ReportWire

Tag: federal agents

  • Protesters will gather in uptown Friday over ICE, federal killings of 2 Americans

    [ad_1]

    After federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis, a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement is slated to take place in uptown Charlotte today.

    At least 10 groups — including the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, Poor People’s Campaign, Indivisible Charlotte and the Party for Socialism and Liberation — publicly are backing the protest.

    It is scheduled to take place outside the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building at 2 p.m.

    The larger ask from the groups: Stay home, don’t shop and don’t work for the day as part of a general strike. In Minnesota, hundreds of businesses previously shut down to protest ICE’s presence. Other organizers in cities around the country are asking for a general strike today as well.

    “Now is the decisive moment,” a social media post from some of the Charlotte groups read this week. “The Minnesota General Strike has given us a historic opening. If we all take a stand now, we can stop the killings and the kidnappings, and end Trump’s war on our most basic rights!”

    With the risk of a government shutdown looming, Senate Democrats have been negotiating for some changes to how ICE operates with President Donald Trump.

    Charlotte’s congresswoman, Democrat Alma Adams, recently told The Charlotte Observer that what’s happened in Minneapolis recently is “absolutely deplorable.” Adams is one of the lawmakers who has sought to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

    This is a developing story and will be updated.

    Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Ryan Oehrli

    The Charlotte Observer

    Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.

    [ad_2]

    Ryan Oehrli

    Source link

  • Border czar says ICE could drawdown in Minnesota as shutdown deadline looms

    [ad_1]

    *** partial government shutdown is not inevitable at this point. Lawmakers are still negotiating. Immigration enforcement, however, has emerged as the flashpoint in these talks with Minnesota driving the standoff. White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after federal agents killed two Americans. I’m not here because of The federal government has carried its mission out perfectly, Homan said. The administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, but also said federal immigration authorities are working on *** plan that would remove agents from the state if local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement. This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down. On the number of people we have here. Following those remarks, Minneapolis’ mayor pressed for the immigration operation to end immediately. It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned, and I’ve got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation on Capitol Hill, *** partial government shutdown inches closer, and Senate Democrats are making their own demands of immigration enforcement. What ICE is doing. Outside the law is state sanctioned thuggery, and it must stop. The Senate has until Friday to pass 6 spending bills, including for Homeland Security. The motion is not agreed to. *** failed vote on the package Thursday sets up *** potential last minute effort before the weekend. The president says his administration is speaking with lawmakers. Hopefully we won’t have *** shutdown. We’re working on that right now. I think we’re getting close. The Democrats, I don’t believe, want to see it either. Senator Schumer says they may vote to pass the other appropriations bills that do not include funding for Homeland Security. In Washington, I’m Christopher Sales.

    Border czar says ICE could drawdown in Minnesota as shutdown deadline looms

    Immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a focal point in the ongoing negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown, with Democrats demanding changes following recent deaths.

    Updated: 3:41 PM PST Jan 29, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ


    White House Correspondent

    White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after two Americans were killed by federal agents.”I’m not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly,” Homan said. “I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect.”He stated that the administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota but is working on a plan to remove agents if state and local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement.”This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an immediate end to the immigration operation. “It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned. And I got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation,” Frey said.On Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are making demands regarding immigration enforcement. “What ICE is doing, outside the law, is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader. As Congress faces a deadline to pass six appropriations bills, including funding for Homeland Security, immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a central issue in the negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown.The Senate has until Friday to pass six spending bills, including one for Homeland Security. A failed vote on the package Thursday sets up a potential last-minute vote before the weekend.Democrats have stated they will not support Homeland Security funding unless immigration enforcement changes, including requiring agents to identify themselves, obtain warrants for arrests, coordinate more closely with local law enforcement, and face stricter accountability when rules are violated. They argue these changes are necessary following the deaths in Minnesota.President Donald Trump expressed optimism about avoiding a shutdown. “Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now, I think we’re getting close,” Trump said.Even a partial shutdown could have immediate impacts, with travelers potentially facing airport delays, hundreds of thousands of federal workers missing paychecks or working without pay, some federal loans being delayed, and key economic data like the monthly jobs report being put on hold.

    WASHINGTON —

    White House border czar Tom Homan spoke for the first time since taking over immigration operations in Minnesota after two Americans were killed by federal agents.

    “I’m not here because the federal government has carried its mission out perfectly,” Homan said. “I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here has been perfect. Nothing’s ever perfect.”

    He stated that the administration will continue its immigration crackdown in Minnesota but is working on a plan to remove agents if state and local officials agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

    “This is common sense cooperation that allows us to draw down on the number of people we have here,” Homan said.

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an immediate end to the immigration operation. “It is less safe when we have roving bands of agents marching down the street just looking for somebody who might be concerned. And I got to tell you, everybody is concerned when you have that kind of occupation,” Frey said.

    On Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats are making demands regarding immigration enforcement. “What ICE is doing, outside the law, is state-sanctioned thuggery and it must stop,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader.

    As Congress faces a deadline to pass six appropriations bills, including funding for Homeland Security, immigration enforcement in Minnesota has become a central issue in the negotiations to prevent a partial government shutdown.

    The Senate has until Friday to pass six spending bills, including one for Homeland Security. A failed vote on the package Thursday sets up a potential last-minute vote before the weekend.

    Democrats have stated they will not support Homeland Security funding unless immigration enforcement changes, including requiring agents to identify themselves, obtain warrants for arrests, coordinate more closely with local law enforcement, and face stricter accountability when rules are violated. They argue these changes are necessary following the deaths in Minnesota.

    President Donald Trump expressed optimism about avoiding a shutdown. “Hopefully we won’t have a shutdown. We’re working on that right now, I think we’re getting close,” Trump said.

    Even a partial shutdown could have immediate impacts, with travelers potentially facing airport delays, hundreds of thousands of federal workers missing paychecks or working without pay, some federal loans being delayed, and key economic data like the monthly jobs report being put on hold.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Charlotte federal defender asks agents to de-escalate after Minneapolis deaths

    [ad_1]

    U.S. Border Patrol agents arrive at the Compare Foods on North Tryon Street in Charlotte on November 17, 2025.

    U.S. Border Patrol agents arrive at the Compare Foods on North Tryon Street in Charlotte on November 17, 2025.


    JEFF SINER

    jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

    Western North Carolina’s top federal defender has decried “threats to the rule of law” following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by immigration officials in Minnesota.

    “What we are witnessing on the streets of Minneapolis, and in other cities across the country, shocks the conscience,” John Baker, the federal public defender for the Western District of North Carolina, said in a Monday statement following Pretti’s death on Saturday in Minneapolis.

    Before moving to Charlotte (where federal Border Patrol agents conducted operations in November), Baker worked as the chief defense counsel of the Marine Corps and represented Guantanamo Bay detainees — including those charged in the 9/11 attacks.

    Resharing a statement released on behalf of all federal defenders across the country, Baker called for “all federal immigration officials to immediately de-escalate tensions, fully cooperate with independent and transparent investigations, and recommit to the rule of law.”

    Pretti was the second citizen killed by federal agents who were carrying out the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota this month.

    Renee Good, also 37, died earlier this month when an agent shot her as she drove an SUV away from officers asking her to get out of the car. The agent who shot her, Jonathan Ross, was in fear for his life, the Department of Homeland Security said.

    The Trump administration has said it will not investigate Good’s death, and it has blocked any local investigations into Pretti’s killing. Their deaths were just two of the at least 12 times immigration agents have shot at people since September, NBC News reported.

    In Pretti’s and Good’s cases, videos contradict the DHS narrative. The same can be said for cases that unfolded in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina when federal immigration agents came to Charlotte in November.

    Defense attorneys working in Baker’s office questioned officials’ testimony while representing citizens charged with assaulting officers in Charlotte’s federal court. In three cases, charges were dropped or reduced.

    DHS also published inaccurate information about the people its agents were arresting in Charlotte, at one point falsely asserting that a Honduran man charged with murder was released.

    In a statement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said Monday that while his office does not expect an incident like Pretti’s death to occur here, he takes “every incident involving use of force by law enforcement very seriously and will always conduct a full and fair investigation in such cases.”

    “We have a good and long-standing relationship with CMPD,” his spokesperson said, “and do not expect that to change.”

    The statement shared by Baker, who has led the federal public defenders’ office in North Carolina’s western district for more than three years, said: “We stand in solidarity with those who are lawfully asserting their Fourth Amendment constitutional rights to be free from unlawful seizures and racial profiling, and their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.”

    This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 7:37 PM.

    Related Stories from Charlotte Observer

    Julia Coin

    The Charlotte Observer

    Julia Coin covers courts, legal issues, police and public safety around Charlotte and is part of the Pulitzer-finalist team that covered Tropical Storm Helene in North Carolina. As the Observer’s breaking news reporter, she unveiled how fentanyl infiltrated local schools. Michigan-born and Florida-raised, she studied journalism at the University of Florida, where she covered statewide legislation, sexual assault on campus and Hurricane Ian in her hometown of Sanibel Island.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

    [ad_2]

    Julia Coin

    Source link

  • The Trump administration is lying about gun rights and the death of Alex Pretti

    [ad_1]

    Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, outside a restaurant on Saturday. The victim, 37-year-old Alex Pretti, was licensed to carry a firearm, and he had one with him. The available footage does not show every detail of what happened, but Pretti was holding a cell phone rather than his gun when the officers initiated contact and began wrestling him to the ground.

    Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, have already declared the killing completely justified, claiming that Pretti had intended to murder law enforcement agents. There is no evidence of this—none whatsoever—which makes it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the administration is prepared to brazenly lie about what happened.

    Other Republican officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, are taking the position that merely bringing a gun to a protest is a violation of the law or an indication of murderous intent. This is deeply wrong, and it is in conflict with the First and Second Amendments—two fundamental rights that Republicans typically profess to care about.

    As with the killing of Renee Good two weeks ago, the legal threshold at which lethal force can be justified is whether the officer who killed Pretti reasonably feared for his own safety. Only a careful, impartial investigation can determine that. The Justice Department has declined to conduct such an investigation into Good’s death, instead seeking to investigate the victim’s family.

    Video footage of Pretti’s death shows federal agents using pepper spray on protesters. Pretti appears to be recording the altercation with his cell phone. After an agent shoves one of the protesters to the ground, Pretti moves to assist her. Several CBP agents then decide to bring Pretti down.

    It’s conceivable that the agent who shot Pretti had the impression that he was reaching for his weapon—though the first shot clearly went off after another agent disarmed the protester. It’s also possible that the killer didn’t have even that much justification. Yet federal authorities have all but ruled out that possibility, and are making abjectly false statements in support of their mendacious posture.

    Noem has repeatedly claimed it as a fact that Pretti intended to harm officers. “This individual showed up to a law enforcement operation with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition,” she told reporters. “He wasn’t there to peacefully protest. He was there to perpetuate violence.” Miller flatly asserted that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” who “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”

    These are lies. They have no evidence that Pretti wanted to kill anyone. Even if evidence were unexpectedly to come out tomorrow that he was secretly a would-be assassin, it would still be wrong for officials to state as fact that Pretti intended to kill. There are no known facts that establish murder as his motivation. This is a man who was watching officers interact with protesters and recording it on his phone. Contrary to what the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X, he did not approach law enforcement, let alone with a gun drawn.

    These willful omissions and obvious lies do not inspire confidence that the federal government has any interest in discovering the truth of what happened. That is a glaring indictment of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement specifically and law enforcement in general.

    As if quietly conceding that none of the available facts were advancing their preferred narrative, several Republican officials are taking the ludicrous position that merely possessing a gun in the first place is evidence of an intent to cause harm. Bessent and Patel both sided with Noem on the Sunday morning shows, agreeing that Pretti should not have possessed the gun in the first place. Bessent said the protesters should carry billboards rather than guns. Patel said that bringing a gun to a protest was a violation of the law. That is simply untrue, as Minnesota is a concealed carry state, where it is lawful to carry a firearm in a public place. The notion that an individual cannot or should not exercise his First Amendment and Second Amendment rights at the same time is usually a misguided leftist talking point; in fact, the American Civil Liberties Union has taken criticism from conservatives and libertarians for becoming squishy on this and advocating against the gun rights of protesters after the January 6 riot.

    U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli went even further in the wrong direction, writing on X: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”

    Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) took that to task. “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government,” wrote Massie.

    Essayli’s comments also drew a rebuke from Gun Owners of America, a lobby that defends the Second Amendment.

    “Federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in ‘shooting’ concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm,” the group wrote on X. “The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon.”

    More Republicans should take their cues from Massie and Gun Owners of America. The administration is eager to jettison cherished First and Second Amendment rights to forestall any possibility that a federal agent might be held responsible for an improper shooting. If they succeed, the GOP will cease to be a political party that even pretends to care about free speech and gun rights.

    [ad_2]

    Robby Soave

    Source link

  • Judge restricts federal officers’ use of tear gas during protests in Minneapolis

    [ad_1]

    In a ruling on Friday, a judge restricted federal officers from detaining or using tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities in Minneapolis, where demonstrations over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown are expected to continue this weekend. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement responding to the preliminary injunction, “D.H.S. is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”ICE’s tactics have faced criticism from Democratic leaders, like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.”What we’re seeing on our streets is unnecessary abuses of force. This is an invasion for the sake of creating chaos by our own federal government,” Frey said on Friday.Both Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are reportedly under investigation. The Justice Department is looking into whether Frey and Walz impeded law enforcement through past public statements, according to the Associated Press. “Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic,” Walz said in a social media post on Friday.”A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a separate post, which didn’t explicitly mention the probe. The warning comes as Minneapolis braces for another weekend of demonstrations. Clashes with protesters have escalated following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in a highly contested incident last week. “While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property, or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said Friday. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump warned that he could invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act to deploy troops to Minneapolis in response to protests. “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump wrote on social media Thursday.Trump appeared to walk back that threat, at least for now, while speaking to reporters Friday. “I don’t think there is any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I would use it,” Trump said.Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison has said that he would challenge the use of the 19th-century law in court if necessary. He’s already suing to try to stop the recent surge in immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. DHS says officers have arrested more than 2,500 people as part of its “Metro Surge” operation to date.

    In a ruling on Friday, a judge restricted federal officers from detaining or using tear gas against peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities in Minneapolis, where demonstrations over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown are expected to continue this weekend.

    Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement responding to the preliminary injunction, “D.H.S. is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”

    ICE’s tactics have faced criticism from Democratic leaders, like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

    “What we’re seeing on our streets is unnecessary abuses of force. This is an invasion for the sake of creating chaos by our own federal government,” Frey said on Friday.

    Both Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are reportedly under investigation. The Justice Department is looking into whether Frey and Walz impeded law enforcement through past public statements, according to the Associated Press.

    “Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic,” Walz said in a social media post on Friday.

    “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a separate post, which didn’t explicitly mention the probe.

    The warning comes as Minneapolis braces for another weekend of demonstrations. Clashes with protesters have escalated following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in a highly contested incident last week.

    “While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property, or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said Friday.

    Earlier this week, President Donald Trump warned that he could invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act to deploy troops to Minneapolis in response to protests.

    “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump wrote on social media Thursday.

    Trump appeared to walk back that threat, at least for now, while speaking to reporters Friday.

    “I don’t think there is any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I would use it,” Trump said.

    Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison has said that he would challenge the use of the 19th-century law in court if necessary. He’s already suing to try to stop the recent surge in immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. DHS says officers have arrested more than 2,500 people as part of its “Metro Surge” operation to date.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Show of force: Thousands march in Midtown against ICE and Trump days after Minneapolis killing of Renee Good – amNewYork

    [ad_1]

    Thousands marched through Midtown Manhattan on Sunday in a massive show of defiance against President Trump’s ongoing ICE enforcement in America.

    Photo by Dean Moses

    Thousands marched through Midtown Manhattan on Sunday in a massive show of defiance against President Trump’s ongoing ICE enforcement in America.

    The enormous and peaceful demonstration began at the corner of 60th Street and 5th Avenue at around 1 p.m. and served as the largest to hit New York since the killing of Renee Good. Carrying homemade signs, playing musical instruments, and carrying American flags (some of which were held upside down in a sign of distress), the vast crowd demanded that masked Federal agents immediately stop patrolling the streets while calling for the ICE officer who fatally shot Good be held accountable.

    The diverse gathering — made up of children and seniors, including many who do not normally protest causes — traveled from the southwest corner of Central Park and passed by Trump Tower on 5th Avenue where droves of people screamed “f**ck Trump” and gave the president’s namesake the middle finger.

    The throng of people then slowly headed down to the New York Public Library, where they turned right on 42nd Street and headed to Times Square.

    “Renee was killed by the state because she defended her neighbors. She was killed because she defended our collective sense of humanity. Her blood was shed in Minneapolis because she refused to stay silent. She refused to accept the lies peddled by the US government and the Trump administration,” Manolo De Los Santos of the People’s Forum said. 

    While many decried ICE for what they called an occupation of the United States, others took the Trump regime to task for its military strike in Venezuela. Chris Dols railed against the president for allocating funds from healthcare to pay for the mass mobilization of ICE.

    “With the passing of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill over the summer, when ICE’s budget was ballooned to unfathomable heights at the expense of healthcare and SNAP benefits and so much else. What that means is very concretely, quite literally, that when ICE murders a protester, the gun, the bullets, the officer’s salary is paid for,” Dols said. “When ICE turns our federal buildings into zones of humanitarian crisis, that’s paid for by cuts to health care. And when the military is used to topple foreign governments, that’s paid for with cuts to emergency management services and FEMA, climate science, food safety — you name it. All the things they’re cutting are going towards their aims.”

    The enormous and peaceful demonstration assembled on 60th Street and 5th Avenue at around 1 p.m. and served as the largest to hit New York since the killing of Renne Good.Photo by Dean Moses
    Carrying homemade signs, playing musical instruments, and even carrying the star spangled banner upside down, the vast crowd demanded that masked Federal agents immediately stop patrolling the streets while calling for the ICE officer who gunned down good to be held accountable.Photo by Dean Moses

    The protest — made up of children and seniors— traveled from the Southeast corner of Central Park and passed by Trump Tower on 5th Avenue where droves of people screamed “f**ck Trump” and gave the president’s namesake the middle finger.Photo by Dean Moses

    The protest — made up of children and seniors— traveled from the Southeast corner of Central Park and passed by Trump Tower on 5th Avenue where droves of people screamed “f**ck Trump” and gave the president’s namesake the middle finger.Photo by Dean Moses
    The protest marched through Midtown.Photo by Dean Moses

    Pedestrians stopped in their tracks to watch the colossal numbers stride through the city, filming it on their cellphones. The protesters themselves chanted “No justice, no peace,” and “No ICE.”

    A slew of elected officials also joined the demonstration, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and City Council Member Alexa Avilés, who chairs the Council’s Immigration Committee.

    “It’s a damn shame we have here in 2026, fighting against the fascist government. But we are here to fight,” Avilés said. “We are here while Trump and his fascist goons are coming after immigrants across this country. We are here to say not on our damn watch.”

    Protests have sparked across the nation following the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was gunned down by an ICE agent on a Minneapolis street on Jan. 7.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called her a “domestic terrorist” and claimed that Good charged at ICE agents with her vehicle, but viral video contradicts Noem’s claims.

    Thousands marched through Midtown ManhattanPhoto by Dean Moses
    Thousands marched through Midtown ManhattanPhoto by Dean Moses
    Protesters made signs out of cardboard.Photo by Dean Moses
    Others dressed up.Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses
    Photo by Dean Moses

    [ad_2]

    Dean Moses

    Source link

  • Md. lawmaker proposes bill to bar certain ICE officers from state law enforcement jobs – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    Maryland State Del. Adrian Boafo is proposing legislation designed to bar some sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from working for state police agencies.

    Maryland State Del. Adrian Boafo is proposing legislation designed to bar some sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from working for state police agencies.

    Boafo told WTOP he’s proposing the “ICE Breakers Act of 2026,” which would disqualify ICE officers who signed up to work for the agency as of Jan. 20, 2025, from gaining employment in Maryland state law enforcement jobs.

    Asked why those officers should be prevented from working for Maryland agencies, such as the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police and other state law enforcement divisions, Boafo pointed to the tone of the current ICE recruitment effort, saying, “There’s a moral debate at the center of it, and it’s playing before our very eyes.”

    “If you are somebody who sat there and watched TV and said, ‘I like what they’re doing, and I want to go join them in this fight to separate and tear families apart,’ we don’t want you in Maryland,” Boafo said.

    Boafo cited concerns about the accelerated pace of hiring for ICE officers, saying that in Maryland, “We want to make sure we have folks of principle who are joining us, not folks who want to tear families apart.”

    The Department of Homeland Security has posted hiring promotions on social media. One shows the interior of a van with the caption, “Want to deport illegals with your absolute bros?”

    A click on the ICE recruitment site leads to an FAQ page that states, “ICE is looking for individuals with integrity and courage. ICE is interested in hiring law enforcement personnel who aspire to the highest standards of performance, professionalism and leadership.”

    Shootings involving ICE officers in Maryland, Minnesota and Portland in recent weeks have prompted protests and questions about the strategies and tactics used by ICE officers.

    Boafo said the bill does not prohibit ICE officers from working in other areas of state government, just state law enforcement positions. It would also not apply to officers who worked for ICE prior to Jan. 20, 2025.

    Asked about whether he believes the bill could withstand a legal challenge, he said, “Employment discrimination and employment prohibition law is very clear. There’s a list of protected classes.”

    He said police officers and federal agencies would not fall under those categories.

    Boafo, who represents a district in Prince George’s County — home to thousands of current and former federal workers — said he understands the financial incentive of the $50,000 signing bonuses offered as of August 2025.

    “My district, in particular, has been really hit hard by the federal worker layoffs. Prince George’s County, as a whole, has been hit hard,” he said.

    But he emphasized the impact that accelerated ICE enforcement has had on communities.

    “People are frightened to go outside of their house, people are frightened to go grocery shopping,” he said.

    Boafo said in crafting the bill, he talked to law enforcement agents who served as ICE officers, and said he expects to have other lawmakers sign on to support the bill.

    Maryland’s General Assembly session starts Jan. 14.

    WTOP has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

    [ad_2]

    Kate Ryan

    Source link

  • DC Council committee recommends dissolving cooperation with ICE – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    A D.C. Council committee recommends police end cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a day after an ICE agent reportedly shot a woman in Minneapolis.

    A D.C. Council committee is recommending the city’s police department end cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one day after officials say an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    The recommendation also comes after council members heard testimony from dozens of residents in October.

    “I’m grieving for Minneapolis, and I’m also very worried that that could very easily happen here, with the heavy presence of ICE and other federal law enforcement,” Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau told WTOP.

    The Committee on Public Works and Operations heard from 53 witnesses who detailed accounts with ICE in the city.

    “We had countless testimony of people who observed men and women walking down the street being stopped, people on the way to work being pulled over,” Nadeau said. “They’re being taken and their vehicles are being left on the road, parents being taken in front of their children and the children being left behind.”

    The report from the Committee on Public Works and Operations recommends both the mayor and D.C. police chief end any cooperation with ICE. It also urges banning the use of masks by ICE agents and requiring badges and agency identification.

    The committee said tweaks to current laws are also needed.

    “We passed the Sanctuary Values Act in 2020; there should be no cooperation with ICE,” Nadeau said. “The chief found a loophole, found a way to cooperate. We’ve got to close that loophole.”

    ICE has said that its collaboration with D.C. police has assisted with the arrest of alleged criminals, including a Mexican national previously charged with sex crimes against a child.

    “MPD has the tools they need to go after someone who committed violence, sexual violence. They don’t need the civil enforcement folks at Homeland Security to back them up on that,” Nadeau said.

    [ad_2]

    Luke Lukert

    Source link

  • ICE officer fatally shoots Minneapolis woman amid immigration crackdown

    [ad_1]

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

    MINNEAPOLIS —

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

    Video above: Witness describes Minneapolis shooting involving ICE officer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    [ad_2]

    Source link

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

    [ad_1]

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

    MINNEAPOLIS —

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Church members flee as federal agents arrive at east Charlotte place of worship

    [ad_1]

    Congregants of an east Charlotte church scattered into the woods Saturday when masked federal agents arrived and detained one of their members, according to witnesses.

    About 15 to 20 church members were doing yard work on the property off Albemarle Road while their children played games and their spouses cooked meals. Agents parked just outside a closed gate leading to the church parking lot and ran into the yard, said the pastor, who did not want to identify himself or his church.

    The agents asked no questions and showed no identification before taking one man away, whose wife and child were inside at the time, the pastor said. They attempted to grab others, too.

    “Right now, everybody is scared. Everybody,” he said. “One of these guys with immigration, he say he was going to arrest one of the other guys in the church. He pushed him.”

    Inside the church, women and children sobbed as they wondered whether their loved ones had been taken. Some yard workers fled into the surrounding woods when officials arrived, including 15-year-old Miguel Vazquez.

    “I thought, ‘Wait, why am I running? I’m a citizen,’” Vazquez said. He was friends with the man who was taken and worries about the family he left behind.

    Miguel Vazquez, 15, witnessed U.S. Border Patrol agents arresting a person at a church while he was cleaning outside on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. He ran and came back later.
    Miguel Vazquez, 15, witnessed U.S. Border Patrol agents arresting a person at a church while he was cleaning outside on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. He ran and came back later. KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com

    The church is suspending services and yard work until members feel safe to gather again without the threat of immigration raids, Vazquez said. Church members were aware the U.S. Border Patrol was planning an operation in Charlotte this weekend but didn’t think twice about their place of worship.

    “We thought church was safe and nothing gonna happen,” Vazquez said. “But it did happen.”

    Observer photojournalist Khadejeh Nikouyeh contributed.

    This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 5:19 PM.

    Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer

    Nick Sullivan

    The Charlotte Observer

    Nick Sullivan covers the City of Charlotte for The Observer. He studied journalism at the University of South Carolina, and he previously covered education for The Arizona Republic and The Colorado Springs Gazette.

    [ad_2]

    Nick Sullivan

    Source link

  • Federal agent fires weapon during pursuit in Northeast DC – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    An investigation is underway after a federal agent fired their weapon during a vehicle pursuit in Northeast D.C. on Thursday, according to D.C. police.

    A federal agent fired their weapon during a police pursuit Thursday in Northeast D.C., according to D.C. police.

    The incident happened just across the Anacostia River on Benning Road.

    A police spokesperson confirmed to WTOP in a statement that as part of the law enforcement surge by President Donald Trump’s administration, D.C. police and federal agency partners in the District worked together to initiate a traffic stop. Officials tried to pull over a driver they said committed a traffic violation at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Southeast.

    The pursuit began at around 4:45 p.m., when the vehicle fled, police said.

    Shortly after, less than 3 miles north, a federal agent involved in the pursuit fired their weapon in the 3400 block of Benning Road in Northeast.

    The person authorities were chasing was taken into custody and no one was hurt, police said.

    A division of D.C. police’s Internal Affairs Bureau — the Force Investigation Team — is examining the shooting, as it does with all officer-involved shootings in the District. Once the internal division wraps up its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. will independently review the case.

    WTOP has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

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

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

    [ad_2]

    Thomas Robertson

    Source link

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

    [ad_1]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    [ad_2]

    Jacob R. Swartz

    Source link

  • Top Border Patrol official due in court to answer questions about Chicago immigration crackdown

    [ad_1]

    A senior Border Patrol official who has become the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago is due in court Tuesday to take questions about the enforcement operation in the Chicago area, which has produced more than 1,800 arrests and complaints of excessive force.The hearing comes after a judge earlier this month ordered uniformed immigration agents to wear body cameras, the latest step in a lawsuit by news outlets and protesters who say federal agents used excessive force, including using tear gas, during protests against immigration operations.Greg Bovino, chief of the Border Patrol sector in El Centro, California, one of nine sectors on the Mexican border, is himself accused of throwing tear gas canisters at protesters.U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis initially said agents must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. She later said she was concerned agents were not following her order after seeing footage of street confrontations involving tear gas during the administration’s Operation Midway Blitz, and she modified the order to also require body cameras.Ellis last week extended questioning of Bovino from two hours to five because she wants to hear about agents’ recent use of force in the city’s Mexican enclave of Little Village. During an enforcement operation last week in Little Village and the adjacent suburb of Cicero, at least eight people, including four U.S. citizens, were detained before protesters gathered at the scene, local officials said.The attorneys representing a coalition of news outlets and protesters claim Bovino himself violated the order in Little Village and filed a still image of video footage where he was allegedly “throwing tear gas into a crowd without justification.”Over the weekend, masked federal agents and unmarked SUVs were spotted on the city’s wealthier, predominantly white North side neighborhoods of Lakeview and Lincoln Park, where footage showed chemical agents deployed on a residential street. Federal agents have been seen and videotaped deploying tear gas in residential streets a number of times over the past few weeks.Bovino also led the immigration operation in Los Angeles in recent months, leading to thousands of arrests. Agents smashed car windows, blew open a door to a house and patrolled MacArthur Park on horseback. In Chicago, similar Border Patrol operations have led to viral footage of tense confrontations with protesters.At a previous hearing, Ellis questioned Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about their agencies’ use of force policies and the distribution of body cameras. Harvick said there are about 200 Border Patrol employees in the Chicago area, and those who are part of Operation Midway Blitz have cameras. But Byers said more money from Congress would be needed to expand camera use beyond two of that agency’s field offices.

    CHICAGO —

    A senior Border Patrol official who has become the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago is due in court Tuesday to take questions about the enforcement operation in the Chicago area, which has produced more than 1,800 arrests and complaints of excessive force.

    The hearing comes after a judge earlier this month ordered uniformed immigration agents to wear body cameras, the latest step in a lawsuit by news outlets and protesters who say federal agents used excessive force, including using tear gas, during protests against immigration operations.

    Greg Bovino, chief of the Border Patrol sector in El Centro, California, one of nine sectors on the Mexican border, is himself accused of throwing tear gas canisters at protesters.

    U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis initially said agents must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. She later said she was concerned agents were not following her order after seeing footage of street confrontations involving tear gas during the administration’s Operation Midway Blitz, and she modified the order to also require body cameras.

    Ellis last week extended questioning of Bovino from two hours to five because she wants to hear about agents’ recent use of force in the city’s Mexican enclave of Little Village. During an enforcement operation last week in Little Village and the adjacent suburb of Cicero, at least eight people, including four U.S. citizens, were detained before protesters gathered at the scene, local officials said.

    The attorneys representing a coalition of news outlets and protesters claim Bovino himself violated the order in Little Village and filed a still image of video footage where he was allegedly “throwing tear gas into a crowd without justification.”

    Over the weekend, masked federal agents and unmarked SUVs were spotted on the city’s wealthier, predominantly white North side neighborhoods of Lakeview and Lincoln Park, where footage showed chemical agents deployed on a residential street. Federal agents have been seen and videotaped deploying tear gas in residential streets a number of times over the past few weeks.

    Bovino also led the immigration operation in Los Angeles in recent months, leading to thousands of arrests. Agents smashed car windows, blew open a door to a house and patrolled MacArthur Park on horseback. In Chicago, similar Border Patrol operations have led to viral footage of tense confrontations with protesters.

    At a previous hearing, Ellis questioned Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about their agencies’ use of force policies and the distribution of body cameras. Harvick said there are about 200 Border Patrol employees in the Chicago area, and those who are part of Operation Midway Blitz have cameras. But Byers said more money from Congress would be needed to expand camera use beyond two of that agency’s field offices.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Federal immigration agents attacked while trying to arrest man in Bolingbrook, police say

    [ad_1]

    BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (WLS) — Federal immigration agents say they were attacked in the south suburbs on Sunday morning.

    Bolingbrook police said officers responded to the 100-block of Williamsburg Lane for a reported battery just before 10 a.m.

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

    The agents told officers that they were trying to arrest a 46-year-old man in a parking lot when two people approached and started hitting them.

    The man and the two alleged attackers, females of unknown ages, ran away and into a nearby home.

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

    No one was arrested, and the agents declined medical attention.

    The Department of Homeland Security said the man they were trying to detain had previous arrests for domestic battery.

    “ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS said.

    Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

    [ad_2]

    WLS

    Source link

  • Will a shutdown finally shrink government?

    [ad_1]

    This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch discuss whether the impending government shutdown will actually rein in the federal bureaucracy. They consider whether there is anything to gain from a shutdown, how past shutdowns have played out, and whether the risk of growing executive power outweighs the risk of uncontrolled spending.

    They also examine the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and whether it’s about retribution or substance, President Donald Trump’s deployment of federal troops to Portland, and New York Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to exit the mayoral race. A listener question prompts a conversation about cyclical theories of history and whether frameworks like The Fourth Turning help explain our current moment or merely provide the illusion of clarity.

     

    0:00—Shutdown showdown and shrinking the government

    9:24—Russell Vought and the growth of executive power

    25:34—James Comey faces an indictment

    31:38—Eric Adams drops out of NYC mayoral race

    40:42—Listener question on cyclical frameworks in history

    48:06—Trump sends federal police to Portland

    56:30—Weekly cultural recommendations

     

    “Government Set To Shut Down Tomorrow,” by Liz Wolfe

    “The American New Right Looks Like the European Old Right,” by Jack Nicastro and Phillip W. Magness

    “How GOP Fiscal Sanity Died, in 7 Easy Steps,” by Matt Welch

    “Shutdown Highlights Basic Fact: Most of Government is ‘Non-Essential’,” by Nick Gillespie

    “The Libertarian Case for Postmodernism,” by Nick Gillespie

    “In Trump’s Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses,” by J.D. Tuccille

    “Trump’s Public Comments Could Further Complicate the Shaky Case Against James Comey,” by Jacob Sullum

    “Kash Patel Tellingly Ties James Comey’s Indictment to the Legally Unrelated ‘Russiagate Hoax,’” by Jacob Sullum

    “The Deep-State Liars of the #Resistance,” by Matt Welch

    “What Does It Mean for Trump To Designate Antifa a ‘Terrorist Organization’?” by Matthew Petti

    “The Tom Cotton Do-Over,” by Matt Welch

    “The Dream of the ’90s Died in Portland,” by Nancy Rommelmann

    “Assata Shakur Stood With the Oppressors,” by Billy Binion

    r/NYC on Reddit: “Eric Adams wore this custom made robe to a Rosh Hashanah service in Brooklyn yesterday.”

     

    Upcoming Reason Events

    “Is mass immigration good for America?” Join us for a Reason Versus live debate on October 2 in Washington, D.C.

     

     

    Today’s Sponsor:

    You believe in limited government and support organizations that champion the ideals of a free society.  But have you ensured that your charitable giving will leave a lasting legacy of liberty? Without a plan in place, your charitable legacy could fade—or worse, be redirected to causes that don’t align with your values. At DonorsTrust, they help you secure your philanthropic vision for the long term. With a donor-advised fund, you can ensure that the groups you care about continue to receive support, even beyond your lifetime. And unlike other donor-advised funds, DonorsTrust respects your libertarian principles and ensures your charitable capital remains committed to advancing individual liberty. Your giving should reflect your values—not just today, but for years to come. Your Vision.  Your Values.  Your Impact. Go to http://DonorsTrust.org/Reason to ensure your philanthropy continues to champion liberty for generations to come.

    [ad_2]

    Peter Suderman

    Source link

  • Colorado woman among 3 indicted for allegedly stalking ICE agent

    [ad_1]

    DENVER — A Colorado woman is among three women indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent home, the Justice Department announced Friday.

    Ashleigh Brown, 38, of Aurora, Cynthia Raygoza, 37, of Riverside, California, and Sandra Carmona Samane, 25, of Panorama City, California, are each facing charges of conspiracy and unlawfully disclosing personal information of a federal agent.

    Brown, who is also charged in a separate case with assault on a federal officer, is in federal custody without bond, the Justice Department said.

    Samane is free on $5,000 bond. Raygoza remains at large.

    The incident occurred on August 28, 2025, in Los Angeles, where the women allegedly followed an ICE agent from the Civic Center in downtown Los Angeles to his personal residence.

    Prosecutors said the defendants livestreamed on their Instagram accounts their pursuit of the victim and provided directions as they followed the victim home and allegedly told viewers, “Come on down.”

    Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

    Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

    [ad_2]

    Robert Garrison

    Source link

  • ICE officer relieved of duties after videos show him shoving woman to ground

    [ad_1]

    A federal immigration officer who was captured on video pushing a woman to the ground outside an immigration court in New York City has been relieved of his duties while an investigation is conducted, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.

    In a statement Friday, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the conduct of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”

    “Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation,” McLaughlin added.

    Videos of the ICE officer’s actions at the 26 Federal Plaza federal building in lower Manhattan emerged on social media Thursday, generating widespread controversy.

    The incident appears to have started when the woman and her young daughter desperately tried to cling to her husband, whom federal agents were attempting to take into custody. Agents were seen on video separating the family, with one of them grabbing the woman’s hair. The man was ultimately detained.

    Another video showed the woman confronting the ICE officer at the center of the investigation. He was then captured on camera shoving the woman and pushing her to the floor in front of her children and a crowd of photojournalists and federal and court officials.

    During the altercation, the ICE officer is heard saying “adios” — or goodbye — several times.

    The woman in the videos told reporters Thursday her family is from Ecuador.

    Under the second Trump administration, ICE officers have been deployed to immigration courts across the country to arrest some of those attending their hearings. The effort has been strongly denounced by advocates and Democratic leaders, who say it undermines due process principles and deters people from complying with the immigration process.

    Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller and one of the most vocal local critics of the courthouse arrests, said Thursday that the woman “did not pose any threat” to justify the officer’s actions and noted she had to be taken to the hospital.

    “We can disagree on immigration policy, but you can’t watch that video and think that that’s how you want United States law enforcement officials treating human beings,” Lander told CBS News New York.

    Asked if the videos indicate any justification for the officer’s use of force, a former ICE official who requested anonymity to speak freely said, “Absolutely none.” The official noted the incident should be reported to ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which is charged with “impartially investigating allegations of employee and contractor misconduct.”

    “He clearly lost his cool. Unless you claim self-defense or defense of others, [there’s] no way that use of force is justified,” the former ICE official said. “That’s assault.”

    Dr. Oz breaks down the federal government’s stance on Tylenol and pregnancy; health care fraud

    Trump blames Democrats for looming government shutdown

    Hegseth summons generals and admirals for rare Quantico meeting

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • California got this one right: ICE agents shouldn’t be allowed to wear masks

    [ad_1]

    Like all authoritarian movements, MAGA likes to display “shock and awe” to arouse its supporters and intimidate its opponents. Why else would, say, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attend high-profile ICE raids—and then post videos of them on her social-media accounts?  It’s all for show.

    Likewise, responsible political movements are embarrassed by hypocrisy, but MAGA displays it as a loyalty test. Vice President J.D. Vance berated the Brits for detaining people over social media posts, then called on Americans to report people to their employers for negative posts about Charlie Kirk. And Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to crack down on “hate speech,” even though Republicans have long viewed such laws as speech controls. They know what message this sends.

    The most iconic image of the administration, however, isn’t an official in SWAT gear or an oleaginous Vance espousing cancel culture. It’s not even the image of National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C. The clearest image is one of masked ICE agents emerging from unmarked cars, roughing up suspected illegal immigrants—and then “disappearing” them to an unknown location.

    “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” That’s how George Orwell put it, but it doesn’t have to be forever if more Americans start caring about their constitutional birthright. California’s Legislature isn’t a beacon of constitutional fealty, but one recent bill that’s on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk shows that some lawmakers are starting to get it.

    Senate Bill 627 “makes it a crime for a law enforcement officer, as defined, to wear a facial covering in the performance of the duties,” per the legislative analysis. It includes some exceptions, such as allowing officers to wear masks during certain undercover and tactical operations and for medical reasons, but it’s otherwise simple. Newsom last week signed the bill.

    Not surprisingly, police unions and sheriffs’ associations were opposed to it, as they typically oppose limits on their power. Almost as predictable, the key opposition came from Republicans—those politicians who endlessly prattle about the Constitution and express their concern about big government. Can you imagine anything less constitutional or reflective of big government than masked agents abducting people based on some unknown agent’s whims?

    Sen. Tony Strickland (R–Huntington Beach), who at least manages to be consistent in his myriad big-government positions, called the bill “a reckless anti-law enforcement proposal that puts law enforcement officers and their families at real risk, undermining the safety of the men and women who bravely protect our communities.”

    But author Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) got it right: “The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror, with officers—or people who claim to be officers—wearing what are essentially ski masks, not identifying themselves, grabbing people, putting them in unmarked cars, and disappearing them. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state.”

    Rather than get owned by progressives on these basic issues, conservatives might want to re-read that Constitution that they often brag about keeping in their shirt pocket, or maybe glance at the Declaration of Independence. Our founders complained that the king “sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.”

    Practically speaking, there is no reason for law-enforcement agents to conceal their identities, wear face masks, and grab people off the street without identifying themselves. How is an ordinary person supposed to know whether their abductor is a legit government agent or kidnappers from a drug cartel? In the former, fighting back will land you in the morgue—in the latter, not fighting back will do so.

    Trump supporters claim the masks protect agents from doxing, but that’s just an after-the-fact excuse. This shouldn’t be news to conservatives, but the Constitution is meant to protect ordinary people from their government rather than the other way around. The first concern is to protect our liberties, not to ensure that armed agents have an easier time of it. Doxing is illegal and should be punished, but that’s no excuse to green-light police-state tactics.

    “The general public does not distinguish between federal agents and local law enforcement,” said my R Street Institute colleague Jillian Snider in a CNN interview. “So when federal agents go into local jurisdictions wearing masks and not making their identities known, that hinders the operations of local law enforcement because then that community fails to trust the local law enforcement that are trying to keep them safe.”

    Then again, perhaps that’s MAGA’s point: to intimidate Americans into submission via a high-profile show of force. We should be shocked by this, but the right response is disgust rather than awe.

    This column was first published in The Orange County Register.

    [ad_2]

    Steven Greenhut

    Source link

  • DC leaders react to lawsuit aimed at ending National Guard deployment – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said her focus remains on planning for the exit out of President Donald Trump’s declared crime emergency, while council members supported the lawsuit.

    As legal and political tensions escalate over federal intervention in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser is turning her attention toward the end of President Donald Trump’s declared crime emergency — while council members rally behind a lawsuit challenging the continued deployment of the National Guard.

    At a news conference on Thursday morning following the announcement of the lawsuit filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb challenging the use of the National Guard, Bowser said, “This has been a legal question throughout the emergency, not just today. And I will just reiterate that my focus, and the focus of our emergency operations center, is on planning for the exit out of the emergency next week.”

    The Army later said it’s extending orders for the D.C. National Guard to remain in the nation’s capital through Nov. 30, two U.S. officials told ABC News on Thursday.

    The crime emergency is scheduled to end Sept. 10.

    Bowser said she has not been consulted on any possible extension.

    “I’m not sure that that’s an indication of how long they’ll be deployed. I know that there’s a lot of reporting about how weary they are. And I get that, because deployments are hard. People are away from their families, and they may not necessarily think they’re on mission,” Bowser said.

    “So, I think that the deployments themselves are running their course,” she added. “We are organized to best use our own public safety resources and any additional public safety resources. And I think that’s a message for the Congress.”

    Council members react to lawsuit

    Speaking to WTOP, Ward 3 Council member Matthew Frumin and At-Large Council member Robert White expressed support for the lawsuit.

    “There was just a decision that said the president has improperly deployed the National Guard in other places,” Frumin said. “So, the fact that the attorney general would capitalize on those findings in other jurisdictions to try to get us to where we want to be, which is not having armed soldiers on our streets, makes sense.”

    White echoed that support, saying he believes AG Schwalb has built a “strong case.”

    “What the president is doing is illegal. He’s not respecting Congress, he’s not respecting Home Rule, he’s not respecting D.C. residents,” White said.

    Frumin also spoke about the mayor’s position, describing it as “incredibly difficult.” He acknowledged the criticism Bowser has faced but said she is trying to find a way forward.

    “If we could get to a place where the ICE activity got under control and the National Guard left, that would be a vast improvement over where we are,” he said.

    He said Bowser likely has the clearest sense of what might lead to the end of the emergency, given her direct communication with federal officials.

    “I have to believe she knows this might not work, but she’s made the determination that this is the best, most constructive path forward. And I want to support her in that,” Frumin said.

    White, however, took a sharply different view. He warned the mayor’s recent order establishing an operations center to coordinate with federal law enforcement could send the wrong message and undermine D.C.’s autonomy.

    “We have to protect D.C., Home Rule and democracy,” White said. “It’s hard for national voices, other governors, members of Congress, to say ‘stop what’s happening in D.C.’ if they’re getting a message that D.C. welcomes it. D.C. does not welcome it.”

    Bowser, in responding to criticism on Wednesday, said her goal is to end the emergency, not to invite federal intervention.

    Still, White accused the mayor of trying to appease the president, a strategy he believes is bound to fail.

    “It’s not going to work,” he said. “We have to make sure we work with our allies, those who believe in democracy and Home Rule, to protect it.”

    The White House has defended the federal effort. On Tuesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops in D.C. “has yielded tremendous results in such a short time. Violent crime has plummeted, and dangerous criminals are being removed from the streets every single night.”

    Frumin acknowledged the drop in crime but cautioned that the current approach is not sustainable. He said some residents now feel unsafe while simply being outside.

    White agreed. He warned that while crime may be down, the long-term damage to the community’s trust in the government could make the city less safe in the future.

    “So, when the military leaves our city, we are left with that broken reputation that’s going to make us less safe,” he said.

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

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

    [ad_2]

    Mike Murillo

    Source link