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Tag: DHS

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

    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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  • Why California’s newest detention facility faces federal lawsuit over medical neglect and ‘punitive’ unsanitary conditions

    Fernando Gomez Ruiz had been eating at a lunch truck outside Home Depot when agents arrested him and 10 others in early October.

    The diabetic father of two, who has lived in the Los Angeles area for 22 years, was detained and then quickly transferred to California’s biggest detention facility, where he’s been unable to get insulin regularly and now nurses a worsening hole in his foot.

    He fears now not only being deported, but losing a foot.

    Ruiz is one of seven immigrants detained who filed a federal class action lawsuit in the Northern District of California against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday for “inhumane” and “punitive” conditions at California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert.

    “Conditions in California City are horrific,” said Tess Borden, a lawyer with the Prison Law Office. “The conditions are punishing and they are meant to punish.”

    An image used in a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of the interior of the California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert.

    (ACLU)

    “Defendants are failing to provide constitutionally adequate care for the people in the facility,” Borden said. “Mr. Gomez Ruiz is just tragically one such example.”

    The complaint details alleged “decrepit” conditions inside California’s newest detention facility, where sewage bubbles up shower drains, insects crawl up and down the walls of cold concrete group cells the size of parking lots, calls for medical help go unanswered for weeks and people are excessively punished.

    Ryan Gustin, a spokesman for CoreCivic, which operates the facility, referred questions to DHS and ICE, but said in a statement “the safety, health and well-being of the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority. 

    “We take seriously our responsibility to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards in our ICE-contracted facilities, including the [California City facility.] Our immigration facilities are monitored very closely by our government partners at ICE, and they are required to undergo regular review and audit processes to ensure an appropriate standard of living and care for all detainees.”

    The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But last month when asked about the center, Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, defended the conditions.

    “ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” she said. “All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members.”

    The lawsuit alleges just the opposite: inadequate food and water, frigid conditions, forced isolation and lack of access to lawyers. It also details instances where life-threatening conditions allegedly weren’t attended to.

    An image used in a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of the interior of the California City Detention Facility.

    An image used in a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of the interior of the California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert.

    (ACLU)

    One of the plaintiffs, Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, didn’t get his needed heart medications. Since arriving there he has had two emergency hospitalizations for severe chest pain. The last time he was there, the doctor told him “he could die if this were to happen again,” according to the lawsuit.

    “It is exemplary of the trauma and the heartbreak that people are experiencing inside,” Borden said.

    The former prison opened without proper permitting in August as the Trump administration pushed to expand detention capacity nationwide. By the next month, immigrants inside the 2,500 capacity facility launched a hunger strike protesting conditions.

    The lawsuit was brought by the Prison Law Office, the American Civil Liberties Union, the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice and Keker, Van Nest & Peters.

    Rachel Uranga

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  • DHS Posts Video Featuring Song Popular With Nazi Creators

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted a bizarre new video to social media platforms on Thursday featuring footage of federal agents arresting protesters in Portland, Oregon. The video uses a song that became very popular among Nazis and white supremacists at the tail end of President Donald Trump’s first term, in what appears to be a dog whistle to far-right extremists.

    DHS captioned the video, “End of the Dark Age, beginning of the Golden Age,” on sites like X and Instagram, along with a link to the ICE recruitment website. The video was also posted to Bluesky, the social media platform that many federal agencies joined one week ago to troll its more liberal userbase.

    The song in the video, MGMT’s “Little Dark Age,” was released in 2018, though it’s been slowed down to an absurd degree. And while nothing in the song suggests sympathy with far-right ideology (quite the opposite, in fact), the song was adopted by far-right content creators in late 2020 to pair with Nazi and white supremacist imagery.

    The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a British think tank that tracks global extremism online, published a study in 2021 that noted how popular the song was with Nazis. One example used in the report shows how the song was paired on TikTok with a slideshow of George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party, who was killed in 1967.

    But the report also explains how popular the song has been to promote esoteric Nazism, featuring memes and fictional characters with far-right symbols like the Sonnenrad or Black Sun. The fact that the song is also slowed down in a very exaggerated manner in the DHS video is another hallmark of the far-right videos that went viral in the early 2020s.

    Again, nothing about the song makes sense as a ballad for the far-right, as you can see from some of the lyrics, which seem to be criticizing police violence:

    Policemen swear to God, love seeping from their gunsI know my friends and I would probably turn and runIf you get out of bed, come find us heading for the bridgeBring a stone, all the rage, my little dark age

    The Guardian described the far-right’s affinity for the song in an article from 2024: “Certainly, its adoption doesn’t say much for your average neo-Nazi’s ability to understand English. Little Dark Age’s lyrics are, fairly obviously, an excoriation of Trump-era America and racist police violence.”

    Gizmodo reached out to DHS for comment, and the agency was characteristically indignant about our questions.

    “Just because you don’t like something doesn’t make it Nazi propaganda—this is bottom barrel ‘journalism.’ MGMT’s ‘Little Dark Age’ is wildly popular on both sides of the political spectrum. Go outside, touch grass, and get a grip,” read an unsigned email, attributed to a “DHS spokesperson.”

    The agency also sent a link to a 2022 article in Spin about the song and highlighted a quote from MGMT co-founder Ben Goldwasser that reads, “A lot of times, there is no deeper meaning.” DHS didn’t respond to a follow-up question about who may have created the video.

    That kind of response from DHS is to be expected, of course. The far-right often operates in a world of plausible deniability. But since President Trump returned to office in January, DHS has posted a lot of fascist content clearly intended to signal to Americans just how extreme the agency has become.

    Back in August, Border Patrol, which is part of DHS, posted a video to Instagram and Facebook with the antisemitic lyrics “Jew me” and “kike me,” which only gained widespread attention last week. Border Patrol removed the video and reuploaded it with new music, but never explained why it was posted in the first place. The agency just sent a statement similar to that of a petulant child.

    But people on social media know what the song “Little Dark Age” can mean. One right-wing political commentator on X even had the idea back in July, writing, “DHS should drop a little dark age edit just to fuck with people.” And many far-right accounts on X clearly understood the message that was intended by posting a video with that song.

    “Dhs is posting little dark age edits. Crazy timeline on our hands,” wrote one account that features a profile picture of an anime character wearing a Nazi hat.

    Another extremist account quote-tweeted the DHS video with, “Good job @DHS! You caught up to were we where 4 years ago!” That account included an upload of another video, which features Adolf Hitler along with the text “12 years not a slave,” and a screenshot from the livestreamed rampage of white supremacist terrorist Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

    It’s not just the song that DHS has chosen that suggests the agency knows what it’s doing. The imagery in Homeland Security’s “Little Dark Age” edit is pretty haunting, utilizing footage from the protests at an ICE facility in Portland and a glitchy aesthetic that’s so common among so-called fashwave creators. (Yes, the fash stands for fascist.) The video features an “antifa” logo that’s usurped by the DHS logo, as well as clips of agents wearing gas masks while arresting people amid a haze of smoke.

    Obviously, when you start talking about obscure corners of the far-right internet while using terms like fashwave it can sound a little silly. These are just internet memes, after all. But there’s a visual language that has developed online among the far-right. And while DHS can insist they didn’t intend for it to be interpreted as Nazi propaganda, there are plenty of literal Nazis online who believe otherwise.

    Matt Novak

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  • Lawyer reacts to federal immigration agents coming to Northern California

    Federal immigration agents are moving into the Bay Area, with more than a hundred headed to Coast Guard Base Alameda, marking a significant federal operation in the region. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on “Fox News Sunday Morning Futures,” President Donald Trump said, “We’re going to go to San Francisco. The difference is, I think they want us in San Francisco.” This move comes as a precursor to Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco. Coast Guard Base Alameda confirmed the federal operation, stating: “Coast Guard Base Alameda is preparing to support CBP agents beginning October 22 as a place of operations. This support of DHS agencies continues the Coast Guard’s operations to control, secure, and defend U.S. borders and maritime approaches.” This announcement follows similar operations in cities like Los Angeles and New York, with the spotlight now turning to the Bay Area.”As much as the state of California and its residents may not like it, federal authorities are allowed to enforce immigration law,” Local immigration attorney Hugo Vera of Vera & Vera PLC explained. Vera explained that the legal authority federal agencies have in sanctuary cities questions the 10th Amendment and the Posse Comitatus law, which requires separation between the federal government and the state government.Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on X, criticizing the federal actions as part of an “authoritarian playbook,” accusing the administration of lying about a city’s crime rate and creating stress with ICE and Border Patrol. Vera noted the proximity of the operation to the area. “I think on a national scale, Sacramento’s on the map, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the administration decides to highlight Sacramento is one of those cities that they will come after, quote unquote, like they’re doing in San Francisco and have done in the South,” said Vera.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    , Calif. —

    Federal immigration agents are moving into the Bay Area, with more than a hundred headed to Coast Guard Base Alameda, marking a significant federal operation in the region. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on “Fox News Sunday Morning Futures,” President Donald Trump said, “We’re going to go to San Francisco. The difference is, I think they want us in San Francisco.”

    This move comes as a precursor to Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco.

    Coast Guard Base Alameda confirmed the federal operation, stating:

    “Coast Guard Base Alameda is preparing to support CBP agents beginning October 22 as a place of operations. This support of DHS agencies continues the Coast Guard’s operations to control, secure, and defend U.S. borders and maritime approaches.”

    This announcement follows similar operations in cities like Los Angeles and New York, with the spotlight now turning to the Bay Area.

    “As much as the state of California and its residents may not like it, federal authorities are allowed to enforce immigration law,” Local immigration attorney Hugo Vera of Vera & Vera PLC explained.

    Vera explained that the legal authority federal agencies have in sanctuary cities questions the 10th Amendment and the Posse Comitatus law, which requires separation between the federal government and the state government.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom responded on X, criticizing the federal actions as part of an “authoritarian playbook,” accusing the administration of lying about a city’s crime rate and creating stress with ICE and Border Patrol.

    Vera noted the proximity of the operation to the area.

    “I think on a national scale, Sacramento’s on the map, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the administration decides to highlight Sacramento is one of those cities that they will come after, quote unquote, like they’re doing in San Francisco and have done in the South,” said Vera.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • U.S. Marshal Shot in Apparent Friendly Fire During ICE Operation

    Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the suspect used vehicle as a deadly weapon, which he said ‘justifies’ the use of deadly force

    A deputy U.S. Marshal was wounded by a friendly fire bullet squeezed off by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement after agents were allegedly rammed by a target’s boxed-in vehicle during an ongoing immigration operation in South Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

    Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the suspect “weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee” when federal immigration enforcement officers attempted to perform a traffic stop on him. When he used his vehicle to get away, an ICE agent allegedly opened fire hitting the suspect with the bullet richocheting into his fellow federal agent.

    The suspect, who McLaughlin said had previously escaped from custody, and that “defensive shots” were fired to protect “the safety of the public and law enforcement.”

    Both the suspect and the marshal were hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries, officials say.

    The chaotic scene unfolded around 8:52 a.m. in the area of 400 E 20th Street, which is a few blocks south of the 10 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which set up a command post on scene but was clear that its officers were not involved.

    In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Service said their deputies were “attempting to assist in [an] arrest of a suspect wanted for illegal entry” during the immigration enforcement operation. A deputy “sustained non-life threatening injuries” and is currently listed as stable, according to the federal agency.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Fairfax County concerned about impact of proposed cuts to homeland security funding – WTOP News

    Leaders in Fairfax County are seeking more information about the impact of proposed homeland security grant cuts that could leave the D.C. region without millions of dollars

    Leaders in Fairfax County, Virginia, are seeking more information about the impact of proposed homeland security grant cuts that could leave the D.C. region without the tens of millions of dollars it considers vital to keep the area safe.

    Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said President Donald Trump’s administration notified local leaders over the summer that there would a 40% cut to the grants. But recently, they learned the cuts amount to 90% of total homeland security grant funding.

    The Washington Post first reported news of the proposed cuts, which could result in a loss of more than $40 million.

    WTOP has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

    “This is really critical, obviously, in a region like the DMV, where very sensitive incidents can occur very quickly,” McKay said.

    The grant funding, McKay said, helped reimburse the D.C.-area jurisdictions that sent law enforcement and first responders to help after the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport earlier this year. It helps the localities either pay overtime for responders that help with major incidents or backfill positions while personnel are responding to a major emergency.

    “If nothing changes here, and this 90% cut goes into place, it’ll have an effect of having every local government look at whether or not they say yes or no to requests for assistance,” McKay said. “What that does is put all of us at risk. It puts our first responders at risk. It puts victims in some of these instances at risk.”

    D.C. and 11 other states filed a lawsuit in response to the proposed cuts, and a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the cuts couldn’t be made while the lawsuit proceeds. McKay called it alarming that Virginia was not one of the states that joined the lawsuit.

    In addition to reimbursement for first responders, McKay said the grants help pay for terrorist response training, camera networks, integrated radio systems, hazardous material detection and emergency alert systems.

    “Over time, what we’ll find out is if those funds go away, you’re going to have local governments not investing in some of those systems, which puts everybody at risk,” McKay said. “And you’re going to have local governments, when called upon in a critical incident, potentially say, ‘We’re going to have to pass on this one.’”

    Clint Osborn, director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the cuts are part of Urban Area Security Initiative funding, which helps prepare for, prevent and respond to terrorism and other threats across the region.

    “These funds are vital to the overall emergency preparedness and response capabilities where our threat level remains high, and where events designated as National Special Security Events occur frequently,” Osborn said in a statement. “The District will be requesting to the Trump Administration a full restoration of these potential devastating cuts.”

    In Fairfax, McKay and the board asked County Executive Bryan Hill to report how much in reimbursements could potentially be lost and what programs, training and equipment may no longer be available if they can’t be paid for with local funding.

    Mutual aid agreements, which allow jurisdictions such as Fairfax to send first responders to an incident that may be just outside of their borders, won’t be affected by the proposed cuts, McKay said.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Scott Gelman

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  • Border Patrol Posts Instagram Propaganda Video Featuring Antisemitic Slurs

    A U.S. Border Patrol video featuring antisemitic lyrics went viral on X on Tuesday after far-right users discovered it had been posted to Facebook and Instagram. The video, which included the lyrics “Jew me” and “kike me,” was deleted from the platforms on Wednesday morning, though it’s not clear whether the offensive content was taken down by Border Patrol or Meta.

    The 13-second video appears to have been posted to Instagram in August, but was pinned in the Reels section of the official Border Patrol page, making it more visible to a wider audience. The video only gained widespread attention late Tuesday on X, where far-right extremists celebrated a signal that was clearly intended for them. The Instagram video had 4.3 million views when Gizmodo viewed it Tuesday night.

    The audio used in the clip comes from Michael Jackson’s controversial 1996 song “They Don’t Care About Us.” The song includes the lyrics “Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don’t you black or white me.”

    The lyrics were criticized at the time for being antisemitic, though Jackson defended his words, insisting he didn’t intend for them to be offensive. The singer, who died in 2009, issued an apology and later released an edited version of the song.

    The antisemitic Border Patrol video

    The video starts with footage of someone adjusting a bodycam before viewers see Border Patrol agents walking around with guns. Another shot shows a truck hauling Border Patrol dune buggies, and then a shot in the desert where a dune buggy kicks up dust behind it.

    Gizmodo saved a copy of the Border Patrol video before it was taken down from Instagram and Facebook.

    The video is very short, making it clear that the choice of lyrics was the intentional focus. Viewers are obviously meant to hear the antisemitic aspects, since it’s more or less the only audio in the 13 seconds being presented. DHS didn’t respond to questions from Gizmodo on Wednesday morning.

    Comments on Instagram included people who clearly understood the message of the video as antisemitic. One commenter replied, “based song choice,” which was liked by the Border Patrol account. Another commenter wrote, “if you know, you know.”

    Border Patrol Instagram video comments, captured Oct. 14, 2025. Screenshot: Instagram

    Comments from the far-right on X were even more explicit, including “This deserves 6 million likes and shares,” a reference to the number of Jews who died in the Holocaust.

    Other commenters on X marveled at how mainstream their far-right and antisemitic ideas were becoming, with one person writing, “This movie is taking a strange turn. It’s strange to me because I never thought I’d see this in the mainstream—it was always underground.”

    And while it’s accurate to describe the shift as “strange,” it was entirely predictable after President Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second time in January. Billionaire Elon Musk really kicked off the tone of the era with two Nazi-style salutes. Musk later denied he was making Nazi gestures, but many of his supporters clearly took it as a sign that they could drop the mask. Steve Bannon, a former top advisor to Trump, made the same salute not long after.

    Trump himself has also said some extremely antisemitic things, including when he used the term “shylock” at a rally in July.

    In fact, there’s an entire Wikipedia page devoted to collecting examples of Trump’s antisemitism.

    None of this is new

    U.S. Border Patrol is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has been posting far-right extremist content since Trump took office for a second time. In a tweet on Tuesday, DHS posted just one word, “Remigrate,” a term more popular in Europe among the far-right that refers to ethnic cleansing through deporting non-white people.

    DHS also posted a video that included the words “Save America” in a typeface that’s clearly meant to evoke Nazi-era imagery.

    DHS has frequently posted fascist propaganda using copyrighted material without permission, something that sometimes gets the content removed from the major social media platforms.

    The people of DHS often know they’re the bad guys, like when they responded to questions from John Oliver’s HBO show by talking about the “heroism” of Darth Vader. The late-night host was asking about a video posted by Gregory Bovinot—the new face of anti-immigrant operations in the U.S., with his frequent appearances on TV—where Vader is destroying rebel forces labeled with things like “gang member,” and “fake news.”

    Is a lot of this trolling? Sure, that’s one defense of it. But at some point, you own the words and images that you push into the world. And if you spend all day, every day saying racist and antisemitic things, people have to start taking you at your word.

    Not to mention the fact that DHS has real power in the world to upend lives and has no business joking or “trolling” the American people. Agencies under DHS, like ICE, are currently harassing and arresting people for looking Latino. And that often includes American citizens.

    The consequences

    Ironically, DHS said back in April that social media would be screened for “antisemitism” by any foreign nationals in the country. In reality, DHS was looking for anyone who opposed the war in Gaza, falsely equating such a position with antisemitism. The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday it had canceled the visas of six people who had written negative things about Charlie Kirk.

    Antisemitism runs deep in the modern Republican Party. Politico published leaked texts from the Young Republicans on Tuesday, which included messages like “I love Hitler.” Vice President JD Vance defended the texts and dismissed criticism as “pearl-clutching.” And guys like Vance know their audience. They can be dismissed as shitposters, but they’re some of the most vile racists on the planet, and they’re becoming normalized in ways that would’ve been unthinkable even a decade ago.

    No Kings

    Americans who are opposed to Trump plan to stage nationwide protests on Saturday, Oct. 18, for what’s being dubbed another No Kings rally. Republicans have tried to characterize the upcoming protests as hate marches, falsely insisting they would be full of “Hamas supporters.”

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the reason the government hasn’t opened yet is because of the upcoming demonstrations, a claim that makes no sense whatsoever.

    “This crazy No Kings rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party, which is a big title. No Kings equals no paychecks,” said Bessent.

    Bessent: “This crazy No Kings rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party, which is a big title. No Kings equals no paychecks.”

    [image or embed]

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 15, 2025 at 6:20 AM

    The No Kings rally, which is likely to include a wide variety of Americans who are opposed to Trump’s fascist takeover of the country, has a website that allows people to find their nearest demonstration. It won’t just be the “hardest core,” as Bessent puts it, if past protests are any guide.

    Matt Novak

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  • Armed woman injured in Brighton Park shooting involving federal agents, DHS says

    CHICAGO (WLS) — A woman was injured in a shooting involving federal agents on Chicago’s Southwest Side on Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

    DHS said its officers were patrolling in the area of 39th Street and South Kedzie Avenue in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood when they were rammed by vehicles and “boxed in” by 10 vehicles.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    One of the drivers involved in the car-ramming was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, DHS said, and officers fired “defensive shots.”

    The allegedly armed woman, a U.S. citizen, was injured and took herself to the hospital for treatment, DHS said.

    DHS also said the woman is accused of doxing agents and using vulgar language toward them online.

    No officers were injured.

    “Pritzker’s Chicago Police Department is leaving the shooting scene and refuses to assist us in securing the area. There is a growing crowd and we are deploying special operations to control the scene,” DHS said.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    WLS

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  • ICE arrested a U.S. citizen—twice—during Alabama construction site raids. Now he’s suing.

    An Alabama construction worker is challenging the Trump administration’s warrantless construction site raids after he says he was arrested and detained by federal immigration agents—twice—despite being a U.S. citizen with a valid ID in his pocket.

    In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed today in the Southern District of Alabama, Leo Garcia Venegas is seeking to stop “dragnet raids” that target Latinos like himself, without any probable cause besides their ethnicity. 

    “It feels like there is nothing I can do to stop immigration agents from arresting me whenever they want,” Venegas said in a press release by the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm that filed the suit on his behalf. “I just want to work in peace. The Constitution protects my ability to do that.”

    Venegas and the Institute for Justice argue that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies allow immigration agents to illegally raid private construction sites, detain workers without reasonable suspicion, and continue detaining them even after they offer evidence of citizenship or legal status. All of this, they say, violates the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

    “Armed and masked federal officers are raiding private construction sites in Alabama, detaining whoever they think looks undocumented, and ignoring proof of citizenship,” Jared McClain, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, said in the press release. “That’s unconstitutional, and this case seeks to bring that practice to an end.”

    Venegas was detained twice in May and June during raids on private construction sites where he was working. In both instances, the lawsuit says, masked immigration officers entered the private sites without a warrant and began detaining workers based solely on their apparent ethnicity.

    On May 21, Venegas was working on a concrete crew at a construction site in Baldwin County, Alabama, when immigration officers hopped the fence into the site. According to the suit, “The officers ran right past the white and black workers without detaining them and went straight for the Latino workers.”

    The officers tackled Venegas’ brother, who was also on the crew, and Venegas began filming the scene on his cell phone. One of the officers then approached Venegas and said, “You’re making this more complicated than you want to.”

    Immediately after, the officer grabbed Venegas and began wrestling him to the ground. Another construction worker also took cell phone video of the two brothers’ arrests, which shows the agent struggling with Venegas who repeatedly yells, “I’m a citizen.”

    Two other officers joined in to subdue Venegas, telling him to “Get on the fucking ground.”

    Watch the Institute Justice’s video on the case, which includes footage of the arrest:

    According to the suit, the officers retrieved Venegas’ REAL ID from his pocket, but they called it fake, kept him handcuffed, and detained for more than an hour in the Alabama summer sun, until an officer agreed to run his social security number.

    Then on June 12, Venegas was working in a nearly finished house when ICE agents cornered him in a bedroom and ordered him to come with them. Venegas was marched outside to the edge of the subdivision where he was working to have his immigration status checked. According to the lawsuit, two other U.S. citizens had been rounded up with him. Again, officers said his REAL ID could be fake and detained for 20 to 30 minutes before releasing him.

    The Institute for Justice says in its lawsuit on Venegas’ behalf that this sort of behavior is “no accident.” It’s explicit DHS policy.

    “Under DHS’s challenged policies, immigration officers are authorized to presume that construction workers on private property are undocumented based only on their demographic profile and occupation, and can disregard evidence to the contrary—like Leo’s telling them he’s a citizen and presenting a REAL ID.”

    The lawsuit asks the court to block enforcement of the policy and award damages to Venegas, as well as a proposed class of similar plaintiffs, for violations of Fourth Amendment rights.

    Venegas is one of many documented cases of U.S. citizens being violently detained and arrested during indiscriminate federal immigration sweeps. The Institute for Justice is also representing George Retes, an Army veteran and U.S. citizen. Retes says he was pepper-sprayed, dragged out of his car and thrown on the ground during a July raid on a legal marijuana company in California. Despite being a citizen, he alleges he was detained by ICE for three days, during which he says he was kept in solitary confinement, not allowed a phone call or lawyer, and never presented before a judge.

    On August 20, five U.S. citizens in Southern California filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security over their arrests by immigration agents. One of the plaintiffs, Cary Lopez Alvarado, was nine months pregnant when ICE and U.S. Border Protection agents arrested and shackled her. She alleges she went into labor prematurely as a result of her wrongful arrest and assault.

    Earlier this month, the Supreme Court gave its blessing to just this kind of racial profiling by immigration officers, overturning a ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found the Trump’s administration was likely violating the Fourth Amendment rights of citizens by seizing them based solely on factors such as “apparent race or ethnicity.” 

    Justice Brett Kavanaugh released a concurring opinion in which he waved away concerns that allowing such profiling would lead to citizens and legal residents being unduly harassed.

    “As for stops of those individuals who are legally in the country, the questioning in those circumstances is typically brief,” Kavanaugh wrote, “and those individuals may promptly go free after making clear to the immigration officers that they are U. S. citizens or otherwise legally in the United States.”

    Whatever world Kavanaugh is describing, it’s not the one that Venegas lives in.

    “The raids continue in the neighborhoods,” Venegas says in the Institute for Justice video. “I live in fear every day that when I get to work it will happen again.”

    DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    C.J. Ciaramella

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  • Federal agents surround South Shore apartment building as DHS requests military deployment

    CHICAGO (WLS) — Questions remain after the announcement that the federal government plans to send military personnel to the Chicago area.

    This news comes days after dozens of armed federal agents were seen patrolling streets in downtown Chicago and Tuesday morning, federal agents were seen in the South Shore neighborhood.

    ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

    Governor JB Pritzker and other elected leaders believe the ramped-up immigrant enforcement is meant to intimidate.

    This comes as overnight dozens of federal agents could be seen surrounding an apartment building in the city’s South Shore neighborhood.

    READ MORE | Legal experts weigh in on federal agents making random stops, what to do if it happens to you

    Neighbors said they are still trying to make sense of what unfolded Monday night.

    Many described being woken up by federal agents and neighbors said it’s unclear who agents were looking for.

    “They were throwing flash bombs to the front of the windows, if they couldn’t get into units or apartments that how they got the attention to open the door,” resident Alicia Brooks said. “They came with these things to break down the doors.”

    Residents at the apartment building on 75th Street and South Shore Drive said they are trying to understand what unfolded after dozens of federal agents arrived overnight.

    Video shows armed Border Patrol and FBI agents dressed in military gear in the South Shore neighborhood. Citizen app video showed trucks with federal agents down the street.

    They were snatching people, no answers to any questions people asked,..at all,” Brooks said.

    Video shows some of the windows of the building left shattered.

    SEE ALSO | Border Patrol agents chase after cyclist after he claims he’s ‘not a US citizen’ in downtown Chicago

    The FBI confirmed they were helping U.S. Border Patrol carry out a targeted immigration enforcement operation in the area.

    The FBI said they have supporting these efforts at the direction of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    RELATED: DHS requests military deployment to Illinois to protect ICE agents, Pritzker says

    One man said he saw two people detained.

    “I saw two people come out in like not necessarily in handcuffs, but what do you call them, in zip ties,” he said.

    Felipe Dominguez came to the apartment building early Tuesday morning to help a Venezuelan woman run errands.

    SEE ALSO | Chicago federal intervention: Tracking surge in immigration enforcement operations | Live updates

    He’s worried that she was might have been swept up during the operation after he says he attempted calling her multiple times, but hasn’t been able to reach her.

    “I tried to call her 5/6 o’clock because I’m supposed to take her to the bank today,” Dominguez said.

    Governor Pritzker denounced the intensified federal law enforcement presence, in a press conference Monday.

    The governor said the Department of Homeland Security is requesting 100 military personnel be sent to Illinois.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    Cate Cauguiran

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  • Former DACA recipient dies in ICE custody after being hospitalized

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday that a Mexican national and former DACA recipient had died in their custody after being transferred to a local hospital in Victorville.

    Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39 was pronounced dead Sunday at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center, according to an ICE statement.

    Ayala-Uribe is now the 14th detainee to die in immigration detention since January, when federal immigration officials began to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

    News of his death comes on the day that two Democratic senators from Georgia sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raising concerns about the rise in the number of deaths in ICE custody, in particular two that occurred at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. NPR was the first to report on the letter.

    In July, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga) released the findings of a probe into alleged human rights violations that have occurred at immigration detention centers, including dozens of reports of physical and sexual abuse, and mistreatment of pregnant women and children. DHS rejected the senator’s allegations in a statement.

    In California, the Adelanto Detention Center, one of the largest in the state, has long been the focus of complaints from detainees, attorneys and state and federal inspectors about inadequate medical care, overly restrictive segregation and lax mental health services.

    In June, critics — including some staff who work inside — told The Times that conditions inside the detention center were unsafe and unsanitary. The facility, they said, was unprepared to handle the large waves of detainees pouring into the center.

    That month, U.S. Rep Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), toured the detention center with four other Democratic members of Congress from California amid concern over the increasing number of detainees and deteriorating conditions inside.

    The facility’s manager “has to clearly improve its treatment of these detainees,” Chu said at a news conference after inspecting the facility.

    Some of the detainees told lawmakers they were held inside Adelanto for 10 days without a change of clothes, underwear or towels, Chu said. Others said they had been denied access to a telephone to speak to loved ones and lawyers, even after repeatedly filling out forms.

    A spokesperson for DHS could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday’s death. But the agency said in its statement about Ayala-Uribe that immigration agencies such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection are committed to ensuring the safety of people who are in their custody.

    “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” the agency’s statement read. “All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care.”

    According to the agency statement, Ayala-Uribe, a Mexican national, was being held at a processing center in Adelanto where he had been seen by an on-call medical provider, who prescribed medication to him, although immigration officials did not say why.

    But three days later, Ayala-Uribe was sent to the Victor Valley Global Medical Center to further evaluate an “abscess on his buttock” and was scheduled to undergo surgery for it, the statement said.

    “Ayala was also hypertensive and displayed abnormal tachycardia,” immigration officials wrote in the statement. “At 1:48 a.m. the [medical center] declared Ayala unresponsive and initiated lifesaving measures. He was declared deceased at 2:32 a.m. by medical staff.”

    According to ICE, Ayala-Uribe entered the United States at an unknown date and location. He applied for, and received, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protection in 2012. He was sentenced to three years probation after he was convicted of driving while under the influence in 2015, the agency said.

    In 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied his application to renew his DACA status. He was convicted of his second DUI in June 2019 and sentenced to 120 days in jail, plus five years of probation, according to ICE.

    Ayala-Uribe was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Aug. 17 and transferred to Adelanto on Aug. 22.

    Immigration officials said the cause of death is still under investigation. The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill of 2018 requires that ICE make public reports regarding any in-custody deaths within 90 days.

    ICE officials said they make official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media about a detainee’s death and post a news release with relevant details on its website within two business days per the agency’s policy.

    Ayala-Uribe’s family has organized a fundraiser, selling tamales, carnitas and pozole on Saturday, to raise money for his funeral.

    Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.

    Ruben Vives, Jenny Jarvie

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  • ICE detains green card holder dad with tumor after 30 years in US—Attorney

    Paramjit Singh, a green card holder who immigrated to the United States from India more than 30 years ago, has been in federal custody for over a month after being detained by immigration agents in Chicago on July 30, according to his attorney.

    Singh’s attorney Luis Angeles told Newsweek the detanment has been “nothing short of horrific” for him and his family.

    Newsweek also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment via email.

    Why It Matters

    President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, specifically targeting those with violent criminal records, and his administration ramped up immigration enforcement since his return to office in January. However, many Americans have been critical of his immigration policy as individuals with misdemeanors, decades-old infractions or in some cases no criminal records at all have been swept up in the heightened enforcement.

    Singh’s case underscores the concerns raised by many immigration advocates about the administration’s approach to border security and deportations.

    What to Know

    Singh, a lawful permanent resident who operates a business in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was detained at Chicago O’Hare Airport on July 30 after he returned from a trip to India, his family and attorney told local news station WPTA. His family said he makes this trip several times per year.

    Paramjit Singh takes a photograph with his family.

    Kirandeep Kaur, Gurkirat Singh.

    Singh has a brain tumor and a heart condition and was kept inside the airport for five days. His condition deteriorated to the point where he had to be taken to the emergency room, the news station reported.

    His family was not notified of the ER visit until they received a bill for his medical stay, Angeles told Newsweek.

    Angeles said the alleged offense stems from an incident involving the use of a pay phone without payment, which he said is a “minor infraction for which he has already taken full accountability, served his time, and paid his debt to society.”

    Efforts to secure his release have been “exhaustive but frustrating,” Angeles said.

    “We filed for a bond redetermination and successfully won the bond hearing. However, DHS has continued to employ what I would describe as legal—yet arguably unethical—tactics to prolong his detention, despite being fully aware of his severe medical condition, which requires emergency surgery. The government is holding him without justifiable cause, exacerbating his health risks and causing immense distress to his family,” he said.

    Several green card holders have been detained based on decades-old legal issues. A similar case that garnered national attention was that of Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, a Massachusetts mother who was held for 10 days based on a decades-old marijuana conviction. She was also taken to the hospital while being held in the airport without access to medication.

    What People Are Saying

    Angeles also told Newsweek: “As a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Mr. Singh should never have been detained in the first place, as he has always followed the rules to the letter. We often hear the mantra of “follow the rules” to achieve legal status in this country. Well, that’s exactly what he did: he entered the United States lawfully, adjusted his status properly, built his American dream through hard work, and has been a significant contributor to his community.”

    Singh’s brother, Charanjit Singh, told WPTA: “We’re just trying to post the bond, we’re just trying to speak to someone, trying to communicate with someone. We’re lost.

    A Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson previously told Newsweek: “A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused. Lawful Permanent Residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention and/or may be asked to provide additional documentation to be set up for an immigration hearing.”

    What Happens Next

    WPTA reported that Singh’s legal team filed an appeal and planned to seek immediate federal court review to challenge DHS’s continued detention decision, and that the family aimed to post bond while the federal challenge proceeded.

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  • Florida applies for federal reimbursement for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ costs despite court warning

    The state of Florida has asked the federal government to reimburse it for the costs of its “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention camp, despite a recent appeals court ruling that receiving federal funds would trigger environmental reviews that the state ignored when it hastily built the camp.

    “The State of Florida submitted an application for reimbursement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson says. “FEMA has roughly $625 million in Shelter and Services Program funds that can be allocated for this effort.”

    Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit lifted a lower court’s preliminary injunction shutting down the Everglades detention camp, allowing operations there to resume. It was a victory for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, but it also complicated the state’s plan to be reimbursed by the federal government for hundreds of millions of dollars in expenses, as DeSantis repeatedly promised would happen.

    The appeals court panel ruled, in response to a lawsuit by the environmental advocacy nonprofits Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, that the detention camp is not subject to environmental impact studies required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because it has so far been entirely paid for by the state of Florida.

    “Here, no federal dollars have been expended on the construction or use of the Facility,” Judge Barbara Lagoa wrote in the majority opinion. “So, the Florida-funded and Florida-operated detention activities occurring at the Site do not conceive a ‘major federal project’ either.”

    “There may come a time when [the Florida Department of Environmental Protection] applies for FEMA funding,” Lagoa continued. “If the Federal Defendants ultimately decide to approve that request and reimburse Florida for its expenditures related to the Facility, they may need to first conduct an [environmental impact statement]. But, having not yet formally ‘committed to funding that project,’ the Federal Defendants have taken no ‘major federal action’ subjecting them to the procedural requirements of NEPA.”

    As the Associated Press reported Wednesday, the ruling created an apparent predicament for the state: “The state can either pass up federal reimbursement for hundreds of millions of dollars spent to build and operate the facility, or take the money and face an environmental review, which would risk halting the center’s operations,” the A.P. reported.

    But Florida has already applied for such funding, according to DHS’ statement to Reason.

    DHS and FEMA did not respond to requests for a copy of Florida’s application. No funds are reported to have been disbursed yet.

    DeSantis’ office did not respond to a request for comment. The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), which is the state agency in charge of the detention camp, responded by sending a link to a DeSantis press conference from last month.

    Friends of the Everglades argues that, although no money has changed hands, the tacit agreement between the federal government and the state of Florida, and the repeated public statements by Florida and DHS officials, clearly show that the federal government has committed to pay for the project.

    In a dissenting opinion, Judge Adalberto Jordan agreed, writing that “the notion that Florida decided to build the detention facility without a concrete funding commitment from the federal government is squarely contradicted by the preconstruction statements of [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem and Governor DeSantis that the United States will pay for the facility.”

    Friends of the Everglades says Florida’s reimbursement application only adds to the pile of evidence that the federal government has always intended to pay for the project.

    “Time will prove the trial judge and Judge Jordan correct—and this evidence will support our case when we return to the trial court,” says Paul Schwiep, the lead counsel for Friends of the Everglades in its lawsuit.

    Federal and Florida officials have had a tacit reimbursement agreement for months.

    In a June 20 email, disclosed last month in a court filing, the Trump administration’s nominee for DHS general counsel, James Percival, wrote to the Florida Attorney General’s Office regarding Florida’s plan to detain aliens under an agreement with the federal government. “If you go forward, we will work out a method of partial reimbursement,” Percival wrote.

    At a June 25 press conference, DeSantis said the federal government would fully reimburse Florida. “This is something that was requested by the federal government, and this is something that the federal government is going to fully fund,” DeSantis said. “From a state taxpayer perspective, we are implementing it…but that will be fully reimbursed by the federal government.”

    Noem also said in public statements over the summer that FEMA funds would be used to reimburse Florida.

    The FDEM estimated in August that a shutdown of the facility would cost it more than $218 million it had already invested.

    C.J. Ciaramella

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  • Illinois Democrats call for investigation of fatal shooting of Franklin Park man by ICE agent

    Hours after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fatally shot a man in Franklin Park, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat from Chicago, called for a full investigation of the shooting at a news conference Friday night held in tandem with local officials and immigrant rights leaders.

    He spoke over a loud group of protesters who called out, “Don’t investigate, abolish ICE!” The shouts drowned him out and aides brought him a microphone.

    Garcia condemned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for “judging an individual who was killed by one of their agents” and “casting him in the worst light.” He said he met with the man’s family after the shooting.

    Asked whether the agents had been wearing body cameras, Garcia said he was not aware.

    The man who was killed, identified by federal officers as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, 38, was fatally shot after he allegedly tried to flee a traffic stop and struck an officer with his vehicle, leaving him with serious injuries.

    The shooting in the typically quiet, working-class northwest suburb, which has a population that is more than half Hispanic, immediately brought calls for transparency from Illinois political leaders and condemnation from activists who decried the “aggressive” tactics of immigration agents.

    Federal officials, meanwhile, said the officer who opened fire acted appropriately and in fear for his life. He was recovering from severe leg injuries Friday at a local hospital, where his condition had stabilized.

    The Department of Homeland Security said in a written statement that Villegas-Gonzalez is a citizen of Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally, though further details were not provided.

    According to DHS, immigration officers conducted a vehicle stop Friday morning to arrest Villegas-Gonzalez, who has a record of reckless driving offenses.

    Records show that a man whose name and age matches Villegas-Gonzalez has received a number of traffic tickets in Cook County, but an initial search by the Tribune revealed no criminal incidents locally.

    Villegas-Gonzalez “refused to follow law enforcement commands and drove his car” at officers, striking one of the ICE agents and dragging him “a significant distance,” the DHS statement said. “Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his firearm and struck the subject.”

    Both the agent and Villegas-Gonzalez were taken to nearby Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where Villegas-Gonzalez was pronounced dead, authorities said.

    At Friday night’s news conference, state Rep. Norma Hernandez, a Melrose Park Democrat, said Villegas-Gonzalez had only a traffic violation when agents stopped him Friday.

    “We don’t trust you and we don’t want you here,” she said. “We need to abolish ICE. You cannot get rid of the 14 million undocumented immigrants here.”

    U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Chicago Democrat, and other public officials on the city’s Northwest Side, condemned the shooting and also called for an investigation.

    “We demand a full and thorough investigation into what happened today. DHS is not above the law,” the statement released Friday said. “They should immediately release all body camera footage, warrants, and relevant information on this case. Our community deserves answers and accountability, not the scapegoating of our most vulnerable.”

    One of Villegas-Gonzalez’s Franklin Park neighbors said he had a girlfriend and two young kids, and he believed he worked at a factory or warehouse.

    Several videos surfaced quickly on social media Friday showing the disturbing aftermath of the shooting.

    One, taken by a bystander from across the street, showed two officers in front of a gray sedan that had smashed into the side of a semitruck. The officers could be seen opening the driver’s side door and dragging a limp Villegas-Gonzalez to the side of the road.

    A local activist who was out in the area documenting ICE patrols Friday morning posted another video to his Facebook profile where a truck driver could be heard talking to emergency dispatchers. The camera then pans over to Villegas-Gonzalez, who is lying on the side of the road bleeding, with his hands apparently restrained behind his back. The two officers who removed him from the car are kneeling over him, calling for help and putting on gloves.

    The fatal shooting occurred just days after Trump’s administration announced it was beginning a surge of immigration law enforcement in Chicago, dubbing it “Operation Midway Blitz” and claiming it would target “criminal illegal aliens” who have taken advantage of the city and state’s sanctuary policies.

    The announcement marked the first official word from the Trump administration about increased immigration enforcement after Trump vacillated between vows of “going in” to Chicago with the potential deployment of National Guard troops to fight overall crime, to a stepped-up immigration enforcement role by ICE agents.

    By Friday night, about 25 protesters stood by a small memorial of candles and flowers along Grand Avenue, near the site of the shooting.

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FBI employees watch as a vehicle is towed from the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a man after the agency says he tried to flee a traffic stop in the car and struck an officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

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Tess Kenny, Caroline Kubzansky

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  • LGBTQ+ proponents respond to “devastating” Supreme Court ruling

    Since June, federal agencies began conducting mass immigration operations in Los Angeles and other major cities. For just as long, local residents, leaders, and advocacy groups have challenged their arrest and detainment practices, citing that their methods have violated constitutional rights. 

    In July, individual workers were joined by organizations like the Los Angeles Worker Center Network and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing that federal agents had been illegally arresting people based on their perceived race, language and work — a violation of the Fourth Amendment.

    As a result, two temporary restraining orders were issued, barring federal agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion. DHS was also ordered to provide access to legal counsel for detainees.

    On Monday, the Supreme Court voted to end this and granted the federal government’s application for a stay — or pause — of the temporary restraining orders. This will allow immigration operations to continue, and how they will proceed worries local leaders. 

    “This Supreme Court ruling strikes at the heart of who we are as a nation—allowing immigration agents to stop and detain people for little more than speaking Spanish or having brown skin,” wrote District 51 Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ civil liberty. “This endangers our communities, undermines our democracy, and erodes constitutional rights.” 

    Some city officials hope to continue providing resources and support to affected community members. “As the raids were taking place across the region and in our own City, we took immediate action to ensure there are adequate resources to care for and support immigrants and their families,” wrote West Hollywood mayor Chelsea Byers. “This work will continue.”

    West Hollywood was one of several Los Angeles county municipalities that filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit, calling for the court to stop the federal government from conducting unlawful stops and searches that were based on assumed race and not on probable cause. It also activated its West Hollywood Responds program to raise awareness on available services like legal toolkits and training, consultations, access to free meals and more.

    Local organizations are also extending their support. “The Supreme Court’s ruling is a devastating setback for Latine and immigrant communities, especially LGBTQ+ people who already face immense barriers to safety and belonging,” wrote Terra Russell-Slavin, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s chief strategy officer. Russell-Slavin explained that the center has expanded free legal clinics both virtually and throughout the city to provide Know Your Rights workshops and other immigration and asylum support services.

    “You are not alone,” Russell-Slavin continued. “And the Center will continue to stand with you.” 

    On September 24, the federal district court will hold a hearing to consider additional evidence and a possible preliminary injunction that will pause this most recent ruling.

    Kristie Song reports for the Blade courtesy of the California Local News Fellowship

    Kristie Song

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  • Trump Administration Suing Immigrants Over Removal Orders

    Immigrants with removal orders are being fined up to $998 each day and sued by the Trump administration for non-compliance

    The case stems from an arrest during a routine ICE check-in.
    Credit: Courtesy Neal via Adobe Stock

    The Trump administration is now issuing large fines to immigrants with removal orders and suing those who do not comply in an effort to force self-deportation, immigration lawyers told ABC News.

    As per the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun using a 1996 law to issue fines to individuals with removal orders. Notices warned immigrants to leave the U.S. voluntarily to avoid financial penalty.

    In June, the Trump Administration announced that it would impose new fines, decrease the time for appeal and no longer give a 30-day notice period. ICE claimed they issued over 10,000 fines within that same month. Said fines range from $100-$500 for each unlawful entry or attempted entry, and up to $998 daily for up to five years.

    In June, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the fines apply to those who enter the country illegally, ignore removal orders or do not comply with “voluntary departure orders.”

    “Financial penalties like these are just one more reason why illegal aliens should use CBP Home to self-deport now before it’s too late,” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary, said in the statement.

    Before July, people received a notice of intent, which they could appeal. Now, however, individuals are simply receiving invoices, Florida immigration attorney John Gihon told ABC News.

    Those who received fines and did not comply are now being sued by the Trump administration. Gihon noted that one of his clients was unable to comply due to a lack of proper travel documents. New York immigration attorney Edward Cuccia told ABC News that his clients have received million-dollar fines despite the fact that they work minimum wage jobs.

    Scroll to continue reading

    Attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Merle Kahn, told ABC News, “They could be fined over $1.8 million if they have an outstanding deportation order and didn’t leave.”

    Elizabeth Ahern

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  • FEMA Employees Fired For Using Government Systems To Engage In Sexually Explicit Behavior



    Federal employees tasked with responding to natural disasters and providing assistance to Americans in dire straits haven’t all been using government resources as intended. As part of an investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff have been found to be using government resources to engage in sexually explicit behavior.

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigators identified employees working at a FEMA command center who they say were sending sexually explicit images via text, or sexting, to foreign nationals and uploading the images using government devices.

    Agents working in DHS’ Insider Threat Operations Center (ITOC) identified two FEMA employees who allegedly “used their official government equipment to send graphic messages, access adult websites, and in one case, upload an image of male genitalia to an online sex platform,” DHS said.

    “This behavior and misuse of government resources is absolutely disgusting,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. Instead of working on behalf of the American people in taxpayer funded jobs with access to highly sensitive systems, the employees “spent their duty hours sexting strangers, including foreign nationals, on encrypted government devices. Such conduct is unacceptable, and these employees have been terminated,” Noem said.

    On August 27, DHS ITOC agents discovered that one FEMA employee had accessed Facebook Messenger through the FEMA network to allegedly “engage in multiple sexually explicit conversations with an individual believed to reside in the Philippines.” ITOC agents reviewed messages including graphic sexual content, references to a Filipino dating group, and statements about the FEMA employee’s plan to visit the individual overseas, DHS said.

    Between Aug. 30-31, another FEMA employee used his official government workstation to access an adult website to engage in multiple graphic conversations and upload an image of male genitalia to the platform, investigators said. The activity was observed to have occurred during work hours using a FEMA-assig ned device connected to an unclassified FEMA network.

    The offenses occurred at FEMA’s Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center/High Point Special Facility located near Frogtown, Virginia, DHS said. The facility is used as a relocation site for senior civilian and military officials, houses FEMA’s National Emergency Coordinating Center, and provides communications to the White House Situation Room.

    “The revolting actions of these employees, now the second group to be caught at FEMA engaged in such acts, represents a clear national security risk,” Noem said.

    She’s referring to two other FEMA employees who worked at the operations center who were also fired. On July 12, ITOC agents identified a FEMA employee who “typed explicit and sexually charged phrases into a chatbot website” using government devices to have “comments read back to him in an accent,” DHS said.

    On Aug. 1, ITOC agents identified a government-contracted employee “accessing Reddit.com 578 times over a 30-day period. It was revealed that he was engaged in extensive interactions with individuals online, viewing explicit sexual content while on his work devices.” He used his government computer several times to chat online with Reddit members presenting explicit content and accessed graphic photographs and videos, DHS said.

    “These individuals had access to critical information and intelligence and were entrusted to safeguard Americans from emergencies – and instead they were consuming pornography. In at least one case the pornography consumed was racially charged and involved bestiality,” Noem said.

    DHS says it is actively investigating alleged misuse of devices agency-wide to ensure employees aren’t abusing or misusing federal devices or sharing classified or sensitive information. This includes DHS prioritizing investigations into FEMA’s network activity and employee conduct, including actively reviewing internal policies, network monitoring protocols, and security clearances, it says.

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are cleaning house at FEMA to make this dysfunctional agency work for the American people the way that it was intended,” Noem said. “For decades some of these bureaucrats engaged in every act imaginable instead of safeguarding the American people from natural disasters. That ends now.”

    Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.

    Bethany Blankley – The Center Square

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  • Revir Technologies and Tyler Technologies Partner on Digital Evidence

    Revir Technologies and Tyler Technologies Partner on Digital Evidence

    Justice Agencies Can Now Combine Best-of-Breed Platforms for Management of Cases and Digital Evidence


    AUSTIN, Texas, August 5, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Revir Technologies, Inc. (‘Revir’) announced today that it has reached an agreement with Tyler Technologies to jointly offer its intelligent digital evidence management system (‘iDEMS’) delivering TRUE DATA SOVEREIGNTY. 

    “We know the tsunami of digital evidence is a challenge for our clients and true to our culture, we are focused on solving their pain points. Revir helps Tyler deliver for our clients and their mission,” said AJ Frickman, vice president of Federal Sales at Tyler Technologies. 

    “The two solutions paired together deliver an unparalleled force multiplier for federal, state, and local agencies,” commented Marc Messina, CEO of Revir Technologies. “Revir’s best-of-breed solution provides cloud infrastructure, compliance, and AI which, combined, make it easy to collect, store, secure, search, and share digital evidence with unlimited resources and pay-as-you-go pricing. Tyler’s Application Platform is driven by the customer’s expert knowledge of what information needs to be captured and modeled at every stage of a case or program.”

    The partnership to deliver case-and-evidence management will be highly beneficial for federal and state agencies as it will enable special agents, intelligence analysts, and prosecutors with an alternative to generic shared file server systems and antiquated tools. Revir automates mundane tasks and accelerates workflows by 7x-500x, driving 10x+ ROIs. This will benefit all aspects of justice and homeland security, including the search for missing persons, human trafficking, crimes against children, narcotics task forces, and transnational cartels. Other offices with complex investigations include inspector generals and environmental and regulatory agencies.

    About Revir Technologies, Inc.

    Revir Technologies, based in Austin, Texas, builds next-generation solutions for government that deliver compliance and significant force multiplier effects. The company delivers the leading industry solution for digital evidence management and is engineered for AWS GovCloud (US) and global regions. Revir also delivers intelligence solutions for DoD/IC. More information can be found at revir.ai.

    About Tyler Technologies, Inc.

    Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is a leading provider of integrated software and technology services for the public sector. Tyler’s end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate efficiently and transparently with residents and each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler’s solutions transform how clients turn actionable insights into opportunities and solutions for their communities. Tyler has more than 44,000 successful installations across 13,000 locations, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been recognized numerous times for growth and innovation, including on Government Technology’s GovTech 100 list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com.

    Source: Revir Technologies, Inc.

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  • Ardent and Obsidian Global Form Small Business Joint Venture, Ardian Global, LLC

    Ardent and Obsidian Global Form Small Business Joint Venture, Ardian Global, LLC


    WASHINGTON, May 21, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Ardent, a Member of Mission1st Group (Ardent), and Obsidian Global, LLC (Obsidian) have joined forces to form Ardian Global, LLC. Ardian Global is a small business Joint Venture (JV) that combines Ardent’s industry-leading geospatial intelligence, cloud computing, AI/ML, data analytics, and border security expertise with Obsidian’s cybersecurity, DevSecOps, and agile development capabilities.

    Ardian Global’s mission is to be the beacon of innovation, seamlessly integrating trusted geospatial and artificial intelligence technologies with cutting-edge data analytics, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, and agile IT professional services. This newly formed JV is dedicated to safeguarding the United States, both at home and abroad, by delivering unparalleled solutions that enhance national security and drive technological advancement. 

    Richard Zareck II, President & CEO of Ardent, expressed his enthusiasm: “As a newly graduated large business, Ardent is thrilled to partner with Obsidian on this new joint venture. With our combined expertise and strong presence across DHS, FedCiv and DoD – Ardian Global is well positioned to enhance the critical national security and defense missions while continuing our reputation for excellence.” 

    “This joint venture represents an exciting opportunity for our two companies to join forces and expand our services within the federal market,” says Drew Conway, CEO & President of Obsidian Global. “We are looking forward to working with Ardent to both further mature as a corporation and grow our capabilities as we prepare for the next steps in our business.” 

    About Ardent 

    A digital transformation, location intelligence, and data analytics firm, Ardent brings a significant history of innovative proven best practices “at the speed of the mission” to Federal Civilian agencies, DHS mission components, State and Local entities, and the commercial and non-profit sectors. Ardent Management Consulting is certified to 9001:2015, its Development Projects are CMMI-Dev V2.0 Maturity Level 3 rated and its management systems (ISMS/ITSMS) are certified to IS0 27001:2013 and ISO 20000-1:2018 standards by G-CERTi Co., Ltd., NIST AI Safety Consortium. For media inquiries, please contact: Clayton Wear at public.relations@ardentmc.com.  

    About Obsidian Global 

    Obsidian Global, LLC (Obsidian), a small business Information Technology services firm, specializes in Cybersecurity, DevSecOps, Agile Development, Cloud & IT Services, and Enterprise Architecture Design. Obsidian is a Prime government contract holder for many IDIQ and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) including the Air Force (AF) SBEAS vehicle ($13.4B), where we support AF applications development and cybersecurity operations task orders. Under our GSA MAS contract, we implement DevSecOps practices and provide database administration, systems administration, and cybersecurity operations. Obsidian is a Prime on the DoE CPSS BPA ($300M) where we provide data center security, ATO, ISSO, and cybersecurity communication support among other disciplines. Additionally, Obsidian has successfully met the standards of ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, and ISO 20000-1:2018 through certification, and appraised at CMMI Maturity Level 3 for Development and Services.  

    Source: Ardent

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  • ‘Migrant influencer’ in custody after videos on legal loopholes

    ‘Migrant influencer’ in custody after videos on legal loopholes

    (NewsNation) — A man who came to the U.S. illegally from Venezuela is now in custody after going viral for bragging about getting free money from America and encouraging other newcomers to take advantage of U.S. laws protecting squatters.

    In one TikTok video, Leonel Moreno, now being called the “migrant influencer,” explained squatting laws and suggested how to take advantage of them. His account has now been removed from the platform.

    “I learned that there is a law that says if a house is not inhabited, then we can take it,” he said. “Here in the United States, terrain deformation also applies, and I think that will be my next business: invade abandoned houses.”

    Moreno crossed into the country illegally in April 2022 in Eagle Pass, Texas and was paroled, but authorities say he never showed up to his initial check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    When Moreno was initially processed, he was placed in the Alternatives to Detention program, where he was given a cell phone as a tracking device.

    But because he didn’t follow the rules, Department of Homeland Security sources told NewsNation he was listed as a preorder absconder and was terminated from the program.

    These sources later confirmed to NewsNation that Moreno was in custody.

    Moreno has an order to appear in a Florida court in February of 2025, but authorities had trouble tracking him down. The address he initially provided was for Catholic Charities in Miami, but sources said he now has a possible address listed in Ohio.

    Also in Ohio, Fermin Garcia-Gutierrez is another man allegedly taking advantage of the system and gaps in intelligence.

    Law enforcement in Butler County, Ohio, said Garcia-Gutierrez has been in Sheriff Richard Jones’ jail 11 times, using seven different names and three different dates of birth. According to Jones, Garcia-Gutierrez has been reported eight times, yet the 46-year-old keeps returning successfully.

    Garcia-Gutierrez’s latest arrest was for possession of drugs and weapons while intoxicated and obstructing. His story is not the only one, with Jones saying since 2021, the county has housed nearly 1,000 immigrant inmates with ICE detainers.

    Ali Bradley

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