Two people were shot by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday.Video above: Portland City Council president gives statement on shootingA statement from the Department of Homeland Security says the shooting occurred as Border Patrol agents were conducting “a targeted vehicle stop.”DHS said it believed both the driver and the passenger had ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, but provided no evidence on why that was believed. The statement also said the passenger of the vehicle was involved in a recent shooting in Portland.”When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over law enforcement agents. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” the statement says. A news release from Portland police says officers responded to the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood around 2:20 p.m. local time for a report of a shooting. Minutes later, Portland officers were notified that a man who had been shot was calling for help.”Officers responded and found a male and female with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel,” Portland police officials said. Both people were transported to the hospital and their conditions are unknown. Portland police officials also said they determined that both people were injured in the shooting involving federal agents. Video below: FBI agents on scene after Customs and Border Patrol agents shoot two people in Portland, OregonThe shooting came after 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday in Minneapolis.Protests followed the killing, which also set off a clash between federal officials who insist the shooting was an act of self-defense and Minneapolis officials who dispute that narrative.”We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland police Chief Bob Day said in the release. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
Two people were shot by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday.
Video above: Portland City Council president gives statement on shooting
DHS said it believed both the driver and the passenger had ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, but provided no evidence on why that was believed. The statement also said the passenger of the vehicle was involved in a recent shooting in Portland.
“When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over law enforcement agents. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene,” the statement says.
A news release from Portland police says officers responded to the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood around 2:20 p.m. local time for a report of a shooting.
Minutes later, Portland officers were notified that a man who had been shot was calling for help.
“Officers responded and found a male and female with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers applied a tourniquet and summoned emergency medical personnel,” Portland police officials said.
Both people were transported to the hospital and their conditions are unknown. Portland police officials also said they determined that both people were injured in the shooting involving federal agents.
Video below: FBI agents on scene after Customs and Border Patrol agents shoot two people in Portland, Oregon
Protests followed the killing, which also set off a clash between federal officials who insist the shooting was an act of self-defense and Minneapolis officials who dispute that narrative.
“We are still in the early stages of this incident,” Portland police Chief Bob Day said in the release. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
AI-native tariff compliance software demonstrates expert-level mastery of trade regulations.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., November 19, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– KYG Trade™ (www.kygtrade.com) today announced that its AI trade compliance assistant, Kay, passed the October 2025 CBLE-a rigorous, highly technical assessment widely considered one of the most challenging in the global trade industry. Kay scored 93%-higher than the required 75% score to pass the exam. In a comparison test, one of the top general-purpose commercial LLMs failed the exam with a score of only 60%. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website, the average pass rate for the three exams prior to the October ’25 exam was 22.3%.
The CBLE requires advanced reasoning across Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), as well as various U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) directives and guidelines. Tested across six major categories-broker compliance, tariff classification, quota, valuation, entry/entry summary, and a complex practical exercise, the exam is designed to measure deep subject-matter expertise rather than generic knowledge retrieval.
AI Purpose-Built for Trade and Tariff Compliance
Kay’s impressive performance underscores the importance of AI systems engineered specifically for global trade and tariff compliance. Unlike general-purpose language models, Kay is optimized for the complex interpretive reasoning needed in customs compliance, including multi-source regulatory rule reconciliation and real-world export import shipping document analysis.
Executive Commentary
“As a licensed customs broker and former Big 4 trade and customs partner, I know firsthand how complex this exam is,” said Todd R. Smith, Founder CEO of KYG Trade. “Today, I uploaded the CBLE PDF into our platform, and Kay completed the entire 80 question 4.5-hour exam in under five minutes.” Smith emphasized Kay’s advanced capabilities in processing unstructured documents, “The HTS classification and practical exercise were the most impressive. Kay extracted and interpreted information from a full-page of facts referencing an air waybill, commercial invoice, and broker invoice. Kay didn’t just answer correctly-she proved robust OCR and ETL capabilities, essential for the administratively cumbersome document ridden trade and tariff landscape. This milestone reflects exactly why we built an AI-native global trade and tariff compliance platform: to enable our trade compliance customers to work faster and smarter without compromising sensitive data.”
“We’re proud to have developed one of the ‘smartest’ global trade and tariff management (GTM) solutions available today.”
Addressing Industry Skepticism
Some industry observers have questioned whether AI’s high performance on multiple-choice exams is meaningful. KYG Trade maintains that CBLE success requires more than pattern matching.
“Each question often involves cross-referencing multiple regulations, interpreting nuanced language, and ruling out competing statutory frameworks under time pressure,” said Aaron Ansel, a trade attorney and KYG’s Cofounder Chief AI Officer. “The complexity lies in the reasoning needed to achieve the correct answer. Basic retrieval augment generation (RAG) alone doesn’t cut it.”
Commitment to Security and Trust
KYG Trade also reaffirmed its commitment to data protection. The company is ISO 27001 certified, and all customer data processed through Kay is never stored, never retained, and never used to train its AI.
“Compliance is built on trust,” said Anand Raghavendran, a licensed customs broker and KYG’s Chief Product & Innovation Officer. “We designed our platform so organizations can safely leverage AI without exposing sensitive trade secrets to general-purpose LLMs.”
If you sat for the October 2025 CBLE and scored at least 50%, KYG is celebrating Kay’s accomplishment by providing you with a free subscription to its AI tariff and trade research tools. Get more information at discover@kyg.ai or https://www.kygtrade.com/contact-us.
Contact Information
Leslie Levy August Chief Marketing Officer leslie@kyg.ai 650-391-7759
4 p.m. – North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green provided a statement on Tuesday about the state’s commitment to providing safe learning environments for all students.
“Every child in North Carolina has the constitutional right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status,” Green said. “This is not a choice, it is our legal responsibility. Our schools are places of learning, growth and opportunity. When students are absent due to fear, their education suffers and our entire community is diminished.
“Consistent with binding legal precedent, North Carolina public schools remain committed to ensuring every student can safely attend school and receive the education they deserve.
“Our educators and school staff are focused on what they do best – teaching and nurturing young minds. We will continue to work with local boards of education and school leaders to maintain safe, welcoming environments where all students can learn and thrive.”
The North Carolina of Department of Public Instruction also
mentioned that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe (1982). It
requires that public schools must provide all children access to education,
including undocumented students. Federal and state laws, including Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and North Carolina General Statute Section
115C-367, prohibit discrimination based on race, color or national origin in
North Carolina schools.
3:15 p.m. – U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, provided a statement on Tuesday.
“America is a generous country, but we must ensure that those who come here do so legally. We must enforce America’s immigration laws after years of Joe Biden’s open-border policies invited a flow of drugs and crime. Border Patrol’s operations have resulted in the arrests of several individuals with criminal histories or who had previously been deported. Responsible enforcement measures, carried out in an orderly manner, are critical to protecting American lives and our communities here in North Carolina.”
3 p.m. – WRAL News asked Customs and Border Protection about how many arrests agents have made in the Triangle. The spokesperson did not provide a response.
2:15 p.m. – U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina, posted a statement on Tuesday.
“Deploying CBP [Customs and Border Protection] to major American cities doesn’t make us safer,” Ross wrote. “Indiscriminate immigration raids are useful for sowing fear and generating headlines, but totally ineffective at protecting us from criminals and terrorists.
“When the Trump administration spends money and manpower to randomly sweep people off the streets and target people based on the color of their skin, more felons go free, and there are fewer resources available to combat real threats.
“If reports are true that CBP is in Raleigh, I will work with state and local partners to protect our residents from violations of their rights by federal immigration officers. It’s time for CBP to go home and stop attacking our communities.”
1:45 p.m. – WRAL News has received pictures and videos from viewers showing immigration agents in Durham.
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams confirmed the presence of Border Patrol in the city.
“Residents have been sending content and posting it online,” Williams wrote in a text message to WRAL News. “It’s extremely frustrating because we are so limited.
“An outright jurisdictional disadvantage.”
12:55 p.m. – A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Border Patrol agents have arrested more than 200 immigrants in the Charlotte area who are believed to be in the U.S. illegally in the first three days of “Operation Charlotte’s Web.”
“Criminal records of those arrested include known gang membership, aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, felony larceny, simple assault, hit and run, possession of stolen goods, shoplifting, DUI, DWI and illegal re-entry after prior deportation, a felony,” the spokesperson said.
12:30 p.m. – Petey Pablo, who is from Greenville, released a statement about Border Patrol operations in North Carolina.
Border Patrol used Pablo’s song “Raise Up” in its video on operations in Charlotte.
“I have my legal team on it as we speak,” Pablo wrote in a statement. “They do not have my permission and I think it is appalling especially what they’re doing to the children.
“I do not stand with this by [any] means, and we are engaged with taking legal actions.”
Gilbert said the federal activities are not coordinated in partnership with the town. He also said Apex police do not participate in federal immigration enforcement efforts.
Also, he said the town did not receive advance notice or detailed information about the scope and timing of ICE’s efforts.
“As mayor, I want every resident in the town of Apex to know that our officers are here to protect and support this community,” Gilbert wrote. “We remain committed to ensuring that all our neighbors feel safe accessing town services, reporting emergencies and engaging with our officers with trust.
“We are here to serve, and my commitment to safety, support and compassion remains.”
12:20 p.m. – Wake County Public School System Superintendent Robert Taylor provided a message parents.
“We understand that recent developments regarding federal immigration orders may create questions and anxiety within our community,” Taylor’s statement reads in part.
Taylor added, “Please know that our commitment to you is unwavering. Our primary mission is, and always will be, to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment for every single child, regardless of immigration status. We want all staff and families to feel secure in knowing that we are dedicated to protecting the privacy and rights of all our students, and we are legally required to enroll and educate all children residing within our boundaries.”
The district also encouraged families to communicate directly with the child’s teacher and school if a student needs to be absent.
“Sharing the reason for the absence – whether it’s illness, a family matter, or simply feeling worried – helps us understand how to best support your child,” the district’s statement reads.
The district also provided a list of resources, including:
“Our primary focus remains on the well-being, safety, and education of every student we serve, regardless of their background,” the district’s statement reads. “We recognize that recent orders may cause uncertainty for some members of our community. We want to reaffirm our commitment to fostering a safe and welcoming environment where all children can learn and thrive.
“The Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe decision guarantees all children the right to access a public education, regardless of citizenship status. Our district has always complied with federal and state laws and will continue to do so. We are equally committed to ensuring our schools remain safe and welcoming spaces for all students and families.”
The district also mentioned the procedures law enforcement must follow when interacting with students on campus.
“If law enforcement seeks access to a school, we will consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws,” the district wrote. “Additionally, our district does not ask for or record information about the immigration status of any family. We will continue to honor all laws protecting the privacy of student records as outlined in board policies.”
11:20 a.m. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has responded to former Gov. Roy Cooper’s post on social media platform X that was critical of the department saying they were “randomly sweeping up people based on what they look like.”
The government replied to Cooper by posting a photo of a man they say is a criminal in North Carolina and that the state “refused to hand him over to ICE.”
11:16 a.m. – White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller responded to Charlotte school absences via his X account.
“So a conservative estimate is that one-seventh of a major southern public school district is here illegally,” he posted.
11:10 a.m. – Nikki Marín Baena, co-director of immigrant rights organizations Siembra NC, released a statement in response to agents coming to Raleigh.
“We expect that the agents will be met in Raleigh with a similar community effort that, like Charlotte, values the safety and freedom of all of their neighbors,” Baena said.
10:52a.m. – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders have said that unofficial attendance data from Monday showed nearly 21,000 students were absent on Monday. That is about 15% of students enrolled in the district. A normal day would see about 8% of the district’s students absent.
9:15 a.m. – Durham Mayor Leo Williams was a guest on “Morning Joe” on MSNOW, formerly MSNBC. He reaffirmed that Durham is a city of immigrants and that he and other city leaders will support them.
“We will work to continue to promote our strategic communications with organizations that are advocating around keeping our community safe. The government will do its part. We aren’t trying to antagonize. We understand the jurisdiction here, but Durham is a welcoming city for all,” Williams said.
Williams echoed many of the statements he made during a City Council meeting last night, saying immigrant communities are essential parts of Durham and North Carolina. He said he’s been in communication with Governor Stein and other mayors across the state.
Williams told WRAL that to his knowledge Tuesday morning immigration agents were not planning to go to Durham, but the city is preparing just in case.
8:55 a.m. – The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and Wake NCAE are “calling on local governments to immediately enact protections that explicitly prohibit Border Patrol and ICE from operating or staging on public property — especially on school campuses. Both the emotional safety of children and the integrity of our classroom learning environments must be protected.”
Raleigh Mayor: Federal immigration agents are on the ground
Cowell told WRAL News that agents are “already in Raleigh and will be active” on Tuesday. The move comes as Border Patrol agents are conducting operations in Charlotte, about 170 miles away.
“We don’t know how many law enforcement officers are here,” Cowell said in a phone interview with WRAL News. “We don’t know how long they’re going to stay.
“But, I mean, my sense is that they believe that there are … folks [who] are here [who] have committed crimes and are in the country illegally, and they will probably going to parts of town where they feel like they can intercept those individuals.”
Cowell said her goal is to keep people safe.
“We didn’t ask for this presence,” Cowell said. “We feel like the Raleigh police are doing a great job here locally.”
Cowell noted that Raleigh’s violent crime is down 2% and property crime is down 16% from a year ago.
The Department of Homeland Security last weekend arrested more than 130 immigrants in the Charlotte area who are believed to be in the U.S. illegally, the department said. The department sent agents to Charlotte despite objections from city officials, who claim the deployment is unnecessary.
Likewise, Cowell said city officials didn’t request help from federal immigration agents and aren’t a part of their operations. Federal agents have not informed Raleigh officials who they are targeting or when they expect to complete their operations, Cowell said.
“The police will be doing normal patrols out in the community,” Cowell said. “The biggest message here is that we know some people will be concerned. Some will feel threatened. They can call the police if needed.”
Create a safety plan: Identify emergency contacts and memorize their phone numbers. Protect your child’s school or day care with an emergency contact to pick up your child. Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child.
Defend your rights: All people in the United States have constitutional protections, including the right to remain silent when questioned or arrested by immigration officers.
Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe provided WRAL News this statement:
“The Wake County Sheriff’s Office has not received any official notification from U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Rowe wrote. “However, if any operation or activity should occur, I kindly ask all residents to refrain from engaging or confronting Border Control personnel and allow them to carry out their official duties.
“The safety and well-being of our community remains the primary concern of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and we strive to avoid circumstances that may lead to injuries or unnecessary arrests.”
The North Carolina Association of Educators shared a post on its Facebook page last night saying there were reports of an “unusually high number of student absences” at Charlotte area schools on Monday – the first school day since federal agents began operating in that area. They said it was a “clear sign that families were afraid to send their children to school.”
“This is wrong – full stop,” the post continued. “This crisis does not affect only immigrant children. Fear ripples through every classroom. Adult staff and caregivers are terrified of being targeted. When we are worried about safety, learning is interrupted for everyone. Traumatizing children and families is not – and must never be considered acceptable government policy.”
With activities set to start Tuesday in Raleigh, WRAL has reached out to Wake County Schools for comment. They directed us to their website with a statement regarding federal immigration orders.
“Our primary focus remains on the well-being, safety, and education of every student we serve, regardless of their background. We recognize that recent orders may cause uncertainty for some members of our community. We want to reaffirm our commitment to fostering a safe and welcoming environment where all children can learn and thrive.
The Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe decision guarantees all children the right to access a public education, regardless of citizenship status. Our district has always complied with federal and state laws and will continue to do so. We are equally committed to ensuring our schools remain safe and welcoming spaces for all students and families.
Building leaders have been reminded of the procedures that law enforcement agencies must follow when interacting with students on campus. If law enforcement seeks access to a school, we will consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
Additionally, our district does not ask for or record information about the immigration status of any family. We will continue to honor all laws protecting the privacy of student records as outlined in board policies. We encourage families to contact their school’s student support services if their child has concerns or social-emotional needs during this time.”
President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration agents in Charlotte is becoming a centerpiece of debate in the battle for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat.
The Department of Homeland Security last weekend launched “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in the Queen City against the objection of city officials who said the move was unnecessary. Border Patrol agents arrested more than 130 immigrants who are believed to be in the U.S. illegally, the department said Monday.
The move comes about a year prior to next year’s midterm elections, when North Carolinians will be asked to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. The two-term Republican isn’t seeking reelection.
The frontrunners in the race weighed in on the crackdown Monday, underscoring the importance of immigration policy on the race.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper, who is expected to win the Democratic nomination in March, is casting the operation as inefficient.
He echoed the concern of other critics who have accused immigration agents of targeting nonviolent immigrants — sometimes U.S. citizens — based on their race or ethnicity.
“I’ve prosecuted violent criminals and fought to keep them behind bars, so I know the importance of using federal resources to deport violent criminals and keep our borders strong,” Cooper said in a statement Monday.
He continued: “But randomly sweeping up people based on what they look like, including American citizens and those with no criminal records, risks leaving violent criminals at large while hurting families and the economy.”
Meanwhile, Republican candidates are praising Border Patrol’s efforts.
Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chairman who President Donald Trump endorsed in the race, said immigration agents are “taking criminal illegal aliens identified as murderers, rapists, and pedophiles off the streets of Charlotte.”
Don Brown, another Republican in the race, claimed that local law enforcement doesn’t have the resources to crack down on immigration, saying: “I welcome the Border Patrol to Charlotte today as we take important steps toward a safer, stronger city.”
Immigration and crime in recent years have been top issues for North Carolina voters, according to polling by WRAL and other groups. Republicans are expected to campaign heavily on the issue as they attempt to keep the U.S. Senate under GOP control. Democrats hope to flip four Senate seats and take a majority in the chamber. North Carolina is home to one of only two GOP-held seats that the nonpartisan Cook Political Report considers a toss up.
Illinois state Representative Hoan Huynh, a Democrat serving Chicago, said federal agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stopped him on Tuesday morning in the Albany Park neighborhood on Chicago’s northwest side.
The incident occurred on October 21 around 11:30 a.m. near Montrose and Kimball avenues, where the agents blocked his vehicle while he and his staff were following an unmarked car they believed contained CBP personnel, his campaign said in a news release.
A federal agent pointed a gun at the state representative as he and his staff were alerting North Side residents to reported immigration enforcement activity, according to Huynh.
“This was federal agents using violent intimidation trying to silence us,” Huynh, who is running in Illinois’ 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, said in a statement.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Why It Matters
Chicago has become a key battleground city amid ramped-up immigration enforcement as federal authorities under the Trump administration conduct Operation Midway Blitz. The initiative has involved increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity across the city, including arrests and targeted actions in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations.
Critics say the operations have heightened fear among residents and strained community relations, while federal officials argue that the measures are necessary to enforce immigration laws and detain individuals with criminal records.
What To Know
Huynh’s campaign said six armed CBP agents surrounded the front and rear of his car and approached. The state representative’s team said the stop was related to his efforts to monitor and warn residents about alleged enforcement operations by ICE and CBP in the community.
Huynh, a Democrat representing the Illinois House’s 13th District, said he had received a tip that federal agents were detaining individuals on foot in the neighborhood and was attempting to alert residents to their rights.
“They tried to bash in our car’s windows while we were doing Know Your Rights patrol in the community,” Huynh said in a post on Facebook. “Thankfully, we weren’t physically harmed, but this was federal agents using violent intimidation trying to silence us. If they can pull a gun on an elected official, there’s no end to the terror they will continue reigning on our communities. We must fight back against this fascist regime that has no place in America.”
Huynh is a Vietnamese American who came to the United States as a refugee when he was a child. He is the first Vietnamese American elected to the Illinois General Assembly.
Tuesday’s encounter marks the latest clash between local officials and federal immigration agents, part of a broader pattern of tense interactions that have emerged during the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign.
What People Are Saying
State Representative Hoan Huynh wrote on X: “We must fight back against this fascist regime that has no place in America.”
What Happens Next
Immigration authorities have not issued a public statement or provided details about the encounter. The national debate continues over immigration enforcement practices and the role of community groups that monitor federal activity in local neighborhoods.
Four Carnival Cruise Line crew members were removed from a ship in Baltimore by border security officials.
Customs and Border Protection inspected the Carnival Pride ship on Sept. 7, “based off intelligence that crew members were in possession of child sexual exploitation material,” the law enforcement organization told USA TODAY.
“After boarding the vessel and interviewing four suspected crew members, officers confirmed they had received and viewed the exploitation material,” the emailed statement continued.
CBP did not specify whether any criminal charges had been filed against the crew members. “This is a law enforcement matter of which we always cooperate, and we defer to the authorities for further comment,” Carnival said in an emailed statement.
The news comes after nearly 30 Carnival crew members were detained in recent months in Norfolk, Virginia, The Virginian-Pilot reported in August. The Southern California-based Pilipino Workers Center told the outlet at the time that the crew members had also been accused of possessing child pornography, which they denied, and that they were not charged with any crimes.
The organization did not respond to multiple requests for comment from USA TODAY. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is involved in ongoing cruise vessel operations where we enforce immigration law,” CBP told USA TODAY at the time. “The crewmembers were found inadmissible and were denied entry to the United States.”
CBP also removed crew members working aboard at least two ships in the Great Lakes in July, but did not share reasons for the removals at the time. The incidents have taken place amid President Donald Trump‘s nationwide crackdown on immigration.
A number of crew members from various cruise lines have been arrested on child pornography charges in recent months. Anthony Salisbury, then special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations Miami, told USA TODAY in August 2024 that child exploitation was “significantly higher across the board,” not just in the cruise industry.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
Dozens of immigrant workers were detained at a warehouse in New Jersey on Wednesday, in the latest federal raid as part of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) descended on the warehouse, in Edison, New Jersey, at 9am on Wednesday, the New York Times reported. Officers led some workers away in zip ties, employees told the Times, while people they deemed to have legal status in the US were given yellow wristbands.
Univision reported that the agents spent hours at the facility, during what CBP said was a “surprise inspection”. CBP told Univision the operation had begun as part of “routine efforts” to verify customs, employment and safety regulations.
CBP did not immediately respond to questions from the Guardian.
Videos taken by New Labor, a New Jersey-based labor and immigration reform organization, showed CBP vehicles at the site, along with unmarked SUVs. New Labor said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents were also at the raid.
“We have customs and border patrol holding the door open for their Ice counterparts to say they’re allowed in with us, and then they start doing immigration-related actions,” Amanda Dominguez, an organizer at New Labor, told News 12 New York.
“That is illegal. Ice still needs their own judicial warrant signed by a judge.”
Relatives of the workers gathered at the facility throughout the day, the Times reported, waiting for news about people inside.
“People were very upset and crying and angry, completely understandably,” said Ellen Whit, who works at Deportation & Immigrant Response Equipo (Dire), a New Jersey hotline that responds to calls about raids and from relatives of immigrants who have been detained, told the Times. “One girl’s father was taken. She was very, very upset.”
Workers described a chaotic scene as federal agents arrived. About 20 agents entered through the front door of the warehouse, witnesses told the Times, while other agents blocked alternative exits. Some people were injured amid the chaos, while others hid in the rafters of the warehouse for hours in an attempt to avoid the officers.
The raid comes weeks after 20 people were taken into custody by Ice at the Alba Wine and Spirits warehouse in Edison. Activists told Fox 5 NY that masked Ice agents arrived that the warehouse in 30 cars, with K-9 dogs.
Phil Murphy, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, said after the Alba raid, according to NJ Spotlight News: “We don’t stand in the way of federal authorities doing their work and [we are] cooperating with them all the time. But beyond that, I have no insight into the Edison situation.”
Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, centered on suburban Jefferson County, hasn’t had a Republican in the seat since Bob Beauprez left Congress nearly 20 years ago.
But Sergei Matveyuk, an antiques repairman from Golden and the GOP contender for the seat in the Nov. 5 election, urges voters not to count him out in his battle with incumbent Brittany Pettersen. The first-term Democratic congresswoman is seeking reelection.
“People are hurting economically,” Matveyuk, 57, told The Denver Post. “They want someone who feels the pain.”
He’s running in a once-battleground district that has turned decidedly blue in the last decade or so, with Democratic former Rep. Ed Perlmutter winning election eight times running, until his retirement announcement in 2022 ushered in an open race.
Pettersen, 42, a former state lawmaker from Lakewood, won the 2022 election by 16 percentage points over Republican Army veteran Erik Aadland. The bulk of the district’s electorate calls left-leaning Jefferson and Broomfield counties home, while redder areas in the district — such as Teller, Custer and Fremont counties — simply don’t have the populations to give Matveyuk a sizable boost.
As of Sept. 30, Pettersen had raised more than $2.2 million this cycle, compared to about $35,000 collected by Matveyuk, according to campaign finance filings. There are two minor party candidates on the ballot this time: Former state lawmaker Ron Tupa is running on the Unity Party of Colorado ticket, while Patrick Bohan is running as the Libertarian candidate.
Matveyuk, a political neophyte, said that as a small business owner, the historically high inflation of the last two years has hurt those like him who are particularly sensitive to escalating prices. But it’s his personal story that he thinks will resonate with voters in the current political climate, in which border policy has taken center stage. Matveyuk, who is of Polish descent, and his family left the Soviet Bloc in the late 1980s after experiencing life under communist rule and immigrated to the United States.
“As an immigrant myself, I know how hard it is to start a new life — but it has to be legal,” he said.
Matveyuk doesn’t echo former President Donald Trump’s calls for mass deportations but says migrants who “are hurting our people and committing crimes need to be deported, for sure.”
“We need immigration reform — 40 years ago we had a regulated border and now we have a porous border,” he said.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data through August, there have been more than 8.6 million migrant “encounters” at the southern U.S. border since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. That influx has prompted many big city mayors across the country, including Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, to cut city services to pay for migrant housing and plead for help from the federal government.
Pettersen acknowledged that the U.S. asylum system is “absolutely outdated.” But many of the arriving migrants are filling jobs that businesses in the district, like nursing homes, are desperate to staff, she said.
Making people wait years before getting work permits is an unworkable policy, Pettersen said.
“We don’t have the people in the U.S. to meet our economic needs,” she said. “We need legal pathways based on economic need.”
Though Pettersen is in the minority party in the U.S. House, a bill she sponsored was recently signed into law by Biden. It directs the federal government to study and report on illicit financing associated with synthetic drug trafficking.
Last month, she introduced a bill that seeks to incentivize more states to offer substance use treatment through Medicaid, six years after she sponsored a bill in the state House requiring Colorado to provide that care. Pettersen has often spoken publicly of the struggles her mother faced battling opioid addiction.
If reelected, she said in The Denver Post’s candidate questionnaire that she would work to protect abortion rights and to address the opioid epidemic. Her top priority would be “modernizing our tax code to rebuild the middle class.”
“We need to lower costs by reinvesting in access to affordable housing, childcare, health care, and higher education,” she wrote.
Officers found the marijuana wrapped in bed sheets in her suitcase in 50 vacuum-sealed bags.
Lewis was charged with felony possession with intent to distribute, transportation and narcotics conspiracy charges, according to the release.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said that the amount of marijuana found has a street value of about $250,000 in the U.S., but “could fetch two to three times more in Paris.”
This is an increasing trend at airports recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
“Marijuana remains illegal federally,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of D.C. “Travelers who gamble with their freedom by smuggling bulk amounts of marijuana for a little extra cash may find themselves on the losing end of that proposition. Customs and Border Protection officers are hard to bet against, and our officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that drug smugglers are held accountable.”
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Two men were arrested Thursday after over 70 pounds of marijuana were found in their checked baggage at Dulles International Airport.
Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 70 pounds of marijuana at Dulles on Thursday and arrested two men. (Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found over 70 pounds of marijuana in checked baggage at Dulles International Airport on Thursday. (Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Two men were arrested Thursday after over 70 pounds of marijuana were found in their checked baggage at Dulles International Airport.
Two men were arrested Thursday after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found over 70 pounds of marijuana in their checked baggage at Dulles International Airport.
According to a release from CBP, 33-year-old Kaliq Talib McCallister and 28-year-old Christian Tyler Knight, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, were arrested by Virginia State Police troopers at the airport and were charged with felony possession with intent to distribute, transportation and narcotics conspiracy.
CBP officers at Dulles found “large vacuum-sealed bags full of suspected marijuana in three suitcases being loaded onto a Keflavik, Iceland, flight,” the release said.
Both men were traveling through Iceland to Paris, France, where officers said high-quality weed can be sold for several times higher than in the U.S.
“Marijuana remains illegal federally, and travelers who smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana gamble with their freedom to chase a few extra bucks,” said Marc E. Calixte, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.
“Customs and Border Protection officers are hard to bet against, and our officers will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure smugglers are held accountable.”
CBP officers retrieved a total of 68 vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, weighing a combined 72 pounds and 15 ounces, which they said could have a street value of as much as $350,000 in the U.S. — and even more in Paris.
CBP said that they capture 2,895 pounds of dangerous drugs on average everyday at air, land and sea ports of entry throughout the U.S.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection have seized a shipment containing of hundreds of pounds marijuana that was being sent through Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
The seizure happened April 25 as the shipment of 36 boxes arrived from Canada heading to a corporation in California. The marijuana was found while the three pallets were undergoing x-ray.
The boxes were listed as ATF Adapter Kits but were opened for inspection after the officers noticed an “organic anomaly” inside. Each box contained vacuum sealed packages with a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana.
In total, the 36 boxes contained 909 pounds of marijuana with a street value of more than $2.27 million.
Customs officials say while marijuana is legal in several states, CBP enforces the laws of the United States and U.S. laws have not changed. Although medical and recreational marijuana is legal in some states, the sale, possession, production, and distribution of marijuana is illegal under U.S. Federal Law.
The Department of Homeland Security is now handling the investigation.
