A Mexican woman attempted to quietly move $272,000 across the Texas border and into Mexico, where authorities believe the massive cash load would have ended up in the hands of the cartels.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a 46-year-old Mexican woman who was driving across the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge in Laredo, Texas, on her way into Mexico on April 21, the agency told The Daily Wire. The woman was referred for a routine inspection before officers scanned her 2017 Dodge Journey and discovered the unreported load of cash concealed in the floor of her car.
Officers quickly seized the cash and vehicle, while Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrested the driver, whose name was not released publicly.
Several Homeland Security sources working along the border told The Daily Wire that seizures of hidden bulk cash usually involve cartel funds.
Laredo Port Director Albert Flores said &#8220;bulk cash seizures like these&#8221; are &#8220;often proceeds from illicit activity&#8221; and &#8220;directly impact the pocketbook of foreign terror organizations.&#8221;
“Our frontline CBP officers continue to remain vigilant in the outbound environment and that attention to detail resulted in a significant outbound currency seizure,” Flores said.
Failing to declare currency totaling $10,000 or more while entering or leaving the United States is a federal offense, according to CBP. Concealing it with the intent of evading reporting requirements is also considered a crime.
In recent weeks, Laredo has become a hub for cartel smuggling.
This week, Border Patrol agents from across the southern and northern borders were asked to volunteer to help assist with a surge in illegal migrant &#8220;gotaways,&#8221; who attempt to evade law enforcement, in Laredo, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-hundreds-of-border-patrol-agents-reassigned-to-southern-border-as-gotaways-surge?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Agents+Pulled+Nationwide+As+%E2%80%98Gotaways%E2%80%99+Surge+In+Border+Town">The Daily Wire</a> first reported. As part of the effort, CBP hoped to recruit at least 200 Border Patrol agents to help catch the illegal border crossers in the region.
A CBP spokesperson recently told The Daily Wire that the Laredo sector of the border &#8220;is bordered entirely by river, with no natural barriers to slow illegal crossings, which makes it a target when smuggling routes shift and evolve.&#8221;
“Thanks to President Trump, we have the most secure border in American history,” the spokesperson said. “Thanks to record low crossings, we have the manpower and flexibility to move agents quickly, concentrate resources, and take enforcement action where it matters most.”
Border Patrol agents encountered roughly 1,400 illegal migrants in April, marking an 86% increase in crossings, according to internal Homeland Security data <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/200-border-texas-illegal-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by NewsNation.

Untitled design – 2026-04-30T154341.028

Cartel Cash? Mexican Smuggler Nabbed Trying To Cross Border With Massive Haul

Border

Drug Cartels

Mexico

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The southern border could soon reopen to illegal immigrants.
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;invasion&#8221; declaration at the US-Mexico border was illegal, paving the way for the resumption of asylum processing, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/04/24/court-border-asylum-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision, which would delay a possible reopening of the floodgates.
On the first day of his second term, Trump issued a proclamation effectively shutting down asylum at the southern U.S. border, stating it would remain in place &#8220;until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.&#8221;
The policy change led to months of historically low levels of illegal border crossings. Border Patrol has apprehended fewer than 9,000 illegal migrants each month at the southern border since Trump took office, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Monthly migrant encounters under Trump have fallen below levels seen on some single days during the Biden administration.
During Biden&#8217;s presidency, millions of migrants crossed the border illegally and were often afforded years to remain in the country due to the massive court backlog the crisis created. The Trump administration has sought to end the incentives by turning off the asylum valve.
Immigrant rights organizations sued over Trump&#8217;s policy, arguing that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by denying migrants fleeing persecution the ability to claim asylum at the border, according to The Washington Post.
“The court’s opinion does not mean there are now open borders, but only that the United States will no longer be one of the few countries in the world who after World War II does not provide a hearing for those fleeing persecution,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who argued the case.
“The court properly made clear that the president cannot simply waive away the laws enacted by Congress,&#8221; Gelernt said.
In its opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the law does not grant Trump the broad authority asserted in the proclamation.
“We conclude that the INA’s text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the court wrote.
The decision was issued by a three-judge panel, with one judge partially concurring and dissenting.

Surge In Migration Overwhelms Texas Border City Of Eagle Pass

Court Ruling Could Spell Trouble For Trump’s Border Crackdown

Donald Trump

Immigration

The first court appearance for the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman last Thursday was delayed after he was hospitalized with tuberculosis, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/23/jose-medina-sheridan-gorman-loyola-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Chicago Tribune.
Jose Medina-Medina, 25, allegedly approached the college freshman wearing a black mask around 1 a.m. and fired one round as she tried to run. Gorman&#8217;s family said the 18-year-old student was walking with friends to see the Northern Lights when she was fatally shot.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed Sunday that Medina crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in May 2023 and was subsequently released into the country. He then ended up in Chicago, where he allegedly shoplifted from a local Macy&#8217;s in June 2023, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/21/loyola-chicago-shooting-suspect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Chicago Tribune.
A judge issued a warrant for Medina&#8217;s arrest after he failed to show up for his hearing in that case, the outlet reported.
Authorities identified Medina as the suspect in Gorman&#8217;s murder after identifying his &#8220;distinct limp,&#8221; the Tribune reported. He was seen without his mask in surveillance video taken after the shooting inside an apartment building.
Gorman&#8217;s family said that the suspect should never have been out on the streets.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” they said. “When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”
President Donald Trump gave his first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-doesnt-hold-back-when-daily-wire-asks-about-loyola-murder-suspect-and-biden-era-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Gorman&#8217;s killing while speaking with The Daily Wire on Monday.
“It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast. That’s why ICE is so important. They are doing such a good job,” Trump told Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, who was part of the presidential press pool. “This animal, I saw the whole thing last night. They gave me a briefing.”
“This person came in through the open-door policy of Joe Biden. We’re taking them out by the tens of thousands. We’re doing a great job. It’s a shame. They’ve hurt our country,” Trump said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with local authorities, which is not expected to yield any action due to sanctuary laws.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Sunday.
“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” Bis added.
Pritzker&#8217;s office released its first statement on Gorman&#8217;s killing Tuesday afternoon.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and Loyola University community grieving the senseless murder of Sheridan Gorman. Violent crime has no place in our streets, and we expect the alleged perpetrator to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,&#8221; a spokesperson for Pritzker told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The Trump Administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
Medina faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Tribune.

Untitled design – 2026-03-23T151715.377

Rare Reason Keeps Illegal Alien Suspect In Loyola Student Slaying From Facing Court

Chicago

Crime

illegal immigrant

Illegal Immigration

U.S.

An illegal immigrant from Venezuela is accused of grabbing a Homeland Security agent&#8217;s firearm while trying to evade arrest at a Michigan Sam&#8217;s Club.
Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, who was released into the United States under the Biden administration, lost control of the gun as the agent tackled him to the ground, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mied.392659/gov.uscourts.mied.392659.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents.
Agents said they first encountered Marquez-Pulido outside the Utica store on March 4 and confirmed that he was in the country illegally.
The agents began to follow Marquez-Pulido&#8217;s vehicle before he turned into a parking lot. Agents then activated their emergency lights and sirens, but Marquez-Pulido allegedly drove off at a high speed and began weaving in and out of traffic.
The agents chose not to pursue a vehicle chase, but continued to monitor his movements, according to a criminal complaint. They eventually saw him again as he pulled into the Sam&#8217;s Club parking lot and followed close behind.
Marquez-Pulido then quickly &#8220;abandoned his vehicle in the travel lane, and attempted to flee on foot,&#8221; the court documents stated.
The agent identified himself to the fleeing illegal immigrant and commanded him &#8220;to stop,&#8221; according to the court documents. Marquez-Pulido tried to enter the store before the agent tackled him outside.
Marquez-Pulido allegedly then began to fight the agent, striking him on the left cheek with his elbow before reaching for his gun. The Venezuelan national was able to pull the firearm out of the holster, but eventually lost control of it as the agent flipped him over.
The agent &#8220;suffered a contusion to his elbow, abrasions on his knees and hands, and a contusion to his right cheek,&#8221; according to court documents. Another responding agent &#8220;suffered a contusion to his knee.&#8221;
The injured agents were treated for their injuries at a local hospital and have since been released.
Marquez-Pulido was released into the country after crossing the California border in April 2024, court documents stated. At the time, he applied for admission at the San Ysidro port of entry without any documents to legally enter the United States.
His deportation case has yet to conclude, according to court documents.
The Venezuelan national now faces charges of being an alien in possession of a firearm and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats and a 1,300% surge in assaults as the Trump administration carries out its mass deportation campaign, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Untitled design – 2026-03-11T122445.474

Agents Move In On Illegal Immigrant At Sam’s Club — Then He Reaches For A Gun

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Michigan

Politics

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is under fire for ad campaigns that have drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
The criticisms began with a $200 million ad campaign in which Noem urges illegal immigrants in the United States to self-deport. Lawmakers have raised questions about the price and efficacy of the campaign, as well as the fact that the ads were produced by the husband of recently-departed DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
But the Department of Homeland Security tells The Daily Wire that the ads in question are part of a broader campaign, which also includes ads airing overseas warning illegal aliens not to attempt to cross the border.
“We now have the most secure border in American history in large part because the DHS international ad campaign warning illegal aliens to stay out was a MASSIVE success. This hyper-targeted ad campaign ran in eight countries and reached over 46 million people,” DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said.
“The results show the world heard our message that America’s borders are CLOSED. Daily encounters at the border are down 95%. Under the Biden administration the average daily apprehensions at the southern border were more 5,100. Now under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the average daily apprehensions at the southern border are about 250,” she added.
The Strategy Group, a company that had helped Noem with her 2022 gubernatorial run in South Dakota, ran the ad campaign. The company is currently run by the husband of the secretary’s recently-departed spokesperson, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ProPublica.
In a statement Tuesday, The Strategy Group said it “has never had a contract with DHS. We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements, and 6 produced radio advertisements.&#8221;
“If you’re going to try to question our integrity, bring actual evidence – we did,” the statement concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Strategy Group has never had a contract with DHS.
We had a subcontract with Safe America for limited production services. Safe America paid us $226,137.17 total for 5 film shoots, 45 produced video advertisements and 6 produced radio advertisements.
If you&#8217;re going to try…
— The Strategy Group Co. (@StrategyGroupCo) <a href="https://twitter.com/StrategyGroupCo/status/2028931636314710113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) laid into Noem over the domestic ads, saying “You&#8217;re treating the billions of dollars our colleague showered on your department like a personal slush fund, you budget in an astonishing $220 million dollars for media consulting contracts so you can star in self promoting photo shoots in lavish ad campaigns.&#8221;
Bis also responded to Raskin&#8217;s comments, saying that the Maryland Democrat &#8220;and his fellow sanctuary politicians are mad because our ad campaign SECURED the border.”
Noem pushed back in the same hearing when Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) claimed DHS had awarded a &#8220;no-bid&#8221; contract to produce the ads, saying that &#8220;other companies competed for this, because there [were] two different vendors that were chosen.&#8221;
Republican Senator John Kennedy (LA) also questioned Noem about the ads, saying it was &#8220;hard for me to believe&#8221; that President Donald Trump would be ok with the ad campaign. Kennedy, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, also suggested that DHS had not held a proper bidding process before awarding the contract.
DHS is currently facing a funding lapse as Democrats in Congress remain at odds with the White House over federal immigration enforcement tactics. However, the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill Act&#8221; signed last year has kept ICE largely funded, as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard are bearing the brunt of the shutdown.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Holds News Conference

Homeland Security Defends Ad Campaigns Amid Congressional Scrutiny

Congress

homeland security

Kristi Noem

Axl Omar Palacios was a drag show host who allegedly moonlighted as a border drug trafficker. He was just caught allegedly running a drug stash house along the Texas border last month.
Palacios was seen by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents exiting an apartment in Hidalgo, Texas, before opening the trunk of a car that had just arrived from Mexico, <a href="https://www.valleycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2026/02/Axl-Omar-Palacios-Johan-Eduardo-Rivas-Morales-Criminal-Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents. The cosmetologist then allegedly began filling a wagon with &#8220;4-6 medium sized cardboard boxes&#8221; that he hauled into the apartment as the vehicle left.
Special Agent Mark Cruz testified during a hearing on Feb. 6 that the car had &#8220;alerts&#8221; tied to drug trafficking, according to <a href="https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/cosmetologist-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-drug-trafficking-charges/">ValleyCentral</a>. Palacios was also a &#8220;self-employed cosmetologist who hosted drag shows,&#8221; the local news outlet reported, who &#8220;frequently posted photos on Facebook that featured makeup and brightly colored wigs.&#8221;
Cruz also noted that the wagon &#8220;appeared&#8221; to be &#8220;heavy&#8221; as &#8220;it looked like&#8221; Palacios &#8220;was having difficulties pulling it back into the apartment.”
The agents then saw Palacios exiting the apartment again while &#8220;pulling the same wagon loaded with two cardboard boxes,&#8221; which were placed in a car that soon drove away, court documents allege. A sheriff&#8217;s deputy pulled the car over and began a search, finding &#8220;two brown boxes containing 40 packages&#8221; weighing over 100 pounds that &#8220;contained a white powdery substance that tested positive&#8221; for cocaine.
“We located approximately 40 packages total, between the two boxes,” Cruz said.
The driver, Johan Eduardo Rivas Morales, said he picked up drugs from Palacios &#8220;multiple times&#8221; before, receiving a payment of roughly $3,000 for each load, Cruz said.
Palacios was later observed moving the alleged cocaine-filled boxes into his sister&#8217;s apartment in the same complex, according to court documents.
Federal agents seized 77 kilograms of cocaine upon searching the apartments.
Palacios, who is an American citizen, was arrested and hit with federal drug trafficking charges.
Along with allegedly trafficking drugs, Palacios hosted drag shows just across the border in Reynosa, Mexico, <a href="https://www.valleycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/39/2026/02/Axl-Omar-Palacios-Order-of-Detention.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents.
Palacios regularly posted selfies wearing gaudy makeup on his Facebook page. He had worked as a cosmetologist for the last 12 years.
He allegedly admitted to transferring drugs to Johan Eduardo Rivas Morales &#8220;in the past.&#8221; He also said he received between $200 and $1,000 &#8220;depending on the quantity of narcotics transferred.&#8221;
Palacios pleaded not guilty to his charges Wednesday. If convicted, he faces ten years to life in federal prison.
“The case is very early on,” Palacios&#8217; attorney Uriel A. Guajardo said, according to ValleyCentral. “We’re going to just try to see where the evidence leads us, to then determine where it goes.”

Untitled design – 2026-02-26T095711.321

Drag Queen Moonlighted As Drug Trafficker And Ran Border Stash House, Authorities Say

Drag Show Host Accused Of Operating Border Drug Stash House

drug trafficking

Texas

An Indian illegal immigrant behind the wheel of a semi-truck allegedly caused a fatal accident on an Indiana road on Wednesday.
Sukhdeep Singh allegedly ran a red light before striking 64-year-old Terry Schultz in his pickup truck in Hendricks County, according to reports. Schultz died at the scene.
Federal law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire that Singh crossed the border illegally in 2018 and was released into the country because he was a minor at the time.
Singh had a valid work permit at the time of the crash and, <a href="https://noticias.foxnews.com/us/illegal-immigrant-truck-driver-accused-killing-indiana-man-after-running-red-light" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News, an Indiana commercial driver&#8217;s license.
The Indian national is currently in ICE custody, where he will be held without bond, per a Trump administration policy.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Thursday that deadly collisions involving illegal immigrants are becoming all too common.
“This tragedy comes less than two weeks after another illegal alien driving a semi-truck killed four innocent people in Indiana. It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These tragedies are 100% preventable and we pray for the family and victim,&#8221; McLaughlin said.
“Thanks to ICE and our state and local partners in law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien is now off our roads,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Hendricks County Sheriff’s department just released details about the fatal crash that happened at noon today in Avon.
According to multiple eyewitnesses a Freightliner semi-truck with trailer was traveling eastbound on US 36 when it ran the red light at the intersection of… <a href="https://t.co/hFZOLmVrEP">pic.twitter.com/hFZOLmVrEP</a>
— Angela Ganote (@angelaganote) <a href="https://twitter.com/angelaganote/status/2024219636552564858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Singh already had previous traffic violations on his record, <a href="https://fox59.com/news/driver-responsible-for-fatal-crash-in-hendricks-county-detained-by-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox59. That included a ticket for lacking insurance after a car crash in January.
He also had three speeding tickets and a citation for no registration, the outlet reported.
One witness, Kate Breedlove, went to comfort Schultz as he took his last breaths, according to Fox59.
“I think there was a lot of chaos going on and I made it my job to be calming to him,” Breedlove recalled.
“I was just telling him everything was going to be okay. He was unresponsive, but at some point, I think he definitely took his last breath,” she said.
Republican Indiana Senator Jim Banks recently created a hotline &#8220;for truckers and those in the trucking industry to report concerns about carriers employing or contracting with drivers who are in the country illegally.&#8221;
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In early February, an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-truckers-hauling-amazon-trailers-tied-to-major-crashes">illegal immigrant from Kyrgyzstan</a> who was given a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license allegedly killed four people in Indiana while behind the wheel of a truck.
In November, an illegal immigrant from the Republic of Georgia who was driving an 18-wheeler allegedly caused a fatal wreck that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-plows-18-wheeler-into-military-humvee-killing-national-guardsman">killed Indiana National Guardsman</a> Terry Frye.
&#8220;How many times are we going to see this same story happen again? It feels like every single week there is another family planning a funeral because illegals who can’t read our road signs and don’t follow our laws are allowed on our highways,&#8221; Banks said in a post on X Thursday.
&#8220;This is not bad luck. This is not just another accident. This is a national crisis! I am sick of it. We need real accountability and a major overhaul. I’m calling on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to investigate chameleon carrier networks in Indiana and will be introducing legislation to get unsafe, illegal drivers off our roads before another life is lost and another family gets destroyed,&#8221; he added.
The Trump administration has already commenced a nationwide crackdown on trucking companies, commercial driver&#8217;s license schools, and states issuing licenses to illegal immigrants.
</div>
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</section>
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Untitled design – 2026-02-19T150821.679

‘100% Preventable’: Illegal Immigrant Trucker Accused Of Causing Fatal Wreck In Indiana

Indiana

Truckers

After untold millions of illegal immigrants streamed across the border under the Biden administration, Americans were fed up and demanded change.
It was one of the many reasons why President Donald Trump was reelected in 2024. Across the nation, voters cited illegal immigration as one of their most pressing concerns.
During the Biden administration, Border Patrol agents saw a daily average of 5,110 illegal migrants cross the border. Now, there are 245 daily crossings on average, <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/border-crossings-once-again-record-low-november-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Customs and Border Protection.
On day one, Trump took action to end the illegal immigration chaos.
National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez told The Daily Wire that agents deployed to the frontlines saw it take effect &#8220;within a few hours.&#8221;
&#8220;They started doing the job of interdiction,&#8221; Perez said, adding, &#8220;There&#8217;s actual consequences that are being imposed. It wasn&#8217;t just rhetoric, it was action.&#8221;
&#8220;If we don&#8217;t already have it, we&#8217;re moving for the first time in the history of this country towards complete operational control of the border,&#8221; Perez said.
<h4>Stopping &#8216;Catch and Release&#8217;</h4>
One of the biggest incentives Biden offered migrants was the promise that they would be released into the country after crossing illegally. For the most part, they were given a court date, typically years into the future, and sent on their way.
Migrants would cross illegally and share with friends and family back in their home countries the news that most were being released, inspiring more to make the treacherous journey.
Now, migrants who cross illegally are either swiftly turned back to Mexico or held in detention to face federal charges for entering illegally before being deported home or to another country willing to take them back.
In the last seven months, Border Patrol hasn&#8217;t released a single migrant who crossed the southern border illegally, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Border Patrol sources told The Daily Wire that ending the &#8216;catch and release&#8217; policy made the biggest difference in shutting down the border.
&#8220;Everybody gets sent back. Before, people knew they could come in and try to claim asylum and get their court date and disappear. Once that stopped, everything slowed down,&#8221; one Border Patrol source, who requested anonymity because they&#8217;re not authorized to speak publicly, said.
Another agent said migrants &#8220;all knew it was about that loophole.&#8221;
The policy change has also freed up Border Patrol agents to get back on the border to detect the bad hombres trying to evade them, according to Perez. Under the Biden administration, the number of &#8216;gotaways&#8217; was &#8220;ridiculously high,&#8221; Perez explained, adding that it was &#8220;what scared us the most.&#8221;
Now, some areas of the border have days when not a single person can get through without being caught.
&#8220;It has really allowed us to go back and arrest people that are actively seeking evading detection. And that was something that we just weren&#8217;t able to do,&#8221; Perez said.
<h4>Ending Biden&#8217;s Entry Programs</h4>
Trump stopped the use of the CBP One phone application, which former President Joe Biden repurposed to allow thousands of migrants to enter the United States per month at border ports of entry.
He also ended the Biden-era parole scheme that allowed 30,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan migrants to fly directly into the United States to bypass the land border.
The Biden administration temporarily shut the program down at one point after an internal report raised fraud concerns.
The two programs brought more than 1.4 million migrants into the United States.
<h4>Mass Deportation</h4>
Trump also quickly empowered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to make arrests across the country. Under Biden, their hands were tied, and they were limited to whom they could arrest.
At the time, if ICE came across a person whose sole crime was being in the country illegally, they had to let them go as part of the Biden administration&#8217;s adoption of &#8220;prosecutorial discretion.&#8221;
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Now, ICE is not only out in full force across the country arresting egregious criminals, they&#8217;re also allowed to make &#8220;collateral&#8221; arrests of those whose only crime is being in the United States illegally.
The agency has also received help from several other federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the ATF.
&#8220;We&#8217;re allowed to do our jobs,&#8221; one ICE source told The Daily Wire.
Meanwhile, Trump has also forced formerly recalcitrant countries like Venezuela to begin accepting deportation flights from the United States.
The Trump administration has deported more than 605,000, while roughly 1.9 million others have left on their own, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/12/10/thanks-president-trump-and-secretary-noem-more-25-million-illegal-aliens-left-us#:~:text=Since%20January%2020%2C%202025%2C%20DHS,order%20to%20the%20United%20States." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Homeland Security.

Untitled design – 2025-12-30T125425.257

How Trump Shut Down The Border In 2025

How Trump Closed The Border In 2025

deportation

Sanctuary authorities in Virginia released an illegal immigrant from jail who went on to murder a man less than 24 hours later.
Salvadoran migrant Marvin Morales-Ortez, 23, allegedly fatally shot a man inside his Reston, Virginia, home Wednesday after authorities in Fairfax County released him from jail and ignored a federal immigration detainer to hand him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to multiple reports.
Federal law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire that Morales-Ortez crossed the southern border illegally in 2016. At the time, Border Patrol agents were preparing to deport him and his mother.
However, the two claimed they had a fear of returning to their home country. In 2022, an immigration judge dismissed his deportation case altogether, effectively allowing him to stay in the country without any legal status, sources said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Soros DA Freed Killer YESTERDAY 
Dec 16th: Fairfax Soros DA Steve Descano dropped ALL Charges vs. Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez (illegal?) including attempt murder/gun 
[September 12th Gun Assault] 
&gt;Malicious Wounding w/ Injury &#8212; Dropped (Nolle Pros) 
&gt;Point/Brandish Firearm… <a href="https://t.co/RJ9CCQpjAy">https://t.co/RJ9CCQpjAy</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Oqw3pqlpu">pic.twitter.com/5Oqw3pqlpu</a>
— Virginians 4 Safe Communities (@VA4SafeComm) <a href="https://twitter.com/VA4SafeComm/status/2001400711876096361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
He has also been tagged as a suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang, according to ABC7.
Morales-Ortez popped back up on authorities&#8217; radar six other times starting in 2019 for a slew of alleged crimes ranging from murder to assault, according to ABC7.
He was charged with first-degree murder in 2021 and spent a year and a half behind bars while awaiting trial, according to ABC7. The charges against him were ultimately dropped after authorities determined that he wasn&#8217;t involved.
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Another individual was ultimately convicted.
Morales-Ortez was found guilty for a previous theft case, where he was fined $300, according to ABC7. He never paid the fine.
Before he was released this latest time, Morales-Ortez was charged for allegedly brandishing a gun and assaulting and injuring someone, the local outlet reported.
He was set free after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the case.
&#8220;Prosecutors were unable to move forward with the case because the victim told police that they were out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings. Sadly, without the victim’s necessary testimony, we could not move forward with the case,&#8221; the attorney&#8217;s office said.
The Fairfax County Police Department said they subsequently obtained an emergency order to take the illegal immigrant back into custody, but failed to find him within the allowed time window. Authorities eventually nabbed him after a lengthy manhunt.
&#8220;After his release, a Community Services Board (CSB) clinician obtained an Emergency Custody Order (ECO) for Morales-Ortez. An ECO is valid for eight hours after issuance by a magistrate,&#8221; the police department wrote on X.
&#8220;FCPD Reston District patrol officers were then dispatched to serve the ECO and take Morales-Ortez into custody. FCPD patrol officers responded to the address of record for Morales-Ortez and did not locate him at his residence. The ECO expired shortly thereafter.&#8221;
Fairfax County has notoriously operated as a sanctuary jurisdiction, routinely releasing illegal immigrants from jail without notifying ICE, <a href="https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Center for Immigration Studies.

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Illegal Immigrant Murders Man One Day After Sanctuary Authorities Release Him From Jail

Sanctuary Cities

Mexican cartels amassed fortunes on par with major corporations, but that has all changed since President Donald Trump closed the border.
Under the Biden administration, the Mexican cartels&#8217; profits jumped from $500 million in 2018 to an estimated $13 billion in 2022, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/us/migrant-smuggling-evolution.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The New York Times. The massive flow of cash was largely due to their migrant smuggling enterprise, which grew even more profitable than their vast drug empire.
Border Patrol agents were instructed to release illegal crossers into the United States as swiftly as possible under then-President Joe Biden, and many likened what the job had become to aiding in the smugglers&#8217; enterprise.
But now that&#8217;s all changed since Trump&#8217;s return to office. For the last six months, the Trump administration hasn&#8217;t released a single illegal border crosser into the country, putting an end to the major catch and release pipeline and driving migrant encounters to record lows.
Smugglers, however, have grown desperate to maintain their profits, shifting operations to the high seas to move people illegally into the U.S.
Along the California coast, the pace of interdictions of boats packed with illegal immigrants has remained constant.
Last fiscal year, the Coast Guard encountered &#8220;well over&#8221; 2,000 illegal immigrants. And traffic has remained &#8220;fairly steady&#8221; with the Coast Guard seeing an increase in interdictions, Coast Guard Capt. Jason Hagen, who is the southwest district chief of enforcement, told The Daily Wire in a recent interview.
&#8220;As you lock down the land border, the cartels will need to make their money, so they push to the maritime, to the water side. And, unfortunately, there is no border wall in the ocean; we&#8217;re challenged with the tyranny of distance,&#8221; Hagen said.
Earlier this month, Coast Guardsmen in San Diego&#8217;s Mission Bay were forced to fire several rounds to disable the engine of a 20-foot smuggling boat carrying 12 <a href="https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4330965/coast-guard-interdicts-12-aliens-offshore-mission-bay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrants</a> from Mexico and El Salvador as they tried to escape.
<div id="attachment_1004923" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004923" class="wp-image-1004923 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg.webp" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg-150x150.webp 150w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Customs and Border Protection</div>
Days later, Navy sailors came across a small boat packed with <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-apprehends-17-illegal-aliens-coastal-waters-near-san-clemente" target="_blank" rel="noopener">17 illegal migrants</a> traversing the sea near San Clemente Island. Border Patrol took them into custody, as is standard procedure.
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At least four illegal migrants died after their boat recently capsized off Imperial Beach in a separate incident. The Justice Department has since hit a Mexican man believed to be the captain with charges of &#8220;Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain&#8221; that could result in life in prison, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/two-charged-human-smuggling-event-led-least-four-deaths">according</a> to the Justice Department.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a dangerous game, and I can tell you the cartels are not in the business of safety, they&#8217;re in the business of money,&#8221; Hagen said.
The cartels have also increased their maritime smuggling fees.
Under the Biden administration, they were charging illegal immigrants between $10,000 &#8211; $15,000 in smuggling fees to take to the seas. Now, they&#8217;re forcing migrants to pay between $20,000 &#8211; $40,000, Manny Bayon, the President of the Border Patrol union’s San Diego chapter, told The Daily Wire.
Bayon echoed that maritime smuggling in the Pacific Ocean has picked up &#8220;due to the increased enforcement on the southern border.&#8221;
In response, federal authorities are now preparing to bolster security along the coastal border by installing new thermal imaging cameras to spot smuggling activity before it reaches America&#8217;s shores, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2025-11-19/san-clemente-cbp-maritime-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Los Angeles Times.

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How Cartels Are Shifting Tactics After Trump Crushed Their Human Smuggling Empire

How Cartels Have Changed Tactics After Trump Destroyed Their Multi-Billion Dollar Human Smuggling Bu

Cartels

Cocaine

Fentanyl

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Thanksgiving is a time when families thrive, and our conservative movement can learn key lessons from this uniquely American tradition as we move forward together.
Let’s begin with what’s best about the day: a shared table, familiar laughter, and the quiet grace of gratitude. Gratitude is not the fruit of harmony; it is the seed. Traditions renew; children grow up knowing the laugh of a cousin; and an uncle regales with stories of where the family came from. The mystic chords of memory, those invisible threads that bind generations, grow stronger and endure.
Thanksgiving is meant to be practiced. The meaningful work of breaking bread with people who vote differently, pray differently, and have different points of view preserves more than a holiday tradition. Amongst people you don’t always like but with whom you share a deep bond is where public deliberation starts — a practice foundational to American self-government. We keep the muscle memory of belonging to something larger than ourselves.
What’s true for our families is, of course, also true for our conservative movement and the nation we all endeavor to save.
Ronald Reagan is often remembered for saying, &#8220;All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” What is left out, however, is the line that follows: “So, tomorrow night in the kitchen, I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven&#8217;t been teaching you what it means to be an American, let &#8217;em know and nail &#8217;em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.&#8221;
Let the talking begin this week — and let our conversations be an invitation to those we love to once again find unity in our purpose, first as families and then as a nation. At Heritage, we’ve started this family conversation, centered around four questions plain enough to ask around the dinner table and significant enough to guide a movement and save a republic:
What does it mean to be a flourishing American family?
What does it mean to honor the dignity of work and secure the future of free enterprise?
What does it mean to have true national security?
What does it mean to be an American citizen?
At Heritage, we have a point of view, confident in our thinking and our institution’s 52 years of robust intellectual history. We believe that united, good-faith conservatives will engage in this discussion. We are also certain we know what a restored America looks like:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Marriage and family celebrated, not ignored or mocked.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Work dignified, wages rising, and two incomes a family choice, not a necessity.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Borders secure, military strong, enemies deterred.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Children learning truth — not ideology — in educational institutions that parents control.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Faith respected, civic virtue restored, patriotism the norm.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Government limited, debt shrinking, freedom expanding.</li>
</ul>
We call this Heritage 2.0 inside our organization, where every colleague contributed to its creation. We present it to you as our battle plan to save America.
Let there be no mistake; we are taking back Washington to save America. That puts a target on us — from the uniparty, the entrenched bureaucracy, and the deep state. Now may be a suitable time to reiterate with clarity our message to the purveyors of the status quo: Bring it on.
We sweat not for the elites, but for everyday Americans. We toil not to be keyboard warriors but to chart a course of national renewal. The future of conservatism — a fusion of old and new right — will succeed when we return power to the people.
Today’s populism didn&#8217;t emerge in a vacuum. It arose from failed leadership, calcified institutions, and elites who prioritized bureaucracy over everyday Americans. The people aren&#8217;t seeking minor fixes; they&#8217;re challenging the very credibility of the system, and often, they&#8217;re spot on. This ought to inspire our movement!
The clearest path to returning power to the people is through a wholehearted rejuvenation of federalism. We will never lose sight of the many millions who feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. More than any organization across the country, Heritage is fully engaged in the work required to ensure a free, self-governing people can raise families and engage in community and commerce with peace, principles, and prosperity.
Of course, the people will decide our future, as President Trump last week noted, appealing to the beauty of our American system. We are clear-eyed that our effort comes at a time of cultural and civic strain. But we’ve been here before. My friend and predecessor Ed Feulner wrote in his book The March of Freedom that conservatism is “a broad social movement of diverse but reinforcing beliefs, gathering travelers on the same journey — pilgrims who argue over the topography of their promised land but move in the same direction.”
As Vice President Vance also said, the forces arrayed against conservatives of all stripes have massive resources, and there is a point where infighting becomes counterproductive.
So, let us pull up chairs at the family table. Let us channel that turbulent passion and refine it with cool reason through public deliberation. Let us all be builders of a better America. Just as we will nurture the family tree through open dialogue, let us build America’s next 250 years under a thriving canopy of vibrant, interconnected branches rooted in self-governance.
Our Heritage is our future. Through it, together, we will save the republic and secure its future.
* * *
Kevin Roberts, Ph.D., is president of the Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
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Roberts III

Thanksgiving, The Family Table, And A Playbook For The Work Ahead

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Education

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The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection approved $4.5 billion for the construction of highly technical sections of the border wall.
CBP announced last week that 10 contracts were cleared in September for 230 miles for “barriers” and roughly 400 miles for “technology,” including a “Smart Wall,” which uses multiple elements to monitor and prevent people from crossing over the border illegally.
Some of the new technology includes “steel barriers, waterborne barriers, lights cameras,” and other tools to detect potential “illegal traffic,” according to CBP.
“For years, Washington talked about border security but failed to deliver. This President changed that,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement. “The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border.”
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The 10 contracts were the first to be paid for through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed in July. The bill included billions for border and immigration purposes, including hiring more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and $12 billion to pay back states for costs inflicted by the Biden-era border crisis.
The funding will go to projects along the border, spanning from California to Texas. Since Trump took office in January, several other projects have been cleared through contracts or waivers to continue wall construction, which was primarily halted during the Biden administration.
CBP’s webpage on the Smart Wall explains that the overall goal is to “gain operational control of the border” by combining a mix of measures, including a “secondary” wall and other technologies based on factors such as “geographic characteristics” and “procurement timelines.”
“The Smart Wall serves as a necessary tool to protect areas between ports of entry along the Rio Grande, where crossings already constitute improper entry,” Brandy Perez, a research assistant at the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said.
“The Department of Homeland Security’s $4.5 billion investment in Smart Wall construction amplifies America’s inherent right as a sovereign nation to decide who legally belongs on U.S. soil and who does not,” Perez added.
“The previous Trump administration implemented barriers in regions across the Southwest border and witnessed a decline in illegal crossings by 87% in the<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/archive/news/2020/10/29/border-wall-system-deployed-effective-and-disrupting-criminals-and-smugglers?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Yuma </a>sector and a 26% decrease in narcotics seizures in the Rio Grande sector, proving that walls deter foreign nationals who seek to break the laws of the United States and jeopardize public safety,” she continued.
As long-term developments at the border continue, the administration recently touted that fiscal year 2025 was the lowest for apprehensions at the southern border since 1970, and no releases of those crossing illegally in five months as of September, according to a CBP news release.
“Fiscal Year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,” Scott stated at the time. “For too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs – and the result is the lowest apprehensions in more than five decades, and the most secure border in modern history.”

Trump Admin Paves The Way For Miles Of ‘Smart Wall’ Along The Southern Border

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Border Wall

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