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.

Bloomberg [3/4/2026 10:19 AM, Staff, 763K] reports that federal appeals courts must defer to immigration judges’ findings on whether asylum-seekers show harms serious enough to qualify for protection, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously. The opinion authored by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Wednesday came in a dispute over the standard of review under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which provides refugee or asylum protections when someone shows a well-founded fear of persecution in their native country. Asylum applicants can appeal denials by immigration judges, but a question presented by this case was whether those determinations are administrative factual findings requiring deference from courts of review. "We conclude that the statute requires application of the substantial-evidence standard to the agency’s conclusion that a given set of undisputed facts does not constitute persecution," Jackson wrote. "Accordingly, we affirm." The ruling comes amid a spree of firings of immigration judges by President Donald Trump’s administration as it tries to ramp up deportations. Bloomberg Law reported in early February that new judges are being instructed that asylum should be granted only in rare instances. Immigration judges are members of the Executive Office for Immigration Review housed at the Justice Department. They decide more than 200,000 asylum applications a year, according to the DOJ, some of which are appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which is also part of EOIR. The Washington Examiner [3/4/2026 4:45 PM, Jack Birle, 1147K] reports Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the unanimous opinion for the high court in Urias-Orellana v. Bondi, finding that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit used the correct standard of review when evaluating an appeal of a denied asylum petition that had worked its way from immigration courts. The high court is set to announce additional opinions from cases argued this term in the coming weeks, with all rulings for this term expected by the end of June. Federalist [3/4/2026 12:13 PM, Shawn Fleetwood, 540K] reports the case, Urias-Orellana v. Bondi centers around Salvadoran national Humberto Urias-Orellana, who fled his country alongside his family and illegally entered the United States in 2021 after reportedly facing violence in El Salvador. After being designated for removal by federal officials, Urias-Orellana sought asylum under the argument that he and his family faced persecution in El Salvador — claims which were rejected by an immigration judge (IJ). The immigration judge’s determinations that the alleged violence Urias-Orellana faced did not amount to persecution, and therefore, he did not qualify for asylum, were later affirmed by the Board of Immigration Appeals and the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. (Immigration judges and the BIA fall under the executive branch.). Writing for the court, Jackson noted that while the courts of appeals "apply varying standards to the agency’s persecution determination," the Supreme Court has "already concluded that these determinations receive substantial evidence review." Blaze [3/4/2026 1:43 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports that the unanimous decision says courts must accept findings from the immigration agencies unless they meet a ‘substantial evidence’ standard. Urias-Orellana sued against the deportation and called on the Supreme Court to accept his persecution claims. Instead, the unanimous decision says courts must accept findings from the immigration agencies unless they meet a "substantial evidence" standard. The bottom line is that asylum seekers will find it harder to challenge orders of deportation if their persecution claims are denied. The ruling was written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

AP [3/4/2026 6:19 PM, Rebecca Santana, 5209K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrapped up two days of scrutiny in Congress on Wednesday, appearing for the first time in front of lawmakers since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers. Noem came under blistering criticism from Democrats — and a few Republicans — over allegations that under her authority, immigration officers have abused the rights of immigrants and American citizens and used excessive force. She was also slammed over how her department is spending the billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress and accused of dodging accountability. Noem, the secretary leading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, argues she has strengthened the nation’s security by stemming migration from the southern border. She said immigration enforcement officers are following the law in the face of violent protesters. Most Republicans backed her stance, portraying Noem as a leader out to rectify immigration left unchecked by President Joe Biden’s administration. During both days of testimony, Noem was repeatedly made to answer for her characterization of the two killed protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as armed agitators. Bystanders’ video and accounts have contradicted Noem’s depiction of events. The top Democrat on the House committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, pushed Noem about her comments. “You told a lie about them. You said they were domestic terrorists,” Raskin said. Other Democrats questioned why DHS officers used force to yank people out of vehicles or why they’d pulled an American citizen from his Minneapolis home in his pajamas. Noem also faced criticism from some Republicans, including most notably retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who on Tuesday called her leadership a “disaster.”

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/4/2026 10:13 AM, Staff, 2238K]
CBS News [3/4/2026 12:10 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE
FOX Business [3/4/2026 9:28 AM, Staff, 7946K]

Bloomberg Law [3/4/2026 5:32 PM, Angélica Franganillo Diaz, 50K] reports a Department of Homeland Security watchdog told congressional appropriators the agency has been blocking access to records needed for oversight investigations, according to a letter sent to lawmakers and reviewed by Bloomberg Law. The department has denied investigators access to records and data systems tied to multiple audits, inspections, and criminal probes involving immigration enforcement and national security matters, the letter said. "Over the last several months the Department of Homeland Security has systematically obstructed the work of the DHS Office of Inspector General," Inspector General Joseph Cuffari told lawmakers. The New York Times [3/4/2026 6:54 PM, Karoun Demirjian, Hamed Aleaziz and Michael Gold, 148038K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday pushed back against allegations that she and her deputies had “systematically obstructed the work” of the department’s inspector general, as he complained in a letter to Congress this week. “He can have access to anything at the Department of Homeland Security; he can,” Ms. Noem said during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, her second appearance on Capitol Hill this week. “He just needs to provide a scoping memo,” she continued, adding: “He just hasn’t done that. He wants unfettered access to every single thing in the department, and that’s not the process.” Ms. Noem’s comments come on the heels of a letter that her department’s inspector general, Joseph V. Cuffari, sent to the leaders of three congressional committees. The independent agency watchdog wrote that the department had blocked or revoked his office’s access to databases and other information systems, hampering investigative efforts. The pattern included obstructing his office’s efforts to assist in a criminal inquiry that originated with a separate federal law enforcement agency, he wrote. The dispute is significant in part because President Trump fired more than two dozen independent government watchdogs last year. Mr. Cuffari, who was appointed by Mr. Trump during his first term, is one of a few inspectors general who has managed to hold on to his job. In a statement on Wednesday, the inspector general’s office rejected Ms. Noem’s contention that they did not outline the scope of their probes. “When the Office of Inspector General (O.I.G.) initiates a new audit, inspection or evaluation, the inspector general formally notifies” the department and its agencies, the office said. The notice comes in “a memorandum stating the scope and objective of our project, as we have done for over 20 years.” The statement added that the office “has a right of access to all records, information and other materials available to the Department of Homeland Security that relate to the department’s programs and operations.” The Hill [3/4/2026 6:16 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports that the comment comes after DHS previously confirmed Noem’s office took the unusual step of asking for a list of Cuffari’s ongoing investigations. But Cuffari’s letter to Congress said a number of his investigations are being stalled — including those dealing with immigration matters and relying on databases to which they’ve long had access, as well as in a criminal investigation his office is a part of. Cuffari’s list does appear to touch on some matters that could involve classified information, but others seek access to databases involving immigration enforcement. However, Noem’s broad claims that inspectors general must provide scoping memos for their work was countered by experts who said they are not required in all instances.

NewsMax [3/4/2026 5:11 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers Wednesday that sanctuary jurisdictions declined to turn over 17,864 illegal immigrants in local police custody to federal immigration authorities in 2025. Noem provided the figure during a House Judiciary Committee hearing after Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, asked how often Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers had not been honored last year. Noem argued that honoring detainers lets federal officers safely take custody of individuals already held by local authorities. The number cited by Noem came during a broader hearing examining the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement policies and cooperation between federal and local authorities. Lawmakers signaled that sanctuary policies and compliance with ICE detainers will remain a focus of congressional oversight. The Washington Examiner [3/4/2026 1:55 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1147K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that those jurisdictions rejected thousands of requests by the federal agency for local jails to hold illegal immigrants in custody on criminal charges so federal authorities can transfer them into ICE custody, where they would have gone through deportation proceedings. "How many times last year, 2025, were your detainers not honored?" House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) asked Noem. "17,864 detainers were declined," Noem said. In that same time frame, according to Noem, 201,340 detainers had been submitted by ICE nationwide. Jordan and Noem did not clarify if 2025 was in reference to the calendar year or fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. The DHS and ICE did not respond to requests for clarification. Although more than 90% of detainer requests were honored, Noem did not state how many of the roughly 184,000 illegal immigrants that were the subjects of those honored detainers were ultimately picked up by ICE.

FOX News [3/4/2026 8:30 PM, Alec Schemmel, 37576K] reports Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem faced heat from Republican senators during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, including criticism about her leadership during the Trump administration’s deportation surge. One GOP senator compared her past animal killings to decisions she has made as DHS secretary. Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., both got into testy exchanges with Noem Tuesday during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversight hearing with lawmakers. Tillis likened Noem’s decisions as a farmer and dog owner to what he described as Noem’s disastrous leadership amid Trump’s border crackdown. Kennedy got into a back-and-forth with Noem over her decision to describe Renee Good and Alex Pretti as domestic terrorists in the early days after they were killed and her subsequent reasoning for doing so. "Those are bad decisions made in the heat of the moment. Not unlike what happened up in Minneapolis," Tillis said, comparing Noem’s time as an animal owner to her leadership as Secretary of DHS. Noem came under fire in the Spring of 2024 when reporting based on an advanced copy of her memoir, "No Going Back," described an incident of her killing her family dog Cricket and a separate incident during which she killed a goat. Noem explained that the dog had proven itself "untrainable" after several violent attacks and described the decision to eventually shoot the dog. "I hated that dog," Noem recalled, according to The Guardian and other media reports that covered the pre-released copy of Noem’s book at the time. "[Cricket was] dangerous to anyone she came in contact with. "It was not a pleasant job," Noem added, "but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done." Noem then went on to describe slaughtering the goat that she described as "nasty and mean," adding it smelled "disgusting, musky, rancid" and complained that it "loved to chase" her children. The reporting on Noem’s memoir prompted a group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to start a Dog Lovers Caucus, and Noem’s memoir excerpt led to criticism against her from animal rights groups and other critics.

CBS News [3/4/2026 1:46 PM, Kaia Hubbard, 51110K] reports questioned by Democratic Rep. Lou Correa of California about whether ICE is creating a database of protesters, Noem said, "No, we are not creating a database." Correa referred to a video that showed a federal agent telling an individual that they were collecting their information for a database. He also referred to comments by the White House border czar Tom Homan on Fox News in January, when he said he wanted to create a database of people who are arrested for interfering with the immigration operations. "I don’t know why he said that, we’re not creating a database," Noem said. "He doesn’t work for me, he works for the president," Noem replied.

FOX News [3/4/2026 9:28 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem challenged Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., during a heated exchange over the potential deployment of federal agents to polling locations. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CBS News [3/4/2026 12:36 PM, Staff, 51110K] Video: HERE reports at the House Judiciary Committee hearing where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is testifying, California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren played videos of ICE raids in Minnesota that are prompting questions about the Department of Homeland Security’s current immigration policies.

ABC News [3/4/2026 4:57 PM, Luke Barr and Sarah Beth Hensley, 34146K] reports House Democrats questioned Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem over the agency’s immigration enforcement operations under her leadership when she testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday -- with the committee’s top Democrat saying she turned "turned our government against our people." Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, began the hearing by attacking Noem over her handling of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement earlier this year. He said that after Good and Pretti’s deaths in January, Noem launched a "smear campaign" against them as she made comments that labeled their conduct as "domestic terrorism." "You’ve provided no evidence to back up your defamatory lie against either of these American citizens," Raskin said. Raskin later pressed Noem on the topic, asking if she regretted labeling Good and Pretti that way. "I offer my condolences to those families," Noem said in response. Noem called Raskin’s comments "falsehoods" and "lies," and said that the agency should be working together for families who lost loved ones to those who were illegally in the U.S. Noem faced similar pressure when she appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. During Tuesday’s hearing, Noem refused to apologize for or retract her characterization of Pretti following the shooting, when she called his actions "the definition of domestic terrorism" without evidence.

Daily Wire [3/4/2026 8:29 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports that Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell tried to upend Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s testimony with a deportation sob story, but left out the detail that the illegal immigrant had a criminal history. Swalwell shared the story of Miguel Lopez, 47, who was deported to his home country of Mexico in June, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. Lopez received a deportation order in 2008, which a judge later blocked, according to CBS News. In 2016, the Department of Homeland Security again tried to pursue a deportation order that Lopez has fought ever since, the outlet reported. "He does not have a job, he has not been able to provide, and he said his Spanish isn’t even that great because he hasn’t been there for 30 years, and it’s hard for him to communicate. Do you see the pain of families like Miguel Lopez, someone who did not commit a violent crime, but has been separated from his family and is not providing, is not working, do you see that pain?" Swalwell asked Noem. Swalwell paused before responding: "In 1995, he pled to a lesser nonviolent charge. But do you see the pain …" Miguel was arrested in 1998 for DUI and was convicted of a lesser charge, according to CBS News. Lopez, who is married to a U.S. citizen and has two children who are also U.S. citizens, was nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an immigration hearing in May, according to CBS News.

Breitbart [3/4/2026 4:22 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) told Angel Families who were present in the audience that he was "sorry," but that Americans are more likely to be murdered by fellow Americans than illegal aliens. Several Angel Families, whose loved ones have been murdered by illegal aliens, sat behind Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem as she faced the committee. Following Cohen’s comments, officials at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responded, calling the statement "reprehensible."

Reuters [3/4/2026 5:33 PM, Ted Hesson, 38315K] reports U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday defended the government’s spending of $220 million on an advertising campaign for border ​security amid questions from lawmakers about the contracting process and ‌Republican-connected firms awarded the money. During a hearing before a U.S. House of Representatives panel, Representative Joe Neguse, a Democrat from Colorado, grilled Noem over a contracting notice that ​said the Department of Homeland Security had limited competition to four ​companies in February 2025, citing an urgent need to stop ⁠illegal immigration. The criticism came after Noem - a top official overseeing President Donald Trump’s ​aggressive immigration crackdown - was questioned by both Democrats and Republicans before a Senate panel on Wednesday about the contract and process to select the companies. The ads produced with the ​funds prominently featured Noem, including in a scene filmed on horseback at ​Mount Rushmore in the former South Dakota governor’s home state. Noem said on Tuesday that the ‌contract ⁠was awarded through "a competitive process" and that no political appointees were involved. On Wednesday, she said the contract was "all done correctly, all done legally." The ​contract was awarded ​to two companies ⁠linked to long-time Republican operatives, records show, details first reported by the Associated Press and ProPublica. The Strategy ⁠Group, ​a company run by the husband of outgoing ​DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, said on Wednesday that it was paid $226,000 as a subcontractor, a small ​portion of the total. Bloomberg [3/4/2026 2:11 PM, Myles Miller, 18082K] reports that on Tuesday, she told the Senate the $220 million advertising campaign “went out to a competitive bid.” On Wednesday, she acknowledged it did not. Noem denied wrongdoing and directed attention repeatedly to families of crime victims seated behind her. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, accused Noem of living rent-free in a waterfront Coast Guard residence typically reserved for the commandant. Noem pushed back. “I’m not in the commandant’s house,” she said. “I rent where I stay and pay personal dollars to do that.” On the ad contract, Representative Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat, said Safe America Media — one of two contractors on the $220 million immigration campaign — was incorporated eight days before it received a $143 million award. “You want the American people to believe that this is all above board?” Neguse said. Noem said the campaign was legal and generated “14 billion impressions” across eight countries.

Reported similarly:
Daily Wire [3/4/2026 8:57 AM, Cameron Arcand, 2314K]

FOX News [3/4/2026 9:05 PM, Preston Mizell Fox, 37576K] reports newly obtained financial statements shed light on claims that former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s husband’s company made millions from a DHS advertising campaign. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced intense questioning during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., specifically called out the agency for contracting a public relations firm headed by McLaughlin’s husband, Benjamin Yoho. "I have personally reviewed the allegations against Ms. McLaughlin, and I find them to be baseless," DHS General Counsel James Percival told Fox News Digital. "Nothing illegal or unethical occurred with respect to these contracts. Ms. McLaughlin was not involved in selecting any subcontractors. "She is, however, a superstar in the public affairs world, so I am not surprised that she married a successful businessman whose services were attractive to these outside firms.” Kennedy alleged that Yoho’s firm, The Strategy Group, "got most of the money" out of what the Louisiana Republican senator says was $220 million in "television advertisements that feature [Noem] prominently.” A spokesperson at DHS also told Fox News Digital that contractors decide who they hire, fulfilling the terms of a contract, not the department itself. "By law, DHS cannot and does not determine, control or weigh in on who contractors hire or use to fulfill the terms of the contract," a DHS spokesperson told Fox. "Those decisions are made by the contractor alone. We have only become aware of these companies because of this inquiry and did not hire those companies.” The spokesperson also noted that McLaughlin "recused herself" from interactions with subcontractors to avoid "any perceived appearance of impropriety.” "Upon hearing who the subcontractors were for production of the ad, Ms. McLaughlin recused herself from any interaction or engagement with any subcontractors to avoid any perceived appearance of impropriety," the spokesperson continued. "DHS Office of Public Affairs is the program officer. Ms. McLaughlin oversees the DHS Office of Public Affairs, which is simply the vehicle for this contract.” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital the criticism of her and her family by senators at the hearing is a matter of public manipulation.

NewsNation [3/4/2026 9:41 AM, Ethan Illers and Ben Bradley, 4464K] reports Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem gave surprising testimony on Tuesday, claiming she did not know basic details about shootings involving federal immigration agents in Chicago over the last few months. Federal agents shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago back in October of 2025. DHS’ claims about Martinez evaporated with time and charges she assaulted federal agents were dropped. “I’m just blessed. I’m happy. God is good,” Martinez said back in November of 2025. Her story became a national symbol of the way many of DHS’ claims fall apart under scrutiny. Martinez was in the hearing room on Tuesday when senators asked about her case. “Wouldn’t you agree that shooting Marimar Martinez on her way to donate clothing at her church, a U.S. citizen from Chicago, is wrong?” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) asked. “Sir, I don’t know the situation or the case. I’ll look into it,” Noem replied. “Well, I’m glad you’ll look into it,” Blumenthal said. Blumenthal then showed Noem text messages in which the agent said, “I fired five rounds and she had seven holes. Put that in your book, boys.” Blumenthal then asked Noem if she’d join him in condemning that agent. Noem responded, “Sir, that situation, I don’t know the details of but I will look into that.” Martinez’s attorney Christopher Parente reacted with disbelief, saying, “For the leader of DHS to not know about the shooting of a U.S. citizen, in our own country, by one of her agents is more alarming than her agency’s refusal to investigate these unlawful actions.”

Roll Call [3/4/2026 5:03 PM, Chris Johnson, 673K] reports Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday he would put a hold on floor action to confirm groups of presidential nominees and might soon expand that to legislation and nominees at four committees, part of his demand for Department of Homeland Security data on immigration enforcement in his state. At a DHS oversight hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee, the North Carolina Republican told Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that he was still demanding the information he had asked for a month ago. Tillis was referring to procedural steps Senate Republicans took in September to speed up consideration of President Donald Trump’s lower-level nominees, reducing the number of votes needed to invoke cloture on an executive resolution to consider en bloc a group of nominations at the subcabinet level. Tillis later spoke on the Senate floor to clarify that if he still didn’t have the information on March 19, he "will block any nomination, any markup of legislation that goes" before Finance, Banking, Judiciary or Veterans’ Affairs committees. Tillis sent Noem a letter more than three weeks ago with questions about encounters between federal immigration officers and residents. He gave a deadline of March 2, the day before her appearance before the committee. Instead, Tillis said on the floor that Noem responded an hour before the Judiciary Committee hearing that they didn’t intend to answer the questions. He had requested information on Operation Charlotte’s Web, which sought to apprehend migrants in North Carolina who were illegally in the United States. The letter requested encounter-level data involving U.S. citizens, including stops, detentions, questioning, searches, releases, uses of force and property damage incidents. Tillis also sought information on protocols for reporting this data, the total number of apprehensions in Operation Charlotte’s Web and the total number of encounters involving U.S. citizens. On the floor, Tillis also listed five other questions he wanted answered, including the amount of Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements that are currently being held by DHS for final approval.

Blaze [3/4/2026 11:45 AM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1556K] reports Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) joined his Democrat colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee in castigating Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday, not only for her past treatment of animals but for her treatment of illegal aliens. After characterizing the Jan. 6 protesters whom President Donald Trump pardoned as "thugs" and stressing his support for law enforcement, Tillis suggested in his self-described "performance evaluation" that he is "disappointed" with Noem because she is allegedly "running numbers that Stephen Miller wants out of the White House.” "We just want numbers! We want a thousand a day, 6,000 a day, 9,000 a day, because numbers matter, right? No, they don’t matter," added Tillis, who is not running for re-election. "Quality matters, not quantity — quality.” Although the senator did not afford Noem an opportunity to respond at length at any point during his tirade, the secretary later noted on X that "thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the dedicated work of DHS personnel, our department has achieved historic results and made communities safer.” Nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the United States. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has arrested over 1,500 Known or Suspected Terrorists (KSTs) and more than 7,700 gang members. Fentanyl trafficking at the southern border has dropped by more than half compared to the same period in 2024. Of the more than 450,000 unaccompanied alien children lost under the Biden administration, 145,000 have been located under President Trump.

ABC News [3/4/2026 11:34 AM, Staff, 34146K] Video: HERE reports Noem declined to retract terrorism claims she had made, without evidence, about Renee Good and Alex Pretti..

The Hill [3/4/2026 11:09 AM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that she is not living in the house of the U.S. Coast Guard commandant, contradicting prior reports. “Let me clarify a couple things. I’m not in the Commandant’s house. I’m in a Coast Guard House, but not the Commandant’s house,” Noem said during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. “The Commandant is in his house.” “And I will also tell you that I rent that facility. I rent where I stay, and pay personal dollars to do that,” she added. Reports about Noem’s living situation first surfaced in August, indicating she was living rent-free in the commandant’s house, which is located at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. The DHS said at the time that the move was necessary given death threats against Noem, and it also did not counter reporting that she was living rent-free. “Following the media’s publishing of the location of Secretary Noem’s Washington DC apartment, she has faced vicious doxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminals gangs that DHS targets,” the department said in a statement at the time.

“Due to threats and security concerns, she has been forced to temporarily stay in secure military housing. Secretary Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard residence,” DHS wrote. The Washington Times [3/4/2026 3:13 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports Ms. Noem’s living situation has been part of a wave of Democratic criticism of the high-profile secretary. He accused her of spending hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars to buy or lease jets for official travel — including a 737 with a plush bedroom and lounge area. Ms. Noem had said that the plane was being “refurbished” to serve as a deportation jet, but Mr. Raskin said that rang hollow.

Daily Caller [3/4/2026 1:07 PM, Nicole Silverio, 803K] reports that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem was confronted on Wednesday about her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, reportedly firing a pilot on her behalf as rumors of an alleged affair continued to circulate. Democratic Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin confronted Noem during the House Judiciary Committee’s "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security" hearing about a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that alleged Lewandowski fired a Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind on a government jet. Noem’s husband, Bryon, sat quietly while Raskin mentioned Lewandowski, with whom she is rumored to have had an extramarital relationship. "Apparently, when your special blanket, your blankie was left on one of the government jets and not transported over the new one, your special government employee, Corey Lewandowski, chivalrously stepped forward to fire the pilot mid-air. A 2003 Coast Guard graduate and distinguished U.S. Coast Guard Commander in Air Station, Washington D.C.," Raskin said. "But then he had to be rehired immediately because there was no one else who could fly the two of you on the rest of the journey back home." Reports of an alleged extramarital relationship between Noem and Lewandowski have long circulated in political circles, which caused President Donald Trump to reject Lewandowski’s request to become Noem’s chief of staff, The WSJ reported. Trump reportedly knew about the relationship and repeatedly brought it up to associates. The New York Post [3/4/2026 1:23 PM, Emily Goodin, 40934K] reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s husband, Bryon, joined her in Congress for a second day and sat behind his wife as lawmakers peppered her with questions. Noem, both on Tuesday before the Senate and Wednesday before the House, thanked him for being there for her during the contentious hearings, where her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security faced questions. "I also want to take a personal privilege and thank my husband for being here too. He’s going to have to go catch a flight in a few hours, but I’m glad he could be here today," Noem said Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee. He didn’t return after the lawmakers took a break about two hours into the hearing. It was a rare public showing from her husband, who runs an insurance company in Bryant, South Dakota. Bryon Noem’s appearance comes as questions swirl about Kristi Noem’s relationship with Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump strategist who serves as a special employee at DHS. Lewandowski didn’t appear to be at either hearing but his name was mentioned.

Reported similarly:
NBC News [3/4/2026 6:46 PM, Staff, 42967K] Video: HERE
Washington Examiner [3/4/2026 4:22 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1147K]

The Hill [3/4/2026 11:49 AM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] Video: HERE reports Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, asked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem whether knowing what she knows today, she would still label Renee Good and Alex Pretti as domestic terrorists. The ranking member framed his question as “a chance before the entire country to correct your false and defamatory claim.” Noem repeated her sympathies to their families and said “their lives will never be the same,” but did not retract the claims, saying she was trying to “offer as much information as we can from officers and agents on the ground in a chaotic scene.” “There’s ongoing investigations that are being led,” Noem said, before being cut off by Raskin. “You didn’t wait for the evidence. You proclaimed that they were domestic terrorists at the time. Why did you do that?” he asked. Noem continued to reference the FBI-led investigation into the deaths, which has barred coordination with local authorities. “So you still don’t know? You think that’s an open question?” Raskin said. “You stated the conclusion two hours after they were killed that they were domestic terrorists.” Noem accused Raskin of also criticizing the officers involved before he had all the information. Raskin’s line of questioning took a different track than those in the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, who had encouraged her to apologize for the remarks. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

The Hill [3/4/2026 1:04 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 18170K] reports that Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of violating the rights of American citizens by detaining them, inviting four guests who she said were held in custody to a hearing Wednesday featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Jayapal said the department was “unlawfully detaining U.S. citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment,” saying each was arrested simply for protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She introduced Patricia O’Keefe, who the lawmaker said “saw an entire area dedicated to detaining U.S. citizens. An ICE agent also said, ‘You guys have to stop obstructing us. That’s why that lesbian b—- is dead’ – referring to Renee Good,” Jayapal said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Jayapal then asked the four invitees, who sat in the audience, a series of questions. “Raise your hand if you were not charged with any crime following your detention,” she said as each raised their hand. “Not a single one of you were charged with a crime.” “Now raise your hand if any of you were not even asked to prove that you were U.S. citizens during your detention. Not a single one of you were even asked about your citizenship status, making it clear that DHS agents simply don’t care that they’re arresting U.S. citizens,” she said as each in the group again raised their hand. Given a chance to respond, Noem said, “Context is critical in each of these situations to know the full range of what happened in each of these situations, before and after the incident and their arrest.”

Breitbart [3/4/2026 2:43 PM, Pam Key, 2238K] reports that Wednesday on MS NOW’s “Chris Jansing Reports,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s corruption, combined with lawlessness, was “going to bring her down.” Jayapal said, “Kristi Noem is a test of failed leadership. That’s what I said. That’s what I believe. And actually, I think that she does not have a long career here. Her corruption at the agency, combined with the lawlessness of these ICE and CBP agents on display for everyone to see, is going to bring her down.” She continued, “I think it’s been over the last month and a half or so as people have watched the courageous people of Minnesota and really seeing Noem, you know, come out, call Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists, refused to conduct investigations until we demanded it, and the people of Minnesota demanded it. And I think that trajectory has been very bad. I mean, look, she’s done something quite remarkable, which is she has turned 50% of the country against ICE. There was a brand new poll out saying that 50% of people across this country believe that ICE should no longer exist. And I think that’s, you know, that’s sort of a stunning place to be.”

CNN [3/4/2026 1:00 PM, Daniel Dale, 19874K] reports that two of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries claimed Tuesday that their comments on high-profile subjects were being described inaccurately. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem denied she had previously called Alex Pretti, the nurse killed by the Border Patrol in Minneapolis in January, a domestic terrorist; she claimed she had merely said "it appeared to be an incident of" domestic terrorism. In reality, Noem had unequivocally claimed in her initial January remarks, without any "appeared to be" qualifier, that Pretti was a domestic terrorist. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, denied he had said Monday that the US had decided it needed to attack Iran because Israel was planning to attack Iran; he claimed he had said that US knowledge of Israel’s plans explained only why the US attacked Iran when it did, not why the US attacked at all. Rubio’s Tuesday description of his previous words was much more truthful than Noem’s description of hers, but he was still downplaying the extent to which he had, on Monday, emphasized Israel’s role in Trump’s decision to launch the assault. What Noem claimed Tuesday: A Democratic senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee asked Noem Tuesday whether she retracts statements in which she described Pretti and a Minneapolis protester killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Renee Good, as domestic terrorists. Noem danced around the question. But later, when she was pressed by another Democratic senator on the subject, Noem claimed, "I did not call him a domestic terrorist. I said it appeared to be an incident of."

AP [3/4/2026 8:26 PM, Staff, 16072K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection has opened an internal investigation into whether Gregory Bovino, the one-time architect of President Donald Trump’s large-scale immigration crackdown, made disparaging comments about the Jewish faith of the U.S. attorney for Minnesota. “Following a letter from a Congressman inquiring about reporting on anonymous allegations, CBP opened an internal inquiry to determine the full story,” a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “This is standard procedure and does NOT indicate any confirmation of wrongdoing.” Customs and Border Protection is part of Homeland Security. The investigation comes after The New York Times and then CBS News reported on remarks Bovino allegedly made during a Jan. 12 phone call held to coordinate a Saturday meeting to discuss the deployment of immigration agents in the Minneapolis area. During the call, the reports said, Bovino allegedly complained that Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen was unreachable for part of the weekend because of the Sabbath, which in Judaism is observed from sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday. Bovino allegedly used the term “chosen people” in a disparaging way and asked, in a sarcastic tone, whether Rosen understood that some Orthodox Jewish people don’t take the Sabbath off work, the reports said. “Do Orthodox criminals also take off on Saturday?” he asked, according to CBS. The Times reported Rosen delegated the call to a deputy and that he himself was not part of the conversation. The Times first reported on the investigation. It said an investigator with Customs and Border Protection’s office of professional responsibility wrote in an email that he had opened an “official inquiry into the allegation” that Bovino made “unprofessional comments.” Bovino was the public face of the Trump administration’s city-by-city immigration sweeps until late January. The Border Patrol chief led agents in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans before he headed to Minnesota in December for what Homeland Security called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.

Reported similarly:
NewsNation [3/4/2026 11:02 AM, Jeff Arnold, 4464K]
Univision [3/4/2026 8:08 PM, Staff, 4937K]

AP [3/5/2026 12:06 AM, Kevin Freking, 35287K] reports Republicans are invoking the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they tee up votes Thursday on a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The House already approved a DHS spending bill in January, but it faltered in the Senate as Democrats insisted on changes to immigration enforcement operations following the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. As a result, funding for the department lapsed on Feb. 14. Republicans are calling on Democrats to reconsider their vote in the wake of the conflict in Iran. Both the House and the Senate are expected to hold votes on the matter. “The military action in Iran makes it all more urgent and crucial to have a fully funded, fully staffed DHS across all its departments,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. It did not appear the GOP’s strategy had changed the position of Democratic lawmakers, though. They said they are prepared to fund most of the agencies at the department, just not Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection. “It’s the same lousy, rotten bill that does not put any guardrails or constraints on ICE or CBP after federal agents shot American citizens in the street,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Following the longest federal shutdown in the country’s history last year, Congress has completed work on 11 of this year’s 12 appropriations bills. Only the bill for Homeland Security remains outstanding. Republicans said the timing couldn’t be worse for a Homeland Security shutdown. While a large majority of the department’s employees are considered essential and continue to work, many will not receive a full paycheck this week. Republicans said the prospect of an increase in unscheduled absences by the Transportation Security Administration’s agents and screeners could lead to longer wait times at the nation’s airports. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has canceled various assessments to determine vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure. And training for first responders conducted through the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been canceled. “Can we not understand America is under siege, now likely to be attacked because radical Islam is under siege, and they’re going to hit back and we’re sitting here looking at each other and not funding DHS,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said during a hearing Tuesday featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Democrats are seeking several changes at the department include prohibiting ICE enforcement operations at sensitive locations like schools and churches, allowing independent investigations into alleged wrongdoing, requiring warrants to be signed by judges before federal agents can forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent, and requiring agents to wear identification and remove their masks. Republicans note that the bill does include a bipartisan provision directing more resources for deescalation training and $20 million to outfit immigration enforcement agents with body-worn cameras.

The Hill [3/4/2026 2:09 PM, Sudiksha Kochi, 18170K] reports that the House on Wednesday advanced a GOP-backed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, an effort by Republicans to pressure Democrats to end the partial government shutdown in the wake of the U.S. launching strikes against Iran. The panel voted 211-209 to pass the rule, which tees up debate and a vote on the final passage of the measure. The bill is expected to pass the lower chamber on Thursday. The DHS bill is largely identical to the one that passed the lower chamber in January, before the death of 37-year-old Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti sparked outrage among Democrats and intensified calls to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Republicans have been pressuring Democrats to support the bill and reopen DHS, citing the heightened threats to the homeland after the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran over the weekend in what was the start of the administration’s “Operation Epic Fury.” “Everybody in America better watch that board. Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful. I don’t know how to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats’ deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Wednesday. But Democrats, who have been locked in a stalemate with the White House over a deal to open DHS, have argued that the administration’s decision to strike Iran doesn’t absolve them from addressing concerns over its immigration enforcement tactics. The DHS bill is likely to be dead on arrival in the Senate, where it will need some Democratic support to overcome a filibuster.

The Hill [3/4/2026 12:17 PM, Sudiksha Kochi, 18170K] reports Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Wednesday that “everybody in America” should watch how their representatives vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill expected to come to the floor on Thursday. “You better watch that board. And everybody in America better watch that board. Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats’ deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS.” Democrats have demanded that the White House significantly reform its immigration enforcement tactics after the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minnesota, and have refused to support any DHS bill that comes to the floor without those reforms. But the White House and Democrats have been deadlocked over a deal to reopen DHS, which shut down early Feb. 14 after a two-week stopgap measure to keep the department funded at existing levels expired. Republicans have been ramping up pressure on Democrats to support the DHS bill in the wake of the U.S. attack on Iran. The bill is largely identical to the one that had passed the lower chamber in January, before the death of 37-year-old Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti. Democratic leadership have been opposed to the bill, however.

Breitbart [3/4/2026 6:21 AM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports on Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” Senate Minority Leader Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) responded to a question on whether circumstances around the DHS shutdown has changes due to the strikes on Iran by stating that “We should watch that very carefully. We want to protect our troops first and foremost, but we also want to protect the American people when it comes to their basic constitutional rights.” Co-host Kate Bolduan asked, “Senator, have circumstances changed here since this weekend, putting Democrats in a risky spot right now in holding out on fully funding DHS?” Durbin responded, “Well, I’m not going to go into the history of this administration and its second term, which removed many people who were engaged in cybersecurity and terrorism and put them in this mass deportation plan of Stephen Miller. That is a fact. The second part of it is, we have been discussing, for weeks, the basic premise that the ICE forces and CBP forces should stand by the standards of basic police procedure that are dominant across the United States. They want to be treated specially. They want the masked secret police that don’t have to answer to anyone, court orders or the Constitution. That is unacceptable. We can resolve this issue in terms of the ICE forces and should have done it a long time ago.” Bolduan then asked, “But have circumstances — that’s a position I’ve heard since this fight began — but have circumstances changed since bombs started dropping out of the sky on Iran?” Durbin answered, “We should watch that very carefully. We want to protect our troops first and foremost, but we also want to protect the American people when it comes to their basic constitutional rights. To think that this masked paramilitary is going to run roughshod over people across America is unacceptable.”

CNN [3/4/2026 4:18 PM, Devan Cole, 19874K] reports when Judge Jeffrey Bryan took the bench Tuesday at his courtroom in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, he had serious questions for the Trump administration: What happened to the personal property of some two dozen immigrant detainees, and why shouldn’t officials be held in contempt as a way of ensuring those items get returned? The queries set off a lengthy and at times contentious hearing during which Bryan, an appointee of then-President Joe Biden, repeatedly sparred with the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota, in what has become the latest flashpoint in a fraught relationship between federal judges in the North Star State and administration officials. The orders at issue were handed down when Bryan directed officials to release an immigrant detainee. The judge’s release order included a standard provision requiring officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to also return all property taken from the immigrant while they were held in custody. As the hearing unfolded, it became clear that in three cases, unreturned property was working its way back to its owners, but that in two instances, the government had outright lost belongings. Those lost items include a woman’s driver’s license and a man’s car keys, cell phone and earphones. Elsewhere in Minnesota and across the US, other judges have similarly grown increasingly impatient with repeated violations of orders in immigration cases they’re handling, with some raising the possibility of future criminal contempt proceedings to punish the government should more defiance arise.

Daily Caller [3/4/2026 12:39 PM, Jason Cohen, 803K] reports Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared perplexed as Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry pressed him on illegal immigrants getting commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) in his state during a Wednesday hearing. Walz signed the “Driver’s Licenses for All” act in 2023, which enabled illegal immigrants in Minnesota to get driver’s licenses. Perry played a video of a trucker with a Minnesota CDL driving in the wrong direction on a Missouri highway during a House Oversight Committee hearing, accusing Walz of endangering residents of other states through the law he signed. “What are you going to do to rectify the law that you signed that allows people here illegally to get a CDL?” Perry asked. “That tape was in Missouri, not your state … If you don’t want to protect the people in your state, I guess that’s your business and the business of your voters. But that driver was driving in Missouri. And if he’d have hit a bunch of people, quite honestly, to me, you could’ve been held liable.” “[F]irst of all, Minnesota ranks in the top three safest states by highway data from your own departments,” Walz said. “The data from the Department of Transportation for highway safety … We want everybody on our roads to be licensed.” Perry asked Walz if he was “okay” with the Missouri incident. Walz said he was not, but pivoted to express his disapproval of speeding and driving under the influence. “But you signed this law that allows for that! You signed it!” Perry said. “And you’re going to do nothing about it?” “I can’t speak to the specifics on the CDL,” Walz said.

### FRUAD

FOX News [3/4/2026 5:00 AM, Elizabeth Elkind, 37576K] reports House Oversight Committee Republicans are readying to confront Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison at a high-stakes hearing on welfare fraud Wednesday morning. "While Governor Walz hesitated, taxpayers lost billions. Attorney General Ellison has likewise claimed his office was aggressively holding fraudsters accountable, but when his statements were tested against the record, they fell apart," Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will say, according to prepared opening remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. "We have spoken with over thirty whistleblowers, many of them current employees and Democrats, who say they were ignored, retaliated against, and even surveilled for raising concerns. Instead of protecting the whistleblowers, the Walz administration protected the system that enabled fraud.” Hours before the hearing kicked off, the committee released a 53-page report that accused both Walz and Ellison of knowing about the fraud allegations far earlier than previously thought. "While the Committee continues to review documents and meet with whistleblowers, it is evident that Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison knew about the fraud in federal programs administered by the State of Minnesota much earlier than they told the American people," the report said.

AP [3/4/2026 12:51 PM, Scott Bauer, 16072K] reports Minnesota’s governor and attorney general on Wednesday defended their efforts to combat fraud and told a U.S. House committee that their efforts have been hampered by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of stalling to fight fraud in government programs, saying they put politics ahead of rooting out abuse instead of pausing payments. “You have not been good stewards of the taxpayer dollars,” said Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chair of the committee. “And the Democratic position is keep the money flowing. The American taxpayers have had enough.” Walz said he wanted to work with the federal government to help with fraud investigations, but the immigration surge was making that more difficult. “The people of Minnesota have been singled out and targeted for political retribution at an unparalleled scale,” Walz said. “We’re going to prosecute, as we have, every single person that’s involved in fraud, but we can’t do it alone.” Walz and Ellison defended their efforts on fraud, while also trying to turn the focus of the hearing to the surge of 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota that began in December. The Trump administration cited fraud as one justification for its enforcement action. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified Tuesday that about 650 investigators remain in Minnesota as part of a broader fraud probe.

Daily Caller [3/4/2026 2:37 PM, Jason Cohen, 803K] reports that Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert on Wednesday that he was unfamiliar with the names of two Minnesotan women allegedly killed by illegal immigrants. During a House Oversight Committee hearing, Boebert asked Walz if he knew who Victoria Eileen Harwell and America Mafalda Thayer were. Walz said he did not believe he was aware of either victim. "These are Minnesota women who were brutally killed by illegal aliens in your state," Boebert said. "You don’t know who they are, so I would also assume that you did not attend their vigils or speak out to their families when they were brutally killed by illegal aliens in your state." "I’m not familiar with both of these," Walz replied. "No, congresswoman." Harwell was allegedly killed by Ecuadoran illegal immigrant German Llangari Inga in a vehicular homicide in August of 2024, according to a May 20 Department of Homeland Security press release. "Despite a lack of cooperation from local Minnesota authorities, ICE arrested criminal illegal alien German Llangari Inga," former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said at the time. "This criminal illegal alien has been evading prosecution for vehicular homicide that resulted in the death of Minnesota mom, Victoria Eileen Harwell."

AP [3/4/2026 10:33 AM, Graham Dunbar, 5209K] reports with 100 days to go until the World Cup, the Iran war has added a new layer of complexity to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. How the conflict will affect the world’s most watched sporting event is the latest issue facing organizers already grappling with cartel violence in one of Mexico’s host cities, scaled-back plans for fan festivals in the U.S. and criticism from fans against soaring ticket prices. Officials of the qualified teams are meeting with FIFA staff in Atlanta this week. The tournament kicks off on June 11 when Mexico plays South Africa in Mexico City. It will be the biggest World Cup ever with 48 participating teams, up from 32 at the previous tournament in Qatar. The chief operating officer of Miami’s FIFA World Cup host committee said during a congressional hearing on Feb. 24 that it might cancel its event if it did not receive federal funding within 30 days. Kansas City, Missouri, Police Deputy Chief Joseph Maybin said the city had an immediate need for federal funds to prepare security. House Republicans said federal money may be held up by the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, caused by Democrats insisting restrictions be placed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Washington Post [3/4/2026 6:53 PM, Andy Beshear, 24826K] reports as government extends its powers more deeply into everyday life, it becomes less effective at everything. That annoyance becomes dangerous when the state isn’t entirely capable of its most important job: providing basic security and stability. Consider the Department of Homeland Security, which isn’t fully funded and lacks the leadership and credibility to effectively make the case for more money. With conflict in the Middle East increasing the risk for terrorism in the homeland, it’d be nice if DHS was fully functional. But the department has faced a gap in funding since Feb. 14, which has left critical agencies short staffed. DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem tried to persuade lawmakers to end the partial government shutdown this week, and it didn’t go well. Noem might have made the case for why DHS is critical at this juncture. But her interactions with House members on Wednesday and senators on Tuesday were more notable for squabbles and personal controversies than any substantive case for why she can be trusted to help keep the country safe. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) called for Noem’s resignation, accusing her of blocking the Trump-appointed inspector general from carrying out basic inquiries. The day before, the inspector general sent a letter to lawmakers outlining at least 10 instances where DHS allegedly obstructed his office’s access to records and information linked to national security matters. DHS claims the inspector general hasn’t given the right information to access relevant databases, but Monday’s letter disputed that in strong terms. Tillis also called out Noem for not answering questions he previously submitted about Operation Charlotte’s Web, an immigration surge in his state last fall. Enforcing the country’s immigration laws is a basic function of government, but Americans have become distrustful of DHS, and a lack of transparency has made the situation worse.

Washington Post [3/4/2026 6:33 PM, Staff, 24826K] reports the United States tried a contractor-led screening model before the Transportation Security Administration existed. Going back to a privatized system, as the Feb. 24 editorial “Privatize airport security” called for, would be a step backward. After Sept. 11, 2001, the country made a bipartisan decision to professionalize aviation security because “lowest bidder” screening, high turnover and uneven standards are not a serious foundation for public safety. Privatization does not remove politics from security. It inserts a profit-taking middleman and shifts incentives toward cutting labor costs and training time while the public bears the risk. If policymakers are frustrated by recent disruptions, the answer is straightforward: Stop using the traveling public and frontline security workers as leverage in funding fights. The problem is political dysfunction, not the existence of a federal workforce. What we should not do is recycle a model that has already proved inadequate and pretend it is innovation. The functions TSA performs require uniform standards, rigorous oversight and a professional workforce accountable chiefly to the public. If improvements are needed, Congress should strengthen management, invest in training and technology, and provide stable funding. Turning airport security into a revenue stream for private contractors is not reform. Americans do not want security theater. They want security delivered by a stable, vetted, professional workforce accountable to the public.

Washington Post [3/4/2026 4:16 PM, Carine Hajjar, 24826K] reports for all the Trump administration’s insistence on the importance of deporting criminals, no one has made the job as complicated as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem. Which is why on Tuesday, at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, some of the most caustic rebukes she received came from fellow Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis (North Carolina) called out the Biden administration’s immigration failures — then scolded Noem for her own. Noem got gentler treatment from Republicans at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. But it remains true that she has created a political nightmare for immigration hawks. While most voters still support cracking down on illegal immigration, sloppy enforcement and tone-deaf messaging have undermined Homeland Security’s credibility. Heading into the midterms, one of the GOP’s most potent issues is losing its edge.

Houston Chronicle [3/4/2026 7:00 AM, Staff, 2493K] reports as the former superintendent of Big Bend National Park, I spent the capstone years of my career working to protect this remarkable desert landscape. I am appalled that the Department of Homeland Security is now planning to build a completely unnecessary massive border wall through the spectacular river frontage that gives Big Bend its name — and with no public or environmental review. I strongly support a secure border with Mexico and worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection during my five years at Big Bend. But there are two goals for the government here. National Park Service rangers and Border Patrol agents must both effectively monitor this broad stretch of wilderness and also protect the wild, scenic, recreational and ecologically important treasures that make this place beloved by Texans. Luckily, in my experience, border security and conservation are compatible when agencies cooperate.

Roll Call [3/4/2026 4:36 PM, Jacob Fulton, 673K] reports House Ways and Means Democrats pressed Frank Bisignano, who leads both the IRS and Social Security Administration, on data access concerns at both agencies in his first testimony on Capitol Hill since he took on his newly created role at the tax agency. Throughout the nearly five-hour hearing Wednesday, Democrats frequently seized on a ruling last week from a federal judge that found the IRS broke the law in improperly disclosing and sharing more than 42,000 taxpayer addresses with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Bisignano repeatedly declined to answer questions about the case, citing ongoing litigation. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the District of Columbia wrote in the ruling that the IRS broke the law "approximately 42,695 times." ICE asked the IRS for 1.28 million taxpayer records last summer under a memorandum of understanding, and a ruling on the legality of the disclosure is being appealed.

AP [3/4/2026 2:03 PM, Fatima Hussein, 16072K] reports that the head of the IRS largely declined to answer questions about recent unlawful disclosures of taxpayer data when he was questioned by lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, saying they happened before his tenure began. IRS CEO Frank Bisignano faced the House Ways and Means Committee to speak about the agency’s progress in serving taxpayers as the 2026 tax season is in full swing. It was his first time facing lawmakers in his role as leader of the IRS after being named to the newly created CEO position last October. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remains acting commissioner of the IRS. In prepared remarks, Bisignano focused on the Internal Revenue Service’s implementation of Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending law, which includes eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, exempting certain car loan interest, creating a deduction for older adults and launching Trump Accounts for children’s savings. However, several Democratic lawmakers zeroed in on a federal judge’s finding that the IRS broke the law by disclosing confidential taxpayer information "approximately 42,695 times" to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information on immigrants for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S. Immigration and border security are a major part of the agenda of President Donald Trump, a Republican.

FOX News [3/4/2026 3:30 PM, Peter Pinedo, 37576K] reports a federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden threatened that he may issue a ruling to imprison ICE and Department of Justice officials during a particularly fiery courtroom exchange with U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, according to local affiliate Fox 9. The outlet reported that Minnesota U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan ordered Rosen and several ICE and DOJ officials to court for an unusual contempt hearing over alleged "unlawful conduct" by federal officials. The hearing follows the Trump administration’s "Operation Metro Surge" crackdown on illegal immigration and fraud. During the hearing, Bryan said he had "not ruled out the consequence of imprisonment" for federal officials involved in the matter. Rosen said of the 28 individuals accusing the agency of improperly holding their personal belongings, only five cases are still outstanding. He said the government would compensate immigrants in cases in which property was lost, which he said, "fall into the realm of human error." Rosen also said the federal government believes property was returned in all the other cases. Bryan did not issue a ruling on Tuesday, nor did he give a timeline for a decision.

Breitbart [3/4/2026 5:11 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more illegal aliens this week, including those with heinous criminal backgrounds like child sexual abuse and drug trafficking. "Yesterday, ICE arrested some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, including pedophiles, child predators, drug traffickers, and other monsters," the Department of Homeland Security’s Lauren Bis said. Bis said that while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, tried to read out such illegal aliens arrested and their crimes, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) shouted.

Blaze [3/4/2026 5:10 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow presented U.S. senators with a disturbing map, revealing 338,000 U.S. IP addresses allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material. Tebow testified on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which held a hearing about confronting child trafficking. Tebow, the chairman and founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, explained to lawmakers that he attended a meeting in Lyons, France, in 2023 alongside experts in victim identification, and they determined that there were more than 57,000 abused and unidentified children who appeared in multiple images. Just two years later, that number has grown to over 89,000, Tebow stated, citing INTERPOL’s database. He stated that Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, Canada, Australia, and INTERPOL each maintain separate databases. Tebow advocated the passage of the bipartisan Renewed Hope Act of 2026, highlighting that it would allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to hire 200 more victim identification specialists and child exploitation investigators. He pointed out that currently, there are only 10 such specialists.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/4/2026 4:59 PM, Lowell Cauffiel, 2238K] r

Bloomberg [3/4/2026 12:55 PM, Suzanne Monyak, 50K] reports that release requests by immigrants in detention facilities spiked by 434% last fiscal year, according to a judiciary report, as President Donald Trump’s administration has ramped up immigration enforcement across the US. Detained immigrants filed 2,305 motions for writs of habeas corpus, or challenges to one’s detention, during the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, an increase of 1,873 petitions from the prior year, according to the data recently posted by the Administrative Office for the US Courts. The federal court in Boston saw a particular surge in habeas petitions, which increased 3,514% in that district, from seven petitions in fiscal 2024… [Editorial note: consult extended commentary at source link]

Daily Caller [3/4/2026 8:23 AM, Jason Hopkins, 803K] reports at first blush the Trump administration’s deportation numbers reflect an unparalleled effort to remove vast numbers of illegal immigrants. However, internal data — and the delayed release of the administration’s annual enforcement report — tells a more complicated story. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted slightly over 35,500 deportations from Oct. 1, 2025 to late February, according to internal figures obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Unlike publicly available figures that conflate deportation with border turnarounds and voluntary departures, the internal data only pertains to deportations of foreigners under an order of removal by an immigration judge. ICE annual reports give a comprehensive breakdown of all enforcement actions taken by the agency throughout the prior fiscal year, with the 2024, 2023 and 2022 ICE reports released in December of those years, respectively. However, at the time of writing, the 2025 annual report still has not been released.

Federalist [3/4/2026 7:33 AM, Angela Morabito, 540K] reports at the State of the Union address, congressional Democrats affirmed that they do not believe the government’s first duty is to protect U.S. citizens. When they all remained seated, it was a rare moment of honesty for a party that abandoned the best interests of Americans long ago. One need look no further for evidence than the fact that 30 Democrats are cosponsoring a bill to make schools and hospitals safe havens for illegal immigrants. Called the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act (PSLA), the bill would prohibit any "immigration enforcement actions" within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, playground, hospital, or doctor’s office. The PSLA would create a huge incentive for illegal immigrants to be present at places full of children, patients, and those responsible for caring for them. This makes it especially concerning that both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have thrown their support behind the policy. Students and patients would be less safe as illegal immigrants, beyond the reach of ICE, flood schools, hospitals, churches, and surrounding neighborhoods. The bill would also tie up law enforcement with needless red tape. The PSLA would create an impossible and ever-changing map of where ICE can and cannot carry out its mission. Especially in high-density urban centers, ICE officials would be forced to make decisions based not on what is best for public safety but instead on proximity to the nearest urgent care or preschool. The bill also turns public libraries, courthouses, and houses of worship into safe zones for illegal immigrants. Most egregiously, it also includes welfare offices and active sites of a "march, rally, or parade." The bill’s supporters want to ensure no one stands in the way of illegal immigrants getting public benefits or rallying for leftist causes. If activists wanted to protect a group of illegal immigrants, all they’d need to do is protest within 1,000 feet of whomever they wanted to shield from arrest. With this policy in place, an untold number of "libraries" and "parades" would spring into existence. The PSLA would render ICE useless under the pretext of reform, allowing exceptions only for "exigent circumstances," such as catching a suspect who is an imminent terror threat.

FOX News [3/4/2026 10:35 AM, Lindsay Kornick, 37576K] reports restaurants in Washington, D.C., appear to be taking a hit in their workforce because of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts in the area. The Washington Post released a report Monday regarding the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a sector of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), sending out letters to multiple D.C. establishments in the district about their employees’ legal status. According to the letter, business owners have 10 days to respond and inform HSI that the employee has been terminated or resigned or provide updated paperwork regarding the employee’s legal status. Failure to meet these qualifications could lead to fines of up to $5,724 per person for first offenses. As a result, some restaurants reported losing dozens of employees, ranging from waiters to managers, while struggling to fill in the gaps. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington warned the Washington Post that the D.C. "restaurant industry is at a turning point" if the Trump administration does not address this issue. "Many of the region’s most celebrated restaurants – from those helmed by local celebrity chefs to neighborhood culinary gems – were founded by immigrants and first-generation Americans who have and continue to enrich the region’s culinary landscape and economy," the association said in a statement. The statement continued: "As federal immigration policy continues to evolve, many restaurant workers and owners are currently facing challenges that affect both individual establishments and the broader dining ecosystem. These changes impact everything from daily operations to the diversity that defines our region’s restaurant industry. The restaurant industry needs predictable policies that allow for proper business planning and treat every member of the community with dignity.”

FOX News [3/4/2026 4:49 PM, Alexandra Koch, 37576K] reports newly uncovered emails show the Fairfax County Police Department warned the county’s commonwealth attorney about a criminal illegal migrant with more than 30 previous arrests at least three times before he allegedly stabbed a mother to death in the Washington, D.C., area. Abdul Jalloh, 32, was charged with murder after allegedly stabbing 41-year-old Stephanie Minter to death at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia, in late February. Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone in West Africa who had lived in Virginia since the age of 9, was arrested at a liquor store one day after the stabbing when an employee called 911 to report Jalloh was shoplifting. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Jalloh entered the country in 2012 and has more than a dozen arrests in northern Virginia. His criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and pick-pocketing, yet his charges were dropped by local prosecutors almost every time, according to DHS. Emails obtained by WJLA showed the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) warned Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office about Jalloh on at least three occasions, but no action was taken to remove him from the country.

ABC News [3/4/2026 12:26 PM, Armando Garcia, 34146K] reports Telesforo Cerero-Palacios is a home renovator in Minnesota who says he has no reported criminal history, so he was shocked to learn the Department of Homeland Security listed him as one of the "worst of the worst" detained immigrants in the U.S. who have serious offenses. "What happened here? Why does their system say this about you?" Cerero-Palacios, 53, recalled after a relative saw him on the list. The DHS website features thousands who the agency claims are the "worst" individuals, including a photo of Cerero-Palacios with his alleged crime, "dangerous drugs.” However, a DHS government document showed that Cerero-Palacio has no criminal history. The document, reviewed by ABC News, is known as a "Record of Deportable/Inadmissible Alien," which is created by the agency when individuals are detained. Cerero-Palacios said he has never been accused of any drug-related offense and an ABC News review of criminal records in Minnesota found several traffic and parking tickets and one small claim case, but did not turn up any drug-related charges. In an interview conducted in Spanish, Cerero-Palacios told ABC News that agents entered his home on April 7, 2025, looking to detain a relative, but that’s when he was asked about his immigration status. He said he told officials he was undocumented and was subsequently detained. The DHS document appears to corroborate his account, stating that deportation officers working with the Drug Enforcement Agency were conducting fugitive operations at his address when they interviewed him about his immigration status. "During the interview, CERERO freely admitted that he did not have any documents that would allow him to reside in the United States legally," the document said. Despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson citing his 1998 arrest in a statement shared with ABC News, DHS appears to have issued him a non-immigrant visa three times, until 2015, the document showed. "This illegal alien was previously arrested for giving a false name to a peace officer. The FBI number connected to this drug charge is linked to multiple aliases, including Telesforo Cerero-Palacios. We will give you more information on this case shortly," the ICE spokesperson told ABC News. It’s unclear what drug charge the spokesperson was referring to. Days after ABC News began asking questions about its inclusion of Cerero-Palacios on its "worst of the worst" database, DHS appears to have removed Cerero-Palacios from the list. DHS did not respond when asked if he was erroneously placed on the list and has not followed up with any additional information, despite repeated attempts by ABC News to obtain one.

ABC News [3/4/2026 9:35 AM, Laura Romero, 34146K] Video: HERE reports emergency calls that were placed in recent months from a South Texas family detention center and obtained by ABC News reveal a series of medical emergencies involving pregnant women and young children that advocates say underscore their concerns about the sprawling ICE facility. The 911 audio calls from Frio County, dating from October 2025 through February 2026, document medical staff at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley requesting ambulances for migrant detainees experiencing seizures, fainting and respiratory distress. In one call from January, a staff member requested assistance for a 17-month-old child. "I’m calling for a little kid going through respiratory distress," the caller told dispatchers. In other calls, medical staff asked for ambulances for a 6-year-old boy with lethargy and a high fever, a 14-month-old in respiratory distress, and a 22-month-old with a fever and low oxygen levels. Immigrant advocates, medical professionals and lawmakers have raised concerns in recent weeks about conditions at the South Texas facility. ABC News recently interviewed a couple who said their 1-year-old daughter contracted COVID-19 and RSV during their 60-day detention. The family alleges medical staff at Dilley dismissed their daughter’s symptoms. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who visited 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos while he was detained with his father at Dilley, also recently raised concerns about a 2-month-old infant before the child’s release. The top medical official at the Department of Homeland Security, which operates the nation’s migrant detention centers, disputed any suggestion that detainees are being denied proper care. DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said last week that detainees at Dilley have "ongoing access to on-site medical professionals, including physicians, pediatricians, nurses, and mental health care providers." "The truth is this facility provided proper medical care for all detainees including access to a pediatrician," Bis said. "The fact is being in detention is a choice. We encourage all parents to take control of their departure by using the CBP Home app and receiving a free flight home and $2,600. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [3/4/2026 2:15 PM, Nicole Acevedo, 42967K] reports that at least 14 cases of measles have been confirmed at the nation’s largest ICE detention facility, an agency spokesperson told NBC News in a statement. People who tested positive for the highly contagious disease at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, have been "cohorted and separated from the rest of the detained population to prevent further spread," the spokesperson said. The agency "is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with public health authorities to ensure appropriate medical care and containment measures are in place — the health and safety of detainees, staff, and the community remain a top priority," the spokesperson added. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, whose El Paso district includes the detention center located on the Fort Bliss Army base, said the facility is closed to visitors and attorneys because of the outbreak. In addition to the 14 people who got sick, 12 other individuals have been isolated in connection to the outbreak, according to Escobar. "There has been nothing but crisis after crisis inside the walls of this tent city," the Democratic congresswoman said in a statement. Since Camp East Montana opened last year, three detainees have died while in ICE custody. Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, of Nicaragua, "died of a presumed suicide" inside the facility on Jan. 14. Francisco Gaspar-Andres, 48, a detainee from Guatemala, died of health complications from cirrhosis and cardiac hypertrophy. Another Camp East Montana detainee, 55-year-old Geraldo Lunas Campos, of Cuba, died on Jan. 3 and his death was ruled a homicide.

USA Today [3/4/2026 11:17 PM, Jeff Abbott and Thao Nguyen, 70643K] reports a large immigration detention center in West Texas is under quarantine and has been closed to visitors and attorneys due to a measles outbreak, multiple sources told the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. The quarantine of the sprawling facility follows multiple confirmed cases of measles and at least two cases of tuberculosis at Camp East Montana, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in East El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. The detention center is located on Fort Bliss property. In a statement on Tuesday, March 3, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said there are currently 14 active cases of measles inside the facility, and 112 people are being isolated. The detention center will remain closed to visitors and attorneys until March 19 or March 20, according to Escobar, a Democrat whose El Paso district includes the facility. "While on one hand, it is a good thing that the measles outbreak is being taken seriously, on the other hand, I am alarmed that a preventable crisis has created conditions where detainees can only access their lawyers virtually," Escobar said in the statement. "There has been nothing but crisis after crisis inside the walls of this tent city.” Crystal Sandoval, a legal representative with the immigration rights group Las Americas, is one of those who was told she was unable to go and meet with a potential client due to the spread of infectious diseases at the detention center. Sandoval claimed that cases of measles have been spreading in Camp East Montana for the last three weeks. "The measles outbreak didn’t happen just now," Sandoval said. "This has been going on for the past three weeks.” The city of El Paso previously reported that the 13 measles cases were registered at the detention center. The announcement was made ahead of the decision to quarantine the center. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to the El Paso Times’ requests for information regarding the quarantine. ICE detention center scrutinized over claims of inadequate medical care. Camp East Montana has been plagued by controversy since it began receiving detainees in August 2025. Civil rights advocates and Escobar have raised concerns about poor conditions at the center, including allegations of a lack of medical care. Escobar condemned reported attempts to quarantine detainees at local hospitals, and said her office was never informed of the outbreak and quarantine. She also criticized the company contracted to run the detention center, Acquisition Logistics LLC, which was given $1.24 billion in taxpayer dollars to construct and operate the detention center for ICE. Escobar has repeatedly raised concerns that Acquisition Logistics LLC, based in Henrico, Virginia, is not complying with its responsibilities. Loyal Source, a company based in Orlando, Florida, is contracted to provide medical services at the detention center. "Despite what I was initially told about the level of medical care inside the facility, it became very clear to me early on that serious medical issues were being overlooked and, in some cases, medical attention was non-existent for urgent health issues," Escobar said in the statement. "There has also been consistently subpar access to hygiene, janitorial, and laundry services. Whether this has been deliberate on the part of the contractor, or a result of incompetence, the end result is the same: a violation of federal standards and outright fraud," she added.

Washington Post [3/4/2026 5:44 PM, Douglas MacMillan, 24826K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is taking steps to close Camp East Montana, a massive immigrant detention camp near the Mexican border that opened less than eight months ago, according to an internal ICE document reviewed by The Washington Post. The document, distributed to agency staff this week, indicated that ICE is drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s contract, but did not give any timeline or reason for the decision. The $1.2 billion contract, awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC in July of last year, had an estimated date of completion of Sept. 30, 2027. Lauren Bis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the department is reviewing Camp East Montana to ensure it meets standards, and that “no decisions have been made related to contract extension, termination, or award.” “ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody,” Bis said. “DHS undergoes rigorous audits and inspections of our facilities to ensure they are meeting our high standards.”

New York Times [3/4/2026 10:05 PM, Pooja Salhotra and Madeleine Ngo, 148038K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that officials were reviewing a contract for Camp East Montana, a detention center in El Paso that is facing growing scrutiny over its living conditions and is grappling with a measles outbreak. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said officials were examining the center and that the department conducts rigorous inspections of facilities to “ensure they are meeting our high standards.” “No decisions have been made related to contract extension, termination or award,” Lauren Bis, the spokeswoman, said in a statement. The facility, called Camp East Montana, which is at the military base Fort Bliss, has been mired in controversy since it opened in August. Three people have died while in custody, including Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant whose death was ruled a homicide by the county medical examiner. As of this week, 14 measles cases have been reported at the facility, according to Ms. Bis, who added that the center was on lockdown for quarantine. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has faced complaints of crowded and unsafe conditions at many detention facilities it oversees, including Camp East Montana. These facilities have been used to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The Department of Homeland Security has previously rejected allegations that Camp East Montana’s conditions were poor, saying in September that detainees were properly fed and given medical care. Its construction was funded by a roughly $1.2 billion contract awarded last year to Acquisition Logistics, a Virginia-based company. Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso and has visited the detention center several times, has sent letters to top homeland security leaders demanding the facility be shut down. Ms. Escobar has said that detainees receive inadequate medical care and are served food that is rotten or frozen. Last week, two dozen members of Congress signed a letter calling for its closure. “Camp East Montana should have never opened,” Ms. Escobar said in a statement on Wednesday, which she issued in response to a Washington Post article that said ICE was taking steps to close the facility. New York Times has not independently verified any plans for an impending closure.

Breitbart [3/4/2026 8:24 AM, Bob Price, 2238K] reports ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Houston issued detainers for two Mexican nationals recently arrested for intoxication manslaughter. This, as ICE Houston wrapped up a year of aggressive enforcement targeting criminal illegal aliens with repeated drunk‑driving convictions. "At least 23 families will wake up tomorrow without a loved one," said acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez, calling the trend "reckless and tragic." ICE officials told Breitbart Texas that ERO officers in Houston 243 criminal aliens since President Donald Trump began his second term just over one year ago who were convicted in three or more DWI incidents. These are felony DWI convictions. Of these 21 were convicted by a Texas court on charges of intoxication manslaughter. "After violating our nation’s laws to illegally enter the country, these criminal illegal aliens repeatedly put the lives of innocent Americans in jeopardy by getting behind the wheel intoxicated," Martinez explained.

USA Today [3/4/2026 7:04 PM, Jeff Abbott, 70643K] reports U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, is "rejoicing that this dark chapter is over" in response to reports that ICE is closing Camp East Montana on Fort Bliss Army Post in El Paso. The Department of Homeland Security is taking steps to close the sprawling immigration detention camp, Washington Post reports. "While reports of its closure are cause for a sigh of relief, it does not mean an end to my determination to seek accountability, both for Acquisition Logistics and DHS," Escobar said in a statement. "It also does not mean the Trump administration will not continue to exploit El Paso for their immigration enforcement purposes - including with the administration’s purchase of warehouses in Socorro. Our community must remain vigilant and committed to the continued fight while rejoicing that this dark chapter is over.” The report comes from an internal document obtained by the post that was distributed to staff. It says DHS was looking to terminate the contract with Acquisition Logistics LLC, the Henrico, Virginia-based firm contracted with constructing and managing soft-sided detention center. The firm was given a $1.2 billion dollar contract to build and manage the site. Escobar has regularly called for the closure of the detention center following her seven congressional oversight visits, raising concern with conditions. She has argued that the site represents fraud and waste. "The Trump administration has used El Paso as ground zero for its sick, twisted immigration enforcement policies for years, and Camp East Montana is no different," Escobar said in a statement. "It represents the epitome of fraud, waste, abuse, and the exploitation of human suffering at the hands of private prison corporations and the Trump administration … The $1.24 billion cost for this facility could have been used for healthcare, nutrition programs, and a litany of other things to improve our society and our country. Instead, it promoted the dehumanization of immigrants and lined the pockets of a corrupt, incompetent private prison corporation.”

Border Report [3/5/2026 12:47 AM, Melissa Luna, 374K] Video: HERE reports the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday addressed what it called “mixed reports” about the closing of Camp East Montana, saying the agency is reviewing the immigration detention center and its contract. “ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement to KTSM.” The contract for Camp East Montana was inherited from the (Department of Defense). DHS undergoes rigorous audits and inspections of our facilities to ensure they are meeting our high standards. DHS is reviewing this facility and contract. No decisions have been made related to contract extension, termination, or award.” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, released a statement in response to a Wednesday report from the Washington Post, saying that the $1.24 billion immigration detention facility in El Paso was set to close. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Border Report [3/4/2026 6:38 PM, Julian Resendiz, 374K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed it is enforcing a quarantine at an El Paso-area immigration detention center due to a measles outbreak. As of March 3, the Texas Department of Health confirmed 14 active measles infections among detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at Camp East Montana, according to DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected,” Bis said in a statement in response to a Border Report inquiry. She said medical staff is monitoring detainees and trying to prevent further infections. “In-person visitation is currently suspended to protect the health and safety of the detainees, the staff, and the community. Detainees still have access to attorneys and visitation through Visual Attorney Visitation booths, tablets, or telephones,” Bis said. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, alerted the public to the outbreak and quarantine and renewed calls for Camp East Montana to be closed due to “crisis after crisis.”

AP [3/4/2026 11:24 PM, Jacques Billeaud, 34146K] reports a Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Monday after a tooth infection was left untreated, the man’s brother said Wednesday. Emmanuel Damas, 56, told medical personnel at the Florence Correctional Center that he had a toothache in mid-February, but he was not sent to a dentist, said Damas’ brother, Presly Nelson. Nelson believes the staff at the facility did not take his brother’s complaints seriously even though it was a treatable condition. Nelson said he would expect such a death in countries with less access to health care, but not the United States. "As a country — I’m an American now — I think we can do better than that," Nelson said. Damas is among at least nine people who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this year. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. ICE had said it hoped to issue a news release Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday, ICE officials announced the death of Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who had been in a California ICE detention center and died in the hospital Feb. 27 after reporting chest pain and shortness of breath. Chandler City Council member Christine Ellis, a Haitian American who is a registered nurse, said she was contacted by Damas’ family after his death. "As a medical person, I am absolutely appalled that there were medical-licensed people that were working there and allowed those things to happen," Ellis said. "It does not make sense to me.” A report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Damas’ cause of death as "pending" as of Wednesday. Damas was taken into ICE custody in September and was soon transferred to the medium-security Florence Correctional Center, where he was held for several months, including after his asylum application was denied, Ellis said. CoreCivic, a for-profit corrections company that runs the Florence facility, deferred comment to ICE.

Telemundo52 [3/4/2026 3:39 PM, Eric Leonard, 61K] reports the LAPD’s first public presentation on its recent interactions with federal agents enforcing immigration laws was cut short Tuesday when a deputy chief who was offering details of those incidents was apparently told to stop sharing specific information. “They want us not to disclose some of this information for now,” Deputy Chief German A. Hurtado told the Board of Police Commissioners, after a uniformed officer whispered something to the LAPD’s constitutional police director, seated to his right, who in turn whispered back to Hurtado during the presentation. Earlier this month, Mayor Karen Bass ordered the LAPD to submit public reports to the Police Commission on officers’ interactions with ICE and other federal officials enforcing immigration laws, in part to ensure that officers are not collaborating with them, which is prohibited by state law and local policies. The LAPD has been collecting data on these interactions and other related calls, but had not released the information publicly until this week. Prior to the message delivered in a low voice during Tuesday’s meeting, Hurtado told commissioners that the LAPD was aware of eight immigration-related incidents in January and none in February.

USA Today [3/4/2026 4:05 PM, Brian Day, 70643K] reports another week of law enforcement raids under San Bernardino County’s "Operation Consequences" in and around the High Desert led to 42 arrests and the seizure of 10 guns, authorities said. Deputies carried out 11 search warrants in Victorville, Apple Valley, Phelan, Oro Grande, Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga between Feb. 23 and March 1, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department officials. Launched in 2022, Operation Consequences is a county-wide crime suppression campaign meant to address quality of life issues, officials said. Goals include curbing violent crime, disrupting gang activity and seizing illegal guns. The sheriff’s department was aided in the effort by The California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Probation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Fontana Police Department and the Barstow Police Department.

Telemundo 48 - Area de la Bahia [3/4/2026 12:55 PM, Staff, 26K] reports that a city south of the Bay wants to ban federal immigration agents from its public spaces. Councilman Sergio Lopez proposed adopting a policy similar to Santa Clara’s, which prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using public properties to enforce immigration laws. The City Council unanimously approved the proposal on February 17. Lopez and his office are developing a specific framework that they plan to present to the council for final approval by the end of March. "I absolutely believe this is critical," Lopez told San Jose Spotlight. "Many residents contacted me concerned about the possibility of a mock police action." Lopez explained that Campbell intends to model his policy on Santa Clara’s ban and echoed similar concerns about the fear surrounding the use of community centers to enforce immigration laws. Santa Clara passed its ICE ban in early February, just before Super Bowl 60, with the goal of prohibiting immigration enforcement on city property. The city also created sign templates for private business owners and residents who wish to adopt similar restrictions. Santa Clara’s decision follows similar measures taken by San Jose in January, when the city banned ICE from operating in 11 municipal parking lots and 75 libraries and community centers. These measures reflect a broader trend among Bay Area cities to limit the presence of immigration agencies in spaces where vulnerable populations congregate.

Univision [3/4/2026 5:15 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision that evidence of persecution must be presented in asylum cases. The decision was made unanimously by the nine judges of the highest court based on the Urias-Orellana vs Bondi case, in which the former are a Salvadoran family who requested asylum after entering the US without authorization in 2021. The court ruling indicates that an immigration judge denied asylum to Douglas Humberto Urias-Orellana, his wife Sayra Iliana Gamez-Mejia, and their minor son, and ordered their deportation, determining that they did not demonstrate past persecution or establish a credible fear of future persecution, as required by the Immigration and Nationality Act The judges indicate that they admitted the appeal to determine whether the proper review standard was applied under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The conclusions of an appeals court were similar to those of the immigration judge.

Univision [3/4/2026 7:13 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports a man identified as Isidro Arcenio Alvarado, 58, lost his U.S. citizenship after pleading guilty to multiple sex crimes with a minor in North Carolina. The man will be deported to his native El Salvador after serving his sentence. Alvarado was arrested on 25 April 2023 and was charged with committing multiple sexual offences against a minor. More than two years later, on July 8, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent freedoms with a minor. The state judge sentenced him to a suspended prison sentence and ordered him to register as a sex offender. On that occasion, Alvarado admitted to committing the crimes between January 1, 2019 and April 10, 2021. In 2019, the victim was only 10 years old, authorities said. Alvarado became a U.S. citizen on October 12, 2022, the day he was sworn in. As part of the citizenship process, residents must conduct a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In this, they are asked to swear to tell the truth. Once it was discovered that the man had committed sexual offenses against minors, he was also accused of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship. Then, one revoked his citizenship and ordered his expulsion from the United States.

The AP [3/4/2026 6:14 PM, Paul Wiseman, Mae Anderson] reports in a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that companies that paid tariffs struck down last month by Supreme Court are due refunds. Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade wrote that “all importers of record’’ were “entitled to benefit’’ from the Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping double-digit import taxes President Donald Trump imposed last year under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Supreme Court found those tariffs to be unconstitutional under the emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country. The majority ruled that the president could not unilaterally set and change tariffs because taxation power clearly belongs to Congress. In his ruling, Eaton wrote that he alone “will hear cases pertaining to the refund of IEEPA duties.’’ The ruling offers some clarity about the tariff refund process, something the Supreme Court did not even mention in its Feb. 20 decision. The federal government collected more than $130 billion in the now-defunct tariffs through mid-December and could ultimately be on the hook for refunds worth $175 billion, according to calculations by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Now the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency must come up with a way to process the refunds. The Hill [3/4/2026 4:52 PM, Zach Schonfeld, 18170K] reports that the order from Richard Eaton, a senior judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade, is set to impact millions of tariff entries submitted to the government that were declared illegal by the Supreme Court’s blockbuster decision. Companies won’t immediately receive money, but the order marks a milestone that moves the laborious process along. More than 1,000 companies have sued for refunds, hoping the government will now return tens of billions of dollars following the much-anticipated decision. Eaton’s ruling came in the lawsuit filed by Atmus Filtration, but he said the trade court’s chief judge has put him in charge of all cases pertaining to refunds. The judge’s new order mandates Customs and Border Protection (CBP) finalize those entries, a step known as “liquidation,” without including any tariff charges. For goods that have already been liquidated, Eaton said officials must re-do the step. CBS News [3/4/2026 6:46 PM, Staff, 51110K] reports Eaton was ruling specifically on a case brought by Atmus Filtration, a Nashville, Tennessee, company that makes filters and other filtration products, claiming a right to a tariff refund. A federal appeals court on Monday declined to delay implementation of the Supreme Court ruling striking down most of the Trump administration’s tariffs. That ruling clears the way for the Court of International Trade to begin the process of refunding tariffs to businesses. Eaton also wrote in his decision that he alone "will hear cases pertaining to the refund of IEEPA" tariffs. The Supreme Court did not address the issue of refunds in its 6-3 decision last month. Trade experts estimate that the U.S. government could owe as much as $175 billion to businesses that paid IEEPA levies. U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that, through the end of 2025, the federal government had collected $134 billion in duties under IEEPA. Trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official, said he expects the government to appeal or "seek a stay to buy more time for U.S.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [3/4/2026 5:36 PM, Zoe Tillman and Erik Larson, 18082K]
Reuters [3/4/2026 4:06 PM, David Lawder and Tom Hals, 38315K]

New York Times [3/4/2026 8:30 PM, Tony Romm and Ana Swanson, 148038K] reports a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to take the first steps toward issuing more than $100 billion in potential tariff refunds, ratcheting up a legal battle over a roster of sky-high duties that the Supreme Court deemed illegal. The order, issued by Judge Richard K. Eaton of the United States Court of International Trade, amounted to an early victory for the thousands of businesses that have already sued to recover the taxes they paid, plus interest, now that President Trump’s global tariffs have been struck down. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Trump could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose tariffs on U.S. trading partners. Many trade lawyers said they were still deciphering the scope of the judge’s three-page directive. But they generally agreed that its mandate could prove short lived, with the Trump administration expected to quickly challenge it. Judge Eaton has scheduled a hearing in the case for Friday. In the initial round of lawsuits over its tariffs, the Trump administration had indicated that it would issue refunds in the event that the president’s tariffs were invalidated. But Mr. Trump and his aides have shifted to a more defiant tone since the Supreme Court dealt a decisive blow to one of the most potent, flexible weapons in the president’s trade war. The administration has signaled that it intends to delay or contest repayment of the money, arguing at times that refunds could create a fiscal crisis for the United States. “This is a victory for small businesses who have paid billions in unlawful tariffs and deserve their money back,” Dan Anthony, the executive director of We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition that represents businesses that have opposed the president’s past duties, said in a statement. “The court acted swiftly and correctly,” he added. “Now the ball is in the government’s court, and small businesses are concerned they will drag this out further.” A spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the day-to-day implementation of tariffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

NewsMax [3/4/2026 4:52 PM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports Washington could be staring at a massive tariff-refund bill — and the meter is still running. After the Supreme Court last month struck down much of the Trump administration’s import duties, the federal government is estimated to owe American businesses up to $175 billion in refunds. But a new analysis warns taxpayers may be hit with billions more in interest if the government drags its feet. Cato’s estimate of the government’s potential interest tab assumes the U.S. had collected $175 billion in tariffs when they were struck down in February, using estimates from the Penn Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania and other sources. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show that through the end of 2025, the federal government collected $134 billion in duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

New York Times [3/4/2026 8:17 PM, Hannah Ziegler, 148038K] reports a Wisconsin man was killed on Wednesday after fleeing a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in West Texas and shooting at law enforcement officers as they pursued his vehicle, the authorities said. The man, James Douglas McMillan, 33, of Greenfield, Wis., stopped at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, about 90 miles southeast of El Paso, on Wednesday morning, but drove away after a Border Patrol K-9 was alerted to his vehicle and agents told him to pull over for a secondary search, the police said. Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety and helicopters from its aircraft patrol division were called to assist in the high-speed pursuit on Interstate 10 around 10:30 a.m. local time, according to Sheridan Nolen, a spokeswoman for the department. During the pursuit, Mr. McMillan began shooting out his window at state troopers, as well as at officers from Border Patrol and local sheriff’s offices. He also fired his weapon “indiscriminately at civilian vehicles,” Ms. Nolen said. Officers returned fire and performed a maneuver that typically involves striking a suspect’s vehicle to force them to lose control. Mr. McMillan then stopped driving and barricaded himself in his vehicle, Ms. Nolen said, “eventually” pointing his weapon at officers, who shot and killed him. No passengers were in Mr. McMillan’s vehicle. It was not immediately clear which officers discharged their weapons. No officers or civilians were injured during the pursuit, Ms. Nolen said. The Border Patrol and its parent agency, Customs and Border Protection, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The vehicle that Mr. McMillan was driving had been reportedly stolen out of Arizona, Ms. Nolen said.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [3/4/2026 7:53 PM, Randy Clark, 2238K]
CNN [3/4/2026 5:40 PM, Elizabeth Wolfe, 19874K]
FOX News [3/5/2026 2:08 AM, Staff, 37576K]
Telemundo [3/4/2026 11:25 PM, Staff, 2524K]

Reuters [3/4/2026 3:23 PM, David Shepardson, 38315K] reports the U.S. Transportation Department said on Wednesday it has approved American Airlines’ (AAL.O) request to operate U.S. flights to Caracas and Maracaibo in Venezuela from Miami through its wholly owned regional carrier Envoy. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded a 2019 order in January that barred U.S. airlines from flying to Venezuela after President Donald Trump directed him to make the move. American Airlines plans to ⁠resume services to Venezuela for the first time in more than six years. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration was in Caracas last week to review airport security procedures, sources told Reuters, a step needed to resume flights. USDOT’s order is valid for two years.

The New York Times [3/4/2026 5:03 AM, Scott Dance, 148038K] reports scrutiny by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, of large expenditures last year delayed disaster aid approval by three weeks, on average, and left hundreds of Federal Emergency Management Agency projects in limbo, according to a review by Senate Democrats of an internal government tracker. The details come from data that government whistle-blowers provided to Senators Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan, and Andy Kim, Democrat of New Jersey. The data was a snapshot from an approval tracker created in June to monitor Ms. Noem’s review of all expenses of $100,000 or more, reflecting where projects stood as of Sept. 8. For example, survivors of severe storms and tornadoes in South Florida in April 2023 were still waiting for approval to continue receiving disaster unemployment assistance as of last September. A contract for temporary housing for survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires in Hawaii was requested for renewal on Aug. 4, 2025, but had not been approved by Sept. 8, leaving residents uncertain about whether they would need to find new places to live. In Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, it took several weeks to approve money for armed guards to protect FEMA workers, who have increasingly faced threats in disaster zones, the report said. The senators’ report provided the most detailed account to date of the spending review policy and its effects. In a statement, Lauren Bis, a Homeland Security spokeswoman, disputed the three-week average wait time and said “there are no systemic delays” in disaster aid. She said Ms. Noem’s review process “was specifically designed to break through bureaucratic red tape and expedite funding requests that had previously languished for years under prior administrations.” Ms. Bis did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about how long the review process was taking, on average, or how it was expediting aid requests. The Washington Post [3/4/2026 5:00 AM, Brianna Sacks and Brady Dennis, 24826K] reports that, compiled by Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the report is based on data in “an internal tracker provided by whistleblowers,” the lawmakers said. They have called on Noem to immediately rescind the directive she first introduced in June. Noem’s policy, they said, has been implemented through an “ad hoc review process” with no firm deadlines, which has led to average delays of three weeks and sometimes far longer on decisions around much-needed disaster aid. Details in the document corroborate reports from numerous current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to The Washington Post about how the policy has held up critical resources in recent months. The report identifies what it says are “at least 1,034 FEMA contracts, grants, or disaster assistance awards” that have been delayed or remain pending, including for victims of July’s deadly flooding in Texas and the catastrophic Hurricane Helene, which hit swaths of the Southeast in the fall of 2024. In a statement, Lauren Bis, an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, said there is “no evidence of such” weeks-long delays in aid decisions. “FEMA continues to actively process and release billions in aid,” she added. “Contrary to claims in the forthcoming report, there are no systemic delays,” Bis said. “In fact, Secretary Noem’s review process was specifically designed to break through bureaucratic red tape and expedite funding requests that had previously languished for years under prior administrations.” The The Hill [3/4/2026 5:00 AM, Rachel Frazin, 18170K] reports “Secretary Noem’s policy of personally approving certain contracts is putting the safety of communities in need at risk,” said Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.), the committee’s top Democrat, in a written statement. “When disaster strikes, communities need critical assistance from FEMA as quickly as possible. These delays created by Secretary Noem’s directive are not only failing to make government more efficient, they are causing serious harm. The policy must end immediately,” he said. A DHS spokesperson said in a written statement that the policy was not causing delays. “Contrary to claims in the forthcoming report, there are no systemic delays. There is no evidence of a three-week average wait for aid decisions,” the spokesperson said. “In fact, Secretary Noem’s review process was specifically designed to break through bureaucratic red tape and expedite funding requests that had previously languished for years under prior administrations.” “FEMA continues to actively process and release billions in aid, including a recent allocation of $5 billion in disaster assistance,” the spokesperson added. “The Department remains committed to the FEMA mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters while ensuring every tax dollar is spent lawfully and effectively.” In the past, Noem has defended the review policy as preventing misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Reported similarly:
Roll Call [3/4/2026 6:06 PM, Chris Johnson, 673K]

Federal News Network [3/4/2026 1:05 PM, Justin Doubleday, 1297K] reports that a federal judge has ordered that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Department of Homeland Security officials can be deposed as part of a lawsuit over staffing cuts made at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered expedited discovery and permitted Noem’s deposition in the case after a Justice Department lawyer contradicted a top FEMA official’s statement about who decided to stop renewing the appointments of agency employees this year. In a March 3 order following a hearing, Illston said plaintiffs in the case can depose Noem, as well as Karen Evans, the senior official performing the duties of the FEMA administrator. Illston said the chief human capital officers of both DHS and FEMA can be deposed, too. Illston also ordered DHS and FEMA to produce documents related to the renewal or nonrenewal of Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE). Illston also aid DHS and FEMA should produce communications surrounding the nonrenewal, as well as "target" reductions of FEMA and CORE employee staffing. Unions and nonprofits sued DHS and FEMA in late January over the blanket non-renewal of several hundred CORE employees whose terms expired in January. The lawsuit alleges the staffing reductions violate Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act provisions that restrict DHS’s authority to make sweeping changes at FEMA.

USA Today [3/4/2026 1:33 PM, Jeanine Santucci, 70643K] reports that a magnitude 6.4 earthquake was recorded on March 4 near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake struck shortly before 9 a.m. local time about 139 miles east-southeast of Attu Station, at the western tip of the islands where nobody lives, according to the last Census in 2020. There was no tsunami threat as a result of the quake, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.

ABC News [3/4/2026 11:56 AM, Alexandra Hutzler, 34146K] reports the leader of an Iranian unit behind an attempted 2024 plot to assassinate President Donald Trump has been killed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday as he gave an update on the administration’s war against Tehran. "Yesterday, the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed," Hegseth said. "Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh.” The secretary did not name the individual, and later said the killing was not the objective of the operation. "We’ve known for a long time that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump and or other U.S. officials," Hegseth said. "While that ​was not the focus of the effort by ​any stretch of the imagination, in fact, never raised by ‌the ⁠president or anybody else, I ensured, and others ensured, that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list," ​he added. In the summer of 2024, when Trump was campaigning for president, U.S. intelligence indicated there was an Iranian threat to assassinate Trump, prompting the Secret Service to increase his security protection. In November 2024, the Department of Justice charged an Iranian man who prosecutors said was tasked with surveilling and killing Trump to avenge the 2020 death of Qassem Soleimani, the top commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Soleimani was killed in a January 2020 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad directed by Trump. Iran has denied that it had plotted to kill Trump.

FOX News [3/4/2026 12:56 PM, Ashley Oliver, 37576K] reports that a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran shared photos online depicting President Donald Trump’s death, federal prosecutors said Tuesday, describing the posts as part of a broader plot to kill U.S. politicians, potentially including the president. Authorities said Asif Merchant plotted with Iran to kill U.S. politicians in 2024, illustrating Iran’s threats against the United States that stretched back years before Trump launched strikes against the country beginning Saturday. An FBI special agent showed a courtroom in Brooklyn, New York, the images posted by Merchant, who is standing trial this week on charges of attempting to commit an act of terrorism and engaging in a murder-for-hire plot. Merchant was indicted in July 2024 after he was recorded on camera outlining a plot on a napkin to kill an unnamed politician with a person who turned out to be an informant. Merchant allegedly also tried to hire two hit men and pay them $5,000, but the men were FBI agents posing as assassins. The indictment does not name Trump, but a law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News that he was floated as a target, and defense lawyers named Trump as the target in court documents. The New York Post [3/4/2026 6:39 PM, Ben Kochman, 40934K] reports accused terrorist Asif Merchant, 47, coolly claimed on the stand that he was forced into the half-baked plot to save his family. "I had no other options. My family was threatened," Merchant told jurors in Brooklyn federal court, where he’s charged with bizarrely paying two undercover FBI agents posing as hitmen just $5,000 to carry out the murder scheme. Merchant, a Pakistan native who said he was a former banker with a failed banana export business, testified that his Iranian spy handler ordered him in April 2024 to go to the US and "maybe to have somebody murdered" — before giving him three potential targets. "He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he named three people to me: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley," the accused plotter, sporting a salt-and-pepper combover and wearing a gray sweater over a blue button-down shirt, matter-of-factly explained. Trump and Biden were the leading candidates in the 2024 presidential election at the time, and Haley, the former South Carolina governor, had dropped out of the race a month earlier. Merchant, who pleaded not guilty to terrorism and murder-for-hire charges after his August 2024 arrest, claimed that he’d volunteered to work with Iranian spies in late 2022 or early 2023, helping the regime launder money to evade US sanctions. His handler, who he named as Mehrdad Yousef, ordered him to carry out the assassination plot as well as steal unidentified documents, he testified. Merchant claimed that he only agreed to do so because Yousef, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had put "pressure" on his Iranian relatives. The AP [3/4/2026 9:04 PM, Jennifer Peltz, 34146K] reports Merchant said he had anticipated getting arrested before anyone was killed, intended to cooperate with the U.S. government and had hoped that would help him get a green card. U.S. authorities were, indeed, on to him — the supposed hit men he paid were actually undercover FBI agents — and he was arrested on July 12, 2024, a day before an unrelated attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania. Merchant did sit for voluntary FBI interviews, but he ultimately ended up with a trial, not a cooperation deal. "You traveled to the United States for the purpose of hiring Mafia members to kill a politician, correct?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Gupta asked during her turn questioning Merchant Wednesday in a Brooklyn federal court. "That’s right," Merchant replied, his demeanor as matter-of-fact as his testimony was unusual. The trial is unfolding amid the less than week-old Iran war, which killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a strike that Trump summed up as "I got him before he got me." Jurors are instructed to ignore news pertaining to the case. The Iranian government has denied plotting to kill Trump or other U.S. officials. Merchant, 47, had a roughly 20-year banking career in Pakistan before getting involved in an array of businesses: clothing, car sales, banana exports, insulation imports. He openly has two families, one in Pakistan and the other in Iran — where, he said, he was introduced around the end of 2022 to a Revolutionary Guard intelligence operative. They initially spoke about getting involved in a hawala, an informal money transfer system, Merchant said. Merchant testified that his periodic visits to the U.S. for his garment business piqued the interest of his Revolutionary Guard contact, who trained him on countersurveillance techniques. The U.S. deems the Revolutionary Guard a "foreign terrorist organization." Formally called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the force has been prominent in Iran under Khamenei. Merchant said the handler told him to seek U.S. residents interested in working for Iran. Then came another assignment: Look for a criminal to arrange protests, steal things, do some money laundering, "and maybe have somebody murdered," Merchant recalled. "He did not tell me exactly who it is, but he told me — he named three people: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley," he added.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [3/4/2026 10:18 PM, Jasper Ward, 38315K]

Telemundo [3/4/2026 6:38 PM, Adrian Criscaut, 162K] reports as the conflict in the Middle East continues, "enhanced security measures" were implemented near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to reports from security agents. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, part of these safety measures include the closure of the road on South Ocean Boulevard. The city of Palm Beach said South Ocean Boulevard, near Mar-a-Lago, between South County Road and Southern Boulevard, will remain closed to traffic until further notice. Agents said the measures are being implemented in coordination with the U.S. Security Service. Authorities have not specified what else includes the “enhanced security measures.” In a statement from the county sheriff’s office, he said, “Our security strategy remains flexible and continuously evaluated according to the requirements of the protection mission and current threat environment. While every effort is made to maintain constant traffic patterns for the Palm Beach community, adjustments are sometimes needed to ensure the safety of President Trump, his family and all people under Secret Service protection.

NBC 13 [3/4/2026 11:27 PM, Riley Conlon, 43603K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has selected the former Birmingham-Southern College campus in Birmingham as the site of a new national training center, Sen. Katie Britt’s office announced Wednesday. The private liberal arts college closed in May 2024 after years of financial struggles. School leaders sought to keep it open, including an attempt to secure a $30 million state bridge loan, but were unable to obtain enough support to continue operations. Miles College had planned to purchase the property, but that deal fell through in November 2024, leaving the campus vacant. “Although we will always grieve the closing of our beloved college in 2024, we believe the sale of our campus to the Coast Guard for this purpose – supporting the training, education, and ongoing development of the people who serve in our nation’s premier maritime protection force -- is a terrific outcome for our city, our state, and the neighborhood we called home for more than 100 years,” said the Rev. Keith D. Thompson, chair of the BSC Board of Trustees. Last November, the Coast Guard issued a request for information and began market research to identify potential locations. Officials said the new facility is needed as the service expands its ranks and that the 192-acre campus on Birmingham’s west side met and exceeded its requirements. “Today’s announcement is further proof that this is the most exciting time to join the Coast Guard in 235 years,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. “Thanks to President Trump’s visionary leadership and historic investment in the Coast Guard, the Service is shattering records across the board -- including in recruitment. Last year’s recruitment exceeded 110% of active-duty enlisted goals, and the Coast Guard is on track to add 15,000 new members by 2028. This next generation of heroes deserves training centers and support facilities worthy of their mission, and that is exactly what they are going to have in Alabama.” Britt, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee that funds DHS and the Coast Guard, said she advocated for locating the center in Birmingham. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/4/2026 9:44 AM, Tracy Wright, 37576K] reports "Deadliest Catch" deckhand Todd Meadows’ death is under investigation, the Coast Guard confirmed to Fox News Digital. Meadows died last week while fishing off the coast of Alaska on board the Aleutian Lady. He was 25. Coast Guard watchstanders at the Arctic District command center in Juneau received notification from a fishing vessel just after 5 p.m. local Alaska time that a crew member fell overboard, officials told Fox News Digital. The Aleutian Lady was positioned approximately "170 miles north of Dutch Harbor" when Meadows went overboard, according to the Coast Guard. "He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later," authorities said. "First aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful, and the crew transported the deceased to Dutch Harbor." "The Coast Guard is currently investigating this situation. As the nation’s leading marine safety organization, the Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and accidents to uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions." Captain Rick Shelford called Meadows’ death the "most tragic day in the history" of his boat in a statement shared on social media.

CBS News [3/4/2026 6:52 PM, Nicole Sganga, 39474K] reports Sean Plankey, the Department of Homeland Security senior adviser and Trump nominee to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was escorted out of the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters late Monday and had his access badge removed, according to sources familiar with the matter. The nominee to lead the cyber defense agency has left his role at DHS, though circumstances behind the sudden move remain unclear. Plankey, a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, formerly served as senior adviser to the homeland security secretary for the Coast Guard, a role he held while awaiting Senate action on his nomination to lead CISA, the agency responsible for protecting federal civilian networks and U.S. critical infrastructure from cyber threats. A Coast Guard spokesperson referred inquiries to DHS. "We have no personnel matters to announce at this time," a DHS spokesperson said. CBS News has also reached out to CISA for comment. Florida Sen. Rick Scott placed a hold on Plankey’s 2025 nomination, and at the end of the legislative session last year, his nomination expired, along with other nominations that did not receive a Senate vote. President Trump renominated Plankey in January after his earlier nomination stalled in the Senate. But multiple people familiar with the process said the renomination was unintended and occurred as part of what one source described as an administrative error in a broader list of nominations submitted by the White House. But a White House official said that Plankey’s renomination was, in fact, intentional and reaffirmed that Plankey is the nominee to lead CISA, despite his removal. The official referred questions about his removal from the Coast Guard position to DHS.

ExecutiveGov [3/4/2026 4:45 PM, Elodie Collins] reports the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has appointed Chris Butera as acting executive assistant director of its cybersecurity division, NextGov/FCW reported Tuesday. He replaces Nick Andersen, who has stepped in as acting director of CISA following Madhu Gottumukkala’s appointment as director of strategic implementation at the Department of Homeland Security. Butera has more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and information technology leadership across federal and local government and the private sector. Most recently, he served as senior technical director for CISA’s cybersecurity division, where he led initiatives to enhance cyber services, strengthen operational visibility and guide research and development related to artificial intelligence and industrial control systems security. He also held the roles of associate director of threat hunting, deputy director of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and chief of the NCCIC Hunt and Incident Response Team at CISA. Butera holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago.

CyberScoop [3/4/2026 10:25 AM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports Cloudflare’s inaugural threat intelligence report identifies a series of weaknesses in technology that attackers have abused and industrialized into professional “attack factories,” leaving most organizations unprepared to respond. Attackers are turning the very services victims deploy and pay for into tools for launching large-scale attacks. Researchers say the barrier to entry has vanished, as identities and tokens allow attackers to weaponize gaps in cloud-based systems. Organizations’ environments are riddled with potential entry points. As the everything-as-a-service model spreads, systems become more interconnected and dependent on one another, and many software components are reachable in ways that make them nearly as accessible to attackers as to legitimate users. “When one of those interconnections goes bad, all of a sudden everything’s gone south,” Blake Darché, head of Cloudflare’s threat intelligence unit Cloudforce One, told CyberScoop. “Data is more accessible than ever, which is good for a lot of cases, but the threat actors are using that easy access to that data as a way to exploit people, systems and organizations,” he added. “It’s only going to get harder. I think some of the AI tools will make this even worse.” Attackers have turned “the connective tissue of the modern enterprise into its primary vulnerability,” researchers wrote in the report.

CyberScoop [3/4/2026 1:20 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports authorities from 14 countries shut down LeakBase, seized its domains and arrested multiple people allegedly involved in the cybercrime marketplace for stolen data and hacking tools, the Justice Department said Wednesday. LeakBase had more than 142,000 members, ranking it among the world’s largest forums for cybercriminals. The site, which was available on the open web, contained a massive archive of hacked databases including hundreds of millions of account credentials, officials said. The stolen databases, which included data from U.S. corporations and individuals, were linked to many high-profile attacks, according to officials. Data seized by authorities revealed a trove of credit and debit card numbers, banking account and routing information, credentials for account takeovers, sensitive business records and personally identifiable information. “The FBI, Europol, and law enforcement agencies from around the world executed a takedown of LeakBase, one of the largest online cybercriminal platforms, seizing users’ accounts, posts, credit details, private messages and IP logs for evidentiary purposes,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director at the FBI’s cyber division, said in a statement. Law enforcement agencies involved in the globally coordinated takedown operation, which began Tuesday, executed search warrants, made arrests and interviewed people in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom. Officials did not immediately name any suspects, but some of the activity occurred in San Diego and Provo, Utah. Officials said the FBI’s field offices in San Diego and Salt Lake City, which is investigating the case, participated in the operation domestically. The Provo Police Department was also involved.

Blaze [3/4/2026 11:15 AM, Cooper Williamson, 1556K] reports while many people have had their attention turned to the Middle East in the past week, the United States military has continued its mission of protecting the western hemisphere, launching joint operations in another South American country after arresting Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela in early January. On Tuesday, U.S. forces launched joint operations against designated terrorist organizations in Ecuador, U.S. Southern Command announced in a press release. U.S. Southern Command described the operations as a "powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.” "Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere," the press release added. "We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country," said Marine Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command.

FOX News [3/5/2026 3:39 AM, Landon Mion, 37576K] reports the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security could impact how the federal government is able to address potential terror threats in the U.S., a public safety expert said, warning that the escalating conflict with Iran could encourage those wishing to harm Americans. Jeffrey Halstead, a retired police chief in Fort Worth, Texas, and a former commander for Homeland Security for Phoenix police, told Fox News Digital that U.S. military actions could "escalate the mindset of some of these outlying or outlier terrorist entities" wanting to take action. "We’ve seen historically that any time there is a conflict, especially in the Middle East with escalating tensions, military action and now a declaration of war, there is a significant impact on the ability for us to work collectively to share intelligence and gather information in a timely manner from our federal partners," Halstead said. "With the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown, if something were to occur here in the United States, there could be some significant delays because FEMA and other very, very critical divisions of the federal government are basically shut down.” He specifically pointed out the terrorist attack in Austin, Texas, over the weekend, which left 2 people dead and 14 injured. The suspect, Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized citizen born in Senegal, was also killed. Authorities said they are investigating the shooting, which took place at a bar at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, as a "potential nexus to terrorism" as Diagne appeared to wear a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt and an undershirt depicting the Iranian flag. A Quran was also later recovered from his vehicle, and an Iranian flag and images of regime leaders were found at his home. That attack comes after U.S.-Israeli joint military strikes, which began against Iran on Saturday morning, killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other leaders, triggering a wider conflict in the Middle East. Halstead, who is also the director of strategic accounts at Genasys, a communications hardware and software provider that helps communities during emergencies, warned that events in the U.S. later this year, such as World Cup soccer matches and America’s 250th anniversary, could make the U.S. an "escalated target" if the conflict in the Middle East remains active. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said: "I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland.”

AP [3/4/2026 7:30 PM, Staff, 3833K] reports a federal judge temporarily blocked the enforcement on Wednesday of an executive order issued last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that designates two Muslim groups as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in his preliminary injunction that the First Amendment bars the governor from continuing the troubling trend of using an executive office to make a political statement at the expense of others’ constitutional rights. The governor’s order targeted the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood. His office didn’t immediately respond Wednesday evening to an email seeking comment about the judge’s order. CAIR and other civil rights groups sued DeSantis in December, shortly after the executive order was issued. The group has more than 20 chapters across the United States, and its work involves legal actions, advocacy and education outreach. The lawsuit claims the executive order is unlawful and unconstitutional, specifically that DeSantis has usurped the exclusive authority of the federal government to identify and designate terrorist organizations. The injunction will halt the executive order’s enforcement while the lawsuit moves forward. “The question before this Court is whether the Governor can, in a non-emergency situation, unilaterally designate one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in America as a ‘terrorist organization’ and withhold government benefits from anyone providing material support or resources to the group,” Walker wrote.

Blaze [3/4/2026 6:00 AM, Brian Lonergan, 1556K] reports being president of the United States is a job unlike any other. Wise leadership often goes unnoticed because the public never sees the disasters it prevented. Feckless leadership leaves a paper trail of avoidable tragedy — and nowhere does that trail run clearer than immigration. The mass shooting over the weekend in Austin, Texas, offers a grim case study. Ndiaga Diagne opened fire at a popular bar near the University of Texas, killing two people and injuring 14 others before police killed him. The story of how he entered the country, stayed, and ultimately gained citizenship reads like a checklist of missed opportunities for enforcement and vetting. Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal, moved through an immigration system that repeatedly rewarded leniency and procedural box-checking over basic security judgment. As the U.S. hardens its defenses amid escalating conflict with Iran, the country should confront these shortcomings and adopt reforms that put Americans’ safety first. Diagne’s record raises questions that any serious system should have addressed long before he was granted citizenship.

Daily Caller [3/4/2026 6:15 PM, Jack Cowhick, 803K] reports American and Ecuadorian military forces launched joint strikes against narco-terror targets in Ecuador on Tuesday, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced. The joint operations target Designated Terrorist Organizations within the country, the U.S. announced in a press release. SOUTHCOM described the operations as a "powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean" to partner with the U.S. in combatting narco-terrorism. "Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere," the press release stated. SOUTHCOM also posted the announcement on X, along with video of soldiers being deployed. President Donald Trump designated several cartels as terrorist organizations on the first day of his second term in office, which the administration has used to justify military strikes in the Caribbean.

New York Times [3/4/2026 6:54 PM, Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Eric Schmitt and José María León Cabrera, 148038K] reports the joint military operation that the United States and Ecuador launched this week is aimed at fighting drug gangs that have turned Ecuador from one of the safest countries in Latin America to one of the deadliest, and signals the deepening ties between the countries. For more than a year, President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador had publicly and privately courted President Trump, desperate for a powerful ally who could more forcefully join his uphill, hard-line war against spiraling drug violence in Ecuador. The Trump administration, focused on growing its influence in the Western Hemisphere, found a willing partner in Mr. Noboa. The center-right president is among the most vocal supporters of the U.S. in the region and appears more eager to welcome American military forces than many other leaders in Latin America. Over the past few months, U.S. Special Forces began helping Ecuadorean commandos train and plan for extensive raids that are expected to unfold across the country in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military matters. The operation is targeting drug facilities run by gangs that have unleashed deadly violence in Ecuador and turned the country into the leading exporter of cocaine in the world. The United States has already deployed dozens of troops to Ecuador who will advise and assist Ecuadorean soldiers, including in the sharing of intelligence, but will not participate directly in the missions, according to the official. The months of behind-the-scenes work burst into public view on Tuesday when the U.S. military’s Southern Command released a 30-second video that showed a helicopter taking off to pick up soldiers. The video depicted the operation’s first raid, according to the U.S. official, who said it did not yield any results because the targets slipped away, but that the soldiers recovered intelligence that could be useful.

CBS News [3/4/2026 11:53 AM, Staff, 51110K] reports Cuba said Wednesday it has filed terrorism charges against six suspects it claims were aboard a Florida-flagged speedboat that is alleged to have opened fire on soldiers in waters off the island’s north coast. The Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the suspects of Cuban origin remain in pretrial detention, adding that it will ensure "due process" as it continues to act "in defense of our people and the country’s institutions.” The government has said 10 heavily armed Cubans from the U.S. who were on board the boat opened fire as they tried to infiltrate the island to commit acts of terrorism. It said that Cuban soldiers returned fire, killing four suspects. However, the White House confirmed to CBS News last week that at least one American was one of the four people killed. The news was first reported by Axios. In addition to the American citizen who was killed, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that at least one U.S. citizen was also among those arrested. At least one of the boat’s occupants had a K-1 visa, the official said, which allows a citizen’s fiancé to travel to the U.S. to get married, and others are believed to be legal permanent residents of the U.S., although it was not clear how many. According to the official and an incident report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the boat’s owner alleged that the vessel had been stolen by an employee. The Cuban government unveiled items said to have been found on the boat, including a dozen high-powered weapons, more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition and 11 pistols. Breitbart [3/4/2026 2:46 PM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2238K] reports that the Cuban regime has not disclosed further details of the alleged shootout but branded the men as "terrorists" who allegedly sought to attack the rogue communist regime. Hours after the initial announcement, the Cuban regime claimed that it had allegedly "identified" the men, listing Cuban anti-communist activist Roberto Azcorra Consuegra as one of those aboard the intercepted vessel. Azcorra Consuegra refuted the Castro regime’s claims and confirmed to Martí Noticias that he could have not been arrested by Cuba as he was at his home in Florida by the time the news broke out and spent that day carrying out his regular activities around Miami. According to regime-affiliated outlets, Carballo Pérez asserted that Cuba maintains "operational cooperation" with the U.S. Coast Guard on "immigration matters, combating drug trafficking, and search and rescue." He assured that it was an almost "real-time exchange of information" with the U.S. embassy in Havana and within Miami, who were allegedly provided with details of the incident.

Reported similarly:
AP [3/4/2026 9:24 AM, Staff, 34146K]

New York Times [3/4/2026 2:06 PM, Ben Hubbard, 148038K] reports a ballistic missile fired from Iran was shot down by NATO air and missile defenses in the eastern Mediterranean while heading toward Turkish airspace, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Wednesday. The missile had flown over Iraq and Syria, according to a ministry statement posted on social media. It did not say what the missile’s target was believed to be. Remnants of the ordnance that shot it down fell in Turkey’s south-central province of Hatay, near the border with Syria, injuring no one, the statement said. Iran has launched missiles and drones at neighboring countries that host U.S. military facilities and personnel in retaliation for the American and Israeli air campaign against Tehran. Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base hosts a sizable United States Air Force contingent, but Turkey has said that it would not allow its airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. An attack on Turkey, a NATO member that shares a 300-mile border with Iran, would mark a major escalation and could activate NATO’s mutual defense clause, potentially drawing the alliance’s 32 member states into the war. In a statement, Allison Hart, a NATO spokeswoman, said the alliance condemned the targeting of Turkey. “NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” the statement said. “Our deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defense.” A strike on Turkey could also alter Turkey’s relationship with Iran. The two countries have longstanding diplomatic and trade relations, and Turkey was heavily involved in recent diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the current war.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [3/4/2026 9:22 AM, Emily Hallas, 1147K]

New York Times [3/5/2026 12:07 AM, Robert Jimison, 148038K] reports Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure that would limit President Trump’s power to continue waging war against Iran without congressional authorization, turning back a bid by Democrats to insist that Congress weigh in on a sweeping and open-ended military campaign. The 53-to-47 vote against taking up the measure was almost completely along party lines, reflecting a deep partisan divide on the Iran war as the Senate delivered the first clear test of congressional resolve since the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Operation Epic Fury, began across Iran four days ago. Senators Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, and Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, tried to force action on the measure. They invoked a provision of the 1973 War Powers Act, which requires that resolutions to terminate offensive hostilities be considered under expedited procedures. Mr. Paul was the only Republican leading the effort, and no other G.O.P. senators joined him in support of the measure. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to break with his party and vote against the resolution, in keeping with his vocal stance in support of Israel and reluctance to place limits on the president’s authority to act in its defense. The measure’s failure came as the administration offered varying and at times conflicting explanations for the war, raising questions about its legality and posing a dilemma for some lawmakers as they were called upon to register a position on a conflict that has already cost American lives. It also comes only months before the midterm elections and as polls show the conflict is deeply unpopular. “Americans want President Trump to lower prices, not drag us into unnecessary forever wars,” Mr. Kaine said ahead of the vote. “Yet he has unilaterally launched strikes at Iran without congressional authorization.” Mr. Kaine introduced the resolution with Mr. Paul in January as the president was directing the largest military buildup in the Middle East since the war in Iraq and shortly after Mr. Trump said that the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go” ahead with military action against Iran in response to a violent crackdown on protesters there. Republicans have largely praised Mr. Trump’s decision to launch the military campaign, which has killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, along with a number of his deputies and senior advisers. They argue that the action was justified given Iran’s decades of targeting Americans through its own forces and proxy terror groups throughout the region.

Breitbart [3/4/2026 8:27 AM, Staff, 2238K] reports the U.S. military said it has hit almost 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions since launching its "unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans" while Iran has fired at least 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones, indiscriminately targeting civilians. In an operational update posted to X late Tuesday, the commander of American forces in the Middle East, U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the more than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers and U.S. bomber aircraft taking part, with more assets on their way, brought a "massive amount of firepower" to bear. He said that in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, the United States and Israel delivered "overwhelming and unprecedented strikes" at nearly double the scale of those of the first stage of the U.S.-led offensive against Iraq in 2003. "We’re continuing with 24-7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us," said Cooper. He said B-2 and B-1 bombers had carried out "surgical strikes" against missile facilities deep inside Iranian territory without meeting any resistance while conventional B-52 strategic bombers had struck ballistic missile and command and control posts. Cooper said U.S. forces had sunk the entire Iranian navy — 17 ships — and had holed its "most operational" submarine, bringing to an end decades of harassment of international shipping in the region by the Iranian regime.

NewsMax [3/4/2026 8:44 AM, Staff, 3760K] reports President Donald Trump has the authority to take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said Wednesday on Newsmax, dismissing congressional efforts to curb his war powers as U.S. operations continue in the region. Appearing on Newsmax’s "Wake Up America Early," Miller-Meeks also called for Congress to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security and warned about the threat of radical Islamic terrorism inside the U.S. The Iowa Republican began by offering condolences to families affected by recent losses. "Our condolences, our hearts and prayers go to those four individuals from the Des Moines, Iowa, Reserve unit whose lives were lost, including Declan Cody, a young man stationed overseas," Miller-Meeks said. "We know that that’s tragic.” As lawmakers debate competing war powers resolutions in the House and Senate, Miller-Meeks said history shows presidents from both parties have acted militarily without immediate congressional authorization. "For the bulk of my lifetime, every president has said we cannot have a nuclear-armed Iran, both Democrat and Republican," she said. "Presidents do have authority under the War Powers Act to act. They have 60 days to act in the interest of the United States."

Politico [3/4/2026 7:00 PM, Maggie Miller, 21784K] reports the Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday said it bombed a compound in Tehran housing Iran’s cyber warfare headquarters — but it’s unclear whether the strike will significantly kneecap Iran’s cyberattack capabilities. According to a statement from the IDF, its forces on Wednesday carried out a “wide-scale strike” targeting a collection of military sites on the Eastern edge of Tehran that allegedly housed the headquarters of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The IDF claims that the headquarters of the IRGC’s “cyber and electronic headquarters” and its “Intelligence Directorate” were among the military outposts hit in the strike. It’s unclear to what extent these military sites were damaged or whether there were any casualties. Iran remains under an almost total internet blackout, which began on Feb. 28 when the first U.S. and Israeli strikes began, limiting the flow of information coming out of Iran. Spokespeople for the IDF and for the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the White House declined to comment on whether the U.S. was involved in the strikes and instead deferred to U.S. Central Command, which did not respond to a request for comment. The IRGC has been linked to major cyber operations against the U.S. in recent years, including a hack and leak attack against the presidential campaign of Donald Trump in 2024. Iran-linked hackers have been hitting back against the U.S., Israel and surrounding Gulf nations since the U.S.-led military operation on Saturday, which resulted in the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to findings from Israeli cyber firm Check Point Software, two types of surveillance cameras popular across Israel, Qatar, Bahrain and other Middle Eastern nations were compromised by Iranian-linked hackers, likely to monitor missile-related damage to those nations. Researchers from cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks’ Unit42 have also tracked dozens of pro-Iran hacktivist groups launching cyberattacks since Feb. 28, largely targeting critical infrastructure. These groups have claimed responsibility for compromises to Israeli payment systems and the temporary shutdown of Kuwaiti government websites. One of these groups, Handala, has ties to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and claimed responsibility this week for attacks on an Israeli oil and gas energy company and the shutdown of some Jordanian gas stations.

Washington Examiner [3/4/2026 11:36 AM, Mike Brest, 1147K] reports that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine provided an update on the U.S.’s advancing operations in Iran on Tuesday morning from the Pentagon. Through four days, the United States and Israel have carried out thousands of strikes, including killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while Iran has responded with a barrage of missile and drone attacks launched at Israel and U.S. assets in several other countries in the region. Currently, Caine said the U.S. has "localized air superiority across the southern flank of the Iranian coast" and will begin expanding their campaign inland deeper into Iranian territory, "creating additional freedom of maneuver for U.S. forces." The U.S. and Israeli Air Forces will have uncontested control of Iran’s airspace "in a few days," Hegseth said, explaining that it will allow for both the U.S. and Israeli pilots to safely maneuver over the country to target military leaders, stockpiles, and anything else they want. "We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military, finding and fixing their leaders and their military leaders flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital, flying over the IRGC, Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only us and Israeli air power every minute of every day until we decide it’s over, and Iran will be able to do nothing about it," he said.

FOX News [3/4/2026 10:07 AM, Staff, 37576K] reports Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responds to the media to defend the U.S. military’s operations in Iran. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Los Angeles Times [3/4/2026 10:29 AM, Kevin Rector, 12718K] reports the U.S. war effort against Iran was "accelerating" as American and Israeli forces fought for control of Iranian airspace and pressed farther inland to seek and destroy Iranian missile capabilities, top U.S. officials said Wednesday. "Four days in, we have only just begun to fight," said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. "The throttle is coming up," said Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. However, a reported Iranian missile strike at NATO member Turkey — intercepted by NATO defense systems — was not expected to immediately broaden the war theater by triggering a NATO clause requiring other member nations to get involved, Hegseth said. Hegseth, striking an unapologetic tone, said Iran’s surviving leadership "don’t know what plays to call" after exhausting initial retaliatory strategies devised prior to the U.S. assault, while the U.S. is firing on all fronts and stacking up wins — including an American submarine recently sinking an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters, which Hegseth called the first such sinking since World War II. "We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not decelerating," he said. "We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”

New York Times [3/5/2026 3:22 AM, Eric Schmitt, Helene Cooper, Lara Jakes and Michael Levenson, 330K] reports the five-day-old war with Iran spread far beyond the Middle East on Wednesday as an American submarine torpedoed an Iranian Navy ship off Sri Lanka and NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile that was heading toward Turkish airspace. The Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, with a crew of 180, sank in international waters in the Indian Ocean, more than 2,000 miles from Iran. The Sri Lankan Navy rescued 32 critically injured sailors and was searching for more survivors but had encountered only bodies floating in the water near an oil slick and empty lifeboats, a spokesman said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was the first time a U.S. submarine had fired a torpedo at a ship since World War II. But it was NATO’s introduction into the conflict that made clear the widening scope of the fight. “Iran is broadening the war to countries that did not attack it,” Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign affairs minister, said at a news conference with European Union leaders in Warsaw. He said, “There is a well-known saying: It’s worse than a crime; it’s a mistake.” In Washington, Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure that would have limited President Trump’s power to continue the war against Iran without congressional authorization. The 53-to-47 vote against taking up the measure fell largely along party lines. Democrats had insisted that Congress weigh in on the open-ended military campaign. The Iranian missile that was heading toward Turkish airspace flew over Iraq and Syria before NATO shot it down over the eastern Mediterranean, according to a Turkish Defense Ministry statement. It did not say what the missile’s target was believed to have been, but since first coming under attack on Saturday, Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at countries that host U.S. military facilities. Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base hosts a sizable U.S. Air Force contingent, but Turkey has said that it would not allow its airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. A senior U.S. military official and a Western official said the Iranian strike had targeted that air base. Both officials said the missile had been shot down by an interceptor fired from a U.S. warship in the eastern Mediterranean. An attack on Turkey, a NATO member that shares a 300-mile border with Iran, could activate NATO’s mutual defense clause, potentially drawing the alliance’s 32 member states into the war. NATO condemned the Iranian incursion. “NATO stands firmly with all allies, including Turkey, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region,” Allison Hart, a spokeswoman for the military alliance, said in a statement. “Our deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defense.”

Reuters [3/4/2026 7:53 PM, Alexandra Alper, 38315K] reports a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers led by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Tom Cotton on Wednesday raised national security concerns over Intel’s testing of chipmaking tools made ​by ACM Research, as first reported by Reuters. ACM Research (ACMR.O) , a Fremont, California-based producer of chipmaking ‌equipment, has deep roots in China and two overseas units that were targeted by U.S. sanctions. Its customers include sanctioned Chinese companies such as YMTC, CXMT and SMIC, sparking questions over whether ACM could pass sensitive information ​from Intel (INTC.O) to Chinese customers, the lawmakers said. "By operating in Intel’s facilities, ACM could gain ​exposure to cutting-edge chipmaking processes that may materially improve the quality and competitiveness ⁠of ACM and Chinese military companies," the lawmakers said in a letter to Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan dated ​Wednesday. Intel said in a statement that "ACM tools are not used in Intel’s semiconductor production processes," adding ​that the company fully complies with U.S. laws and regulations and engages regularly with U.S. government on security matters.

Reuters [3/5/2026 12:41 AM, Yimou Lee, 38315K] reports Chinese air force activity around Taiwan has fallen sharply in recent weeks, with no flights at all in the past week, a sudden drop in what had been daily military manoeuvres that could signal Beijing is recalibrating its pressure on Taipei. China has dispatched 460 military planes - from fighter jets to drones - into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone so far this year, a 46.5% drop compared with a year ago, according to Taiwan government data ​compiled by research group Secure Taiwan Associate Corporation (STA). In February, Taiwan detected 190 such Chinese aircraft, ⁠the lowest monthly tally since its defence ministry began publishing detailed daily figures in 2022 on what Taipei sees an ongoing pressure campaign by Beijing which has been honing its ability to attack the island, including with war games. Chinese President Xi Jinping may be toning down visible pressure tactics to create a better atmosphere ahead of his anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the end of the month, two Taiwanese officials said. Facing Trump, "Beijing might be trying to create a false impression: I am peaceful, I am moving toward peace, so you should stop selling weapons to Taiwan," a senior Taiwan security official told Reuters, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Neither China’s defence ministry nor its Taiwan Affairs Office responded ⁠to requests for comment. China, which considers the island its own territory, has not dispatched any military planes near Taiwan since February 27, marking an unprecedented six-day lull in such operations that coincided with the war in Iran, according to Tristan Tang, a researcher at STA. Unlike this extended lull, past pauses were brief, usually tied to typhoons or Chinese holidays. Another interpretation is China’s ongoing military corruption purge. Su Tzu-yun, ⁠a research fellow at Taiwan’s top military think tank, the Institute for National Defence and Security Research, said the purge could be the "primary reason", with Chinese forces undergoing changes to their command structure that are likely undermining overall readiness. A Taiwan defence official, also speaking on condition ⁠of anonymity, suggested Beijing is using the lull to digest lessons from recent large drills. However, China’s navy and coast guard remain active, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry, showing Beijing had only dialled down the more politically sensitive air activity. "Just because they’re ⁠not coming now doesn’t mean they won’t come back in the future, and we can’t rule out that they may be preparing for an even larger operation," said another senior Taiwan security official. "We should not project any change in Beijing’s intentions based solely on a few days of activity."

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