A North Carolina Republican hopes to close a loophole in a federal law that he says allows child predators to get away with making sexually explicit videos featuring young children. 
Congressman Mark Harris introduced <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Child-Predators-Accountability-Act-of-2025-Final-Text.pdf">legislation</a> on Monday that would allow predators to be punished for producing pornographic videos with children in the background, his office told The Daily Wire. He said that prosecutors sometimes have trouble bringing cases where a child may be seen in a pornographic video, but not engaged in an actual sexual act. 
“Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is one of the government&#8217;s most sacred duties — yet dangerous loopholes in federal law allow predators to evade justice and exploit minors,” Harris said. “We must act now to close these gaps, eliminate ambiguities, and equip law enforcement with tools to prosecute criminals fully and without excuse.”
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Harris&#8217;s office pointed to a <a href="https://cases.justia.com/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/19-1005/19-1005-2020-08-03.pdf?ts=1596490236">decision</a> from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals where a man named Matthew Howard had two convictions of producing child pornography vacated on a technicality. 
“The videos in question do not depict a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct; they show Howard masturbating next to a fully clothed and sleeping child. In other words, the videos are not child pornography,” the court said in an August 3, 2020 ruling. 
The court said that the government&#8217;s case against Howard stretched the &#8220;statute beyond the natural reading of its terms considered in context.&#8221;
Harris says his bill would clarify the law to classify those videos as child pornography, arguing they harm children regardless of how the child was involved. It would amend “federal law in three parts to ensure that videos intentionally depicting a minor in a sexually exploitative context – regardless of their role in the act – are treated as child exploitation under federal law,” his office said. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/hiding-in-plain-sight-america-s-trafficking-epidemic">WATCH: Hiding in Plain Sight: America’s Trafficking Epidemic</a>
Under the definitions put forth in the legislation, intentionally depicting a child in a sexually explicit video would come with a 15-year minimum prison sentence. The bill is titled the ‘‘Child Predators Accountability Act of 2025.&#8221;
“Congress must act now to strengthen our laws and deliver real protections, ensuring that criminals who use children in any sexually exploitative context face real justice,” Harris told The Daily Wire.

Vice President JD Vance Speaks In North Carolina

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Moves To Close ‘Loophole’ Letting Child Predators Off The Hook

Congress

North Carolina

Politics

Pornography

Sex Crimes

When twice-deported Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia allegedly fatally stabbed a passenger on a North Carolina train, the incident immediately drew national attention.
&#8220;Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina,&#8221; President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. &#8220;What&#8217;s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!&#8221;
But North Carolina had become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate well before Trump&#8217;s post. The Department of Homeland Security has been conducting “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in the region, which has yielded over 400 arrests so far, according to <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2025/12/03/425-arrested-operation-charlottes-web-federal-officials-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WBTV</a>.
Michael Whatley, a Republican Senate candidate in the state and the former Republican National Committee chairman, told The Daily Wire that immigration-related woes are no surprise, as the Biden-era crisis turned “every state, including North Carolina, into border states.”
The Republican is poised to face off against Democrat Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former governor, in one of 2026&#8217;s most hotly competitive races If elected, the Republican said that “we need to make sure that ICE is going to be funded,” along with Border Patrol.
He also took a jab at Cooper, who left office at the start of this year, for his immigration stances. The Democrat vetoed House Bill 10 last November, which would have required sheriffs to work with ICE. His veto was <a href="https://dailytarheel.com/article/city-ncga-ice-regulations-sheriff-deportation-20241126">overturned</a> by the North Carolina General Assembly.
“He has set up a revolving door for criminals in North Carolina,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He is fighting harder for criminals and illegal aliens than for his own constituents as governor.&#8221;
“When we talk about going into the Senate, ultimately it&#8217;s a vote, and it&#8217;s going to be a vote for the president and his agenda, or it&#8217;s gonna be a vote for Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer and the rest of the card-carrying woke mob that Roy Cooper belongs to,” Whatley continued.
“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough-on-crime laws and stricter bail and pretrial release rules as governor,&#8221; a Cooper campaign spokesman told The Daily Wire.
Whatley also pushed back on the notion that some Trump voters were surprised at how immigration enforcement was going to be conducted. On the campaign trail, signs even said “Mass Deportation Now.”
“The fact is, the American people voted for security. They voted for safe communities and safe kids, right? They voted to shut down the border. They voted to deport violent, criminal, illegal aliens,” Whatley said.
“President Trump made it very clear that that was his plan. So any voter who was voting on those issues knew that the president was going to be moving very forcefully to get this done. And that we&#8217;re seeing those protests and in a lot of different places is a little bit surprising to me,” he continued. “But you also have paid organizations that are out there, you know, fomenting these protests as a very real point.”
Whatley said that immigration is likely to be a top issue once again in 2026, along with the economy.
“We need the economy to be clicking. I think ultimately the economy is the most important factor when people vote, right? We need to create jobs, we need to raise wages, we need to lower costs,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the American people need to feel like we have a very strong economy. All signs right now are pointing towards us having a very strong, robust economy.&#8221;

Lara Trump, Michael Whatley

Illegal Immigrant Crime Could Tip The Scales In North Carolina’s Crucial Senate Race

2026 election

Immigration

Michael Whatley

Roy Cooper

Senate

The NFL’s first transgender-identifying cheerleader has been let go from the squad and is now blaming the organization for discriminating against him.
Justine Lindsay, who was previously a member of the Carolina Panthers squad, left the team in August after cheering for the organization since 2022, <a href="https://www.out.com/gay-athletes/justine-lindsay-nfl-transgender-fired">per</a> Out Magazine.
“I was cut because I’m trans. I don’t wanna hear nobody saying, ‘She didn’t wanna come back.’ Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that I’ve been a part of for three years,” Lindsay told Gaye Magazine during an Instagram livestream, adding that he still has Panther pride despite the alleged discriminatory firing.
“I love them down. I appreciate everything that they’ve done for me, but I feel like I was done wrong,” he added. “It was like a big slap in the face to not only me, but for the youth. And this was right after Trump became president.”
“I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt,” he added.
The Carolina Panthers did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
Lindsay is planning to compete in the Miss International Queen pageant for trans-identifying men next year, and mentioned that during a statement ahead of this year’s NFL season.
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&#8220;For now, I’m focusing on my pageantry work and community involvement, striving to be recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times,&#8221; he said in a statement in August.
&#8220;Being in the NFL was a stepping stone to get me where I need to be, and God is blessing me each and every day, giving me the breath to do the work and change lives. My focus is to educate and uplift the younger generation of leaders to focus on their dreams and goals. Don&#8217;t let a president who is delusional stop them from reaching their goals, whether they are trans, African American, not American, etc.&#8221;
Male cheerleaders became a topic of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fan-backlash-against-male-nfl-cheerleaders-intensifies-vikings-issue-statement">debate</a> ahead of this year’s NFL season as several were featured in promo videos for various teams, including the Minnesota Vikings.

Justine Lindsay

NFL’s First Ever ‘Trans’ Cheerleader Fired, Cries Discrimination: ‘Cut Because I’m Trans’

NFL's First Ever 'Trans' Cheerleader Fired, Cries Discrimination: 'Cut Because I'm Trans'

Cheerleaders

Discrimination

Football

Social Issues

Transgender

U.S.

A mother is speaking out after learning that the alleged sex offender who preyed upon her 13-year-old daughter was an illegal immigrant set free by local authorities who chose not to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Trump administration recently brought the case to light after launching mass deportation raids in Charlotte. While exposing local authorities for setting illegal immigrants free, the Department of Homeland Security highlighted the case of Costa Rican illegal immigrant Jordan Renato Castillo-Chavez, 29, as one out of roughly 1,400 cases in Charlotte where local cops refused to honor federal immigration detainers.
&#8220;It&#8217;s hurtful that my child is a victim and they had this person and let him go,&#8221; the victim&#8217;s mother, Misha Rose, whose own father was deported from the United States after committing a crime, told WSOC.
&#8220;This is serious &#8230; we need justice, he needs to go,&#8221; she said as she fought back tears.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jordan Renato Castillo-Chavez was released after North Carolina authorities failed to honor the ICE detainer.
Castillo-Chavez, a criminal illegal alien from Costa Rica, was arrested for indecent liberties with child, first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted… <a href="https://t.co/mVl6VSw73W">pic.twitter.com/mVl6VSw73W</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1991870683702247783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Pineville police charged Castillo-Chavez in March with indecent liberties and other sex offenses after he allegedly began messaging the young victim online. But he later bonded out of custody.
&#8220;There was this message from this guy, and I was like, &#8216;Who is this?&#8217; and she was like, &#8216;Oh, that&#8217;s my friend, I just met him online.&#8217; And I looked at the messages, there were photos, there were messages that indicated he was like coming to pick her up, and I immediately just like dropped, like I fainted, like this is not happening right now,&#8221; Rose recalled.
The Department of Homeland Security said local authorities failed to honor their detainer request to hand over the illegal immigrant if he was to be released.
The Mecklenburg County sheriff&#8217;s office, however, claims that ICE made a request for advanced notice of Castillo-Chavez&#8217;s release, but never issued a formal detainer, according to WSOC. The sheriff&#8217;s office said they never notified federal immigration agents because there was no legal requirement in place.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues its deployment of Border Patrol agents to Charlotte to clean up the mess created by sanctuary policies. The feds have already made over 200 arrests since the operation began over the weekend.
&#8220;Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said recently of the operation.
“There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t,&#8221; she said.
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Untitled design – 2025-11-21T100513.076

Mom Speaks Out After Charlotte Authorities Release Illegal Immigrant Who Preyed Upon Her Daughter

Mom Speaks Out After Authorities In Charlotte Let Go Predator Who Preyed Upon Her Daughter

Charlotte

Illegal Immigration

Sanctuary Cities

Trump and Russia are reportedly near a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine, the administration is looking to overhaul SNAP, and Charlotte’s ICE presence is clearing roads and classrooms.
It’s Thursday, November 20, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ukraine-deal-emerges-snap-system-shakeup-11-20-25-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ukraine-deal-emerges-snap-system-shakeup-11-20-25/id1576594336?i=1000737568672" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Peace In Ukraine At Last?</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1003179" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Ukraine-Peace-Plan.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Trump administration is crafting a plan to end the war in Ukraine. According to a new report, officials are in talks to get both sides on board with a 28-point framework.
While few details of a potential deal have been made public, administration officials seem confident about it. <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/11/19/a-peace-deal-as-soon-as-this-week-00658623">Politico</a> quoted one official as saying, “What we are going to present is reasonable.”
The plan reportedly emerged from extensive talks between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The two ambassadors met in Miami last month and spent three days together on what a potential deal could look like.
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/ukraine-peace-plan-trump-russia-witkoff">Axios</a>, Dmitriev came out of that meeting feeling like “the Russian position is really being heard.” He went on to describe the negotiations as &#8220;a much broader framework” that seeks to bring “lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine.”
What’s not so clear is how far talks have moved forward with Ukraine, or with European officials who may be interested in any potential peace deal–especially one that may involve security guarantees the Europeans have to provide for Ukraine.
The White House seems to think that Kiev and Europe will eventually accept the deal, though, as long as “flexibility” is shown, as one White House official put it.
When? Some reports suggest a deal could be on the table as soon as the end of this week. That might sound fast, but we have seen a lot of movement lately.
According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/18/top-army-officials-set-for-drone-focused-visit-to-ukraine-00658328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a>, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other senior U.S. military officials traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who then traveled to Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about restarting peace talks with Russia.
Zelensky didn’t talk more of any deal in the works, though, and it’s worth noting that there have been times in the past when Zelensky hasn’t had trouble dissenting from the White House. His buy-in is necessary before a peace plan can move forward.
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/trump-ukraine-peace-plan-russia-donbas">Axios</a>, part of the Trump administration’s plan includes asking Ukraine to trade some land for security guarantees–including some land that Russia does not currently control. That alone could be a sticking point for Ukraine.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">SNAP Waste, Fraud, And Abuse</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1003177" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/SNAPs-Big-Reset.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced a complete overhaul of the food stamp program, promising to rein in fraud and abuse.
Rollins is changing a number of things, but most notably, her department is requiring current food stamp recipients to reapply for benefits. Currently, about 43 million people are in the SNAP program, about 12% of the population, and it costs taxpayers about $100 billion annually.
The department’s logic is that reapplying will reduce fraud and abuse, ensuring that benefits go to Americans who really need assistance.
Rollins said Americans know SNAP is “extremely corrupt” by the many anecdotal stories of fraud and waste. Videos have circulated on social media of people admitting to selling their benefits, or grabbing eye-popping grocery hauls for people who don’t seem very needy.
But, but, but: Without hard data, it’s impossible to know how much abuse is going on and where. Rollins has asked every state to share SNAP data to track down the fraud, but only 29 states, mostly Republican-led, have complied. 
“The number is closer to 186,000 deceased men and women who are receiving a check,” Rollins <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDLcYeSKxw">said</a>, based on the data the department has compiled so far. “500,000 people getting two times the benefits, individuals getting benefits in 4, 5, 6 different states – and those are just the red states.”
Rollins has said her department is suing to get SNAP data from remaining states, such as New York and California, and suggested the fraud and abuse will be even worse there.
SNAP to illegals? Despite the dearth of data on SNAP benefits, some evidence exists that points to illegal aliens receiving SNAP benefits.
A 2024 Survey of Income and Program Participation, <a href="https://washingtonstand.com/article/major-study-finds-illegal-immigrants-collecting-taxpayerfunded-snap-benefits">analyzed</a> by The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), shows that, even though SNAP is restricted to applicants with legal status, potentially up to 4.5 million illegals are using SNAP. This is especially alarming since illegals are already permitted to use WIC, which is another welfare food program that’s a little more restrictive. 
CIS also found that 47% of all noncitizen households receive taxpayer-funded food assistance. And generally, about 60<a href="https://cis.org/Report/Welfare-Use-Immigrants-and-USBorn?utm_source=chatgpt.com">% of illegal immigrant households</a> use at least one major welfare program. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Charlotte Empties After ICE Raids</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1003175" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Queen-City-ICE-Sweeps.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The Trump administration’s immigration sweeps in Charlotte, North Carolina, have left schools with minimal attendance and roads free of traffic.
Charlotte is a place that doesn’t seem like a traditional hotbed for illegal immigration, but immigration raids are starting to expose it as one. What we&#8217;ve seen so far is that school attendance is down. Around 30,000 students did not show up to class in Charlotte Public Schools on Monday after the sweep started over the weekend.
Immigration raids have yielded about 200 arrests and put fear into other industries around the city. Traffic is down altogether, and some construction sites have been completely abandoned.
Why Charlotte: The raids have revealed the city to be a major hotspot for illegal immigrants.
Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security, more broadly, saw Charlotte as a sanctuary after the sheriff of Mecklenburg County ended its partnership with ICE in 2018. The sheriff said that he would no longer allow ICE to come into his jails to take in illegal immigrant criminals that were set to be released, effectively adopting a sanctuary policy similar to places such as New York City and Chicago, where ICE and Border Patrol have already been active.
With Charlotte, federal officials say that there were 1,400 illegal immigrants sitting in jails in the city that local authorities were refusing to hand over to ICE. Officials trying to clean up the mess have effectively said, ‘If you&#8217;re not going to help us, we&#8217;re going to take matters into our own hands.’ And that&#8217;s what has happened.
The commander of Border Patrol, Gregory Bovino, has said that the sweeps are yielding more collateral arrests. In other words, illegal immigrants who are with the violent illegal immigrant offenders that federal officials are targeting are being arrested alongside those violent aliens. 
According to Bovino, those aliens wrapped up in collateral arrests actually have more serious criminal histories than officials have seen in other cities where raids are happening.

11.20.25 MW

Morning Brief: Ukraine Deal Emerges, Food Stamps Fraud, & ICE Raids Spark Exodus In Charlotte

Morning Brief: Will Ukraine See Peace, Crackdown On SNAP, And Charlotte Empties Over ICE

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Media

Morning Wire

Russia

SNAP

Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

The Department of Homeland Security issued an unusually sharp and highly public rebuke of U.S. Senate candidate and former North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper after he criticized federal immigration enforcement operations in Charlotte. Cooper wrote on social media that while he supports using federal resources to deport violent offenders, he opposes “randomly sweeping up people based on what they look like,” warning that such tactics could leave dangerous criminals at large while harming families and the economy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/QCQ6jhr5Ls">pic.twitter.com/QCQ6jhr5Ls</a>
&mdash; Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyCooperNC/status/1990442383125725505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DHS immediately fired back, using its official X account to highlight the case of Jordan Renato Castillo-Chavez, a Costa Rican national whom North Carolina authorities had previously declined to transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS described Castillo-Chavez as a “criminal illegal alien” with a record that includes indecent liberties with a child, first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and solicitation of a child via computer. The agency’s message to Cooper was pointed: “North Carolina refused to hand him over to ICE.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyCooperNC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyCooperNC</a>, meet Jordan Renato Castillo-Chavez.
Castillo-Chavez is a criminal illegal alien from Costa Rica. His criminal history includes indecent liberties with child, first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and solicitation of a child by a computer.
North Carolina… <a href="https://t.co/7spksrfTLq">https://t.co/7spksrfTLq</a> <a href="https://t.co/FFzyhgzhTm">pic.twitter.com/FFzyhgzhTm</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1990593361833566299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Homeland Security broadened its criticism, arguing that Charlotte has become a hub for human trafficking and that “sanctuary politicians” in the state have enabled violent offenders to roam free. DHS asserted that terrorist groups and gangs exploit the region’s geography and highway networks, implicitly linking Cooper’s policies to increased vulnerability for residents.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Charlotte, North Carolina has become a hub for human trafficking. Terrorist organizations and gangs have taken advantage of the city&#39;s highway system and geographic location to exploit their victims.
Americans should be able to live without fear of these violent criminals, but… <a href="https://t.co/r4thCUUQvx">pic.twitter.com/r4thCUUQvx</a>
&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1990859501172314168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Top DHS officials amplified the response. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Cooper of refusing to turn over more than 1,400 violent criminal non-citizens to ICE during his governorship and rejected his claim of racial profiling as “absurd and devoid of fact.” She argued that releasing such offenders inevitably leads to further victimization.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Firstly, <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyCooperNC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyCooperNC</a> refused to turn over 1,400 violent criminal illegal aliens to ICE. 
On his watch, when these public safety threats and predators are released back onto Charlotte’s streets they will reoffend &amp; create more victims. 
Second, illegal immigration is a crime… <a href="https://t.co/qmObq2By5X">https://t.co/qmObq2By5X</a>
&mdash; Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1990580018133577751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, overseeing the enforcement surge known as Operation Charlotte’s Web, defended the operation’s focus on repeat offenders — robbers, assailants, and impaired drivers — insisting that local and state leaders should partner with DHS rather than criticize it.
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Kristi Noem discusses Operation Charlotte&#39;s Web, the latest immigration enforcement operation by DHS in Charlotte, NC:
&quot;We&#39;re going after people who committed robberies, assaults, DUI&#39;s, getting them off the streets, keeping people safe. That is exactly what the leadership in… <a href="https://t.co/hf9cS2rwy6">pic.twitter.com/hf9cS2rwy6</a>
&mdash; Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jules31415/status/1990804395986944143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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DHS also announced that the sweep had already led to more than 130 arrests in its first two days, including 44 individuals with serious criminal histories. The agency framed its approach as a necessary corrective to what it characterized as years of non-cooperation from state officials.
“As governor, Cooper allowed [the] release of 3,500 inmates early to settle litigation with the NAACP,” The Center Square <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_cfcd1bfd-9a8c-4405-a3fa-73a515b0dd33.html">noted</a>. “He also vetoed legislation in 2019, 2022 and 2024 that would require local law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
The DHS pushback drew support from North Carolina Republicans, who accused Cooper of <a href="https://x.com/RepMarkHarrisNC/status/1990866287996682495">misleading the public</a> about the immigration enforcement effort.

NC Gov. Roy Cooper

‘Sanctuary Politician’ Roy Cooper Gets DHS Smackdown Over Operation Charlotte’s Web

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigation

Deportation raids may soon begin in Raleigh, North Carolina, local officials said.
The news of the reported sweeps comes days after Border Patrol agents arrived in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-why-the-feds-are-targeting-charlotte-with-immigration-raids">Charlotte</a>, where they&#8217;ve made more than 130 arrests of illegal immigrants. That followed a massive deportation operation in Chicago and is expected to coincide with another one planned in New Orleans.
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said Monday that Border Patrol is expected in the city, but that local police are not involved.
&#8220;As the capital city, it is important to us that everyone who lives, works, plays, and learns in Raleigh feels safe,&#8221; Cowell said.
&#8220;We have been made aware that Customs and Border Protection are coming to Raleigh. While [the Raleigh Police Department] is not involved in immigration enforcement, we are committed to protecting our residents and to following the law,&#8221; she added.
The Department of Homeland Security didn&#8217;t confirm or deny any plans to conduct raids in the North Carolina capital in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country. We do not discuss future or potential operations,&#8221; Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Authorities in North Carolina have operated under sanctuary policies that block local police from handing <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1990528939551248465" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrant criminals</a> over to ICE, according to DHS. There are roughly 1,400 illegal immigrants in North Carolina jails with immigration detainers that local authorities are ignoring.
The raids in Charlotte have already sparked protests, with anti-ICE demonstrators pushing to get the feds out.
North Carolina Democratic Governor Josh Stein blasted the federal operation in a video statement.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling, and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,” Stein said.

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Trump Admin Sets Sights On Next City For Immigration Raids

Border Patrol

Federal immigration authorities have descended upon their next target for mass deportation raids: Charlotte, North Carolina, a city the Trump administration says has been operating as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.
While Charlotte isn&#8217;t a well-known sanctuary like New York or Los Angeles, the Trump administration laments that its leaders have failed to hand over hundreds of illegal immigrant criminals to ICE.
The Department of Homeland Security said there&#8217;s roughly 1,400 illegal immigrant criminals sitting in Charlotte&#8217;s jails that local authorities are refusing to turn over to federal authorities.
&#8220;North Carolina sanctuary politicians are protecting the nearly 1,400 criminal illegal aliens in Charlotte’s jails by REFUSING to turn them over to ICE, ultimately releasing these monsters into North Carolina’s neighborhoods,&#8221; DHS <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1990528939551248465?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X Monday.
In March, ICE arrested six illegal immigrant criminals who had been released by the Mecklenburg Sheriff&#8217;s Office, which ignored federal detainers, <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-law-enforcement-partners-arrest-24-illegal-criminal-alien-offenders-during" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the agency.
After the operation, there were still 18 other targets &#8220;at large who also had detainers that were not honored,&#8221; ICE said at the time, adding that they&#8217;ve &#8220;been unable to locate those individuals, and they remain at large and pose a potential danger to the community.&#8221;
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden cut a partnership with ICE in 2018 that allowed federal agents to enter the jails and take illegal immigrant inmates into custody. Since then, he&#8217;s required ICE to provide warrants signed by a judge in order to take in detainees set to be released, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3365394/democratic-sheriff-garry-mcfadden-points-at-ice-over-immigration-enforcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Examiner</a>.
McFadden defended that he&#8217;s “cooperating” with the law by not honoring detainer requests without judicial warrants, he told the news outlet.
Meanwhile, ICE accused McFadden of adopting a &#8220;selective approach&#8221; that&#8217;s putting public safety at risk.
“While the Sheriff asserts an understanding of what a detainer is and is not, the reality is that declining to cooperate with ICE undermines public safety,” ICE spokesman Lindsay Williams told the Washington Examiner.
“By refusing to notify ICE prior to the release of these individuals, the Sheriff knowingly allows potentially dangerous individuals to evade federal immigration enforcement and to be released back into the community,&#8221; Williams added.
The Trump administration deployed Border Patrol agents to Charlotte over the weekend as part of an operation dubbed &#8220;Charlotte&#8217;s Web,&#8221; which has already yielded more than 130 arrests of illegal immigrants with criminal records ranging from aggravated assault to felony larceny, according to DHS.
Protesters have responded by organizing demonstrations to push federal agents out of the city.
North Carolina Democrat Governor Josh Stein condemned the federal operation in a video statement.
“We’ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling, and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,” Stein said.
Some locals have also cowered in the presence of the feds.
Roughly 27,000 students were absent from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Monday, which was nearly three times the number of absences from one week earlier, <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article312964185.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Charlotte Observer.
Some local businesses have also shut their doors, fearing that their customers or employees will be targets of the raids.
“I’m not going to risk my customers,” Manolo&#8217;s Bakery owner Manolo Betancur <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/manolos-bakery-charlotte-closes-border-patrol-concerns/275-86cdb1a6-1338-428a-b599-a06460bcef7d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WCNC of his decision to close his business. “Safety is more important than any money, any profits or any economic system.”

Untitled design – 2025-11-18T140220.672

Here’s Why The Feds Are Targeting Charlotte With Immigration Raids

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents descended upon Charlotte, North Carolina, over the weekend, arresting more than 130 illegal immigrants with criminal records ranging from aggravated assault to felony larceny, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrests were part of the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/11/15/dhs-launches-operation-charlottes-web-target-criminal-illegal-aliens-terrorizing">Charlotte&#8217;s Web</a>&#8221; operation, which began on Saturday and aims to find and detain illegal immigrants who have found sanctuary in the Democrat-run city. The Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire, &#8220;Border Patrol arrested over 130 illegal aliens who have all broken the immigration laws of our country.&#8221;
&#8220;Criminal records of those arrested include known gang membership, aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, felony larceny, simple assault, hit and run, possession of stolen goods, shoplifting, DUI, DWI, and illegal re-entry after prior deportation, a felony,&#8221; a DHS spokesman said. &#8220;We will not stop enforcing the laws of our nation until every criminal illegal alien is arrested and removed from our country.&#8221;
Across North Carolina, authorities have ignored nearly 1,400 immigration detainers and released violent illegal immigrants back onto the streets, according to the DHS.
Border Patrol Commander Gregory K. Bovino posted photos of suspected illegal immigrants who have been taken &#8220;off the streets&#8221; of Charlotte over the weekend.
&#8220;Who&#8217;s at the same grocery store as you? This illegal alien from Honduras with a criminal history,&#8221; Bovino wrote in one post. &#8220;He has arrests for aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon &amp; DUI. He has also been removed from the U.S. twice, so now that he&#8217;s here AGAIN, he committed a felony by re-entering the U.S.&#8221;
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Who&#8217;s at the same grocery store as you? This illegal alien from Honduras with a criminal history. He has arrests for aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon &amp; DUI. He has also been removed from the U.S. twice, so now that he&#8217;s here AGAIN, he committed a felony by… <a href="https://t.co/Kx8BI4NJFi">pic.twitter.com/Kx8BI4NJFi</a>
— Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMDROpAtLargeCA/status/1990073456403046786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This illegal alien from Mexico has 3 DUI/DWI convictions. We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can&#8217;t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on,&#8221; Bovino added in another post.
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This illegal alien from Mexico has 3 DUI/DWI convictions. We arrested him, taking him off the streets of Charlotte so he can&#8217;t continue to ignore our laws and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DHS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DHS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USBP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USBP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHARLOTTESWEB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHARLOTTESWEB</a> <a href="https://t.co/4dv9HbbTVm">pic.twitter.com/4dv9HbbTVm</a>
— Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino (@CMDROpAtLargeCA) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMDROpAtLargeCA/status/1990091580632424581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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DHS said that one law enforcement officer was injured during an operation over the weekend, when a U.S. citizen &#8220;weaponized his vehicle, driving a large van at law enforcement while they were conducting an operation.&#8221; The driver allegedly fled the scene, prompting a high-speed chase. The suspect, who has previous arrests for resisting law enforcement, public disturbance, and intoxication, was eventually taken into custody.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INJURED DURING ENFORCEMENT OPERATION.
This afternoon in Charlotte near University City, a United States citizen weaponized his vehicle, driving a large van at law enforcement while they were conducting an operation. He immediately fled the scene, starting… <a href="https://t.co/Iu2fm1p6Lh">pic.twitter.com/Iu2fm1p6Lh</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1990249095911350330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As Border Patrol began arresting suspected illegal immigrants in Charlotte, residents took to the streets to protest, demanding that the federal agents leave the city. Hundreds of protesters gathered on Saturday, carrying signs that read &#8220;Immigrants Make Charlotte Great,&#8221; &#8220;Kidnapping Immigrants Won&#8217;t Make America Great,&#8221; and &#8220;Charlotte Demands ICE and Border Patrol Out Of Our City!&#8221;
North Carolina Democratic Governor Josh Stein blasted the federal operation in a video statement.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen masked, heavily armed agents in paramilitary garb driving unmarked cars, targeting American citizens based on their skin color, racially profiling, and picking up random people in parking lots and off of our sidewalks,&#8221; Stein said.
<div id="attachment_1001499" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001499" class="wp-image-1001499 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2246351107-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2246351107-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2246351107-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2246351107-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2246351107.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Grant Baldwin/Getty Images</div>
Charlotte is the latest big city targeted by President Donald Trump, who is surging federal law enforcement and immigration agents to cities across the country to address illegal immigration and violent crime. Charlotte gained national attention earlier this year when Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was brutally stabbed to death while riding the city&#8217;s light rail train. Decarlos Brown Jr., an American citizen, was charged with Zarutska&#8217;s murder after he had previously been arrested 14 times.
Federal agents have also arrested hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants and violent criminals in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Memphis, and Portland.

‘Operation Charlotte’s Web’ Nets 130+ ‘Criminal Illegal Alien’ Arrests In First Weekend

Trump Administration

A looming House vote on the Epstein files launches a political knife fight on the Right, a bipartisan cohort of Congressmen call out Chinese tech on American military bases, and the Trump administration brings its immigration blitz to North Carolina.
It’s Monday, November 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251117-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epstein-files-fallout-chinas-intel-tentacles-11-17-25/id1576594336?i=1000737065752" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Rips Greene</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1001441" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Donald Trump dramatically withdrew his backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) over the weekend amid a national debate over the Epstein files.
A few years ago, Greene was considered one of the president&#8217;s closest allies in Congress, including during the Biden era. Over the past few weeks, Greene has broken prominently with the president on some policies, including how best to handle healthcare and foreign policy. 
Last week appeared to be the final straw for the president, when he referred to the Georgia congresswoman as Marjorie “Traitor” Greene. Trump essentially said Greene was acting out of line because of her desire to run for the U.S. Senate or Georgia governor.
“I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” Trump said in a social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115551127714537339">post</a>. “She has gone Far Left, even doing The View, with their Low IQ Republican hating Anchors. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Greene media blitz: Greene has appeared on the Left-leaning talk show The View and has given interviews to CNN and other outlets, where she has criticized the administration and other Republicans.
In a Sunday morning appearance on CNN, Greene <a href="https://x.com/CNNSOTU/status/1990068687055851867">apologized</a> for “taking part in toxic politics” when asked why she never spoke out against Trump’s rhetorical style for attacking people until those attacks were directed at her.
Epstein files: Greene has pointed to the administration’s handling of the Epstein files as one of the main reasons that she and the president seem to have had a falling out. Notably, the president has disagreed with this assessment, citing policy differences.
The Epstein files are under debate in Congress right now, as a petition signed by Greene, a few other Republicans, and House Democrats seeks to force a vote on Tuesday to release more evidence. The bill is expected to pass, potentially with more GOP votes than signed on to the petition to get the vote.
For some time, Trump has called the Epstein files a “hoax” and said the supposed files have been weaponized by the Democrats to distract from his agenda. But on Sunday night, Trump reversed course and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/us/politics/trump-epstein-files-release-vote.html">called on</a> House Republicans to back the bill that would compel the DOJ to release the files. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Chinese Espionage</h2>
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Topline: U.S. lawmakers in both parties are ramping up warnings of Chinese spying efforts on U.S. military bases and personnel. 
In recent years, Chinese companies were found to have gobbled up farmland near roughly 20 military installations nationwide, prompting warnings from the Pentagon that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could use that land to film weapons and troop movements, intercept communications, and hack into software.
Congress recently passed new laws requiring federal approval for foreign land purchases within 100 miles of most military sites. But it appears Beijing is circumventing those laws and continuing to purchase land.
Whiteman under watch? In the last few days, the Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/10/exclusive-us-nuclear-bomber-fleet-shares-fence-trailer-park-linked-chinese-intel-miles-guo/">reported</a> on a trailer park in Missouri that’s owned by a married couple living in Canada with ties to a Chinese business tycoon. That trailer park directly borders Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the U.S. military’s only nuclear-capable stealth bomber fleet. The land shares a fence with the base and sits just a mile from the runway, offering unobscured views of stealth bombers taking off and landing.
The Canadian couple are Chinese immigrants with direct business ties to Miles Guo, a “disgraced Chinese tycoon and self-described former CCP intelligence affiliate.”
As one former CIA operations officer said, “This trailer park would hypothetically give Xi Jinping a range of options to wreak havoc.” According to Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), the commander of this base had <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/11/former-military-base-commander-allegedly-knew-nothing-of-nearby-trailer-park-linked-to-ccp/">no idea</a> his next-door neighbors were potential Chinese spies. 
Chinese spy tech: Last week, 23 lawmakers from both parties, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), sent a letter to the White House urging an investigation into TP-Link, a major online retailer that sells Wi-Fi routers, home security cameras, baby monitors, etc.
Ernst says those devices are easily accessed by the CCP and, most concerning, “are sold through the Army, Air Force, and Navy Exchanges, placing these devices in proximity to U.S. military installations and providing a vehicle for Beijing to spy on America.”
TP-Link strongly denies any wrongdoing, saying its data for American users is housed on the Amazon cloud in Virginia, and that “TP-Link does not enable foreign surveillance of U.S. networks or users.”
Lawmakers say even if Chinese businesses aren’t intentionally taking part in espionage against the United States, they can often be used for those purposes by the CCP. Beijing passed new laws in recent years that require “any organization or citizen [to] support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Operation Charlotte’s Web</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1001445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Federal immigration agents flooded Charlotte, North Carolina, over the weekend in the next major operation under President Trump’s immigration enforcement surge.
Charlotte’s Web: Immigration officials from ICE and the Border Patrol launched Operation Charlotte’s Web over the weekend, continuing Trump&#8217;s immigration crackdown across major American cities. According to administration officials, immigration operations continue to focus on dangerous illegal aliens. Quite a few non-violent aliens tend to be swept up in immigration raids, as well. 
Democrat backlash: This operation has caused predictable backlash among local Democratic politicians and activists.
“We have a little man sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who really believes that Hitler was the greatest man ever on earth,” <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=556130">said</a> Corine Mack, the president of the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP. “He&#8217;s trying to create a 1940 Germany right here in the United States. And like then, many people said, &#8216;Well, it’s them, not me.&#8217; Until it eventually was them. We can no longer be silent.”
Catholic bishops join resistance: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops waded into the immigration debate, slamming President Trump’s enforcement policies. 
“We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” the bishops <a href="https://x.com/ArchbishpSample/status/1989041086808133664">said</a> in a video statement. “We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”
The bishops’ message drew pushback from border czar Tom Homan.
“Secure border saves lives and, you know, one of the reasons no one talks about why we have the most secure border in the history of this nation. [It’s] because of exactly what ICE is doing,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1989387853697265891">said</a> Homan on Friday. “I&#8217;ll say it as a Catholic, I think they need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.”

MRN_251117_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Dumps Former Ally, China’s Intel Tentacles, & Operation Charlotte’s Web

Morning Brief: Trump Rips MTG, Chinese Spying In America, And Operation Charlotte’s Web

China

Joni Ernst

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Mike Johnson

United States

Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) demanded Wednesday that North Carolina Democratic Governor Josh Stein deploy the National Guard to Charlotte after a spate of high-profile murders in the city. 
Harris, alongside Republican Reps. Pat Harrigan and Chuck Edwards, asked Stein in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11.05.25_Letter-to-Gov.-Stein-re-National-Guard.pdf">letter</a> obtained by The Daily Wire to grant the request of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police to send in the National Guard to Charlotte. 
“Until our judicial system ensures criminals are held accountable, there is a compelling case to deter violence through a visible, stabilizing presence such as the National Guard,” the lawmakers wrote. “While calling upon the National Guard is not a long-term solution to Charlotte’s law enforcement staffing challenges, it is an emergency measure designed to stabilize a crisis situation and protect innocent lives.”
The letter said that Charlotte had a streak of 8 murders in 7 days, and the city’s downtown area had seen a 200% increase in its murder rate from this time last year. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police said assaults involving knives and guns increased from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, while strong-arm robberies have increased from 26 to 32 in the same time. 
“Governor Stein is deaf to the desperate pleas of Charlotte&#8217;s police and residents,” Harris said. “He refuses reinforcements to crush the violent crime surge—exposing him and his party as pro-crime Democrats who coddle criminals while ignoring victims. That&#8217;s why my colleagues and I are fighting for millions of North Carolinians, demanding we reclaim the Queen City. Governor Stein: Stop stalling—send in the Guard now.&#8221;
The lawmakers also discussed the case of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-reps-move-to-oust-judge-who-freed-14-time-offender-before-brutal-train-murder?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=GOP+Reps+Move+To+Oust+Judge+Who+Freed+14-Time+Offender+Before+Brutal+Train+Murder">Decarlos Brown Jr.</a>, who was charged with the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, after he had previously been arrested 14 times. They also referenced the recent release of a 15-year-old who has been arrested over 100 times over the last two years and is still walking freely on the streets. 
“The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police continues to stand by our request for federal assistance,” said  Daniel Redford, the president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police. “What is most concerning is that city leaders, many of whom have served multiple terms, have failed to foresee these police shortages and build the ranks of CMPD at a time when attrition was manageable. The officers of CMPD are now tasked with the burden of their failures and they grow more and more exhausted as each day passes.”
Other cities, like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, have seen decreases in crime after the deployment of National Guard troops.

Kamala Harris Campaigns In North Carolina

Pressure Mounts For Dem Governor To Call In National Guard After Spate Of High-Profile Murders

Dem Governor Pushed To Call In National Guard Amid High-Profile Murders

Josh Stein

National Guard

Violent Crime

The Republican-controlled North Carolina House approved a new congressional map on Wednesday, a day after the measure cleared the state Senate, likely securing another U.S. House seat for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
The new map passed the state House along party lines in a vote of 66-48, as Democrats condemned the effort, the Raleigh News &amp; Observer <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article312584734.html">reported</a>. The current North Carolina House delegation is made up of 10 Republicans and four Democrats, and the new congressional map is projected to shift that to 11 Republicans and three Democrats.
State law does not allow North Carolina&#8217;s governor, Democrat Josh Stein, to veto the new map, meaning the process is finished, pending any legal challenges.
President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to draw new congressional maps that are more favorable to the GOP ahead of next year&#8217;s midterms. North Carolina House Republican Majority Leader Brenden Jones celebrated the map&#8217;s passage, saying, “It’s a fact that we will send one more Republican to Congress from this great state.”
Jones also responded to the criticism over the redistricting and had some advice for Democrats.
“You can be mad about redistricting all you want, but you need to look in the mirror and ask yourself, what got us here?” he said.
The new map will mostly affect Democratic Rep. Don Davis, whose district will shift from an area that voted for Trump by just three percentage points to one that voted for Trump by 11 points in the 2024 election.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The new North Carolina congressional map has PASSED the NC House and Senate.
The bill does not require the Governor&#8217;s signature and is now law
Change To Dem Rep Don Davis in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NC01?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NC01</a> 
🔴 Trump +3 -&gt; 🔴 Trump +11 <a href="https://t.co/wM921mJrB7">pic.twitter.com/wM921mJrB7</a>
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAPolls2022/status/1981041109934453186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A spokesman for Davis <a href="https://x.com/ReubenJones1/status/1980345787109568915">told</a> Spectrum News that he will run again next year but is considering entering the race for the 3rd district, where Republicans would also be favored.
State House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said that the passage of the new map represented a grave omen for “our independence, our democracy.”
“I would ask that you mark this day, because one day they’re coming to you, they’re going to ask you to do something that you just can’t do,&#8221; Reives added. &#8220;And because we have set the precedent that only one man in this party matters, you’re going home.”
Republican state Senator Phil Berger <a href="https://x.com/SenatorBerger/status/1980641716311851245">said</a> that the new map &#8220;respects the will of the North Carolina voters who sent President Trump to the White House three times.&#8221;
So far, Texas, Missouri, and now North Carolina have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-gerrymandering-congress-trump-0af8561b1670032fae3e1d2aec7905f0">passed</a> new congressional maps that will likely help Republicans in the midterm elections. Other red states, including Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, and Louisiana, are also redistricting.
Democrat-led states, such as California, New York, and Illinois, have either introduced or are considering new congressional maps likely to put more Democrats in Congress. After Texas approved a new congressional map expected to give Republicans five additional House seats, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom urged residents in his state to respond in kind by backing a statewide measure on the November ballot that would change the Golden State&#8217;s congressional map to favor Democrats.

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Trump Scores Another Win: New North Carolina Congressional Map Boosts GOP’s Midterm Outlook

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