Senator Marsha Blackburn’s proposed “Protecting Law Enforcement From Doxxing Act” would criminalize the public identification of federal officers with the intent to obstruct investigations, carrying penalties of fines and up to five years imprisonment. This legislation follows incidents in Nashville, where a mayor’s office published the names of federal agents involved in immigration enforcement actions, sparking debate about transparency versus officer safety. The bill’s proponents cite increased attacks on ICE agents as justification, while opponents argue it stifles accountability and freedom of speech. The bill’s passage is likely given the current Republican majority in Congress.
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Internal ICE emails reveal instructions from senior officials to significantly increase arrests, including those of undocumented individuals encountered incidentally (“collaterals”), even without warrants. These directives, urging officers to be more creative and “push the envelope,” represent a major escalation of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. The push for increased arrests follows pressure from high-level officials to reach daily apprehension targets of at least 3,000. This approach disregards previous court settlements requiring warrants for arrests and raises concerns about potential legal violations and abuses.
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ICE Barbie’s list of purported “sanctuary” cities, hastily released and quickly retracted, sparked a furious backlash, exposing the flawed methodology and partisan intent behind its creation. The initial rollout of the list, seemingly intended to target cities deemed uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement, instead highlighted the arbitrariness of the designation and the absurdity of the process.
The sheer number of misclassified locations raised immediate concerns. Many small towns and even counties, far from fitting the common understanding of a “sanctuary city,” found themselves inexplicably included. Some were identified as “sanctuary cities” based on the presence of unrelated laws, such as ordinances related to law enforcement resource allocation or even Second Amendment protections.… Continue reading
Jordin Melgar-Salmeron, a Salvadoran man, was deported despite a federal appeals court order blocking his removal. The government attributes the deportation, which occurred minutes after the order, to “a confluence of administrative errors,” citing communication breakdowns between ICE offices in Buffalo and Louisiana. This incident follows other instances of alleged wrongful deportations under the Trump administration, raising concerns about due process. The government maintains the deportation did not violate the court order because it began before the order was formally issued, a claim disputed by Melgar-Salmeron’s lawyer.
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San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera condemned the presence of ICE agents in his district, posting a picture of them on Instagram labeled “Terrorists.” He cited concerns about heavily armed agents conducting raids in residential areas, targeting individuals in schools, courthouses, and workplaces. This prompted a strong rebuke from Stephen Miller, who accused Elo-Rivera of supporting “left-wing domestic terrorism.” The incident highlights the ongoing and highly polarized public debate surrounding ICE’s role and tactics.
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Documents reveal that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indirectly accessed Flock Safety’s extensive network of AI-powered license plate readers through state and local law enforcement requests. Over 4,000 searches citing immigration-related reasons were conducted across numerous states, despite Illinois law and Flock Safety’s policies prohibiting such use. This access occurred via Flock Safety’s “National Lookup” tool, raising concerns about privacy and oversight despite the company’s claim of local data control. The practice highlights the potential for circumventing legal restrictions on immigration enforcement through collaborations with local agencies.
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DHS police handcuffed a Rep. Nadler aide in his Manhattan office after alleging that protesters were inside, though no arrests or charges resulted. The incident, captured on video, followed alleged threats by ICE officers toward immigration advocates outside a nearby immigration court; a Nadler staffer subsequently invited the advocates into the office. DHS claimed a staffer blocked a security check, while witnesses denied this and reported no violence from the staff. Later that day, protests outside the building led to further arrests.
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Ramon Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old Mexican national, was arrested for allegedly threatening President Trump’s life, a claim now disputed by investigators. Law enforcement sources suggest the threatening letter may have been authored by someone attempting to frame Reyes, potentially to expedite his deportation before a separate trial concerning a robbery and assault where Reyes was the victim. Handwriting analysis reportedly does not match, and phone records implicate another individual. Despite the ongoing investigation and lack of charges related to the threat, Reyes remains in ICE custody due to his undocumented status and prior criminal record.
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A Vermont judge released Harvard researcher Kseniia Petrova from immigration custody after ruling her detention unlawful. Petrova, charged with smuggling frog embryos, had her visa revoked after failing to declare the samples at Boston Logan Airport; however, the judge determined the embryos posed no threat. Expert testimony highlighted Petrova’s valuable cancer research, supporting her release. While the government alleges Petrova lied to officials, the judge deemed her neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.
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High-profile figures drastically inflate the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., despite the actual figure being around 11 million. Studies show undocumented immigrants have lower crime rates than U.S.-born citizens and legal immigrants. The Trump administration’s attempts at mass deportations have fallen far short of stated goals, leading to frustration and pressure on ICE agents to increase arrests. This has resulted in the targeting of low-hanging fruit and the dissemination of misinformation about the criminality of deported individuals.
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