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 AP [5/6/2026 3:07 PM, Aamer Madhani, 16072K] reports that President Donald Trump has signed off on a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy that sets eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere as the administration’s highest priority, the White House announced Wednesday. The document was released months after his administration published an updated national security strategy that called for the hemisphere to be the top U.S. focus. "We will not let cartels, Jihadists, or the governments who support them plot against our citizens with impunity. Terrorists of any kind will not be allowed to find safe harbor here at home or attack us from abroad," Trump wrote in the 16-page document. Trump’s administration has moved aggressively to reshape the region with the ouster of Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s president, dozens of U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats operated by cartels and new pressure on the communist government of Cuba. Sebastian Gorka, the White House counterterrorism czar who spearheaded the new strategy, said the shift in priorities acknowledges some simple math: Far more Americans have been killed by cartels pushing illicit drugs into U.S. communities than American service members lost in conflicts around the globe since World War II, he said. "Whether it is strangling their illicit funds, whether it is tracking their drug boats, we will not permit them to kill Americans on a massive scale," Gorka said in a telephone call with reporters to announce the strategy. NewsMax [5/6/2026 1:25 PM, Charlie McCarthy, 3760K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration is prioritizing violent drug cartels, Islamist terror organizations, and domestic extremists tied to anarchist, antifa, and radical gender ideologies. "Americans have witnessed politically motivated killings of Christians and conservatives increase, committed by violent left-wing extremists, including the assassination of my friend, Charlie Kirk, by a radical who espoused extremist transgender ideology," Gorka said, pointing to recent attacks carried out by transgender-identifying attackers against Christian institutions and children. "We are seeing an ideology that ostensibly began by preaching tolerance being used by specific actors to wage violence against the most innocent little children at Catholic schools, at churches. This is a threat we will take very seriously, whether you are right-wing-inspired or left-wing-inspired." The New York Post [5/6/2026 2:22 PM, Caitlin Doornbos, 40934K] reports Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president, described the 16-page framework as an "America First counterterrorism" blueprint centered on protecting the homeland by aggressively dismantling threats before they reach US soil. In line with the "Donroe Doctrine," the strategy’s first priority is the "neutralization of hemispheric terror threats" — placing cartels squarely in the crosshairs. Gorka said the administration plans to "incapacitate cartel operations" and expand the use of Foreign Terrorist Organization designations to choke off their financing and logistics. The strategy also expands focus to violent actors inside the US, including what Gorka described as "violent secular political groups" such as Antifa and others espousing anti-American or anarchist ideologies. Officials plan to "map them at home, identify their membership" and disrupt operations using law enforcement tools before attacks occur. Gorka also warned of a rise in politically motivated violence — including the most recent attack on the president’s life at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. FOX News [5/6/2026 12:51 PM, Morgan Phillips, 37576K] reports that the document lays out a three-part approach to combating those threats: identifying terrorist actors and plots before they occur, cutting off funding and recruitment pipelines, and ultimately dismantling established networks — a framework that signals a more expansive use of intelligence, financial and military tools across multiple threat categories. The strategy broadens the definition of terrorism in ways that could extend national security powers beyond traditional jihadist groups — opening the door to expanded use of military, intelligence and law enforcement tools against cartels and actors inside the United States. At the same time, the strategy takes aim at the intelligence community, arguing it has been "mired in old ways of looking at threats" and, at times, "weaponized" for political purposes — language that underscores the administration’s push to reshape how counterterrorism priorities are defined and executed.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/6/2026 2:20 PM, Bart Jansen, 70643K]

NPR [5/6/2026 2:16 PM, Eric McDaniel, 28764K] reports that after last week’s bipartisan vote in Congress to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history and fund the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans are moving ahead with an approximately $70 billion, party-line plan to fund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the rest of President Trump’s time in the White House. The agencies were largely omitted from last week’s funding legislation because Democrats refused to back immigration enforcement funding without reforms after federal agents killed two American citizens earlier this year. Nearly all of the money, more than $60 billion, is devoted to immigration enforcement efforts – further insulating CBP and ICE from political pressure and congressional oversight after last year’s influx of $75 billion from President Trump’s signature domestic policy agenda, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill also contains one billion dollars for the Secret Service, part of the DHS, for security infrastructure related to President Trump’s White House ballroom project. According to the bill text, the funds may not be used for any non-security elements of the project, which the administration says is being funded through private donations. "The White House applauds Congress’s latest proposal in its reconciliation package which includes additional funding for security infrastructure upgrades in relation to the long overdue East Wing Modernization Project," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to NPR. "Due in part to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the proposal would provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex." The Daily Wire [5/6/2026 2:28 PM, Jacob Wheeler, 2314K] reports that Senate Republicans may use a niche procedural tool to push through $1 billion in Secret Service security upgrades, including funding tied to the completion of the White House ballroom construction project. On Monday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released an immigration and border patrol funding bill that includes taxpayer funding for security enhancements. The legislation specifies funding for "security adjustments and upgrades," including projects within the White House perimeter fence to support Secret Service enhancements tied to the East Wing Modernization Project. President Trump, who previously said the ballroom would be privately funded through donors, defended the project’s rising cost on Truth Social. "The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations," Trump wrote. "The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars." The proposal is part of a broader Republican-led $72 billion package to fund ICE, Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security through the end of Trump’s term after Democrats shut down DHS over immigration enforcement. The plan includes $19 billion for border patrol personnel, $7.5 billion for ICE investigations, and about $31 billion for immigration enforcement, according to Reuters.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/6/2026 1:02 PM, Joey Garrison, 70643K]

NewsMax [5/6/2026 4:30 PM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports Senate Republicans are battling behind closed doors over whether to jam through a third budget reconciliation package before the midterm elections, as GOP lawmakers race to lock in more of President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, according to reporting from The Hill. Republican leadership is currently focused on passing a narrow reconciliation bill to fully fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations through 2029 — a top Trump priority tied to securing the border and ramping up deportations. But conservatives inside the conference want to go further, pushing for another major package that could include more Pentagon funding and extensions of Trump-era tax cuts. That effort is facing resistance from Senate appropriators and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who reportedly warned colleagues that reopening tax negotiations could trigger another fight over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last July. Some Republicans told The Hill the GOP may be running out of time if Democrats retake the House in November.

FOX News [5/6/2026 8:50 AM, Eric Mack, 37576K] reports President Donald Trump fired back at reporting of rising costs of building his $400 million White House ballroom, saying that figure remains the top of the price range. "The White House Ballroom is going up rapidly on the East side of the White House," Trump wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social. "The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations. "The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars. It will be magnificent, safe, and secure! "This was a necessary change, it was done long ago, but the Fake News failed to report it, trying to make it look like there was a cost overrun. Actually, it is coming in ahead of schedule, and under budget!" The latest reporting on alleged rising costs comes from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tagging a $1 billion appropriation for the "East Wing Modernization Project" at the bottom of Republicans’ budget reconciliation package Trump hopes to sign by June 1.

Reported similarly:
Reuters [5/6/2026 8:26 AM, Staff, 38315K]
ABC News [5/6/2026 12:37 PM, Isabella Murray and Steven Portnoy, 34146K]
Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 10:26 AM, Britta Miller, 1147K] r

Breitbart [5/6/2026 9:52 AM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports President Donald Trump’s cabinet members are promising to deport many more migrants in the next year, mostly via a low-profile policy that counters the anti-ICE coverage by the establishment’s media. "I wanted to get DHS [Department of Homeland Security] out of the headlines so our ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents, our CBP [Customs and Border Patrol] agents, and all the other law enforcement agencies we have underneath DHS could go do their job without being harassed by the media," Markwayne Mullin, the new homeland security secretary, told Newsmax on Tuesday. That doesn’t mean we’re slowing down even even a little bit. In fact, just yesterday, we arrested over 1,900 individuals. We have over 60,000 individuals that are currently being detained, going through the process of being deported. Last week, we deported over 2,700. "It’s not lesser enforcement — it’s smarter enforcement," border czar Tom Homan told CBS’s Colombian-born, pro-migration reporter, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, who tried to get Homan to forswear deporting non-violent migrants.

NPR [5/7/2026 5:00 AM, Ximena Bustillo, 28764K] reports top Trump administration officials this week reinforced their plans to execute mass deportations as a key strategy on immigration. Speaking at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Ariz., White House border czar Tom Homan praised the work of Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers over the last year and said the high number of arrests and deportations was expected to continue. Immigration officers arrested more than half a million undocumented immigrants last year, according to officials speaking at the Expo, and are now making about 1,200 arrests a day; President Trump had campaigned on a promise of a million deportations a year. "If you think last year’s historic number is good, wait till next year and we have 10,000 more agents on the border. You ain’t seen s*** yet," Homan said in his opening remarks to kick off the Expo. "This year will be a good year. Mass deportations are coming.” The remarks contrast with Homan’s softer messaging on immigration enforcement after two U.S. citizens were killed by Homeland Security officers during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis in January. Lawmakers from both parties called for the end of the crackdown in Minnesota — a drawdown that Homan led — and a change of leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. Trump earlier this year promised "a little bit of a softer touch" on immigration and replaced Kristi Noem with former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin as secretary of homeland security. Polling at the start of the year showed declining public support for aggressive enforcement tactics against all immigrants who entered the country illegally, with more than half of respondents saying tactics had gone "too far." At the same time, nearly three-quarters of Republicans approved of the job ICE was doing. Homan’s comments this week suggest the administration’s focus on Trump’s campaign promises continues unabated. "For the people out there saying President Trump’s weak on mass deportation, what the hell are you talking about?" Homan said. "President Trump made a promise to the American people that’s going to happen.” He said deportations and arrests would prioritize anyone with a criminal background or seen as a security threat. But "it doesn’t mean because you prioritize criminals, everybody else is off the table," he said in Phoenix. "I’ve said no one’s off the table. Why is that? I don’t care how long you’ve been here. If you’re here illegally into this country, you cheated.”

Daily Signal [5/6/2026 1:50 PM, Al Perrotta, 474K] reports that "mass deportations are coming," border czar Tom Homan declared Tuesday during his keynote speech at the Border Security Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. "If you think last year’s historic number was good, wait until next year, when we have 10,000 agents," he told the more than 2,200 attendees. "You ain’t seen (expletive) yet.” Homan specifically put New York on notice after the state refused to enter a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a formal partnership that delegates to state or local law enforcement certain immigration authority functions. "We’re going to flood the zone. You’re going to see more [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents than you’ve seen before," Homan said. "You forced us into this position." Homan used Tuesday’s speech to respond to several Democrat talking points, including moves to keep ICE agents away from schools, polling places, and churches. "If you’re a significant safety threat or national security threat, you have no sanctuary in this nation," he said. "The only people that violated the sanctity of a church was Don Lemon and that bunch," he added, referring to an incident in January in which the former CNN host, along with a swarm of anti-ICE protesters, invaded and disrupted Sunday services at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, terrorizing worshippers. KTAR reports Homan also attacked public figures who accuse ICE agents of being Nazis and racists.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 9:47 PM, Ian Hanchett, 2238K] reports that, on Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Ingraham Angle,” Border Czar Tom Homan said that “about 60% of everybody we’re arresting is a criminal. The other 40% are not. I think that’s a good percentage.” Homan said, [relevant remarks begin around 4:20] “[L]ook, we’re going to arrest non-criminals, even though President Trump is prioritizing public safety threats, national security threats. If you look at the numbers right now, about 60% of everybody we’re arresting is a criminal. The other 40% are not. I think that’s a good percentage. I think that’s a better percentage than 40% criminal and 60% non-criminal. But everybody’s on the table.” He continued, “And here is what Kathy Hochul (D) is going to get in New York: When you force us into the community to find the bad guy — and we will find them — many times they’re with others, others that may be in the country illegally, but not a target — not a criminal threat, not a national security threat. They may have been here for 20 years. But guess what? They’re coming too, because they’re in the country illegally. We’re not going to tell ICE to turn a blind eye to the oath they took or ignore the laws passed by Congress that we get appropriated to enforce.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [5/6/2026 11:20 AM, Nicole Weatherholtz, 3760K] reports acknowledging that "things weren’t perfect," Tom Homan defended the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown while insisting the White House remains committed to carrying out mass deportations nationwide. President Donald Trump’s border czar said the administration learned from the fallout surrounding Operation Metro Surge, a controversial Minneapolis-area enforcement effort that was scaled back after federal immigration agents fatally shot U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. "Things weren’t perfect. We addressed it. We fixed it," Homan told CBS News on Tuesday at the annual Border Security Expo in Phoenix. The operation triggered bipartisan criticism and renewed scrutiny of the administration’s immigration tactics, but Homan argued the response has been to improve enforcement methods — not abandon them. "I’ve had the discussions with [Homeland Security] Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He agrees. We can have mass deportations, but do it in a smarter way, which we’re doing," Homan said.

FOX News [5/6/2026 4:32 PM, Alexandra Koch, 37576K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is blasting Minnesota officials after the state’s Board of Pardons unanimously voted to pardon a Laotian national with multiple assault convictions, a move DHS warned could block his long-standing deportation order. Xayasounethone Chandee, an illegal immigrant from Laos, was convicted of assault in 1992. Following the jury’s decision, an immigration judge issued Chandee a final order of removal in 1995. Despite the order, Chandee was not deported and was convicted again in 2008 of two felony counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. DHS said the Minnesota Board of Pardons’ decision to pardon Chandee could now thwart his removal from the U.S. "The Minnesota Board of Pardons’ unanimous decision pardoning an illegal alien convicted of three violent assaults is absolute INSANITY," DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. "Chandee lost his green card following his convictions for aggravated assault with a weapon. Following his criminal convictions, he was placed in removal proceedings and issued a final order of removal by a judge." "Minnesota’s sanctuary politicians’ pardon took away this violent thug’s qualifying convictions that made him removable from the U.S.," she continued.

FOX News [5/6/2026 8:25 PM, Alexandra Koch, 37576K] reports an illegal immigrant is facing 30 charges in a decade-long serial rape case in Marion County, Indiana, after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) DNA collection cracked the case, authorities said. Leonel Catalan-Torreblanca is facing 30 charges, which include felonies that carry potential sentences of up to 50 years in prison under Indiana’s old penal code, Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears said during a news conference Wednesday. The series of alleged sexual assaults spanned more than a decade, with the first reported incident in March 2013 and the most recent in January 2024. Officials said, for years, local and federal investigators knew the crimes were connected because DNA profiles from the crime locations were linked to one another in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but they lacked a match to a known offender. Catalan-Torreblanca had previously avoided the database because his only prior criminal history was a misdemeanor DUI arrest, which does not require a DNA swab, according to authorities. The breakthrough came recently when an ICE collection allowed Catalan-Torreblanca’s DNA profile to be entered into CODIS, triggering a match to the crime scenes. FBI Special Agent in Charge Tim O’Malley confirmed Catalan-Torreblanca was in the country illegally, though officials said they were "not entirely sure exactly where he’s from originally.” The FBI expedited and confirmed the Catalan-Torreblanca’s identity on April 22, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit tracked him down and arrested him at a relative’s house within four hours. "Incredible work out of @FBIIndianapolis — our FBI teams and partners used advanced DNA technology and our Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to charge the suspect," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a statement on X. Catalan-Torreblanca is being held on a standard bond. It is unclear if ICE has lodged an immigration detainer against him. During the news conference, Mears praised the "incredible strength and resiliency" of the survivors who were asked to relive their trauma to assist detectives in bringing the charges forward. Authorities said Catalan-Torreblanca may have lived near apartment complexes where the attacks took place, warning that there may be other victims or connected cases that lack DNA evidence. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Reuters [5/6/2026 8:55 PM, Kanishka Singh, 38315K] reports the U.S. Board ‌of Immigration Appeals has reinstated deportation proceedings against pro-Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi, according to a court filing from his lawyers. A U.S. immigration judge in February had rejected efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to deport the Columbia University student, who was arrested last year following his participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Nina Froes, the Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based immigration judge who blocked the government’s efforts to deport Mahdawi, was fired by the Trump administration last month. The Board of ⁠Immigration Appeals, part of the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, overturned Froes’ decision. Trump alleges activists like Mahdawi are antisemitic, support extremism and threaten U.S. foreign policy. Activists, including some Jewish groups, say the government conflates criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian rights with support for extremism. "The government continues to weaponize the immigration system to silence dissent," Mahdawi said in a statement shared by his legal team on Wednesday. Mahdawi, born and raised in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was arrested in April 2025 upon arriving for an interview for his U.S. citizenship petition. He was released after two weeks ‌in ⁠detention following a judge’s order and was never charged with a crime. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Mahdawi, says the government cannot deport him for the moment as his arrest was still being challenged in federal court. Trump has cracked down on pro-Palestinian movements by attempting to deport foreign protesters, threatening to freeze funds for universities where protests were held and scrutinizing immigrants’ online speech. The crackdown ⁠has led to concerns among rights experts about free speech, due process and academic freedom. It has also faced legal and judicial roadblocks. U.S. colleges have seen campus movements against Israel’s war in Gaza since late 2023. Demonstrations peaked in 2024. While the intensity ⁠of the movements has declined since then, there have been occasional flashes. Over the weekend, University of Michigan professor Derek Peterson praised pro-Palestinian protesters in a spring commencement program, prompting the university to issue an apology. On Wednesday, Rutgers ⁠University said it withdrew an invitation to pro-Palestinian business leader Rami Elghandour, a critic of Israel, for a graduation speech next week. Elghandour criticized the decision that the university said was based on complaints by some students about his online posts.

Reported similarly:
ABC News [5/6/2026 4:32 PM, Armando Garcia, 34146K]Video: HERE

ABC News [5/6/2026 5:45 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports two former immigration judges have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over their removal, alleging they were discriminated against for political affiliation, sex, race, and past association with immigrant advocacy groups. Carla Espinoza, a former judge in Chicago who was removed from her position with the Department of Justice last year, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing the federal government of "firing" her based on her previous work as an immigration lawyer, as well as her race and sex. Espinoza is one of 113 immigration judges who have been removed during the current Trump administration, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges. She was appointed as a judge in August 2023 and was dismissed this past August. According to the filing, DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review began issuing memos in early 2025 that characterized immigrant advocacy organizations as "extremist" and promised to "penalize illegal DEI preferences.” Espinoza alleges in the complaint that following policy shifts, the federal government "chose to fire from EOIR a disproportionate number of women, people of color, ethnic minorities, and persons associated therewith.” A second former immigration judge who filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last week alleged the federal government was motivated to remove her from her position because of her political affiliation, sex, age, race, and past association with immigrant advocacy groups. The two former immigration judges were in temporary probationary periods and argue in their complaints that the DOJ had a policy and custom that upon the completion of a temporary term, the agency would routinely convert that probationary judge’s status to permanent immigration judge. According to the complaint, the federal government "began issuing numerous memoranda announcing the end to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (‘DEI’) efforts.” "The memorandum stated that the Agency had reviewed the hiring materials of all Immigration Judges hired under the prior administration, and alleged that persons of ‘certain backgrounds’ were given favorable treatment over others," Lilien’s attorneys said in the complaint. "The memorandum concluded that EOIR was ‘committed to rectifying those harms.’". "Together, the memoranda laid bare management’s hostility to hiring individuals with immigrants’ rights backgrounds, women, ethnic minorities, and others who may be considered ‘DEI’ hires," her attorneys said.

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 1:14 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports that an illegal immigrant’s deportation case spiraled into controversy this week after the Department of Homeland Security publicly accused a federal judge of releasing a "wanted murderer" using information that government lawyers had been instructed to withhold from the court, leading to the judge on Tuesday referring a Trump administration attorney for a possible misconduct investigation. The dispute traces back to two separate DHS press releases issued weeks apart that ultimately led to the confusion in Rhode Island federal court. The course of events that led up to the issue began on April 16, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a press release announcing the arrest of "5 foreign fugitives wanted for murder," including Dominican Republic national Bryan Rafael Gomez, an illegal immigrant accused by Dominican authorities in a homicide case. Then, after U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, ordered Gomez released from ICE custody on April 28, DHS escalated the matter publicly with a second April 30 press release titled "Activist Biden Judge Releases Violent Criminal Illegal Alien Wanted for Murder." "An activist judge appointed by Joe Biden released this wanted murderer back into American communities," DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in the statement. But by that point, DuBose had not actually been informed through records in the court about the Dominican warrant when she made her release decision.

NewsMax [5/6/2026 6:50 PM, Jim Mishler, 3760K] reports Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday that the Department of Justice will prosecute people accused of assaulting federal immigration agents "every single time," regardless of how difficult the cases may be. The Washington Examiner reported that Blanche made the remarks during an appearance at the Border Security Expo conference in Phoenix. "At my Department of Justice, if a rioter or an illegal alien or somebody you’re trying to arrest touches a federal law enforcement officer in any sort of manner that’s aggressive, we will take that case and prosecute them for assaulting a federal officer," Blanche told attendees. "Every single time my team hears about an assault, whether it’s through your agencies telling us, whether it’s through our U.S. attorneys, we always say, investigate and prosecute the case no matter what," Blanche said. "No matter if it takes resources, no matter if it takes time, no matter if it’s a tough case, no matter if the judge is going to give the guy bail, it doesn’t matter. We’re still going to do it," he added. Blanche said federal immigration agents and officers have faced repeated attacks during enforcement operations in cities including Chicago and Minneapolis. "It frustrates me that I have to even say that, that you have to take a job putting your life on the line for me and get punched in the face and have some [assistant U.S. attorney] say, ‘Well, we’re not going to charge that,’" Blanche said. According to Blanche, the Justice Department has brought 1,400 assault cases during the past year involving alleged attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Justice Department personnel. "Does that mean that these are easy cases, especially when there’s mass rioters, and you don’t know exactly who punched you? Or you don’t know exactly who threw that brick? No, they’re not easy cases, they take a lot of work," Blanche said.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 2:50 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 1147K]

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 6:49 PM, Jack Birle, 1147K] reports a federal appeals court grilled the Department of Justice on Wednesday over the Trump administration’s bid to allow immigration officers to enter places of worship in certain circumstances, expressing concern over the effects on religious liberty that the policy may have. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit grilled DOJ lawyer Michael Talent over the administration’s bid to reverse a lower court’s ruling barring the implementation of a policy giving immigration officials more freedom to conduct operations in "sensitive locations," such as churches and other places of worship. The coalition of religious groups suing the administration claims the policy violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which bars the government from substantially burdening a person’s right to exercise religion, pointing to drops in attendance at religious services after the new policy was announced. Several judges questioned Talent about the drop in attendance, which the group cited as evidence of a violation of its religious rights. Talent responded to the various questions by pointing out that immigration enforcement operations were still possible under the Biden administration’s Homeland Security policy and that the new policy only changed the "approval level" within DHS needed to conduct operations at sensitive locations. "The congregants seem to believe – and we point this out – that the prior policy created the safe haven that prevented enforcement at churches," Talent said. Talent also asserted that the policy change was not as significant as the groups suing the administration are making it out to be, stressing that the level of approval within DHS that officers needed to conduct immigration operations at churches changed, rather than a reversal of a previous full ban on the practice. "It doesn’t create this kind of safe harbor, safe haven for churches," Talent said about the previous policy under then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "Enforcement is possible under the Mayorkas memorandum, which shows that, again, the concerns about immigration enforcement at these houses of worship is driven more, probably, by the overall enforcement posture of this administration.”

AP [5/6/2026 10:42 PM, Rebecca Santana, 34146K] reports the Justice Department is aiming to weed out immigration judges who it feels are ruling too slowly or aren’t following the law, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday, as the Trump administration seeks to remake the courts and cut down on the backlog of 3.7 million cases to ease its mass deportation push. Blanche was in Phoenix to address the Border Security Expo, a yearly gathering that draws top immigration officials, local and state law enforcement officers and representatives from companies doing business with the federal government. Blanche’s appearance at the gathering reflects the way immigration enforcement and border security have become priorities throughout the Trump administration. Blanche, who has led the Justice Department since Pam Bondi was ousted last month, spoke to The Associated Press after his appearance at the conference. His comments were some of the most detailed on the changes to immigration courts since he took over the role. "You take an oath and you’re not allowed to make decisions based upon what appear to be just sympathy or your whim," Blanche said. "If there’s judges that are just not applying the law in the way that it needs to be applied, delaying inappropriately, have backlogs that are just unacceptable, they’re the folks that we’re going to try to find somebody different to fill that spot.” The second Trump administration has made mass deportations a central priority and has launched an all-of-government effort to reach its lofty goals. To do so, it has cracked down on migrants in American cities, scaled up detention facilities and increased hiring of immigration officers. While the Department of Homeland Security is the Cabinet agency most directly responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, immigration courts, a key aspect of the immigration system, fall under the Justice Department. Dozens of immigration judges have been removed from their jobs during Trump’s second term, with critics saying they were targeted because they were approving too many asylum cases. The administration has also directed masked officers to handcuff migrants at closed asylum hearings and sent memos instructing judges to fall into line. Many migrants and their advocates say that immigration courts have increasingly become traps — they show up for routine hearings only to face arrest. Unlike federal courts, where there are strict rules of procedure and judges have lifetime tenure, the Justice Department runs immigration courts and the attorney general can fire the judges with fewer restraints. But critics take issue with how the administration is remaking the immigration courts. "Unfortunately, the Trump Administration is systematically dismantling due process protections in U.S. immigration courts, prioritizing speed and enforcement over fairness, accuracy, and fundamental justice," the American Immigration Lawyers Association wrote in a policy brief last fall.

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 6:43 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1147K] reports the Justice Department on Wednesday opened a civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano over allegations his office gave preferential treatment to illegal immigrants in criminal cases, intensifying scrutiny of one of Virginia’s most prominent progressive prosecutors. In a letter sent Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is examining whether Descano’s office violated federal law by considering "immigration consequences" when making charging decisions, plea agreements, and sentencing recommendations. The inquiry will examine whether the office discriminated against U.S. citizens by "offering preferential treatment" to illegal immigrants charged with crimes, according to the department. "I have authorized a full investigation to determine whether the [Descano] has engaged in unlawful discrimination in violation of Title VI and the Safe Streets Act," Dhillon wrote, referring to federal laws that prohibit recipients of federal funding from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin. Descano, who has served as Fairfax County’s top prosecutor since 2020, campaigned as a progressive reform prosecutor and has received more than $600,000 in campaign backing from the Justice and Public Safety PAC, a political committee heavily funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros, according to public campaign finance records. The department is also reviewing the office under a federal law enforcement misconduct statute to determine whether prosecutors engaged in "a pattern or practice" of depriving individuals of rights protected under the Constitution or federal law. At the center of the inquiry is a 2020 policy issued by Descano’s office directing prosecutors to consider the "immigration consequences" defendants could face from criminal convictions, including possible deportation, according to a signed memorandum. Dhillon said investigators are examining whether those policies resulted in unequal treatment for defendants based on immigration status or national origin. "This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes," Dhillon said in a statement Wednesday. The DOJ’s investigation comes just months after a pro-police group known as the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund called on the Trump administration to begin an investigation into Descano, citing in part an incident from 2019 when first-degree murder charges were dropped against Marvin Morales Ortez, despite court transcripts indicating that Descano’s office believed the then-defendant was present when the victim, Guillen Mejia, was killed after an ambushing involving Morales Ortez.

Reported similarly:
Washington Post [5/6/2026 6:36 PM, Juan Benn Jr. and Salvador Rizzo, 24826K]
Daily Caller [5/6/2026 4:52 PM, Derek VanBuskirk, 803K]
Univision [5/7/2026 3:23 AM, Staff, 4937K]

San Diego Union Tribune [5/6/2026 2:11 PM, Ethan Baron, 1257K] reports that a former federal immigration judge in Concord, California, is suing the Trump administration, claiming she was ousted from her position because she’s an older female Democrat with a history of advocating for immigrants. Kyra Lilien’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice claims the agency terminated her in July amid a wave of removals targeting women and proponents of immigrants’ rights. All six female immigration judges in the Concord Immigration Court near San Francisco were removed around the same time, Lilien’s lawsuit alleges. “If you support the President politically, you get a job, you get to keep the job,” said Kevin Owen, a lawyer for Lilien. “If you don’t support the President politically, you’re going to lose your job and they’re going to give it to someone else.” Lilien is seeking unspecified damages, reinstatement to her judgeship, and lost pay, for alleged violations of anti-discrimination and civil-rights laws, and of her First Amendment right to free speech. The Justice Department on Tuesday declined to comment on claims by Owen or the allegations in the lawsuit. The department has fired or declined to offer permanent positions to 115 immigration judges during President Donald Trump’s second administration without cause, explanation, or due process, the National Association of Immigration Judges claimed Tuesday. Owen believes the terminations are intended to intimidate immigration judges into aligning with the Trump administration’s goal of “deporting as many people as possible.” According to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Lilien decided 377 asylum cases, granting asylum in 66% and denying it in 34%. Around the time of her decisions, the national denial rate was 59% and the denial rate in the Concord immigration court was 42%, TRAC reported.

Los Angeles Times [5/6/2026 9:25 PM, Ruben Vives, 12718K] reports a Long Beach man was sentence to prison for bringing a Molotov cocktail during an anti-immigration enforcement protest last year in downtown Los Angeles. U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang sentenced Wrackkie Quiogue to 30 months in federal prison. Quiogue, 28, pleaded guilty in November to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He has been in federal custody since last summer. Federal prosecutors said while many people were peacefully demonstrating against immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County last summer, some people sought to use violence to obstruct, impede or injure officers conducting the enforcement operations. They said among them was Quiogue, who on June 8, during an anti-immigration enforcement protest in downtown Los Angeles, was seen by a police officer holding a Molotov cocktail. "The glass bottle he held contained a flammable liquid (ethanol) and a source of ignition, namely a yellow piece of cloth soaked in ethanol, which acted as a wick," Ciaran McEvoy, spokesperson for the Department of Justice, wrote in a statement. "Fearing that Quiogue would light the Molotov cocktail and throw it at the officers, police approached Quiogue, causing him to attempt to flee.” McEvoy said Quiogue, then 27, threw the unlighted Molotov cocktail into the air as he was being pursued by police officers. He said Quiogue was then taken into custody while holding a lighter in his right hand. Quiogue later admitted to possessing the destructive device and that he had not registered it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law.

New York Times [5/7/2026 3:19 AM, Hurubie Meko, 330K] reports that, for Dana Briggs, a 71-year-old Air Force veteran, it was only natural that he would join a September demonstration outside a Chicago detention center. He has regularly protested the Department of Homeland Security’s actions for more than a decade. But this time, he would find himself inside a federal prison hours later. He said that while at the demonstration, he had been knocked to the ground by agents, swarmed and arrested, and had been taken to a hospital, where he was handcuffed to a bed. He was then transferred to the federal facility, and read his rights, fingerprinted and photographed. So by the time Mr. Briggs was ordered to take a cotton swab and rub it against the inside of his cheek, he complied. “If you refuse to give a swab, you’re committing another crime,” Mr. Briggs said in an interview. “I was unaware of that. And I suspect that 99.9 percent of us in this country are unaware of that.” This week, Mr. Briggs became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the federal government’s DNA collection practice, arguing that his arrest and the collection of his sample violated his rights to protest and protections against the government conducting “warrantless, unreasonable intrusions” into his body. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Illinois, names three other people as plaintiffs, two of whom were arrested but never charged with a crime. “The government’s chilling message is clear,” the suit says. “If you protest government policies, we will arrest you, file away your DNA and monitor you — and potentially your biological relatives — going forward.” In a directive issued last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that people who are arrested by its officers or who are facing charges or convicted must provide DNA samples. According to the directive, the agency will not use force to collect DNA samples but may refer people for prosecution if they don’t cooperate. In Mr. Briggs’s case, he was released two days after his arrest, and the charges against him were dismissed two months later. The cases of four other protesters who were arrested that day were also dismissed. A federal judge found that the government “swung and missed — multiple times” in charging Mr. Briggs. But while Mr. Briggs was freed, his DNA sample remained in federal custody. Last year, Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology found that DNA samples were collected from about 2,000 U.S. citizens who were stopped at border checkpoints from October 2020 to December 2024. In some cases, the report found, the agency collected the DNA without stating a reason for doing so. And that was before the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

AP [5/6/2026 12:00 PM, Linley Sanders, Tim Sullivan, and Mike Catalini, 35287K] reports most U.S. adults say the United States is no longer a great place for immigrants, according to a new AP-NORC poll, as about one-third of Americans report knowing someone impacted by the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. A new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of more than 2,500 U.S. adults finds about 6 in 10 say the country used to be a great place for immigrants but is not anymore. About one-third of U.S. adults — and more than half of Hispanic adults — say that over the last year they, or someone they know, have started carrying proof of their immigration status or U.S. citizenship, been detained or deported, changed travel plans, or significantly changed routines, such as avoiding work, school or leaving the house, because of their immigration status.

Wall Street Journal [5/6/2026 12:05 PM, Staff, 646K] reports restrictionists in the White House claim that deporting illegal immigrants will improve economic opportunities for U.S.-born workers. But job growth has slowed amid the Administration’s mass deportations, and a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds they are harming American workers. Economists at the University of Colorado, Boulder, examined employment changes in areas most affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests—i.e., states and regions in which arrests doubled relative to their non-citizen population—in comparison to the rest of the country between January and October 2025. First, they found a 4% decline in employment of undocumented workers, which comports with employer reports that raids have prompted immigrant workers to stop showing up. Some 28% of construction firms said in an industry survey last summer they were affected by the President’s stepped up immigration enforcement. “For every ICE arrest, 6 male likely undocumented workers stop working,” the NBER study estimates. The researchers don’t discern whether workers are undocumented based on the data, but they classified them as such if they are foreign-born with a high school degree or less and work in industries with large numbers of undocumented immigrants. So it’s possible that employment also dropped among legal immigrants with less formal education. Why should Americans care if fewer immigrants are working? Restrictionists argue this is desirable since there will be more jobs available for Americans. But the study finds the opposite: Employment among U.S.-born men with less formal education fell by 1.3% in areas with more ICE arrests.

The Hill [5/6/2026 12:00 PM, Sheldon H. Jacobson, 18170K] reports that funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies was at the epicenter of the recently resolved budget impasse. This roadblock, resulting in a record-long 75-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, was focused on how ICE was staffed and directed by the Trump administration. During his campaign in 2024, President Trump promised he would solve the nation’s immigration problem, a focus that dates back to his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border during his first term. The president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated an additional $75 billion of funding to ICE over a four-year period, far beyond its annual $10 billion appropriation, making it impervious to congressional actions that most agencies require to be funded annually. Yet with such an infusion of money, have ICE efforts over the past year really produced good outcomes for our nation? Trump has blamed his predecessor for many of the nation’s immigration problems. So you would assume that ICE never did anything during President Joe Biden’s administration. But this is not so. Looking back to the final full fiscal year of the Biden administration, ICE deported more than 271,000 people, or just over 22,000 people per month — the largest such number for more than a decade. It also achieved this with a significantly smaller budget and far fewer ICE officers.

The Hill [5/6/2026 8:30 AM, Arturo McFields, 18170K] reports Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appears to be placing her political party over justice, and drug cartels over her nation’s relationship with the U.S. Doubts regarding the extradition of Sinaloa’s governor, Rubén Rocha Moya, have been replaced by a defiant narrative emphasizing national sovereignty and lack of evidence regarding his connections to drug traffickers. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Drug Enforcement Administration announced indictments against Rocha, Sen. Enrique Inzunza, Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez and seven other current and former Mexican officials for allegedly conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of drugs into the U.S. in exchange for political support and bribes.

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 9:00 AM, Ronald Piervincenzi, 1147K] reports geopolitical conflicts can erupt with little warning, disrupting global trade systems and placing immediate strain on supply chains. Today, all eyes are on the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Tomorrow, it could be issues in the South China Sea or an escalation of the U.S.-China trade war. For supply chains that are already vulnerable to disruptions, such as those for generic medicines, national security risks due to reliance on adversary nations multiply disruption risks. A significant portion of U.S. medicines and their ingredients are produced abroad, with countries such as China dominating critical segments of the supply of ingredients essential to making our medicines. Nearly 700 medicines used by Americans, fully one-third of all U.S. medicines, contain at least one key starting material sourced exclusively from China. In simple terms, China knows it could today apply trade-related pressures to cut off KSMs threatening the availability of 1 out of 3 U.S. medicines. Nearly 5 billion prescriptions are filled annually in the United States; over 90% are for generic drugs. By allowing concentrated production of key ingredients that make up these medicines in any one country, the U.S. exposes itself to the real possibility that supply chains could be weaponized to exert influence and power. This type of national security risk threatens our nation’s health and safety.

Washington Post [5/6/2026 1:40 PM, Maria Sacchetti, Sarah Blaskey, and David Nakamura, 24826K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to return to a longer training program for new deportation officers, two Department of Homeland Security officials said Wednesday, restoring previous standards after dramatically shortening the instruction period for recruits last year. The reduced training period drew criticism from Democrats and former federal law enforcement officials, who questioned whether recruits were being rushed on to the job without adequate preparation at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to detain and deport record numbers of undocumented migrants. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who took over from Kristi L. Noem in late March, has pledged to restore public confidence in the massive law enforcement agency after widespread outrage over the fatal shootings by immigration and border officers of two U.S. citizens during enforcement operations in Minneapolis in January. Starting July 1, ICE is reverting to 72 days of instruction at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, scrapping a 42-day accelerated program implemented last fall. The change is taking place because the agency has completed a hiring surge that more than doubled the number of immigration officers to 22,000, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. In a statement Wednesday, DHS did not confirm the return to a longer training period, instead repeating past assertions that authorities did not water down instruction last year.

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Breitbart [5/6/2026 6:59 PM, Staff, 2238K]
The Hill [5/6/2026 4:00 PM, Ryan Mancini, 18170K]
NewsMax [5/6/2026 8:20 AM, Sandy Fitzgerald, 3760K]
Univision [5/6/2026 8:09 PM, Staff, 4937K]

ABC News [5/6/2026 8:24 PM, Laura Romero and Allison Pecorin, 34146K] reports an independent office within the Department of Homeland Security that investigates misconduct and handles complaints regarding safety, medical care, and legal access in immigration detention has been shut down, the agency confirmed. The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman -- which saw most of its employees placed on leave last year -- was established in 2019 to provide independent oversight of immigration detention facilities and recommend improvements, according to advocates. DHS said on Wednesday it blamed the closure of the office on Congress. "DHS did not shut down the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman – Congress did," a spokesperson for DHS said. "The House passed the DHS appropriations bill without objection, and it was signed into law last week.” While the appropriations bill passed last week funds most of DHS, lawmakers excluded funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection due to ongoing political gridlock. In response, Republican lawmakers are now attempting to provide three years of funding for ICE and parts of CBP through a procedural tool known as budget reconciliation that would allow them to pass the funding without Democratic support. However, despite ICE not receiving funding through the appropriations bill passed last week, much of the agency has remained funded throughout the shutdown via the mega bill. A DHS spokesperson did not respond to questions regarding why the independent watchdog office is not being funded through the legislation or whether the office will be reinstated if Republicans successfully fund ICE through their reconciliation package. In response to the office closure, Anthony Enriquez, an attorney with the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, said the closure of the office is an "unlawful choice" by the federal government. "Congress passed no statute that says we are repealing the office of the immigration detention ombudsman," Enriquez said. "The law that exists on the books right now is that this office must exist.” The non-profit organization is currently suing the federal government over its intent to close the three oversight offices within DHS, including the Office of the Immigration Ombudsman. The closure of the watchdog office comes amid concerns from lawmakers and immigrant advocates about the conditions in detention facilities. As of last week, 49 people have died in ICE detention during the second Trump administration. The rise in fatalities coincides with a record-high detention population, which currently stands at around 60,000 in federal immigration custody. Appearing before a House subcommittee hearing last month, outgoing Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the number of deaths is high because "we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003.” "If there is no longer anybody that is watchdogging these agencies in order to ensure that these types of abuses aren’t occurring, we’re just going to see more of these abuses occur," Enriquez said.

Axios [5/6/2026 6:24 PM, Brittany Gibson, 17364K] reports a federal appeals court struck down the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy on Wednesday. The Miami, Florida-based 11th Circuit ruling is the latest case to weigh the administration’s controversial policy to hold people in immigration detention with the possibility for bond. Now, two federal appeals courts have ruled against the government, while two others have supported the policy. One deadlocked. The case stems from the government’s reinterpretation of a 1996 policy governing which migrants had to be held in detention and who was eligible for bond. Since the policy change last year, anyone who entered the country illegally would be detained by ICE without bond, regardless of how long they’ve been already been living in the country. The implementation has contributed to the swell of people in ICE detention, reaching a high of more than 70,000 earlier this year. "Simply put, the language that Congress has chosen to use does not grant to the Executive unfettered authority to detain, without the possibility of bond, every unadmitted alien present in the country," Judge Stanley Marcus wrote in the opinion. "Nowhere in the text, structure, or history of the INA does that reading find steady footing," the opinion says.

NewsMax [5/6/2026 5:14 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports a Canadian citizen has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court accusing the Department of Homeland Security of attempting to obtain extensive personal information about him through a subpoena issued to Google after he posted criticism of President Donald Trump online. The plaintiff, identified as John Doe, filed the suit Monday with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, alleging the government is seeking "vast swaths of information" tied to his online activity and engaging in "a transparent gambit to chill speech the government doesn’t like.” "I have long admired the United States for its commitment to free speech," the plaintiff said in a statement released by the ACLU. "Never in a million years did I think that, after criticizing the U.S. government, I would be targeted with a summons seeking to find out who I am, where I live, where I go and what I read online.” "You don’t have to be from America to know that this is un-American.” According to the complaint, the man used a pseudonymous social media account to post "content critical of President Trump and his administration.” In February, he was notified that Google had "received an administrative subpoena issued by the Department of Homeland Security compelling the release of information related to your Google account" covering several months of activity. The lawsuit comes amid heightened scrutiny of DHS investigative authorities, particularly its use of administrative subpoenas, which allow the department to compel records without prior judicial approval under certain statutes. Civil liberties advocates have long warned that such tools can be used broadly, especially in cases involving digital platforms, where user data can include search history, location information and communications metadata. The subpoena followed online criticism by the plaintiff related to immigration enforcement, including commentary on the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota involving federal officers. The shootings drew national attention and prompted strong reactions from administration officials. Officials, including Vice President JD Vance, defended federal enforcement actions, framing them as necessary to uphold law and order. The complaint alleges the timing of the subpoena suggests a connection between the plaintiff’s posts and the government’s effort to identify him, raising concerns about retaliation to protected speech.

ABC News [5/6/2026 7:45 PM, Staff, 34146K] reports President Trump is floating the idea of renaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to National Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Politico [5/6/2026 1:30 PM, By Chris Sommerfeldt, 21784K] reports Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration is scrutinizing NYPD contracts with a surveillance technology company that’s faced criticism for doing business with federal immigration authorities, documents reviewed by POLITICO show. The examination of the NYPD’s dealings with Vigilant Solutions is part of an ongoing audit process being conducted by Mamdani’s administration at the police department and five other city agencies. Mamdani ordered the reviews in February with the stated goal of strengthening New York City’s sanctuary laws as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its aggressive — and at times lethal — immigration crackdowns across the U.S. The laws bar city employees and resources from being used to assist federal authorities in civil immigration matters. The revelation that the NYPD audit is looking at a private company indicates Mamdani wants to scrutinize not just whether the department is complying with the sanctuary laws but also its vendors. In ordering the audits, Mamdani specified they may result in “changes and updates to policies and protocols,” suggesting the singling out of Vigilant could come with repercussions for its NYPD contracts. Asked why the police department’s Vigilant connections are being scrutinized in particular, mayoral spokesperson Sam Raskin provided little clarity. “The Mamdani administration has engaged with a number of agencies on their policies, guidelines and procedures related to federal immigration enforcement,” he said Tuesday. “We will share more soon.”

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [5/6/2026 4:36 PM, Sam Barron, 3760K]

USA Today [5/6/2026 7:26 AM, Amethyst Martinez, 70643K] reports New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized the response of federal immigration enforcement in Bushwick this weekend after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents brought a detainee to a local hospital, leading to large protests outside. The mayor clarified that New York Police Department officers were not there to assist ICE agents but instead were responding to protests outside the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Saturday night. Mamdani has said in the past that he supports the abolishment of ICE. The NYPD, the Department of Homeland Security and the Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by USA TODAY.

New York Post [5/6/2026 6:00 AM, Chadwick Moore, 40934K] reports the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests in Bushwick on Saturday night included a tight-knit group of young semi-pro protesters, familiar from previous clashes with cops. This network of Gen Z agitators — largely young, upwardly mobile transplants to New York City — seem intent on picking a fight with authority first and cause second, moving seamlessly from climate activism to anti-Israel protest and now anti-ICE and immigration enforcement. They organize through decentralized non-public networks, such as Discord and encrypted messaging apps, which you have to be a vetted member to join, according to sources, which is how they got word out that ICE was at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Saturday night. "You’re either on a text list or an email list. You get notifications. We saw this in Minnesota [in January]. There were events that precipitated the two tragic deaths there where [protesters] were all alerted by these tip lines, ‘ICE is out, go to this address and disrupt,’" Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), told The Post. "In New York City, you have a political structure that supports this sort of agitation against ICE," he added.

FOX News [5/6/2026 7:27 AM, Eric Mack, 37576K] reports Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Madison Sheahan finished third in her Ohio Republican congressional primary Tuesday night, handing ICE critics a talking point but leaving Republican officials convinced they have the right candidate to flip a battleground seat. Sheahan’s loss to former state Rep. Derek Merrin brings relief to Republicans concerned about her electability against Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in congressional history and a top National Republican Congressional Committee target in the midterms as a potential seat to flip in the battle for the narrow House majority. The House is currently 218-212, with five vacancies and one independent who caucuses with the GOP.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 9:19 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports a criminal case against an Indiana woman came to an end when a federal judge handed 36-year-old Annamarie Fleischman a 50-year prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child pornography. Her sentence of confinement also carries a lifetime term of supervision upon release from federal prison. Fleischman entered her guilty plea on April 20. Fleischman, of Roanoke, Indiana, was arrested and charged with child sex crimes in August 2023 after police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Among other activities, the center runs a cyber tipline that initiated this criminal case. According to a report by WANE News, after receiving the cyber tip, Investigators with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted the Indiana State Police in executing a search warrant at a residence on Palace Drive in Roanoke. As a result of the evidence obtained during the search, 35-year-old Cecil Spangler and 34-year-old Annamarie Fleischman were arrested and transported to the Huntington County Jail. Spangler was charged with two counts of child molesting, and Fleischman was charged with one count of child molesting, child exploitation, and child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino commented on the case against Fleischman, saying, "Annamarie Fleischman’s heinous actions deserve every day of her 50-year sentence. HSI will continue to utilize every resource at our disposal to protect children from those who seek to exploit and do them harm."

New York Times [5/7/2026 3:19 AM, Mitch Smith, 330K] reports the state police in Illinois said on Tuesday that they were investigating the fatal shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last summer in suburban Chicago. The shooting of the man, Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, who was from Mexico, came in the midst of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in the Chicago area, and it immediately drew outrage from residents and local officials. Federal officials claimed that Mr. Villegas-Gonzalez, who they said was in the country illegally, drove a Subaru into officers and dragged an officer while fleeing a traffic stop in Franklin Park, Ill., near O’Hare International Airport. The agency said one officer had been severely injured. But video of the shooting, which took place on Sept. 12, raised questions about aspects of that account. Footage reviewed by New York Times showed Mr. Villegas-Gonzalez attempting to flee from officers. But it did not show Mr. Villegas-Gonzalez, 38, hitting an officer with his car, and an officer was heard on one of the videos saying his own injuries were “nothing major.” Lauren Bis, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, questioned the legal basis for the state investigation and dismissed it in a statement as “nothing more than a political stunt by Illinois sanctuary politicians.” She did not address a question about the status of any federal investigation of the shooting. The F.B.I. said in a statement that the agency was barred by policy from “commenting on the nature of any investigations that may or may not be occurring.” The state investigation of Mr. Villegas-Gonzalez’s death, and any attempt to bring criminal charges, could face several hurdles. Law enforcement officers have wide latitude to use deadly force in situations in which they reasonably fear that they or someone else is at risk of death or significant injury. And the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause bars the state prosecution of federal officers in a broad range of circumstances. Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the State Police, said in an emailed statement on Tuesday night that the Franklin Park Police Department had requested the state investigation. Once it is finished, she said, the findings will be turned over to the county prosecutor’s office. She declined to comment further. Mayor Barrett F. Pedersen of Franklin Park, a Chicago suburb with about 18,000 residents, said in a statement that he had been frustrated by “the lack of an explanation of what exactly occurred.” He called on federal officials to “provide complete transparency” on the results of their investigation.

Univision [5/6/2026 7:57 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports Kevin Gonzalez is 18 years old and in early 2026 received a devastating diagnosis: he has stage 4 colon cancer. His life could end soon, and to add to his pain, he cannot say goodbye to his parents, who were detained while trying to cross the border. It was during last Christmas that the young man born in Chicago began to show symptoms of the disease, after the relevant tests the devastating diagnosis was reached, so his wish is to reunite with his parents, with whom he lived for a time in Mexico and in Illinois, until both parents were deported. When Kevin’s parents learned of his illness, they applied for a humanitarian visa, which was denied due to his previous deportation. In their desperation, they decided to cross the border into the United States irregularly, but were apprehended. They are currently in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Florence, Arizona , where, according to ABC 7 Chicago , they will appear on May 7, 2026, and their lawyer recommended they plead guilty to illegal entry so they can be extradited to Mexico. However, they have a 30-day sentence and don’t know if it will end before their beloved son dies , which adds an extra worry for them.

Daily Wire [5/6/2026 5:03 PM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports an illegal immigrant who was allowed into the country by the Biden administration went on to land a job at a Wisconsin nursing home, where he allegedly sexually assaulted elderly residents, including one who has severe dementia, The Daily Wire has learned. The Fitchburg Police Department said last month that it received a report that an employee of Dimensions Living "may have assaulted vulnerable residents." Following an investigation, authorities charged 23-year-old Julio Morales-Jarquin, of Nicaragua, with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim on April 29. Since Morales-Jarquin’s arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer requesting that he be transferred into federal custody. The Department of Homeland Security has criticized Dane County policies in the past regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, arguing that such policies can complicate efforts to take custody of inmates who are illegal immigrants. "This dirtbag was released into the country by the Biden Administration," Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire. "DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians in Dane County, Wisconsin to NOT release this criminal from jail back onto the streets to commit more crimes." "We need Wisconsin sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us to remove criminals from our country," Bis added.

FOX News [5/7/2026 12:55 AM, Michael Sinkewicz, 37576K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is urging "sanctuary politicians in Wisconsin" not to release a Nicaraguan national who was arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting an elderly victim, according to a statement Wednesday. Julio Cesar Morales-Jarquin, 31, is in local police custody after being charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim, DHS said. He was arrested last month after a residential care facility in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, reported to police that an employee may have assaulted vulnerable residents, according to local outlet WKOW. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer request on April 27 asking that Morales-Jarquin remain in custody. DHS on Wednesday called on Dane County officials not to release Morales-Jarquin, accusing the county of being a "sanctuary jurisdiction" that refuses to honor ICE detainers. The agency said the county has previously given ICE as little as 30 minutes to take custody of individuals in its jail. "This illegal alien is charged with two counts of sexual assault of an elderly victim at an assisted living facility," Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in the DHS statement. "This dirtbag was released into the country by the Biden Administration. DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians in Dane County, Wisconsin to NOT release this criminal from jail back onto the streets to commit more crimes." "We need Wisconsin sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us to remove criminals from our country," she added.

Washington Times [5/6/2026 5:30 PM, Stephen Dinan, 1323K] reports a federal judge in Minnesota swatted down a challenge to ICE’s policy allowing immigration arrests near schools, ruling Wednesday that the school districts that sued to stop it lacked legal standing to bring the case. Judge Laura Provinzino, a Biden appointee, said she wasn’t giving approval to the policy itself. But she said neither the school systems nor Education Minnesota, a teachers union, could show they were injured by last year’s policy making it easier to carry out arrests near sensitive locations. The educators had filed their lawsuit in February, amid the Trump administration’s immigration surge and just weeks after the arrest of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, with his school backpack and blue bunny hat made national headlines. They argued that Homeland Security’s new willingness to make arrests near schools had left students and staff afraid to attend class. Fridley Public School District, one of the plaintiffs, said its attendance dropped 33% on two days in January, and it had to “unenroll” some students for chronic absenteeism. The school district said Homeland Security’s 2025 memo removing some restrictions on arrests near sensitive locations was issued too hastily and without following the usual notice and comment process. Judge Provinzino, though, said that while they could trace the drop in attendance and their other worries to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s overall stiffer posture toward illegal immigration under the Trump administration, they couldn’t prove it was directly linked to any new powers ICE is claiming. In particular, she said that even under the Biden administration, enforcement at or near schools was allowed, even though it was discouraged. “The 2025 guidance, in short, did not change DHS’s ability or authority to engage in enforcement activity at or near protected areas,” she wrote. “What has changed, evidently, is DHS’s willingness — not its authority — to conduct immigration enforcement activity at or near protected areas like schools. But such immigration enforcement has always been subject to DHS’s judgment and discretion.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 9:05 AM, Randy Clark, 2238K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents and Corpus Christi police officers arrested 42-year-old Benjamin Thomas Milfet, a PTA Board Member and Mireles Elementary School volunteer, for the alleged possession of child porn. A search warrant executed on Milfet’s property revealed a cellphone allegedly belonging to the suspect contained more than 2,000 images of child sex abuse materials, according to an ICE media release. According to ICE, the investigation that led to Milfet’s arrest was conducted by the Corpus Christi Police Department and the ICE Homeland Security Investigations office. The investigation peaked on April 23, when officers executed a federal search warrant on the suspect’s property. According to a KRIS TV report, upon arrival, Milfelt was found in his driveway and served with the warrant. According to the arrest report, obtained by KRIS, investigators discovered two cell phones believed to belong to Milfet in his truck. Arresting officers allege one of the cell phones contained more than 2,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse that showed both females and males between the ages of 10 and 14 years of age, unclothed as they performed sexual acts.

Houston Chronicle [5/6/2026 11:46 AM, James Osborne, 2493K] reports during recent trips to his home district in East Texas, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran kept hearing how tough it was for local businesses to find enough workers. The problem, they told him, was both an aging workforce and the fact that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was making it harder to hire and retain workers who may fear being picked up in a raid. It’s not just a problem in Moran’s neck of the woods. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported last month that the growth in Texas’ labor force had hit its lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic, mirroring a nationwide decline. The bank has said retirements, people having fewer babies and the administration’s mass deportation efforts are the likely causes. "Since the immigration enforcement changes began in mid-2024, U.S. and Texas job growth have fallen well below their respective long-run trend," economists at the Dallas Fed wrote in October. "Given the decline in immigration inflows, increase in arrests and removals of immigrants already here and the chilling effect, labor supply is clearly being affected." Moran, a Republican in his second term, thinks he has at least a partial solution. Last week he and U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, introduced the Workforce Apprenticeship Growth and Education Support Act, which would create a tax credit to subsidize up to $20,000 a year of an apprentice’s wages. The measure, he says, would encourage companies to hire unskilled workers and pay them to learn, for example, how to repair a car after a crash or weld a pipeline. "We also need to solve our immigration policy. It’s not a substitute answer for it," Moran said in an interview. "It might fill the gap, but it’s a great idea whether we have an immigration problem or not."

FOX News [5/6/2026 6:24 PM, Alexandra Koch and Brooke Taylor, 37576K] reports shocking video shows an illegal immigrant from Mexico being shot and killed by a Texas father during a carjacking attempt involving his family of eight, including a baby, police confirmed to Fox News. The Garland Police Department said, at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a crash involving a car that hit two other vehicles. Officials said the driver of the car at fault, identified as Jose Ramirez, 30, parked at a nearby gas station and was unsuccessfully attempting to "take several vehicles by force" in the parking lot. He then ran across the road to a convenience store parking lot, where he attempted to forcefully take the father’s car, according to police. Surveillance video obtained by affiliate FOX 4 Dallas showed Ramirez yanking the father out of the driver’s side of his car and forcefully trying to get inside. A small child was seen running from the back seat as the family scrambled to escape. Ramirez was then seen closing the doors and sitting inside the driver’s side as the father opened fire from the passenger side, police said. Ramirez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. No other injuries were reported. Officials said the father stayed at the vehicle and was cooperative with investigators, and no charges were filed against him.

Univision [5/6/2026 5:24 PM, Staff, 4937K] reports the young woman explained that her parents were arrested a few hours before their celebration began, which completely changed the course of that day. “They had no right; just before my big day they took the most important people to me,” posted on a collection page. The arrest of both parents left Cindy and her five sisters in a vulnerable situation. Currently, the 22-year-old sister took care of all, facing economic and emotional difficulties. The family also expressed concern about the health of the father, who suffers from prediabetes and high blood pressure, and who, they said, would not have access to his medications while in detention. In addition, they confirmed that both parents are in different detention centers, which complicates the communication and monitoring of their immigration status. After what happened, Cindy decided to postpone her 16-year-old party. Despite the emotional impact, he maintains the intention to celebrate later with his family. As part of the crisis response, the Landero family opened a fundraising campaign to cover legal expenses and basic needs. In the message published, the young woman also pointed out that her objective is to raise awareness about what happened and obtain support to be able to reunite again with her parents, as well as recover economic resources derived from the situation. “I was scared because it was my first time in court,” he says Wilfredo what he felt when he appeared before a judge without legal representation.

New York Post [5/6/2026 9:55 AM, Ross O’Keefe, 40934K] reports ICE agents stormed a Disney cruise ship docking in San Diego and arrested multiple workers in front of stunned passengers. Vacationers watched on as immigration officials cuffed several employees on the Disney Magic ship while it was being unloaded. Passenger Dharmi Mehta took a video of the moment, saying one of those detained was her server during the five-day trip last month. "He was full in uniform, which was in a blazer, tie. Some of the other employees were still in their chef’s uniforms with their name tags on it," Mehta said. She called the arrests "really unsettling." Mehta said she witnessed federal agents load the crewmembers into a white van. Ten crewmembers from the Disney ship were arrested, and another four from another ship the next day, immigration groups said. Several immigration rights groups have been up in arms about the Disney arrests, and also claimed four "seafarers" were arrested on the Holland America MV Zandaam cruise ship.

Blaze [5/6/2026 8:08 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports illegal alien activist groups are demanding answers over "abductions" of crew members in front of passengers on a Disney cruise by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Benjamin Prado from Union del Barrio spoke at a press conference at the pier in San Diego along with other migrant groups to express their outrage that ICE was doing its job. "This is not an isolated incident," Prado said. "In fact, it has become a growing pattern, not only here in San Diego but throughout this country.” He went on to claim that the detainees were being denied their due process rights and access to legal representation. "It is our responsibility as a society, as working people, to really denounce these actions by Customs and Border Protection, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the prolonged detention of migrant workers, whether it be here in our own community as well as those that work on ships," Prado added. Prado and the other groups demanded that Disney do more to protect its workers.

Los Angeles Times [5/6/2026 6:00 AM, Andrea Castillo and Gavin J. Quinton, 12718K] reports before being deployed to Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests last summer, U.S. Marines were given 12 rules for engaging with protesters, and Rule 1 was clear: Force "of any kind" was allowed only as a last resort. If force were used, the rule stated, it "should be the minimum necessary to accomplish the mission." That detail is among 178 pages of federal documents released by the Marine Corps to the nonprofit watchdog group American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act and shared exclusively with The Times. The documents paint a thorough picture of how Marines prepared to deploy in Southern California, where they stood alongside National Guard members and agents with the Department of Homeland Security. The documents also illuminate a glaring contrast between the training of Marines and that of immigration agents, who have been accused repeatedly of using unnecessary force against peaceful protesters, bystanders and immigrants during enforcement operations. "Ironically, I would’ve felt much safer with Marine engagement than with DHS because of the depth of training," said Ryan Schwank, a former instructor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruits at the ICE Academy within the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia. Schwank is a whistleblower who resigned in February after revealing that the Trump administration had slashed immigration officer training. After reviewing the documents obtained by American Oversight, he said the training given to Marines on crowd control was "significantly more in-depth and longer than training given to an ICE officer, even under the best of circumstances.” The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions and instead pointed to a February news release that said training has not been cut back and that new hires receive additional training after leaving the academy. "ICE law enforcement officers are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and our officers," said Lauren Bis, a department spokesperson. "Officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training.”

Blaze [5/6/2026 6:48 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports a massive operation targeting the "notorious open-air drug market" in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles began Wednesday, according to a Justice Dept. statement. Details of "Operation Free MacArthur Park" were posted on social media by Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California. At least 19 kilograms of fentanyl and 17 arrests were initially reported in the operation targeting the ‘notorious open-air drug market.’. "We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine," he wrote. "Over the last 24 hours, federal and local law enforcement have started arresting 25 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.” At least 19 kilograms of fentanyl and 17 arrests were initially reported in the operation targeting the "notorious open-air drug market" as described by Essayli. He said the top drug trafficker, a resident of Calabasas, was already in federal custody and faced life in prison if convicted. Other defendants also faced decades in prison. More than 300 agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Justice, and the Los Angeles Police Dept. were included, according to a Fox News report. "The LAPD is currently assisting our federal partners in a joint narcotics enforcement operation in the MacArthur Park Area. This operation is focused solely on drug‑related criminal activity," reads a statement from the LAPD on social media. "There is no connection to immigration enforcement," it added.

Los Angeles Times [5/6/2026 7:14 PM, Brittny Mejia, Libor Jany and Genaro Molina, 12718K] reports Federal agents and local authorities arrested more than a dozen people as part of a sweep this week targeting what authorities called an "open-air drug market" in MacArthur Park. As part of what First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli dubbed "Operation Free MacArthur Park," authorities arrested 18 people, including two people believed to be the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the park, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles. Those arrested are among 25 defendants facing federal drug distribution charges, authorities said. Seven others are fugitives. Essayli posted on X that the park’s alleged top drug trafficker is a Calabasas resident who is now in custody and facing up to life in prison. Other defendants also face decades in prison, he said. Essayli said the operation and other recent takedowns tied to the park show that the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security "are determined to fight drug traffickers poisoning our citizens.” "MacArthur Park should be for families, it should be for residents of Los Angeles — not for drug dealers and gangsters," Essayli said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "We’re here to liberate it. ... This is not a one-and-done operation. We are here and we are not leaving.” According to an affidavit filed with the federal charges, Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, 28, both of South L.A., allegedly "serve as the, if not one of the main sources of supply of fentanyl powder and methamphetamine distributed in the Alvarado Corridor and MacArthur Park, generally on behalf of the 18th Street Gang.”

San Diego Union Tribune [5/6/2026 8:22 PM, Alexandra Mendoza, 1257K] reports alarmed by heightened immigration enforcement across San Diego County last summer, members of the local Democratic congressional delegation requested information from the Trump administration on the scope of the operation and tactics being used. Nine months later, they got some answers. The response, given in a letter sent by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting director, revealed that the agency removed about 16,400 people and arrested 10,500 in San Diego and Imperial counties during the first 14 months of President Donald Trump’s second term. Furthermore, 1,454 of those arrests occurred "in or near" sensitive locations, such as churches, schools and hospitals. "We need these numbers to be publicly available so people understand what’s actually going on," U.S. Rep. Mike Levin said in an interview. The rarely shared data came in response to a July 17 letter in which Levin, joined by Congressmembers Juan Vargas, Scott Peters and Sara Jacobs, expressed concerns about the "tactics and lack of transparency" used during two ICE operations conducted in Oceanside the previous month. Then, on April 14, just days before announcing his resignation, Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, responded on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security. The data spans from Jan. 20, 2025, the day Trump took office for a second time, to April 2026. ICE’s website used to release nationwide and field office data on arrests and removals, among other information. However, it has not been updated since Trump took office last year. But the agency had previously provided some information to the Deportation Data Project in response to a public records request, which the Union-Tribune has previously analyzed.

San Francisco Chronicle [5/6/2026 3:05 PM, Annie Vainshtein, 3833K] reports that five human trafficking survivors were recovered late last month during a rescue operation by the South San Francisco Police Department — one piece in what authorities are calling one of the largest anti-trafficking operations in U.S. history. The survivors, who were not identified, were found at an undisclosed location in South San Francisco on April 23, officials said. Officials said one suspected trafficker, who also was not named, was detained but subsequently released pending further investigation. The effort was part of a nationwide initiative called “Operation Coast to Coast.” Organized by the Human Trafficking Training Center, more than 250 law enforcement agencies across 30 states have participated in the operation. The sweeps have so far resulted in the identification of 129 survivors — 11 of whom were minors — and the seizure of more than $500,000 in criminal assets, officials said. At least 139 suspected traffickers and sex buyers were also arrested across the country, officials said. Anyone who suspects human trafficking in their community is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

Daily Wire [5/6/2026 10:33 AM, Jennie Taer, 2314K] reports that nearly a decade ago, he led an attempted coup d’etat in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. Zakaria Songotoua, 40, fled his country and eventually ended up in New York, and has since become a target of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort, The Daily Wire has learned. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers sent him back to Burkina Faso on April 22. The one-way flight came after Songotoua was ordered deported by an immigration judge after he was found "ineligible" for immigration status. Songotoua participated in the coup attempt which began on September 16, 2015, while he was a member of the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP). At the time, a rogue group of his force stormed the presidential palace and took the interim president, Michel Kafando, along with the country’s prime minister, Lt. Col. Isaac Zida, and several cabinet members hostage, The New York Times reported. They also fired upon protesters, resulting in an estimated 11 fatalities, while more than 100 people were injured. The overthrow attempt ultimately failed after 13 days of violence and chaos, according to The New York Times. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo said that "individuals" like Songotoua "who engage in such bloodshed anywhere in the world have no place in the United States." ICE did not disclose when or where he entered the United States.

Telemundo [5/6/2026 5:05 PM, Maylin Legañoa, 162K] reports a Cuban citizen who had received an I-220A document after crossing the border was deported to Cuba on March 19 without a final deportation order. Now, after just over a month outside the country, he returned to the United States by government decision, amid questions about alleged wrongdoings in his immigration process. For a month and 11 days, the man remained on the island while his family in the U.S. and his immigration lawyer were seeking legal avenues to achieve his return, citing serious failures in the procedure that resulted in his expulsion. Alejandro Ramírez Díaz, a 38-year-old Cuban who is currently in ICE custody again. According to his lawyer, Gladys Carredeguas, his case in court had been dismissed in October 2025, which, in his opinion, made his deportation inappropriate. “There was no legal way to have deported it to Cuba, it never signed a deportation,” Carredeguas said. The lawyer also questions the conditions under which the transfer was executed: “How are you going to mount a person with an expired passport, who does not have a final deportation order, with an appeal and a Habeas Corpus? Legally incorrect.” For his wife, Aimee Febles, mother of his two children, the last six months have been an experience marked by uncertainty. “He’s a person who has never had any problems, not with the police, not a ticket. That’s what impacts the most,” he said. Febles also expressed his distrust of the system: “We are seeing that they have no knowledge sometimes of what they do, nor of the people they are calling.” According to his testimony, the appeal of the case was ongoing when, unexpectedly, Ramírez Díaz was boarded a plane and deported to Cuba. In this situation, the defense went to a federal judge. “We had to proceed before the judge where we were submitting the Habeas Corpus, inform him of the catastrophic error and request an ‘injunction’, to demand that ICE return him immediately,” Carredeguas explained.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 4:10 PM, Neil Munro, 2238K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has restarted processing visas for thousands of foreign doctors from 39 high-risk countries who have been hired by U.S. hospitals. Pro-migration advocates are celebrating what they hope will be a greater foreign inflow into American hospitals: It "is a great development for physicians and health care in the U.S.," lawyer Curtis Morrison, who works for employers, told New York Times. But the renewed inflow is bad for American patients and bad for the many Americans who want to become doctors, said Kevin Lynn, the director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy. "This year, over 1,300 [American] graduates from medical schools did not get [hospital training] residencies, but more than 6,000 foreign-trained physicians did get [residencies] at American teaching hospitals," he said. The increased inflow of foreigners for "hospitalist" doctor jobs also ensures less professional treatment for Americans, he said. "American [patients] are losing out because they’re not getting American physicians" who can speak English, understand U.S. culture, and will push back against cost-cutting by hospital managers, he added.

Bloomberg [5/6/2026 12:30 PM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 50K] reports that regulations restricting foreign students on F-1 visas to fixed periods of stay in the US are under review at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, a final step before their public release. A proposed rule circulated last year would do away with an existing open-ended framework known as "duration of status" that allows international students to remain in the country as long as they’re pursuing a full course of study. The Department of Homeland Security proposal instead would limit them to four-year stay periods before they’re required to renew their status with the agency. The final rule (RIN: 1653-AA95) was sent to OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on Tuesday. The proposal revived a concept from the first Trump administration, which was opposed by college groups and health-care organizations who warned it would jeopardize students’ degree completion with unnecessary administrative burdens. It’s release in August came after other initiatives by DHS and the State Department that created chaos for many foreign students, including a temporary freeze on visa interviews and the cancellation of thousands of students’ lawful status. Foreign enrollment at US universities this past fall dropped for the first time in three years, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The DHS proposal also included new restrictions on the maximum stay of J-1 exchange visitor visa holders and members of foreign media on I visas.

CubanHeadlines [5/6/2026 7:25 PM, Grace Ramos] reports according to a report by Telemundo Atlanta, nearly 12 million applications at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are undergoing additional scrutiny due to enhanced immigration controls mandated by an executive order signed by Trump on February 6, 2026. This directive tasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with expanding access to the FBI’s criminal record databases, including the next-generation identification system. On April 27, USCIS issued internal guidelines requiring the resubmission of fingerprints for all pending cases, instructing officials to "refrain from approving any pending case that has not undergone these expanded background checks." The agency has acknowledged that these extra measures are affecting response times and interview scheduling. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow defended the tighter restrictions, stating they aim to ensure each case meets more rigorous standards. Spokesperson Zach Kahler described the delays as "temporary." The delays are particularly severe for the most common categories among the Latino community. Renewing a permanent resident card now takes a minimum of 10.5 months. An I-130 petition for a U.S. citizen’s spouse faces a 62-month wait. For DACA recipients’ work permits, the system no longer provides an estimated wait time. Among the hardest hit categories are asylum applications, permanent residency, citizenship, work permits, status adjustments, and humanitarian visas. The system was already in crisis before these measures, with USCIS facing 11.6 million pending cases at the end of fiscal year 2025, over three times the backlog from a decade ago. In the fourth quarter of 2025, case resolutions dropped by 22% from the previous year, and the number of applications received but not opened tripled in just one quarter, surging from 60,000 to 248,000 cases.

Bloomberg [5/6/2026 5:03 PM, Zoe Tillman and Laura Curtis, 18082K] reports the Trump administration has begun paying out refunds for the $166 billion in global tariffs that the US Supreme Court declared unlawful earlier this year. Trade lawyers told Bloomberg News that some of their clients have received money in their bank accounts as of Wednesday. One attorney, Daniel Cannistra of Crowell & Moring, declined to name his client or the amount they had received, but did say that the company’s payment included interest. He said that more companies had received notice that they’re scheduled to get refund payments starting Thursday. Chicago-based trade lawyer Mollie Sitkowski, at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, said one of her importer clients received $5,700 on Tuesday for claims filed on April 25. The refund payments mark a milestone in the fierce legal fight over one of the president’s signature economic policies. Hundreds of thousands of importers paid the contested tariffs while the litigation unfolded. The Supreme Court didn’t resolve the refund question when it ruled against the government in February, spurring another round of wrangling in the US trade court in New York. US Customs and Border Protection launched a new online refund portal on April 20. The agency had said in court filings that the first phase of the refund program wouldn’t be able to accept claims for more than a third of the 53 million import entries at issue, however. Claims covering roughly 1.74 million entries had cleared the initial validation steps and were in the refund process by the end of April, according to an earlier court filing from a Customs official. Several million entries had been rejected. The government’s next update is due in court on May 12.

Houston Chronicle [5/6/2026 11:00 AM, Aileen Clarke, 2493K] reports unauthorized border crossings under President Donald Trump’s , but Texas continues to lead the country in the number of people held in detention centers — with Houston-area lockups ranking near the top in the state. Federal officials track the daily average number of detained immigrants in Texas based on nightly head counts in the dozens of immigration detention centers across the state. The data shows that more than one in four detained immigrants in the U.S. were held in Texas, according to an analysis by the Houston Chronicle. The totals include people who have been transferred to Texas after being detained in other states. As of April 4, the daily average in Texas was nearly 18,000 people — more than twice the average number of immigrants detained in Louisiana, the second-highest total with about 8,100 per day. Texas’ top ranking has held steady even as border crossings plummeted during President Trump’s second term. Texas’ high numbers are partly due to the state’s numerous detention facilities, and legal decisions from appellate courts that have made it easier for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to hold immigrants for longer periods of time, attorneys and advocates say.

Daily Signal [5/6/2026 4:20 PM, Pedro Rodriguez, 474K] reports an Arizona Democrat seeking to unseat Rep. Juan Ciscomani has called for eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, emphasizing the need to reconsider border security strategies. "First and foremost, what we need to address is we need to stand up to ICE and end ICE operations right now to provide a safer border," JoAnna Mendoza said in a recorded interview with the Cochise County Voice. Mendoza, a Marine veteran, is running in a district where roughly 27% of the population is Hispanic and has argued that her stance reflects voter sentiment. Mendoza believes that addressing the challenges of the southern border will resonate with voters and is crucial for the community’s future. Recent polling, however, suggests border security remains a top concern among Hispanic voters in the Southwest. A National Victory Strategies poll of more than 1,000 registered Hispanic voters in the region found that 36% cited a lack of border security as their primary concern. Support for enforcement operations has been driven in part by concerns about drugs and violent crime in border communities, according to law enforcement officials. A Department of Homeland Security report released last June found violent crime declined sharply after the Trump administration began enforcing stricter border operations in January 2025. Between January and June 2025, gun assaults fell 21%, aggravated assaults dropped 10%, sexual assaults declined 10%, and carjackings decreased 24% compared with the same period the previous year, DHS reported.

New York Times [5/7/2026 3:19 AM, Scott Dance and Ashley Cai, 330K] reports federal disaster declarations, which unlock millions of dollars in aid for communities hit by catastrophes, have been delayed significantly in President Trump’s second term, and money is flowing especially slowly to states that Mr. Trump lost in the 2024 election, according to a New York Times analysis. The review of Federal Emergency Management Agency data found that the Trump administration is moving more slowly than its predecessors to approve or deny requests for emergency aid after natural disasters, sometimes leaving communities stretched to pay big expenses until they hear whether the federal government will help. In past decades, more than a few weeks rarely passed before presidents approved or denied state requests for disaster declarations, designations that make communities eligible for federal aid. But that gap has been growing, a change that has accelerated under this administration. For instance, when destructive storms swept across Kansas in July, triggering widespread flash flooding that required rescues in areas still recovering from earlier storms and tornadoes, it took six months for Mr. Trump to grant the state’s request. In Edwards County, Kan., population 2,800, that meant local officials had to cover costs up front. “That comes out of our budget,” said Richard Neilson, the county’s emergency manager. “Sometimes it’s a lot of money.” FEMA officials said the agency’s approach to disaster declarations had not changed, apart from adjustments to damage thresholds for inflation. The administration received 75 disaster declaration requests last year, down from 100 or more per year in the two previous years, reflecting a relative lull in disaster activity, not changes in policy, they said. “Any suggestion that disaster decisions are politically motivated does not reflect how this process works or how FEMA carries out its mission,” Daniel Llargués, an agency spokesman, wrote in an email. “FEMA continues to process federal declaration requests and deliver assistance promptly, supporting state and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes.” The Times analysis includes 70 disaster declaration decisions made since Mr. Trump’s second inauguration for Republican-controlled red states and 20 for blue states governed by Democrats. Since 2000, there have been 86 disaster declaration requests per year, on average, excluding those related to the coronavirus pandemic.

New York Times [5/7/2026 4:12 AM, Jin Yu Young, 148038K] reports tornadoes and severe thunderstorms ripped through Mississippi on Wednesday night, damaging more than 1,000 buildings, toppling trees and injuring at least four people, state officials said. The damage was reported after the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for several cities and counties across the state. At one point the agency issued a “particularly dangerous situation” designation — a term it uses only when the strongest tornadoes are possible — for Franklin and Adams counties in the state’s southwest. As many as 815 buildings were damaged in Franklin and Lincoln counties, and the storm left debris and fallen power lines across some roads, Scott Simmons, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, told 16 WAPT News on Wednesday. In Lincoln County, debris prompted transportation officials to shut down southbound lanes on part of Interstate 55 for several hours, according to the state’s transportation department. And in Lamar County — around 100 miles southeast of Jackson, the state capital — a tornado had damaged around 250 buildings, including a church, and injured four people as of 11 p.m., according to James Smith, the county director for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. One person was hospitalized to receive stitches, but all of the injuries were minor, he said in a phone interview. Several people called emergency services for rescue after trees fell on their homes and trapped them under debris, but they extricated themselves before responders arrived, Mr. Smith said, adding that the worst of the tornado seemed to be over. At least 21,000 customers across the state, mostly in the southwest, were experiencing power outages early Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.com. Before 1 a.m. local time, a severe thunderstorm was moving east at 40 miles per hour and hail the size of nickels was falling across Perry and Greene counties, according to the Weather Service. Overnight, the storm system made its way into Alabama. The state’s Emergency Management Agency said the state could expect possible heavy rainfall, large hail and a few tornadoes through early Thursday. A tornado watch for some counties in Alabama and Mississippi, indicating a lower level of danger than a tornado warning, was in effect until 6 a.m.

San Diego Union Tribune [5/6/2026 7:22 PM, Staff, 1257K] reports a new effort to force states to affirm the Trump administration’s views on DEI, transgender athletes and immigration when signing contracts with the U.S. Forest Service is threatening millions of dollars in wildfire grant funding and fire reduction projects on federal lands. Some liberal states can’t sign the documents because the policies clash with state law, forestry experts say. Already, at least one state is reporting that the new rules have stalled work to reduce wildfire risk and assist with projects on national forest lands. Other states say the requirements are so vague that they don’t know how to follow them. And some timber industry leaders believe the standoff could cut into their revenues. "We’re kind of at an impasse," said Washington State Forester George Geissler. "It’s already starting to slow down or shut down work.” The update to the requirements governing federal partnerships comes even as many Western states brace for a brutal wildfire season, following a winter that brought record high temperatures and a paltry snowpack. On Dec. 31, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins with little fanfare issued new general terms and conditions governing partnerships for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Spelled out in dozens of pages of fine print are new restrictions that require partner organizations to pledge compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The new conditions apply to all USDA agencies, but the department hasn’t yet said whether it will enforce them for food assistance programs. The agency, in a news release announcing the changes, framed the new terms as an effort to streamline regulations, protect national security and "eliminate radical left ideology.” At the Forest Service, which is housed within USDA, the new policy applies to a wide range of grants and contracts aimed at reducing wildfire risk, restoring forest health and boosting timber production.

Blaze [5/6/2026 1:15 PM, Staff, 1556K] reports that a Federal Aviation Administration mechanical engineering contractor finds himself at risk of significant jail time over an email he allegedly sent the White House, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. The 35-year-old man, Dean DelleChiaie, of Nashua, was arrested on Monday and appeared in court on Tuesday on a charge of interstate communication of a threat against the president. If convicted, the FAA contractor faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The suspect allegedly searched the phrase ‘I am going to kill Donald John Trump.’ An affidavit in support of the charge filed by a U.S. Secret Service special agent details the alleged actions of DelleChiaie. According to that affidavit, the Nashua man first came to the notice of the Secret Service near the end of January after the FAA IT department contacted the USSS. The contact was made after the suspect allegedly took his government-issued computer to the IT department and asked for his search history to be deleted. While working on the suspect’s request, the IT department employees noticed disturbing search topics on his computer. Within days of the USSS being made aware of his alleged search history, a Secret Service agent and an officer of the Nashua Police Department interviewed the suspect at his apartment in early February. During the interview, the suspect is alleged to have confirmed that he made the searches on his work computer. He is also alleged to have said he realized it was "crazy for him to do this on his work computer."

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/6/2026 8:53 AM, Jeanine Santucci, 70643K]

The New York Times [5/6/2026 3:39 PM, Jacey Fortin, 148038K] reports a Texas man has been charged with shooting at Secret Service agents this week at the National Mall, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Shots rang out just south of the White House on Monday afternoon in an exchange of gunfire with agents that grazed a young bystander in an area packed with pedestrians, officials said. The suspect, identified by the authorities as Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, was fired on by Secret Service agents and taken to a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. No law enforcement officials were injured. A 15-year-old boy hit by gunfire, whose identity has not been released, was treated for a non-life-threatening wound, officials said. Mr. Marx is facing three federal charges: assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. “We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family,” Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said in a statement. Breitbart [5/6/2026 6:59 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports that court documents said Secret Service officers were patrolling near the Washington Monument when they observed Marx with a weapon and approached him. He allegedly pulled out his gun and fired toward them. The Justice Department said that while in an ambulance en route to George Washington University Hospital, Marx made statements to officials, including, "[expletive] the White House" and "kill me, kill me, kill me.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Marx had been near the path of a motorcade transporting Vice President JD Vance as he left the White House. "We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family," she said.

Reported similarly:
AP [5/6/2026 5:31 PM, Michael Kunzelman, 34146K]
CNN [5/6/2026 2:02 PM, Kaanita Iyer, 612K]
Washington Times [5/6/2026 2:38 PM, Matt Delaney, 1323K]
Daily Caller [5/6/2026 2:33 PM, Hudson Crozier, 803K]
Houston Chronicle [5/6/2026 2:59 PM, Katey Psencik, 2493K]

New York Post [5/6/2026 7:11 PM, Priscilla DeGregory, 40934K] reports the suspect who allegedly opened fire in downtown DC Tuesday — as Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade was set to roll through — uttered "f–k the White House" on his way to the hospital, officials revealed as they unmasked the shooter. Michael Marx, of Midland, Texas, was identified as the man who allegedly shot a bystander during a shootout with Secret Service agents around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced. The 45-year-old suspect — who was shot three times — allegedly ranted "f–k the White House" and "kill me! Kill me! Kill me!" in an ambulance on the way to the George Washington University Hospital, a criminal complaint alleges. The terrifying incident near the Washington Monument and the National Mall unfolded after a plain-clothed Secret Service agent saw Marx trying to hide a firearm on the right side of his body as he was in the area near 15th Street and Madison Drive, the court papers allege. That agent called in a team of backup Secret Service officers who found Marx near 15th Street Southwest and Independence Avenue Southwest "walking along the path of" Vance’s motorcade which had left the White House minutes earlier, the docs claim. The agents started filing out of cars and yelling commands at Marx who fled across the street with a group of bystanders as he pulled a gun out of his waistband, the complaint alleges. Marx didn’t have a license to carry in DC and he allegedly had a prior conviction in Florida for drug trafficking. "We will prove this defendant carried an illegal firearm into the heart of Washington, D.C., opened fire at Secret Service officers near a crowded intersection, and shot an innocent bystander who was simply crossing the street with his family," Pirro said in a statement. "My office will pursue the most serious charges available against anyone who brings gun violence to our streets, particularly when that violence unfolds steps from the seat of our government and the path of the Vice President of the United States.” He is charged with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Reported similarly:
FOX News [5/6/2026 2:34 PM, Robert McGreevy, 37576K]

Washington Post [5/6/2026 5:45 PM, Steve Thompson, 24826K] reports a Texas man was charged Wednesday in a shooting this week near the Washington Monument just after a motorcade carrying Vice President JD Vance passed. Federal prosecutors have identified the suspect as Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas. Documents filed in U.S. District Court in D.C. include these moment-by-moment photographs of what happened. At 3:38 p.m. on Monday, the motorcade carrying the vice president was leaving the White House, passing through the area of 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Southwest Washington, authorities say. Minutes later, a plainclothes U.S. Secret Service agent near the area noticed a man, who authorities later identified as Marx, wearing a gray shirt and black pants and appeared to be hiding a handgun in his waistband. The Secret Service agent requested help, and uniformed Secret Service officers soon saw Marx walking along the path of the motorcade, according to an affidavit. Marx faces charges of assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was found guilty of trafficking illegal drugs in Florida in 2011, according to the affidavit. A court docket did not immediately list an attorney for him.

Blaze [5/6/2026 3:50 PM, Carlos Garcia, 1556K] reports the man arrested for a shooting Monday at the National Mall that led to a White House lockdown has been identified in a federal criminal filing. Michael Marx, 45, was spotted at about 3:30 p.m. by a plainclothes officer who believed he was carrying a gun. When he was approached by uniformed officers, he fled and allegedly fired a gun at them. The suspect was shot, captured, and arrested, but a juvenile bystander was also shot during the altercation. Investigators confirmed an initial report that the motorcade for Vice President JD Vance had just passed by before the shooting. The gunshot victim was described as a civilian witness who was standing behind an officer and was shot in the leg. The officers returned fire and shot the suspect in the hand, left arm, and upper abdomen. As he was being transported in an ambulance to a hospital, Marx allegedly said, "F**k the White House," as well as, "Kill me, kill me, kill me." A Sig Sauer P365 handgun was recovered in the area where Marx fell to the ground, and investigators claimed he did not have a permit to carry a handgun in the District of Columbia. Marx was charged with one count of assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, another count of using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and a third count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. "Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know. But we will find out," said Matthew Quinn, the deputy director of the Secret Service.

FOX News [5/6/2026 4:47 PM, Peter D’Abrosca, 37576K] reports the man who allegedly attempted to kill President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner April 25 may have been motivated by the conflict in Iran. According to a Department of Homeland Security preliminary intelligence report viewed by Reuters, Allen had "multiple social and political grievances," and the report says the war in Iran "may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack." The report, labeled a "Critical Incident Note," was originally obtained via a public records request by a nonprofit called Property of the People, according to Reuters. It reportedly cited Allen’s social media posts about the Iranian war to justify its conclusion. "DHS shares Critical Incident Notes to quickly communicate information and intelligence to federal, state and local authorities," the agency told Fox News Digital in a statement. "These reports notify our partners of the latest available information following significant incidents that have impacts to homeland security. DHS does not publicly comment on the information contained in internal law enforcement communications." Allen’s anti-Trump sentiments were expressed in a so-called manifesto, according to authorities.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [5/6/2026 6:47 AM, Ted Hesson, Jana Winter, and Andrew Goudsward, 38315K]

Daily Wire [5/6/2026 9:15 AM, Zach Jewell, 2314K] reports that the suspect who attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with a plan to assassinate President Donald Trump and top administration officials was potentially motivated by anger about the war in Iran, according to the Department of Homeland Security. A DHS intelligence report obtained by Reuters on Wednesday concluded that the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran "may have contributed" to Cole Allen’s "decision to conduct the attack." Posts on a social media account linked to Allen raged against the U.S. government’s actions in Iran and recently called for Trump to be impeached over the president’s warning that "a whole civilization will die." A DHS spokesman told Reuters that the intelligence report was created to "notify our partners of the latest available information following significant incidents that have impacts to homeland security." Allen wrote out some of his motivations in a manifesto that he shared with family members minutes before he attempted to charge into the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to federal prosecutors. In a 1,000-word document, the suspected would-be assassin referred to Trump as a "pedophile, rapist, and traitor" and wrote that his goal was to murder Trump administration officials at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, targeting them from "highest-ranking to lowest." While Allen did not mention any frustrations about the Iran war in his manifesto, in a criticism of the security at the Washington Hilton, the suspect wrote, "If I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed sh*t." A Ma Deuce is a .50-caliber heavy machine gun used by many militaries. In the manifesto, Allen condemned other U.S. military action, highlighting strikes on suspected drug runners in the Caribbean. Allen said the suspected drug runners were "fisherman executed without trial."

FOX News [5/6/2026 2:29 PM, Robert McGreevy, 37576K] reports that Nathaniel Sanders II, 32, is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday. Sanders, who appeared in federal court Monday, allegedly sent numerous social media posts between January and April that threatened to kill the three leaders. Sanders allegedly threatened to bomb the White House and mentioned first lady Melania Trump in social media posts while referencing the fact that he owned a gun, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida. "Imma bomb the (expletive) White House," he posted on X, according to the complaint. "I don’t know what to do Melania, like, all I got is a gun. It’s the only thing I can use now is a gun," Sanders said in a video posted to Instagram, per the complaint. Another video allegedly targeted Rubio. "Like when I get my hands on him, I’m gonna hurt him. Simple as that," Sanders said. "Threats against public officials are not political speech," U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said in a statement. "They are serious federal crimes that endanger public safety and the rule of law. The complaint alleges that this defendant repeatedly threatened to assassinate the President of the United States and other senior officials," he added. "Those allegations will now be tested in court. Our Office will continue working with the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners to investigate threats, protect public officials, and ensure that those who violate federal law are held accountable."

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 2:30 PM, Claire Carter, 1147K] reports the United States Coast Guard is organizing a new “Special Missions Command” that will combine its special forces personnel into a single joint force postured for high-risk operations, including counterterrorism. According to a Wednesday news release, the new force will be established on or around Oct. 1 and will combine six units to create a specialized, ready-to-deploy emergency response team. Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard commandant, said the new unit will use established officer specialties to evolve the military branch. “We are forging our most elite operators into a single, razor-sharp instrument of national power,” Lunday said in the release. “The Special Missions Command is not an administrative change; it is an investment ensuring these elite teams are the best trained, equipped, and organized force possible, ready to protect the Homeland and support the Joint Force.” The service said the consolidation is intended to better coordinate special response forces, including teams that can work alongside military and law enforcement partners and prepare for complex crises. Under the Special Missions Command will be the branch’s teams for maritime terrorism response, tactical law enforcement, maritime security, port security, diving, and the national strike force trained to respond to natural disasters.

Telemundo [5/6/2026 3:42 PM, Staff, 162K] reports three suspects pleaded guilty in a drug smuggling case after authorities last year stopped a boat in waters off Miami Beach carrying cocaine valued at about $28 million, they reported. Erasme Catalino Paulino Rodriguez, 35; Joseíto Díaz De Oleo, 48; and Ober Alexander Villavicencio Jiménez, 36, all from the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled substance, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida reported Wednesday. The trio was traveling aboard the M/V Best Bet, a 65-foot fishing sports boat, when the U.S. Coast Guard stopped it about six miles offshore off Government Cut on December 2, 2025. Coast Guard officials said that once the vessel was taken to the dock, more than 1,000 packages of hidden cocaine were found on board. According to officials, cocaine weighed about 1,694 kilograms (3,715 pounds) and was worth approximately $28 million. Authorities said it was the largest cocaine seizure by a Coast Guard Smallboat Station (USCG) since 1995. According to authorities, the trio hid the drug on board and began the journey back to Miami, where he was intercepted. All three face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. "This was a large-scale cocaine maritime smuggling operation, aimed at introducing nearly 1.7 metric tons of poison into South Florida," U.S. Attorney Jason A said in a statement. Reding Quiñones, Southern District of Florida. "That amount of cocaine fuels the addiction, violence and profits of cartels on a huge scale. These guilty pleas disrupted a major traffic route and reflect the robustness of federal law enforcement coordination at sea and on land. If they carry narcotics to our shores, they will be intercepted, prosecuted and sent to a federal prison."

Detroit Free Press [5/6/2026 11:37 AM, Staff, 4749K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit said it is looking for a vessel and its occupants reported overdue on Saginaw Bay on Tuesday, May 5. The vessel departed Gambill’s Landing and was reported to be going fishing in the vicinity of "Black Hole" off Pinconning Tuesday afternoon with three men on board, but never returned. The boat was reported overdue about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. The missing mariners were identified by the Coast Guard as Chris Whitmer, Ron Whitmer, and Chris (Stanley) Whitmer Sr. The Coast Guard and local officials are searching for the vessel and its occupants.

USA Today [5/6/2026 6:13 PM, Drew Pittock, 70643K] reports the Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help in the disappearance of a missing Michigan woman, one month after she allegedly fell overboard while sailing the Bahamas with her husband. On May 5, the Coast Guard Southeast posted a photo to its X account of a sailboat and asked for the public’s help in identifying its owner. The plea was part of the agency’s investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother from Michigan who went missing while sailing the Bahamas with her husband in April. "CGIS is asking the public for info about the disappearance of Lynette Hooker w/in Aunt Pat’s Bay, BAH, 4/4," the Coast Guard wrote in its May 5 post. "CGIS is looking for the owner of the sailboat [pictured] below moored near the SV Soulmate." The post included a link to an app where people can submit tips. Brian Hooker, Lynette’s husband, reported April 4 that his wife fell overboard from an 8-foot, hard-bottomed dinghy that they were taking on a night trip from Hope Town to Elbow Bay, which are both off of Great Abaco Island, as USA TODAY previously reported. He told the Royal Bahamas Police that Lynette had been carrying the boat keys, causing the engine to shut off when she fell. Then, "strong currents subsequently carried her away," and he lost sight of her, police said. Brian, meanwhile, paddled a dinghy to shore, arriving around 4 a.m. on April 5. Three days later, the Royal Bahamas Police Department arrested Brian Hooker and questioned him in connection with his wife’s disappearance. He was released April 13 on the recommendation of local prosecutors, but remains a suspect in the case. The Coast Guard is also conducting a criminal investigation. In a statement shared with USA TODAY last month, Brian Hooker’s attorney strongly denied that her client had anything to do with Lynette Hooker’s disappearance. "Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing," attorney Terrel Butler said. "He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.”

CBS News [5/6/2026 9:58 AM, Cristian Benavides, 51110K] reports a memo obtained by CBS News reveals the Coast Guard is seeking more information on Lynette Hooker’s disappearance in the Bahamas. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [5/6/2026 10:58 AM, Peter D’Abrosca, 37576K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard is asking the public for help identifying a sailboat that it says may have been moored next to the one owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker the night Lynette disappeared in the Bahamas. More than a month after 55-year-old Lynette’s April 4 disappearance, the Coast Guard is still investigating the case. Brian said that his wife fell overboard from their eight-foot dinghy while the couple motored back to their yacht, Soulmate, off the coast of Elbow Cay around dusk. Soulmate was moored in Aunt Pat’s Bay off the island. The couple had been drinking at the Abaco Inn and attempted to return to the yacht despite high winds and choppy seas, which Brian said caused Lynette to fall overboard. The Coast Guard asked those with information to submit tips through their phone application.

USA Today [5/6/2026 11:51 AM, Eduardo Cuevas, 70643K] reports amid several high-profile attacks against Jews globally, a new report indicates antisemitic assaults in the United States reached record levels in 2025. A May 6 annual audit by the Anti-Defamation League showed that while incidents it classifies as antisemitic decreased, physical attacks slightly rose, from 196 incidents in 2024 to 203 in 2025. In 2022, the last full year before the Israel-Hamas war, it was lower, at 111 assaults, but ADL used a different definition to count antisemitic incidents at that time. In 2025, the audit identified three people killed in antisemitic attacks, the first year since 2019 when U.S. Jews were murdered in hate crimes. "When you look at the fact that assaults have increased, it speaks to why so many in the Jewish community feel vulnerable," Oren Segal, senior vice president of counter-extremism and intelligence at ADL, told USA TODAY. "There’s still a high level of anxiety." The audit, as well as reports from other watchdogs and government agencies tracking hate crimes against Jewish Americans, shows incidents have increased after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, followed by Israel’s devastating siege of Gaza. ADL’s audit includes harassment, vandalism and physical attacks. Researchers gather data using law enforcement and news reports, but the largest source of incidents are those reported directly by alleged victims.

Daily Wire [5/6/2026 1:08 PM, Mary Margaret Olohan, 2314K] reports that the new White House Counter Terrorism Strategy promises "rapid identification and neutralization of violent secular political groups," including those subscribing to transgender ideology, The Daily Wire has learned. The long-awaited report was published Wednesday afternoon and examines threats of terrorism to the United States from all angles. It also includes a strong threat from President Donald Trump to any adversary who plans to hurt Americans: "We Will Find You and We Will Kill You." During a call with reporters on Wednesday, Sebastian Gorka, the senior director for counterterrorism at the White House National Security Council, slammed previous administrations for ignoring or underplaying real threats while weaponizing agencies against Americans, especially Americans of faith. "As real threats were ignored or underplayed, Americans have witnessed the politically motivated killings of Christians and conservatives increasingly committed by violent Left-wing extremists, including the assassination of my friend Charlie Kirk by a radical who espoused extremist transgender ideologies," the counterterrorism senior director said. The Trump White House is taking that threat very seriously, he noted, and, in addition to the threats posed by cartels and by Jihadist groups, it is specifically focused on "violent secular political groups."

AP [5/6/2026 5:46 PM, Hannah Schoenbaum, 612K] reports Police said an 18-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a mass shooting that left one woman dead and 22 other people wounded last weekend during a nighttime party beside an Oklahoma lake. Police in Edmond announced that Jaylan A. Davis was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon in the wake of Sunday night’s shooting, which erupted after an argument broke out amid a large crowd gathered at Arcadia Lake in that Oklahoma City suburb. Edmond Police Chief J.D. Younger said at a news conference that the charge against Davis was in the process of being upgraded to felony murder following the death of an 18-year-old woman from her shooting injuries. Police identified the deceased woman as Avianna Smith-Gray. Davis was being held in the Edmond jail on a $1 million bond, and listed in jail records as an Oklahoma City resident. There was no lawyer listed for Davis in court documents, and the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office said Davis would not be assigned an attorney until the upgraded charges have been filed. In addition to the 18-year-old woman killed, others suffered gunshot and shrapnel wounds from the shooting at the popular boating, fishing and swimming lake just north of Oklahoma City. Six of the victims are juveniles, some as young as 15, Younger said. Davis turned himself in Wednesday morning after police produced an arrest warrant, the chief said. "We’re trying to find justice for 23 people that were shot, one that’s deceased and even the people that were involved. I think it’s important not to demonize or separate the parties here," Younger added.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [5/7/2026 1:26 AM, Nolan Clay and Thao Nguyen, 70643K]

AP [5/7/2026 12:09 AM, Mead Gruver, 16072K] reports a man accused of a firebomb attack that killed one person and injured a dozen others during a demonstration last year in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza was scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to murder and other charges. Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the attack in downtown Boulder last June 1. Soliman’s attorneys revealed he would plead guilty in a recent court filing in a related federal case. He was set to appear Thursday before state District Judge Nancy Salomone to do so. Soliman has pleaded not guilty in federal court to hate crime charges and prosecutors have been weighing whether to seek the death penalty in the federal case, according to his attorneys. Soliman initially pleaded not guilty in state court to murder and dozens of attempted murder and assault charges for throwing two Molotov cocktails at demonstrators at a pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder, a city of 100,000 people northwest of Denver that’s home to the University of Colorado. An 82-year-old woman who was injured in the attack later died. A dozen others also were injured. Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. Investigators allege he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.” Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said the attack was horrific and victims included close friends. Soliman had been living with his family in a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs — about 97 miles (156 kilometers) away — at the time of the attack. He had moved to the U.S. from Kuwait in 2022 with his wife and their five children and worked in a series of low-paying jobs. The couple divorced in April. Investigators allege Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration at Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall. He threw two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, “Free Palestine!” Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. Soliman’s federal defense lawyers argue he should not have been charged with hate crimes because he was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel. An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.

Washington Times [5/6/2026 1:14 PM, Staff, 1323K] reports that a Phoenix, Arizona, man with ties to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel has been sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced. Jose Alberto Camarena Rocha, 32, received a 159-month federal prison sentence for a drug conspiracy involving more than one kilogram of heroin and for illegally reentering the United States, prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the sentencing. According to the release, Rocha served as a supplier for a larger trafficking organization led by Juan Suarez-Lugo, using cartel connections to obtain and deliver drug supplies to others who sold cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Authorities attributed one and a half kilograms of heroin to Rocha’s involvement, prosecutors said. “Rocha thought he could get away with bringing this poison from California to the Mountain State,” Harvey said in a statement. “He was wrong and will now spend more than 13 years in prison. Make no mistake. We will eliminate these ruthless cartels and will not tolerate their presence in our home.” The broader operation involved 18 defendants, prosecutors said. Suarez-Lugo, Rocha and 10 others have admitted guilt, while nine defendants, including Rocha, have been sentenced. Four defendants are scheduled to stand trial in June 2026, and two remain pending arrest on the indictment, according to prosecutors.

Telemundo [5/6/2026 7:18 PM, Staff, 2524K] repots a total of 18 people — including two who law enforcement officials say are the main sources of fentanyl and methamphetamine at MacArthur Park — were detained Wednesday during an operation by federal and Los Angeles Police (LAPD) agents. The park is a well-known Los Angeles area plagued by gangs and drugs and people were arrested under a federal criminal complaint in which they are charged with a federal drug trafficking offense, as part of Operation Free MacArthur Park, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. The indictment charges 25 persons with possession with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance. At the residence of one of the accused, located in Calabasas, law enforcement personnel seized approximately 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of fentanyl, authorities said. Special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led the operation to locate several people suspected of supplying and trafficking illegal drugs in the area. The authorities said that the park and its vicinity are part of a territory highly disputed by the gangs. The northern part of MacArthur Park is considered the territory of the Barrio 18 gang, while the park area south of Wilshire Boulevard is considered the Crazy Riders Gang area. The territory that is considered to belong to Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is located just west of the park. During a news conference on Wednesday, authorities said the DEA and local authorities are committed to combating drug trafficking in MacArthur Park and ensuring the safety of neighbors and business owners. The problem in the area, they stressed, had become a matter of public safety. "MacArthur Park had become a profile terrain not only for the sale of drugs on the streets," but for the drug cartels. "Today we began to recover MacArthur Park from criminals and drug addicts to return this public space to the citizens of Los Angeles," Bill Essayli, the first U.S. deputy prosecutor, said in a statement.

Reported similarly:
Univision [5/6/2026 7:43 PM, Staff, 4937K]

Telemundo [5/6/2026 4:44 PM, Staff, 2524K] reports President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that his administration could carry out military actions against Mexican drug cartels, if the government of the president, Claudia Sheinbaum, does not act against them. Trump said, in statements from the White House during which he exalted his achievements in the fight against drugs that enter the United States that "they will hear complaints from some representatives of Mexico and elsewhere, but if they are not going to do the work, we will." During his remarks, Trump said that the total number of narcotics entering the United States had fallen 97 percent and that his administration had now begun a land phase that he called “much easier” when compared to sea actions. The Trump administration has planned to launch actions against Mexican criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking. On Feb. 10, Trump said Fox Business news network the United States would take action against drug traffickers on the ground. “The entry of drugs by sea has decreased by 97%, and now we have launched the ground force, which is much easier. They will hear some complaints from people in Mexico and elsewhere, but if they are not going to do their job, we will,” he said. The president highlighted the attacks that the U.S. armed forces have launched in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific against vessels that allegedly transport drugs whose final destination is U.S. soil. The most recent of those attacks took place on Tuesday, when the U.S. Southern Command reported on the destruction of a new boat allegedly associated with drug trafficking structures in international Pacific waters and said the ship’s three crew members were dead. The attack was announced by Southern Command on its official social network account X, where it said it had removed three alleged “narco-terrorists” who were on the ship. Trump’s remarks come just days after the U.S. government accused the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa of ties to drug trafficking.

Reuters [5/6/2026 2:19 PM, Diego Oré, 38315K] reports that a that U.S. indictment announced last week accusing several Mexican politicians, including the governor of Sinaloa, of having drug cartel ties is triggering a rift in the ruling Morena party as factions jostle over how to respond, posing a significant challenge for President Claudia Sheinbaum. Publicly, Sheinbaum has denounced U.S. interference and said the evidence Mexico has seen so ‌far is not sufficient to arrest and extradite the 10 current and former Mexican officials accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States. But behind the scenes, a heated dispute has broken out along pre-existing fault lines within the ruling party, three senior Morena officials told Reuters. The dispute has centered on the future of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha, an influential Morena politician who said last Friday he would step down temporarily as a local investigation proceeds. He denies any wrongdoing. Rocha is the first high-profile sitting politician to be accused by the United States of ties to drug trafficking. U.S. prosecutors have accused Mexican officials of corruption before, but only after ⁠they have left office. The powerful faction in Morena that is loyal to former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the movement’s founder and de facto leader, has vehemently opposed any action that could be regarded as giving in to U.S. pressure, the sources said.

Washington Examiner [5/6/2026 3:31 PM, Emily Hallas, 1147K] reports that a trio of congressional lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation seeking to incentivize universities in the United States against accepting research funding from foreign countries. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) joined Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced two bills to cut off federal funding for universities that receive research funding from, or operate a branch campus in, China, Qatar, Iran, Russia, Turkey, North Korea, Cuba, or Venezuela. "We know adversaries like the CCP are exploiting our universities to access cutting-edge research and push their anti-American agendas," Gottheimer said in a statement. "This bipartisan legislation draws a clear line: if you’re taking money tied to hostile nations, you shouldn’t be getting U.S. taxpayer dollars, full stop. It’s about protecting our national security and standing up for American innovation." Under the bipartisan No Branch Campuses in Hostile Countries Act and the Defending American Research Act, universities that receive money from those countries or affiliates could lose access to U.S. federal research funding for five years if it is related to potentially sensitive national security issues such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum information science. If passed, the bills could have a devastating impact on major U.S. institutions. Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Harvard University are just a few of the prestigious schools heavily reliant on research funding from other countries.

New York Post [5/6/2026 10:21 AM, Ben Cost, 40934K] reports the Pentagon has announced that they employ specialized energy weapons for defense, seemingly vindicating researchers who’d long warned about the tech. The Department of War’s Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael announced this development in an X post fittingly — or perhaps eerily — posted on May the 4th, more popularly known as National Star Wars Day. "Directed energy weapons are a fine addition to our arsenal…" read the post, which included a pic of said weaponry firing a laser beam and a soldier holding his head in pain. Dubbed directed energy weapons or DEWs, these advanced instruments of war use focused rays to disable electronic weapons such as drones and incapacitate — or even kill — enemy soldiers. According to the X post, these beams are comprised of "concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles." With this announcement, the Department of War seemingly confirmed years of so-called rumors that claimed that the government was developing this science fiction-esque weapon.

Wall Street Journal [5/6/2026 2:08 PM, James T. Areddy, 646K] reports a trial began Wednesday for a man accused of establishing a clandestine police station affiliated with China’s government that operated in Manhattan’s Chinatown, in what American officials have pointed to as a stark example of Beijing’s efforts to exert influence on American soil. Lu Jianwang, a U.S. citizen, is charged by the Justice Department with acting as an undisclosed agent of China, accused of working with Chinese security officials to establish the police outpost in New York and coordinating efforts to pressure political opponents. Lu was “living in New York City but he was working for the Chinese government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Oken told the jury as the trial got under way in Brooklyn federal court. She told the jury that Lu in 2022 attended a ceremony in southeastern China for an initiative to open police service stations around the world, and that he subsequently launched one in the offices of a community organization in New York’s Chinatown. “He did that at the direction of Chinese government officials,” Oken said. Oken said the police outpost’s activities included assisting members of the Chinese diaspora with activities such as remotely renewing their driver’s licenses, as well as “darker parts” that included collecting information on people in the U.S. considered dissidents by China’s government. Either way, she said, the operation was illegal.

AP [5/6/2026 5:53 PM, Eléonore Hughes, 1323K] reports Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will discuss cooperation in the fight against organized crime and tariffs with U.S. President Donald Trump, Brazil’s finance minister Dario Durigan said Wednesday, one day ahead of the scheduled meeting between the presidents. “The goal is to protect Brazil’s population, prioritize the country and maintain constructive dialogue,” Durigan told state broadcaster EBC. “Expectations for the trip are very positive.” The encounter at the White House follows a crisis in bilateral relations last year, after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods and tied the measure to the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his involvement in a coup plot. Lula sharply defended Brazil’s sovereignty and Trump later loosened tariffs on Brazil as part of his effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. Trump and Lula started mending fences at the United Nations General Assembly in September, which was followed by their first private meeting in Malaysia in October and subsequent phone conversations. The Brazilian government’s handling of the 50% tariff likely raised the country’s leverage with the Trump administration, said Ana Garcia, an international relations professor at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. “The Trump administration likely sees Brazil as a partner that must be taken somewhat seriously, but will continue to pressure it to make concessions,” Garcia said. An ongoing point of contention between the two governments is the Trump administration’s reported consideration of designating Brazil’s largest criminal factions — Red Command, or CV, and the First Capital Command, or PCC — foreign terrorist organizations. The designations would give the U.S. more power “to act as a political or economic actor in Brazil,” said Leonardo Paz Neves, an international relations professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a think-tank and university. “It’s a defensive issue for Brazil that doesn’t serve Brazil’s interests at all.” A Brazilian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to discuss the matter publicly, said that both sides appeared to be committed to deepening cooperation on the fight against organized crime rather than opting for unilateral actions.

FOX News [5/6/2026 5:36 PM, Stepheny Price and Ashley J. DiMella, 37576K] reports a Democratic lawmaker is drawing backlash after saying she spoke with foreign ambassadors about getting oil to Cuba despite U.S. sanctions, defending the outreach as "literally our right and responsibility.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made the remarks during a recent Seattle briefing following a congressional delegation trip to Cuba, where she discussed the island’s worsening fuel shortages and U.S. policy toward the communist regime. "I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there," Jayapal said during the briefing, calling the situation on the island "a crisis beyond imagination.” Jayapal said the event was part of a broader briefing on the humanitarian situation in Cuba following her recent visit. "As many of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation last month," she said. "It is part of my role to see how U.S. foreign policy is actually affecting the people in the countries where that policy is being implemented.” She said she met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior government officials, political dissidents, civil society groups and foreign diplomats during the trip. Video of the remarks circulated widely on X, where users criticized the progressive lawmaker’s comments and raised legal concerns. Conservative accounts amplified the clip, including End Wokeness, which claimed she was "conspiring against the U.S." and suggested her actions could constitute a federal felony. Libs of TikTok wrote that her actions "seems a little like treason to me.” Social media users also pointed to potential legal implications. "Traitor. She should be prosecuted," wrote "The Charlie Kirk Show" executive producer Andrew Kolvet on X. Those claims are political commentary and have not been independently verified, and no investigation or charges have been publicly announced. Jayapal responded to the backlash in a post on X, writing, "Breaking news: Members of Congress meet with ambassadors of other countries every day. That’s literally our right and responsibility.” Her remarks came as she sharply criticized U.S. sanctions on Cuba, describing them as "economic bombing of the infrastructure.” "It is illegal. It is against the law," she said. "This is essentially doing the same thing. It is bombing the infrastructure of Cuba with economic sanctions that essentially ensure that the infrastructure collapses.” The controversy has also prompted discussion of the Logan Act, a rarely used federal law that bars unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments in disputes involving the United States.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 9:22 PM, Staff, 2238K] reports Iran denied on Thursday attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war was “very possible” but warned Washington would resume bombing if talks failed. Tehran’s embassy in Seoul said it “firmly rejects and categorically denies” allegations that its armed forces were behind a blast aboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu, which caught fire on Monday while transiting the strategic waterway with 24 crew members on board. Trump later claimed Iran had “taken some shots” at the vessel and urged South Korea to join US-led efforts to restore shipping through the strait. The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, saw Iran respond with attacks across the Middle East and impose a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, rattling global energy markets. Despite Trump’s optimism, Iran has yet to respond to a new US proposal, with its chief negotiator warning that Washington was seeking to force the Islamic republic’s “surrender.” Signs that the foes could return to the table after weeks of deadlock grew after Trump halted a short-lived military operation to reopen the strait, citing hopes for a deal. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. But he had warned earlier that if Iran did not honour what had been agreed, bombing would resume “at a much higher level and intensity.” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the US proposal remained “under review” and Tehran would communicate its position to mediator Pakistan “after finalising its views.” Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has led Iran’s negotiations, warned that Washington sought “through a naval blockade, economic pressure and media manipulation, to destroy the country’s cohesion in order to force us to surrender.” US news outlet Axios, citing two officials, reported both sides were close to agreement on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for nuclear negotiations. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key figure in initial talks in Islamabad, said he was “very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond.” French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call Wednesday that attacks on UAE civilian infrastructure and ships near the strait were “unjustified,” urging all parties to lift their dual blockade in the waterway “without delay and without conditions.” Pezeshkian told Macron that any full reopening of the strait required the lifting of the US naval blockade, adding that “excessive demands, threatening statements, and failure to adhere to necessary frameworks by the United States have further complicated the path of diplomacy,” according to the Iranian presidency.

NewsMax [5/6/2026 4:37 PM, Staff, 3760K] reports the United States is urging allies to take on greater responsibility in global counterterrorism operations as Washington widens its focus to emerging threats linked to Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and other regions beyond the Middle East, according to U.S. officials. The effort is part of a new national counterterrorism strategy from the Trump administration that seeks to expand burden-sharing with partner nations while confronting Islamist extremist groups, transnational criminal networks and ideologically driven violence across multiple regions, officials said. White House counterterrorism officials are scheduled to meet with international partners this week to coordinate next steps and discuss how allied governments can bolster joint security operations, including maritime security in key global chokepoints tied to Iran-related risks, according to a senior administration official. Sebastian Gorka, the White House senior director for counterterrorism, said the strategy reflects a shift away from what he described as the United States acting as the "world’s global police officer," arguing that allies must assume more operational responsibility in counterterrorism and security missions abroad. The strategy, signed by President Donald J. Trump, prioritizes dismantling Islamist terror networks, drug cartels and violent extremist groups while expanding cooperation with allied nations in regions where Iran-linked actors and proxy networks remain active, officials said.

NPR [5/6/2026 4:37 PM, Staff, 28764K] reports Iran is assessing the Trump administration’s latest proposal to end the war, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday. Iran will relate its response to mediating country Pakistan, Baqaei told Iran’s ISNA news agency. NPR has not confirmed the details of the proposal, and the White House has not made them public. ISNA said Iran’s negotiators are discussing the end of the war, not the nuclear issue, which would come at a later stage of negotiations. The news outlet dismissed U.S. news reports about a memorandum of understanding as "media speculation." The comments came after President Trump issued a mixed message about the status of diplomacy with Iran. It follows Trump’s sudden suspension Tuesday of a U.S. military effort to help merchant vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz, while continuing a U.S. naval blockade on Iran’s ports.

Reuters [5/7/2026 12:00 AM, Ariba Shahid, Steve Holland and Alexander Cornwell, 38315K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump predicted a swift end to the war with Iran as Tehran considered a U.S. peace proposal that sources said would formally end the conflict while leaving unresolved key U.S. demands that Iran suspend ‌its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson cited by Iran’s ISNA news agency said Tehran would convey its response, while Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for parliament’s powerful foreign policy and national security committee, described the proposal as "more of an American wish-list than a reality." "They want to make a deal. We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying later "it’ll be over quickly." Trump has repeatedly played up the prospect of an agreement to end the war that started on February 28, so far without success. The two sides remain at odds over a variety of difficult issues, such as Iran’s nuclear ⁠ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war handled one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply. A Pakistani source and another source briefed on the mediation said an agreement was close on a one-page memorandum that would formally end the conflict. That would kick off discussions to unblock shipping through the strait, lift U.S. sanctions on Iran and set curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme, the sources said. A separate senior Pakistani official involved in the talks told Reuters on Thursday that negotiators were hopeful of reaching a deal but noted gaps between the sides remained. "Our priority is that they announce a permanent end to war and the rest of the issues could be thrashed out once they get back to direct talks," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf appeared to mock reports that indicated the two sides were close, writing on social media in English that "Operation Trust Me Bro failed." Qalibaf said such reports amounted to U.S. spin following its failure to open the Strait of Hormuz. Reports of a possible agreement caused global oil prices to tumble to two-week lows on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent crude futures falling about 11% ‌to around $98 a ⁠barrel at one point before rising back above the $100 mark. Global share prices also leapt and bond yields fell on optimism about an end to a war that has disrupted energy supplies. “The contents of the U.S.-Iran peace proposals are thin, but there is an expectation in the market that further military action will not take place,” said Takamasa Ikeda, a senior portfolio manager at GCI Asset Management. Trump on Tuesday paused a two-day-old naval mission to reopen the blockaded strait, citing progress in peace talks. NBC News, citing two unnamed U.S. officials, said Trump’s abrupt reversal came after Saudi Arabia suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use a Saudi base for the operation. Saudi officials were ⁠surprised and angered by Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, leading them to tell Washington they would deny the U.S. permission to fly military aircraft out of a Saudi base or through Saudi airspace, NBC reported. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 6:36 PM, John Hayward, 2238K] reports sources in Pakistan told Western media outlets on Wednesday that Tehran is reviewing a one-page, 14-point proposal that would formally conclude the conflict between the United States and Iran. “The memorandum would be followed by discussions to unblock shipping through the ⁠Strait of Hormuz, lift U.S. sanctions on Iran and agree to curbs on Iran’s nuclear program,” Reuters reported. The memo laid out a period of 30 days for those subsequent negotiations. Reuters quoted sources who said the memo seemingly abandoned some demands the Trump administration has made in the past, such as “curbs on Iran’s missile program and an end to its support for proxy militias in the Middle East.” It also did not mention Iran’s missing stockpile of some 900 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium, which the administration has previously said Iran must surrender in order to end the war. Reuters’ Pakistani source was enthusiastic about the proposal, saying “we are close” and “we will close this very soon.” A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry was more reserved, saying only that Iran had received the proposal, and would soon send its response to the U.S. via Pakistan. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, sniffed that the memo was “more of an American wish list than a reality,” and hinted Iran would reject it unless more concessions were offered. “The Americans will not gain anything in a war they are losing that they have ​not gained in face-to-face negotiations,” he said. Rezaei claimed Iran “has its finger on the trigger and is ready,” if the U.S. does not “grant the necessary concessions.”

AP [5/6/2026 9:14 PM, Thomas Adamson, 3760K] reports France’s aircraft carrier strike group is moving south of the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea in preparation for a potential French-British mission in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday. The deployment puts Europe’s most powerful warship closer to the strait whose effective closure has come to epitomize the war in Iran, stranding hundreds of ships and triggering what the International Energy Agency calls the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. The defensive effort is distinct from the U.S. "Project Freedom" that launched Monday and was paused by President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening. The repositioning of the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle and its escorts comes as part of a proposed mission championed by France and Britain to restore maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as conditions allow. It "may help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers," Macron said on X. "It remains distinct from the parties at war.” Macron, who spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, said he also intends to raise the matter with Trump. "A return to calm in the Strait will help advance negotiations on nuclear issues, ballistic matters, and the regional situation," Macron wrote. "Europeans… will play their part.” Col. Guillaume Vernet, spokesperson for the French armed forces chief of staff, stressed that the Hormuz coalition — drawn up by France, Britain and more than 50 nations — will not begin operating until two thresholds are cleared: The threat to shipping must come down, and the maritime industry must be reassured enough to use the strait. Even then, he told The Associated Press, any operation would require the agreement of neighboring countries. That would include Iran, which borders the strait and effectively closed it by attacking and threatening ships after the war began on Feb. 28 with attacks by the U.S. and Israel. Vernet did not specify when the carrier would reach its destination. He said the carrier was being positioned to be close enough to act if and when the conditions are met: "The French position is the same since the beginning — defensive posture, respecting international law.” War-risk insurance premiums for transits of the strait have risen four to five times above preconflict levels, according to industry estimates. For now, insurance premiums are so high that "not a single ship will jeopardize their trip or go there," Vernet said.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 12:39 PM, John Hayward, 2238K] reports that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pressured Iran to stop blocking the Strait of Hormuz during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Beijing on Wednesday, a week before President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for talks with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping. The meeting between Wang and Aragchi was mostly supportive, with much praise for the bilateral ties between the two tyrannies, but Wang was firm on the need for normal traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible." To that end, Wang called for a "complete" conclusion to the war in Iran, including an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. "China considers that a complete cessation of fighting must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to restart hostilities, and that continuing to negotiate remains essential," said a statement on the meeting from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "Regarding the strait issue, the international community shares a common concern over restoring normal safe passage through the strait. China hopes that the parties concerned will respond promptly to the strong calls of the international community," the statement said. The Chinese Foreign Ministry was evasive on the subject of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s invitation to join a multinational force that would secure the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian terrorism.

Breitbart [5/6/2026 12:55 PM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2238K] reports that the Chinese communist regime, through its embassy in Panama, accused U.S. ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera of "denigrating" Huawei and spreading rumors about China after he suggested that Chinese companies like Huawei are not trustworthy. Ambassador Cabrera spoke this week with the Panamanian newspaper La Prensa about the Panama Canal, tariffs, the extradition of a long-wanted suspect in Hezbollah’s 1994 bombing of a commercial airplane, Panama’s relations with the U.S. and China, and Panamanian cybersecurity, among other subjects. Cybersecurity has gained newfound notoriety in the Central American nation over the past weeks after a series of hacking attacks targeted the nation’s Social Security systems and a Commerce Ministry-operated entrepreneurship platform. La Prensa asked Ambassador Cabrera about concerns over Chinese technology. The ambassador stated that Chinese technology is not trustworthy and noted that China has avoided signing the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Cabrera emphasized that China is one of the few countries that has not signed the agreement and argued that it is because "they do not want to adhere to the various transparency and security standards for users of this technology." "So companies like Huawei and others of that sort are not trustworthy," Ambassador Cabrera. He suggested using technologies from countries that are signatories to the Budapest Convention, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and several European nations, among others.

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