President Donald Trump announced Monday the members of his FEMA review council, which he tasked with returning power to state-level emergency managers.
Trump, who has been very critical of FEMA&#8217;s handling of recent natural disasters, signed an executive order in January aimed at bringing serious reform to the agency. In previous interviews, Trump has floated the idea of getting rid of FEMA all together, and handing back responsibility to the states to handle their own emergencies with federal funding.
&#8220;I am proud to announce the formation of the FEMA Review Council, comprised of Top Experts in their fields, who are Highly Respected by their peers,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1916943942156734688">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;I know that the new Members will work hard to fix a terribly broken System, and return power to State Emergency Managers, who will help, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations to all!&#8221;
Members of the task force include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
&#8220;As a proud son of Western North Carolina, I have seen first-hand the incredible work of the Trump Administration to help the region recover from Hurricane Helene and look forward to working with these great leaders to bring much-needed reforms to federal emergency response across the country,&#8221; Whatley <a href="https://x.com/ChairmanWhatley/status/1917045935286182331" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in response to the news.
In his executive order, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/council-to-assess-the-federal-emergency-management-agency/">said</a> the council will assess “the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States and shall advise the President on all recommended changes related to FEMA to best serve the national interest.”
The executive order stipulates that the council develop proposals to improve FEMA, survey states and other stakeholders impacted by natural disasters, and produce a comprehensive report on the agency and how disaster relief was handled before its creation.
His executive order also referenced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> broken by The Daily Wire, revealing that a FEMA supervisor in Florida had ordered FEMA response workers to skip the homes of people with Trump signs or flags in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President.”

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Attend Hurricane Briefing at FEMA

Trump Rolls Out FEMA Taskforce To Fix ‘Terribly Broken’ Emergency System

Donald Trump

FEMA

Glenn Youngkin

Greg Abbott

Kristi Noem

Michael Whatley

Natural Disaster

Pete Hegseth

U.S.

Federal agents arrested a former New Mexico Democrat judge and his wife on Thursday after they were accused of harboring a suspected member of Tren de Aragua at their home. 
Former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose “Joel” Cano and his wife, Nancy, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at their home in Las Cruces, KFOX14 <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/home-of-ex-judge-raided-after-claims-of-hosting-tren-de-aragua-gang-member-in-las-cruces-cristhian-ortega-lopez-dona-ana-county-venezuela-joel-cano-nancy-tda-nm-hsi-homeland-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Both the 67-year-old former judge and his wife are <a href="https://apps.donaanacounty.org/www/sites/all/modules/dac/dac_inmates/dac_create_pdf.php?&amp;GCode=4&amp;FelonID=2500003171&amp;FelonPIC=387831&amp;CurrentFlag=0">charged</a> with tampering with evidence. 
The couple is currently in custody at the Dona Ana County Jail, awaiting their appearance in federal court. They were arrested as part of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations into their association with 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who authorities say is linked to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Ortega-Lopez was arrested at the Canos&#8217; home in February. 
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1915559976229052564">said</a>, commenting on the arrest. “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
Cano resigned from his judgeship earlier this week and was banned by the New Mexico Supreme Court from holding any judicial office again. The court <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-mexico-supreme-court-bans-judge-after-alleged-tda-member-arrested-home">ordered</a> that Cano “shall never again hold, become a candidate for, run for, or stand for election to any New Mexico judicial office in the future.”
Ortega-Lopez, originally from Venezuela, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-judge-resigns-after-harboring-alleged-tren-de-aragua-gang-member" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was accused</a> of illegal entry to the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. He spent three days in Border Patrol custody before he was released because of overcrowded facilities at the Border Patrol’s South Laredo, Texas, processing center, according to court records, the Albuquerque Journal <a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_47926b51-d481-4aa9-8d76-5de8cc13809b.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJwuu9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHn4jO0OhVrwODcJdaJgEwwkzhtKl5MdUs320h3z25_0FkfgnT9xnpoaAox6a_aem_F7zjdLNkrsY9LSG6RfZRmA">reported</a>. He met Nancy in El Paso, where he was working as a construction worker and handyman, and she offered for him to stay in a small house behind their home.
Ortega-Lopez has been charged with being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and is seen in court documents holding guns.
Cano has denied any knowledge of the suspected ties between Ortega-Lopez and Tren De Aragua. Investigators have said that they have text messages and voice mail messages that confirm the links to the notorious gang.
“Let me be as crystal clear as possible,” Cano <a href="https://www.koat.com/article/las-cruces-former-judge-allegations-gang-new-mexico/64583129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New Mexico Supreme Court. “The very first time I ever heard that the boys could possibly have any association with Tren de Aragua was when I was informed of that by [the] agents on the day of the raid.”

MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-6237

Former Judge And Wife Arrested, Accused Of Housing Suspected Venezuelan Gang Member

Courts

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

New Mexico

Tren De Aragua

Venezuela

As if being a country music star and successful businessman weren&#8217;t enough, John Rich has a new mission.
The singer is working to raise awareness about the dangers of child sexual extortion, or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“sextortion”</a> – a form of harassment wherein an offender coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or videos, and then threatens to release the content unless the child furnishes more sexual content or some form of payment. As The Daily Wire reported, sextortion has led dozens of young boys to commit suicide.
On Wednesday, Rich is teaming up with the Department of Homeland Security to host an X Space that he says is the most vital information he’s ever put out on social media. Rich will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Dennis Fetting. It will air live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Rich’s X account, <a href="https://x.com/johnrich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@JohnRich</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
7CST tomorrow night, a livestream event with <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> and myself, right here on my <a href="https://twitter.com/X?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@x</a> channel for parents and teens. This is a VERY important presentation if you have kids. Please watch the video for details, and please repost🙏 <a href="https://t.co/Fl2RHduTdM">pic.twitter.com/Fl2RHduTdM</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1914807009355931693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
Rich said he’ll be acting as the “sit-in parent on behalf of American parents,” asking all the important questions you’d want to know. 
“Spend 60 minutes watching it. It will change the way you perceive what&#8217;s going on around your kids,&#8221; Rich told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It can save your kid’s life. It could definitely save their future.”
Rich has been an advocate for children for years now, <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/news/country-music-star-john-rich-testifies-before-tennessee-house-criminal-justice-committee-on-pornographic-material-in-schools/klbaigert/2022/02/24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testifying</a> before the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2022 about removing pornography and obscene content from K-12 schools in the state. Asked if there was a specific moment he felt he had to do something about child exploitation and abuse, Rich replied: &#8220;When I became a dad.” 
Still, Rich only learned about child sextortion a few months ago, after his wife and 15-year-old son attended a talk on the subject by Homeland Security Agent Dennis Fetting.
Rich and his wife immediately changed the settings on their kids’ technology. Rich&#8217;s marketing mind also kicked in, and he got to work thinking about how he could spread the word to as many parents as possible
“I was astonished not only by what he said, but how my wife reacted to it and my son,” he recalled. “So I went into the DHS.gov site and looked up <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Know2Protect,&#8221;</a> he said. &#8220;I read through that and went, &#8216;This needs to be seen by everybody.’”
Then, he shot Fetting an email.
“I do know Secretary Kristi Noem — but she’s rather hard to get on the phone these days, so I didn&#8217;t go to her with this,” he said with a chuckle. “I actually called the local DHS agency in Tennessee and said, ‘Hey, it&#8217;s John Rich. Here&#8217;s the idea: I wanna get with an agent, do a live stream on X, other platforms as well, where we can get this broad message out.’ I said, ‘I know you&#8217;ve got a website, but people are too busy. They&#8217;re not gonna go looking up a website. Let&#8217;s put it right in front of them and let&#8217;s have a conversation, more than a seminar.’”
The Trump administration listened to him, kicked it up the flagpole extremely quickly, and Noem signed on immediately.
“It&#8217;s one great thing about the Trump administration — on top of a lot of great things — they&#8217;re accessible,” he said, adding that “They want to have a positive impact.&#8221;
&#8220;They wanna work with you, and they&#8217;re listening. They&#8217;re listening to the general public.&#8221;
“I&#8217;m fully aware of the dangers that are out there for our kids right now — it&#8217;s totally different than when I grew up,” Rich said. “They are being targeted on apps, video games, social media — places you would never dream of, on innocent-sounding games like Roblox, Minecraft, things like that, where predators are acting like they&#8217;re another kid and they&#8217;re creating a relationship with your kid, and then they lower the boom, then they start to extort and extort.”
“They do everything from force the kids to send nude pictures of themselves, to take pictures of their parents&#8217; credit cards front and back so they can extort money,” Rich continued. “They threaten them with killing their family, burning their house down, posting the pictures all online.”
“It results in kids, some of them becoming suicidal — it’s a major, major problem,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So to me, millions of parents needed to hear about this.” 
Rich underscored how Homeland Security, in his experience, was eager and open to listening to him and put things into action. He encouraged others to use their platforms in this space. In particular, he called on celebrities to speak out — but he&#8217;s not optimistic that Hollywood will rise to the occasion.
&#8220;A lot of what Hollywood&#8217;s been about is the exploitation of children,” Rich said. “So, they would have to put something out that rebuts their own stances.”
“I mean, that&#8217;s just the truth. I&#8217;m sorry, that&#8217;s hard to hear, but that&#8217;s really what it is,” he said. “If you look at the way they sexualize children in Hollywood, that&#8217;s not theory anymore. That&#8217;s part of the ethos.”
It&#8217;s up to parents, Rich said, to educate their children on the dangers of sextortion.
“You put fear into your son or daughter about not playing in the street. Do you put fear into your son or daughter about not talking to strangers, or don&#8217;t take a pill if somebody hands you one, or whatever it might be? Of course you do,” Rich said. “That&#8217;s part of being a good parent.”
“Well, now it&#8217;s time to put fear into them, a healthy fear about what they&#8217;re dealing with online, and do not trust anybody that you don&#8217;t know personally online,” he added. 
Rich hopes that his livestream is just the beginning of a longer conversation, and a continued awareness campaign.
&#8220;This needs to be a viral moment in America,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Parents need to have a viral moment with what&#8217;s gonna happen tonight on this live stream. The livestream will be recorded and posted to YouTube and Rumble. It&#8217;s gonna live on forever and ever.&#8221;
You can watch the X Space tonight, live, at 8 p.m. Eastern, on <a href="https://x.com/johnrich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rich&#8217;s X account</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A conversation about online child predators with Homeland Security and John Rich: PLS Repost! <a href="https://t.co/zChy4K5HQU">https://t.co/zChy4K5HQU</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1915190100058923202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dozens Of Teen Boys Take Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Spike</a>

52nd Academy Of Country Music Awards – Arrivals

How Country Star John Rich Teamed Up With Kristi Noem To Combat Child Sextortion

John Rich

Morning Wire

Sex Trafficking

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s handbag, containing about $3,000 in cash, her DHS badge, passport, and other sensitive items, was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/21/politics/homeland-security-kristi-noem-purse-stolen/index.html">reportedly</a> stolen by a man wearing a medical mask at a Washington, D.C. restaurant on Sunday night.
Noem confirmed the incident on Monday while attending the White House Easter Egg Roll, but indicated that the matter remains unresolved.
Secret Service agents reviewed security camera footage at the Capitol Burger restaurant, which showed an unknown white male wearing a surgical mask stealing her unattended bag before quickly exiting the establishment.
Other stolen contents include Noem&#8217;s driver&#8217;s license, apartment keys, medication, makeup, and blank checks.
A DHS spokesperson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-kristi-noem-had-3000-cash-purse-when-it-was-stolen-2062146">told</a> Newsweek that Noem had such a large amount of cash on hand to &#8220;treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.&#8221;
&#8220;We can confirm this occurred last night. Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren,&#8221; DHS said.
A law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service has initiated an investigation to trace any potential unauthorized use of Noem&#8217;s financial instruments.
“This is a security breach that actually has high consequences, and it needs immediate and further review by the Secret Service and DHS, and other law enforcement partners,” former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN.
“If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward,” Wackrow said.
He added that Noem remains “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”

Connecticut Democrats And Survivors And Families Of Gun Violence Victims Mark 12th Anniversary Of Sandy Hook School Shooting

Kristi Noem’s Purse — With DHS Badge, Passport, $3,000 Cash Inside — Stolen

Crime

Restaurant

Theft

Washington D.C.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reopened an office created in the first Trump administration but shut down by the Biden administration that supports families impacted by illegal alien crime.
Called the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office, it offers resources and referrals to legal aid for families impacted by illegal alien crime and will establish a tip line for crime victims.
“We have enemies living among us because of what the Biden administration has done by opening our borders,” Noem <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/09/us-news/kristi-noem-relaunches-biden-axed-ice-office-dedicated-to-migrant-crime-helping-angel-families/">said</a> while announcing the recreation of the VOICE office at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters.
“They have allowed terrorists, people that are on the terrorist watch list, dangerous criminals, gang members, and criminals to enter our country and to perpetuate violence on American families, and that is going to stop now,” Noem charged as she spoke in front of angel moms like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-one-is-safe-mothers-of-illegal-alien-crime-victims-blast-kamala-border-policies">Alexis Nungaray</a>, whose 12-year-old daughter Jocelyn Nungaray was raped and killed by members of Tren de Aragua.
Also present was Maureen Maloney, who lost her 23-year-old son in 2011 after he was struck by an illegal alien who was driving without a license.
“The illegal alien ran through a stop sign in the residential area and collided with Matthew’s motorcycle. Matthew survived the collision and was getting up out of the street when the illegal alien fled, and when he did, he ran Matthew over,” Maloney said as she recounted her son’s tragic death. “Matthew became lodged in the truck wheel well. And he was dragged to his death while witnesses were pleading with the driver to stop and banging on his truck. The driver never stopped. Matthew became dislodged. The illegal alien backed up over him again and continued to flee.”
“We’ve heard far too many stories about American lives that were taken because of illegal aliens who should have never been here in the first place,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin charged.
The office was closed by the Biden administration in 2021, with then DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stating that “all people, regardless of their immigration status, should be able to access victim services without fear.”
Noem said that the Trump administration is “righting the ship” by reopening the office, adding that the president is “going to prioritize not only these families but all the families that will be impacted by illegal immigration and the tragedy of losing someone because of the consequences of it.”

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem Reopens ICE Office To Support Families Who’ve Lost Loved Ones To Illegal Alien Crime

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Trump

Following a successful federal raid in Phoenix Tuesday morning, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed that tens of thousands more criminal migrants are likely to be sent to El Salvador’s brutal CECOT prison.
“You’ll see us continuing to partner with El Salvador. CECOT has the capacity for 40,000 individuals, and [El Salvador President Nayib Bukele] has said they’ll take as many as we want to send,” Noem <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/08/us-news/kristi-noem-says-thousands-more-migrants-could-be-headed-to-el-salvador/">stated</a> after the DHS operation in which three convicted felon migrants were busted.
According to Noem, “There’s 14,000 there now” and the President of El Salvador “plans to build another prison right next to it,” per the New York Post.
The prison, notorious for its strict conditions and mass incarceration of gang members, was built by Bukele to dismantle El Salvador’s powerful criminal organizations.
A crucial component in the Trump administration’s deportation strategy has been the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which significantly expedites the deportation process for suspected gang members, giving the president significant authority to protect the country against “invasion or predatory incursion.”
Lower courts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-greenlights-trumps-use-of-1798-law-to-deport-foreign-gang-members">blocked</a> Trump’s use of the 18th-century law, until, on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of reversing a lower court decision that had impeded the Trump administration’s efforts to deport hundreds of suspected Venezuelan gang members.
In a major win for President Trump, the ruling clears the way for the Department of Homeland Security to deport criminal migrants swiftly.
“We’re going to continue using that act in order to return people from these terrorist organizations to face consequences and be removed from our country,” Noem declared.
The DHS Secretary also emphasized that new provisions under the Alien Registration Act of 1940 will take effect on April 11, requiring foreign nationals who have resided in the United States for more than 30 days to register with the federal government or risk severe penalties.
“Everyone should know that because we’re enforcing the Alien Registration Act, if you’ve been here longer than 30 days and haven’t registered with the government, we are now coming after you criminally,” Noem warned.
She added that violations could result in fines “up to $1,000 per day” and stressed that federal agencies would now fully enforce the law “to make sure American citizens are the only ones afforded the rights of being in this country.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Tours Notorious Prison During Trip To El Salvador

‘They’ll Take As Many As We Want To Send’: Noem Says El Salvador Prison Ready For More Deportees

Deportations

El Salvador

World

Top Trump administration officials promised Monday to continue deporting suspected gang members after the Supreme Court ruled against a federal judge blocking the deportations from taking place under the Alien Enemies Act. 
 In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned a block on carrying out the deportations imposed on the Trump administration by D.C. District Court Judge James Boasberg. After the ruling, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that the Trump administration has designated as a terrorist organization, should leave the country now or face deportation.
“Following tonight’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, the American people can rest assured that [Noem], [Border czar Tom Homan] and I will direct our assets to scour the country for any remnants of Tren De Aragua and DEPORT THEM,” Bondi posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Following tonight’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, the American people can rest assured that <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> and I will direct our assets to scour the country for any remnants of Tren De Aragua and DEPORT THEM.
&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1909389172680335671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Those comments were echoed by Noem, who has toured the El Salvadorian prison where the administration sent around 250 suspected members of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua last month. 
“President Trump was proven RIGHT once again! SCOTUS confirms our Commander-in-Chief Donald J. Trump has the power to stop the invasion of our country by terrorists using war time powers. LEAVE NOW or we will arrest you, lock you up and deport you,” Noem said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump was proven RIGHT once again! SCOTUS confirms our Commander-in-Chief Donald J. Trump has the power to stop the invasion of our country by terrorists using war time powers. LEAVE NOW or we will arrest you, lock you up and deport you. <a href="https://t.co/irLTSEo0GF">pic.twitter.com/irLTSEo0GF</a>
&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1909384333263298865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In its <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a931_2c83.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruling</a>, the Supreme Court said that while potential deportees must get due process, the cases should not be litigated in the District of Columbia but in Texas, where the suspected gang members were in custody. 
“The detainees seek equitable relief against the implementation of the Proclamation and against their removal under the AEA. They challenge the Government’s interpretation of the Act and assert that they do not fall within the category of removable alien enemies. But we do not reach those arguments,” the majority wrote. “The detainees are confined in Texas, so venue is improper in the District of Columbia.”
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the court’s three liberal justices dissented. 
President Donald Trump celebrated the decision, saying it would allow him to protect the border. 
“The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself,” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114299368234840539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social. “A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

US deports over 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador’s mega-prison

‘LEAVE NOW’: Trump Admin Vows To Keep Deporting Suspected Gang Members After SCOTUS Win

Department of Justice

Pam Bondi

Politics

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

Trump Administration

A federal judge in San Francisco moved to postpone the Trump administration from ending a Biden-era program that shielded hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from deportation. 
U.S. Senior District Judge Edward Chen ordered the Department of Homeland Security to postpone revoking temporary protected status (TPS) for 348,202 Venezuelans living in the United States who were given work authorization and shielded from deportation by the Biden administration in October 2023. Chen said the revocation would cause &#8220;irreparable harm” and hurt the economy. 
The decision comes after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/noem-ends-biden-program-shielding-thousands-of-venezuelans-from-deportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that she was revoking the TPS status, saying that conditions had improved in Venezuela and that it was not in America’s best interest to maintain the program. In response, a group called the National TPS Alliance sued to block Noem’s decision. 
Chen sided with the National TPS Alliance in his order and said that Noem’s decision was not backed by evidence, including allegations of gang affiliations. Noem had said there was an increased presence of Venezuelan gang members connected to Tren de Aragua.
Chen said that this argument was “baseless and smacks of racism predicated on generalized false stereotypes.”
“The Secretary’s rationale is entirely lacking in evidentiary support,” Chen said in his ruling. “For example, there is no evidence that Venezuelan TPS holders are members of the TdA gang, have connections to the gang, and/or commit crimes.”
The Obama-appointed judge also claimed that TPS recipients were more educated, more involved in the workforce, and less likely to commit crimes than American citizens. 
Chen said that the TPS recipients “have higher education attainment than most U.S. citizens (40-54% have bachelor degrees), have high labor participation rates (80-96%), earn nearly all their personal income (96%), and annually contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and pay hundreds of millions, if not billions, in social security taxes. They also have lower rates of criminality than the general U.S. population.”
In response to Chen&#8217;s decision, Trump border czar Tom Homan <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1907037653368709390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that TPS status was meant to be temporary, not a “decades-long” program. Homan said the ruling was based on an &#8220;activist judge&#8217;s&#8221; opinion. 
“President Trump is going to do his job by rule of law. The law says temporary status,” Homan told Fox News. “Once the conditions change, then people should be removed from the United States. It’s only a temporary status.&#8221;

US-VENEZUELA-CRISIS-POLITICS-MIGRATION

Judge Says Trump Admin Must Keep Biden-Era Program Shielding Venezuelans From Deportation

Biden Administration

San Francisco

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), where she was shown suspected members of Venezuela’s dangerous Tren de Aragua gang who were deported from the United States.
Noem posted a video from her tour on X on Wednesday, adding a warning to criminal illegal immigrants still residing in the U.S.
“I toured the CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center,” Noem wrote on X. “President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW. If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison.”
In the video, Noem tells immigrants not to come to the U.S. illegally and that the prison is “one of the tools in our toolkit.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I toured the CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center.
President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW.
If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison. <a href="https://t.co/OItDqNsFxM">pic.twitter.com/OItDqNsFxM</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1905034256826408982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;First of all, do not come to our country illegally: You will be removed, and you will be prosecuted,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.&#8221;
Noem appears in the video standing in front of a massive prison cell filled to the brim with tattooed men in white prison pants with their heads shaved. Men can be seen standing behind her, as well as sitting on three levels of shelves.
CECOT is infamous for housing members of dangerous Central and South American gang members – and for its dehumanizing conditions, such as brutality and overcrowding, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/16/us-news/first-flight-of-250-migrant-gang-members-arrive-in-el-salvador-to-be-held-in-notorious-mega-prison/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Inmates are provided only minimal meals of beans and pasta, with rival gangs fighting regularly over the scarce resource. Inmates are also crammed into overcrowded cells nearly 24 hours a day.
The conditions are deliberate in an attempt to deter would-be gangsters.
Noem toured the prison with Héctor Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador’s Minister of Justice, before she met with President Nayib Bukele to negotiate to send more alleged gang members from the United States.
The CECOT, which opened in 2023, currently holds 15,000 inmates but can hold up to 40,000, with as many as 65 to 70 in each cell, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/noem-tour-notorious-el-salvador-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Prisoners are not allowed outside, and they cannot have visitors. The prison has no educational programs.
In February, Bukele offered to house criminal illegal immigrants for a “relatively low” fee after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the country, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-salvador-offers-to-house-american-criminals-in-its-prisons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time.
“We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele said at the time.
“We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee,” he continued, adding that the fee “would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.”

Kristi Noem Tours El Salvador’s Gang Prison Before Threatening To Deport More Criminals

Kristi Noem Tours El Salvador’s Gang Prison Before Threatening To Deport More Gangsters

gangs

The Trump administration is working to prevent illegal aliens from accessing public housing, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) teaming up to end the “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer money.
The two federal agencies laid out their plans in a <a href="https://www.hud.gov/sites/default/files/PA/documents/DHS-HUD-MOU-032425.pdf">memorandum of understanding</a>, stating that they will share data and work together to identify illegal aliens who are currently in public housing.
“We will safeguard precious taxpayer resources, and we will stop the harmful practices of the former Biden administration, which favored and prioritized illegal aliens over American citizens in the expenditure of housing funds and subsidies,” the memo reads, also adding that the measure is intended to “help stem the tide of illegal immigration in the United States and incentivize illegal aliens to voluntarily depart the country.”
“American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner charged. “This new agreement will leverage resources including technology and personnel to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing.”
“We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Under <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, Americans will no longer take a back seat to illegal aliens.
DHS <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> and I want to make it clear: No more taxpayer-funded housing for illegals. <a href="https://t.co/DWvYlSHEqg">pic.twitter.com/DWvYlSHEqg</a>
— Scott Turner (@SecretaryTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryTurner/status/1904300037221294080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
“If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. “The gravy train is over.”
“The entire government will work together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally,” the Homeland Security Secretary added.
HUD <a href="https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_25_046">cited</a> one <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Camarota-Testimony.pdf">study</a> from the Center for Immigration Studies that found a whopping 59% of illegal alien households receive at least one form of welfare program, costing American taxpayers $42 billion.
The move from the two federal agencies is the latest step that the Trump administration has taken to discourage illegal immigration into the United States, and to encourage those illegally present in the country to return home.
The Trump administration has virtually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/got-away-traffic-drops-like-a-rock-at-this-notorious-stretch-of-the-border">sealed</a> the southern border, and the DHS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-transforms-bidens-cbp-one-app-leave-now-and-self-deport">remodeled</a> a controversial program earlier this month that was previously used to expedite the arrival and release of migrants into the country, instead turning it into a platform that illegal aliens can use to declare their intent to return home.

Secretary Turner X Account

‘The Gravy Train Is Over’: Trump Admin To Crack Down On Public Housing For Illegal Aliens

Border

The Trump administration invoked state secrets privilege on Monday after a federal judge demanded more information about the deportation of suspected gang members to El Salvador. 
Attorney General Pam Bondi told U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.56.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> that giving him more specific flight details would compromise national security. Bondi said Boasberg has all the information he needed to preside over the case, including statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem backing the assertion of state secrets privilege. 
“The information sought by the Court is subject to the state secrets privilege because disclosure would pose reasonable danger to national security and foreign affairs,” Bondi and other top Justice Department lawyers said in the filing. “No more information is needed to resolve any legal issue in this case. Whether the planes carried one TdA terrorist or a thousand or whether the planes made one stop or ten simply has no bearing on any relevant legal issue.”
State secrets privilege is a legal doctrine that protects sensitive national security information during litigation. 
“This is a case about the President’s plenary authority, derived from Article II and the mandate of the electorate, and reinforced by longstanding statute, to remove from the homeland designated terrorists participating in a state-sponsored invasion of, and predatory incursion into, the United States,” Bondi said. 
“Further intrusions on the Executive Branch would present dangerous and wholly unwarranted separation-of-powers harms with respect to diplomatic and national security concerns that the Court lacks competence to address,” she added. 
Earlier this month, Boasberg issued an order blocking Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members and ordered two flights carrying illegal migrants with suspected gang ties to be returned to the United States. Those flights were not turned back, and Boasberg has demanded that the DOJ provide more information on the flights. 
Before the DOJ invoked state secrets privilege on Monday, Boasberg dismissed a motion from the DOJ to dismiss the case, saying that those designated as gang members could not be deported without a hearing. 
“Because the named Plaintiffs dispute that they are members of Tren de Aragua, they may not be deported until a court has been able to decide the merits of their challenge,” Boasberg <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.53.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Nor may any members of the provisionally certified class be removed until they have been given the opportunity to challenge their designations as well.”
Rubio <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/24/politics/deportation-flights-trump-administration-state-secrets-privilege/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement attached to the DOJ’s Monday filing that the flights were part of counterterrorism efforts done in partnership with foreign countries. 
“If foreign partners believed that any relevant details could be revealed to third parties, those foreign partners would be less likely to work with the United States in the future,” Rubio said. “That impairs the foreign relations and diplomatic capabilities of the United States and threatens significant harm to the national security of the United States.”

White House Set To Announce Contractor For Next-Gen Fighter Jet

Trump Admin Invokes State Secrets Privilege In Gang Member Deportation Case

James Boasberg

Marco Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that an illegal alien fugitive accused of killing a 21-year-old woman while street racing and driving under the influence has been extradited to the United States from Honduras.
Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/justice-for-sarah-root/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Eswin Mejia, who fled the United States after being charged in the death of Sarah Root, would soon be facing American justice. Root was killed in 2016 on the night of her college graduation after police <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/one-year-after-her-death-sarah-roots-family-still-vows-to-seek-justice/8661500" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Mejia drunkenly crashed his vehicle into her vehicle at a stoplight as he was street racing in Omaha.
Mejia fled the country in 2016 after he was charged and released on a $5,000 bond, but was <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/douglas-county-authorities-confirm-arrest-sarah-root-motor-vehicle-homicide-case/63984100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in Honduras late last month.
“President Trump has never forgotten or stopped fighting for justice after Sarah Root was tragically murdered in 2016 by an illegal alien who was driving under the influence and became a fugitive from justice,” Rubio said in a statement.
“Today, nine years after Sarah’s passing the night of her college graduation, her parents will know that their tireless advocacy was not in vain. Justice and accountability under the Trump Administration prevailed as the culprit of Sarah’s death has been extradited from Honduras to the United States so he can face justice once and for all,” Rubio added, thanking the Honduran government for its cooperation.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem posted a picture on X showing Mejia in American custody.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The extradition and arrest of this criminal alien is the culmination of a decades-long battle for justice for Sarah Root and her family.
Thanks to the hard work of our Homeland Security Investigation and our interagency law enforcement partners, Eswin Mejia, who fled the US to… <a href="https://t.co/CDXHMmwcro">https://t.co/CDXHMmwcro</a> <a href="https://t.co/J3eHKW5EU0">pic.twitter.com/J3eHKW5EU0</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1903152124751441943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Thanks to the hard work of our Homeland Security Investigation and our interagency law enforcement partners, Eswin Mejia, who fled the US to evade prosecution, will finally face justice for the killing of Sarah Root,” Noem said. “Sarah should still be here today and this illegal alien should have never been in our country in the first place.”
Sarah’s parents, Scott and Michelle Root, have been outspoken advocates for tougher immigration laws since the tragic death of their daughter.
&#8220;Nobody in our family thought we were ever going to see justice for Sarah,&#8221; Michelle <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/honduran-police-arrest-man-charged-in-sarah-roots-death/63993996" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KETV after Mejia was first arrested last month. “Yesterday was unreal, surreal, it was emotional as people can imagine.”
&#8220;Until we get to hug our daughter again up in heaven, we don&#8217;t get that closure. But it closes another piece of that unfortunate puzzle that we were trying to accomplish,&#8221; Michelle added.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernsts-sarahs-law-signed-by-president-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a measure known as “Sarah’s Law” into effect. The measure, which requires illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes against Americans to be detained, was added as an amendment to the Laken Riley Act.
“The Trump administration never forgot Sarah Root’s story. Together, we fought for justice to hold the illegal immigrant who took her life accountable. Iowans and every American know that this administration will always put our citizens first,” said Senator Joni Ernst, who advocated for Sarah’s Law, after the announcement of the extradition.
Other Republicans also celebrated the extradition of Mejia.
“President Trump and Secretary Rubio are showing that if you harm an American citizen there is no place you can run and hide,” the House Foreign Affairs Committee <a href="https://x.com/HouseForeignGOP/status/1903140541916909843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. “No matter how long it takes, we will hunt you down and get justice.”

MixCollage-21-Mar-2025-02-19-PM-8578

Illegal Alien Fugitive Extradited To Face Justice ‘Once And For All’ For Killing Sarah Root

Drunk Driving

Violent Crime

Menu