South Dakota Republican Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kristi-noem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a> promised during her confirmation hearing on Friday that, if confirmed, the Department of Homeland Security would not be politicized when asked about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> scandal in Florida where relief workers were ordered to skip homes with Trump flags or yard signs. 
Noem was also asked about securing the border, the state of the Secret Service, and FEMA’s response to natural disasters. 
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) asked Noem about an incident <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> by The Daily Wire in Lake Placid, Florida, when FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington ordered Hurricane Milton relief workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
“Last year FEMA employees during disaster relief were instructed by one of their supervisors that if they see a Trump sign or a Trump flag flying to skip that house, to not stop by there, and tell them what their federal government can do for them,” Lankford said. “Will you allow FEMA employees or any within DHS to politicize their role or pick and choose who gets help and who doesn’t as an American?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) asks Trump Homeland Security nominee Kristi Noem about my exclusive Daily Wire report revealing that FEMA skipped at least 20 homes during hurricane relief operations in Florida because of Trump flags or signs. <a href="https://t.co/MmadHBPSME">pic.twitter.com/MmadHBPSME</a>
— Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) <a href="https://twitter.com/leif_lemahieu/status/1880327357233525164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The instructions from Washington, given verbally and in a group chat, led to FEMA workers skipping some 20 homes from late October into early November when they canvassed Lake Placid. FEMA workers later visited those homes a day after The Daily Wire published its report. 
“Under President Trump’s administration, disaster and emergency relief will not be handed out with political bias,” Noem told Lankford. “Every American will be responded to and treated equally.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has maintained that Washington’s guidance was an isolated incident that violated agency policies. In subsequent interviews, Washington claimed that her orders were based on widespread “avoidance” policies approved by FEMA in cases of political “hostility.” 
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Multiple investigations, including from the inspector general, are ongoing, probing claims of similar misconduct in North Carolina. 
Specifically, DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-inspector-general-confirms-fema-probe-says-aid-should-not-be-politically-based" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looking into</a> claims made to lawmakers on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that entire neighborhoods were skipped in North Carolina if more than three signs displayed support for Trump. 
Various names have been floated around for who Trump might task with replacing Criswell at FEMA, but no official decision has been announced yet.

Senate Confirmation Hearing Considers Kristi Noem For DHS Secretary

Noem Promises To Keep Politics Out Of DHS When Asked About FEMA Scandal

Congress

Department of Homeland Security

Donald Trump

FEMA

Florida

James Lankford

Kristi Noem

Politics

unnamed

Kristi Noem Closes Out Wild Week Of Confirmation Hearings For Trump Noms: Live Updates

Illegal Immigration

Terrorism

Trump Administration

Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari confirmed Monday that his office was investigating FEMA over concerns that disaster relief was withheld from Trump supporters, according to a letter shared with The Daily Wire. 
Cuffari confirmed the investigation in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/2025-01-06-FEMA-TRUMP_Signs_OIG_Response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> on December 3 a probe into whether FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington’s instructions to “avoid homes advertising Trump” in Lake Placid, Florida, may have been part of a broader agency policy. Washington was fired after The Daily Wire first reported that at least 20 homes were skipped to her directive. 
“I share your sentiments that any disaster funding provided by Congress must be made available to all affected and that it cannot be conditioned or delayed based on political views,” Cuffari wrote on Monday. 
“On December 17, 2024, my office initiated an audit of FEMA’s Assessment of Community Trends,” he added. “The objective is to determine how well FEMA followed its policies and procedures when addressing safety concerns and determining community trends that impact disaster survivor assistance in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
Washington claimed that her directive to skip Trump homes was based on FEMA&#8217;s &#8220;community trends&#8221; policies.
In their December 3 letter, Graves and Perry wrote that they were aware of reports out of North Carolina “of FEMA employees skipping any home that displayed a ‘Make America Great Again,’ ‘Drain the Swamp,’ ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ or Trump campaign sign. If the FEMA field team encountered three or more of these signs, the field team could abandon the entire neighborhood without notifying hurricane victims of assistance available to them.”
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Cuffari said that he was thankful for the information provided by the Republican lawmakers and that he would be happy to schedule a briefing with them on the findings. 
“We greatly appreciate the information you provided, as it aided our decision-making process. I will be glad to share the results of this audit, future reports on this topic, or any of our numerous projects, with you if you would like to schedule a briefing with me,” he wrote. 
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that the incident in Lake Placid was “isolated,” and confirmed last month that there are multiple ongoing federal investigations into potential discrimination by the agency.

Michigan Holds Its Primary Election

DHS Inspector General Confirms FEMA Probe, Says Aid Should Not Be Politically Based

Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Milton

Outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Sunday that Republicans should &#8220;not politicize&#8221; the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to root out alleged extremists from inside the U.S. military.
Mayorkas made the remarks during a Sunday ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos on &#8220;This Week&#8221; while discussing 42-year-old Islamic terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who declared allegiance to ISIS and then murdered at least 14 people in an attack on New Orlean&#8217;s French Quarter last week.
&#8220;We have not only the persistent threat of foreign terrorism that, of course, created the Department of Homeland Security, but we have adverse nation states, and for the past 10 years, we&#8217;ve seen a significant increase in what we term homegrown violent extremism,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is a very difficult threat landscape and it is why that we as a community, not just the federal government, but state and local officials and residents, need to be alert to it and take the precautions necessary to avoid violence from occurring.&#8221;
After downplaying how significantly his disastrous border policies have damaged U.S. national security, Mayorkas responded to criticism from President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, over the administration&#8217;s &#8220;sham&#8221; of trying root out extremists from the military.
&#8220;The phenomenon of radicalization of individuals is not limited to the military,&#8221; Mayorkas said. &#8220;It is something that we are very focused upon in society writ large. The military is not immune to it, nor is the federal work force.&#8221;
He said that Republicans should &#8220;not politicize&#8221; the issue but rather focus on &#8220;confronting and combatting&#8221; it.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Disgraced DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: &#8220;The phenomenon of radicalization of individuals is not limited to the military &#8230; The military is not immune to it nor is the federal workforce.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Cg0ON1k0qv">pic.twitter.com/Cg0ON1k0qv</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1875925117592801401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Holds Media Availability In Eagle Pass, Texas

Mayorkas: Republicans Should ‘Not Politicize’ Actions Of Biden Admin

Alejandro Mayorkas

New Orleans

Radical Islamic Terror

As we prepare to enter the new year, we&#8217;re taking you back to some of The Daily Wire&#8217;s best reporting from 2024. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-failed-to-enforce-mandatory-dna-tests-at-the-border-whistleblowers-say-violent-criminals-and-child-traffickers-took-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on July 25. 
The Department of Homeland Security has refused to follow a law mandating it take DNA samples from illegal immigrants taken into custody, which would identify violent criminals and child traffickers, employees told the U.S. Senate.
Speaking to senators in July, three former officials presented evidence that DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had blocked their efforts to comply with a 2005 law, then retaliated against them when they sounded the alarm about the lawbreaking.
“Given the enormous potential of DNA collection to facility solving crimes, we took our job seriously,” Fred Wynn said.
Law enforcement experts from CBP’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) unit were tasked with implementing a mandatory program to DNA-test illegals. But higher-ups at DHS were so opposed to the law that they continuously thwarted it, eventually disbanding the entire WMD division, the whistleblowers say. Disbanding the division may have opened the United States to a WMD attack, in addition to criminals crossing the border.
The lack of DNA testing also contributed to allowing hundreds of thousands of children to stay with people who claimed to be relatives, but who may have been child labor or sex traffickers. DNA testing is the only reliable way to ensure that children aren’t coming across the border with traffickers, or being taken to live with them by U.S. officials as “sponsors.”
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Mark Jones, previously the acting director of CBP’s WMD unit, said that “the DNA tool is invaluable especially when establishing family units.” More than half a million “unaccompanied minors” have crossed the border illegally and been allowed to remain in the country, and are “reunited” with people purporting to be their relatives, who have sometimes been traffickers.
Jones said the WMD team had its responsibilities stripped, and were told to come to work and simply sit and do nothing. One team member was told to report to a new desk that had no internet, phone, or power.
“Certain senior officials were hell-bent on slow-rolling any process or pilot program that enabled DNA collection,” he said.
In 2018, Jones heard the special assistant to the Customs and Border Protection chief say that “the Commissioner does not want to do this,” while another official said, “if we have to, we will get the press to capture us forcibly taking DNA from an 89-year old woman to garner outrage,” he said.
That year, DHS “shut down the DNA collection pilot program and disbanded the WMD division,” and Jones was demoted three levels, he said.
Mike Taylor, the third WMD whistleblower, said the men have repeatedly reached out to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but have received no corrective action. Meanwhile, those who retaliated against the men have been promoted.
Congress passed a law requiring the DNA testing of criminals and illegal immigrants in 2005, with near-unanimous bipartisan support. In 2010, the year the requirement kicked in, Barack Obama’s DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder asking for a postponement, writing that “we intend to phase-in implementation over the next year.” Holder acquiesced, with an admonishment that DHS should work quickly.
Ten years later, DHS had simply not done it, and cited the memo from Holder as evidence that it has been exempted from following the law.
In August 2019, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), a federal agency that investigates whistleblower disclosures and retaliation, <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/osc_cbp_report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> that DHS’s “noncompliance with the law has allowed subjects subsequently accused of violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, to elude detection even when detained multiple times by CBP.”
The report points to an illegal immigrant who committed multiple sexual assaults in Arizona in 1997. Though police had the DNA of the perpetrator, they could not find a match, since the suspect was not in the system. The crime was only solved in 2019 because the suspect went on to go to prison for another crime, at which point he had his DNA taken.
In 2021, OSC found that DHS retaliated against the whistleblowers due to “displeasure with the Complainants’ perceived and actual involvement in bringing to light the agency’s intentional, decade-long failure to implement a law.”
The office lambasted DHS for lawbreaking and retaliation in the strongest possible terms, and said DHS had given shifting excuses that were demonstrably untrue.
Nonetheless, the retaliation continued. In 2022, DHS took Jones’ and Taylor’s badges, guns, and law enforcement credentials. Taylor lost his law enforcement retirement pension despite his having nearly reached the required 20 years of service.
In 2023, DHS sought to make the whistleblowers’ claims out to be a conspiracy theory with another misleading statement, telling the New York Post that “The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) terminated its investigation into these claims without issuing a Prohibited Personnel Practice Report or seeking corrective action.”
Recently, CBP has engaged in limited DNA testing of illegals—37% in fiscal year 2023. Even with that subset, it matched with the DNA of 1,037 violent criminals. Illegal immigrant DNA was responsible for 42% of all crimes solved using the FBI’s DNA database.
But that meant that nearly two million illegals in DHS custody did not get DNA swabbed that year. Jones noted that “we likely missed over 1,600 violent criminals in 2023 alone” based on the match rate of the smaller sample.
So far in fiscal year 2024, DNA testing of illegal immigrants has matched the DNA of people wanted in 10 homicides and 145 sex offenses.
The limited DNA testing belatedly implemented by DHS has been carried out in a way that ensures it won’t stop known violent criminals from being allowed to stay in the country. Although the technology exists to take and process a cheek swab on site in 90 minutes, DHS mails the samples to FBI headquarters and gets the results back months later. By that time, the illegal immigrants have already been released.
Failing to use rapid, on-site technology means the DNA samples will only be useful in identifying the illegal aliens if they commit crimes in the future.
The more illegal immigrants are tracked with their DNA, the more crimes they are tied to—an uncomfortable fact for Democrats who claim that illegal immigrants do not commit crimes.
In June, a man wielding a machete tied up and sexually assaulted two 13-year-old girls in New York City. DNA from the victims tied the crime to Christian Inga, an illegal immigrant who was swabbed when he crossed the border in 2021.
Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five, was raped and murdered last year. Charged in her death was Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was also suspected of a homicide there. Maryland police had a DNA sample of the perpetrator, but nothing to compare it to. Although Hernandez had been captured at the border three times, his DNA was never taken.
Maryland police ultimately identified Hernandez by comparing his DNA to that of his relatives.
The congressional panel was conducted by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI). The senators held the hearing as an unofficial “roundtable,” as Democrats, who control the Senate, refused to participate.
Grassley said the Biden administration has refused to respond to his oversight inquiries on the topic. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for president and has positioned herself as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, was tasked by Biden with managing issues related to the border.

Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas

DHS Failed To Enforce DNA Tests At Border. Whistleblowers Say Child Traffickers Took Advantage.

Border Crisis

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said on Sunday that he is “aware of reports of children being trafficked,” but that stopping it is “outside the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security.”
More than half a million illegal immigrant children have been knowingly let into the country in recent years — about 120,000 a year — under a policy shielding “unaccompanied alien children.” The New York Times found that one-third could not be located thirty days later.
Mayorkas shrugged aside the high numbers of children that disappear, saying some could just be illegal immigrants refusing to cooperate with the conditions they agreed to. &#8220;Individuals do not comply with the reporting obligations, or otherwise, I think it is inaccurate to say that all of them are trafficked or victimized,” he <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/dhs-alejandro-mayorkas-missing-children-trafficking-responsibility-2004975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Face the Nation.
Mayorkas declined to take responsibility despite his agency’s official watchdog, the DHS inspector general, in August, issuing a report saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of DHS, &#8220;must take <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-made-no-effort-to-locate-missing-unaccompanied-alien-children-auditor-says-in-urgent-alert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immediate action</a> to ensure the safety of UCs residing in the United States. … Without an ability to monitor the location and status of UCs, ICE has no assurance UCs are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.”
It said DHS had not been able to find, or simply didn’t bother trying to find, about 300,000 children to give them court papers. “At one location we visited, 34,823 (84 percent) of 41,638 UCs in the local area had not been served NTAs,” the inspector general wrote, referring to Notices to Appear. In other cases, they found the children, and they appeared to be being exploited, but DHS did nothing. Agents “had identified UCs in unsafe conditions but were unable to intervene&#8230; One ICE officer expressed concern with not being able to take action in a case involving a UC whose sponsor claimed the UC was in an inappropriate relationship with her husband,” the report said.
The loophole that gives preferential treatment to children if they come to the border alone—the preservation of which was a plank in the 2024 Democrat platform—has incentivized the separation of families, with children leaving their families behind and making the perilous journey with coyotes. The children are disproportionately from Guatemala, coupled with alleged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-traffickers-exploit-bidens-unaccompanied-alien-children-program-records-suggest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extensive advertising by cartels</a> there. 
When the children are apprehended by DHS, they are turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, which identifies “sponsors” for the children to live with the in U.S. The sponsors are almost always fellow illegal immigrants and do not have to be related.
Remarkably, the head of Joe Biden’s HHS, Xavier Becerra, has repeatedly said that what happens to the children after they are released to sponsors is not his responsibility, either. “Our responsibility is to provide care while they were in our custody,” he told Congress in November.
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HHS never meets the sponsors before releasing the children to them, instead verifying their identities only by having them text screenshots of foreign IDs via WhatsApp, then paying a transportation contractor to take the children to them. Its only follow-up was a call thirty days later, at which point one-third of the sponsors would not answer or refused to put the child on the phone, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html">according</a> to The New York Times. The Times found that many of the children were being forced to work in dangerous factories, and there is evidence that others have been sold into the sex trade.
Becerra told Congress last month that they now make three attempts to contact the sponsors, but admitted that HHS has no authority whatsoever to do anything if the results of such check-ins go poorly. “We try to reach the child and the sponsor the times by phone to check in. The child and the sponsor are not obligated to return our call, we can&#8217;t require them to do so. And by the way, even if they don&#8217;t call back that doesn&#8217;t mean a child is lost,” he said.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-California) lashed out at Becerra at the November hearing, saying, “You have dropped them off at a sponsor&#8217;s house, you now can&#8217;t get a hold of them &#8230; You shrug your shoulders and then send another batch of kids out. That&#8217;s frightening to me.”
Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said finding the missing vulnerable children will be a top priority.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rape-trees-and-discarded-passports-congress-hears-horrors-of-migrant-child-trafficking">‘Rape Trees’ And Discarded Passports: Congress Hears Horrors Of Migrant Child Trafficking</a>

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

Mayorkas Says Stopping Trafficking Of Alien Children Is ‘Outside The Responsibility’ Of DHS

Department of Health and Human Services

Joe Biden

Tom Homan

Federal authorities and the U.S. military released a detailed statement on Monday night saying that after an extensive investigation, the mysterious drone sightings that people have seen on the East Coast do not amount to anything nefarious, nor is there any threat to the public.
The statement comes from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, FAA, and Department of Defense. It follows weeks of speculation and widespread news coverage of the sightings, many of which have occurred in New Jersey.
&#8220;Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.&#8221;
The U.S. government entities said that there are currently more than a million registered drones in the U.S. and that thousands are flown daily, which they expect to increase in the years to come.
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They said that the FBI alone has received more than 5,000 tips over the last few weeks, which has generated approximately 100 leads that authorities have investigated.
&#8220;We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.&#8221;
They added that drone sightings near U.S. military facilities, while concerning, are not a new phenomenon and that the Department of Defense &#8220;takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate.&#8221;
&#8220;Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place,&#8221; the statement added.

Drone flying over ocean at dawn

Feds, U.S. Military Release Statement Assessing What People Are Seeing With Drone Sightings

Air and Space

Department of Defense

Drones

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

New Jersey

U.S.

Two men were arrested on Saturday after police said they flew a drone “dangerously close” to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston</a>’s Logan International Airport. 
The Boston Police Department <a href="https://police.boston.gov/2024/12/15/two-suspects-arrested-following-hazardous-drone-operation-on-long-island/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sunday that officers apprehended 42-year-old Robert Duffy of Charlestown and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater for allegedly flying a drone near Logan’s airspace. The two Massachusetts men were charged with trespassing, but police say they could face more serious charges. 
“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters,” the police said. “Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk.”
Police said that on Saturday, at 4:30 p.m., an officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance noticed an Unmanned Aircraft System “operating dangerously close” to the airport. That officer was then able to identify the drone’s location, altitude, and flight history and track the operator&#8217;s location on Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands.
A police unit went to Long Island, where officers found the operators at a decommissioned health care center. 
“Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot. Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy,” the police said. 
Police said a third suspect, who was not identified, likely escaped the island in a small boat. 
“Recognizing the serious risks posed by the drone’s proximity to Logan’s airspace, additional resources were mobilized,” the police said, noting that local law enforcement worked with Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission, and the airport to locate the drone and track the suspects. 
“The Boston Police Department is committed to ensuring public safety and will continue to take necessary action against hazardous drone operations,” the police said. 
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The arrests come amid a rash of &#8220;mysterious drone&#8221; sightings throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S., including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. These sightings have left the public and elected officials confused and demanding answers.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayorkas-claims-americans-have-nothing-to-worry-about-over-drone-sightings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sunday that the agency would provide New Jersey law enforcement with special equipment and manpower to address the drones. 
“We’ve deployed personnel, technology, and if there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly,” he claimed. “Right now, we are not aware of any. If we become aware of any, we will communicate accordingly and take appropriate action.”

Boston Logan International Airport

2 Men Arrested For Flying Drone ‘Dangerously Close’ To Major Airport

Boston

Massachusetts

Police

On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY) urged Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> for better equipment to locate mystery drones in the Mid-Atlantic.
&#8220;I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1868356493776687385" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;I’m calling for [Mayorkas] to deploy special drone-detection tech across&#8221; New York and New Jersey.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings.
I’m calling for <a href="https://twitter.com/SecMayorkas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecMayorkas</a> to deploy special drone-detection tech across NY and NJ.
And I’m working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection.
&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1868356493776687385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Port Authority said a New York airport <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/14/us-news/mysterious-drones-shut-down-runways-of-ny-airport-causing-hochul-to-demand-feds-step-in-gone-too-far/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">closed</a> runways on Friday night for about an hour following a report from the FAA about a &#8220;drone sighting,&#8221; according to The New York Post.
In a letter to Mayorkas, Schumer suggested &#8220;drone-specific radar like the ROBIN&#8221; given how there have been sightings near &#8220;vulnerable sites such as airports and critical infrastructure.&#8221;
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Schumer letter to DHS Sec. Mayorkas on drones: “Given that drone sightings have been reported across hundreds of miles, and in the vicinity of vulnerable sites such as airports and critical infrastructure, I urge you to deploy additional systems like this (ROBIN) across NY &amp; NJ.” <a href="https://t.co/K86VDbn31V">pic.twitter.com/K86VDbn31V</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1868401729764741279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Such a detection system uses &#8220;not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyme99ZahCU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a news conference.
Mayorkas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayorkas-claims-americans-have-nothing-to-worry-about-over-drone-sightings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> on ABC News’ “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had begun to send equipment to New Jersey in particular.
&#8220;We, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology, to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings,&#8221; Mayorkas said.
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The agency sent New Jersey State Police a &#8220;drone-specific radar that also cues a highly capable EO/IR, or electro-optical infrared camera system,&#8221; a DHS official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/12/14/background-press-call-on-the-ongoing-response-to-reported-drone-sightings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters in a call.
&#8220;If the radar detects a drone, the camera will be able to identify and track it,&#8221; the official said, adding, &#8220;This is extremely helpful for drones without a standard radio frequency signal.&#8221;
On Wednesday, New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia <a href="https://x.com/DawnFantasia_NJ/status/1866896860578717994" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> to X details from a briefing about the suspected drones that have been spotted over the past several weeks.
She said the &#8220;large&#8221; drones were 6 feet in diameter, operated in a coordinated manner, and appeared to avoid &#8220;traditional methods&#8221; of detection by helicopters and radio frequencies.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-feds-cannot-corroborate-mysterious-drone-sightings-over-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that &#8220;sophisticated electronic detection technologies&#8221; had not been able to corroborate visual sightings.
&#8220;To the contrary,” Kirby added, &#8220;upon review of available imagery it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.&#8221;
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-kathy-hochul-43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement on Sunday that her calls for &#8220;additional resources&#8221; to assist in solving the drone mystery had been answered.
&#8220;[O]ur federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,&#8221; she said.
Hochul, Kirby, and Mayorkas also called on Congress to pass legislation to boost the authorities and resources afforded to state and local law enforcement agencies to counter drones.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act</a> will give states &#8220;the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today,&#8221; Hochul said.
In his post to X on Sunday, Schumer declared that he is &#8220;working to pass a bill in the Senate to give local law enforcement more tools for drone detection.&#8221;

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Schumer Presses Mayorkas To Deploy ‘Special Drone-Detection Tech’

Chuck Schumer

National Security

New York

Technology

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maryland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maryland</a> GOP Governor Larry Hogan said Friday that he saw &#8220;what appeared to be dozens of large drones&#8221; flying above his home in Maryland on Thursday evening. 
Hogan’s comments come as mystery <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unidentified-drones-entered-airspace-over-u-s-navy-weapons-station" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone sightings</a> have been reported across northeastern states. He demanded more answers from the Biden administration, which has provided little information on the origin or nature of the drones. 
“Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital),” Hogan posted on X alongside a video taken from his home. “I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes.”
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Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital). I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes.
Like… <a href="https://t.co/Ipx8ctLmhs">pic.twitter.com/Ipx8ctLmhs</a>
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLarryHogan/status/1867608947525386534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” Hogan added. “But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government. The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response. People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but aren’t getting any.”
In a joint statement on Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security suggested that people may be reporting manned aircraft. They added that they did not believe the drones to be a security threat. 
“We are being told that neither the White House, the military, the FBI, or Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them–and that they pose no threat,” Hogan said.  “That response is entirely unacceptable. I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue. The American people deserve answers and action now,” he added. 
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Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have called for the Biden administration to give more information on the drones, which have been spotted over multiple states, including New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and Maryland. 
 “The Biden Administration continues to be dismissive of New Jersey residents who have witnessed these drones in swarms, including coming from the ocean, following a Coast Guard lifeboat, and flying over extremely sensitive military bases like Naval Weapons Station Earle in my congressional district,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) <a href="https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in response to the joint DHS/FBI statement. “ The American people and our trained local law enforcement officials have rightfully asked for real answers—not doublespeak from top Biden officials who still admit they do not know the origin or intent behind this unidentified drone activity.”
Smith said he would hold a press conference on Saturday in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, with local law enforcement to discuss the drone situation.

Maryland Senate Candidate Larry Hogan Speaks To The Press After Touring Public Elementary School

Former Republican Gov Says He Witnessed Mystery Drones Above Home, Demands Answers

Biden Administration

Larry Hogan

Maryland

A Democrat U.S. senator on Thursday called for the mysterious drones being sighted over multiple northeastern states to be shot down if they threaten sensitive areas. 
Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/richard-blumenthal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Blumenthal</a> (D-CT) said the U.S. government needed to take a more aggressive approach to responding to the drones and that it was “absolutely unacceptable” how little information people was being passed on to citizens. The drones have mainly been spotted in New Jersey, but there have also been sightings above nearby states like Connecticut and New York. 
&#8220;We should be doing some very smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they&#8217;re flying over airports or military bases,&#8221; Blumenthal said. &#8220;They should be shot down, if necessary, because they&#8217;re flying over sensitive areas.&#8221;
He said that his office had seen an influx of residents expressing concerns. 
&#8220;I&#8217;m hearing from constituents in the metropolitan area around New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, who are really terrified by these drones flying unidentified over airports and military bases,&#8221; Blumenthal said. 
New Jersey Republican Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/12/new-jersey-drone-sightings-new-york-senators" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously</a> demanded the drones be shot down.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dhs-fbi-release-statement-about-drone-sightings-in-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a joint statement on Thursday saying there was &#8220;no evidence&#8221; of a threat. 
“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” the statement said. “The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.”
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Sen. Blumenthal also urged Americans not to buy Chinese-made drones. 
&#8220;Chinese manufactured drones are real and present a threat to the security of this country,&#8221;  he said. &#8220;We have to stop using them.&#8221;
The comments come as the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/brentwood-man-arrested-allegedly-flying-drone-over-and-photographing-vandenberg-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> this week that a 39-year-old Chinese citizen had been arrested for allegedly flying a drone over the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and taking photos. The man, Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested by authorities before boarding a flight to China. 
“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base&#8217;s layout, which is against the law,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”

Democratic Senators Address The Leaked Supreme Court Draft Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wade

Democrat Senator Calls For Mysterious Drones To Be Shot Down

Connecticut

Richard Blumenthal

America First Legal on Wednesday launched an investigation into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> over guidance from an employee for relief workers in Florida to “avoid homes advertising Trump,” according to letters first shared with The Daily Wire. 
The conservative legal firm <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/FEMA-FOIA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a Freedom of Information request demanding FEMA turn over records and communications involving fired FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington, who instructed workers responding in Lake Placid, Florida to pass over homes with Trump flags or signs. America First Legal, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing reporting</a> from The Daily Wire, also requested that Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari open up a full investigation into the allegations of relief aid being withheld for political reasons. 
“For four years, the Deep State has waged war on Americans’ freedom of speech. This latest example may be one of the most cruel, abusive, and egregious yet—denying homeowners desperately needed hurricane relief assistance because of who they supported politically,&#8221; America First Lawyer Will Scolinos told The Daily Wire. &#8220;AFL will work tirelessly for accountability and to safeguard Americans’ constitutional rights.&#8221;
Since the news broke that workers bypassed at least 20 homes in Lake Placid because of their Trump signage, similar allegations have been made against FEMA officials in both Georgia and North Carolina. 
“Accordingly, we write to request that you investigate FEMA’s reported violations of the First Amendment by discriminating based on political affiliation and withholding of federal disaster aid following recent natural disasters,” AFL lawyer Scolinos <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/DHS-OIG-FEMA-Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Wednesday. “In particular, we request that you investigate FEMA employees directing personnel to ‘avoid homes advertising Trump.’”
Scolinos wrote that the actions taken by Washington and alleged similar actions in North Carolina and Georgia violate the First Amendment. 
“FEMA’s blanket refusal to provide aid to these homes, and even entire neighborhoods, based on the political speech in the yards of some but not all homes is not narrowly tailored to any compelling governmental interest,” he wrote. 
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Scolinos added that the actions of Washington and others who deprived people with Trump signs or flags constituted an illegal conspiracy to deprive Americans of aid based on their politics. 
“To ensure that federal disaster relief is being administered fairly in compliance with the law, AFL hereby requests that you exercise your statutory oversight authority and open an investigation to determine whether American citizens faced political discrimination or retaliation by FEMA in areas affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene and elsewhere,” the letter added. “The dangers inherent in the undue politicization of FEMA’s disaster relief role should be evident.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has said the incident in Lake Placid was an isolated incident and said that she asked the inspector general to carry out an independent investigation. The inspector general&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire it cannot comment on any potential investigation.
In the FOIA request, AFL requested communications &#8220;sent to or received by, or mentioning&#8221; Washington, and all records that mention “Trump,” “Trump supporters,” “Trump signs,” or “isolated incident.” The Daily Wire has filed a similar request with FEMA over its handling of the situation.

EXCLUSIVE: America First Legal Takes Aim At FEMA Over ‘Egregious’ First Amendment Violations

First Amendment

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