PM, Staff] reports travel hubs like Houston and Atlanta are seeing hours-long wait times at security checkpoints because of TSA staffing shortages. Workers are calling out in record numbers, hundreds have quit, and those that are showing up to work are doing it without getting paid. That is because the partial government shutdown continues now in day 35. As TSA officers continue to go without pay, some organizations are stepping in to meet the need.

OutKick [3/20/2026 4:40 PM, Matt Reigle] reports we’re smack-dab in the midst of a Department of Homeland Security shutdown, courtesy of the men and women in Washington with a "D" behind their names. One that has created an absolute horror show at airports across the country. The Transportation Security Administration is part of the DHS. So agents are working for no money or just not showing up to work, because… well, because it’s nice to get paid when you work, isn’t it? That has made the lines to get through security at major US airports hours long, which is enough to make driving seem like a much better alternative.

New York Post [3/20/2026 2:06 PM, Georgett Roberts, Josh Christenson, and David Propper, 40934K] reports that they’re on a line to nowhere. Flyers were smacked with another day of endlessly long security lines at local airports and across the country Friday as Congress continues to fail to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. Weary travelers were forced to show up at LaGuardia Airport in Queens hours earlier than even the hefty three-hour mark officials were advising for national flights, as the lines for TSA checkpoints wrapped around the airport like a maze. "It’s better to be early at the gate a few hours earlier than show up the three hours that they recommended and still not make it through TSA and missing our flight and not making it home," said Rachel Sweet, who was on her way home to Memphis, Tenn., from a Big Apple business trip. Sweet and her colleague Tiera Backer, 33, showed up at 9:50 a.m. for their flight, which was scheduled to depart at 2 p.m. "It’s crazy. I’d hate to come later and miss my flight because I’m stuck in the line," Backer said. Jade Primicias arrived at LaGuardia at 10 a.m. for her 2:20 p.m. flight to Denver. Her dance company starts a North America tour Saturday, and she was told by her bosses to be there as early as possible because of potential issues. Travelers have faced viral-worthy long lines at airports nationwide as Democrats continue their refusal to fund certain agencies within DHS over their fight to get immigration reforms. TSA agents have lost out on paychecks and are calling out sick or quitting the job completely thanks to the impasse, fueling the travel nightmare.

Washington Examiner [3/20/2026 8:39 AM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports major airports on Friday continued to grapple with long wait times at security checkpoints, due to the showdown over the Department of Homeland Security’s funding in Congress. In Atlanta, two-hour lines stretched out at the world’s busiest airport. The debacle at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport mirrored lines at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas, where passengers at crowded Transportation Security Administration checkpoints faced two-and-a-half-hour wait times Friday morning. At George Bush Intercontinental Airport, wait times were up to 135 minutes. The development was sparked due to bickering in Congress over DHS funding. Democrats want policy changes for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which falls under DHS, to be part of any deal. In the meantime, their position has provoked funding negotiations with Republicans and a temporary shutdown of parts of the agency, including TSA. That means TSA employees are working without pay, which disincentivizes them from showing up. Swaths of airport security workers have called out "sick" or quit their jobs since the partial shutdown locked down paychecks, leading officials to warn that major airports may be forced to close. Around 10% of TSA workers nationwide, or 2,700 workers, called out sick on Tuesday. In an open letter to Congress sent Sunday, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and three other airlines pleaded for lawmakers to resolve the matter swiftly.

Houston Chronicle [3/20/2026 11:43 AM, Sondra Hernandez, 2493K] reports security wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport were at two hours Friday on the first day of adjusted TSA screenings at the airport. Thursday evening, Houston Airport System officials announced changes to TSA screenings at IAH that would only have standard screenings at Terminals A & E. TSA PreCheck will only be available in Terminals A & C. These changes began at 3:30 a.m. Friday and are related to the partial government shutdown impacting TSA workers ability to get paid. As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, wait times at IAH Terminal E were at two hours, according to Fly2Houston. IAH Terminal A South waits were at two hours as well. IAH Terminal A North, IAH Terminal C South and IAH Terminal D were closed as was IAH Terminal E PreCheck. PreCheck for Terminals A and C were running under 15 minutes. "With TSA officers working without pay since Feb. 14, staffing shortages have reduced screening capacity, leading to longer security wait times, with no clear end in sight," according to a Thursday statement from Houston Airport System. "Houston Airports continues to use its website and social media platforms to keep passengers informed about the impacts of the partial federal government shutdown." Officials advised open TSA lanes would continue to adjust from day to day and shift to shift as the shutdown lingers.

Axios [3/20/2026 8:20 AM, Glenn Wallace, 17364K] reports air travel has been painful of late, with soaring prices, bad weather, and long security lines. Yes, but: Colorado Springs Airport’s operations have continued relatively unbothered. Entering the busy spring break travel season, many Springs travelers face the eternal question — fly out of Denver International Airport or COS? A five-week funding standoff over the Department of Homeland Security has left TSA agents nationwide missing paychecks and calling out sick in record numbers. And travel headaches have piled up, with severe weather in the eastern U.S. earlier this week and disruptions to Middle East flights compounding. Closer to home, it was a no good, very bad week for DEN travelers. Colorado Springs Airport has continued to operate normally throughout the DHS funding standoff, according to spokesperson Aidan Ryan, including: No major delays at the airport’s sole security checkpoint. Average wait times are holding steady at 5-12 minutes. While TSA PreCheck remains open for now, the service could be paused due to staffing shortages, Ryan told Axios, likely lengthening security check wait times.

CBS Los Angeles [3/21/2026 12:30 AM, Tom Wait, Matthew Rodriguez, 51110K] reports Burbank Airport raised $8,000 to help TSA officers affected during the partial government shutdown. The airport’s police officers and firefighters organized the event to help their federal colleagues, who missed their first full paycheck last Friday amid the roughly month-long shutdown. "Everybody in the police department, the fire department, and the airport people want to do anything to help them," Airport Chief of Police Edward Skvarna said. Due to regulations, TSA agents cannot accept direct donations. The airport said the $8,000 in donations will be converted into gas cards to help their colleagues amid rising fuel prices. "We can give the gas cards to their federal security director that’s in charge of them and they can pass them out," Skvarna said. "These TSOs are patriots and great Americans. To keep this operating is unbelievable to all of us. We know how long we’d work if they quit paying us, and it wouldn’t be 35 days.” Democrats and Republicans are at a stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA. More than 300 TSA employees have left the agency since the start of the DHS shutdown. This is the third shutdown in less than six months. Nationwide, more than 10% of officers called out sick on Wednesday, with Atlanta and Houston facing callout rates reaching as high as 38%, according to TSA. The staffing shortages also forced some security checkpoints to shut down in Houston and Philadelphia on Thursday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

US News & World Report [3/20/2026 6:02 AM, Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, 38315K] reports intelligence briefings reviewed by Reuters have warned of the potential for extremists and ⁠criminals ⁠to target the World Cup at a time when hundreds of millions of ⁠dollars of approved security funds have been delayed, causing U.S. preparations to fall behind. The previously unreported briefings from U.S. federal and state officials and FIFA, the international federation overseeing the World Cup, outlined the risk of extremist attacks, including attacks on transportation infrastructure and civil unrest related to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The soccer World Cup, one of the globe’s biggest sporting events, will be held in June and July this year across ‌three countries - the United States, Canada and Mexico. While security at such ‌events is always intense, U.S. law enforcement officials have been on especially heightened alert since the start of the war on Iran and have raised concerns over retaliatory threats. Officials working to prepare for the World Cup in the United States have increasingly sounded alarms ⁠in recent weeks over a stalled $625 ⁠million in federal security grants for the event that were part of a Republican-backed spending bill passed in July 2025. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with distributing the money, said in November that it was expecting to allocate the funds no later than January 30. Following inquiries by Reuters this month after officials and organizers complained that they had still received nothing, FEMA announced on Wednesday that it had awarded the grants, saying the money would "bolster security preparations."

CNN [3/20/2026 6:00 AM, Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck, and Gabe Cohen, 19874K] reports as millions of Americans braced for a series of brutal storms this winter, the senior official in charge of the federal government’s disaster response had been on the job only a few weeks — and had previously claimed on podcasts that he once teleported to a Waffle House. Gregg Phillips, appointed in December to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, rose to prominence not through his time as a federal emergency management professional but as a far-right activist who spread conspiracy theories about voter fraud and frequently used violent rhetoric toward political opponents. Most notably, Phillips on multiple podcasts made bizarre claims to have been involuntarily teleported, including once to a Georgia Waffle House 50 miles away. "Teleporting is no fun," Phillips said on one podcast last year. "It was real." FEMA official detailed ‘teleporting’ experience: ‘It’s scary in a way’. In January, as a massive snowstorm battered much of the country, Phillips was at the center of the action — stationed beside Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in FEMA’s command hub, photographed with her at the head of a sprawling conference table, and standing prominently behind her during a press briefing. FEMA officials have described Phillips’ job as among the most consequential in the agency, involving decisions that affect search-and-rescue operations, emergency aid, infrastructure restoration and ultimately distributing billions of dollars in disaster assistance.

CBS Colorado [3/20/2026 8:47 PM, Christa Swanson, 51110K] reports evacuation orders were issued Friday afternoon for residents near a wildfire burning east of San Luis, Colorado. The fire sparked around 1 p.m. east of the small, unincorporated community of Chama. As of 5 p.m., the fire has grown to 117 acres, according to the Costilla County Office of Emergency Management. They said that there is 0% containment. At 4:30 p.m., the Costilla County OEM issued an evacuation order for residents near the Chama Canyon Fire. "An imminent threat to life and property exists, and individuals MUST evacuate in accordance with the instructions of local officials. Mandatory Evacuation Order issued for all residents on County Rd L.7 and N.2 in Chama and extending north 3 miles to Malcolm Rd in the Poso," the agency said.

CBS Colorado [3/20/2026 8:32 AM, Staff, 51110K] reports the large wildfire "24 Fire" is burning south of Colorado Springs and caused the closure of Highway 115 for several hours on Thursday. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [3/21/2026 2:21 AM, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy, 16072K] reports Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said Friday while warning that still more rain was expected during the weekend. Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, people’s homes and a Maui hospital in Kula. “This is going to have a very serious consequence for us as a state,” Green said at a news conference. Most of the state was under a flood watch, with Haleiwa and Waialua in northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service. Green said his chief of staff spoke to the White House and received assurances the islands would have federal support. No deaths were reported and no one was unaccounted for. About 10 people were taken to a hospital with hypothermia, he said. Crews searched by air and by water for people who had been stranded — efforts that were hampered by people flying personal drones to get images of the flooding, said Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for Honolulu. The National Guard and Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults who had been attending a spring break youth camp at a retreat on Oahu’s west coast called Our Lady of Kea’au, according to city and camp officials. The camp is on high ground but authorities didn’t want to leave them there, the mayor said. Green said the flooding was the state’s most serious since 2004 floods in Manoa inundated homes and a University of Hawaii library. Dozens — if not hundreds — of homes were damaged Friday but officials haven’t been able to fully assess the destruction, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. Some 5,500 people were under evacuation orders. “There’s no question that the damage done thus far has been catastrophic,” he said. Officials blamed some of the devastation on the sheer amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time on saturated land. Parts of Oahu received 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) of rain overnight. Kaala, the island’s highest peak, got nearly 16 inches (40 cm) in the past day, the National Weather Service said. More rain was expected: Blangiardi said 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) of rain was forecast to fall on Oahu in the next two to three days. Winter storm systems known as “Kona lows,” which feature southerly or southwesterly winds that bring in moisture-laden air, were responsible for the deluges in the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.

CNN [3/21/2026 4:02 AM, Ritu Prasad, Hanna Park, Chris Dolce, 612K] reports hundreds of people have been rescued as severe flooding batters Hawaii’s Oahu island, prompting evacuation orders near a dam officials feared could overtop as water levels rose. The flooding is the largest event of its kind in the state in 20 years, Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference Friday night. It comes as the second significant storm in a week inundates the state, meaning the ground was already saturated before the flooding began. There have so far been no reports of deaths or anyone unaccounted for, Green added. Crews have rescued 233 people from treacherous conditions, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said at the news conference. The storm could ultimately cost more than $1 billion in damage across the public and private sectors statewide, the governor said Friday. Catastrophic flash flooding has destroyed homes, damaged airports and hospitals, and cut off towns in Oahu. The Wahiawa dam, in Oahu’s North Shore area, "may collapse or breach at any time," an alert from the Oahu Department of Emergency Management said Friday morning. Residents in the towns of Waialua and Haleiwa were told to leave immediately due to "potential life-threatening flooding" and a flash flood warning has been issued for the area until 11 p.m. local time. "Do not stop to pack or prepare your home. Only take items ready to go," the alert said. In the Waialua area, officials warned all roads were at risk of failure. "Leave now while conditions are safe to prevent becoming stuck," an alert from the emergency management department said. As evacuation orders spread across Waialua, resident Kathleen Pahinui told the Associated Press she was preparing to evacuate to a friend’s home on higher ground. The Wahiawa dam, she said, is a worry for many in the community whenever heavy rain sets in. "Just pray for us," she said. "We understand there’s more rain coming.” Water levels at the dam began to fall later Friday, but evacuation orders remained in place as additional heavy rain was possible Friday night and could reverse that trend, the governor said. There are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the dam risk area, Oahu Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Molly Pierce told CNN Friday. There are just under 10,000 people in the larger area impacted by flooding in the North Shore.

The Los Angeles Times [3/20/2026 4:30 PM, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, 12718K] reports muddy floodwaters from severe rains inundated streets, swallowed vehicles and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of residents in towns north of Honolulu on Friday as officials warned of the possible failure of a 120-year-old dam. Honolulu officials told residents in an emergency message to leave the area downstream of Wahiawa dam, because it’s failing or expected to soon fail. The warning told residents to carpool because of heavy traffic. Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes. After the worst of it, a similar but weaker storm was forecast to bring more rain through this weekend. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a social media post that the Hawaii National Guard has been activated to respond to the flooding. The New York Times [3/21/2026 2:21 AM, Aimee Ortiz, Amy Graff, Ruth Graham, and Mark Walker, 148038K] reports that water in the Wahiawa Reservoir was just a few feet below the top of the dam early Friday morning, according to Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii. The dam had not failed but was at “imminent risk of failure,” the Oahu Department of Emergency Management said shortly after 9 a.m. local time. By noon, water levels in the reservoir had dropped by more than a foot. Floodwaters have already cut off road access in the area, according to the emergency management officials and the National Weather Service, which warned that “widespread flooding of roadways and low-lying areas is ongoing.” Emergency officials urged people in Waialua and Haleiwa to evacuate to higher ground if possible, calling the rising waters “catastrophic.” Preliminary data from a flood sensor operated by the U.S. Geological Survey showed that at 8 a.m. water levels in the Wahiawa Reservoir reached 85.10 feet, surpassing the previous record, 85 feet, which was set in October 2005. Mr. Green told a local television station that the top of the dam is 90 feet tall, and he called 88 feet “a very critical threshold.” Water levels at the Wahiawa Reservoir showed a tentative downward trend Friday afternoon, offering a brief respite after the earlier warning. But officials cautioned during a noon news conference that the lull would be temporary. Ian Scheuring, deputy communications director for the Honolulu mayor’s office, said that just before the briefing that the Weather Service had advised that the North Shore and central Oahu were in a temporary break between rain bands, with the heaviest rain shifting east toward Kailua and Waimanalo. The AP [3/20/2026 7:50 PM, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy, 3833K] reports that emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s North Shore, where rising waters damaged homes in a community world-renowned for its surfing. Honolulu officials told residents Friday morning to leave the area downstream of Wahiawa dam, saying it was “at risk of imminent failure.” There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries, but some homes had been swept away, said Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for Honolulu. Firefighters, crews in the air and lifeguards on jet skis searched flood waters for people who had been stranded — efforts that were hampered by people flying personal drones to get images of the flooding, he said. During an afternoon news conference, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said dozens — if not hundreds — of homes had been damaged. Officials had not been able to fully assess the destruction due to the floodwaters. Some 5,500 people were under evacuation orders. “There’s no question that the damage done thus far has been catastrophic,” he said. Blangiardi said officials felt confident in the stability of the dams on the island, but that it was hard to predict how much rain would come and what it might do. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:

ABC News [3/20/2026 6:20 PM, Meredith Deliso and Kenton Gewecke, 34146K]
NBC News [3/20/2026 7:13 PM, Evan Bush, 42967K]

FOX News [3/19/2026 10:51 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued a person stranded on shifting ice near Mackinac Island in Michigan, provided medical care and brought the person to safety. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The New York Post [3/21/2026 12:46 AM, Victor Nava, 40934K] reports Russian hackers are targeting US officials and other "high intelligence value" individuals on the encrypted messaging app Signal and "thousands" of accounts have already been compromised, FBI Director Kash Patel warned Friday. "The [FBI] has identified cyber actors associated with Russian Intelligence Services targeting users of commercial messaging applications, including Signal," Patel wrote on X. "The campaign targets individuals of high intelligence value, including current and former U.S. government officials, military personnel, political figures, and journalists," the FBI director explained. "Globally, this effort has resulted in unauthorized access to thousands of individual accounts.” The Russian actors are able to view messages and contact lists, send messages as the victim and conduct phishing attacks from the victim’s account after gaining access, Patel warned. A public service announcement detailing the threat noted that "actors specifically target Signal accounts but can apply similar methods against other" commercial messaging apps. The Russian hackers have been infiltrating people’s accounts by sending messages "masquerading as automated [commercial messaging app] support accounts" that "deceive targets into taking an action, such as clicking a link or providing verification codes or account PINs.” A "full account takeover" is possible if users perform the requested actions, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned in the PSA. The National Security Agency (NSA) previously warned the Department of War about the risks of using Signal, specifically citing the threat of Russian hacking groups that actively attack the app, CBS reported last year. Several top Trump administration officials – including Vice President JD Vance and War Secretary Pete Hegseth – used the app to discuss military strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen last year in group chat that was accidentally shared with a journalist. FOX News [3/20/2026 5:26 PM, Jasmine Baehr, 37576K] reports that the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the operation has already compromised "thousands of individual" commercial messaging app (CMA) accounts, allowing attackers to read messages, access contact lists and send messages posing as the victim.

FOX News [3/20/2026 12:57 PM, Kurt Knutsson, 37576K] reports that if you watched a recent episode of "The Pitt" on Max, a streaming medical drama about life inside a high-pressure emergency department, you saw how quickly a hospital can spiral during a cyberattack. It made for gripping television. But in Mississippi, it was not a script. It was real life. After a ransomware attack hit the University of Mississippi Medical Center, clinics across the state closed. Elective procedures were canceled. Phone systems and emails went down. Emergency care continued, but access to electronic medical records was disrupted. When a hospital’s systems fail, the impact goes far beyond IT. It affects real people waiting for care. That is why hospital cyberattacks are no longer just a tech problem. They are a public safety issue. Hospitals cannot afford downtime. When systems fail, patient care is immediately affected, and the pressure to restore operations is intense. Ricardo Amper, founder and CEO of Incode Technologies, a digital identity verification and biometric authentication company, explains the reality. "Hospitals are in a uniquely difficult position. If systems go down, patient care is immediately affected. That creates real pressure to restore operations fast, which is why ransomware groups often target healthcare." He points to another major factor driving hospital cyberattacks.

CyberScoop [3/20/2029 11:30 AM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports authorities seized infrastructure powering four botnets that hijacked a combined three million devices and launched more than 300,000 DDoS attacks collectively, the Justice Department said Thursday. The botnets — Aisuru, Kimwolf, JackSkid and Mossad — enabled operators to sell access to the infected devices for various cybercrimes. The aftermath spanned thousands of attacks, including some demanding extortion payments from victims, officials said. The globally coordinated operation, aided by law enforcement actions targeting the botnets’ operators in Canada and Germany, disrupted the command-and-control infrastructure for all four botnets. Two of the botnets set records before the takedown, attracting widespread attention from security researchers and vendors. The Kimwolf botnet, an Android variant of Aisuru, spread like wildfire after its operators figured out how to abuse residential-proxy networks for local control, according to Sythient. It eventually took over more than 2 million Android TV devices by January. In September, just as Kimwolf was forming, Cloudflare clocked the Aisuru botnet hitting a record-breaking 29.7 terabits-per-second DDoS attack that lasted 69 seconds. Officials ultimately attributed roughly 200,000 DDoS attacks to Aisuru, 90,000 to JackSkid, 25,000 to Kimwolf and about 1,000 DDoS attack commands to the Mossad botnet. Yet, DDoS attacks from financially-motivated attackers are typically a distraction or misdirection.

NewsNation [3/20/2026 3:50 PM, Alex Baker, 4464K] reports a city on the Peninsula is in the process of declaring a state of emergency after being hit by a paralyzing cyberattack. The City of Foster City announced on Thursday that it had been hit by a cyber security breach that was widely impacting city services due to ransomware on city networks. City IT staff identified the ransomware in the early hours of Thursday, March 19. All public services outside of emergency services have been put on pause temporarily, the city said. Investigations are underway to determine the extent of the breach with limited information available at this time, the city said. The Foster City Manager’s Office is in the process of declaring a state of emergency in order to facilitate getting financial support from outside agencies. The city is warning that public information may have been accessed in the breach. The San Francisco Chronicle [3/20/2026 9:06 PM, Aldo Toledo, 3833K] reports “The public’s safety is our highest priority, so we encourage members of our community to take precautions that would best assure the security of their personal information,” City Manager Stefan Chatwin said in a statement. “Foster City staff, with the assistance of outside cyber security experts, are working diligently to restore the integrity of the City’s system and ensure there are no further security issues impacting services to our community.” By Friday, officials said they had initiated “incident response protocols” as a precaution due to suspicious activity. “We have taken most of our computer systems offline while we ensure the security of our network,” the Friday news release said. “We are engaging with independent cybersecurity specialists to assist with the investigation and remediation.”

CyberScoop [3/20/2026 2:30 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports three American men were sentenced Friday for crimes they committed in furtherance of North Korea’s vast scheme to get operatives hired at U.S. companies, the Justice Department said. The trio — Audricus Phagnasay, 25, Jason Salazar, 30, and Alexander Paul Travis, 35 — pleaded guilty in November to wire fraud conspiracy for providing U.S. identities to remote North Korean IT workers. They hosted U.S. company-provided laptops at their homes and installed remote-access software so North Korean operatives could appear to be working in the country. The group also helped remote IT workers pass employer vetting and, in the case of Travis and Salazar, took drug tests on behalf of the North Koreans, prosecutors said. Travis, an active-duty member of the U.S. Army at the time, received about $51,000 from the scheme. He was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to forfeit about $193,000. Phagnasay and Salazar each pocketed about $3,500 and $4,500, respectively, and were both sentenced to three years of probation and a $2,000 fine. A federal court ordered Salazar to forfeit about $410,000 and ordered Phagnasay to forfeit nearly $682,000. “These men practically gave the keys to the online kingdom to likely North Korean overseas technology workers seeking to raise illicit revenue for the North Korean government — all in return for what to them seemed like easy money,” Margaret Heap, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said in a statement.

NewsMax [3/20/2026 10:28 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports three people, including a soldier stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, a major hub for U.S. cyberoperations, were sentenced Friday for their roles in a scheme that enabled North Korea to access U.S.-based computer networks. Each defendant pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the Justice Department announced. Alexander Paul Travis, 35, of Augusta was an active-duty member of the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon during the scheme. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $193,265. Jason Salazar, 30, of Clovis, California, and Audricus Phagnasay, 25, of Fresno, California, were each sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to forfeit $409,876 and $681,926, respectively. "These men practically gave the keys to the online kingdom to likely North Korean overseas technology workers seeking to raise illicit revenue for the North Korean government — all in return for what to them seemed like easy money," Margaret Heap, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said in a statement. "These schemes present a significant challenge to our national security, and we applaud our investigative partners working to secure our digital borders.” Prosecutors said each defendant was contacted by overseas information technology workers and allowed them to create resumes in the defendants’ names using false information about their experience. The information was then used to obtain remote employment with U.S. companies and to pass employer vetting procedures, including video interviews, drug testing, and fingerprinting. The defendants also opened bank accounts in their names to receive payments from the companies. In each case, the defendant received a laptop from the hiring company and installed unauthorized software to enable overseas IT workers to access the computers remotely while appearing to work from the defendant’s U.S. address. Travis received at least $51,397, and Phagnasay and Salazar earned at least $3,450 and $4,500, respectively. The scheme generated approximately $1.28 million in salary payments from U.S. companies, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas. "These defendants facilitated a scheme to deceive U.S. companies into hiring foreign remote IT workers," Peter Ellis, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta field office, said in the release. "The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and mitigate these fraudulent IT schemes and provide support to victims of North Korean cyber actors.”

FOX News [3/20/2026 1:14 PM, Alex Nitzberg, 37576K] reports that Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., issued an open letter calling upon Muslim leadership in the U.S. to condemn a spate of recent attacks in the country, arguing that their silence "legitimizes the concerns of millions of Americans" about Islam. He specifically indicated that the message was directed toward "Mosques, Imams, and Muslim Religious Leaders Across the United States." In the letter, Ogles, who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, ran through a list of four recent incidents being investigated as acts or potential acts of terrorism on U.S. soil, and then declared, "To this day, zero American mosques have publicly condemned this pattern of Islamic bloodshed and disavowed the attackers. This silence legitimizes the concerns of millions of Americans that Islam requires such violence." "I challenge America’s more than 3,000 mosques to publicly and unequivocally condemn these specific attacks, disavow the perpetrators, reject any religious justification for terrorism, and state clearly that murdering innocents or targeting houses of worship has no place in Islam or America," he wrote. Ogles specifically pointed to four incidents, including the March 1 shooting in Austin, Texas, the March 7 attempt to detonate explosives near Gracie Mansion in New York City, a March 12 attack in which the perpetrator rammed a vehicle into the Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and opened fire, and a March 12 shooting episode at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Viriginia.

FOX News [3/20/2026 7:04 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo discusses legal questions on how to deal with a U.S. citizen becoming a leader of a Mexican cartel on ‘The Will Cain Show.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [3/20/2026 1:54 PM, David Zimmermann, 1147K] reports that Joe Kent, who resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center this week, disputed the FBI investigation into his alleged attempts to leak classified information on the latest episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. After Kent resigned on Tuesday over his opposition to the Iran war, news reports said he had been under investigation for months before his departure. The former Trump official said he’s not worried about the leak allegations. "I’m not concerned because I know I did nothing wrong," Kent told Kelly. "Of course, I am concerned because we’ve all seen the FBI and the full weight of the government come down on individuals who speak out. So that has me a little bit concerned, but I know the truth and the facts are on my side." "I think the important issues to address are what’s at hand, why we’re at war, and how we get out of the state that we’re in right now," he argued. Since he quit, there has been online speculation that Kent may have leaked Mark Levin’s private June 2025 meeting with President Donald Trump about Iran and a group chat that showed Charlie Kirk expressing frustration with Jewish donors before his assassination in September 2025. When asked if he leaked any information in either instance, Kent firmly denied the accusations. Also, he distinguished between leaking "actual top secret information and then leaking almost palace intrigue of who’s meeting with who."

CNN [3/20/2026 11:38 AM, Hadas Gold, 19874K] reports the White House on Friday released its long-awaited national artificial intelligence legislative framework, a move to prevent states from enacting their own laws and enforce the Trump administration’s light-touch approach to AI regulation. The framework stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed in December that blocked states from enforcing their own regulations around artificial intelligence and covers a broad spectrum of AI concerns, from data centers to AI scams. The White House’s framework could have far-reaching effects on US efforts to dominate AI, which is starting to play a bigger role in everything from jobs to the stock market and the way people find information. But the technology still poses safety risks as companies race to adopt it and infuse it into their products. The administration outlined six objectives for Congress intended to balance rapid innovation with public trust, from data centers to government censorship. "The White House’s national AI legislative framework will unleash American ingenuity to win the global AI race, delivering breakthroughs that create jobs, lower costs, and improve lives for Americans across the country," Michael Kratsios, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in a statement. The framework calls on Congress to give parents better "tools" to manage their children’s digital presence, before calling on Congress to streamline data center permits so they can generate power on site, as well as augment existing legal efforts to combat AI-enabled scams.

ABC News [3/20/2026 6:36 AM, Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky, 34146K] Video: HERE reports a drone sighting that temporarily raised alarms at one of the United States Air Force’s largest and most strategic airfields earlier this month was more extensive, and potentially more dangerous, than first reported, according to a confidential internal briefing document reviewed by ABC News. Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana said it was under a shelter-in-place order March 9 after "a report of an unmanned aerial system operating over the installation.” The sighting raised concerns because Barksdale houses long-range B-52 bombers and plays a critical role in command and control of the Air Force nuclear defense capabilities. The shelter-in-place order was lifted later that day but the unauthorized drone flights continued for nearly a week. "Barksdale Air Force Base detected multiple unauthorized drones operating in our airspace during the week of March 9th," Capt. Hunter Rininger of the 2nd Bomb Wing said in a statement provided to ABC News. The additional drone incursions had not been previously reported. According to the confidential briefing document dated March 15, the drones came in waves and entered and exited the base in a way that may suggest attempts to "avoid the operator(s) being located." Lights on the drones suggested the operators "may be testing security responses" at the base. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [3/20/2026 7:26 PM, Michael Katz, 3760K] reports the FBI is warning that cyber actors tied to Iran’s intelligence network are using the messaging platform Telegram to deploy malware targeting dissidents, journalists, and opposition figures worldwide. In a FLASH alert Friday, the bureau said hackers linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security are leveraging Telegram as a command-and-control system to infect targets’ computers running Windows operating systems, enabling surveillance, data theft, and reputational attacks. The alert comes amid heightened tensions over U.S.-Israeli military operations targeting Iran’s political leadership and military infrastructure, with U.S. officials increasingly warning that state-backed cyber operations are being used alongside traditional geopolitical tactics. The campaign, which dates to at least the fall of 2023, has focused primarily on Iranian dissidents and critics of the regime, though officials warned the tools could be used against "any individual of interest to Iran." According to the FBI, the operation relies heavily on social engineering, with attackers impersonating trusted contacts or technical support personnel on messaging platforms to trick people into downloading malicious files.

AP [3/20/2026 10:05 AM, Jon Gambrell, Michelle L. Price, and Julie Watson, 2524K] reports that three weeks into an escalating war in the Middle East, Iran threatened to expand its retaliatory attacks to include recreational and tourist sites worldwide, as the U.S. announced it was sending more warships and Marines to the region. President Donald Trump said hours later on social media Friday that his administration in fact was considering “winding down” military operations in the region. The mixed messages came after another climb in oil prices plunged the U.S. stock market, and was followed by a Trump administration announcement that it will lift sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships, a move aimed at wrangling soaring fuel prices. The war, meanwhile, has shown no signs of abating. Israel said Iran fired a missile at it early Saturday, while Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in just a couple of hours in the country’s eastern region, which is home to major oil installations. The defense ministry said there were no injuries or damage. The attacks came a day after Israeli airstrikes hit in Tehran as Iranians celebrated the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday. Iran has escalated attacks on its Gulf neighbors since Israel bombed its massive South Pars offshore natural gas field, while keeping a stranglehold on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and other critical goods are transported. With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear or energy facilities have sustained in the punishing U.S. and Israeli strikes, which began Feb. 28 — or even who was truly in charge of the country.

Reported similarly:
Daily Wire [3/20/2026 6:55 AM, Kassy Akiva, 2314K]

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