All articles tagged with #dhs
A DHS deputy assistant secretary told state election chiefs on a nationwide call that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not be at polling sites this year, aiming to quell concerns about federal immigration operations at voting locations; the statement came amid questions from officials about federal involvement in state-administered elections, and was made during a call that included several federal agencies.
The Trump administration has scrapped plans to convert a 324,000-square-foot Merrimack, N.H. warehouse into an immigration detention facility that would have added hundreds of beds as part of a broader DHS-backed network. The decision followed local protests and concerns about police, emergency services, and tax revenue, and came after Governor Kelly Ayotte’s productive discussions with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. NH officials celebrated the halt, while Democratic lawmakers praised the local collaboration; the move arrives as lawmakers push to require community consent before new detention sites.
A key eyewitness who told lawyers for Ruben Ray Martinez’s family that a Homeland Security Investigations agent shot through a barely moving car died in a San Antonio crash, potentially affecting a forthcoming wrongful-death suit. DHS maintains its original account, while Texas Rangers investigate Martinez’s fatal shooting. The loss of the witness removes a central corroborating voice for Martinez’s family.
Two New Hampshire senators introduced a bill to bar DHS from opening new immigration processing sites or detention centers without consent from the state governor and local officials, citing community concerns like those in Merrimack. A House companion bill was filed, and the measure would require 30 days of public comment and congressional notification. Democrats say it responds to local pushback against the administration’s detention-center plans, but Republicans largely back the deportation agenda and the bill faces slim odds in a Republican-controlled Congress, though some GOP lawmakers have voiced concerns about site proposals.
DHS had drafted a plan to temporarily suspend TSA PreCheck under Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski, but the White House intervened to pull the move back. As a result, the proposed suspension of PreCheck did not go forward, and the broader program pause affecting Global Entry remains in place.
Legal observers in Maine filed a class-action accusing DHS agents of using facial recognition and license-plate readers to surveil and threaten them during ICE operations, including threats to place them on a domestic terrorist database and to visit their homes; the suit seeks an injunction and DHS denies maintaining a domestic terrorist database, while lawmakers push limits on surveillance and an inspector general investigates ICE’s use of facial-recognition technology.
Amid a partial government shutdown over funding, the TSA says its PreCheck program will stay operational and be adjusted case-by-case as staffing allows, with travelers reporting normal security lines; it was unclear whether Global Entry would be affected.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will suspend the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry programs as part of a partial government shutdown, starting at 6 a.m. ET Sunday, pausing expedited security and customs for travelers while prioritizing the general traveling public; airlines criticized the short notice, and lawmakers warned of travel headaches and costs seen in past shutdowns.
The Department of Homeland Security is suspending TSA PreCheck and Global Entry starting Sunday due to a funding lapse that began Feb. 14. DHS says the move prioritizes the traveling public while FEMA halts non-disaster responses; most employees at TSA and Coast Guard remain unpaid, though ICE and CBP will continue paid work under last year’s funding. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blames Democrats for the shutdown and warns of real-world consequences for national security.
Newly released ICE records via FOIA show Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was shot and killed by a Homeland Security Investigations agent in South Padre Island, Texas, during a late-night traffic stop tied to an immigration enforcement operation. DHS says the driver intentionally struck an HSI agent, prompting another agent to fire; the passenger was taken into custody. The incident, not publicly disclosed for months, is part of a broader pattern with at least six fatal shootings by federal officers linked to immigration enforcement since Trump began the crackdown. The Texas Rangers continue their investigation, and Martinez’s mother says videos may contradict the official account.
The White House plans to scale Tom Homan’s Minneapolis immigration enforcement approach to multiple cities, shifting from high-profile Bovino-style operations to targeted arrests of high-risk individuals and expanded detention, framed as a public-safety priority but facing internal DHS disagreements and optics concerns amid funding pressures.
The DHS's Homeland Security Investigations unit is reportedly launching a nationwide review to determine whether naturalized citizens voted or registered before becoming citizens, with officials to report back to the White House; critics warn the expansion could intimidate voters and raise constitutional concerns, while White House and allied officials frame it as enforcing election laws and safeguarding election integrity.
A DHS memo proposes detaining refugees who are legally in the U.S. but awaiting green-card reviews for the full duration of their review, potentially affecting tens of thousands and expanding a prior enforcement push under Operation PARRIS. The plan has drawn immediate legal challenges in Minnesota, where a temporary restraining order has blocked similar actions, as advocates warn it undermines the vetting process and due process for refugees.
DHS acknowledged that its 'worst of the worst' immigrant website contained inaccuracies due to a glitch, affecting about 5% of entries and prompting a fix; CNN’s review found people listed as convicted of or arrested for serious crimes were described for far less serious offenses, including traffic violations and illegal reentry; critics, including Minnesota officials, argued the public messaging inflated arrest numbers and resembled propaganda; the piece also notes how large detention centers in small cities can drive counts, complicating verification.
The Trump administration directs DHS to arrest and detain thousands of refugees who have already been admitted but have not yet obtained permanent residency, for post-admission verification. The memo reverses Obama-era guidance and expands detention authority amid ongoing immigration crackdowns, drawing legal challenges from refugee groups and criticism from judges and advocates.