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Tag: Department of Homeland Security

  • Graphic: New video shows confrontation between ICE officer, Renee Good before fatal shooting

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    A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.Warning: The video above may be graphic to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds press conference FridaySirens blaring in the background, he approaches Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:”That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.”U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”Other officers at the scene are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.”F—— b—,” someone at the scene says.A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.Homeland Security says video shows self-defenseVice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.“Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.“Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.“If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said. Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful. Prosecutor asks for video and evidenceMeanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vice President JD Vance declared.Video above: VP Vance addresses, answers questions on ICE shooting in Minneapolis”We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.””On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.”I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested outside a hotel in downtown Minneapolis, banging on pots and drums and carrying signs that said, “ICE Out” and “Don’t Shoot.”Video below: Minnesota law enforcement blocked from federal investigation into deadly ICE shooting Shooting in PortlandThe Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custodyDHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.The biggest crackdown yetThe Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis, with protests planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.A deadly encounter seen from multiple anglesNoem, Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly characterized the Minneapolis shooting as an act of self-defense and cast Good as a villain, suggesting she used her vehicle as a weapon to attack the officer who shot her.Several bystanders captured video of Good’s killing, which happened in a neighborhood south of downtown. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”The federal agent who fatally shot Good is an Iraq War veteran who has served for nearly two decades in the Border Patrol and ICE, according to records obtained by AP.Noem has not publicly named him, but a Homeland Security spokesperson said her description of his injuries last summer refers to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, in which court documents identify him as Ross.Ross got his arm stuck in the window of a vehicle whose driver was fleeing arrest on an immigration violation. Ross was dragged and fired his Taser. A jury found the driver guilty of assault. ___Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis; Ed White in Detroit; Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas; Graham Lee Brewer in Norman, Oklahoma; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian and Safiyah Riddle in New York; Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

    MINNEAPOLIS —

    A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.

    Warning: The video above may be graphic to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

    The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.

    The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.

    Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds press conference Friday

    Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:

    “That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.

    “U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”

    Other officers at the scene are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.

    The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.

    “F—— b—,” someone at the scene says.

    A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.

    Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.

    Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.

    Homeland Security says video shows self-defense

    Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.

    “Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”

    Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.

    “Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.

    The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.

    “If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said.

    Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful.

    Prosecutor asks for video and evidence

    Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.

    She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vice President JD Vance declared.

    Video above: VP Vance addresses, answers questions on ICE shooting in Minneapolis

    “We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”

    Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.

    Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.”

    “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.

    “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.

    The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.

    On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested outside a hotel in downtown Minneapolis, banging on pots and drums and carrying signs that said, “ICE Out” and “Don’t Shoot.”

    Video below: Minnesota law enforcement blocked from federal investigation into deadly ICE shooting

    Shooting in Portland

    The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody

    DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.

    Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.

    The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.

    The biggest crackdown yet

    The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.

    The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.

    Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis, with protests planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.

    A deadly encounter seen from multiple angles

    Noem, Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly characterized the Minneapolis shooting as an act of self-defense and cast Good as a villain, suggesting she used her vehicle as a weapon to attack the officer who shot her.

    Several bystanders captured video of Good’s killing, which happened in a neighborhood south of downtown. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”

    The federal agent who fatally shot Good is an Iraq War veteran who has served for nearly two decades in the Border Patrol and ICE, according to records obtained by AP.

    Noem has not publicly named him, but a Homeland Security spokesperson said her description of his injuries last summer refers to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, in which court documents identify him as Ross.

    Ross got his arm stuck in the window of a vehicle whose driver was fleeing arrest on an immigration violation. Ross was dragged and fired his Taser. A jury found the driver guilty of assault.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis; Ed White in Detroit; Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas; Graham Lee Brewer in Norman, Oklahoma; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian and Safiyah Riddle in New York; Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

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  • ICE officer who killed a Minnesota woman is a war veteran who spent over a decade working for DHS

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    Before Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross encountered Renee Nicole Good on a snowy Minneapolis street, fatally shooting her as she tried to drive away during a confrontation, he spent years working for the government and serving in the military.

    Now, as Minneapolis reels from yet another tragedy making national headlines, Ross is at the center of debate over whether his actions during Wednesday’s confrontation were justified.

    Trump administration figures, including President Donald Trump, have defended Ross and claimed that Good was an agitator who attempted to run him over with her SUV. Witnesses have told NBC News that it didn’t appear Ross was in the direct path of Good’s SUV as she tried to evade ICE officers. Videos contradict Trump’s claim that Good “viciously ran over” Ross, showing that Good’s car didn’t knock down Ross, whose legs were to the side of the SUV as it moved by him while he fired.

    On Friday, on a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac full of multi-level homes about 30 miles from the scene of the shooting in south Minneapolis, few neighbors were out bicycling and walking their dogs. Hockey sticks lay on porches and “let it snow” signs decorated doorways.

    Some onlookers from other neighborhoods had come to observe the scene outside Ross’ house, where he lives with his wife and children. Someone had ordered pizza to the home, and a delivery driver spent some time ringing the doorbell before returning to his car, taking the pies with him. Neighbors talked amongst themselves about getting away for the weekend.

    One female neighbor, who asked that she not be identified by name for fear of retribution, said she saw people packing boxes at Ross’ home Friday morning.

    “What I did see was three trucks and people moving boxes out of there. I texted one of my friends right away,” she said. “I mean, they were really hustling when I was down there.”

    Asked who was moving the boxes, she said, “No idea.”

    Multiple neighbors told NBC News that during the presidential election, a pro-Trump and at least one “Don’t Tread On Me” Gadsden sign had been on display. There were no political signs outside the house Friday, and Ross’ political affiliation is unknown.

    A neighbor who also asked not to be identified by name said everyone in the neighborhood is “freaking out.” She said the pro-Trump signage at Ross’ home was noticeable because “part of the neighborhood is not generally supportive of Trump, so the houses stick out if they are.”

    So far, Ross has not made any public statements about the shooting and NBC News has made numerous attempts to reach him with no response.

    None of the neighbors interviewed were aware that Ross worked for ICE, but one suspected he had some kind of involvement with the military because they saw him wearing fatigue pants.

    Deployed to Iraq as a member of the Indiana National Guard from November 2004 to November 2005, Specialist Ross of the 138th Signal Battalion earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal among others, according to the guard.

    During his time in Iraq, Ross was a machine gunner on a combat logistical patrol team, court documents show.

    After he returned home, Ross joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 2007 in El Paso, Texas, and worked for the agency until 2015 as a field intelligence agent who gathered and analyzed information on drug cartels and human traffickers.

    That year, Ross joined ICE as a deportation officer based in Minnesota whose job, he testified in a case recently, was to identify and arrest “higher value targets.”

    Ross testified that he was also a member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as a firearms instructor and field intelligence officer. Ross said some of his work involves investigating organized crime and working on national security cases.

    Ross was not part of the hiring surge that began in August under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

    While Ross’ name has been widely reported, the DHS has, so far, refused to “expose the name of this officer,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. But the agency has confirmed that Ross was seriously injured in June while trying to arrest an immigrant who had refused to get out of his car.

    Court records viewed by NBC News revealed that the sequence of events that left Ross bloodied and bruised bore some similarities to the scenario that ended with Good’s death.

    In both cases, Ross was confronting a driver at the wheel of a vehicle.

    In the June incident, Ross broke the window of a car when the driver refused to exit the vehicle and then found himself being dragged at least 50 yards when the driver hit the gas.

    “I was yelling at him to stop,” Ross testified of Robert Muñoz-Guatemala, who was found guilty last month of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. “Over and over and over again at the top of my lungs.”

    Ross said in his testimony that he feared for his life and fired his Taser repeatedly at Muñoz-Guatemala.

    “It didn’t appear that it affected him at all,” Ross said.

    After Ross fell from Muñoz-Guatemala’s car, he was in “excruciating” pain, he said. He needed 33 stitches across all of his wounds.

    Seven months after the dragging incident, Ross was on the job again in Minneapolis when he came across Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen.

    In videos of the confrontation, which is under investigation by the FBI, Good’s Honda Pilot SUV is seen partially blocking traffic on a residential street with several federal vehicles in her path. Next to the SUV, a woman, who later identified herself as Good’s wife, and Ross, who is masked, are recording the scene with their phones.

    One ICE officer tells Good to get out of the car and one grabs the driver’s side door handle and reaches inside the open window.

    Ross moves around the SUV, making his way to the front. Witness videos show Good reversing, then moving forward, turning her wheels to the right, away from the officers.

    Ross, now at the front driver’s side of the SUV, draws his gun. His video captures what sounds like him hollering “whoa,” and he fires.

    Witness videos show that at the moment Ross fires his first shot into the front of the SUV, its wheels are directed away from him. His legs appear to be clear of the car. He fires the second and third shots into the open driver’s side window as the car is moving.

    Ross’ phone then captures the SUV accelerating down the street. A male voice says, “f—— b—-.”

    Good, struck in the head, loses control of the SUV, which accelerates and crashes into a parked car about 140 feet away.

    Another of Ross’ neighbors said he was “shocked” when he found out the ICE officer who shot Good lives around the corner.

    “I assumed it was some ICE agent that had come into Minnesota for their operations,” said a 44-year-old neighbor who asked to be identified by his first name, which is Jonathan. “It hurts to think that as someone who’s lived here for probably quite a while, because it doesn’t to me reflect what our community is about, what our state is about.”

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not name the ICE officer who killed Renee Nicole Good, but described him as experienced.

    Courtney Kube, Rich Schapiro and Jon Schuppe contributed.

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    Daniella Silva, Rebecca Cohen and Corky Siemaszko | NBC News

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  • ICE officer who killed a Minnesota woman is a war veteran who spent over a decade working for DHS

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    Before Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross encountered Renee Nicole Good on a snowy Minneapolis street, fatally shooting her as she tried to drive away during a confrontation, he spent years working for the government and serving in the military.

    Now, as Minneapolis reels from yet another tragedy making national headlines, Ross is at the center of debate over whether his actions during Wednesday’s confrontation were justified.

    Trump administration figures, including President Donald Trump, have defended Ross and claimed that Good was an agitator who attempted to run him over with her SUV. Witnesses have told NBC News that it didn’t appear Ross was in the direct path of Good’s SUV as she tried to evade ICE officers. Videos contradict Trump’s claim that Good “viciously ran over” Ross, showing that Good’s car didn’t knock down Ross, whose legs were to the side of the SUV as it moved by him while he fired.

    On Friday, on a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac full of multi-level homes about 30 miles from the scene of the shooting in south Minneapolis, few neighbors were out bicycling and walking their dogs. Hockey sticks lay on porches and “let it snow” signs decorated doorways.

    Some onlookers from other neighborhoods had come to observe the scene outside Ross’ house, where he lives with his wife and children. Someone had ordered pizza to the home, and a delivery driver spent some time ringing the doorbell before returning to his car, taking the pies with him. Neighbors talked amongst themselves about getting away for the weekend.

    One female neighbor, who asked that she not be identified by name for fear of retribution, said she saw people packing boxes at Ross’ home Friday morning.

    “What I did see was three trucks and people moving boxes out of there. I texted one of my friends right away,” she said. “I mean, they were really hustling when I was down there.”

    Asked who was moving the boxes, she said, “No idea.”

    Multiple neighbors told NBC News that during the presidential election, a pro-Trump and at least one “Don’t Tread On Me” Gadsden sign had been on display. There were no political signs outside the house Friday, and Ross’ political affiliation is unknown.

    A neighbor who also asked not to be identified by name said everyone in the neighborhood is “freaking out.” She said the pro-Trump signage at Ross’ home was noticeable because “part of the neighborhood is not generally supportive of Trump, so the houses stick out if they are.”

    So far, Ross has not made any public statements about the shooting and NBC News has made numerous attempts to reach him with no response.

    None of the neighbors interviewed were aware that Ross worked for ICE, but one suspected he had some kind of involvement with the military because they saw him wearing fatigue pants.

    Deployed to Iraq as a member of the Indiana National Guard from November 2004 to November 2005, Specialist Ross of the 138th Signal Battalion earned the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal among others, according to the guard.

    During his time in Iraq, Ross was a machine gunner on a combat logistical patrol team, court documents show.

    After he returned home, Ross joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 2007 in El Paso, Texas, and worked for the agency until 2015 as a field intelligence agent who gathered and analyzed information on drug cartels and human traffickers.

    That year, Ross joined ICE as a deportation officer based in Minnesota whose job, he testified in a case recently, was to identify and arrest “higher value targets.”

    Ross testified that he was also a member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as a firearms instructor and field intelligence officer. Ross said some of his work involves investigating organized crime and working on national security cases.

    Ross was not part of the hiring surge that began in August under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

    While Ross’ name has been widely reported, the DHS has, so far, refused to “expose the name of this officer,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. But the agency has confirmed that Ross was seriously injured in June while trying to arrest an immigrant who had refused to get out of his car.

    Court records viewed by NBC News revealed that the sequence of events that left Ross bloodied and bruised bore some similarities to the scenario that ended with Good’s death.

    In both cases, Ross was confronting a driver at the wheel of a vehicle.

    In the June incident, Ross broke the window of a car when the driver refused to exit the vehicle and then found himself being dragged at least 50 yards when the driver hit the gas.

    “I was yelling at him to stop,” Ross testified of Robert Muñoz-Guatemala, who was found guilty last month of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. “Over and over and over again at the top of my lungs.”

    Ross said in his testimony that he feared for his life and fired his Taser repeatedly at Muñoz-Guatemala.

    “It didn’t appear that it affected him at all,” Ross said.

    After Ross fell from Muñoz-Guatemala’s car, he was in “excruciating” pain, he said. He needed 33 stitches across all of his wounds.

    Seven months after the dragging incident, Ross was on the job again in Minneapolis when he came across Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen.

    In videos of the confrontation, which is under investigation by the FBI, Good’s Honda Pilot SUV is seen partially blocking traffic on a residential street with several federal vehicles in her path. Next to the SUV, a woman, who later identified herself as Good’s wife, and Ross, who is masked, are recording the scene with their phones.

    One ICE officer tells Good to get out of the car and one grabs the driver’s side door handle and reaches inside the open window.

    Ross moves around the SUV, making his way to the front. Witness videos show Good reversing, then moving forward, turning her wheels to the right, away from the officers.

    Ross, now at the front driver’s side of the SUV, draws his gun. His video captures what sounds like him hollering “whoa,” and he fires.

    Witness videos show that at the moment Ross fires his first shot into the front of the SUV, its wheels are directed away from him. His legs appear to be clear of the car. He fires the second and third shots into the open driver’s side window as the car is moving.

    Ross’ phone then captures the SUV accelerating down the street. A male voice says, “f—— b—-.”

    Good, struck in the head, loses control of the SUV, which accelerates and crashes into a parked car about 140 feet away.

    Another of Ross’ neighbors said he was “shocked” when he found out the ICE officer who shot Good lives around the corner.

    “I assumed it was some ICE agent that had come into Minnesota for their operations,” said a 44-year-old neighbor who asked to be identified by his first name, which is Jonathan. “It hurts to think that as someone who’s lived here for probably quite a while, because it doesn’t to me reflect what our community is about, what our state is about.”

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not name the ICE officer who killed Renee Nicole Good, but described him as experienced.

    Courtney Kube, Rich Schapiro and Jon Schuppe contributed.

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    Daniella Silva, Rebecca Cohen and Corky Siemaszko | NBC News

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  • Trump Administration Officials Identify People Shot In Portland – KXL

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    Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday morning, the Department of Homeland Security identified the two people who are currently in the hospital due to being shot by Border Patrol Agents in Portland Thursday afternoon.

    DHS says Luis David Nico Moncada was the driver of the vehicle and that he is a gang member of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. He is alleged to have illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and has been arrested for a DUI in the past.

    Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    Trump Administration officials say the passenger was Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, who also has ties to Venezuelan gang activity. She is also alleged to have entered the country illegally in 2023. DHS says Zambrano-Contreras was also involved in a prior Portland shooting.

    The medical conditions of Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras are still unknown.

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    Noah Friedman

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  • ICE officer fatally shoots Minneapolis woman amid immigration crackdown

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    An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the city’s mayor described as “reckless” and unnecessary.LIVE video above: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz holds press conference on deadly ICE shootingThe woman was shot in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020. Her killing quickly drew a crowd of angry protesters.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a visit to Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted that characterization as “garbage” and criticized the federal deployment of more than 2,000 officers to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as part of the immigration crackdown.“What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said, calling on the immigration agents to leave. “They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”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“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit,” the mayor said.Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The SUV begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the SUV at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says federal agents are “sowing chaos on our streets”It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen.The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. The death of the Minneapolis woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was at least the fifth linked to immigration crackdowns.The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, which is at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. During her Texas visit, Noem confirmed that DHS had deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area and said they had already made “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests.Video above: Witness describes Minneapolis shooting involving ICE officerMinneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the 37-year-old driver was trying to harm anyone. He said she had been shot in the head.“This woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue. … At some point a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive off,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.In a scene that hearkened back to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.“Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. From houses of worship to mobile home parks, they have set up very active online networks, scanned license plates for possible federal vehicles and bought whistles and other noisemaking devices to alert neighborhoods of any enforcement presence.On Tuesday night, the Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session for about 100 people who were willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement operation.

    MINNEAPOLIS —

    An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the city’s mayor described as “reckless” and unnecessary.

    LIVE video above: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz holds press conference on deadly ICE shooting

    The woman was shot in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020. Her killing quickly drew a crowd of angry protesters.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, during a visit to Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

    But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted that characterization as “garbage” and criticized the federal deployment of more than 2,000 officers to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as part of the immigration crackdown.

    “What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said, calling on the immigration agents to leave. “They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”

    “They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense. Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit,” the mayor said.

    Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The SUV begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the SUV at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

    Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says federal agents are “sowing chaos on our streets”


    It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen.

    The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. The death of the Minneapolis woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was at least the fifth linked to immigration crackdowns.

    The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, which is at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. During her Texas visit, Noem confirmed that DHS had deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area and said they had already made “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests.

    Video above: Witness describes Minneapolis shooting involving ICE officer

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the 37-year-old driver was trying to harm anyone. He said she had been shot in the head.

    “This woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue. … At some point a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive off,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

    A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

    In a scene that hearkened back to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

    “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.

    For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. From houses of worship to mobile home parks, they have set up very active online networks, scanned license plates for possible federal vehicles and bought whistles and other noisemaking devices to alert neighborhoods of any enforcement presence.

    On Tuesday night, the Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session for about 100 people who were willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement operation.

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  • ICE agent shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown

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    A federal officer shot and killed a Minneapolis motorist when she allegedly tried to run over law enforcement officers during an immigration crackdown in the city, authorities said Wednesday.The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot the woman in her vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.Livestream above: Officials speak at press conference on shooting of woman by ICE agent in MinneapolisThe shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major American cities under the Trump administration. The woman is at least the fifth person killed in a handful of states since 2024.The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, with 2,000 agents and officers expected to participate in the crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after Wednesday’s shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.In a scene similar to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the crackdowns.“Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.After the shooting, Mayor Jacob Frey said immigration agents were “causing chaos in our city.”“We are demanding ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities,” Frey said on social media.The area where the shooting occurred is a modest neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets in the area and a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.The Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session Tuesday night for about 100 people who are willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement.“I feel like I’m an ordinary person, and I have the ability do something so I need to do it,” Mary Moran told KMSP-TV. Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporter Ed White in Detroit contributed.

    MINNEAPOLIS —

    A federal officer shot and killed a Minneapolis motorist when she allegedly tried to run over law enforcement officers during an immigration crackdown in the city, authorities said Wednesday.

    The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot the woman in her vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

    Livestream above: Officials speak at press conference on shooting of woman by ICE agent in Minneapolis

    The shooting marks a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major American cities under the Trump administration. The woman is at least the fifth person killed in a handful of states since 2024.

    The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, with 2,000 agents and officers expected to participate in the crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

    A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after Wednesday’s shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

    In a scene similar to the Los Angeles and Chicago crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the crackdowns.

    “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of Minnesota!” they loudly chanted from behind the police tape.

    After the shooting, Mayor Jacob Frey said immigration agents were “causing chaos in our city.”

    “We are demanding ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand rock solid with our immigrant and refugee communities,” Frey said on social media.

    The area where the shooting occurred is a modest neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets in the area and a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

    The Immigration Defense Network, a coalition of groups serving immigrants in Minnesota, held a training session Tuesday night for about 100 people who are willing to hit the streets to monitor the federal enforcement.

    “I feel like I’m an ordinary person, and I have the ability do something so I need to do it,” Mary Moran told KMSP-TV.

    Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporter Ed White in Detroit contributed.

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  • ‘Undemocratic behavior’: Nonprofit calls for review on demolition plans on St. Elizabeth West campus – WTOP News

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    A nonprofit is pushing back on an emergency proposal to demolish buildings on the St. Elizabeths campus, on the site of the Department of Homeland Security HQ in Southeast D.C.

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    DHS’ plan to demolish parts of St Elizabeths Hospital is under attack

    A nonprofit is pushing back on an emergency proposal to demolish historic buildings on the site of the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Southeast D.C.

    In mid-December, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued an emergency declaration to demolish 17 vacant buildings on the St. Elizabeths West Campus, which houses the agency’s headquarters. In a memo sent to the General Services Administration, Noem called the proposal necessary to “prevent the loss of life and property.”

    Robert Kirkbride, spokesperson and founder for PreservationWorks, told WTOP the nonprofit objects to Noem’s declaration to the GSA, saying the buildings are part of a national historic landmark. St. Elizabeths Hospital opened in 1855 and was the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the U.S.

    “These are structures that are part of American heritage,” Kirkbride said, who added that they were built “according to the humanitarian ideals of beauty as therapy.”

    Following the law

    The campus was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Kirkbride said the buildings and the surrounding landscape fall under that designation.

    Any changes must follow the process outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act. According to the GSA’s website, during projects that may affect landmarks, a federal agency must notify the appropriate parties, identify properties that may be affected by the project, assess the effects of the changes, and look for alternatives to mitigate impacts on historical resources.

    The Washington Post reported the GSA notified D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office on Dec. 23, with Noem’s memo and a Dec. 19 safety assessment report.

    A building in disrepair is seen on the campus of what used to be St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C.
    (Courtesy General Services Administration)

    Courtesy General Services Administration

    building
    A building on the old St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C.
    (Courtesy PreservationWorks)

    Courtesy PreservationWorks

    interior of old building
    The interior of a building on the old St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C.
    (Courtesy General Services Administration)

    Courtesy General Services Administration

    rotting wood rafters in old building
    The interior of a building on the old St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C.
    (Courtesy General Services Administration)

    Courtesy General Services Administration

    A building on the old St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C.
    (Courtesy PreservationWorks)

    Courtesy PreservationWorks

    However, DHS failed to demonstrate full compliance with the law, Kirkbride said, arguing that it did not allow a full public review. The emergency declaration came before the Christmas holiday, leaving less time to review it before the end of the year.

    The public was not allowed to consider adaptive reuse plans for the buildings or to question any ecological issues in the demolition plans, he said. This includes making sure not to damage the site’s trees.

    “There was virtually no window for any public review or commentary on these proposals, which, of course, is strategic,” Kirkbride said. “We demand that there is meaningful public engagement in the process of this review in order to evaluate alternatives.”

    In a statement to WTOP, GSA Associate Administrator for Strategic Communications Marianne Copenhaver said the agency is following “all applicable laws and regulations” regarding the property at the St. Elizabeths campus.

    Security risk concerns

    In a security and safety risks assessment, DHS described the structures as “old, vacant, dilapidated buildings” located in the middle of the campus and along the perimeter. The assessment added that their presence can be exploited by “an insider to stage a sniper attack.”

    In a statement to WTOP, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said Noem’s emergency proposal is about safety. She added that the agency’s security and safety assessments found the buildings on the property pose security and emergency response risks.

    “Several of these structures cannot be safely accessed or cleared by law enforcement or first responders, creating security blind spots adjacent to senior leadership and critical operations,” McLaughlin said. “Demolition is the only permanent corrective action that eliminates these.”

    However, Kirkbride said it is concerning that the agency is raising security concerns, as the campus is a walled site.

    “It’s a bit of a silly ploy, and also self-damning,” Kirkbride said.

    With all the renewed attention surrounding the site’s future, Kirkbride said officials should pause the emergency declaration until the National Historic Preservation Act is properly followed and both sides work together to determine what’s best for the site.

    He called DHS’s emergency declaration a “repeated motif” seen with the Trump administration’s construction of a new ballroom at the White House. He said he hopes the same does not happen at St. Elizabeths.

    “The use of emergency is now simply a new wrinkle that they’re using, that they’re going to use repeatedly, unless we put the brakes on undemocratic behavior, illegal behavior,” Kirkbride said.

    WTOP reached out to the mayor’s office and D.C.’s Office of Planning for comment.

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    Jose Umana

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  • Justice Department says filming immigration raids is ‘domestic terrorism’

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    After leaving the Chicago area in November, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino made an unexpected return on December 16, along with several hundred federal agents and a film crew. Returning to the same aggressive tactics that sparked protests earlier this year, local officials criticized Bovino for using immigration operations as a form of political theater. 

    In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, a spokesperson for Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson called out agents for allegedly arresting people indiscriminately and without arrest warrants. The mayor’s office also criticized them for filming the raids and “[turning] these operations into a spectacle.”

    “This activity is occurring alongside a film crew, which appears to be using these raids to create content at the expense of traumatizing families,” said the spokesperson. “These tactics are destabilizing, wrong, and must be condemned.” 

    But this is not the first time a federal agency has filmed immigration operations for political theater. In addition to being tasked with carrying out record levels of deportations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump has seemingly been transformed into a propaganda arm to sell the public on the president’s increasingly unpopular immigration policies. Examples include a video posted on X by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of agents raiding a South Shore apartment building on September 30 and a video posted on the DHS’ official Instagram account depicting various immigration arrests.

    As Bovino and the DHS have embraced the power of cinema to document immigration arrests and promote current policies, the Trump administration is also cracking down on individuals who choose to record immigration operations. In a December 4 memo, originally leaked by journalist Ken Klippenstein, the Justice Department encourages federal prosecutors to press “domestic terrorism” charges against people for “doxing” law enforcement officers. While undefined in the memo, “doxing” in this context is understood to mean the publishing of information that identifies law enforcement officers, which the Justice Department insinuates is a threatening activity used to “silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society.” 

    This definition mirrors previous statements by DHS officials earlier this year, including a statement made by Noem in July: “Violence is anything that threatens [agents] and their safety, so it’s doxing them, it’s videotaping them where they’re at when they’re out on operations.”

    However, much of what the Trump administration tries to paint as the unacceptable “doxing” of law enforcement agents is often observers merely recording on-duty officers—an activity firmly protected by the First Amendment when no physical interference or danger is present, and an important tool for holding public officials accountable. By broadly defining domestic terrorism to include something as vague as “doxing,” the Trump administration has rolled out a “nationwide policy of intimidating and threatening people who attempt to observe and record DHS operations,” according to David Bier, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute.

    Under such a broad definition, even the DHS’ own camera crews and media hired specifically to record and publish details of immigration operations could potentially be prosecuted for domestic terrorism. The only limiting factor in the memo seems to be whether the publisher is considered Trump’s political ally or opponent, i.e., an “Antifa-aligned extremist,” which the December 4 memo defines, in part, as someone with “extreme viewpoints on immigration,” such as “mass migration and open borders.” 

    But the right to free speech isn’t taken away when someone says or does something that the government disagrees with. Attempting to define who is and isn’t protected by the First Amendment is not only unconstitutional, but also a strategy that could put even Trump’s allies at the mercy of federal prosecutors.  

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    Autumn Billings

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  • Immigration judge weighs release of activist Jeanette Vizguerra after ICE sought to block media’s court access

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    An immigration judge will decide in the coming days whether to temporarily release an immigrant rights activist after a Friday bail hearing that was delayed when authorities tried to block media access to the courtroom.

    Attorneys representing Jeanette Vizguerra told the judge, Brea Burgie, that government lawyers had provided no evidence that Vizguerra posed a flight risk or a danger to the community.

    Vizguerra, a nationally renowned activist, has been in the Aurora detention center since her March arrest, and her attorneys reiterated their allegations Friday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intentionally targeted Vizguerra because of her public profile and advocacy. They asked Burgie to release Vizguerra, who was born in Mexico and does not have proper legal status, on bail while the rest of her immigration case proceeds.

    “Detention is not justified,” said Laura Lichter, one of Vizguerra’s lawyers.

    Shana Martin, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, argued that Vizguerra should continue to be detained indefinitely because, Martin said, she was both dangerous and a flight risk. Martin pointed to Vizguerra’s criminal conviction for using a fake Social Security card so she could work, as well as to traffic violations, as evidence that she “shows a lack of respect for authority.”

    One of Vizguerra’s daughters recently joined the Air Force, and Vizguerra applied for a form of legal status based on her daughter’s military service. Martin said that application has been denied — something Lichter said was news to Vizguerra and her lawyers.

    Lichter said after the hearing that she’d never seen that type of application denied in a case like Vizguerra’s. She told Burgie that the denial was “fantastic evidence” of the government’s bias against her client.

    CIting the extreme complexity of the case, Burgie said she would issue a written decision on whether to grant bail to Vizguerra at a later date. The Denver judge appeared remotely in the Aurora detention center’s hearing room.

    As Vizguerra waited in a hallway outside the courtroom, she blew a kiss to family members and waved to supporters.

    The hearing came two days after a U.S. District Court judge ordered federal officials to provide Vizguerra with a bail hearing before Christmas.

    Proceedings were delayed Friday morning after personnel at the detention center, which is privately run by the Geo Group, told reporters and supporters that they couldn’t enter the courtroom. It’s typically open to observers, family members of detainees and journalists who provide photo ID and go through a security checkpoint.

    Earlier Friday morning, a Denver Post reporter was waiting for an escort to the courtroom when a Geo Group lieutenant approached and asked what courtroom he was visiting. When the reporter said he was there to watch the Vizguerra hearing, the lieutenant told him the courtroom was full and escorted him back to the lobby.

    Juan Baltazar, the facility’s warden, later told reporters that they wouldn’t be allowed into the courtroom “partially” because of space constraints, as well as because of unspecified “safety and security” concerns.

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    Seth Klamann

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  • Federal judge issues order to prohibit immigration officials from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia

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    A federal judge ordered Friday that U.S. immigration officials could not detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after his release from immigration detention.Abrego Garcia was appearing Friday morning for a scheduled appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, some 14 hours after he was released from detention on a judge’s orders. His lawyers asked the judge to block authorities from detaining him again.Officials cannot re-detain him until the court conducts a hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland said. She wrote that Abrego Garcia is likely to succeed on the merits of any further request for relief from ICE detention.“For the public to have any faith in the orderly administration of justice, the Court’s narrowly crafted remedy cannot be so quickly and easily upended without further briefing and consideration,” she wrote.Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown earlier this year when he was wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. He was last taken into custody in August during a similar check-in.Abrego Garcia on Friday stopped at a news conference outside the building, escorted by a group of supporters chanting “We are all Kilmar!”“I stand before you a free man and I want you to remember me this way, with my head held up high,” Abrego Garcia said through a translator. “I come here today with so much hope and I thank God who has been with me since the start with my family.”He urged people to keep fighting.“I stand here today with my head held high and I will continue to fight and stand firm against all of the injustices this government has done upon me,” Abrego Garcia said. “Regardless of this administration, I believe this is a country of laws and I believe that this injustice will come to an end.”After Abrego Garcia spoke, he went through security at the field office, escorted by supporters.The agency freed him just before 5 p.m. on Thursday in response to a ruling from Xinis, who wrote federal authorities detained him after his return to the United States without any legal basis.Mistakenly deported and then returnedAbrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, where he faces danger from a gang that targeted his family.While he was allowed to live and work in the U.S. under ICE supervision, he was not given residency status. Earlier this year, he was mistakenly deported and held in a notoriously brutal Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record.Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, Trump’s Republican administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and asked a federal judge there to dismiss them.A lawsuit to block removal from the USThe 2019 settlement found he had a “well founded fear” of danger in El Salvador if he was deported there. So instead ICE has been seeking to deport him to a series of African countries. Abrego Garcia has sued, claiming the Trump administration is illegally using the removal process to punish him for the public embarrassment caused by his deportation.In her order releasing Abrego Garcia, Xinis wrote that federal authorities “did not just stonewall” the court, “They affirmatively misled the tribunal.” Xinis also rejected the government’s argument that she lacked jurisdiction to intervene on a final removal order for Abrego Garcia, because she found no final order had been filed.ICE freed Abrego Garcia from Moshannon Valley Processing Center, about 115 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, on Thursday just before the deadline Xinis gave the government to provide an update on Abrego Garcia’s release.He returned home to Maryland a few hours later.Immigration check-inCheck-ins are how ICE keeps track of some people who are released by the government to pursue asylum or other immigration cases as they make their way through a backlogged court system. The appointments were once routine but many people have been detained at their check-ins since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said he’s prepared to defend his client against further deportation efforts.“The government still has plenty of tools in their toolbox, plenty of tricks up their sleeve,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said, adding he fully expects the government to again take steps to deport his client. “We’re going to be there to fight to make sure there is a fair trial.”The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized Xinis’ order and vowed to appeal, calling the ruling “naked judicial activism” by a judge appointed during the Obama administration.“This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary.Sandoval-Moshenberg said the judge made it clear that the government can’t detain someone indefinitely without legal authority and that his client “has endured more than anyone should ever have to.”Abrego Garcia has also applied for asylum in the U.S. in immigration court.Charges in TennesseeAbrego Garcia was hit with human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling charges when the U.S. government brought him back from El Salvador. Prosecutors alleged he accepted money to transport within the United States people who were in the country illegally.The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. Body camera footage from a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows a calm exchange with Abrego Garcia. There were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was eventually allowed to continue driving with only a warning.A Department of Homeland Security agent testified at an earlier hearing that he did not begin investigating the traffic stop until after the U.S. Supreme Court said in April that the Trump administration must work to bring back Abrego Garcia.

    BALTIMORE —

    A federal judge ordered Friday that U.S. immigration officials could not detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after his release from immigration detention.

    Abrego Garcia was appearing Friday morning for a scheduled appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, some 14 hours after he was released from detention on a judge’s orders. His lawyers asked the judge to block authorities from detaining him again.

    Officials cannot re-detain him until the court conducts a hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland said. She wrote that Abrego Garcia is likely to succeed on the merits of any further request for relief from ICE detention.

    “For the public to have any faith in the orderly administration of justice, the Court’s narrowly crafted remedy cannot be so quickly and easily upended without further briefing and consideration,” she wrote.

    Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown earlier this year when he was wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. He was last taken into custody in August during a similar check-in.

    Abrego Garcia on Friday stopped at a news conference outside the building, escorted by a group of supporters chanting “We are all Kilmar!”

    “I stand before you a free man and I want you to remember me this way, with my head held up high,” Abrego Garcia said through a translator. “I come here today with so much hope and I thank God who has been with me since the start with my family.”

    He urged people to keep fighting.

    “I stand here today with my head held high and I will continue to fight and stand firm against all of the injustices this government has done upon me,” Abrego Garcia said. “Regardless of this administration, I believe this is a country of laws and I believe that this injustice will come to an end.”

    After Abrego Garcia spoke, he went through security at the field office, escorted by supporters.

    The agency freed him just before 5 p.m. on Thursday in response to a ruling from Xinis, who wrote federal authorities detained him after his return to the United States without any legal basis.

    Mistakenly deported and then returned

    Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager to join his brother, who had become a U.S. citizen. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, where he faces danger from a gang that targeted his family.

    While he was allowed to live and work in the U.S. under ICE supervision, he was not given residency status. Earlier this year, he was mistakenly deported and held in a notoriously brutal Salvadoran prison despite having no criminal record.

    Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, Trump’s Republican administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and asked a federal judge there to dismiss them.

    A lawsuit to block removal from the US

    The 2019 settlement found he had a “well founded fear” of danger in El Salvador if he was deported there. So instead ICE has been seeking to deport him to a series of African countries. Abrego Garcia has sued, claiming the Trump administration is illegally using the removal process to punish him for the public embarrassment caused by his deportation.

    In her order releasing Abrego Garcia, Xinis wrote that federal authorities “did not just stonewall” the court, “They affirmatively misled the tribunal.” Xinis also rejected the government’s argument that she lacked jurisdiction to intervene on a final removal order for Abrego Garcia, because she found no final order had been filed.

    ICE freed Abrego Garcia from Moshannon Valley Processing Center, about 115 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, on Thursday just before the deadline Xinis gave the government to provide an update on Abrego Garcia’s release.

    He returned home to Maryland a few hours later.

    Immigration check-in

    Check-ins are how ICE keeps track of some people who are released by the government to pursue asylum or other immigration cases as they make their way through a backlogged court system. The appointments were once routine but many people have been detained at their check-ins since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.

    Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said he’s prepared to defend his client against further deportation efforts.

    “The government still has plenty of tools in their toolbox, plenty of tricks up their sleeve,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said, adding he fully expects the government to again take steps to deport his client. “We’re going to be there to fight to make sure there is a fair trial.”

    The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized Xinis’ order and vowed to appeal, calling the ruling “naked judicial activism” by a judge appointed during the Obama administration.

    “This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary.

    Sandoval-Moshenberg said the judge made it clear that the government can’t detain someone indefinitely without legal authority and that his client “has endured more than anyone should ever have to.”

    Abrego Garcia has also applied for asylum in the U.S. in immigration court.

    Charges in Tennessee

    Abrego Garcia was hit with human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling charges when the U.S. government brought him back from El Salvador. Prosecutors alleged he accepted money to transport within the United States people who were in the country illegally.

    The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. Body camera footage from a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows a calm exchange with Abrego Garcia. There were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was eventually allowed to continue driving with only a warning.

    A Department of Homeland Security agent testified at an earlier hearing that he did not begin investigating the traffic stop until after the U.S. Supreme Court said in April that the Trump administration must work to bring back Abrego Garcia.

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  • ICE Operation “Charlotte’s Web” is over: what we know

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    Federal officials have notified Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation known as “Charlotte’s Web” has officially ended, and no CBP activity is planned in Charlotte on Thursday, November 20.

    The North Carolina operation launched on Saturday, November 15.

    Authorities stressed that despite the operation’s conclusion, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will continue its regular enforcement activities in the county.

    In a press release shared with Newsweek via email, McFadden reiterated that his office will not participate in immigration enforcement and will follow state law requiring the release of individuals to ICE within 48 hours when applicable. He said the sheriff’s office will keep monitoring federal actions and pledged to maintain transparency, accountability and trust with the community.

    Earlier Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted, “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal agencies continue to target some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens as Operation Charlotte’s Web progresses. This immigration enforcement surge in the Charlotte area has led to the arrest of over 370 illegal aliens in the past five days.”

    This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. 

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  • Trump admin responds after ICE employee arrested in sex trafficking sting

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    The Trump administration on Wednesday responded to the arrest of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employee caught in a sex trafficking sting, emphasizing that the worker was hired in 2022 under former President Joe Biden.

    An ICE spokesperson said the employee, Alexander Back, was immediately placed on administrative leave and was never a law enforcement officer, adding that the agency is cooperating with local authorities and conducting its own internal investigation.

    An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek via email, “Alexander Back was hired under the Biden administration in 2022 and worked as an I-9 auditor. Back was not and has never been a law enforcement officer. Following his arrest, ICE immediately placed Alexander Back on administrative leave. ICE is working with local authorities as well as conducting its own investigation via the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility.”

    Back, 41, was among 16 men arrested in a Minnesota trafficking investigation that targeted individuals seemingly attempting to solicit a minor for sex, police said.

    Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said at a news conference on Tuesday that the three-day “Operation Creep” began on November 5 and focused on identifying people seeking to purchase sex from a 17-year-old girl.

    “When he was arrested, he said, ‘I’m ICE, boys,’” Hodges said. “Well, unfortunately for him, we locked him up.”

    This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. 

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  • Donald Trump suffers two major legal setbacks within hours

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    President Donald Trump faced two major legal setbacks on Monday as courts in New York and Tennessee moved to constrain key parts of his domestic enforcement agenda.

    Within hours, a federal judge upheld New York’s limits on courthouse immigration arrests, while a state judge in Nashville blocked the deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops to Memphis.

    Newsweek contacted the DOJ and the office of the governors of the states for comment via email outside of normal office hours on Tuesday.

    Why It Matters

    Within the span of a few hours on Monday, President Donald Trump’s domestic enforcement agenda was hit by two separate court rulings that underscored growing judicial resistance to the administration’s attempts to expand federal authority in states that push back.

    A federal judge in New York upheld a state law restricting civil immigration arrests at courthouses, while a Tennessee judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis, finding the move likely violated state constitutional limits.

    Together, the decisions highlight the legal constraints confronting Trump as he seeks to intensify immigration operations and broaden the use of military force in U.S. cities over state objections.

    What To Know

    I. Judge Upholds New York Law Barring Immigration Arrests at Courthouses

    President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda encountered a significant legal setback on Monday after a federal judge rejected the administration’s attempt to strike down a New York law restricting civil immigration arrests in and around state courthouses.

    U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit challenging the 2020 Protect Our Courts Act (POCA) and related state executive orders.

    In a 41-page ruling, D’Agostino concluded that the federal government’s suit amounted to an improper effort “to commandeer New York’s resources to aid in federal immigration efforts” according to the decision.

    The court held that New York acted within its rights in limiting where federal agents may conduct civil immigration arrests.

    The Trump administration had argued that the state law violated the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and unlawfully restricted federal enforcement authority.

    Federal lawyers also sought to compel state and local law enforcement agencies to share information with federal immigration officials. D’Agostino rejected those claims, writing that New York was exercising “its permissible choice not to participate in federal civil immigration enforcement.”

    POCA, enacted in 2020 in response to a sharp rise in courthouse arrests under Trump’s first term, prohibits civil immigration arrests of individuals traveling to, attending, or leaving state court proceedings unless agents hold a judicial warrant.

    The measure was intended to limit disruptions to court operations and ensure that parties and witnesses could appear in court without fear of apprehension.

    In recent months, federal immigration agents had intensified courthouse operations in New York and other cities as part of the administration’s broader strategy to increase removals of undocumented immigrants.

    That posture led to renewed friction with states that maintain restrictions on local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

    Monday’s ruling marks a notable setback for the administration’s efforts to expand civil immigration arrests in sensitive locations.

    The case, United States v. New York, challenged both POCA and executive orders issued during former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration that limited state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

    D’Agostino dismissed the suit in its entirety.

    The ruling is likely to serve as a reference point for similar disputes arising in other states where federal immigration enforcement priorities clash with local laws or policies restricting cooperation with federal agencies.

    II. Nashville Judge Blocks Memphis National Guard Deployment

    Just hours after the New York ruling, the Trump administration suffered a second legal blow—this time in Tennessee, where a state court halted the deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis.

    Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal issued a temporary injunction blocking Republican Governor Bill Lee from continuing the activation of Tennessee National Guard personnel for participation in President Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force.

    The deployment, requested by the administration under Title 32 authority, was intended to supplement federal and local law enforcement operations in response to high violent-crime rates in the city.

    In her order, Moskal found that the plaintiffs—including Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, local commissioners, and several state lawmakers—had demonstrated sufficient immediate harm to justify halting the deployment.

    The judge wrote that the state’s militia law requires the Tennessee General Assembly to authorize National Guard activation for public-safety purposes and that crime conditions in Memphis did not constitute a “grave emergency” or “disaster” that would permit unilateral deployment by the governor.

    The order temporarily restrains Governor Lee and Major General Warner Ross III “from implementing and continuing the activation and deployment of Tennessee National Guard personnel” under the presidential memorandum.

    The injunction does not affect the presence of federal law enforcement officers already operating in the city.

    In a public statement, Mayor Harris called the ruling “a positive step toward ensuring the rule of law applies to everyone, including everyday Tennesseans and even the governor.”

    The state has five days to appeal the ruling.

    The lawsuit argues that deploying National Guard troops for routine law-enforcement functions violates both the Tennessee Constitution and state statutes, which strictly limit the circumstances under which the militia may be mobilized.

    The Memphis Safe Task Force, created by a September presidential memorandum, aims to increase law-enforcement presence and coordinate multi-agency operations across Memphis.

    Plaintiffs contend that the National Guard deployment exceeded both federal and state legal authority.

    The Tennessee ruling adds to a series of mounting legal challenges to the Trump administration’s domestic troop deployments, several of which are already moving through federal courts.

    What People Are Saying

    Kathy Hochul (Governor of New York) said: “Masked ICE agents shoved and injured journalists today at Federal Plaza. One reporter left on a stretcher. This abuse of law-abiding immigrants and the reporters telling their stories must end. What the hell are we doing here?”

    Bill Lee (Governor of Tennessee) who had approved the deployment of an undetermined number of Tennessee National Guard troops to Memphis, said: “I think [AG] General Skrmetti’s a brilliant lawyer who understands constitutional law, and I suspect he’s got the right answer on it.”

    What Happens Next

    Both rulings are likely to move quickly into appeals, with the Trump administration expected to challenge the New York decision in the Second Circuit and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee poised to seek an emergency stay and appellate review of the injunction blocking his National Guard deployment.

    New York’s courthouse-arrest restrictions will remain in effect during the federal appeal, while the Memphis deployment is paused unless a higher state court reverses the ruling.

    Together, the cases set up parallel legal battles over the limits of federal immigration enforcement and the circumstances under which state-controlled military forces can be used for domestic policing—disputes that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.

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  • Homeland Security agents surge into North Carolina’s largest city. What to know

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    U.S. immigration agents are targeting Charlotte, North Carolina, despite objections from local leaders, prompting activists, elected officials and community groups to monitor any sweeps and support vulnerable residents.

    President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in North Carolina’s largest city had begun. Agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations.

    It is the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy of putting immigration agents or the military on the streets of several large, Democratic-run cities. The push has caused fear and anxiety, especially among people who lack legal status to be in the country, and sparked a number of lawsuits.

    Here’s what to know:

    Why send agents to Charlotte?

    Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials. It is run by a Democratic mayor, though North Carolina’s two U.S. senators are Republican and Trump won the state in the last three presidential elections.

    Crime was down this year through August, compared with the same eight-month period in 2024, with homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts decreasing by more than 20%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crime across the country using local data for its Real-Time Crime Index.

    But the Trump administration has seized upon the August fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities fail to protect residents. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with that murder.

    There is no indication, however, that border agents could or would have a role in enforcing local or state laws.

    How have locals reacted?

    Critics have characterized the arrival of border agents as an invasion. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the agents “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

    Local groups are training volunteers to protest and to safely document any immigration sweeps. They are also informing immigrants of their rights.

    “We’ve seen what has taken place in other cities across this country when the federal government gets involved,” state Rep. Jordan Lopez said.

    Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell urged the public to “meet the moment peacefully” and “reduce panic.”

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has said it has no authority to enforce federal immigration laws and is not involved in such operations.

    Is the National Guard involved?

    There is no sign that the guard will go to Charlotte, though three Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation have urged Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, to request it.

    The governor’s office said local police are a better choice to keep neighborhoods safe.

    The Trump administration has deployed the guard to the District of Columbia and the Los Angeles area, citing crime and a need to protect immigration agents, and Memphis, Tennessee. Courts have blocked the guard from operating so far in the Chicago area and in Portland, Oregon.

    Associated Press writer Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

    During remarks aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops he would “send more than the National Guard” into American cities if necessary.

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    Ed White | The Associated Press

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  • Homeland Security agents surge into North Carolina’s largest city. What to know

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    U.S. immigration agents are targeting Charlotte, North Carolina, despite objections from local leaders, prompting activists, elected officials and community groups to monitor any sweeps and support vulnerable residents.

    President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in North Carolina’s largest city had begun. Agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations.

    It is the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy of putting immigration agents or the military on the streets of several large, Democratic-run cities. The push has caused fear and anxiety, especially among people who lack legal status to be in the country, and sparked a number of lawsuits.

    Here’s what to know:

    Why send agents to Charlotte?

    Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials. It is run by a Democratic mayor, though North Carolina’s two U.S. senators are Republican and Trump won the state in the last three presidential elections.

    Crime was down this year through August, compared with the same eight-month period in 2024, with homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts decreasing by more than 20%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crime across the country using local data for its Real-Time Crime Index.

    But the Trump administration has seized upon the August fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities fail to protect residents. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with that murder.

    There is no indication, however, that border agents could or would have a role in enforcing local or state laws.

    How have locals reacted?

    Critics have characterized the arrival of border agents as an invasion. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the agents “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

    Local groups are training volunteers to protest and to safely document any immigration sweeps. They are also informing immigrants of their rights.

    “We’ve seen what has taken place in other cities across this country when the federal government gets involved,” state Rep. Jordan Lopez said.

    Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell urged the public to “meet the moment peacefully” and “reduce panic.”

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has said it has no authority to enforce federal immigration laws and is not involved in such operations.

    Is the National Guard involved?

    There is no sign that the guard will go to Charlotte, though three Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation have urged Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, to request it.

    The governor’s office said local police are a better choice to keep neighborhoods safe.

    The Trump administration has deployed the guard to the District of Columbia and the Los Angeles area, citing crime and a need to protect immigration agents, and Memphis, Tennessee. Courts have blocked the guard from operating so far in the Chicago area and in Portland, Oregon.

    Associated Press writer Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

    During remarks aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops he would “send more than the National Guard” into American cities if necessary.

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    Ed White | The Associated Press

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  • Homeland Security agents surge into North Carolina’s largest city. What to know

    [ad_1]

    U.S. immigration agents are targeting Charlotte, North Carolina, despite objections from local leaders, prompting activists, elected officials and community groups to monitor any sweeps and support vulnerable residents.

    President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in North Carolina’s largest city had begun. Agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations.

    It is the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy of putting immigration agents or the military on the streets of several large, Democratic-run cities. The push has caused fear and anxiety, especially among people who lack legal status to be in the country, and sparked a number of lawsuits.

    Here’s what to know:

    Why send agents to Charlotte?

    Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials. It is run by a Democratic mayor, though North Carolina’s two U.S. senators are Republican and Trump won the state in the last three presidential elections.

    Crime was down this year through August, compared with the same eight-month period in 2024, with homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts decreasing by more than 20%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crime across the country using local data for its Real-Time Crime Index.

    But the Trump administration has seized upon the August fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities fail to protect residents. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with that murder.

    There is no indication, however, that border agents could or would have a role in enforcing local or state laws.

    How have locals reacted?

    Critics have characterized the arrival of border agents as an invasion. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the agents “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

    Local groups are training volunteers to protest and to safely document any immigration sweeps. They are also informing immigrants of their rights.

    “We’ve seen what has taken place in other cities across this country when the federal government gets involved,” state Rep. Jordan Lopez said.

    Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell urged the public to “meet the moment peacefully” and “reduce panic.”

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has said it has no authority to enforce federal immigration laws and is not involved in such operations.

    Is the National Guard involved?

    There is no sign that the guard will go to Charlotte, though three Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation have urged Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, to request it.

    The governor’s office said local police are a better choice to keep neighborhoods safe.

    The Trump administration has deployed the guard to the District of Columbia and the Los Angeles area, citing crime and a need to protect immigration agents, and Memphis, Tennessee. Courts have blocked the guard from operating so far in the Chicago area and in Portland, Oregon.

    Associated Press writer Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

    During remarks aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops he would “send more than the National Guard” into American cities if necessary.

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    Ed White | The Associated Press

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  • Homeland Security agents surge into North Carolina’s largest city. What to know

    [ad_1]

    U.S. immigration agents are targeting Charlotte, North Carolina, despite objections from local leaders, prompting activists, elected officials and community groups to monitor any sweeps and support vulnerable residents.

    President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in North Carolina’s largest city had begun. Agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations.

    It is the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy of putting immigration agents or the military on the streets of several large, Democratic-run cities. The push has caused fear and anxiety, especially among people who lack legal status to be in the country, and sparked a number of lawsuits.

    Here’s what to know:

    Why send agents to Charlotte?

    Charlotte is a racially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including more than 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials. It is run by a Democratic mayor, though North Carolina’s two U.S. senators are Republican and Trump won the state in the last three presidential elections.

    Crime was down this year through August, compared with the same eight-month period in 2024, with homicides, rapes, robberies and motor vehicle thefts decreasing by more than 20%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crime across the country using local data for its Real-Time Crime Index.

    But the Trump administration has seized upon the August fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led cities fail to protect residents. A man with a lengthy criminal record has been charged with that murder.

    There is no indication, however, that border agents could or would have a role in enforcing local or state laws.

    How have locals reacted?

    Critics have characterized the arrival of border agents as an invasion. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the agents “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

    Local groups are training volunteers to protest and to safely document any immigration sweeps. They are also informing immigrants of their rights.

    “We’ve seen what has taken place in other cities across this country when the federal government gets involved,” state Rep. Jordan Lopez said.

    Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell urged the public to “meet the moment peacefully” and “reduce panic.”

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has said it has no authority to enforce federal immigration laws and is not involved in such operations.

    Is the National Guard involved?

    There is no sign that the guard will go to Charlotte, though three Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation have urged Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, to request it.

    The governor’s office said local police are a better choice to keep neighborhoods safe.

    The Trump administration has deployed the guard to the District of Columbia and the Los Angeles area, citing crime and a need to protect immigration agents, and Memphis, Tennessee. Courts have blocked the guard from operating so far in the Chicago area and in Portland, Oregon.

    Associated Press writer Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

    During remarks aboard the USS George Washington in Japan, President Donald Trump told U.S. troops he would “send more than the National Guard” into American cities if necessary.

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    Ed White | The Associated Press

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  • DHS shores up case against mayor accused of voting illegally 3 times

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    A new report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided documents to bolster the case against a city mayor from Kansas accused of committing voter fraud while residing in the U.S. as a green card immigrant.

    Newsweek reached out to the Coldwater mayor’s office via email on Friday evening outside normal business hours for comment.

    Why It Matters

    Voter fraud has remained an issue of significant focus after President Donald Trump and his allies claimed widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, alleging that such issues were the cause of his defeat. However, dozens of cases brought against various states and entities to prove that such fraud had occurred resulted in virtually no convictions, with a group of eight prominent Republican judges and lawyers issuing a report in 2022 to say that the “unequivocal” conclusion they reached was that the election lost by Trump to former President Joe Biden was not “stolen.”

    What To Know

    DHS on Thursday showed documents related to the charges brought against Jose “Joe” Ceballos-Armendariz, 54, who won reelection as mayor of Coldwater this month.

    Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach on November 5 announced he had filed charges against Ceballos, with three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury.

    Ceballos is a citizen of Mexico who has been living in the United States for decades, first obtaining a green card in 1990, according to DHS. He had applied for U.S. citizenship in February.

    However, during the intervening years, he attested on forms, which DHS posted along with its statement, that showed Ceballos asserting that he is a U.S. citizen. When he submitted his application for citizenship, he said that he has never claimed to be a U.S. citizen, but also admitted to registering to vote or having voted in elections in the U.S. DHS also noted that Ceballos was convicted of battery in 1995.

    Kansas news outlet KAKE reported this week that the city of Coldwater had called a special meeting after Ceballos’ reelection to discuss the charges, with a decision on further steps still pending.

    During his time as attorney general, Kobach has pushed for proof-of-citizenship requirements to vote in elections, but the law was struck down in 2018.

    What People Are Saying

    Coldwater City Council President Britt Lenertz, to KAKE: “At this time, our focus remains on ensuring that city operations continue to run smoothly and that the needs of our community are met. While the recent allegations involving the mayor are understandably concerning, we will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments. It’s important that we respect both due process and the integrity of our local government.”

    DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement Thursday: “This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections. If convicted, he will be placed in removal proceedings. President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem gave states access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to ensure only Americans vote in American elections. The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”

    Kobach, in a statement earlier this month: “In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times,” adding, “Voting by noncitizens, including both legal and illegal aliens, is a very real problem. It happens. Every time a noncitizen votes, it effectively cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote.”

    What’s Next

    Lenertz told the Kansas Reflector that the Coldwater City Council is seeking guidance on the matter and is uncertain about potential consequences if Ceballos is deemed ineligible to maintain his mayoral seat. Amid the tumult, she added, council members are committed to keeping city operations efficient, according to the news outlet. 

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  • Border Patrol chief behind Chicago crackdown prepares new operation in Charlotte

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    After a months-long deportation campaign in Chicago, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents are reportedly getting ready to leave the Windy City and depart for Charlotte, North Carolina, and later New Orleans.  

    On Monday, CBS News reported that some of the more than 200 “Border Patrol teams dispatched to Chicago could be diverted to Charlotte, North Carolina for an operation that is expected to start there this month.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meanwhile, will continue its work in Chicago. The Charlotte contingent will be led by sector chief Gregory Bovino, who oversaw deployments in Chicago and Los Angeles earlier this year.

    Neither CBP nor the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have publicly confirmed the reported redeployment, and local officials in Charlotte say they were caught off guard by the news. Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Chief Johnny Jennings told WBTV, a local CBS affiliate, “I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. They haven’t reached out to me, so I’m not sure what’s going to occur.” In a statement, the department added that it “does not participate in ICE operations, nor are we involved in the planning of these federal activities.” The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office likewise told WBTV it “had not been contacted by any border patrol representatives, nor has it been involved in any planning or conversations.”

    It’s unclear what the motive for this potential deployment will be. While CBP has often been deployed in cities that President Donald Trump deems “lawless,” crime in Charlotte is dropping. The CMPD  reported that from January through September, the city saw an 8 percent decrease in overall crime and a 20 percent drop in violent‐crime incidents, according to its third-quarter crime statistics. 

    The legal basis for such deployments also remains murky. CBP’s statutory authority extends within 100 miles of the border, but the agency has long expanded that zone to include major inland cities. Within this area, CBP argues it has broader latitude to conduct stops and limited searches under the “border search” framework—though courts have repeatedly held that many warrantless searches away from the actual border would otherwise be unconstitutional.

    But, as the American Civil Liberties Union notes, the Constitution’s protections against “unreasonable searches and seizures” apply throughout the United States, including within the so-called 100-mile border zone. A Congressional Research Service report likewise explains that while the “border search exception” grants CBP broader authority near the border, searches and seizures conducted farther inland are “subject to greater Fourth Amendment scrutiny.”

    Questions about the legality of CBP enforcement in Charlotte are sure to be prevalent with Bovino at the helm. While overseeing operations in Chicago, Bonvino has drawn scrutiny for allowing his agent to implement legally dubious riot control tactics, including pepper-spraying a family during a grocery run, tear-gassing peaceful protestors, and pointing guns at veterans. As Reason’s Autumn Billings recently reported, those incidents culminated in a sweeping injunction issued by a federal judge last week, finding that federal agents violated Fourth Amendment protections and used excessive force in multiple encounters.

    Whether the Charlotte operation proceeds as reported remains to be seen. But the pattern is clear: if what happened in Chicago is any indication, deployments like this carry a real risk of civil rights violations. And it won’t stop in Charlotte. The administration is already weighing similar operations elsewhere, with New Orleans reportedly next in line, suggesting that these tactics could soon spread across the country. Now, the question is no longer where the border is, but how far these abuses will reach before someone stops them.

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    Jacob R. Swartz

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  • DHS Kept Chicago Police Records for Months in Violation of Domestic Espionage Rules

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    On November 21, 2023, field intelligence officers within the Department of Homeland Security quietly deleted a trove of Chicago Police Department records. It was not a routine purge.

    For seven months, the data—records that had been requested on roughly 900 Chicagoland residents—sat on a federal server in violation of a deletion order issued by an intelligence oversight body. A later inquiry found that nearly 800 files had been kept, which a subsequent report said breached rules designed to prevent domestic intelligence operations from targeting legal US residents. The records originated in a private exchange between DHS analysts and Chicago police, a test of how local intelligence might feed federal government watchlists. The idea was to see whether street-level data could surface undocumented gang members in airport queues and at border crossings. The experiment collapsed amid what government reports describe as a chain of mismanagement and oversight failures.

    Internal memos reviewed by WIRED reveal the dataset was first requested by a field officer in DHS’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) in the summer of 2021. By then, Chicago’s gang data was already notorious for being riddled with contradictions and error. City inspectors had warned that police couldn’t vouch for its accuracy. Entries created by police included people purportedly born before 1901 and others who appeared to be infants. Some were labeled by police as gang members but not linked to any particular group.

    Police baked their own contempt into the data, listing people’s occupations as “SCUM BAG,” “TURD,” or simply “BLACK.” Neither arrest nor conviction was necessary to make the list.

    Prosecutors and police relied on the designations of alleged gang members in their filings and investigations. They shadowed defendants through bail hearings and into sentencing. For immigrants, it carried extra weight. Chicago’s sanctuary rules barred most data sharing with immigration officers, but a carve-out at the time for “known gang members” left open a back door. Over the course of a decade, immigration officers tapped into the database more than 32,000 times, records show.

    The I&A memos—first obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU through a public records request—show that what began inside DHS as a limited data-sharing experiment seems to have soon unraveled into a cascade of procedural lapses. The request for the Chicagoland data moved through layers of review with no clear owner, its legal safeguards overlooked or ignored. By the time the data landed on I&A’s server around April 2022, the field officer who had initiated the transfer had left their post. The experiment ultimately collapsed under its own paperwork. Signatures went missing, audits were never filed, and the deletion deadline slipped by unnoticed. The guardrails meant to keep intelligence work pointed outward—toward foreign threats, not Americans—simply failed.

    Faced with the lapse, I&A ultimately killed the project in November 2023, wiping the dataset and memorializing the breach in a formal report.

    Spencer Reynolds, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center, says the episode illustrates how federal intelligence officers can sidestep local sanctuary laws. “This intelligence office is a workaround to so-called sanctuary protections that limit cities like Chicago from direct cooperation with ICE,” he says. “Federal intelligence officers can access the data, package it up, and then hand it off to immigration enforcement, evading important policies to protect residents.”

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    Dell Cameron

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