The Trump administration is changing how H-1B work visas are awarded.
Via U.S. State Department
With the stated goal of “protecting American workers,” the Trump administration has imposed a new visa process that will affect thousands of foreign nationals.
The new system will affect H-1B visa applications for professionals, which are capped annually at 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 reserved for workers holding advanced degrees from U.S. institutions.
According to USCIS, the change modifies the rules governing visa selection to prioritize applicants who are “more highly skilled and higher paid,” in an effort to better protect wages, working conditions, and opportunities for U.S. workers.
The policy replaces the current random lottery with a selection process that gives greater weight to skills and salary levels. “The existing random selection process was exploited and abused by U.S. employers seeking to hire foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragresser.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also released a statement Tuesday outlining changes to the application process under the widely used H-1B work visa program.
The measure was announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through a “final rule” published in the Federal Register. The final rule is scheduled to take effect on Feb. 27, 2026, and will apply to H-1B visa registrations subject to the annual cap for fiscal year 2027, the agency said.
The change is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to tighten oversight of work visa programs. Through an executive order, the president previously raised the fee for sponsoring an H-1B visa to $100,000, up from about $5,000 or less.
The move also comes amid renewed scrutiny of other immigration programs, including the Diversity Visa Program, which was recently suspended following a shooting at Brown University in which a Portuguese national was named as the primary suspect.
Trump had previously sought to end the so-called “visa lottery” program during his first term in 2017.
The Diversity Visa Program allows thousands of applicants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States to legally enter the country and obtain permanent residency if they meet eligibility requirements.
This story was originally published December 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM.
FAIRFAX, Va., December 9, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Symposit, LLC (“Symposit”), an 8(a)-certified national security, IT, and AI logistics solutions firm, today announced the acquisition of HumanLink, LLC (“HumanLink”), a human-factors engineering consultancy specializing in aviation and transportation security training and implementation. The acquisition strengthens Symposit’s offerings in national security, cybersecurity, and training by integrating HumanLink’s deep expertise in Human Factors Engineering (HFE), performance, and data analysis.
Founder and CEO of HumanLink, Bonnie Kudrick, will lead Symposit’s security training division. The former DHS executive brings over three decades of delivering human-performance-centric solutions across the commercial and federal security, aviation, and transportation domains, including at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Lockheed Martin.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bonnie Kudrick and the HumanLink team to Symposit, amplifying and expanding on our ability to support federal and state customers in national security solutions,” said Bobby Bermudez, CEO of Symposit. “Customers like CBP, Department of State, and TSA need rapid responses and cutting-edge technology to help their workforce do their jobs more efficiently, identify threats faster, and expand safety processes for security professionals and the general population.”
By acquiring HumanLink and formally launching a dedicated HFE training division, Symposit elevates its ability to deliver end-to-end solutions that not only meet system and network requirements but also optimize the people-system interface for safer, higher-performing operations.
Bonnie Kudrick added, “Joining forces with Symposit enables us to deliver our human factors training and methodology to federal customers for greater security impact and effectiveness. The alignment between Symposit’s systems and network engineering capabilities and our human-performance focus means we can deliver comprehensive solutions that address technology, processes, and people that make holistic improvements in worker welfare, security training performance, threat detection, and customer experience.”
The acquisition of HumanLink allows Symposit to meet increasing demand for security screener training and performance across aviation and transportation environments. Symposit’s Human Factors Engineering Division will add human-system research, interface analysis, workflow optimization, training design, and risk mitigation to the organization’s capabilities. These combined solutions enhance Symposit’s competitive advantage and reinforce its position as a full-lifecycle partner for federal agencies, transportation operators, and private-sector clients seeking comprehensive solutions that unite technology, processes, and human performance.
About Symposit: Symposit is a mission-centric technology and advisory company with federal and commercial clients across infrastructure, aviation, homeland security, and transportation. As an 8(a)-certified firm, Symposit delivers low time-to-value solutions in cloud architecture, cybersecurity, systems/network engineering, advisory services, security training, and human factors engineering. Symposit’s track record includes secure deployments in aviation environments, mission-critical federal systems support, infrastructure risk mitigation, and rapid-turn technology enablement. www.symposit.com
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the ‘statutory requirements for TPS.’
Carlos Gonzalez
TNS
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the end of temporary immigration protections for Haitians, adding them to a growing list of immigrant groups seeing their protected status revoked by the Trump administration.
The decision, which becomes effective on Feb. 3, 2026, could affect more than a half million Haitians living in the U.S. under what is known as Temporary Protected Status. The designation was granted to Haiti after a string of natural and political disasters, starting with a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that left the country and economy in ruins.
Barring potential legal delays from lawsuits, Haitians now will face returning to an unstable country facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises as criminal gangs control all major roads in and out of the capital of Port-au-Prince, and aggressively spread their terror to other regions.
DHS in its Federal Register notice acknowledged that “certain conditions in Haiti remain concerning.” But despite that, and the escalating violence “that has ‘engulfed’ Port-au-Prince‘, Secretary Kristi Noem “has determined that there are no extraordinary and temporary conditions in Haiti that prevent Haitian nationals (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti) from returning in safety,” the agency wrote.
“Moreover, even if the Department found that there existed conditions that were extraordinary and temporary that prevented Haitian nationals,” the agency added, “from returning in safety, termination of Temporary Protected Status of Haiti is still required because it is contrary to the national interest of the United States to permit Haitian nationals …to remain temporarily in the United States.”
As of 11:59 p.m. February 3, 2026, all Haitian nationals who have been granted TPS, will lose the status and must leave.
“After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS,” the agency wrote in its announcement.
“This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.”
The numbers paint a terrible picture in Haiti. A record 5.7 million people — 51% of the total population — are currently experiencing acute levels of hunger, with children increasingly at risk for malnutrition, the World Food Program recently warned. Meanwhile, as many as 1 in 4 Haitians, 2.7 million people, are forced to live in gang-controlled neighborhoods, more than 1.4 million are internally displaced, according to the United Nations. Rape, kidnapping and gang-related killings, all over 4,000 this year, are daily realities of life.
DHS said that the data indicates parts of the country are suitable to return to. That isn’t entirely true.
Even in communities, where armed groups are not yet visibly a problem, the situation is critical. The northern port city of Cap-Haïtien, which until this month offered the only access for international flights amid an ongoing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. carriers, is bursting at the seams. The southern regions are also struggling to recover from Hurricane Melissa.
The storm’s recent passage unleashed widespread disruption and compounded existing problems with food and transportation, even though the country dodged a direct hit. At least 43 deaths were reported, mostly in the south, which is today completely cut off from the north and capital by road due to the presence of gangs that on Sunday once more forced the suspension of flights after firing on a domestic airline as it landed at the Port-au-Prince airport.
“Many households rely on unsafe water sources and lack access to basic sanitation, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks,” the U.N. said about the situation in southern Haiti. “Health facilities are under-equipped, financially inaccessible for many, and unable to provide mental health support. As a result, preventable illnesses and malnutrition are on the rise, particularly among children and pregnant women. Vulnerable groups — including women, girls, and youth — face heightened protection risks, including exploitation and violence.”
Though DHS previously announced the end of Haiti’s designation as of Feb. 3, the law requires the secretary to review country conditions at least 60 days before the expiration of TPS to determine whether the country continues to meet the conditions for designation.
“Based on the Department’s review, the Secretary has determined that while the current situation in Haiti is concerning, the United States must prioritize its national interests and permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest,” the notice said.
The administration’s decision isn’t surprising. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved to rollback immigration protections for Haitians and others, and ended TPS protections for millions of migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, Syria, Nepal, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Burma, Somalia and Myanmar.
The agency’s order, issued a day before the Thanksgiving holiday, was blunt: “If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.”
But advocates for Haitians in the U.S. called the move poorly-timed and cruel.
“If Haiti doesn’t warrant TPS, which country does?” said Guerline Jozef, co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a San Diego immigrant rights group. “For this news to come on the eve of Thanksgiving is devastating.”
Jozef pointed out that Washington has acknowledged both in recent communiqués and actions the crisis plaguing Haiti, which has been mired by repeated crises since its first designation. Among them: a deadly Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and a 7.2 earthquake in in 2021, five weeks after its president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in the middle of the night.
In justifying its decision, DHS quoted U.N. Secretary General António Guterres’s comments in August that “there are emerging signals of hope.” But in that same meeting, he also warned that they were in “a perfect storm” of suffering as state authority crumbled across Haiti and lawlessness and gang brutality paralyze daily life.
In May, the Trump administration designated a powerful coalition of gangs, Viv Ansanm, and another group, Gran Grif, as Foreign Terrorists Organizations. In September, the U.S.’s new ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, led an aggressive push at the U.N. Security Council for support for a new Gang Suppression Force to help in the fight against terrorist gangs. Despite DHS’ highlight of these decisions, little has improved in Haiti since the steps were taken. In fact, the situation has worsened.
The deployment of the first contingent of the 5,500-GSF is still uncertain even as the U.S. pushes for general elections, which last took place in 2016, and last week gangs escalated their attacks. The latter, led the State Department on Monday to revoke the visa of a member of the ruling presidential council, Fritz Alphonse Jean. Jean has vehemently denied the accusations, and in a scathing press conference on Tuesday accused the U.S. of threatening him and others because they want to fire the prime minister over “incompetence.”
A State Department spokesperson, responding to a Miami Herald inquiry about Jean’s claims, said “We will not comment on or speculate about private diplomatic discussions or unverified reports.”
In another recent example reflecting conditions in Haiti: Over the weekend, a group of members of Congress, mostly Republicans, visited the Dominican Republic after canceling plans to travel to Port-au-Prince amid safety and logistics concerns.
“It makes absolutely no sense for the U.S. to terminate TPS for Haiti at this critical time, where the admiration has acknowledged the ongoing political crisis in Haiti to the point of having a Level 4 ‘Do not travel’ warning to the country,” Jozef said. “They must protect the Haitian who have called the U.S. home for over a decade, those who are already here, who have families, who have businesses in their adoptive communities.”
It’s not the first time the administration has tried to revoke TPS for Haitians. Soon after taking office this year, Trump attempted to rollback an extension given under the Biden administration. The decision was overridden by a New York federal judge, who said Noem had no authority to shorten the designation. The decision was part of a lawsuit spearheaded by a group of lawyers that, included Miami immigration attorney Ira Kurzban.
The suit was amended earlier this year to prevent the administration from ending the designation. Kurzban, who also successfully sued DHS during the first Trump administration after it sought to revoke TPS for Haitians, said the administration’s rationale for ending TPS is based on “outright lies.”
“Haiti is in political and economic turmoil due in large measure to U.S. foreign policy, including by the current administration. The reasons offered to terminate TPS are frivolous and include mischaracterizations and outright lies,” he said.
“They are a product of Trump, [Vice President JD] Vance and Sec. Noem’s actions that demonstrate hatred of Haitians and racism toward Black refugees.”
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
Jacqueline Charles has reported on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she was awarded a 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize — the most prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.
SALEM, OR – Oregon Attorney General, Democrat Dan Rayfield, is being joined by three Portland area district attorneys in an attempt to pressure the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security regarding the federal response to ICE protests.
In a letter, Rayfield, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton, and Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth are demanding the end of what they call “unlawful and reckless actions by federal officers operating in Oregon.”
The group point to what they believe is a months-long pattern of excessive force by DHS personnel — including incidents where federal officers used munitions that struck Portland Police Bureau officers and Oregon State Police officers, and tear-gas deployments that endangered residents and other law enforcement. Oregon officials have also documented the same trend outside of Portland, where federal agents have escalated basic encounters into volatile situations that put residents, officers and bystanders at risk.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, you have to follow the law and our Constitution,” wrote Rayfield. “We are asking the federal government to take reasonable steps towards prevention and de-escalation. We are putting them on notice that we are watching and will hold them accountable if they do not follow the law.”
“Law enforcement, federal or local, has a responsibility to accomplish their mission while ensuring everyone’s safety,” said Vasquez. “Gratuitous force has no place at any level of law enforcement.”
“I am proud to join my fellow Portland area district attorneys and the Oregon Attorney General in a combined effort to protect the rights of Oregonians,” said Barton. “Pursuant to Oregon law, state and local law enforcement officials are not involved with federal immigration matters. However, when we hear concerning reports of excessive use of force and accounts of Oregonians who feel unsafe in their own communities, we are obligated to speak up.”
“I am deeply concerned by the tactics federal agents are using in their immigration arrests,” added Wentworth. “If these tactics were used by local law enforcement to apprehend non-violent offenders, there would be public outrage and rightfully so.”
One specific example given in the letter is the October 2025 case of federal agents in an unmarked van who reportedly stopped a group of teenagers at gunpoint at a Dutch Bros drive-thru in Hillsboro, prompting multiple 911 calls from concerned community members. Another example given was the case of a 17-year-old high school student and U.S. citizen who arrested by federal agents in McMinnville. In that instance, the agents allegedly broke a car window to get to the teen while he was on his lunch break from school.
In the letter, Rayfield, Vasquez, Barton, and Wentworth claim that federal officers repeatedly used disproportionate and unjustified force against other, local law-enforcement personnel.
“These are not normal circumstances,” the letter states. “The volume and severity of force used by DHS officers in Oregon over the last six months has eroded trust, jeopardized public safety, and undermined the cooperative relationships that effective law enforcement depends on.”
Around 250 federal border agents are set to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration crackdown dubbed “Swamp Sweep” that aims to arrest roughly 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three people familiar with the operation.The deployment, which is expected to begin in earnest on Dec. 1, marks the latest escalation in a series of rapid-fire immigration crackdowns unfolding nationwide — from Chicago to Los Angeles to Charlotte, North Carolina — as the Trump administration moves aggressively to fulfill the president’s campaign promise of mass deportations.In Louisiana, the operation is unfolding on the home turf of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a close Trump ally who has moved to align state policy with the White House’s enforcement agenda. But, as seen in other blue cities situated in Republican-led states, increased federal enforcement presence could set up a collision with officials in liberal New Orleans who have long resisted federal sweeps.Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander tapped to run the Louisiana sweep, has become the administration’s go-to architect for large-scale immigration crackdowns — and a magnet for criticism over the tactics used in them. His selection to oversee “Swamp Sweep” signals that the administration views Louisiana as a major enforcement priority for the Trump administration.The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the operation. “For the safety and security of law enforcement we’re not going to telegraph potential operations,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.In Chicago, Bovino drew a rare public rebuke from a federal judge who said he misled the court about the threats posed by protesters and deployed tear gas and pepper balls without justification during a chaotic confrontation downtown. His teams also oversaw aggressive arrest operations in Los Angeles and more recently in Charlotte, where Border Patrol officials have touted dozens of arrests across North Carolina this week after a surging immigration crackdown that has included federal agents scouring churches, grocery stores and apartment complexes.Planning documents reviewed by the AP show Border Patrol teams preparing to fan out across neighborhoods and commercial hubs throughout southeast Louisiana, stretching from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes and as far north as Baton Rouge, with additional activity planned in southeastern Mississippi.Agents are expected to arrive in New Orleans on Friday to begin staging equipment and vehicles before the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the people familiar with the operation. They are scheduled to return toward the end of the month, with the full sweep beginning in early December. The people familiar with the matter could not publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.To support an operation of that scale, federal officials are securing a network of staging sites: A portion of the FBI’s New Orleans field office has been designated as a command post, while a naval base five miles south of the city will store vehicles, equipment and thousands of pounds of “less lethal” munitions like tear gas and pepper balls, the people said. Homeland Security has also asked to use the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans for up to 90 days beginning this weekend, according to documents reviewed by the AP.Once “Swamp Sweep” begins, Louisiana will become a major testing ground for the administration’s expanding deportation strategy, and a focal point in the widening rift between federal authorities intent on carrying out large-scale arrests and city officials who have long resisted them.__Associated Press journalists Elliot Spagat and Mike Balsamo contributed to this report.
Around 250 federal border agents are set to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration crackdown dubbed “Swamp Sweep” that aims to arrest roughly 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three people familiar with the operation.
The deployment, which is expected to begin in earnest on Dec. 1, marks the latest escalation in a series of rapid-fire immigration crackdowns unfolding nationwide — from Chicago to Los Angeles to Charlotte, North Carolina — as the Trump administration moves aggressively to fulfill the president’s campaign promise of mass deportations.
In Louisiana, the operation is unfolding on the home turf of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a close Trump ally who has moved to align state policy with the White House’s enforcement agenda. But, as seen in other blue cities situated in Republican-led states, increased federal enforcement presence could set up a collision with officials in liberal New Orleans who have long resisted federal sweeps.
Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander tapped to run the Louisiana sweep, has become the administration’s go-to architect for large-scale immigration crackdowns — and a magnet for criticism over the tactics used in them. His selection to oversee “Swamp Sweep” signals that the administration views Louisiana as a major enforcement priority for the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the operation. “For the safety and security of law enforcement we’re not going to telegraph potential operations,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
In Chicago, Bovino drew a rare public rebuke from a federal judge who said he misled the court about the threats posed by protesters and deployed tear gas and pepper balls without justification during a chaotic confrontation downtown. His teams also oversaw aggressive arrest operations in Los Angeles and more recently in Charlotte, where Border Patrol officials have touted dozens of arrests across North Carolina this week after a surging immigration crackdown that has included federal agents scouring churches, grocery stores and apartment complexes.
Planning documents reviewed by the AP show Border Patrol teams preparing to fan out across neighborhoods and commercial hubs throughout southeast Louisiana, stretching from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes and as far north as Baton Rouge, with additional activity planned in southeastern Mississippi.
Agents are expected to arrive in New Orleans on Friday to begin staging equipment and vehicles before the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the people familiar with the operation. They are scheduled to return toward the end of the month, with the full sweep beginning in early December. The people familiar with the matter could not publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
To support an operation of that scale, federal officials are securing a network of staging sites: A portion of the FBI’s New Orleans field office has been designated as a command post, while a naval base five miles south of the city will store vehicles, equipment and thousands of pounds of “less lethal” munitions like tear gas and pepper balls, the people said. Homeland Security has also asked to use the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans for up to 90 days beginning this weekend, according to documents reviewed by the AP.
Once “Swamp Sweep” begins, Louisiana will become a major testing ground for the administration’s expanding deportation strategy, and a focal point in the widening rift between federal authorities intent on carrying out large-scale arrests and city officials who have long resisted them.
__
Associated Press journalists Elliot Spagat and Mike Balsamo contributed to this report.
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.
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 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.
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 guns I know my friends and I would probably turn and run If you get out of bed, come find us heading for the bridge Bring 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.
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.
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.
PSA: A vehicle is a deadly weapon. Using it against law enforcement justifies their use of deadly force in self-defense. If you wish to challenge law enforcement actions, do so in court, not on the streets.
I urge California public officials to moderate their rhetoric toward…
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 21, 2025
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.
LAPD Advisory: LAPD officers providing outer perimeter traffic control at the scene of a Federal Investigation. NO LAPD officers involved. Media viewing area designated at the intersection of Maple / 20th Street.
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.
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.
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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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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)
Members of the FBI and other law enforcement officers investigate at the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officers investigate the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officers investigate the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, left, and Rep. Lilian Jiménez, center, speak with members of the press at the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Activists attend a press conference at the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officers investigate the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officers investigate the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officers work the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation work the scene where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a person after the agency says the man tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle on Sept. 12, 2025, in Franklin Park. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
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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)
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
