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

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

The Wall Street Journal [5/18/2026 9:23 PM, Alyssa Lukpat and Victoria Albert, 646K] reports three people were killed at a mosque in San Diego on Monday in a shooting authorities said they were investigating as a hate crime. Two teenage gunmen are believed to have killed three men, including a security guard, at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said at a news briefing Monday. Authorities said one of the shooters was a teenager whose mother reported him missing hours earlier. Shortly after officers arrived at the scene, they found that a landscaper a few blocks away appeared to have been shot in the helmet, police said. The landscaper is expected to recover, Wahl said. A few blocks from there, the two suspects were found with self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle in the middle of the street, police said. The mother of one of the suspects had told police that morning that she believed her son was suicidal and he was missing along with her vehicle and several of her weapons, police said. She said he was with a companion and both were dressed in camouflage. The mother found a note her son left with “generalized hate rhetoric,” Wahl said. The note didn’t contain threats toward the mosque or any other location, he said. Police said the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime because of the rhetoric involved and because it unfolded at a mosque. The mosque is one of the largest in the country. Mark Remily, the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Diego, said authorities were interviewing family and friends of the suspects. Wahl said officials were serving search warrants related to the investigation. FOX News [5/18/2026 9:46 PM, Greg Wehner, 37576K] reports t San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said Monday that the two suspects involved in the shooting were teenagers, ages 17 and 19. Wahl told reporters investigators believe the suspects died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds and said no officers fired their weapons during the incident, though the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said three adult victims were killed at the Islamic Center. Wahl identified one of the victims as a security guard at the mosque, saying the guard "played a pivotal role" in preventing the attack from becoming even worse. Earlier in the day, officers were on scene at the mosque in the 7000 block of Eckstrom Avenue and urged the public to avoid the area as the situation unfolded. A large police and SWAT presence gathered outside the Islamic Center, according to FOX 5 San Diego, while San Diego Fire-Rescue crews also responded to the scene. Children from nearby schools were seen being evacuated as officers established a perimeter around the area, the outlet reported. The Daily Wire [5/18/2026 4:01 PM, Jacob Wheeler, 2314K] reports that all three adult male victims were staff at the center. The San Diego Police Department said officers responded to the center located at 7050 Eckstrom Avenue within four minutes of reports of gunfire. Police found all three victims dead outside the center, then cleared each room amid a "chaotic" scene. No officers fired a shot during the active shooter incident. The New York Post [5/19/2026 4:32 AM, Chris Bradford, 40934K] reports terrifying video shows small children being evacuated from the Islamic Center of San Diego – as two camouflaged teen gunmen went about their rampage. Aerial footage showed more than a dozen kids – who looked no older than 5 years old – walking in a single file Monday as they were guided to safety by law enforcement, KSWB reported. The children linked up in a chain as they held onto the shoulders of the person in front of them. Those at the front held onto a law enforcement agent’s hand as they left the center. The center is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up, according to its website. Chaos unfolded at the beginning of Dhū al-Ḥijjah — the month of pilgrimage, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar where millions of worshippers head to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. “We are safe, the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center,” center Imam Taha Hassane said in a video obtained by The Post and circulated among California’s Muslim community. The shooters were identified as former high school wrestler Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Velasquez, 18. Cops revealed they received a call of a runaway juvenile from a concerned mom at around 9:42 a.m. before they elevated the threat level. The mom allegedly believed her son was suicidal and shared that several of her weapons were missing, as was her vehicle, according to police. The mom also said her son was with a companion and that they were dressed in camo. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
New York Times [5/18/2026 3:47 PM, Tim Arango and Neil Vigdor, 148038K]
Washington Post [5/18/2026 6:01 PM, Mariana Alfaro, 24826K]
Axios [5/18/2026 4:14 PM, Claire Trageser, Josephine Walker, 17364K]
FOX News [5/18/2026 4:44 PM, Greg Wehner, 37576K]
San Diego Union Tribune [5/18/2026 6:24 PM, Karen Kucher, Teri Figueroa, and Caleb Lunetta, 1257K]

New York Post [5/18/2026 6:15 PM, Doree Lewak, 40934K] reports the San Diego mosque that was targeted in a horrific mass shooting Monday made headlines for being "best known as the home to two 9/11 hijackers," while its current imam has justified the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel. Three people, including a security guard, were killed when a pair of gunmen opened fire on the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday. The suspected shooters were later found dead by suicide in a BMW. The motive for the shooting was not immediately known. San Diego police said "the threat has been neutralized.” Previously, the Islamic Center of San Diego made headlines for its connection to Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. Both hijackers reportedly prayed at the mosque and found an apartment nearby through advertisements at the mosque while taking flight lessons in the city. More recently, Imam Taha Hassane has come under fire for his comments on the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. "This did not start last week or on October 7. This is the result of brutal Zionist occupation and genocide," Hassane said in a video posted to social media days after the savage Hamas attack. "Resistance is justified when people are under occupation and don’t let them change that narrative.” Hassane’s wife and daughter have also been under fire for inflammatory rhetoric. Selma Hassane has "promoted incitement, spread hatred of Israel, engaged in anti-Israel activism and is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement," according to watchdog group, Canary Mission. His wife, Lallia Allali, allegedly posted graphic images of a "Jewish star murdering babies with ‘the devil is killing’" scrawl in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks, according to watchdog group StopAntisemitism. The group accused Allali of leading the Palestinian Youth Movement, "an entity tied to the anti Israel protests occurring all over the U.S. these past few weeks.”

Los Angeles Times [5/19/2026 1:30 AM, Richard Winton, Hannah Fry, Salvador Hernandez and Clara Harter, 12718K] reports authorities are trying to unravel what led two teenagers to open fire at the San Diego Islamic Center, killing three people before taking their own lives. An early focus has been on one of the assailants, a San Diego high school student whose mother reported that he was suicidal and potentially armed soon before the shooting occurred. The teen, 17, and a second suspect, 18, opened fire at the center Monday morning around 11:30 a.m., authorities said. They were found minutes later at a location not far from the center, dead of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to authorities. San Diego police are investigating the attack as a hate crime. One of the guns had hate speech written on it, the sources told The Times, and anti-Islamic writings were found in a vehicle. "At least one of the suspects took a firearm from their parents’ home" and left a suicide note, "writing about racial pride," sources said. Monday afternoon, FBI agents were searching the teen’s home on Lehrer Drive, according to law enforcement sources. The house is around two miles from the Islamic Center, which is in the Clairemont Mesa neighborhood. The teenager was enrolled in a virtual learning academy at the San Diego Unified School District and was on track to graduate high school this semester, according to district spokesperson James Canning. He previously participated in wrestling at Madison High School but did not take part in any on-campus activities this school year, said Canning. "It’s important for people to understand this person wasn’t there on Friday and then all of a sudden Monday this is the situation," Canning said. "They were in their virtual classroom.” Although authorities have not named the teen, three sources identified him as Cain Clark. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said Monday that his department got a call from the teen’s mother about a "runaway juvenile." He said the mother said guns were missing and that her son left with a companion wearing camouflage outfits. Police were interviewing her when the first calls of the active shooter came in, he said. Wahl did not specify the threats connected to the teens. "There was no specific threat, especially no specific threat to the Islamic Center. It was just general hate kind of speech that I think covered a wide gamut," Wahl said. "Again, we are still actively investigating this as we speak, but it was more generalized.”

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/18/2026 8:23 PM, Amanda Lee Myers, 70643K]

Breitbart [5/18/2026 11:42 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports that, on Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin discussed the shooting at an Islamic Center in San Diego and said that, within the administration, “we work together all the time to work with these religious establishments, and we’ve had FEMA grants that they could use to help protect themselves. Unfortunately, for the last 76 days, we were shut down, so we’re just now getting those grants out.” Mullin said, [relevant remarks begin around 6:45] “Well, fortunately in this case, the two teenagers — I think one was 17 and one was 18, they had extremist views, obviously they never made it past the perimeter, but they ended up going and taking their lives after, I believe, they shot a security guard. We’re still getting reports, though, that may change, but that’s the information that I’ve been receiving back and forth ever since this took place.” He continued, “I will tell you President Trump has [assembled] a great team, and Kash Patel, myself, the White House, we work together all the time to work with these religious establishments, and we’ve had FEMA grants that they could use to help protect themselves. Unfortunately, for the last 76 days, we were shut down, so we’re just now getting those grants out. Until then, they had to hire their own security.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The Washington Examiner [5/18/2026 10:41 PM, Claire Carter, 1147K] reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has a Nonprofit Security Grant Program that provides funding for security to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack. According to FEMA, the grant program is intended to "promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives, as well as state and local government agencies.” The two suspects in the shooting were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle near the Islamic center. NBC reported that police identified the suspects as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18. Hannity brought up the possibility the shooting could have been carried out by illegal immigrants, asking how Mullin plans to keep those attending worship safe. Mullin said that "fortunately" in the case of Monday’s shooting, the two suspects had "extremist views.” The San Diego Police Department said its officers are investigating the shooting at the Islamic center as a hate crime. There have been no police statements or comments that terrorism was a possible motive in the attack. The FBI is working with San Diego’s law enforcement to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 12:20 PM, Solange Reyner, 3760K] reports that Sen. Thom Tillis has privately told Republican colleagues he won’t support the GOP budget reconciliation package if it comes to the Senate floor this week. The pronouncement dealt a potentially serious setback to party leaders scrambling to secure enough votes for the legislation, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke with Axios. The North Carolina Republican has conveyed his opposition in unequivocal terms during internal discussions, the people said, raising fresh uncertainty about the fate of one of President Donald Trump’s top legislative priorities. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the Senate, meaning party leaders can afford only a small number of defections if Democrats remain unified in opposition. Tillis’ resistance could complicate efforts by Senate Republican leadership to move the package quickly through the chamber. The budget reconciliation bill is expected to include key elements of the Republican agenda on taxes, spending, and border security. GOP leaders have promoted the measure as central to advancing Trump’s domestic policy priorities during his second term. It also includes a $1 billion security plan for the White House and a proposed $220 million to secure Trump’s new East Wing ballroom. According to a handout Secret Service Director Sean Curran gave to senators last week, the $220 million would go to harden the ballroom addition, including "bulletproof glass, drone detection technologies, chemical and other threat filtration and detection systems and a host of other national security functions."

FOX News [5/18/2026 10:07 PM, Staff, 37576K] reports DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin discusses stopping illegal immigration under the Trump administration on ‘Hannity.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Breitbart [5/18/2026 11:41 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports that, on Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that due to the time it took to correct for inaccurate records they received from the Biden administration, “we are just now hitting a stride to go after the worst of the worst and get these illegals that the Biden administration had let terrorize our cities” and deport them. Mullin said, “[Under] the Biden administration, they were letting in literally 150,000 to 200,000, in cases, a week into the United States. They had files on a lot of these individuals because they were, quote, paroled into the United States because they were claiming asylum. … But, when they released those, we had names and we had files on them. Now, when we started going and looking for them, only about 5% of them [were] correct. We started scrubbing all the databases, we started going through all of the public records, we started really dialing down on who we were going after, and now when we go and serve a warrant, we have a better than 90% chance [that] that individual is going to be there or be in that location.” He continued, “So we are just now hitting a stride to go after the worst of the worst and get these illegals that the Biden administration had let terrorize our cities and terrorize our streets back to the country that they came from.”

FOX News [5/18/2026 4:01 PM, Alex Miller, 37576K] reports an internal dispute could derail Republicans’ goal of funding immigration operations for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s presidency. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told his colleagues that he would not support the GOP’s $72 billion reconciliation package if it included $1 billion in funding for Trump’s ballroom. His defection, along with a handful of other Republicans critical of the funding, could sink the bill. And given the GOP’s narrow margin in the upper chamber, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can’t afford Republicans to break from the party line. Tillis’ opposition, which was first reported by Axios and confirmed by a source familiar to Fox News Digital, alone isn’t enough to torpedo the package meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years. But others, including Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., aren’t thrilled with the funding. Republicans were briefed by Secret Service Director Sean Curran last week on the funding, which included $220 million for "White House complex hardening." An additional $180 million would go toward a White House screening center for visitors. The remaining $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, enhancing protection for Trump and other officials, and other security measures including countering drones and other aerial incursions. But a saving grace for Republicans could be the Senate referee’s ruling that funding for the ballroom should get yanked from the package.

Washington Examiner [5/18/2026 1:23 PM, Kiara Moore, 1147K] reports that as Democrats and Republicans battle over a third reconciliation bill, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is accusing Democrats of undermining border security funding by refusing to back resources for immigration enforcement and national security. "You can’t even put into words that there’s a modern political party that represents almost half of our members of Congress who will refuse to fund the people responsible for securing the border of the United States," Roy said. Republicans have been pushing for a third reconciliation bill that would allocate $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Democrats have been reluctant to approve the funds, arguing that passing a third bill would be used to "fast-track" the Republican Party’s spending wish list and bypass negotiations. "Thank God for President Trump, thank God for [Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin], for [border czar] Tom Homan, for all the brave men and women of the ICE border patrol, and thank God that Republicans are standing up and doing the job that is necessary," Roy said. Roy emphasized that not all Democrats oppose funding Border Patrol and ICE, noting that Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) supports the effort as debate over the reconciliation bill continues. "God bless Sen. Fetterman for at least acknowledging it and being willing to work with us for common-sense things like that," he said.

Breitbart [5/18/2026 10:13 PM, Jasmyn Jordan, 2238K] reports Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is reportedly warning Senate Republicans that moving ahead this week with a major budget reconciliation package could keep Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in Washington days before his Texas Republican runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Axios reported that Tillis told colleagues "in unequivocal terms" that he would not vote for the reconciliation bill if the Senate considers it this week, citing two people familiar with the matter. The report said Tillis criticized the bill in an email to Republican colleagues Monday morning, while also making clear he could eventually support the overall bill and that his "main two concerns" were timing and any funding associated with President Donald Trump’s "ballroom.” Republican leaders are still planning to bring the bill to the floor on Thursday after it passes out of committee on Wednesday, Axios reported. The outlet noted the bill is "subject to a vote-a-rama," giving Democrats a chance to offer amendments on issues such as the ballroom funding that "could be uncomfortable for Republicans," particularly those facing reelection. The report said Tillis is also concerned about the political impact on Cornyn, who faces Paxton in Texas’s May 26 Republican Senate primary runoff. Axios reported that Tillis is "fuming over the ouster of incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s GOP primary" and is warning that "pushing a bill this week would hurt Sen. John Cornyn in Texas’ GOP primary runoff next week." Tillis believes Cornyn should be "free to campaign in Texas this week instead of being in D.C. for votes," the outlet reported. Axios also noted that Tillis sees "echoes of the One Big Beautiful Bill," which he opposed, in the current reconciliation package. The Axios piece comes less than a year after Tillis announced he would not seek reelection following his opposition to Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill over Medicaid cuts. Tillis said at the time that he had done his "homework on behalf of North Carolinians" and could not support the bill "in its current form," arguing it would cause "tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina," including for hospitals and rural communities. Trump responded by accusing Tillis of trying to "grandstand in order to get some publicity for himself" and said that "numerous people" had come forward wanting to run against him in a primary. Cornyn faces Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’s May 26 Republican Senate primary runoff. Breitbart News reported May 5 that a University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll found Paxton leading Cornyn 48 percent to 45 percent among likely Republican runoff voters, with seven percent undecided. The same poll found Cornyn with a 47 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable rating, while Paxton had a 50 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable rating. Paxton has released an ad targeting Cornyn’s past remarks on immigration and border security. The ad featured Cornyn’s comments that Americans could find a way to "deal with the 12 million people" in the country illegally through a status that would let them "work here" and "stay in the United States," as well as his statement that "a new, giant wall between the United States and Mexico from sea to shining sea makes no sense whatsoever," before ending with the narration, "Cornyn: good for illegals, bad for Texans.”

USA Today [5/18/2026 12:09 PM, Joey Garrison, 70643K] reports a Senate official ruled that $1 billion proposed for White House security enhancements tied to President Donald Trump’s ballroom project is subject to a 60-vote threshold to pass, not a simple majority, jeopardizing Republican efforts to fast-track the funding. The White House hoped to get the proposal approved with only the support of Republicans by tacking it onto a larger bill that includes funding for agencies to boost immigration enforcement. But the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, on May 16 found the ballroom security enhancements must adhere to the so-called Byrd Rule, which prevents senators from using what’s known as the budget reconciliation process to pass non-budgetary items. The Senate parliamentarian is a nonpartisan, unelected staff member who serves as a referee on procedures. Given the complexity of Trump’s massive ballroom, the parliamentarian determined the $1 billion in security measures proposed for the Secret Service involves the coordination of several federal agencies and must go through multiple Senate committees, according to Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. Senate Democrats celebrated the parliamentarian’s ruling but predicted Republicans will try to push the funding through Congress by other legislative means.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [5/18/2026 11:01 AM, Sean Moran, 2238K]

FOX News [5/18/2026 4:03 PM, Charles Creitz, 37576K] Video: HERE reports testimony from a policy analyst at a libertarian think tank was unexpectedly highlighted by immigration hawks after he delivered an opening statement at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing featuring controversial Fairfax County prosecutor Stephen Descano. The hearing, chaired by Rep. Thomas McClintock, R-Calif., examined several examples of allegedly lax prosecutions by Descano involving illegal immigrants with prior rap sheets — including a Sierra Leone national accused of murdering a young woman at a bus stop on U.S. 1. In his opening remarks, Cato Institute immigration expert David Bier testified that the "way to fix Fairfax" is not to continue the "mass deportation" agenda of President Donald Trump. "The first step would be to give up on the mass deportation fantasy," Bier said. "About 1-in-5 Fairfax residents is someone who could be deported or who lives with them — It would destroy neighborhoods, rip Americans away from their spouses, parents, friends, families, customers, employees, employers, nurses, nannies, and teachers.” While Bier later added that he believes noncitizens who harm Americans should be deported, his earlier statement drew the attention of several immigration hawks, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Bier said mass deportation becomes more expensive and impractical as the population of illegal immigrants grows, meaning continuing on the current course will harm Americans. "I would ask the senator: how many Americans would have to be hurt by mass deportation before he would reconsider his views?". Reached for additional comment, Lee spokesman Billy Gribbin told Fox News Digital that the Utahn "believes in enforcing US law and deporting illegal immigrants — not making excuses for criminals who hurt Americans.” Fox News Digital also asked DHS about the apparent statistical admission, and an agency spokesperson blamed Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s "reckless sanctuary policies" for making Fairfax and the rest of the Old Dominion a "hotbed for illegal alien criminals.” "The stories of the victims and facts speak for themselves. The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax County have blood on their hands," the spokesperson said. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin added separately that half the murders recorded recently in Fairfax were allegedly perpetrated by "illegals who shouldn’t have been in our country to begin with.” "We have politicians who want to protect the criminals, President Trump is still protecting all of our neighborhoods," Mullin said.

FedScoop [5/18/2026 4:00 PM, Lindsey Wilkinson, 122K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has a couple of units readying plans for an overhaul of its financial management systems, but lagging best practices are putting the project at risk, according to a report published Monday by the Government Accountability Office. DHS has already migrated the Coast Guard’s systems and plans to use lessons learned to inform what’s up next: the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Despite the goals and prior experience, the watchdog’s audit found that DHS guidance and planning documents “varied in consistency.” Notably, financial management systems are at the intersection of the two remaining high-risk areas for DHS — IT and financial management — as designated by GAO after the watchdog narrowed its focus in 2023 following “substantial progress” by the agency in other functions. To conduct the audit, GAO members met with DHS officials and compared guidance and plans — with leading practices from October 2024 to May 2026 — for the report. “Leading practices” included the General Services Administration’s Modernization and Migration Management Playbook and a white paper from 2002 on financial systems data-conversion considerations. “We found that DHS’s guidance was partially consistent with pre-conversion and cutover activities but not consistent with post-installation activities,” GAO said of the agency’s data migration guidance. Some of the missing pieces included a lack of information on risk management processes, criteria for cleansing data, data governance documentation and archival processes. “DHS’s FSM programs using DHS guidance to develop data migration plans are at increased risk of data errors, time needed to resolve errors, potential delays, and potential increased costs,” GAO said in the report.

DailySignal [5/18/2026 2:45 PM, George Caldwell, 474K] reports that despite a lack of momentum in the Senate, President Donald Trump is not giving up on the SAVE America Act—a bill that would require proof of citizenship and photo identification in federal elections. On Saturday, Trump demanded the bill be tacked on to separate bills dealing with housing and the extension of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) spy powers. "THE SAVE AMERICA ACT MUST BE PASSED, NOW," wrote Trump. Use the Housing and FISA Bills to get it done! Maryland just had 500,000 Fake Mail-In Ballots revealed. We cannot, as a Country, put up with this any longer! !" Trump’s post came after the Maryland State Board of Elections acknowledged an "error by [their] mail-in ballot vendor resulting in some voters receiving the wrong party ballot for the Gubernatorial Primary Election." Per the board, more than 500,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots. Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s state administrator of elections, has pushed back on Trump’s characterization, telling CBS, "I want to assure the President, voters, and the public that NO Fake Mail-in ballots were distributed." Trump continued in his post, "Voter I.D., and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW. Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped!!! PUT IT ALL IN THE HOUSING AND FISA BILLS."

Reuters [5/18/2026 4:47 PM, Daniel Wiessner, 38315K] reports the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the U.S. solicitor general to weigh in on whether the court should ​decide if private prison operator GEO Group was required to pay the minimum wage to immigrant detainees who signed up for a work program. The justices invited the government’s views as GEO seeks review of a ruling requiring it to pay more than $23 million to the state of Washington and hundreds of detainees who were paid $1 a day to perform various tasks, the floor set by federal guidelines. The full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San ​Francisco said last year that GEO does not enjoy the same immunity from state minimum wage laws afforded to the federal government ​even though it operates a Tacoma, Washington, detention center under a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs ⁠Enforcement. In a separate case in February, the Supreme Court denied GEO’s ​bid to immediately appeal a decision denying the company governmental immunity from similar class action claims by detainees at a Colorado facility.

NBC News [5/18/2026 10:59 PM, Gordon Lubold and Mosheh Gains, 42967K] reports the Defense Department’s inspector general said Monday that it’s investigating U.S. Southern Command over its targeting of alleged drug-smuggling boats in the military’s campaign against drug cartels, which some critics have argued is illegal. Southern Command has targeted nearly 60 small boats the military says were transporting drugs through the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, destroying 59 vessels and killing 193 people since the campaign began last fall, according to the Pentagon. The internal watchdog will look at the intelligence and targeting Southern Command used for the strikes, as well as other aspects of the operations against the drug cartels, according to a letter from the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General dated May 11. "The scope of this evaluation includes the joint process for targeted vessels in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility as part of Operation Southern Spear," a spokeswoman for the inspector general said in a separate statement in response to a media inquiry. Operation Southern Spear is the Pentagon’s name for the campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats. The inspector general initiated the investigation, the spokeswoman said. "This project was self-initiated based on the [Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General’s] ongoing assessment of ... programs and operations.” It was not clear how long the probe would take, according to a U.S. official. It will entail investigations inside the Pentagon and at Southern Command’s headquarters in Miami, according to the letter. There was no immediate comment from Southern Command or the Pentagon. The investigation will look into the military doctrine that governs how Southern Command targets the drug runners in the small boats, according to the letter. In that context, the targeting process is broken into six phases: the commander’s intent, the development of each target, the analysis and intelligence surrounding each target, the decision to hit that target, planning and execution, and assessment, according to the U.S. official. The senior military lawyer for the combatant command overseeing lethal strikes on the alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela disagreed with the Trump administration’s position that the operations were lawful, and his views were sidelined, NBC News reported in November.

New York Times [5/18/2026 9:17 PM, Jonah E. Bromwich and Benjamin Weiser, 148038K] reports a judge on Monday largely barred federal agents from making arrests in immigration courts in New York City, putting an abrupt halt to a policy that emerged last year as the centerpiece of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Manhattan. The federal judge, P. Kevin Castel, issued the ruling two months after the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office sent a highly unusual letter to the court saying that it had mistakenly relied on a Department of Homeland Security policy memo when detaining noncitizens in immigration court. Opponents of the Trump administration, including Brad Lander, the former comptroller of New York City who is running for Congress as a Democrat, said the letter amounted to an admission of a “bombshell lie” that had been used as a rationale for the detention of thousands of immigrants. The policy had led to remarkable scenes within the immigration courts at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan, as immigrants attending court for routine hearings were suddenly detained and, sometimes, dragged away from their families. Protesters began to attend in droves and some — including Mr. Lander — were arrested alongside the immigrants. Lawyers for two nonprofit immigrant advocacy groups, the Door and African Communities Together, had argued against the constitutionality of the courthouse arrests. They called on the judge to stop the policy, which left immigrants scared to attend hearings for fear of being detained. Federal officials had defended the arrests, saying they allowed agents a safer environment in which to detain their targets, allowing them to avoid the risks of deploying teams into local communities. Judge Castel, of Manhattan federal court, had previously declined to halt the policy. But in light of the government’s March admission, he revised that opinion, saying Monday that he had done so “both to correct a clear error and prevent a manifest injustice.” His earlier decision, he wrote, “relied upon the clearly erroneous premise that the 2025 policies applied to immigration courthouses.” A lawyer for the immigrant advocacy groups, Amy Belsher, director of immigrants’ rights litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the ruling was “hugely important,” assuming that the Trump administration complied. “People can now go to immigration court with the understanding that they won’t be arrested there,” she said. Ms. Belsher noted that under the ruling, ICE officers must adhere to earlier guidelines that permit immigration court arrests only in very limited circumstances. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: “It is common sense to take illegal aliens into custody following the completion of their removal proceedings. Nothing prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them. We are confident we will ultimately be vindicated in this case.”

Reported similarly:
AP [5/19/2026 12:25 AM, Staff, 16072K] r

Reuters [5/18/2026 12:23 PM, Nate Raymond, 38315K] reports that a former immigration judge in Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of unlawfully firing him in part because of his past advocacy on behalf of people from Latin America when he had been an immigration attorney. George Pappas filed the lawsuit against the U.S. ‌Justice Department on May 14 in Boston federal court, marking at least the fifth such case by one of the more than 110 immigration judges fired after Trump took office last year. Pappas, who since 2023 had served as an immigration judge in Boston and Chelmsford, Massachusetts, said that despite an excellent performance he was terminated in July 2025 following a two-year probationary period. He alleged that he was targeted for termination after the Justice Department, which oversees the immigration court system, issued a series of memos that demonstrated ⁠its hostility to using diverse immigration judges and those whose legal backgrounds included past representation of immigrants. He pointed to memos that promised to “penalize illegal DEI and DEIA preferences,” and that said people of "certain backgrounds" had been given preferential treatment during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Telemundo Washington DC [5/18/2026 7:15 PM, Staff, 120K] reports Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday the visit of high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, agreed upon after her recent call with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid heightened bilateral security tensions. The Mexican president stated at a press conference that this meeting will serve to maintain security coordination, but reiterated that any collaboration must respect sovereignty and that "everyone operates within their own territory." The president specified that the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, will arrive in Mexico this Thursday ; while on Monday, May 25, Sarah Carter, known as the drug czar and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy , will arrive . The meetings follow up on the conversation Sheinbaum had last Friday with Trump, in which they both reviewed security and trade and agreed to maintain bilateral dialogue . The president emphasized that Mexico is seeking to speak specifically with Carter because she participated in a U.S. document on addiction prevention, an approach that the Mexican government considers key to reducing drug-related violence. “What is the best way for the United States to support Mexico? By reducing consumption and preventing weapons from entering Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated, also urging Washington to combat the cartels that distribute drugs in U.S. territory and the money laundering generated by these operations. The president insisted that Mexico accepts the exchange of information, but not the operation of US forces or agencies on national territory . “They want to help us with information, welcome. But Mexican institutions must operate in Mexico. The United States cannot operate there; it’s called sovereignty,” he emphasized. His statements come amid renewed tensions over allegations in the United States of links between Mexican politicians and organized crime, and following the extradition to the US of two former officials from the state of Sinaloa , Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz Vega, accused by Washington of drug trafficking.

Reuters [5/18/2026 11:09 AM, Staff, 38315K] reports that Mexico has frozen the bank accounts of former officials accused by the United States of ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday, describing the move as a preventive measure ‌rather than a domestic investigation. Local media reported last week that Mexican financial authorities had blocked the accounts of Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha and nine other current and former officials who face U.S. charges that they aided drug traffickers. Asked in her morning press conference why Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit, or UIF, had frozen the accounts, Sheinbaum ⁠said the agency would soon issue a statement explaining the action. "Given that there is an arrest warrant in the United States against 10 people, the banks here - because they have relationships with banks there - take a series of measures," Sheinbaum said. "Automatically, preventively, the UIF does it." Sheinbaum did not name Rocha, a member of ruling party Moreno who is on leave from his post, or any other official in her remarks. Rocha has said he is innocent. U.S. prosecutors charged Rocha and the others in an indictment unsealed on April 29, ‌alleging ⁠they helped the Sinaloa Cartel traffic drugs into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes. Sheinbaum also said that a number of high-ranking U.S. cabinet officials would visit Mexico in the coming days, including drug czar Sara Carter and Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin.

NewsNation [5/18/2026 12:46 PM, Meg Hilling, 4464K] reports that a Mexican senator from Sinaloa was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego on Saturday after being indicted on drug trafficking and weapons offenses in April. Enrique Inzunza Cazarez, 53, was among a group of 10 high-ranking Mexican officials who were indicted by the Justice Department on April 29. According to the DEA, the group had an alleged partnership with the Sinaloa cartel to distribute “massive quantities” of drugs into the U.S. in exchange for political support and bribes. Local news outlet KGTV-TV reports that Inzunza Cazarez turned himself in to federal authorities. He is accused of narcotics importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices as well as conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The New York Post reports Inzunza Cazárez is a member of the ruling Morena party, has held office since August 2024 and previously served as the secretary general of Sinaloa under Governor Ruben Rocha Moya. Moya, who was also indicted with the group, announced he would temporarily step down from the role. “The support of corrupt foreign officials for deadly trafficking of drugs must end,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement in April. “Let these charges send a clear message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: no matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.” Inzunza Cazarez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

AP [5/18/2026 2:21 PM, Staff, 35287K] reports that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday dismissed any risk to her administration after two former officials from the Sinaloa state government—controlled by her own political party—surrendered in the United States following accusations by U.S. authorities of collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel. Sheinbaum stated she remained unconcerned as she addressed the controversy that erupted last Friday, when the former Secretaries of Security and Finance for the state of Sinaloa—Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz, respectively—traveled to the United States to turn themselves in to authorities. "We have nothing—absolutely nothing—to hide," the president asserted during her morning press conference. She rejected comments from critics of her administration who allege that she is shielding Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha, as well as nine other current and retired state officials who have been accused by New York prosecutors of drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession. Sheinbaum announced that U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin is scheduled to arrive in Mexico on Thursday for a two-day visit to discuss collaborative efforts, and that Sarah Carter, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, will arrive on Monday. A visit by the United States’ chief trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, is also expected on May 27.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 1:49 PM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested multiple illegal immigrants over the weekend who had been convicted of violent crimes — including child rape, assault, and drug trafficking, according to a Newsmax exclusive. The Department of Homeland Security said the arrests come as the Trump administration continues to intensify immigration enforcement operations targeting migrants with criminal convictions. Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, told Newsmax that "under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE law enforcement never takes a day off, even during the weekends." She added that "this weekend, ICE arrested multiple child rapists, violent assailants, and drug traffickers. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S. We are getting criminal illegal aliens off our streets and out of our country." Among those arrested was Rodrigo Vasquez-Martinez, a Mexican convicted in Malheur County, Oregon, on 10 counts of third-degree rape involving a child under 16, as well as sodomy, incest, and carrying a concealed weapon. ICE also arrested Wilson Alberto Hernandez-Bautista, a Guatemalan convicted in Lynn, Massachusetts, of rape of a child with force, assault with intent to rape a child, and indecent assault and battery of a child under 14 years old. Another arrest involved Josue Curiel Soto, a Mexican convicted in California of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor more than three years younger, driving under the influence, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Federal Newswire [5/18/2026 7:05 PM, F. E. Simons] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 18 that it arrested multiple individuals described as criminal illegal aliens over the weekend for a range of offenses including rape, child sexual abuse, assault, and drug trafficking. The announcement highlights ICE’s continued enforcement actions targeting non-citizens convicted of serious crimes in the United States. The agency said these arrests are part of ongoing efforts to remove individuals who have been charged or convicted of criminal activity from communities across the country. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE law enforcement never takes a day off, even during the weekends. This weekend, ICE arrested multiple child rapists, violent assailants, and drug traffickers. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S. We are getting criminal illegal aliens off our streets and out of our country.” Among those arrested were Rodrigo Vasquez-Martinez from Mexico for ten counts related to rape and weapons charges in Oregon; Wilson Alberto Hernandez-Bautista from Guatemala for rape and indecent assault in Massachusetts; Josue Curiel Soto from Mexico for sex with a minor and firearm possession in California; Mario Perez-Perez from Mexico for attempted statutory rape in North Carolina; Jose Lucas Calero-Tierrablanca from Mexico for sexual performance by a child under 14 in Texas; Bruno Franco Estrada Chacon from Mexico for lewd acts with a child under 14 in California; Juan Sumba-Duchi from Ecuador for rape in New York; Kelvin Daniel Padilla-Meza from Honduras for family assault in Texas; Duarlin Esau Leiva from Honduras also for family assault in Texas; Rene Sanchez from Mexico for assault in New York; David Jimenez-Martinez from Mexico for assault in Texas; Veniamin Zimin from Kazakhstan on harassment threats and burglary charges among others in Washington state; Varkendy Mouscady from Haiti on cocaine distribution near a school zone charge in Florida; Adan Solorio Solorio from Mexico on stolen vehicle possession and burglary charges in California; Jonathan Ortiz-Ibarra also from Mexico on theft-related charges in Texas.

Washington Times [5/18/2026 4:19 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports the Biden administration caught and released roughly 2 million illegal immigrants at the southwestern border, setting them free on "parole" — and then ICE lost track of most of them, according to a new report Monday from Congress’s chief investigative agency. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement relied on the "honor system" to hope the migrants would voluntarily come and check in. Many of them didn’t bother, the Government Accountability Office said in the new audit. In fact, ICE doesn’t even know how many of the people in its files were released by its sister agency, Customs and Border Protection, GAO said. CBP has that data but doesn’t share it with ICE. CBP also admitted that it knowingly paroled some migrants with criminal records, though it said they were "non-violent minor offenses." Border officials acknowledged other migrants might have still had criminal records in their home countries that CBP didn’t know about. But GAO said CBP didn’t actually know whether the people it was paroling even had decent asylum claims. The border interview was "streamlined" and didn’t get into that. In many cases CBP officers didn’t even collect sworn statements from the migrants before releasing them, GAO said. Some 97% of migrants who used CBP’s One App to pre-schedule their arrivals were granted parole. While ICE doesn’t know how many parolees it lost track of, GAO offered some rough calculations. In its official response to GAO, DHS said it is trying.

The New York Times [5/18/2026 5:02 AM, Miriam Jordan and Jeff Adelson, 148038K] reports Ledy Ordonez was on the job at a San Antonio seafood wholesaler last July when immigration agents entered the facility, taking her and about a dozen others into custody. The single mother remains in detention, separated from her only child, Alonzo, a U.S.-born 2-year-old now in the care of a friend. “He can walk and talk now,” Ms. Ordonez said from a detention center in Texas. “I’ve missed so much.” A new analysis suggests that more than 100,000 children have been separated from their parents during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. And roughly three-quarters of those children, like Alonzo, are likely U.S. citizens, according to estimates from the Brookings Institution that were shared with The New York Times. The Brookings estimate of the number of children who are U.S. citizens is more than double the amount that would be expected over the same time period based on official Department of Homeland Security data. The researchers, whose report is based on a statistical analysis of the detainee population, argue the official statistics are an undercount because of how the government collects that information. The findings point to a scale of family separations that far eclipses that of the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in 2018, when about 5,500 children were removed from their parents immediately after crossing the southern border. D.H.S. did not directly respond to questions about the number of parents who had been detained or the analysis suggesting that the official statistics did not reflect the full number of U.S.-born children whose parents had been arrested. D.H.S. said in a statement that parents are given a choice of being removed with their children or placing their U.S.-born children with a designee. The Hill [5/18/2026 1:27 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 18170K] reports that the information released on Monday by Brookings indicated that more than 22,000 children have experienced having all of their co-resident parents detained. The nonprofit public policy organization says only 5 percent — or around 1,100 — of these children have received services from the child welfare system based on information collected from interviews with community organizations and child welfare agencies. Other minors are living with family or friends for the time being, while some have left the country alongside their deported parents. “The bottom line is that there is no systematic approach to protecting the children of those detained by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” the Brookings report says. “ICE does not directly involve itself in safeguarding the well-being of a detainee’s children and only refers to child protection if children are present at an arrest and no alternative care is immediately available,” it adds. ICE told The Hill that it’s offering undocumented immigrants $2,600 and a flight free of charge in an effort to encourage individuals to self-deport. “ICE does not separate families. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates,” the agency said in a statement. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for further comment.

Washington Post [5/18/2026 6:00 AM, Daniel Wu, 24826K] reports it was around midnight when Cali Overs approached the lectern in city hall in early February. She peered up at the dais in front of her and the mayor, Kevin Sartor, and spoke nervously. “I am a current student at Dysart High School and the student body vice president,” Overs said. “With a GPA of 4.3, before anyone passes me off as young and dumb.” Overs had joined the packed city council meeting to voice her concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s recent purchase of a warehouse in her Phoenix suburb, which the government planned to turn into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. The facility sits blocks away from her high school, Overs told her mayor. She feared that federal agents would target students and families from Dysart, where the student body is 60 percent Hispanic, and that the detention center could bring the chaos and violence that has surrounded other ICE facilities to her school. “Get this out of our city,” she urged.

Daily Signal [5/18/2026 4:15 PM, George Caldwell, 549K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is touting the arrest of an illegal alien in New York who allegedly set fire to several cars, an arrest it says was made possible by the cooperation of local authorities with federal immigration enforcement. On May 10, the Nassau County Police, in cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arrested Elder Lopez-Avalos, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who allegedly set fire to 10 cars, including in the vicinity of a daycare center. On May 12, Lopez-Avalos was taken into ICE custody. “Thanks to ICE and [Customs and Border Protection] law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien charged with arson was arrested by ICE on May 12,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement about the arrest. “This pyromaniac set fire to 11 cars and was a clear public safety threat. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will arrest you and deport you,” she added. Although DHS applauds Nassau County’s cooperation with ICE in the apprehension of Lopez-Avalos, it is harshly critical of some New York jurisdictions’ non-cooperation with ICE. “Unfortunately, many New York jurisdictions do NOT cooperate with ICE. As of December 1, New York’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 6,947 criminal illegal aliens since January 20,” the release states.

Univision [5/18/2026 11:19 PM, Hector Guerrero, 4937K] reports that, behind the cold migration statistics and political speeches, the impact of the detentions is measured in the intimacy of the dismantled homes . Rosa’s life changed one ordinary afternoon; the echo of his absence has turned everything upside down. Six weeks ago, her husband left for his job at a construction site in a Maryland suburb. He never returned. Immigration authorities detained him in broad daylight, transforming a family’s routine into a desperate struggle for survival. "I’m not working... I’m alone with my children and I don’t know what I’m going to do..." Rosa says, her voice filled with worry. Their story is not an isolated incident. It has become the norm under the strict immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s second term. Since his return to the White House in January 2025, campaign promises of mass deportations have materialized in daily operations that sweep through neighborhoods and workplaces, leaving a trail of broken families and fearful communities in their wake. Since the beginning of the current administration, immigration authorities have made detention and deportation the central focus of their policy. Currently, some 60,000 people are in custody, and nearly 400,000 immigrants have been registered in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers following arrests within the country. However, there is an invisible population that silently absorbs the trauma: their children. According to an analysis published by the Brookings Institution , it is estimated that at least 145,000 children with U.S. citizenship have experienced the detention of one of their parents during this period. The situation is even more dramatic for more than 22,000 of them, who have experienced the detention of all the responsible adults living in their home, leaving them destitute overnight. For Rosa, the lack of communication and the uncertainty of the legal process have turned the wait into a suspended grief. “I feel like my husband… is already dead…,” she confesses, verbalizing the pain of thousands of wives who watch their partners vanish into the opaque U.S. immigration detention system. The Brookings Institution estimates that arrests and family separations have skyrocketed in the last year, leaving thousands of minor citizens and residents in extreme vulnerability. Despite the magnitude of the crisis, the government lacks systematic data on the fate of these children. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) itself reported an official figure of 18,277 parents with U.S. citizen children detained in fiscal year 2025, a number that researchers consider a severe undercount. This is largely because ICE directives to inquire about parental status are often ignored, or because immigrants themselves conceal having children for fear of retaliation or intervention by the child welfare system. The snapshot of these affected children reveals an alarming vulnerability. 36.5% of the affected children are under 6 years old; that is, more than 53,000 young children at crucial stages of their development have had their family life disrupted. 36.1% are between 6 and 12 years old, and 27.4% are adolescents.

Breitbart [5/18/2026 2:58 PM, John Binder, 2238K] reports that an illegal alien is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl in Martin County, Florida, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials revealed on Monday. Henry Roldan Perez-Roblero, a 20-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested on May 9 by Martin County law enforcement and charged with felony sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old. According to police, Perez-Roblero allegedly repeatedly had sex with a 12-year-old girl, going back to when she was just 10 years old. ICE officials, who have lodged a detainer against Perez-Roblero, say President Joe Biden’s administration released the illegal alien into the United States interior after he crossed the border as an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) in January 2021. "This monster from Guatemala is accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl over the last two years," the Department of Homeland Security’s Lauren Bis said: He is now charged with sexual battery of a victim under the age of 12. This sicko was released into our country by the Biden Administration. ICE lodged an arrest detainer and will ensure with our Florida partners this creep is never released back onto the streets to victimize another innocent child. [Emphasis added]. In January of last year, a federal immigration judge issued a final deportation order against Perez-Roblero.

Univision [5/18/2026 6:08 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports immigration agents detained a worker Monday at a pet shop in Mount Prospect, Illinois. Known of the place they say that the man, of Mexican origin, had been working in the establishment for years. The arrest occurred Monday morning at the D’Agostino Service mechanic shop in Mount Prospect, Illinois. His colleagues identified the detainee as Eduardo. Users on social networks reported that several people had been taken in the operation; however, a reporter present in the area confirmed that only one worker was arrested. After what happened, the workshop remained closed the rest of the day, a situation that took several customers by surprise. “The one who was here was the one they took and it was the one who was in charge, but we’re going to see what happens,” said Abraham Garay, a client of the mechanic workshop. One of the merchants in the area, who asked to reserve his identity, witnessed the operation and said that the detainee was his client. Traders in the area fear that immigration operations will intensify and affect their sales. “Every time we know that someone gets away from here nearby, social media starts saying they grabbed someone and we don’t have people. I’m now a waiter’s day because there’s no money to pay the rent and all that," said Jesús González, owner of a nearby restaurant.

Chicago Tribune [5/18/2026 10:41 PM, Tess Kenny and Jake Sheridan, 5209K] reports a Northwest Side alderman is suing the federal government for up to $100,000, alleging federal immigration agents shoved, threatened and unlawfully detained her last fall during a sweep that went viral on social media and roiled Humboldt Park during Operation Midway Blitz. Ald. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Chicago on Monday, more than seven months after the confrontation. In early October, as the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign descended on Chicago, Fuentes was briefly placed in handcuffs after she went to Humboldt Park Health to check on a constituent who had been injured during an immigration arrest. Fuentes alleges in the nine-page tort claims suit that the confrontation left her with “physical, psychological and emotional injuries,” and accuses the government, among several violations, of battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and gross negligence. “There was a level of fear that I don’t know will ever go away — not just for myself, (but for) my community, for individuals that look like me,” Fuentes said in a call with the Tribune Monday evening. “In order to restore trust, in order to show that we can turn that fear into organizing, we have to show our constituents that we are going to do everything … to hold folks accountable.” Fuentes said she filed the suit after a six-month window for the federal government to respond to her earlier administrative claim expired without a reply. Her attorney, Jan Susler of the People’s Law Office, said Fuentes “is showing her community and her constituency the importance of standing up and holding accountable a government whose agents act as if they are above the law.” Susler initially filed an administrative claim, a prerequisite to a lawsuit against the federal government, on behalf of Fuentes a few weeks after the Oct. 3 confrontation. The altercation unfolded as military-style helicopters hovered over Humboldt Park that morning, and an agent threw tear gas from a car window onto a busy street near a school. Leadership at Humboldt Park Health had contacted Fuentes and asked her to come to the hospital because federal agents were there “uninvited, frightening staff and patients,” the filing states. Once inside, Fuentes was blocked from reaching the constituent who had been hospitalized after being injured during his arrest. In a video of the altercation, Fuentes can be heard repeatedly demanding that agents present a warrant. She was released after five minutes when she insisted that officers tell her what crime she had committed. Through the course of the confrontation, Fuentes’ complaint states that agents “physically shoved her, grabbed her, swore at her, threatened her, and handcuffed her.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, in response to a request for comment on Monday’s filing, recounted the government’s narrative of the Oct. 3 incident. “At the hospital, nearly 30 protesters, including Alderperson (Jessie) Fuentes, attempted to gain access to the detainee,” the spokesperson stated in an email. “She was escorted out in handcuffs but NEVER placed under arrest. Once agents removed her from the area, she was free to go.” The statement, which did not touch on Fuentes’ complaint specifically, went on to read, “We will not be deterred by rioters and protesters in keeping America safe.” Fuentes said every available tool must be used to hold agents accountable and to show Chicagoans they can push back. “It’s important for them to know that we’re not going to allow individuals just to come in and terrorize our communities, and that we have a justice system that we should be utilizing to hold those (agents) accountable,” she said.

The Wall Street Journal [5/18/2026 7:09 PM, Mariah Timms and Victoria Albert, 646K] reports a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has been charged with assault for allegedly shooting a Venezuelan immigrant during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, the second time local prosecutors have leveled criminal charges against federal officers for their conduct in the city this winter. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said ICE agent Christian Castro in January fired a bullet through the front door of a home, which struck Julio Sosa-Celis in the thigh before tearing through a wall in a child’s bedroom. Moriarty said Castro had lied about being attacked before the shooting. “Mr. Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of the home, knowing there were people who had just run inside that presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else,” Moriarty said Monday at a press conference. Moriarty said a nationwide warrant had been issued for Castro’s arrest. He is facing four counts of assault in the second degree and one count of falsely reporting a crime. An ICE spokesperson called the charges “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt.” The New York Times [5/18/2026 6:41 PM, Ernesto Londoño and Mitch Smith, 148038K] reports Mr. Castro was charged with four counts of second-degree assault, a felony, and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor. “His federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota,” said Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County attorney. In a statement, ICE officials described the state prosecution as “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt.” But the statement did not defend the actions of the agents at the scene that night. ICE officials said that “lying under oath is a serious federal offense” and that federal prosecutors were “actively investigating these statements.” “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution,” the statement from ICE said. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Castro had a lawyer. Court records showed an active warrant for him and a bond of $200,000. NBC News [5/18/2026 2:41 PM, Daniella Silva, 42967K] reports that in mid-February, then-DHS acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a review of video evidence revealed that two officers appeared "to have made untruthful statements" in sworn testimony.

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Houston Chronicle [5/18/2026 7:00 AM, Matt deGrood, Julián Aguilar, and Aileen Clarke, 2493K] reports Texas is expected to play an even bigger role in the White House’s deportation efforts this year, as the state’s largest counties face a December deadline to begin collaborating with federal officials on immigration enforcement. A state law passed in 2025 requires sheriffs in counties with more than 100,000 residents to enter into agreements with the federal government to train local officers under the 287(g) program. Officers in the program are trained to serve immigration warrants, identify potential deportable immigrants in jails and enforce immigration laws while on patrol, depending on which model a sheriff’s department chooses. The legislation known as Senate Bill 8, filed by state Sens. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and Charles Schertner, R-Georgetown, is one of the most significant pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation state lawmakers have passed in years. Supporters of the legislation say it’s a common-sense measure that helps the federal government identify immigrants who have committed or been charged with crimes. But critics of the bill argue it gives immigration-enforcement powers to local officers who lack proper training, will drain funds from local departments that are already understaffed and underfunded and could lead to racial profiling.

FOX News [5/18/2026 12:23 PM, Eric Mack, 37576K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal immigrant mother who allegedly drove a car involved in an Arizona rollover crash that killed her 9-year-old daughter and injured three other children, Fox News Digital has learned. Police suspected that Mexican national Brenda Liliana Rivera-Estrada, 30, was impaired during the April 12 crash that ejected her daughter from a vehicle and injured two boys, 11 and 3, and a baby girl, 1. Her daughter reportedly was sharing a seatbelt with her sibling. Rivera-Estrada is accused of multiple felony offenses tied to manslaughter and child abuse and was held on a $100,000 bond, but county prosecutors did not file charges, and she was released from local custody before being taken into ICE custody on an immigration detainer. "The identification and arrest of Brenda Liliana Rivera-Estrada by ICE underscores the importance of the Criminal Alien Program and highlights the public safety efforts undertaken by officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Deputy Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida told Fox News in a statement. "Her fate now rests with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, and any available administrative or judicial appellate recourse, which will determine her eligibility to remain in the United States," Almeida added. The agency said that work is part of ICE’s Criminal Alien Program, which is designed to transfer removable criminal aliens into federal immigration custody in a controlled setting.

Los Angeles Times [5/18/2026 10:32 PM, Salvador Hernandez, 12718K] reports federal agents searched the homes of immigrant rights activists in an early morning raid that activists allege was retaliatory and part of an ongoing harassment campaign for their work patrolling and monitoring immigration operations in Ventura County. Four locations were searched about 3 a.m. Wednesday, including the home and business of volunteer Leo Martinez, who said federal agents pointed guns at him and his mother during the search, but made no arrests. Agents took cellphones and laptops, as well as T-shirts and skateboard decks with the logo for VC Defensa, a volunteer-based group that has been documenting immigration raids and detentions in Ventura County. "We have nothing to hide," Martinez said in an interview. "If they had access to all of our messaging going back to the beginning, there’s nothing in there.” During a news conference Wednesday, members of VC Defensa and their attorney, Reem Yassin, said they were looking at the possibility of legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for alleged ongoing harassment targeting members for what they said were legal activities monitoring and documenting immigration raids in their community. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that search warrants were executed in relation to VC Defensa but did not answer questions about the nature of the investigation. "On May 13, [Homeland Security Investigations] executed several search warrants on individuals associated with an anti-ICE organization," a Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email. "Several members of this organization have been previously arrested for ambushing federal law enforcement and destruction of government property. Several items were seized as part of the search warrants.” The spokesperson did not address questions regarding whether the raids were done in retaliation for the group’s monitoring of immigration raids. "This remains an ongoing investigation," the email read. "To protect its integrity, we are unable to provide additional details at this time. Under President Trump, if you assault law enforcement officers, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” VC Defensa has been known to record and monitor Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Ventura County, as well as publish images and videos of their operations, but Martinez said the group adheres to the law. However, he said he and the group have been targeted by federal agents for several months. He and other members of the group have been arrested and detained, including one incident in which federal agents were recorded on video appearing to ram his truck.

Newsweek [5/18/2026 7:39 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a Guatemalan man missed the birth of his first child after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) held him for several days despite a federal court order requiring his "immediate release," according to legal filings and his family. On May 1, U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that ICE had violated procedural due‑process protections when it re‑detained Freddy Cortez Lugos—who was in the U.S. on humanitarian parole—during a routine check‑in and ordered the agency to free him without delay. Instead, Cortez Lugos remained in custody until the evening of May 4, his relatives said, adding that amid the delay, his partner went into labor and gave birth to their son, Izaan, on May 1. The case highlights the ongoing tension between federal courts and the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy, as judges continue to scrutinize ICE’s authority to re‑detain people who were previously released under parole or supervision. At stake is not only whether ICE is complying promptly with court orders but also whether constitutional due‑process protections have real force during the government’s aggressive push to expand immigration enforcement. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek that federal agents arrested Cortez Lugos on April 14 after he allegedly "committed 12 violations of his ICE check-in requirements."

ABC News [5/18/2026 1:36 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports that Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General, joins ABC News Live to detail what he says are alarming conditions inside federal immigration detention centers. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [5/18/2026 11:00 AM, Marlene Lenthang, 42967K] reports with the World Cup fast approaching, Southern California is bracing for a wave of international fans and elite soccer stars. But there’s another potential arrival causing unease: ICE agents. Latino vendors, fixtures outside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and other venues around the region, often sell merch and food after concerts and sporting events. Some are expressing concern about ICE potentially working the games. And workers at SoFi Stadium — set to host eight games starting June 12 — are threatening to strike if ICE is there, citing fear for their safety. Last June, the Los Angeles area was the site of sprawling immigration raids in which the Trump administration targeted day laborers and factory workers. Widespread protests followed, along with some clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement and the deployment of the National Guard. “We always have this worry that we’re going to be more on the lookout for immigration [rather] than focused on selling,” said Henrry Josue, a 23-year-old hot dog vendor who did not disclose his legal status but plans to set up his stand during the World Cup. “We came to make money, not cause problems,” he said.

DailySignal [5/18/2026 1:29 PM, Pedro Rodriguez, 474K] reports that Rep. Chip Roy introduced the Inhibiting Militant Adversarial Mullahs (IMAM) Act on Monday that would bar radicalized leaders of certain religious denominations from being admitted into the United States. "The United States should never roll out the red carpet for foreign clerics who preach anti-American hatred, celebrate terrorism, or serve as mouthpieces for radical regimes," the Texas Republican told the Daily Signal in a statement. If passed, the simple two-page bill would amend Section 101(a)(15)(R) of the immigration code to prevent nonimmigrant religious worker visas for "an alien with the title of Imam, Grand Imam, Shaykha, Mufti, Grand Mufti, Ayatollah or Grand Ayatollah from entering the United States." Roy, a co-founder of the congressional Sharia Free America Caucus, introduced the legislation following reports that some Muslim clerics have promoted hostility toward the United States. "For years, adversarial religious figures have manipulated loopholes in our immigration laws to enter this country under so-called religious visas while spreading extremism," Roy said. "The Inhibiting Militant Adversarial Mullahs (IMAM) Act sends a clear message. America will not import militant ideology disguised as ministry. If you promote the values of enemies of the West, you should not get a visa to come to the United States—period."

Newsweek [5/18/2026 12:23 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a new Trump administration rule could allow U.S. officials to deny green card applications months after they are filed and accepted over invalid or missing signatures on immigration forms. The measure, published in the Federal Register on May 11 and set to take effect on July 10, gives the immigration benefits agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), explicit authority to reject or deny immigration benefit requests if the agency later determines that they lack a valid signature. The interim final rule marks a shift in how officials handle technical filing errors. Previously, applications with signature deficiencies were typically rejected at intake and returned to applicants for correction. Under the new regulation, however, USCIS can accept a filing, process it, and later deny the case if a defect is identified during adjudication. A denial carries greater consequences than a rejection. While rejected applications are returned without adjudication and can be corrected and resubmitted, a denied case is treated as fully adjudicated, with USCIS retaining the filing fee and requiring applicants to file a new petition without an opportunity to correct the signature error. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, said the rule is intended to clarify procedures and strengthen enforcement of signature requirements across the immigration system.

Univision [5/18/2026 10:38 AM, Jorge Cancino, 4937K] reports that the new security policies that the immigration service has been implementing since the last quarter of 2025 are not only causing anxiety among thousands of lawful permanent residents who qualify to apply for and become U.S. citizens through naturalization; they have also disrupted the plans of many who intended to take their oath of allegiance in time to register as voters and cast their ballots in the elections held on the first Tuesday of November. The secrecy with which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—like all agencies operating under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—conducts its operations makes it impossible to ascertain the specific details of the policies currently being implemented. Nor does this secrecy allow for independent oversight by Congress. In August of last year, USCIS published a new policy (PM-602-0188) announcing that it had reinstated a rigorous, "comprehensive and complete standard for assessing the good moral character of foreign nationals applying for naturalization." The rule specifies that the new process "involves a comprehensive assessment of the foreign national’s behavior, their adherence to societal norms, and their positive contributions that affirmatively demonstrate good moral character." However, it fails to explain how concepts such as "comprehensive assessment," "adherence to societal norms," or "good moral character" (the latter of which has been a statutory requirement for decades) are measured when determining whether to approve or deny an N-400 naturalization application.

CBS Chicago [5/18/2026 7:24 AM, Victor Jacobo, Natalie Goldstick, and Michelle Sproat, 51110K] Video: HERE reports a graduate student from Brazil who went viral on social media for his quest to run every street in Chicago will get to stay in the U.S. Joabe Barbosa was able to secure another training year at Roosevelt University following concerns about his visa status. A native of Brazil, Barbosa came to the city in 2022 to get his clinical doctorate in psychology at Roosevelt University. Safe to say, Barbosa made himself right at home, embracing the neighborhoods that make Chicago special — all 77 of the city’s community areas. Barbosa made it his mission to see every single mile and run every single block of every single street. He has also set a Guinness World Record for the fastest time visiting every ‘L’ station. His visa was set to expire at the end of July. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Bloomberg [5/18/2026 10:20 AM, Helen Nyambura, 18082K] reports the US Embassy in Kampala has temporarily paused all visa services in Uganda in light of the Ebola virus outbreak in the East African nation and neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. “The Department of State is committed to ensuring that its visa process upholds the highest standards for US public health and safety,” the embassy said in a statement. Ugandan health authorities have confirmed at least two cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain that’s infected at least 350 people in Congo and killed more than 90 people. Uganda postponed an annual religious holiday on account of thousands of pilgrims from cross over from eastern Congo. US authorities are working to extract a small number of Americans caught up in the outbreak in Congo.

AP [5/18/2026 10:51 PM, Seung Min Kim, 34146K] reports the Trump administration plans to admit up to 10,000 more white South African refugees into the United States in the coming months, arguing that their status as Afrikaners has left them open to discrimination and persecution at home. The South African government has said the Trump administration’s claims are baseless. But President Donald Trump has insisted the white Afrikaner minority has faced systematic discrimination and violence, particularly attacks against its farming communities — prompting him to cut off aid to South Africa, engage in a fiery Oval Office confrontation with its president and boycott last year’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg. The State Department told Congress on Monday that it will admit up to 17,500 Afrikaners — a group of white South Africans descended mainly from Dutch settlers — as refugees through the fiscal year that ends in September. The administration initially indicated that it would only admit up to 7,500, mostly Afrikaners, in that time period, but said Monday that “unforeseen developments in South Africa created an emergency refugee situation.” The administration’s plans were outlined in an emergency State Department notice sent to Congress on Monday evening and obtained by The Associated Press. CNN first reported the new refugee levels. Under law, the administration is required to inform lawmakers about refugee levels for each fiscal year and to consult with them. Administration officials are slated to meet with Congress for the consultation process later this week, according to a congressional aide who was granted anonymity to confirm a private meeting. The administration said the South African government’s rhetoric “across multiple ministries and political parties has sought to undermine the U.S. resettlement program and attacked Afrikaners,” pointing to recent comments from President Cyril Ramaphosa and other South African political figures. It also cited a December incident in which South African government officials raided a U.S. refugee processing center, which the administration at the time denounced as “unacceptable.” “This escalating hostility heightens the risks to Afrikaners in South Africa, who are already subject to far-reaching government-sponsored race-based discrimination,” the State Department said in the notice. The estimated cost for resettling the additional 10,000 refugees is about $100 million, according to the State Department. The issue was a subject of a contentious Oval Office encounter between Trump and Ramaphosa last year, during which Trump played a video featuring a far-left politician chanting a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer.” Trump has repeatedly accused South Africa of failing to address a systematic killing of white farmers. Experts in South Africa have said there is no evidence of whites being targeted for their race, although farmers of all races are victims of violence in South Africa, where there is a high crime rate. During the May 2025 meeting, Ramaphosa said “we are completely opposed to” the behavior that Trump referenced and added “that is not government policy” and “our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.”

New York Post [5/18/2026 4:35 PM, Chris Nesi, 40934K] reports fewer migrants were nabbed at the southern border on an average day in April than made it across during a typical hour in December 2023 — a time when hundreds were sneaking into the US daily under former President Joe Biden’s lax immigration enforcement policies, new statistics show. The shocking revelation comes as the Trump administration notches 12 straight months without a single illegal immigrant released at the US border, with crossings plummeting to levels not seen since the early 1990s. "Twelve straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we are delivering the most secure border in American history," said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. "The days of catch and release are over. We are enforcing the nation’s laws and sending illegal aliens back to their home countries."

Newsweek [5/18/2026 3:18 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports the Trump administration revealed a surge in approvals for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications on Monday from countries that don’t require tourist visas, ahead of the FIFA World Cup next month. With over five million approvals in recent months, the surge in visitors from select countries could be seen as a boost for the U.S. tourism industry, after months of warnings from organizations worried that the federal government’s immigration policies would put many soccer fans off from attending the event, and tighter restrictions on other countries. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which administers the ESTA program, said it was committed to ensuring the competition, which will also take place in Canada and Mexico, will be safe and welcoming. Catherine Prather, president of the National Tour Association, a professional trade association for packaged-travel specialists, welcomed the figures.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 6:31 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has awarded a $1.7 billion contract tied to border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas. The Texas Tribune reported that the move has created new questions about the scope of the Trump administration’s plans near Big Bend National Park. The contract, awarded Monday and listed on the federal spending database usaspending.gov, is described as being "for border wall in Big Bend Texas.” A separate $4.5 million contract was awarded Thursday for environmental and resource monitoring support connected to border wall construction activity in another part of the region. The awards come after CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told the Washington Examiner last week that no border wall would be constructed inside Big Bend National Park following opposition from local residents and community groups. CBP previously indicated the agency instead planned to improve roads and deploy surveillance technology in portions of the area rather than install physical barriers through the park itself. An online CBP "Smart Wall" map has described plans for roads and virtual surveillance systems in the "Big Bend 4" region, which appears connected to the newly awarded contract. The map was temporarily removed in late April before returning online with revisions in mid-May. The current version states no wall construction is planned around the national or state park areas. CBP did not immediately respond to requests for clarification about the contract and whether it includes physical wall construction near protected park land. Local residents and environmental groups said the changing descriptions and limited public communication have created confusion about the administration’s intentions in the region.

Blaze [5/18/2026 3:45 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1556K] reports U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Diego discovered 19 people, including convicted drug traffickers, hiding in a drainage system near the border, according to a Customs and Border Protection press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News. On the evening of May 4, Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista Station, using the Remote Video Surveillance System, detected "suspicious activity" near the drainage tunnels. When they responded to the scene, they found a group of individuals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. through the drainage system. They arrested 19 suspects, 16 adults and three unaccompanied minors, all of whom are Mexican citizens. All of the suspects were transported to the Chula Vista Station for processing. They will face either removal or federal prosecution, the CBP’s press release stated.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 10:05 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports the Transportation Security Administration reportedly will experiment with conducting offsite security screening of airline passengers beginning next month, a move supporters say could streamline travel while modernizing airport security procedures. Passengers flying out of Boston Logan International Airport on select Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways morning flights will soon be able to clear TSA screening at a remote facility in Framingham, Massachusetts, roughly 25 miles from the airport, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. After checking bags and completing screening, travelers will board shuttle buses that take them directly beyond airport security checkpoints. The pilot program, scheduled to begin June 1, marks a significant shift in how federal officials are approaching airport congestion and passenger convenience. The remote site will be staffed by Landline, a transportation company that partners with airlines to connect smaller communities to major airport hubs.

CBS Boston [5/18/2026 6:38 PM, Aaron Parseghian, 51110K] Video: HERE reports a new option is coming for travelers looking to avoid long security lines at Logan International Airport and potentially save money on rides and parking. Massport is set to officially open the Logan Airport Remote Terminal on June 1, a first-in-the-nation facility at 19 Flutie Pass on Route 9 in Framingham, Massachusetts. The remote terminal essentially moves the security screening process from the actual airport to the new facility, allowing travelers to check themselves and their bags and get on a bus that drops them off right at their gate. Eligible passengers flying with JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can purchase $9 tickets, on sale now, and book using their flight information. Kids can travel free with an adult. Each bus will carry 55 passengers, and a bus will run every hour from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the program launches. There are 400 parking spots at the Framingham terminal, which will cost $7 a day. "After you drop your bags off and get your boarding pass, you’ll be able to enter and go through a full TSA screening checkpoint lane, very similar to like you would at the airport," explained Peter Howe, Massport’s Deputy Director of Roadway Management. Officials say the goal is to create a smoother airport experience, limit lines at Logan and free up congestion on the roadway. "It’s going to be more seamless, more convenient for the passengers and the traveling public," said Howe. "We want to see how this pilot goes to see kind of what we can learn from it and how we can expand.” The program is modeled and being helped launch by The Landline Company’s operations in Philadelphia and Chicago, which transport connecting passengers from regional airports directly to hub airports. "The magic of this is that the stress and the headache that you experience when you’re pulling up to a big airport, you’re wondering how long the baggage line is, how long the security line, all these kind of anxieties that come to your mind. We take care of all those up front," said Landline CEO David Sunde.

The New York Times [5/18/2026 8:52 PM, Amy Graff, Erin McCann and Nazaneen Ghaffar, 148038K] reports tornadoes were reported in Kansas and Nebraska on Monday afternoon as a series of intense storms swept across the central United States. Tens of millions of people from Texas to the Great Lakes live in areas where severe weather — hail, heavy rain, destructive winds or tornadoes — could develop through Monday afternoon and evening, but forecasters had warned that the greatest potential threat was centered over Kansas and Nebraska. By the afternoon, dozens of tornado warnings had begun dotting the landscape, and the Storm Prediction Center issued a “particularly dangerous situation” watch for parts of Kansas and Nebraska. That watch, in place until 8 p.m. local time, is a rare type of alert that is used once or twice a year when the ingredients for the most dangerous storms appear likely to merge. By mid-evening, the system was prompting tornado warnings farther east, including in Missouri and Iowa. The New York Post [5/18/2026 1:17 PM, Raymond Sanchez and Julia Atienza, 40934K] reports that NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a rare Level 4 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of Kansas and southeastern Nebraska, with violent EF-3+ tornadoes being the main threat. While parts of the Central Plains and the Midwest are in the bull’s-eye of storms that are expected to fire beginning early Monday afternoon, a broader severe weather threat covers more than 80 million people across a 1,000-mile corridor from North Texas to western New York. This potential outbreak follows severe weather that barreled through the Central Plains and Midwest over the weekend, which produced several tornadoes, including a Tornado Emergency in Nebraska, as well as large hail and damaging wind gusts. The highest risk of tornadoes will be early to mid Monday afternoon, as severe weather first develops, likely after 2 p.m. CT. Supercell thunderstorms capable of generating violent, long-track tornadoes (EF-3+) and softball-sized hail will be possible across Central and northeastern Kansas, including Wichita. However, if thunderstorms form as a group instead of lone supercells, it would limit twister intensity and development. While tornadoes will still be possible, the threat is expected to decrease into the evening. A broader Level 3 threat extends into central Iowa, northwestern Missouri, and northern Oklahoma.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [5/18/2026 1:49 PM, Kenton Gewecke and Bill Hutchinson, 34146K]

Bloomberg [5/18/2026 1:34 PM, Zach C. Cohen, 50K] reports that a string of attacks on synagogues and other Jewish institutions is prompting calls to more than triple the amount of federal assistance they can get to protect their buildings from future attacks. The Jewish Federations of North America is flying in more than 400 community leaders to Capitol Hill Tuesday for over 200 meetings with lawmakers and staff to call for $1 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, its leadership exclusively told Bloomberg Government. "We don’t expect necessarily to get all the way in one step, we’re pretty realistic about that," said Eric Fingerhut, the... [Editorial note: consult extended commentary at source link]

FOX News [5/19/2026 4:51 AM, Kailey Schuyler, 37576K] reports in the Sandhills of Nebraska, some grazing pastures look more like the Sahara Desert. The Morrill Fire — the largest wildfire in Nebraska history — scorched vast stretches of land in mid-March. Farmers and ranchers across western Nebraska are now trying to recover, but severe drought conditions are making matters worse. "The wind was screaming, maybe 70 mph. They said in 10 minutes it traveled 14 miles," said Joe Van Newkirk, owner of Van Newkirk Herefords Ranch. "We heard that there was a fire in Angora, which is about 50 miles north-west of our headquarters, we just kind of looked at the map and there was just no way that this place was not going to get burned." The ranch, located in Oshkosh, Nebraska, has been in the Van Newkirk family for 140 years. The operation holds an annual bull sale, selling 250 to 300 bulls to ranches across the country. Thankfully, the Van Newkirk home was spared. It sits miles away from grazing pastures that are now almost unrecognizable after the fire. "We didn’t have any cattle on here, or any buildings to speak of. So we were very lucky in that respect," said Van Newkirk. Around a third of his summer range burned in the fire. There is still extensive cleanup work ahead. Livestock watering tanks are now completely filled with sand. "We could probably come up here and shovel them out but who says it’s not going to blow right back in," said Van Newkirk. "We’re gonna let this country heal, let the wind go down. Maybe next spring, winter, we’ll come up here and fix this stuff." While surveying the ranch, Van Newkirk said he recently noticed the first signs of improvement since the fires erupted in March.

The AP [5/18/2026 7:04 PM, Staff, 42967K] reports thousands of people were ordered to evacuate Monday as a wind-driven wildfire threatened suburban homes in Southern California. The Sandy Fire was reported around 10 a.m. in hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. By mid-afternoon it had consumed more than 500 acres (200 hectares) of dry brush and damaged at least one home, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The flames were pushed by morning gusts that topped 30 mph (48 kph) but were subsiding later in the day, said according to fire department spokesperson Scott Dettorre. “As the sun sets, those winds will calm down even more,” Dettorre said. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for several neighborhoods in Simi Valley, a city of more than 125,000 people that was shrouded in smoke as helicopters performed water drops. Dettorre didn’t know exactly how many people were ordered to leave. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, perched on a hillside a few miles away, said it was closed for the day because of the fire. The cause is under investigation. Bloomberg [5/18/2026 5:35 PM, Brian K. Sullivan, Michelle Ma, and Emily Forgash, 18082K] reports that the Sandy Fire broke out just before 11 a.m. local time about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, or Cal Fire, said on its website. Some residents have been told to flee their homes while others are being warned to prepare to leave. The blaze has consumed about 720 acres, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Fire personnel were responding to a fast-moving brush fire threatening structures in the area of Sandy Avenue in Simi Valley, according to county officials. Evacuation warnings have spread to the populous Thousand Oaks neighborhood, county officials said. Meanwhile, in central California, PG&E Corp. has shut off power to about 20,000 homes and businesses to prevent blazes, according to the company’s website.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [5/18/2026 3:01 PM, Louis Casiano, 37576K]

Telemundo52 [5/19/2026 12:07 AM, Danielle Smith, 61K] reports a wildfire, believed to be man-made, on Santa Rosa Island within the Channel Islands National Park has spread to more than 14,000 acres and destroyed two historic structures, authorities said Sunday. The fire, burning in remote and rugged terrain on the southeastern tip of the island, was reported by an aircraft and confirmed by the National Park Service on Friday, according to the agency. By 6 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire reported that the fire had burned 14,600 acres. The park service indicated that the east side of the fire had reached East Point and East Point Road, while the west side, where fire activity had slowed, had come close to the South Point lighthouse. The condition of the lighthouse is unknown. The fire was expected to continue moving north on Monday due to changing weather conditions, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Two historic structures, the Lee Johnson Equipment Shed and the Wreck Line Camp Hut, as well as another storage building, were destroyed by the fire, the National Park Service (NPS) reported. The agency added that firefighters and Channel Islands National Park staff are working together to ensure the protection of park infrastructure and the island’s unique flora and fauna habitat. The U.S. Coast Guard reported the rescue of a 67-year-old man during the intervention at the fire on Friday morning. Eleven park service employees were evacuated from the island by helicopter on Sunday after their homes were threatened by fire, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Seventy people were assigned to fight the fire, but more equipment was expected to arrive on Monday when wind and navigation conditions improved, the NPS said. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the park service stated that it was determined to be man-made.

New York Post [5/18/2026 6:13 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 40934K] reports a Bahamian man who survived a harrowing plane crash that stranded him and 11 others at sea was arrested on Friday for allegedly smuggling cocaine into the US. When the Bahamas-bound plane crashed 80 miles off the coast of Florida on May 12, 11 adult passengers and one pilot were left floating adrift on inflatable rafts for five hours. While other passengers were praying for safe rescue, Jonathan Gardiner allegedly secured a bag containing $30,000 in Bahamian currency. The unsuspecting package was reportedly emblazoned with the name of a Bahamian politician accused of working with an international drug trafficking organization, according to a federal complaint obtained by Channel 2 Action News. Gardiner also had three cell phones on him when the plane went down, the complaint said, though it’s not clear if they were damaged in the crash. Gardiner was accused on Friday of moving multiple tons of cocaine between Colombia, the Bahamas and the US since 2023. He was charged with one count of cocaine import conspiracy for allegedly smuggling cocaine. All 11 passengers and the lone pilot were saved by the US Coast Guard and the Air Force. Some sustained broken bones and other blunt force injuries, but they’ve all since been discharged, according to survivor Olympia Outten. It’s not clear if Gardiner was arrested on US soil or back in the Bahamas.

Telemundo 51 [5/18/2026 2:31 PM, Briana Trujillo, 162K] reports that nine people were rescued on Saturday from a disabled vessel by a Carnival cruise ship off the coast of Florida, reported WESH, the NBC affiliate station. The incident occurred off the coast of Sebastian Inlet after the crew of the *Carnival Mardi Gras* spotted a vessel flying a distress flag, a company spokesperson told WESH. The cruise ship notified the U.S. Coast Guard and rescued everyone on board the disabled vessel, the spokesperson noted. All nine individuals were safely transferred to the *Mardi Gras*, which is based in Port Canaveral.WESH reported that they remained under the care of the crew until arriving in Nassau, Bahamas, on Sunday, where they disembarked with Bahamian authorities.

Houston Chronicle [5/18/2026 2:44 PM, Peter Warren and Yvette Orozco, 2493K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard has found the kayak believed to have belonged to the man who went missing on Sunday off West Galveston Bay, according to the coast guard’s official X page. The kayak was found near Alligator Point in West Bay, but crews are still looking for the kayaker, identified as a 37-year old Hispanic man. The search continues in the West Bay area and inner coastal waterway with the assistance of an MH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Houston, a twin-engine aircraft used in search and rescue efforts, and a 29-foot boat from Station Galveston, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker. The Coast Guard began its search on Sunday at 8 p.m. after being notified by the family of the missing man, who they reported was overdue and had not returned, Baker said. He was reportedly wearing a black shirt and gray shorts.

New York Times [5/18/2026 5:52 PM, Soumya Karlamangla, 148038K] reports in what sounds more like a movie than real life, firefighters in California are racing to save a grove of endangered trees after a shipwrecked sailor inadvertently started a wildfire on a remote island off the coast. As of Monday morning, the fire on Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in Southern California, had spread to more than 10,000 acres, fueled by heavy winds that were battering much of the state over the weekend. The fire began on Friday, after a 67-year-old man crashed his sailboat on the rocky coast of the island. He fired emergency flares to signal for help, which inadvertently sparked a wildfire, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two good Samaritans who were in their own boats reported to the National Park Service that they saw a vessel aground in pieces, said Kenneth Wiese, a Coast Guard spokesman. On Saturday, the Coast Guard was able to rescue the 67-year-old man, who was not injured, Mr. Wise said. However, the fire continued to grow. As of Monday, the fire had destroyed three buildings and forced 11 Park Service staff members to be evacuated by helicopter from their employee housing.

San Francisco Chronicle [5/18/2026 1:00 PM, Aidin Vaziri, 3833K] reports that eight people were rescued Sunday evening after a rising tide trapped a group in a cave near Panther State Beach on the Santa Cruz County coast. A person texted 911 just before 8 p.m. to report that several people were trapped in a cave near Davenport as the water rose, according to Cal Fire CZU. Several of the people reportedly did not know how to swim. Cal Fire said the cave had two possible exits: through the water to a beach with bluff access, or onto a small pocket beach where the route up the bluff was too steep. Five people who could swim waded out of the cave with help from lifeguards, authorities said. The others who could not swim were hoisted by the Coast Guard to a nearby bluff. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured. The incident happened along a rugged stretch of the North Coast near Davenport, where pocket beaches and cliffs can become hazardous when tides rise. Coast Dairies State Park includes Panther and Yellow Bank beaches, among other undeveloped beaches along the coastline. The rescue happened during a stretch of unusually high tides along parts of the Northern California coast. The weather service issued a coastal flood advisory for parts of the North Bay, warning that the high water could cause minor flooding in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways, including some parking lots, parks and roads. “Rising waters can rapidly trap you against coastal cliffs with no escape route,” Cal Fire warned in a safety message.

NewsNation [5/19/2026 2:37 AM, Ashley N. Soriano, 4464K] reports the Coast Guard responded to an oil spill near a tourist area of Honolulu on Monday. Pollution responders recovered red dye diesel from the water at Ala Wai Harbor after deploying 23 bags of sorbent pads, according to a United States Coast Guard press release. Authorities are still investigating the amount and source of the spill. No injuries or wildlife impacts have been reported. The spill, located near the docks at the north side of the harbor, was reported just before 9 p.m. local time on Sunday. The Pacific Environmental Corporation began response operations around 3 a.m. Monday. The Hawaii Department of Health Hazard Evaluation & Emergency Response Office and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation also helped with the oil spill response. Anyone near the waters should maintain a safe distance from the response area, the Coast Guard said.

CyberScoop [5/18/2026 3:00 PM, Matt Kapko, 122K] reports Interpol coordinated an expansive investigation with 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa to disrupt and take down cybercrime operations, including phishing services and tools, malware and scams. The law enforcement effort netted 201 arrests, led to the seizure of 53 servers and disrupted multiple cybercrime services, Interpol said Monday. Operation Ramz, which the law enforcement organization said was the first large-scale effort of its kind in the region, also identified 382 suspects over a four-month period ending in February. The collective countermeasures allowed authorities to pin the various malicious activities to nearly 4,000 victims. “In a world where cybercriminals exploit the digital landscape without borders, Operation Rams demonstrates the effectiveness of global collaboration,” Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of cybercrime, said in a statement. Police in Jordan tracked down a computer involved in financial fraud scams and, during a raid, found 15 people carrying out the scams who were later determined to be victims of human trafficking. The victims were recruited under false promises of employment from their home countries in Asia and had their passports confiscated upon arrival in Jordan, officials said.

CyberScoop [5/18/2026 6:00 AM, Rishi Kaushal, 122K] reports earlier this month, ShinyHunters breached Instructure’s Canvas platform twice within a single week — stealing 3.65 terabytes of data from approximately 275 million users across more than 8,000 institutions. The group defaced login pages at hundreds of schools during final exam periods, forced Canvas offline, and extracted a ransom payment before Congress opened a formal investigation. The attack did not require exotic malware or zero-day exploits. Attackers entered through compromised “Free-For-Teacher” accounts, escalated rapidly, and exfiltrated sensitive data at scale before Instructure could contain them. That sequence — entry through weak identity controls, rapid lateral movement, mass exfiltration, extortion, disruption — is now the standard playbook. It will happen again, unless the priority for security and technology leaders becomes reducing the blast radius of every intrusion before it happens. Modern organizations have consolidated critical operations inside shared SaaS platforms, creating enormous concentrations of risk in single points of failure. When Canvas went down, thousands of students could not access coursework, faculty lost contact with their classes, and administrators scrambled to postpone exams. The scale of disruption came from how deeply institutions depended on Canvas, not from the vulnerability alone. That asymmetry is the defining feature of SaaS risk in 2026. A single compromised account at a shared platform can trigger sector-wide operational failure. Yet most enterprise security frameworks still treat SaaS platforms primarily as availability problems — measured by uptime, recovery time objectives, and business continuity plans. Canvas exposed the gap in that thinking. Availability means nothing when the platform is operational but the data inside it has already been stolen. Resilience in SaaS environments requires a harder and more honest premise: treat compromise as continuous and expected. Attackers will reach critical systems. The real test is how much they can take, how far they can move, and how long they can persist before detection and containment.

New York Times [5/18/2026 10:35 AM, Saikou Jammeh and Eric Schmitt, 148038K] reports the United States launched airstrikes targeting Islamic State fighters in Nigeria, just days after a joint ground raid by American and Nigerian forces killed one of the group’s highest-ranking leaders. At least 20 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, Nigeria’s most powerful terrorist group, which is affiliated with the Islamic State, were killed, a spokesman for Nigerian armed forces, Gen. Samaila Uba said in a statement on Monday. “Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants,” the U.S. Africa Command said in a statement on Monday, adding that no American or Nigerian forces were harmed. Last Friday, President Trump said that a joint U.S.-Nigerian commando raid, including members of the Navy’s SEAL team 6, killed Abu Bilal al-Munuki. Officials from both countries said he was the de facto leader of the Islamic State’s global operations. The latest airstrikes, which were coordinated with Nigeria, began on Sunday and extended into Monday morning. They used U.S. Special Operations MQ-9 drones and AC-130 gunships, according to two U.S. officials. The U.S. military estimates that the recent military actions have killed about 140 militants combined.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [5/18/2026 10:01 AM, Brady Knox, 1147K]

USA Today [5/18/2026 6:24 PM, Alyssa Goldberg, 70643K] reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on May 18 that one American has tested positive for Ebola and was exposed as part of a work assignment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The individual developed symptoms over the weekend and tested positive late on May 17. The CDC did not name the individual, but the Serge Christian mission organization said one of its medical missionaries, Dr. Peter Stafford, has tested positive after being exposed while treating patients at Nyankunde Hospital in the DRC, per Reuters and a statement released by the organization. The CDC is working with the Department of State to move the American to Germany for treatment, along with six other high-risk contacts for monitoring. On May 17, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola, that has killed at least 80 people with nearly 250 suspected cases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as of May 16. "To the American public, the risk to the United States remains low," Dr. Satish Pillai, the incident manager for the CDC’s Ebola response, told reporters on a May 18 media briefing. The WHO said the spread doesn’t yet meet pandemic levels under international health regulations. The CDC, the Department of Homeland Security and other relevant federal agencies are taking proactive public health measures to prevent Ebola from entering the United States, Pillai said, including putting entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders if they have been in Uganda, the DRC or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [5/18/2026 4:17 PM, Lauren Weber and Lena H. Sun, 24826K]

AP [5/19/2026 7:53 PM, Joshua Goodman, 42967K] reports a close ally of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was charged Monday with bribing top officials to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from lucrative contracts to import food at a time of widespread hardship in the South American country. Alex Saab made his initial court appearance after being deported over the weekend by acting President Delcy Rodríguez as part of a purge of insider businessmen who are believed to have enriched themselves through corrupt dealings with Maduro. Shackled and wearing a beige prison uniform, Saab answered "Yes, ma’am," in English after being asked by a federal judge in Miami whether he understood the charges against him: a single count of money laundering tied to a decade-old conspiracy to create fake companies, falsify shipping records and skim from government contracts to import food from Colombia and Mexico. Saab, 54, was previously charged during the first Trump administration in 2019 and then arrested during a refueling stop in Cape Verde on what the Venezuelan government described as a high-level humanitarian mission to Iran. But President Joe Biden pardoned him in 2023 in exchange for the release of several imprisoned Americans in Venezuela. The deal, part of a failed effort by the Biden White House to lure Maduro into holding a free presidential election, was harshly criticized by Republicans and federal law enforcement officials, who immediately began investigating Saab for other alleged crimes not covered by the narrowly tailored pardon. U.S. officials have long described Saab as Maduro’s "bag man" and could ask him to serve as a valuable character witness against his former protector, who is awaiting trial on drug charges in Manhattan after being captured in a raid by the U.S. military in January. The new U.S. prosecution of Saab is taking place against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul relations with Venezuela. Trump and senior administration officials have heaped praise on Rodríguez, who has thrown open Venezuela’s oil industry to U.S. investment at a time of surging oil prices tied to the war in Iran. In exchange, the White House has dampened talk of elections, which are required by Venezuela’s constitution within 30 days of the president becoming "permanently unavailable.” But Rodríguez faces enormous domestic pressures from the more radical, ideological wing of the ruling socialist party, some of whom, like Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, wield great influence inside Venezuelan security forces and face criminal charges themselves in the U.S.

Reported similarly:
Univision [5/18/2026 5:18 PM, Rayne Ancani, 4937K]

NewsMax [5/18/2026 12:45 PM, Brian Freeman, 3760K] reports that dozens of wind energy projects in Texas have stalled after the War Department halted routine federal permit approvals over national security concerns, a move industry experts say expands the Trump administration’s campaign against renewable energy development, The Texas Tribune reported Monday. According to data compiled by the American Clean Power Association, 54 wind projects in Texas are awaiting Pentagon review to determine whether the proposed turbines could interfere with military operations or airspace. The delays are part of a broader nationwide backlog affecting 165 onshore wind projects, according to figures first reported by the Financial Times. Under federal law, any structure taller than 200 feet — including wind turbines, antennas and smokestacks — must first undergo review by the Federal Aviation Administration before being evaluated by the War Department for potential impacts on military training, radar systems and aviation routes, according to The Texas Tribune. The law requires the Pentagon to complete those reviews within 60 days of receiving applications from the FAA. But industry officials say the process has effectively stopped. "Right now, the entire process has just ground to a halt," said Dave Belote, a wind energy consultant who helped design the military review system more than 15 years ago. Typically, the War Department assesses whether turbines fall within radar sightlines or low-altitude military training corridors. Developers and military officials historically resolved concerns through mitigation agreements in a process that often took only weeks. "In the past, those have been fairly trivial — you meet the requirements and you get the permit," said Jonathon Blackburn, an Austin-based energy consultant.

Univision [5/18/2026 6:45 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the U.S. administration on Monday extended its sanctions against the Cuban regime on Monday, May 18, and targeted the island’s security apparatus, including the General Directorate of Intelligence (DGI), known as G2, as well as senior military commanders and Cuban government officials. The move was announced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which updated the sanciones financieras Donald Trump administration’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDNs). Among the new sanctioned are Mayra Arevich Marín, Minister of Communications; Vicente de la O Levy, Minister of Energy and Mines; Esteban Lazo, President of the National Assembly; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Communist Party; and Rosabel Gamon Verde, Minister of Justice. The list also includes senior military chiefs linked to the regime’s security and internal control apparatus, such as General José Miguel Gómez del Vallín, head of the Military Counterintelligence; Joaquín Quintas Solá, deputy minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces; Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, head of the Eastern Army; and Raúl Villar Kessell, head of the Central Army. In addition, OFAC formally incorporated the DGI into the SDN list and updated existing sanctions against the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and other Cuban security commands. The sanctions involve blocking assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions or business with U.S. citizens and entities.

CBS News [5/18/2026 11:25 AM, Kathryn Watson, 51110K] reports Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez insisted Cuba "poses no threat" to the United States and doesn’t have "aggressive plans or intentions against any country," after Axios reported that the island nation has hundreds of military drones and has been allegedly discussing plans to strike the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay and potentially Florida’s Key West. The Cuban president didn’t specifically mention the reported drones, but rather, criticized what he described as "threats of military aggression against Cuba from the world’s greatest power" and defended Cuba’s "absolute and legitimate right to defend itself against a military onslaught." Axios reported Cuba has acquired roughly 300 military drones and stashed them throughout the country. CBS News has not independently confirmed the details of the drone report, although Cuba isn’t denying the existence of military drones. "The threats of military aggression against Cuba from the world’s greatest power are well-known," Díaz-Canel said on social media in a translated statement. "The threat itself already constitutes an international crime. If it were to materialize, it would trigger a bloodbath with incalculable consequences, plus the destructive impact on regional peace and stability.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 6:22 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed deep skepticism Monday about Iran’s apparent openness to renewed nuclear negotiations, even as President Donald Trump announced he was postponing a planned U.S. military strike to allow diplomacy to proceed. In a Monday post on X, Graham said any agreement with Tehran would need congressional approval and warned that Iran has historically resisted the kind of sweeping concessions now being demanded by the Trump administration. "As I have said previously, any agreement reached between the United States and Iran must come before Congress for approval, as was the case for the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] under President [Barack] Obama," Graham wrote. The South Carolina Republican added that a diplomatic resolution would be preferable if it achieved U.S. national security goals. "If we can end the conflict through diplomatic means that achieve our national security objectives, that would be a major accomplishment," he said. Graham then outlined what he described as Trump’s nonnegotiable conditions for any agreement with Iran, including "No enrichment," "American control of the approximately 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium," and guaranteed access through the Strait of Hormuz "without interference from Iran.” He also said Iran "must abandon its long-range ballistic missile program and any effort to develop a nuclear weapon" and "must end its support for all terrorist proxies in the region.” Still, Graham made clear he doubts Tehran will ultimately accept those terms. "But to say that I am skeptical that Iran will actually agree to the things necessary to make the deal substantially different than the JCPOA or enter into a deal that will withstand the test of time is an understatement," Graham wrote. "Time will tell.” Trump revealed Monday that he had paused a planned military operation against Iran after appeals from key Middle Eastern allies who said negotiations were making progress.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 2:06 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports that President Donald Trump should order a "short but forceful response" to Iran’s latest "refusal to negotiate in good faith," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Monday. In a post on X, Graham argued Iran has grown increasingly aggressive despite suffering major military and economic setbacks during the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. "I have every confidence that President Trump fully understands the situation with Iran and will not continue to tolerate a refusal to negotiate in good faith along with Iran’s defiant aggression in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the region," Graham wrote. The South Carolina senator said Iran’s leadership has become "more emboldened and aggressive" despite sustaining heavy losses. "A short but forceful response now would reset the conflict in all the right ways," Graham added. "When it comes to Iran, it is imperative that we negotiate from a position of strength and dominance. We must finish what we started." Graham’s comments came as negotiations between Washington and Tehran appeared increasingly deadlocked. Trump warned Sunday that "the clock is ticking" for Iran after rejecting what he described as a "totally unacceptable" Iranian response to a White House peace proposal. "For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

NewsMax [5/18/2026 2:25 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports that President Donald Trump said Monday he is "not open" to concessions for Iran following the latest response from Tehran during negotiations over a possible peace agreement. The New York Post reported that Trump also warned Iran knows "what’s going to be happening soon." The president made the remarks during a phone interview after returning from meetings with his national security team over the weekend as the administration weighs next steps involving Iran. Asked about his earlier comments suggesting he could support a 20-year moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, Trump responded, "I’m not open to anything right now." Trump declined to discuss additional details about ongoing talks and military considerations. "I can’t really talk to you about it. Too many things are happening," he said. The administration is reportedly continuing internal discussions this week as negotiations with Iran remain stalled. Trump said he is not "frustrated" with Tehran, while suggesting Iranian leaders understand the risks of further conflict with the U.S. "I can tell you they want to make a deal more than ever, because they know ... what’s going to be happening soon," Trump said. Asked about claims from regional sources that Iran may be trying to delay negotiations over both its nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he was unaware of such discussions.

New York Post [5/18/2026 12:59 PM, Caitlin Doornbos, 40934K] reports that President Trump told The Post on Monday he is "not open" to any concessions for Tehran after receiving the latest disappointing Iranian response on peace deal talks. And in an ominous foreshadowing, Trump said Iran knows "what’s going to be happening soon." In the brief phone interview The Post, Trump seemingly shut the door to Iran’s Sunday offer for a diplomatic talks. Asked about his Friday remark that he’d be willing to accept a 20-year moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, Trump interjected: "I’m not open to anything right now." The president declined to get into any detail. "I can’t really talk to you about it. Too many things are happening," he said. Back from a whirlwind trump to China, Trump reportedly spent the weekend huddling with his national security team at his Virginia golf club plotting next steps on Iran. More meetings are expected on Tuesday as hawkish allies, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are urging Trump to resume military operations against Iran as diplomacy stalls. Trump said he’s not "frustrated" with Tehran, while making clear that Iran is fully aware the United States can inflict more pain. "I can tell you they want to make a deal more than ever, because they know we’re—what’s going to be happening soon," Trump said. Questioned about regional source claims that Iran is attempting to "wait out" Washington on both the nuclear issue and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he "hadn’t heard that." "I’m not hearing anything," he said. "I can’t talk to you about it." The White House did not immediately respond to a question about the US response to Iran’s latest offer.

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