As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Democrats are fighting to claim the majority in one or both chambers of Congress. But, according to a recent poll, the Democratic Party is polling below almost every key figure and organization — with the exception of the brutal Iranian regime.
<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27777984-nbc-news-march-2026-poll-03-08-2024-release-final/">An NBC News poll</a>, published by the legacy news outlet on March 8, asked a number of standard questions regarding the economy, military action in Iran, and the overall performance thus far of President Donald Trump — but it also ranked a number of key figures and organizations based on their net favorability.
The Democratic Party, with a net favorability rating of -22, ranked near the bottom of the list — in fact, only the Iranian regime ranked below the Democrats, albeit with a much lower net favorability of -53. Pope Leo the 14th ranked highest overall with a net favorability of 34.
President Donald Trump (-12) and the Republican Party (-14) were near the middle of the list — and as far as 2028 presidential contenders, Republicans fared far better than Democrats did there as well. Two of the most likely Democratic primary candidates — former Vice President Kamala Harris at -17 and Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feminist-hero-katie-couric-asks-gavin-newsom-if-hes-too-hot-to-be-president-in-hard-hitting-interview">Gavin Newsom</a> (D-CA) at -18 — ranked decidedly lower than current Vice President JD Vance (-11) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-7). Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who is rumored to be considering either a presidential bid or a move to unseat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was the only Democrat to break into the top half of the list, tying with Vance at -11.
The poll surveyed 1000 registered voters, just over half of whom were female. They were evenly divided along political lines, with 42% saying they leaned Republican, 42% saying they leaned Democrat, and the rest identifying themselves as either independent or other.
As to the other questions, just under half (44%) said they approved of President Trump&#8217;s performance thus far, and 54% disapproved. On border security specifically, the president fared much better, with just over half (53%) approving of his actions and a little less than half (44%) disapproving. On foreign policy, 43% approved and 54% disapproved — a slight shift from one year prior, when 45% approved and 53% disapproved. On the war in Iran, more than one-third (41%) approved of the president&#8217;s actions, and just over half (54%) disapproved.
A number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/odds-have-gone-plummeting-down-cnn-data-guru-says-democrat-hopes-of-flipping-house-are-fading">polls</a> in recent months have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/voters-abandon-democrats-support-hits-lowest-level-in-more-than-three-decades-poll">spelled trouble</a> for the Democrats, with one from The Wall Street Journal (in July of 2025) noting that Democrats had sunk to their lowest approval rating in decades, with well over half (63%) holding a negative view of the party.

Kamala Harris

Democrats Only Outrank Despotic Iranian Regime In Recent NBC Poll

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Donald Trump

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Here we go again. Minnesota’s elected officials have proven that the extreme progressives are in charge in the North Star State, beholden to the radical progressive activists who crawl out of every nook and cranny of the Twin Cities’s prestigious, white, liberal suburbs and exurbs. 
 
If you thought this was still the land of the milquetoast, “Minnesota Nice,” I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. 
 
In the aftermath of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation that began last summer and ramped up as the White House began cracking down on widespread fraud, Minnesota has been ground zero for purity tests of the far-Left regime. Now, there’s a horse race for the Democrat Farmer Labor candidate for Minnesota’s Senate seat, after current Senator Tina Smith announced her retirement at the end of this term. 
 
The race to the Left — or the bottom, depending on which way the political winds are blowing — is between current Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig. Both women flash their “girl power” bone fides at every chance, except when they’re appealing to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walz-signed-exec-order-protecting-trans-procedures-on-minors-while-holding-hand-of-gender-confused-12-year-old">trans-affirmative activists</a> who claim sex is a social construct, or to the abortion rights radicals who endanger women’s health and applaud the death of baby girls up to the <a href="https://alphanews.org/angie-craig-voted-against-bill-to-establish-protections-for-babies-who-survive-attempted-abortions/">moment of birth</a>. 
 
The latest show of extreme views comes from Craig, who, in a <a href="https://www.startribune.com/ice-agent-surge-minnesota-protests-federal-enforcement/601591429">commentary</a> in The Minnesota Star Tribune, writes of her “regret” in voting for the Laken Riley Act, the first bill that President Donald Trump signed into law in his second term. 
 
It’s “become clear that supporting any bill that gives ICE new authority in this administration was the wrong decision,” Craig writes. She cites the act’s expansion of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to include the detention without bail of noncitizen aliens while their immigration proceedings were pending to nonviolent offenders and provides for detaining aliens who are charged with or convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer. 
 
Craig comes to her lament after standing “side by side with protesters on the streets of Minneapolis and opposite dozens of armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Whipple Federal Building.” She makes no mention of the victims of these aliens’ <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-dozens-criminal-illegal-aliens-convicted-murder-child-rape-and-more">crimes</a> — crimes that put them on the ICE radar and, thanks to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, were free to live as “neighbors” instead of being detained by law enforcement in the local jails. 
 
How did her fellow DFL-er and political rival Peggy Flanagan respond? She pounced on it as an inexcusable failing in the moral purity test that the Minnesota extremist cabal uses as the standard operating procedure in politics. Flanagan posted on X a video clip of Craig voicing her support for the bill before her walk-back, adding, “Nothing can undo the damage that has been done.” Shots fired.
“Minnesotans want common sense,” Michele Tafoya, a Republican seeking that seat, told The Daily Wire. “We want law and order. But we are run by far Left career politicians who put their own careers ahead of the safety of innocent, law-abiding Minnesotans. Some of them are crazy, some of them are cowards and some of them are both. It has to change.”
“Angie Craig turning her back on the Laken Riley Act because her far Left base demands it is a craven act. Moderate Democrats have gone extinct in Minnesota,” she added.
In Minnesota, we were offered a bait-and-switch with Walz, who, in statewide elections and in his miserable bid for vice president alongside Kamala Harris, was touted as an American Everyman action figure, complete with a vintage truck, Mountain Dew, and hunting accessories. But his <a href="https://www.americanexperiment.org/what-america-needs-to-know-about-tim-walz-of-minnesota/">record </a>reveals extremist policies and disdain for the average fellas he was recruited to represent. Walz is one example of a new trend on the Left: Campaign as a moderate and, once elected, push hard-Left, radical policies.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has appeared on various conservative platforms with a moderate <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/15/us-news/gavin-newsom-backtracks-on-outrageous-ice-claims-made-by-his-own-team-in-shapiro-interview/">tone</a>. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s State of the Union <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-rising-stars-sotu-rebuttal-ripped-conservatives-anyone-who-claims-she-moderate-liar">rebuttal</a> last month displayed rank hypocrisy and a laughable attempt at &#8220;Moderate Dem&#8221; rebranding.
Spanberger, who ran as a moderate, is now proposing sweeping, state-wide tax hikes, and criticizing immigration enforcement to the point of <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/dhs-blasts-spanberger-potential-release-182714286.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall">denying</a> an ICE detainer for an illegal immigrant with over 30 arrests accused of stabbing a 41-year-old woman to death at a bus stop in Fairfax County. Even socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani leveraged the &#8220;affordability&#8221; buzzword and an inclusive demeanor to obfuscate sky-high tax policies and his anti-Jewish, anti-Israel history.
We’ll continue to see this leftward march, purity tests, and hyperbolic rhetoric in support of these extreme measures — unhindered hormone and surgical procedures on minors for sex transitions, unlimited abortion, allowing males to compete against females in sports and opening bathrooms and locker rooms to all genders — and now siding with criminal aliens against law abiding citizens who truly want their neighborhoods safe rather than be battlegrounds for the latest Karen to proclaim her woke creds with an “ICE OUT” sign and safety whistle. What do you expect from a governor who publicly called ICE officers Nazis and compared them to the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5307956-minnesota-gov-tim-walz-gestapo-trump/">Gestapo</a>? 
 
Rest in peace to the moderate Democrat who understood the errors of the Biden administration&#8217;s open border policy, who saw the damage of crime, rising welfare burdens, failed assimilation, and the deaths of innocent Americans at the hands of illegal aliens, and worked toward a common-sense solution — even (gasp!) voting with Republicans. In fact, high-profile wins like Mamdani&#8217;s and Spanberger&#8217;s have emboldened the progressive wing, raising the possibility of an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://x.com/SteveGuest/status/2028301350006595984?s=20">presidential bid</a> in 2028 over a moderate candidate. 
 
Bucking the far-Left puts politicians and civilians alike squarely in the fascist camp — just ask former Minnesota <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4982938-dean-phillips-my-voice-was-ignored/">Congressman Dean Phillips</a> or Pennsylvania <a href="https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-old-city-fridays-at-fettermans-protest-gaza-israel-war/">Senator John Fetterman</a>. If you’re a moderate, you’re owed any targeted violence, protest, or condemnation coming your way, even if it’s in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/anti-ice-mob-storms-minnesota-church-over-pastors-alleged-ties-immigration-enforcement">house of worship</a>. 
 
How far Left are Democrats willing to go? If it’s a way to rile up the extremist base, keep the spotlight off the bottomless fraud scandals, and make the Trump administration Public Enemy Number One, the sky’s the limit. The extremists are at the wheel, and after flattening any moderates in their party, they’ve backed up the truck, ready for another round of hit-and-run.
* * *
Jenna Stocker is editor and publisher of American Experiment’s quarterly magazine. A former Marine Corps officer, Stocker also contributes to The Federalist and National Review.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Minnesota Democrats Hold News Conference Ahead Of State Of The Union

R.I.P. The Moderate Democrat

Abortion

Leftism

Liberalism

Minnesota

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The Trump administration is urging Democratic Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger against releasing an illegal immigrant suspect with 30 prior arrests who is now accused of fatally stabbing a local mother at a bus stop.
Just after assuming office, Spanberger signed an executive order last month that ended required cooperation between state and local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Weeks later, Abdul Jalloh, 32, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, allegedly murdered 41-year-old Virginia mother Stephanie Minter. Minter&#8217;s lifeless body was found at a bus stop on Feb. 23.
The Fairfax Police Department began a search for the suspect, later identifying him as Jalloh. He was arrested the day after the killing after a local business employee recognized him and called the police. ICE lodged a detainer with local police on Feb. 25, requesting that they hand Jalloh over if he&#8217;s to be released to ensure he&#8217;s not back on the streets, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Detectives are seeking Abdul Jalloh, 32. He was the last person seen with our victim in Hybla Valley. He may be dangerous so please do not make any attempt to interact with him. Anyone with info on his whereabouts is asked to call 911 or <a href="https://twitter.com/FFXCrimeSolvers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FFXCrimeSolvers</a> @ 1-866-411-TIPS <a href="https://t.co/4ouD5nBKdK">https://t.co/4ouD5nBKdK</a> <a href="https://t.co/MroiKbIIaU">pic.twitter.com/MroiKbIIaU</a>
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/FairfaxCountyPD/status/2026279250324840862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DHS called on &#8220;Spanberger and Virginia&#8217;s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE,” the agency&#8217;s deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis said in a recent statement.
Just a day after the fatal stabbing, Spanberger delivered the Democratic response to President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union speech, where she labeled ICE as &#8220;unaccountable agents&#8221; who &#8220;terrorize our communities.&#8221;
“This illegal alien’s murder of an innocent, beautiful American woman came less than 24 hours before Governor Spanberger’s demonization of ICE law enforcement. This heinous criminal is a perfect example of why we need cooperation from sanctuary jurisdictions and the importance of third country removals for the safety of the American people,&#8221; Bis said.
Jalloh has more than 30 previous arrests for charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing, according to DHS.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If an illegal alien lives in a sanctuary jurisdiction they will be allowed by Democrat leaders to commit infinity crimes. <a href="https://t.co/UsTJGH0B5Q">https://t.co/UsTJGH0B5Q</a>
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/2028505744794915307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Monday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called out &#8220;Democrat leaders&#8221; in &#8220;sanctuary&#8221; states who allow illegal immigrants like him &#8220;to commit infinity crimes.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-03-02T111227.981

A Mother Killed At Bus Stop — Now Dem Governor Could Let Illegal Alien Suspect Walk

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Department of Homeland Security

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal alien from Mexico on Thursday convicted of first-degree murder in California, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.
The man, Luis Padilla-Tapia, was also convicted of threatening crime with intent to terrorize and corporal injury to spouse/cohabitant in Bakersfield. Padilla-Tapia was one of the “worst of the worst” illegal aliens picked up on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security highlighted in a release to The Daily Wire.
“Yesterday, ICE arrested criminal illegal alien murderers, pedophiles and drug traffickers,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “These are the types of thugs our officers are arresting and removing from American neighborhoods. While sanctuary politicians demonize ICE law enforcement, our officers continue to risk their lives to arrest public safety threats. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are putting the safety of American citizens FIRST.”
According to DHS, others arrested included:
<blockquote>-Benjamin Perez-Pena, an illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child in Santa Ana, California.
-David Cac-Choc, an illegal alien from Guatemala convicted of indecent assault on a person less than 13 years old and endangering the welfare of children in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.
-Jhoshua Herbert Quichiz-Sagarvinaga, an illegal alien from Peru convicted of proposed sex act by communication systems with a victim under 15 years old and possession of child pornography in Leesburg, Virginia.
-Francisco Hernandez-Alonso, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of attempted trafficking in opium or heroin in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_1051065" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1051065" class="size-full wp-image-1051065" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-27-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-9209-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Perez-Pena/Quichiz-Sagarvinaga: DHS.</div>
Anti-ICE protests have continued to rage across the country with leftist organizers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mexican-restaurants-and-hotel-protests-heres-how-anti-ice-protesters-are-spending-their-week?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Eat+First.+Then+Smash+The+State.%E2%80%99+Inside+The+Anti-ICE+Weeklong+Plan">currently staging</a> a “week of action” in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. These protesters have called for amnesty for all illegal aliens and for the abolition of ICE and prisons.
Documents <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-minnesota-melt-the-ice-week-of-action-includes-a-scheduled-student-walkout-and-sit-in-school-patrols-and-a-training-session-on-sanctuary-schools-facilitated-by-rank-and-file-members/">reviewed</a> by The Daily Wire show the detailed coordination and planning that goes into a week of anti-law enforcement protests collectively called “Bring the Heat! Melt the ICE!” From February 25 to March 1, anti-ICE organizers are demonstrating at the state Capitol, at hotels where federal agents are staying, and hosting training sessions at local churches.

Ice Police Law Enforcement – Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Agents

Another Example Of Why ICE Remains On The Streets As Critics Demand It Be Dismantled

California

Mexico

Authorities arrested more than two dozen additional people for their alleged participation in an anti-ICE mob that stormed a Minnesota church service last month. 
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that 26 more people had been arrested over the incident at Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18, where dozens of people showed up and screamed at congregants during a Sunday morning worship service over accusations that one of the pastors on staff worked for ICE. The protest was streamed live by former CNN host Don Lemon, who claimed he was engaging in independent journalism. 
Multiple left-wing activists have already been arrested over the protest. A judge on Friday unsealed an indictment charging 30 additional people with conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. They were also charged with attempting to interfere with congregants exercising their First Amendment rights. 
“At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day,” Bondi said on X. “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith.”
Those charged included Aziza Mohammed Aboud, Max Richard Adamson, Michael Walker Beute, Ezra Chaim Pye Blumenfeld, Shane Ryan Bollman, Kelly Ann Carey, Monique Cassandra Cullars-Doty, Tiffany Lynn Dunlap, Andrew Jared Edwards, Rachel Rose Goligoski, Amelia Cristin Hansa, Ariel Hauptman, Krista Erin Hogan, Heather Danae Lewis, Danielle Andrea Matthias, Catie Anne Michaelson, Eric Ryan Michaelson, David Anthony Okar, Jarmel James Perry, Cheryl Ann Persigehl, Emmar Monike Pineda-Moreno, Spencer Michael Rodriguez-Bocanegra, Katherine Elizabeth Shaw, Satara Diann Strong Allen, Charles Lee Swenson, Robyn Elise Swenson, Thomas Matthew Tier, Lee Elizabeth Wiedeman Tuggle, John Donald Vergin, and Mark David Weinfurter.
The indictment alleges that two of the defendants, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and Satara Diann Strong Allen, “conducted reconnaissance” around the church on January 17, took video of the area, and made preparations for the next day’s takeover. 
The indictment says that another defendant, Nekima Levy Armstrong, &#8220;interrupted the service with loud declarations about the church harboring a “Director of ICE” and indicating that the time for Judgement had come, and other defendants joined in by yelling and blowing whistles in a takeover attack on the Church, all of which quickly caused the situation in the Church to become chaotic, menacing, and traumatizing to Church members.” 
Another defendant, William Scott Kelly, told young kids at the church that their parents were Nazis, according to the indictment. “Do you know your parents are Nazis? They’re going to burn in hell,” he said, prosecutors allege. 
The indictment said that Lemon, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-arrested-by-feds-for-role-in-minneapolis-church-protest">arrested</a> last month over his participation, positioned himself in front of one of the church’s exit doors and “physically obstructed” congregants from leaving to ask them questions about immigration policy.

Don Lemon, Nekima Levy-Armstrong

Bondi Charges Dozens In Church Takeover And Signals What Comes Next

Dozens More Arrested For Storming Minnesota Church: 'You Cannot Attack A House Of Worship'

Department of Justice

Don Lemon

Pam Bondi

St. Paul

Several prominent Democrats decried the fact that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended a number of DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipients during the first year of President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, demanding that they be given a &#8220;path to citizenship&#8221; in spite of data showing the &#8220;vast majority&#8221; of them had criminal histories.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released a <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kelly-durbin-padilla-blast-dhs-for-wrongfully-targeting-and-removing-daca-recipients/">joint statement</a> with Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), protesting the arrests and casting doubt on Homeland Security&#8217;s assertion that 92% had criminal histories outside of immigration-related civil violations.
<blockquote>News of DACA recipients being arrested and deported is deeply troubling. These arrests disrupt families, harm communities, and inflict unnecessary social, emotional, and economic costs. And it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Secretary Noem’s response to our letter claims that 241 of the 261 DACA recipients arrested had ‘criminal histories,’ without providing any further details. DACA recipients go through strict background checks every time they renew this protection, and the Trump Administration has not hesitated to arrest immigrants with no serious criminal convictions and falsely label them the &#8220;worst of the worst.&#8221; In the face of this Administration’s actions, it is important for Congress to protect young people who know no other home than the United States and continue the critical work to find a pathway to citizenship for them. We won’t accept partial information, and we demand that Secretary Noem provide more information on their basis for arresting and deporting DACA holders immediately.</blockquote>
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in her letter to Durbin, explained, &#8220;[DACA] comes with no right or entitlement to remain in the United States indefinitely. Aliens with certain criminal histories will not be considered for DACA. Further, those who violate the terms are also subject to termination and removal.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/daca-recipients-ice-arrested-2025-trump-administration/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=911656717">data compiled</a> by the federal government and shared in Noem&#8217;s letter to Durbin, immigration agents arrested 261 DACA recipients in the first ten months of 2025 — and 241 (92%) of those arrested had criminal histories apart from civil immigration violations. Just over one-third (86) of those arrested were subsequently deported.
Durbin responded by claiming that the arrests were &#8220;wrongful,&#8221; despite the overwhelming number with criminal histories, and that &#8220;Dreamers&#8221; should be given a path to citizenship.
&#8220;The Trump Administration just admitted to wrongfully arresting 261 DACA recipients. 86 were deported. Dreamers deserve a path to citizenship, not deportation,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/SenatorDurbin/status/2027074465197174847">posted</a> on X on Thursday.
DACA was a program implemented by former President Barack Obama&#8217;s administration, and offered work permits and temporary deportation protections for those who either entered the United States illegally or overstayed their visas when they were children. President Trump&#8217;s first-term attempt to terminate DACA altogether was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2020.

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Dems Want DACA Recipients With Criminal Records Given A Shot At Citizenship

CBS News

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Media

Politics

The federal government&#8217;s presence in Minnesota may be winding down, but leftist activists are mobilizing to the Twin Cities for a week of harassing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, calling for the abolition of prisons, and eating at Mexican restaurants. 
Documents <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/a-minnesota-melt-the-ice-week-of-action-includes-a-scheduled-student-walkout-and-sit-in-school-patrols-and-a-training-session-on-sanctuary-schools-facilitated-by-rank-and-file-members/">reviewed</a> by The Daily Wire show the detailed coordination and planning that goes into a week of anti-law enforcement protests collectively called “Bring the Heat! Melt the ICE!.&#8221; From February 25 to March 1, anti-ICE organizers are demonstrating at the state capitol, at hotels where federal agents are staying, and hosting training sessions at local churches. 
“For months now, the Twin Cities have been at the forefront of a struggle against ICE in this country,” a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Week-of-Action-Welcome.pdf">welcome packet</a> for the week of protest, originally obtained by Defending Education, said. “The stakes have been high, and many strategic and tactical innovations quickly developed here. Such experiments have been promising, but there&#8217;s a long journey ahead of us on the road to abolishing ICE, and we&#8217;re just getting started.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1050391 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1.png" alt="" width="1995" height="772" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1.png 1995w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-300x116.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-1024x396.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-768x297.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.56.35-AM-1-1536x594.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1995px) 100vw, 1995px" /></div>
The activists demand the removal of ICE from Minnesota, the release of “our abducted neighbors,” and closure of &#8220;detention camps,” a statewide eviction moratorium, the dropping of charges against protesters who harassed or assaulted ICE officers, amnesty for illegal immigrants, and the abolishment of ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and prisons. 
The protest comes after border czar Tom Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homan-strikes-deal-in-minnesota-yanks-hundreds-of-immigration-officers">announced</a> a massive drawdown of federal officers in Minnesota. Homan said he had reached a deal with local officials to get more cooperation for ICE officers seeking to arrest illegal aliens. 
One of the activities being planned for the week is protesting at hotels where ICE agents are staying. 
“Grab some friends, noisemakers, and head to a hotel that houses ICE on this list,” a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-23_WOA_Schedule.pdf">calendar</a> of planned actions says. “There is no big public noise demo—these are autonomous and decentralized. Please go to the training or check out this guide if you need support hosting one with your affinity group.”
<div id="attachment_1050343" style="width: 1430px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050343" class="wp-image-1050343 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM.png" alt="" width="1420" height="430" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM.png 1420w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-300x91.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-1024x310.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.22.54-AM-768x233.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1420px) 100vw, 1420px" />Defending Education.</div>
Defending Education also obtained a spreadsheet showing hotels that were options for protests, which are being organized by the Sunrise Movement.
<div id="attachment_1050345" style="width: 2135px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050345" class="size-full wp-image-1050345" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM.png" alt="" width="2125" height="803" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM.png 2125w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-300x113.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-1024x387.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-768x290.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-1536x580.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.23.47-AM-2048x774.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2125px) 100vw, 2125px" />Defending Education.</div>
Multiple anti-ICE protests are also planned at the state capitol building on Thursday and Friday, including a student walkout and sit-in organized by “Twin Cities student organizers,” according to the calendar. 
In the welcome packet, protesters are not instructed to obey the law, but just not document an illegal activity they engage in or witness. 
“In the event that somebody around you is engaging in illegal activity, do not take photos or videos of that, unless it is to record an interaction with law enforcement,” organizers said. “Don&#8217;t write in incriminating ways about illegal activity you observe or participate in.”
<div id="attachment_1050423" style="width: 1440px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1050423" class="size-full wp-image-1050423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM.png" alt="" width="1430" height="366" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM.png 1430w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-300x77.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-1024x262.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-9.53.42-AM-768x197.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px" />Defending Education.</div>
Activists showing up for the week of action will also have the opportunity to join “school patrols” to drive around looking for ICE agents. 
“In Minneapolis, ICE incidents occurred at or within two blocks of public schools every single day for 6 weeks straight. We responded by running about 3000 patrol shifts per week, and that doesn’t even include private schools, charter schools or day cares,” the calendar says. 
The calendar and welcome documents reveal the scope of planning and professional coordination that go into these large-scale protests and the participation of churches and local teachers. 
For example, a Thursday training hosted by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church is on creating “sanctuary schools.” The training was hosted by activist group Take Action MN. According to the group, they have a presence at “hundreds” of school districts. 
“Sanctuary school teams are a combination of educators and caregivers who do daily protective presence and rapid response around schools, coordinate mutual aid (rides, food relief, rent relief, legal support) and organize together for longer term demands like returning Sanctuary status to schools and abolishing ICE,” the calendar says. “Come learn from caregivers and organizers about how we started these teams and have grown them at hundreds of schools in districts across the state.”
The Minnesota Federation of Educators is set to host a training at the First Universalist Church focused on organizing “our schools to be bases of the working class.”
Erika Sanzi, the senior director of communications at Defending Education, told The Daily Wire that educators&#8217; involvement in these protests reveals how leftist ideology has infiltrated the education system. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s high time that people come to terms with the fact that the call is coming from inside the house. Groups of radicals and revolutionaries that have always agitated on the fringe are now becoming embedded in the K-12 ecosystem by way of teachers&#8217; unions, student unions and even teacher training programs,” she said.  
“The sooner the public accepts that these protests and walkouts are highly coordinated by outside actors, the sooner we can put a stop to it or at least drastically reduce it in our public schools,” she added. 
Other groups participating in the protests include Spring House Ministries, the Red Pine Revolutionary Collective, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, and Indigenous Roots. 
Activists will get free food from the group Seeds of Peace. Many will stay in other people’s homes for the week of protest. 
“Eat First. Then Smash the State,” the welcome packet said, noting that Muslims participating in Ramadan will be given priority for dinner meals. 
Organizers led by the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America are <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Twin-Cities-DSA-%E2%80%94-Donate-via-ActBlue.pdf">fundraising</a> on Democrat platform ActBlue for food, training, and lodging. 
Other tips from organizers include asking other people their pronouns, using Signal to communicate, and supporting a variety of Mexican restaurants located in St. Paul and Minneapolis. They also warn participants about “right-wing” influencers becoming embedded in their communication systems. 
“We also know that Minneapolis&#8217;s rapid response systems have already been infiltrated by right-wing influencers and government agents,” the welcome packet said. 
Activists are also encouraged to make pilgrimages to the location where convicted felon George Floyd died during an encounter with police, as well as the spot where Renée Nicole Good was shot after attempting to hit an ICE agent with her car.
“As resistance grows, so does our collective grief about those we have loved and lost in the struggle for liberation,&#8221; the welcome packet reads. &#8220;We ask that if you choose to visit these sites, please do so with respect and reverence.&#8221;

Protest For Immigrants And Against ICE In Minneapolis

‘Eat First. Then Smash The State.’ Inside The Anti-ICE Weeklong Plan

Illegal Immigation

Minneapolis

An illegal immigrant whom the Biden administration did not deport after he served just three years in prison after killing an 8-year-old boy is now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, The Daily Wire has learned.
In 2019, Karmjit Singh was driving drunk in his BMW sports car when he hit another vehicle at more than 100 miles per hour, then tried to flee the scene. The crash killed Maverick Martzen, an 8-year-old star baseball player, and severely injured his parents, Scott and Megan.
“I thought it was 25 years to life, easy case. He killed an 8-year-old,” Scott Martzen said. But Singh — an Indian national who had overstayed his visa and already had a separate felony DUI conviction — served just three years in prison.
The term didn’t teach him his lesson: After he was released, he got <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-who-killed-kid-driving-drunk-was-arrested-for-two-additional-duis-in-california">two more DUIs</a>.
In June 2023, he was arrested for driving drunk at 2 a.m. and giving police his brother Parminder’s driver&#8217;s license. Police ascertained his real identity and that his license was suspended for manslaughter, but released him anyway. In November 2023, the same thing happened.
He went back to prison for another short term, and on January 30, he was released by California, Scott Martzen told The Daily Wire.
“Despite an ICE hold, he has once again been released on parole,” he said. Martzen did not receive any notification from authorities, but noticed on the California prison system&#8217;s website that Singh had been released on parole, and believed he was free again.
&#8220;Second chance. Third chance. Fourth chance. Fifth chance. Our son never got one more day,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire.
ICE did not return a request for comment earlier this month, but a search of ICE&#8217;s detainee database using Singh&#8217;s name and birthday shows that he is now being held at the California City Corrections Center, a former jail that was reopened in 2026 as a massive ICE holding facility, part of the numerous warehouses that the agency is opening across the country.
That center is the largest immigration facility in California and can hold up to 2,500 people.
“Every birthday, every holiday, every baseball season, we live with the reality that Maverick is gone,&#8221; Scott Martzen told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Our younger son is growing up without his big brother because one man chose to drink and drive, and a system keeps giving him chance after chance.&#8221;
The grieving father previously told The Daily Wire that Maverick would &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-killed-a-child-in-2019-the-serial-drunk-driver-was-already-released-from-prison">100%</a>&#8221; be alive today if the government had deported Singh after his first felony conviction in 2016. He said the country is “not at all” better for having Singh here, in contrast to the promise shown by Maverick, a gifted athlete, advanced student, and godly son, he said.
“What does it take” to be deported, he asked in 2024. “He killed a kid, he’s got an expired visa, no drivers license, two DUIs, a third that should have been a DUI but was lowered, and he’s still able to live here … it’s beyond frustrating.”
To honor the gifted athlete, who was the first draft pick for a baseball team of 12-year-olds when he was 8, the family started a nonprofit called M30 to help child athletes. While Major League Baseball played with no fans in the stands during COVID, a cardboard cutout of Maverick occupied a seat at the San Francisco Giants’ stadium.

Maverick Martzen (courtesy of Martzen family) and Karmjiy Singh (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)

Illegal Alien Child Killer Walked Free Under Biden — Trump Admin Locks Door For Good

Crime

Death

A reported assault at Lucille Umbarger Middle School in Skagit County, Washington, is under police investigation after an eighth-grade girl was allegedly attacked by two classmates over her perceived support for President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The incident, which was captured on cellphone video that has since circulated among students and on social media, allegedly stems from TikTok posts made by the victim’s boyfriend. &#8220;Plan A: marry a nice girl, have kids, get rich,&#8221; he stated. In another, he wrote &#8220;Plan B: become an ICE agent.&#8221;
According to the 13-year-old girl and her mother, the student was cornered in a school locker room by two classmates who demanded to know her political stances. Reporter Brandi Kruse of unDivided, who said she has been in contact with the family, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/9Dp04NreQAI?t=1849s">reported</a> that the students asked whether the girl supported President Trump and ICE. When she responded that it was none of their business, the family alleges she was &#8220;violently&#8221; assaulted.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
Video of the incident appears to show two students punching the girl, pulling her hair, and attempting to drag her to the floor while other students watched or recorded the altercation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GRAPHIC WARING: Two students BEAT a girl senseless at Lucille Umbarger Middle School in Burlington, WA, after demanding to know whether she supports Trump and ICE. She told them it was none of their business. Police are involved. More today on our live show at 12pm. <a href="https://t.co/GYWfxgPu8t">pic.twitter.com/GYWfxgPu8t</a>
&mdash; Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/2026004328704811108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The victim’s family has expressed outrage not only over the alleged assault but also over what they describe as a delayed response from the school district. Kruse reported that although the video had been shared among students and staff for days, it took the school’s principal five days to contact the alleged victim’s mother. The family alleges the school only reached out after media inquiries began.
Burlington Police Chief Kevin Turner confirmed that the department has opened an active investigation into the incident. &#8220;We are working through all the details,&#8221; Turner stated, adding that because the case involves juveniles, further information cannot be released at this time.
The school district is reportedly developing a &#8220;safety plan&#8221; to allow the student to return to campus. According to Kruse, local law enforcement has recommended extending the suspension of the two alleged attackers until the girl&#8217;s safety can be ensured.
As of press time, the Burlington-Edison School District has not issued a formal public statement. The girl’s mother, who authorized the release of the details to the public, remains critical of how the administration handled the immediate aftermath, describing the attack on her daughter as &#8220;savage.&#8221;

image

GRAPHIC VIDEO: 13-Year-Old Girl Attacked After Students Question Her Trump Support

Middle School

Washington

[UPDATE]: The Transportation Security Administration announced that TSA PreCheck will remain open. In a statement, TSA <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/tsa-says-precheck-operational-previous-announcement-suspension-amid-partial-government-shutdown/18634978/">said</a>: “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
[ORIGINAL STORY]
The more than 20 million Americans who pay for expedited airport security with TSA PreCheck will be stuck with everyone else as long as the government shutdown continues.
The partial government shutdown has resulted in the temporary suspension of both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck and Global Entry security programs – a move Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said was designed to prioritize the general pool of travelers.
“Shutdowns have serious real world consequences,&#8221; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-tsa-precheck-global-entry-dc1d2ccd913a74fa2c8b91dad340a3b3">Noem said</a>, adding, &#8220;TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts.”
The two programs work in tandem to speed up security lines for departing travelers. TSA PreCheck allows registered travelers to check in for flights more quickly. Pre-approved travelers are not required to remove electronics from their bags, and security lines often move through in ten minutes or less.
For arriving travelers, the Global Entry program allows them to use an automated kiosk equipped with facial recognition software to avoid the long customs lines and complete passport verification. It is designed to eliminate the need to stand in long customs lines when returning to the United States from abroad. Travelers who pay for the Global Entry program also receive the benefits offered to TSA PreCheck members.
Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee released a statement claiming that the suspension of those programs was entirely political and accused DHS of intentionally punishing travelers.
&#8220;TRUMP’S DHS IS PUNISHING TRAVELERS.   TSA PreCheck and Global Entry reduce lines and ease the burden on DHS staff [sic]  But Kristi Noem and her &#8216;confidant&#8217; Corey Lewandowski are kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure  . They’re ruining your travel on purpose,&#8221; the <a href="https://x.com/HomelandDems/status/2025420989178257425">statement</a> posted to X read.
TSA released a <a href="https://x.com/TSA/status/2022067729503858905">similar statement</a> at the start of the shutdown, blaming Democrats for leveraging the TSA in their efforts to force President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration into making changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
&#8220;The government shutdown will cease pay for all of TSA’s more than 63,000-person workforce and suspend non-essential services. Over 99% of that workforce resides in communities across the country,&#8221; Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said in a statement. &#8220;Democrats should fund the department and stop punishing our workforce and the everyday travelers they serve. A prolonged shutdown could result in significant attrition and increased callout rates of our officers including noticeable impacts at airports, including delays, longer wait times and cancelled flights.&#8221;

TSA Seizes Record Number Of Guns in 2015

Government Shutdown Hits Travelers: Global Entry Suspended, PreCheck Still Operational

Air Travel

Government Shutdown

Congressional candidate Justin Pearson (D-TN) refused to name even one illegal alien he would deport — even when asked directly — and instead delivered a series of comments attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Pearson began with a general complaint about ICE, claiming that no one in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration could be &#8220;trusted&#8221; to hold themselves accountable to the people. He argued that both ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in their current forms should be dissolved entirely, and that new organizations with different priorities should be built from the ground up.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Two-plus minutes of <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> trying to get a Dem congressional candidate (Justin Pearson-TN) to say whether or not we should deport illegal aliens (he didn&#8217;t) <a href="https://t.co/QiZq1Z0UNf">pic.twitter.com/QiZq1Z0UNf</a>
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonillaJL/status/2025061257976365328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Even after the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, they didn&#8217;t want to share information about what was happening,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Which is why we have to abolish ICE, why we have to abolish the Customs and Border Patrol in the way that they currently exist, and replace them with something that actually does the work that we need for them to do. Which is why we need a Congress that works —&#8221;
Republican commentator Scott Jennings interrupted then, asking, &#8220;What work is that, by the way?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you what the work is not,&#8221; Pearson replied. &#8220;The work is not killing American citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;No, you said the work we need them to do. I&#8217;m interested in your opinion,&#8221; Jennings pressed. &#8220;What is the work we need them to do?&#8221;
&#8220;Absolutely,&#8221; Pearson said. &#8220;The work is not killing American citizens —&#8221;
&#8220;But what is the work we need them to do?&#8221; Jennings asked again.
&#8220;Well, first let&#8217;s look at what they don&#8217;t need to do,&#8221; Pearson said, prompting a chuckle from Jennings. &#8220;They don&#8217;t need to go into communities like Memphis —&#8221;
&#8220;Do they need to deport illegal aliens?&#8221; Jennings asked directly.
&#8220;— they&#8217;re currently traumatizing our communities —&#8221;
&#8220;Do they need to deport illegal aliens?&#8221; Jennings repeated the question. &#8220;Can you say it?&#8221;
Jennings asked the question several times, and while Pearson was ready and willing to say many times what ICE should *not* do, he could not come up with one thing that a newly-formed immigration law enforcement agency *would* do, other than aid in finding a path to citizenship for illegal aliens who were already in the United States.
At no point was Pearson able to provide Jennings with an answer to his question as to what ICE should be doing or whether there were any illegal aliens he believed should be deported — and after several minutes, host Abby Phillip stepped in to change the topic.

Justin Pearson

WATCH: Asked Who He’d Deport, Dem Candidate Performs Verbal Tightrope Act

illegal alien

Scott Jennings

Two officers with the Detroit Police Department were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday for calling Customs and Border Protection agents on two separate occasions that resulted in the agents taking suspects into federal custody.
A Detroit Police sergeant and officer were accused by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison of breaking department policy when they called Border Patrol agents during traffic stops on December 16 and February 9, ABC&#8217;s Detroit affiliate WXYZ <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/news/dpd-officer-sergeant-could-be-fired-after-calling-cbp-on-traffic-stops">reported</a>. Bettison pushed to fire the officers, but the Board of Police Commissioners voted on Thursday to suspend the cops without pay. The officers were initially suspended with pay on February 12.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2024856403232403816">responded</a> to the development and told the suspended officers in a post on X, &#8220;We have a place for you, patriots.&#8221; Under its message, ICE posted the link to where people can apply to work for the agency.
While Detroit has not officially declared itself a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; for illegal immigrants, it effectively acts as on as the police are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents. During the incident earlier this month, Detroit Police sergeant Denise Wallet was called to assist an officer who was dealing with a person who could not speak English. According to Chief Bettison, the sergeant called Border Patrol to help with translation services instead of using the police department&#8217;s translation service line.
Wallet, who has been with the department for 27 years, sued the city after she was suspended. In a complaint, Wallet said that she contacted Border Patrol simply to identify the suspect, &#8220;not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject’s immigration status,&#8221; Michigan Advance <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/20/detroit-cop-who-called-border-patrol-sues-city-to-keep-her-job-says-she-did-not-violate-policy/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20Detroit%20Police%20Department's%20policy,for%20translation%20services%20during%20stops.">reported</a>. Wallet&#8217;s action was discovered by the police department during a bodycam audit, which showed the sergeant make &#8220;a verbal comment expressing her disagreement with the DPD policy regarding immigration and collaboration with the federal government.&#8221;
In the complaint, Wallet argues that the police department&#8217;s policy violates federal law, which states that &#8220;no state or local government entity or official may prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.&#8221; Wallet also argues that her due process rights were violated since she was suspended without being given an opportunity to defend herself.
Leftist Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised Chief Bettison for punishing the police officers.
&#8220;Chief Bettison and I agree that we need to make sure that our community and our residents trust the people who are trying to keep us safe,&#8221; Tlaib said.
Michigan House Republican leader Matt Hall, however, said that the Detroit Police Department&#8217;s action could prompt the state House to review the department&#8217;s policies, saying that firing the officers would be &#8220;unacceptable,&#8221; The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/19/michigan-house-detroit-police-officers-being-fired-for-calling-border-agents-immigration-detention/88760280007/">reported</a>.
After the board voted on Thursday to suspend the officers without pay, Bettison said he would no longer pursue firing the officers.
&#8220;This incident should make it clear, however, that as Chief, I will continue to vigorously enforce DPD&#8217;s policies,&#8221; he added.
While Detroit has not seen the same surge in federal immigration operations that cities like Minneapolis and Chicago have experienced, ICE agents <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests/">routinely arrest</a> suspected illegal immigrants in the Motor City and surrounding area.

Detroit Police

Detroit Police Officers Punished For Cooperating With Border Patrol. ICE Tells Them To Apply For Jobs.

Border Patrol

Detroit

Michigan

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