All articles tagged with #immigration and customs enforcement
A former ICE trainer, Ryan Schwank, testified before Congress that ICE slashed 240 hours from its 580-hour academy—including courses on use of force, detentions, and firearms—and accused ICE leadership of lying to Congress about the cuts; DHS disputes the claim, saying training hours were not reduced as part of a scheduling shift amid scrutiny of the Trump-era immigration crackdown.
A Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge vacated a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling on mandatory detention, blasted the Trump administration’s immigration policies as terrorizing both immigrants and citizens, faulted DHS and ICE for their operations, and ordered DHS to notify detained immigrants about bond eligibility in a language they understand and to provide attorneys within an hour, signaling continued judicial pushback and likely appeals in related cases.
Ahead of Lent, Pope Leo XIV called on people to curb hateful language and cultivate kindness, delivering a pointed rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration policies amid ongoing U.S.–Cuba tensions, while noting he would not travel to the United States this year and urging dialogue to prevent violence and suffering.
At a Minnesota detention hearing, ICE attorney Julie Le said persuading ICE to follow court orders was like 'pulling teeth,' a remark that preceded her firing and widespread scrutiny of the Trump-era immigration operation, as DHS and DOJ officials clash over detainee releases and there have been mass resignations within Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Trump administration is pushing to expand immigration detention nationwide by converting warehouses into ICE facilities in 23 towns across eight states, targeting up to 3,000 arrests per day and potentially housing tens of thousands of detainees. The plan has sparked backlash even in MAGA-leaning communities, with protests in Virginia, Oklahoma, and New Jersey and multiple deals halted, underscoring deep concerns about detention policy, local impact, and the administration’s approach to ICE operations.
At a Minnesota hearing, Judge Jerry R. Blackwell pressed ICE over compliance with court orders to swiftly release detainees amid the Trump-era surge; DOJ attorney Julie Le bluntly said, 'The system sucks' and even asked to be held in contempt so she could sleep, as the judge highlighted ICE’s alleged failure to follow numerous orders across dozens of cases this year.
Lara Trump criticized Bruce Springsteen on her The Right View podcast, calling him an idiot for releasing his anti-ICE protest song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ and accusing him of not using his platform to influence Congress; the clash comes as Springsteen has publicly criticized Trump, while the White House shrugged off the controversy.
A 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, spent about two weeks in a Texas ICE family detention center with his asylum-seeker father after agents detained them outside their Minnesota home. The child reportedly became feverish, vomited, and grew lethargic, and his father says medication was not provided; DHS denied the illness claims. A federal judge ordered their release, and the family flew back to Minnesota amid a measles outbreak at the facility and ongoing debate over detention conditions and enforcement. The case drew attention from lawmakers who visited Liam and highlighted broader criticisms of Trump-era family detention, while DHS maintained Liam was not the target of the operation and that the parents violated immigration laws. Their asylum case remains under review.
The White House slammed Bruce Springsteen’s anti-ICE track Streets of Minneapolis as irrelevant and inaccurate, saying the administration’s focus is on enforcing immigration laws with federal officers rather than reacting to songs, while noting the song was a protest connected to Minneapolis and immigrant communities.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, a new low, as the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by an ICE agent in Minneapolis fuels backlash and protest; the DHS narrative around Pretti is questioned, Trump’s overall approval sits at 38%, and Republicans still hold a slight edge on immigration policy.
Federal agents shot a person in Minneapolis near West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue as dozens of federal immigration officers arrived; the area was blocked off, protests gathered, and tear gas and pepper bombs were deployed. DHS said the suspect had a firearm with two magazines and the situation was evolving. Gov. Walz urged ending the operation and pulling officers out of Minnesota while authorities investigate.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping federal officers involved in Operation Metro Surge from retaliating against, detaining, or targeting peaceful protesters in the Minneapolis area, following the killing of Renee Good. The ruling also restricts actions like using pepper spray on observers and clarifies that following agents at a safe distance cannot justify vehicle stops, marking a win for the ACLU-MN and protesters advocating First Amendment rights.
A DHS whistleblower allegedly exposed sensitive details for about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees, including frontline agents, after the January 7 Minneapolis shooting; the leak, linked to the ICE List project, could be the largest DHS data breach and has spurred fear and protests while raising questions about accountability and safety for federal staff.