Federal investigators have made yet another discovery of a sophisticated fraud scheme involving a work authorization program for foreigners.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://x.com/JennieSTaer/status/2054232420522598520">announced</a> Tuesday that the Operational Practical Training program, known as OPT, has &#8220;become a magnet for fraud&#8221; with foreign students claiming employment from &#8220;highly suspect employers,&#8221; Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. He described the controversy at a press conference, noting the program allows foreign students to work in their area of study for up to one year while attending school.
Federal investigators say OPT fraud has exploded nationwide, reporting shocking discoveries upon visiting the alleged worksites claiming to employ the foreign students.
They found empty buildings with locked doors where hundreds of foreign students were said to be working. In some cases, multiple employers claimed the same address, but none of them actually had a lease there.
Some small homes were also listed as worksites for hundreds of foreign students, but had no employees present. When someone answered the door at one of the residences, they claimed to have no knowledge of the business.
Other alleged employers claimed to have offshore HR and payroll personnel. Many of the employers had tax liens, civil lawsuit collections, and breaches of contract on their records.
In some instances, foreign students who obtained work permits through the OPT program never showed up to work at the jobs they claimed to hold.
Lyons said the employment program has &#8220;ballooned into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline with hundreds of thousands of foreign students working in the United States,&#8221; adding that the latest fraud findings may be &#8220;only the tip of the iceberg.&#8221;
Last week, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of ICE, visited 18 worksites in north Texas and made an &#8220;alarming&#8221; discovery of &#8220;coordinated employer clusters, where numerous employers in the same building complex are running nearly identical websites, sharing job postings and management personnel, but claiming no business relationships with each other,&#8221; John Condon, the agency&#8217;s Acting Executive Associate Director, said during Tuesday&#8217;s presser.
In Houston, agents found an alleged &#8220;pay to stay visa fraud&#8221; scheme in which a company was &#8220;charging students under the table to help them fraudulently maintain visa status,&#8221; he added.
Other cases also raised red flags. In New York, a supposed employer became visibly upset with federal investigators and denied having any knowledge of a company linked to his address &#8220;despite Homeland Security records and student reports confirming otherwise,&#8221; Condon said. A foreign student told investigators that the individual owned the worksite &#8220;but could not explain his denial.&#8221;
Condon discussed an OPT employer in New Jersey claiming to support more than 150 foreign students who couldn&#8217;t answer federal investigators&#8217; &#8220;basic questions about who they were or what they were hired to do.&#8221; The investigators encountered only one student at the site, &#8220;who had revealed that he had not worked for the listed copy in over a year&#8221; and &#8220;was instead being trained by a company based in India.&#8221;
Lyons called the fraudulent activity &#8220;deliberate, coordinated, and criminal,&#8221; vowing that &#8220;more actions are forthcoming.&#8221;
&#8220;DHS will relentlessly investigate, disrupt, and refer for prosecution anyone who exploits our programs. We have intensified our vetting at consular posts overseas, targeting trafficking, forced labor, document fraud, and unauthorized employment among student visa applicants,&#8221; Lyons said.
&#8220;This fraud is not victimless. It is a blatant attack on the goodwill of the American people who generously allow foreign nationals access to our education system,&#8221; he added.

Trump Floats Death Penalty For All Convicted Of Murder In DC

ICE Makes New Major Fraud Discovery Involving 10,000 Foreign Students

Department of Homeland Security

foreign students

Fraud

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Todd Lyons

The suspect who attempted to storm the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner with a plan to assassinate President Donald Trump and top administration officials was potentially motivated by anger about the war in Iran, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
A DHS intelligence report obtained by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/iran-conflict-may-have-motivated-trump-dinner-shooting-suspect-us-intelligence-2026-05-06/">Reuters</a> on Wednesday concluded that the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran &#8220;may have contributed&#8221; to Cole Allen&#8217;s &#8220;decision to conduct the attack.&#8221; Posts on a social media account linked to Allen raged against the U.S. government&#8217;s actions in Iran and recently called for Trump to be impeached over the president&#8217;s warning that &#8220;a whole civilization will die.&#8221;
A DHS spokesman told Reuters that the intelligence report was created to &#8220;notify our partners of the latest available information following significant incidents that have impacts to homeland security.&#8221;
Allen wrote out some of his motivations in a manifesto that he shared with family members minutes before he attempted to charge into the ballroom at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner, according to federal prosecutors. In a 1,000-word document, the suspected would-be assassin referred to Trump as a &#8220;pedophile, rapist, and traitor&#8221; and wrote that his goal was to murder Trump administration officials at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, targeting them from “highest-ranking to lowest.&#8221;
While Allen did not mention any frustrations about the Iran war in his manifesto, in a criticism of the security at the Washington Hilton, the suspect wrote, &#8220;If I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed sh*t.&#8221; A Ma Deuce is a .50-caliber heavy machine gun used by many militaries.
In the manifesto, Allen condemned other U.S. military action, highlighting strikes on suspected drug runners in the Caribbean. Allen said the suspected drug runners were “fisherman executed without trial.”
In the manifesto, the suspect called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and invoked his Christian faith, arguing that &#8220;Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.&#8221;
Minutes after President Trump arrived at the Washington Hilton for the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner on April 25, Allen ran through a security checkpoint and fired one shot from his Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun that struck a Secret Service agent, according to the Justice Department. A Secret Service agent returned fire, and Allen was detained shortly after he got past the security checkpoint when he fell to the ground. Allen was not hit by any of the agent&#8217;s shots, and the agent who was shot by Allen was protected by a bulletproof vest.
Allen was also carrying a fully-loaded Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol and multiple knives when he attacked, the Justice Department said. Allen was initially charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors added an additional charge of assault on a federal officer. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Sunday that the Secret Service agent was &#8220;definitively&#8221; shot by Allen.
“He had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way on his way to killing the president of the United States,&#8221; Pirro <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/03/trump-assassination-cole-allen-suicide-pirro.html#:~:text=%7C%20Getty%20Images-,U.S.%20Attorney%20for%20the%20District%20of%20Columbia%20Jeanine%20Pirro%20said,his%20bullet%2C%22%20Pirro%20said.">said</a>.
Earlier this week, the judge overseeing Allen&#8217;s case <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-issues-stunning-apology-to-accused-trump-assassin">apologized</a> to the suspect for the conditions he has faced in jail. Judge Zia Faruqui, who has a soft-on-crime <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-judge-who-apologized-to-wannabe-trump-assassin-has-a-radical-leftist-record">record</a>, grilled jail officials for placing Allen on a temporary suicide watch that required 24-hour isolation.

Cole Allen/Police

Feds Uncover Critical Link In Radicalization Of Wannabe Trump Assassin

assassination attempt

Donald Trump

White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The Department of Homeland Security shutdown is now set to be largely over, after the House of Representatives approved the Senate-backed plan to fund every element of the department except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A reconciliation bill is anticipated to fund the other two critical law enforcement agencies.
The move in the House was conducted with a voice vote, according to <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2049899389435449379?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
President Donald Trump will now have to sign off on the funding, as there were concerns once again about being able to pay employees of the department starting on Friday.
The shutdown began in mid-February, as Democrats wanted sweeping federal immigration enforcement reforms in opposition to the Trump administration, particularly Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
On April 1, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) came to an agreement with the president on how to best tackle the shutdown, as the Senate passed the deal that left out ICE and CBP in late March, whereas House Republicans passed a 60-day continuing resolution that funded everything.
“In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks: through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process,” the Republican leaders <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/2039413952220631443?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> at the time.
“While we hoped they would accept the 60-day CR to fund the Department entirely so that bipartisan negotiations could continue, it is now abundantly clear that Democrats place allegiance to their radical left-wing base above all else — including their own power of the purse — which means open borders and protecting criminal illegal aliens,” the statement continued.
While Democrats wanted a long list of changes made to immigration enforcement, including the end of masking and the use of judicial warrants, it’s highly unlikely they will get the reforms they sought given the workaround nature of a reconciliation deal. A reconciliation bill allows the Senate to bypass its 60-vote procedural threshold, but it follows strict rules about what’s allowed and not allowed in the legislation.
The DHS shutdown most clearly played out before Americans due to long TSA lines, as agents were going without pay for weeks until executive action was taken.

Mullin To Face Senate Scrutiny Over Ability To Lead Behemoth DHS

DHS Shutdown Ends For TSA And Secret Service, But Border Security Left Hanging

Congress

Government Shutdown

Illegal Immigration

Politics

In a blow to national security and maritime safety, the U.S. Coast Guard is facing an internal crisis as the partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown reaches its 75th day.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday revealed that the funding lapse has become so severe that utility companies are beginning to shut off power, water, and gas at active military installations across the country.
During a CBS News interview, Lunday confirmed that &#8220;the lights are shutting off&#8221; at stations tasked with life-saving missions. In the last several days, Station Channel Islands in California and Station Port Huron in Michigan had their power cut off, while Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii saw its natural gas service interrupted.
While the Coast Guard was able to restore these specific services, Lunday warned that the number of shutoffs is expected to rise. These stations operate 24/7, 365 days a year, standing ready to respond to mariners in distress or national security threats.
&#8220;I think a lot of Americans would be pissed to hear this is happening,&#8221; the CBS interviewer posited to the Admiral.
&#8220;Furious,&#8221; Lunday responded. &#8220;That’s exactly right.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday tells CBS News’ <a href="https://twitter.com/NicoleSganga?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NicoleSganga</a> that several Coast Guard stations across the country recently lost power, water or gas. Service has been restored, but he warns more outages could happen as the DHS shutdown continues. More tomorrow… <a href="https://t.co/G0k6qtz80h">pic.twitter.com/G0k6qtz80h</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2049637221385506868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Coast Guard acts as the nation&#8217;s maritime police force. Because they have Title 14 authority, they can board vessels at sea without a warrant to ensure compliance with U.S. laws.
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Drug Interdiction: They are the lead agency for stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. via the sea, often seizing billions of dollars worth of cocaine and marijuana annually.</li>
<li>Migrant Interdiction: They patrol the Caribbean and the Pacific to intercept human trafficking and illegal migration, often rescuing people from unseaworthy vessels.</li>
<li>Ports &amp; Waterways Security: They protect 361 U.S. ports from terrorism and ensure that &#8220;high interest&#8221; vessels (like tankers or cruise ships) are screened before entering.</li>
</ul>
The Coast Guard currently holds the distinction of being the only military branch impacted by the funding stalemate. Because the service falls under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense, its personnel are caught in a legislative &#8220;procedural loop&#8221; over immigration enforcement and the SAVE Act.
The human cost of the 75-day impasse is <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/28/utility-shutoffs-mounting-debt-coast-guard-endures-hardships-in-ongoing-shutdown/">mounting</a>:
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>
Personnel Hardship: While active-duty members have received intermittent pay through discretionary funding shifts, there is no guarantee of future checks. Families are reportedly relying on interest-free loans from Coast Guard Mutual Assistance to buy groceries.
</li>
<li>
Civilian Crisis: Nearly 10,000 civilian employees went unpaid for nearly two months. One civil servant in Alaska reportedly sold his car to pay rent before emergency funding was briefly released.
</li>
<li>
Operational Decay: Over $200 million in unpaid bills has caused private contractors to cease maintenance on ships and aircraft.
</li>
</ul>
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has staunchly refused to bring the bill funding DHS to a vote, as House Republicans are insisting on a funding package that includes strict immigration reforms and the SAVE Act, using the DHS budget as legislative leverage.
“We have to move DHA funding because it’s urgent … we are out of money,” Johnson stated.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Phil Waldron told a House subcommittee that the workforce&#8217;s focus is being &#8220;dangerously fractured&#8221; by financial anxiety. &#8220;Their focus is required for dangerous missions,&#8221; Waldron said. &#8220;That focus is fractured when they’re worried about paying their rent.&#8221;
As of April 30, 2026, the shutdown remains the longest in DHS history. While the Coast Guard continues to answer distress calls under its &#8220;Always Ready&#8221; motto, leadership warns that every day of the shutdown creates a 2.5-day recovery backlog, hollowing out the readiness of the nation’s primary maritime shield.

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter

‘The Lights Go Out’: Coast Guard Faces Shutoffs, Financial Crisis As DHS Shutdown Hits Day 75

Coast Guard

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz boasted about his moves to crack down on fraud during his final State of the State address on Tuesday night, just hours after federal agents raided numerous daycares in the Minneapolis area as part of an investigation into government fraud that has plagued Minnesota for years.
In his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/sHPaQk2GD6U?si=FpadFG6TkHzIIdoq&amp;t=2295">remarks</a> before state legislators, Walz highlighted steps he&#8217;s taken to address the rampant fraud in recent months as his second term as governor nears its end. The Democratic governor has come under pressure from the Trump administration after federal prosecutors uncovered a massive fraud scheme that has seen tens of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen from state government programs.
&#8220;In February, I introduced a comprehensive anti-fraud package and began to implement a nine-part fraud prevention roadmap developed by Director of Program Integrity Tim O’Malley,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;We’ve created additional checks and balances. We have brought on more investigators, more auditors, and more law enforcement agencies, as well as an outside firm to take a look at high-risk programs. People who have ripped us off are getting caught, and they are going to jail just like today.&#8221;
Walz then claimed that more fraud is taking place in Republican-led states.
&#8220;I’ve said the buck stops with me. And I know some of you will take that as an open invitation to play politics with every incident of fraud that takes place here in Minnesota, even though I have to tell you the statistics show it&#8217;s happening in red states more than here,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;But, so be it. But taking responsibility doesn’t just mean taking the blame. It means taking it upon yourself to fix the problem.&#8221;
The governor&#8217;s remarks came around 12 hours after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-wave-hits-as-feds-raid-more-minnesota-daycare-sites-in-growing-fraud-scandal?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Up+Next&amp;rowType=Up+Next+Carousel&amp;title=New+Wave+Hits+As+Feds+Raid+More+Minnesota+Daycare+Sites+In+Growing+Fraud+Scandal">raided</a> 22 daycares and learning centers in the Minneapolis area as part of President Donald Trump&#8217;s anti-fraud crackdown. Earlier on Tuesday, Walz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-takes-credit-for-fbi-raids-on-minnesota-daycares?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tim+Walz+Takes+Credit+For+FBI+Raids+On+Minnesota+Daycares">took credit</a> for helping orchestrate the raids and was blasted by FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Come again? This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today,” Patel fired back. “But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.”
Tuesday&#8217;s raids focused on many Somali-owned daycares and learning centers around Minneapolis. Under Walz&#8217;s watch, dozens of Somalis defrauded numerous Minnesota social programs for years before they were caught. The fraud scandal included the federally funded Feeding Our Future nonprofit, which claimed to hand out meals to children during the COVID pandemic, but greatly exaggerated its work.
Walz, along with Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, has been accused of attempting to cover up the state&#8217;s fraud problem and silence government employees who raised concerns. Walz and Ellison have denied those accusations and claim that the state government has been properly investigating and prosecuting fraud.
In January, Walz announced that he would not seek a third term for governor so he could focus on addressing the state&#8217;s fraud problem. In his State of the State address, Walz called on the Minnesota state legislature to pass legislation to strengthen government oversight.
&#8220;My ask for you tonight is simple,&#8221; Walz told state lawmakers. &#8220;If you&#8217;re taking fraud seriously, take your responsibility to help me stop it seriously. If you talk about oversight, vote for that oversight in the bills that are working their way through the chamber.&#8221;
Four months ago, Walz accused President Donald Trump of &#8220;politicizing the issue&#8221; of fraud as Trump deployed federal agents and immigration officers to the Minneapolis area.

Tim Walz/Quality ‘Learing’ Center

Tim Walz, Awash In Fraud Investigations, Crowns Himself Anti-Fraud Champ In Final State Address

Minnesota

Trump Administration

Hundreds of Border Patrol agents are being pulled from across the country to address an influx of illegal immigrants trying to run from authorities in a Texas border town, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told The Daily Wire.
At least 200 Border Patrol agents from both the southern and northern borders are being pulled for 30-day volunteer duties to support colleagues in Laredo, Texas, who are trying to chase down the &#8220;gotaways,&#8221; sources said. The number of &#8220;gotaways&#8221; running through Laredo is not public.
&#8220;Everyone from across the country is getting sent there,&#8221; one source said.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, the agency that oversees Border Patrol, confirmed the deployment, which they characterized as part of their effort &#8220;to continue to secure our border.&#8221;
&#8220;That sector 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; the spokesperson said, referring to Laredo.
“Thanks to President Trump, we have the most secure border in American history,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;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 agents monitor gotaways through sensors and cameras, but the true number isn&#8217;t known. During the Biden administration, the number of known gotaways surged past 2 million illegal immigrants, <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/09/23/startling-stats-factsheet-biden-and-harris-border-crisis-still-wreaking-havoc-at-the-borders-and-in-the-interior/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the House Homeland Security Committee.
A Border Patrol source stationed along the northern border told The Daily Wire they&#8217;re not volunteering to head south because there&#8217;s not enough manpower to cover the smuggling traffic coming from Canada. While fewer than 600 illegal migrants have been caught crossing the northern border each month since November, some stations find it difficult with fewer agents to cover the largest land crossing in the world.
Border agents stationed in the Laredo border sector were seeing thousands of illegal migrants cross each month under the Biden administration. Now, the numbers are in the hundreds and slightly jumped in March, when agents caught 1,242 illegal migrants.
&#8220;They&#8217;re asking for manpower, they already have close to 2,000 agents on the southern border, so if you&#8217;re having that many gotaways then that&#8217;s a leadership thing,&#8221; the agent said. &#8220;None of us need to go over there because we got our own stations to take care of, that&#8217;s how most of the agents feel.&#8221;
<div>
&#8220;On the northern border, we&#8217;re in small towns that are south of these small cities that are hubs for illegals. There is this massive influx coming out of all of these cities and they&#8217;re coming into small towns so we have to be vigilant of local police resources. Sometimes, you&#8217;re the only agent out in the field and you have to deal with people that are trying to get in pursuits,&#8221; the agent added.
</div>
President Donald Trump has imposed harsher consequences for illegal border crossers, while carrying out a mass deportation campaign. That effort has driven illegal crossings down to historic lows.
More than 8 million illegal immigrants crossed the southern border during the Biden administration, which was releasing them en masse.

Border Patrol

EXCLUSIVE: Agents Pulled Nationwide As ‘Gotaways’ Surge In Border Town

Southern Border

I attended White House Correspondents’ Dinner receptions at the Washington Hilton and never had to go through security to get there. It is no surprise that a gunman was able to get as far as he did.
Walking up to the Hilton, security outside the front entrance asked to see tickets before reaching the hotel’s circular driveway and main entrance. A ticket was required for entry, whether to the official dinner or any associated reception hosted by outlets such as Fox News, POLITICO, or CBS. I was invited to a reception, and didn&#8217;t have a ticket to the official dinner. But once inside the lobby, attendees roamed freely. Escalators led down to the red carpet area, the International Ballroom where the dinner took place, and smaller ballrooms hosting numerous receptions. Only the main ballroom was secured by metal detectors.
All I showed to get into the hotel was an email with my reception ticket on my phone. It would have been easy to forward the email to someone else. No one inspected it closely — they only glanced at the graphic. I carried a purse on my shoulder that was never checked, and I was never screened through any metal detector. I stood shoulder to shoulder with officials and VIPs, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Stephen Miller, Karoline Leavitt, and Erika Kirk, without ever being screened. Once inside the Hilton, I never showed my ticket again.
Security and law enforcement were present throughout the hotel, and protestors or disgruntled journalists were escorted out during the night. Yet every person entering the building, where the president, vice president, cabinet members, and other senior officials were present, just levels below, should have been thoroughly screened. Hotel guests should never have had unrestricted access.
That lack of basic checks left an immediate sense of exposure that many commented on even hours before the shooting. Moving through packed crowds with nothing more than a quick glance at a phone screen made the vulnerability feel obvious, especially with high-level figures standing right beside me.
The shooter, 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of Torrance, California, was reportedly a registered guest at the Washington Hilton. This gave him initial access to the building and lobby areas. The Hilton maintains the longstanding practice of keeping public spaces and guest areas open during the event, with full screening limited to the magnetometer checkpoint outside the International Ballroom.
Allen, armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, reached that checkpoint and opened fire. One Secret Service agent was struck but protected by a ballistic vest. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members were evacuated. The dinner was disrupted. Video <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116468650367386223">released</a> by President Trump shows the gunman advancing through the checkpoint as agents responded.
Some have noted that the final checkpoint ultimately stopped the gunman from entering the ballroom. But this misses the central failure: He should never have been allowed that deep into the Hilton. Armed as he was, he could have opened fire much earlier — in the lobby, on the escalators, or inside any of the crowded pre-dinner receptions. The last security layer should not have been the only meaningful barrier.
This incident resulted from two policy shortcomings. The Hilton has hosted the WHCD for decades, attracting the president and top officials, yet it has continued to have minimal outer-perimeter controls. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security has been operating under a partial shutdown for more than 70 days since February 14 due to congressional disputes over immigration enforcement. Secret Service personnel have worked with constrained resources amid record threat levels.
Venues hosting the president and other protected officials require layered security starting at the outer perimeter. Critical protective agencies like the Secret Service must have stable, full funding to maintain effectiveness. The arrangements at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night fell far short of those basic standards.
Trump praised the Secret Service response and says the dinner will be rescheduled. It should be held somewhere else.
***
Bethany Miller is the director of communications at NRB, managing editor of The Conservateur, and a senior fellow at Concerned Women for America.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

I Never Went Through WHCD Security At The Washington Hilton

DW Opinion

Secret Service

The GOP-led Senate moved early Thursday morning to pass a budget plan that would provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security and allocate another $70 billion for immigration enforcement for the remainder of President Trump&#8217;s time in office.
The proposal <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/votes_new.htm">passed</a> the closely divided chamber 50-48, with Republicans backing the measure and Democrats voting in opposition. Republicans said that the measure, which now goes to the House, would help to secure the border. The passage means the resolution moves forward toward the reconciliation process, meaning Republicans can pass a funding bill without having to get past the filibuster.
“We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end, Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-ND).
Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) criticized Democrats for blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security 16 times. The department has been defunded since February 14, 2026.
“Democrats are playing to the most radical members of their party.  Through their actions, Democrats are putting the safety and security of our nation behind the safety and security of their own political careers,” he said from the Senate floor.
Democrats tried to add a number of amendments to the proposal that they claimed would address the cost of housing, childcare, and health care.
“Instead of pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol, Republicans should be working with Democrats to lower out-of-pocket costs,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.
A number of Republican-backed amendments also fell short after Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sided with Democrats. Those senators voted against a proposal from Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.
&#8220;One recent study found that in three years alone, Planned Parenthood got a billion and a half dollars from Medicaid and Medicare.  Money to be used on these risky surgeries and [transgender] procedures for our children. This is wrong,” Hawley said. “This is a terrible misuse of federal funds, and we should put a stop to it today.”
Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mitch McConnel (R-KY), Murkowski, and Collins and also <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1192/vote_119_2_00096.htm">voted</a> with Democrats to block an effort from Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) to attach the SAVE Act, which would require photo ID to vote in federal elections, to the proposal.

Republicans Ice Out Dems On Key Move Tied To A Top Trump Campaign Promise

Immigration

Republican Party

U.S. Senate

Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will run out of emergency cash by May, and said that Democrats must either agree to fund the department or explain why they want &#8220;open borders.&#8221;
President Donald Trump earlier approved emergency funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to pay Homeland Security personnel. More than two months into the DHS shutdown, that money is nearly gone.
&#8220;But that money is dried up if I continue down this path the first week of May,&#8221; Mullin said on Fox &amp; Friends Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
MULLIN says DHS will run out of emergency cash to pay his workforce at the end of April
&#8220;There&#8217;s no more money.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/KYdXI8Algt">pic.twitter.com/KYdXI8Algt</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2046583932825612546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DHS is shelling out more than $1.6 billion to pay its workforce every two weeks, the new secretary said, adding, &#8220;so the money is going extremely fast.&#8221;
&#8220;After we get through April, which I got two more weeks,&#8221; Mullin said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got one payroll left, and there is no emergency funds, so the president can&#8217;t do another executive order for us to use money because there&#8217;s no more money there.&#8221;
Roughly two-thirds of DHS employees are furloughed, according to Mullin.
The Senate is expected to vote as early as this week on a budget blueprint for a reconciliation package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, Republicans and Democrats have yet to reach a final agreement on a long-term funding solution.
&#8220;What the Democrats need to do is explain to the American people why they want open borders and why they don&#8217;t want to deport these illegals that are truly running our cities and running our streets. And at some point, they need to be held accountable because they&#8217;re putting the homeland at risk &#8230; because our adversaries are taking advantage of the weakness,&#8221; he said.
Senate Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), are pushing for a funding package that would extend ICE and CBP funding into the next decade, while also including defense spending, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5835883-reconciliation-dhs-fisa-warsh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Hill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has advocated for a &#8220;skinny&#8221; funding package that is more likely to pass both chambers, the outlet reported.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has advocated for a &#8220;tight&#8221; bill, according to The Hill.
“Why are we trying to make this more difficult? In fact, if you’ve got a really great set of ideas, then convince Sen. Graham to create another reconciliation vehicle, and we can do it after we dispense with the matter at hand,” he said.

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‘We’ve Got One Payroll Left’: DHS Cash Crisis Is Closer Than You Think

Markwayne Mullin

President Donald Trump&#8217;s acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Todd Lyons is set to leave the agency after overseeing roughly 584,000 deportations.
Lyons first shared his plans to retire with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trumps-ice-chief-slams-liberal-judges-for-creating-deportation-roadblocks-based-on-personal-opinions?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Trump%E2%80%99s+ICE+Chief+Slams+Liberal+Judges+For+Creating+Deportation+%E2%80%98Roadblocks%E2%80%99+Based+On+Personal+%E2%80%98Opinions%E2%80%99">The Daily Wire</a> in September, stating his departure would be in &#8220;a year or two.&#8221; In a Thursday night statement, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called Lyons &#8220;a great leader of ICE&#8221; and a &#8220;key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities.&#8221;
&#8220;He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years,&#8221; Mullin said. &#8220;Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer. We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector.&#8221;
Lyons&#8217; last day at ICE will be May 31, Mullin said.
A source familiar with his departure plans told The Daily Wire that Lyons &#8220;needs a break,&#8221; but that his ultimate reason for leaving the agency was &#8220;wanting to be back with his family.&#8221;
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson wrote on X Thursday that &#8220;Todd is an American patriot who made our country safer,&#8221; adding, &#8220;The American people are deeply appreciative for his service.&#8221;
Lyons has 20 years of service with ICE and was previously in the United States Air Force.
While leading ICE, he commanded the respect of rank-and-file agents and officers. He also leaves with the respect of Trump administration officials spearheading the mass deportation campaign.
Trump&#8217;s border czar Tom Homan told Fox News that Lyons &#8220;has served selflessly as a highly respected and effective acting Director of U.S. ICE.&#8221;
&#8220;Under his leadership, ICE achieved a record number of removals in the first year of this administration, despite unprecedented challenges, delivering on the president’s promise to deport illegal aliens who have no right to be in the U.S., especially those that are public safety risks or pose a threat to our national security,&#8221; Homan said.
&#8220;I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests,&#8221; he added.
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller told Fox News that &#8220;Todd is a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader who has been at the center of President Trump’s historic efforts to secure our homeland and reverse the Democrats’ sinister border invasion.&#8221;
&#8220;His courageous work at ICE has saved countless thousands of American lives and helped deliver safety and tranquility to millions of Americans,&#8221; Miller said.

ICE Chief To Testify As Lawmakers Press For Answers On Tactics

Trump’s ICE Boss Exits After Driving One Of Largest Deportation Surges In Modern History

Deportations

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Wednesday that the Biden administration knew the man suspected of murdering a DHS employee had a checkered criminal history, but granted him citizenship anyway.
Mullin said that 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon Abel had an established criminal pattern before he was granted citizenship in 2022 by the Biden administration. Abel was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-employee-murdered-while-walking-dog-as-biden-era-naturalized-suspect-emerges?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DHS+Employee+Murdered+While+Walking+Dog+As+Biden-Era+Naturalized+Suspect+Emerges">arrested</a> earlier this week for murdering 40-year-old DHS employee Lauren Bullis in DeKalb County, Georgia, while she was out walking her dog.
“This individual not just had a pattern of criminal activity, but his pattern was every April. Every April, he had escalated his criminal activity, and the Biden administration knew this, law enforcement knew this, and they decided not to just deport him, but they allowed him to become a citizen, and then he escalated it to the point he did now,” Mullin said during an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lauren Bullis, a DHS employee, was shot and stabbed while she was walking her dog by a citizen naturalized by the Biden administration.
This horrific incident is a devastating loss for the entire DHS community.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecMullinDHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecMullinDHS</a> <a href="https://t.co/3QyPIbffEG">pic.twitter.com/3QyPIbffEG</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2044565998028656938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Abel was arrested on Monday after police said that he went on a random killing spree that left Bullis and another woman dead, and a homeless man seriously injured. Bullis was shot and stabbed while out walking her dog Monday morning.
Born in the United Kingdom, Abel has an extensive criminal history including convictions for sexual battery, battery against a police officer, obstruction, assault with a deadly weapon, and vandalism.
Mullin said it did not appear to be a targeted killing, but said there must have been some connection to the month of April.
“So the question is, why April? There must have been something in his life that was triggering April, that he was acting out, but there was a direct pattern to it,” he said.
Bullis worked in the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security as an auditor.
“In every role she held, Lauren exemplified dedication to the OIG mission. Lauren approached her work with integrity, thoughtfulness, and a commitment to excellence that strengthened our organization and the communities we serve,” DHS <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2044473024808948076">said</a> Wednesday. “Beyond her professional accomplishments, Lauren was a bright spot for so many of the DHS community. She brought warmth, kindness, and a genuine sense of care to her colleagues each day.”

IMG_2029

Mullin Slams Biden’s Green Light For DHS Murder Suspect Despite Criminal Past

Crime

Joe Biden

U.S.

United Kingdom

ICE agents detained an illegal alien from Ghana convicted on 15 counts for stealing more than $8 million through an online dating fraud scheme targeting the elderly, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. 
Convicted three years ago in Boston, Massachusetts, for defrauding the elderly through fake dating profiles, ICE agents detained Kofi Ib Osei on Tuesday. Osei was convicted in March 2023 on seven counts of false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and two counts of money laundering. 
“Kofi Osei is a criminal illegal alien who committed fraud throughout New England,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. “On April 6, 2026, ICE arrested Osei from jail and took him into custody in Virginia. This is why we need local cooperation.”
Osei first entered the United States in 2010 and was convicted on March 22, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
The indictment against Osei revealed that he targeted victims across the country, from Florida to California, from 2016 to 2020, through a romance scheme that involved tricking individuals into sending money to bank accounts operated by Osei under fake names. This money was then used for buying cars and other personal items, according to the indictment.
To open bank accounts, Osei would use passports from South Africa and Lesotho under various names. 
One victim in the indictment included a woman who met Osei on eHarmony under the name “William Karlsen.&#8221; They communicated by phone and text, and Osei claimed he needed her to send him money so he could leave the oil rig he claimed to work on to visit her. Eventually, the victim transferred Osei over $200,000, according to the indictment. 
A second scheme involved Osei using the name “William Woodcox” and getting money from a woman he targeted on the dating website Plenty of Fish. That victim transferred him around $65,000 to help him after an accident in which he&#8217;d claimed to be involved. 
In total, the Justice Department said that Osei scammed hundreds of people out of $8 million. He was sentenced to 54 months in prison over the scheme. 
Osei was just one of the illegal immigrant criminals arrested this week by ICE. 
Others arrested by ICE this week included Pedro Joel Martinez, an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14-years-old; Miguel Angel Vazquez-Garcia, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted for dealing child pornography in Wilmington, Delaware; Ader Aldair Ramirez-Quiroz, an illegal alien from Honduras convicted for importation of fentanyl in San Diego, California; and Anyeli Carolina Peley-Herrera, an illegal alien from Venezuela convicted for acquisition of personal identification by false authority in Bonneville County, Idaho, according to DHS. 
“Yesterday, the heroic men and women of ICE arrested child predators, child rapists, drug traffickers, and other scumbags,” Bis said. “Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”

MixCollage-08-Apr-2026-01-36-PM-7534

No Love Lost: ICE Nabs Illegal Who Scammed Grandmas In Online Dating Scheme

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Massachusetts

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