Category: Immigration

Trump Halts Federal Funding to States Harboring Sanctuary

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that beginning February 1, he will withhold federal funding from states that contain local governments limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump made the declaration during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, stating that sanctuary jurisdictions “protect criminals at the expense of American citizens” and that the administration would cease payments to “anybody that supports sanctuary cities.” When pressed by reporters on which funding programs would be affected, Trump declined specifics, saying only “You’ll see. It’ll be significant.”

This represents an expansion of Trump’s previous threats, which targeted sanctuary cities directly rather than entire states housing them. The Justice Department published a list identifying roughly three dozen states, cities, and counties as sanctuary jurisdictions—a list dominated by Democratic-controlled areas including California, Connecticut, New York, Boston, and Cook County, Illinois. No strict legal definition of “sanctuary city” exists, though the term generally refers to jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Courts have blocked Trump’s funding cutoff attempts twice before. In 2017, during his first term, federal judges rejected similar efforts. Last year, a California-based federal judge struck down an executive order directing federal officials to withhold money from sanctuary jurisdictions, despite government arguments that it was premature to halt the plan when no concrete action had been taken. The administration has already begun targeting specific states through other agencies, with the Department of Health and Human Services halting childcare subsidies to five Democratic-led states over unspecified fraud allegations—a decision a court has placed on hold.

The Trump administration is simultaneously executing broader funding freezes across multiple programs. The Justice Department’s sanctuary cities working group lost all members amid Trump pressure, and the Department of Agriculture has threatened to reduce administrative funds for states refusing to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data. Minnesota faces particularly aggressive action, including a threat to withhold $515 million quarterly—equivalent to one-fourth of federal Medicaid funding—for fourteen programs labeled “high risk” after the state rejected the administration’s corrective action plan.

Border Patrol operations continue under Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, with the administration weaponizing federal agencies to coerce compliance from state and local governments. State officials are mounting legal challenges to these actions, though the cumulative effect of simultaneous funding threats across healthcare, nutrition assistance, and childcare programs creates immediate pressure on Democratic-controlled jurisdictions.

(Source: https://abc7.com/post/trump-threatens-halt-federal-money-next-month-sanctuary-cities-states/18398676/)

Trump Admin Posts Echo White Supremacist Rhetoric

The Trump administration is deploying recruitment campaigns and official posts across federal departments that incorporate imagery, slogans, and rhetoric linked to white supremacist and extremist movements, according to PBS reporting and analysis by Cynthia Miller-Idriss of American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab. An ICE recruitment advertisement features the phrase “We will have our home again,” a direct reference to a white supremacist anthem favored by the Proud Boys, while the Department of Labor distributed messaging stating “One homeland, one people, one heritage” alongside heroic depictions of white men. Administration posts also invoke “Trust the plan,” the QAnon conspiracy theory slogan tied to the January 6 Capitol attack, which posits a global cabal of pedophiles and deep state actors that Trump is fighting.

Extremist symbols have surfaced across multiple federal agencies, including the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag, which was carried by January 6 rioters and adopted by evangelical Christian nationalist groups and neo-Nazi organizations. Miller-Idriss identified this pattern as part of a propaganda campaign to reposition ICE operations as serving the public interest while employing dog whistles and explicit racist and conspiratorial messaging. The administration is simultaneously rewriting January 6 history on a newly published website, blaming Democrats for security failures and justifying pardons for over 1,500 defendants involved in the insurrection.

President Trump stated in a New York Times interview that the civil rights movement “hurt a lot of people” and constituted “reverse discrimination” against whites denied college admission or jobs. Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed this framing by endorsing a post claiming “If white men become a minority, we will be slaughtered. White solidarity is the only way to survive”—the Great Replacement Theory, a white nationalist conspiracy falsely asserting intentional replacement of the white population. Miller-Idriss connected this conspiracy theory to terrorist attacks in Pittsburgh, El Paso, Buffalo, Christchurch, and Oslo, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Miller-Idriss characterized the shift as a “turning point in the propaganda campaign,” driven by ICE’s 57 percent disapproval rating and public awareness of agency abuses circulated through cell phone video. She identified Trump’s statements as an “unedited version” of a longstanding belief system that white men are losing ground, now openly expressed without prior hedging. The administration simultaneously withdrew U.S. support from extremism prevention organizations, cementing its alignment with extremist ideological frameworks.

Miller-Idriss noted that undemocratic leaders employ confusion and propaganda simultaneously to undermine journalism, expertise, and shared truth, citing Hannah Arendt’s analysis of Nazi propaganda: once people stop knowing what is true and false, “it’s very easy for them to stop knowing what’s right and wrong.” The administration’s strategy combines coordinated messaging across departments with high-profile policy actions including ICE deployments, foreign intervention, and territorial threats, designed to normalize extremist rhetoric while obscuring its authoritarian implications through saturation messaging.

(Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/trump-administration-posts-echo-rhetoric-linked-to-extremist-groups?fbclid=IwdGRleAPSxIFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEegXa-oSnnonxrbxD0HIm8ZOScqBnslIjqqgO-WisqCCJBydQdzzodouEcCt0_aem_45dHLtlY5pgg0gPw_BA6LA)

Leavitt Defends ICE Shooting, Dismisses Renee Good Protesters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Minneapolis protesters demonstrating against the fatal shooting of 37-year-old poet and mother Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross, questioning their grievances during a Monday press gaggle. Leavitt framed the killing as justified self-defense, claiming Good rammed Ross with her vehicle during what she characterized as an organized effort to impede law enforcement operations. Vice President JD Vance has falsely claimed the officer is protected by absolute immunity, a legal assertion that contradicts established law.

Leavitt attacked protesters by asserting they opposed ICE’s removal of individuals she described as “heinous murderers and rapists and criminals,” framing opposition to the agency as protection of “illegal alien pedophiles” rather than engagement with the specific circumstances of Good’s death. She declared ICE performs a critical national security function and pledged the administration’s full support for “the brave men and women of ice, including the officer in Minneapolis.” This rhetorical strategy conflated general immigration enforcement with the narrow question of whether Ross’s use of lethal force was proportional and lawful.

Protesters have explicitly demanded ICE’s removal from their communities, justice for Good, and state involvement in the shooting investigation—specific demands grounded in accountability for the killing itself. President Trump has blocked Minnesota state investigators from the probe, citing the state’s purportedly “corrupt” government, centralizing control over the investigation in federal hands where the Trump administration exercises direct authority over the Department of Justice.

Video evidence of the incident has been widely described as a “Rorschach Test” reflecting observers’ preexisting political positions rather than settling disputed facts about whether Good’s actions constituted a lethal threat requiring deadly force in response. Leavitt’s dismissal of protesters’ concerns sidestepped the substantive questions surrounding the shooting itself, instead reframing the event within an immigration enforcement narrative designed to delegitimize dissent.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/protesting-what-exactly-karoline-leavitt-rages-at-protesters-angry-over-renee-good-shooting/)

Minneapolis driver shot and killed by ICE officer during immigration-related operation, DHS says

An ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s largest immigration enforcement operation, which has deployed approximately 2,100 officers to the city. The Department of Homeland Security claimed the woman “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over” agents, but video evidence and Minneapolis officials directly contradict this narrative, with Mayor Jacob Frey stating the DHS account is false after reviewing footage himself.

Video shows ICE agents approaching a burgundy SUV and ordering the driver out; when an agent grabbed the door handle, the vehicle reversed then moved forward, prompting the agent to fire three shots fatally. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed concern that agents fired into a vehicle at someone who was not armed, calling the tactic inconsistent with professional law enforcement training to minimize deadly force. Witness Aidan Perzana told NBC News there was “plenty of space between the officers” for the vehicle to pass through, contradicting claims the driver was attempting to run down agents.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism,” a designation Mayor Frey rejected, stating the woman appeared to be blocking the street in response to federal law enforcement presence—a pattern occurring nationwide. Frey declared “To ICE, get the f— out of Minneapolis,” condemning the agency for “ripping families apart, sowing chaos in the streets and, in this case, quite literally killing people” through reckless use of power.

The shooting occurred as ICE intensified operations following a December video alleging Somali-run day care centers committed fraud, though Minnesota’s on-site investigation of targeted facilities found them operating normally with children present. The surge has coincided with Trump disparaging Somali immigrants as having “destroyed” Minneapolis, calling Representative Ilhan Omar “garbage” and stating Somalis should leave the country, causing many Somali-American residents and citizens to reduce outdoor activity from fear.

Since December, ICE arrests in Minneapolis have risen to approximately 1,400 people, a sharp increase from roughly 300 by mid-December, marking a significantly larger operation than previous city-specific enforcement surges. In September, an ICE agent fatally shot a man during a Chicago-area traffic stop, with the family demanding justice and the FBI investigating the death, establishing a pattern of lethal force escalation under the current administration’s immigration enforcement strategy.

(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/federal-law-enforcement-involved-ice-related-shooting-minneapolis-rcna252812)

DHS deploys 2K federal agents to Minneapolis area to carry out ‘largest immigration operation ever’

The Trump administration has deployed approximately 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis area in what officials characterize as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted, according to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons. The operation, which began over the weekend, represents one of the largest single-city mobilizations of Department of Homeland Security personnel in years and has dramatically expanded the federal law enforcement footprint in Minnesota amid heightened political and community tensions.

Roughly three-quarters of the personnel come from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which executes immigration arrests and deportations, while agents from Homeland Security Investigations conduct door-to-door investigations into allegations of fraud, human smuggling, and unlawful employment practices. Specialized tactical units are also involved, with HSI agents focusing on identifying suspected fraud while deportation officers arrest immigrants accused of violating immigration law. The operation includes personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Commander Gregory Bovino, whose involvement in previous federal operations has drawn scrutiny from local officials and civil rights advocates.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accompanied ICE officers during arrests in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, appearing in tactical gear in a video where she told a handcuffed arrestee from Ecuador, “You will be held accountable for your crimes.” The Department of Homeland Security reported the arrested man faced charges in Ecuador and Connecticut including murder and sexual assault. When asked for deployment figures, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin declined to specify numbers, citing officer safety, but stated the operation has already resulted in more than 1,000 arrests of individuals described as killers, rapists, child sexual offenders, and gang members.

Federal authorities have been increasing immigration arrests in the Minneapolis area since late last year, with Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel announcing last week that federal agencies would intensify operations in Minnesota with emphasis on fraud investigations. President Donald Trump has repeatedly connected the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota to fraud cases involving federal nutrition and pandemic aid programs, many linked to defendants with Somali backgrounds. A source familiar with the operation cautioned that its scope and duration could shift as it develops.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/dhs-donald-trump-kristi-noem-minnesota-minneapolis-b2895689.html)

‘They Stole $18 BILLION Dollars!’ Trump Fetes NYE Bash With Rant About Fraud

During a New Year’s Eve gathering at Mar-a-Lago on December 31, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered an unsubstantiated rant alleging $18 billion in fraud across Democratic-led states, claiming the funds were “stolen” and vowing his administration would “get that money back.” Trump made sweeping accusations against Minnesota, California, Illinois, and New York without presenting evidence, describing the alleged misconduct as “a giant scam” and framing recovery of purported stolen funds as grounds for optimism entering the new year.

Trump’s remarks followed the Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement that it would freeze federal child care funding nationwide pending state verification of legitimate spending, with Minnesota facing a complete halt to child care payments. The administration’s scrutiny of Minnesota was directly prompted by influencer Nick Shirley, whose viral video accused the state of operating empty day-care centers funded by taxpayer dollars, with claims of $110 million in fraudulent expenditures under Governor Tim Walz’s administration.

Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill explicitly cited Shirley’s video investigation in announcing the funding freeze, stating he had “identified the individuals” referenced in the material and demanding a comprehensive audit from Governor Walz. Shirley’s video, which documented visits to child-care facilities on weekdays where he alleged they were nonoperational, received endorsements from Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk, amplifying its influence on the administration’s policy response.

Governor Walz responded by accusing Trump of weaponizing the fraud investigation for political purposes, characterizing the freeze as part of a deliberate strategy to defund programs benefiting Minnesota residents. Walz stated his administration had already spent years investigating fraudsters and that Trump was “politicizing the issue” to advance an agenda against Democratic-led states, despite acknowledging that fraud in child-care systems is a legitimate concern.

Trump’s unsubstantiated $18 billion fraud claim and the resulting federal funding freeze demonstrate the administration’s pattern of using executive power to target Democratic states based on viral social media content rather than verified evidence, while simultaneously Trump himself has pardoned individuals convicted of fraud when they maintained access to his circle.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/they-stole-18-billion-trump-treats-mar-a-lago-nye-revelers-to-wild-rant-about-minnesota-fraud/)

America Now Involved In Slave Trade with Trump Sending Deportees To Forced Labor in Palau

The Trump administration and Palau signed a migrant agreement on Wednesday, with the Pacific island nation accepting up to 75 “third-country nationals” in exchange for $7.5 million in U.S. foreign aid. According to statements from Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. and the U.S. Embassy in Koror, the migrants would be individuals never charged with a crime who would “live and work in Palau” to address local labor shortages. Palau’s national working group would screen each arrival on a case-by-case basis before approval.

U.S. Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich and Palau’s Minister of State Gustav Aitaro signed the accord at a ceremony, cementing the Trump administration’s framing of the deal as enforcement of U.S. immigration law. The U.S. Embassy statement described Palau’s participation as cooperation on immigration priorities, while the financial package extends beyond the initial $7.5 million to include increased funding for health, disaster preparedness, financial stability, and law enforcement.

Palau, home to fewer than 18,000 people, maintains a Compact of Free Association with the United States established after its 1994 independence, under which the U.S. provides defense and substantial financial support in exchange for strategic military access to Palauan territory and waters. The agreement effectively uses development aid as leverage to export the administration’s migration policies to a dependent sovereign nation with minimal capacity to refuse.

(Source: https://thehill.com/policy/international/5662934-palau-trump-agreement-migrants/amp/)

Trump Hires Beauty Salon Owner Mora Namdar to Decide Who to Ban From U.S.

Donald Trump appointed Mora Namdar, a Texas-based beauty salon owner and attorney, as assistant secretary for consular affairs, giving her authority over visa approvals, revocations, and decisions about who enters the United States. Namdar, 46, owns the Bam salon chain in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Plano, offering blowouts starting at $45 and makeup sessions at $55, while simultaneously operating a one-woman law firm she announced closing on Christmas Day. She previously held an interim position in the State Department’s Middle East and North Africa bureau during Trump’s first term in 2020.

Namdar’s Senate confirmation this month elevates a politically connected operative with no demonstrated expertise in immigration or consular affairs to control visa adjudications affecting millions of foreigners. In testimony, she aligned visa decisions with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s national security framing, stating that consular officers can revoke visas for individuals who “undermine” U.S. foreign policy, a standard potentially weaponizable against political opponents and critics.

Namdar contributed to Project 2025, Trump’s policy blueprint, by authoring a section attacking the U.S. Agency for Global Media—which operates Voice of America and Radio Free Europe—accusing it of “espionage-related security risks” and “anti-U.S. talking points,” and calling for its reform or closure. Her appointment operationalizes the “personnel is policy” strategy documented by PBS, which found the administration has implemented approximately half of Project 2025’s agenda through ideological staffing choices.

Her interim leadership of the State Department’s Near Eastern affairs bureau triggered internal concerns about management and morale according to multiple outlets. Namdar now oversees implementation of the administration’s ban on citizens from various European countries announced Wednesday, which Trump and Rubio framed as punishment for “egregious” social media censorship of “American viewpoints,” with additional bans promised.

This appointment exemplifies Trump’s strategy of installing operatives committed to Project 2025’s authoritarian goals across government agencies controlling speech and entry. Paired with FCC chairman Brendan Carr—another Project 2025 architect now pushing regulatory rollbacks and culture-war “censorship” narratives—Namdar’s position consolidates power to silence dissent and control who accesses the United States based on political loyalty rather than law.

(Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hires-beauty-salon-owner-mora-namdar-to-decide-who-to-ban-from-us/)

Trump Tells Child He Wants ‘To Make Sure’ That ‘A Bad Santa’ Doesn’t Enter U.S.

During a Christmas Eve NORAD call with children, President Trump used the Santa tracker conversation to promote misinformation about coal. When a child stated she did not want coal as a Christmas gift, Trump interjected to insist that coal is “clean and beautiful,” contradicting established scientific consensus that coal is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Trump’s remarks about tracking Santa included unsolicited commentary about border security, telling one child that officials monitor Santa “all over the world” to ensure “a bad Santa” does not “infiltrate into our country.” The president connected the fictional scenario to his policy priorities, characterizing national entry oversight through the Santa metaphor.

When asked by another child what present she wanted, Trump engaged in typical gift-discussion banter, offering to help secure a dollhouse. However, his fixation on coal misinformation dominated his interactions, repeatedly correcting the child’s preference and demanding she “remember that at all costs” regarding coal’s environmental properties.

The exchange demonstrated Trump’s pattern of using informal settings with children to advance false or misleading claims about energy policy and security narratives. Similar instances show Trump using holiday events to promote debunked talking points, prioritizing messaging over age-appropriate conversation.

Trump’s insistence that coal is environmentally benign contradicts decades of peer-reviewed research and international climate data. His deployment of misinformation during a family-oriented charitable broadcast reflects his consistent strategy of embedding false claims into casual public appearances to expand their reach and normalize their repetition.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-tells-child-he-wants-to-make-sure-that-a-bad-santa-doesnt-enter-the-country/)

Laughing Trump Drops Stunning Admission to Screaming Fans — ‘Sh*thole Countries’ Rant He Denied Was Real

During a recent rally at the Mount Airy Casino Resort, President Donald Trump openly acknowledged his infamous “sh*thole countries” comment, revealing that he still holds disdain for predominantly Black nations while favoring those like Norway and Denmark. Laughter erupted among his supporters as Trump recounted how he questioned the rationale behind accepting immigrants from troubled nations like Somalia and Haiti.

In his speech, Trump faced mounting economic criticism, calling concerns over rising prices a “con job,” and asserted that he had already resolved these issues. The rally was a response to unfavorable polling data that highlighted his declining popularity concerning economic management.

Trump’s emphasis on a permanent pause on immigration from what he termed “hell holes” illustrates his continued focus on anti-immigration rhetoric. This tone has become a hallmark of his public speaking, which resonates with his base but raises alarms regarding his attitudes toward race and immigration.

The event showcased the former president refining his controversial views in front of a supportive crowd, reaffirming his commitment to restricting immigration from certain countries while promoting his narrative of economic recovery. Such language and themes are indicative of his broader attempts to solidify his political base amid ongoing scrutiny.

Trump’s remarks not only reignite the debate over his immigration policies but also reflect his enduring brand of divisive politics, as he leverages humor and inflammatory statements to maintain his support during tumultuous times.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/laughing-trump-drops-stunning-admission-to-screaming-fans-shthole-countries-rant-he-denied-was-real/)

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