A federal judge refused to sign a complaint against former CNN host Don Lemon for his alleged role in storming a Minnesota church service on Sunday with a mob of anti-ICE agitators.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was “enraged” at the magistrate judge’s refusal to sign the charges, a source familiar with the proceedings told The Daily Wire.
Federal authorities made three arrests of protestors who allegedly took part in targeting the church over a pastor accused of serving as an ICE chief in Minnesota.
Lemon was seen on video at the protest under the guise of covering it as an independent journalist.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, however, said Monday that freedom of the press does not extend to “being part of the group that storms inside of a church&#8221; in reference to Lemon.
“Freedom of the press extends to a lot of different areas,” Blanche <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2013363084065169616" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Fox News’s Will Cain. “It does not extend to somebody just trespassing and being embedded with a group of rioters and being part of the group that storms inside of a church… the fact that Mr. Lemon thought that was a good idea, and then raced away from it saying it was ‘freedom of the press’ — well, we’ll see.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don Lemon blatantly admits his intent to violate the FACE Act by contacting the leader of an anti-ICE group to storm a church.
&#8220;They&#8217;re planning an operation. We&#8217;ll follow them. They&#8217;ll catch people off guard. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re doing.&#8221;<a href="https://t.co/qSUbPvLWDP">pic.twitter.com/qSUbPvLWDP</a>
— MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsbusters/status/2013286300732764352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon hinted on Monday that charges could be brought against Lemon for his alleged involvement.
“Don Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility. He went into the facility, and then he began ‘committing journalism,’ as if that’s sort of a shield from being a part, an embedded part of a criminal conspiracy, it isn’t,” she told podcaster Benny Johnson on Monday.
Dhillon also said that the Justice Department was looking into possible violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which has long been weaponized against pro-life protesters, and the Ku Klux Klan Act.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican who represents Minnesota, told The Daily Wire that Lemon, whom he called “that failed reporter, that loser, that Lemon loser,” should face accountability for joining the mob.
“They’ve been led to believe that this type of behavior is acceptable. I mean, we’ve got [Minnesota Democratic Governor] Tim Walz and [Attorney General] Keith Ellison, literally doing everything they can to obstruct the lawful actions of federal law enforcement,” Emmer said.
Despite facing pushback from the judge, the Trump administration is reportedly exploring other avenues to charge Lemon.
Following the demonstration, Lemon slammed the Christian worshippers as people entitled by &#8220;white supremacy.&#8221;
During a press conference on Tuesday, President Donald Trump called Lemon a &#8220;loser&#8221; and &#8220;lightweight&#8221; for allegedly taking part in the protest.
&#8220;I saw him, the way he walked in that church was terrible. I have such respect for that pastor. He was so calm. He was so nice,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;He was just accosted. What they did in that church was horrible.&#8221;

2025 Blackweek Conference

Judge Rejects Charges Against Don Lemon, And Bondi Is ‘Enraged’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Minnesota

Pam Bondi

Federal authorities arrested three alleged agitators who participated in the anti-ICE mob that stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi first announced on Thursday morning that agents with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations nabbed Black Lives Matter activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who is accused of playing &#8220;a key role in organizing the coordinated attack&#8221; on Cities Church. Minutes later, Bondi said authorities had arrested Chauntyll Louisa Allen, who leads Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and serves on the St. Paul Public Schools board.
Later Thursday, Bondi revealed that authorities also took William Kelly into custody. Notably, Kelly previously harassed worshippers at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s church in Washington, D.C.
&#8220;Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,&#8221; Bondi wrote.
&#8220;Our nation was settled and founded by people fleeing religious persecution. Religious freedom is the bedrock of this country. We will protect our pastors. We will protect our churches. We will protect Americans of faith,&#8221; Bondi went on to say.
The group allegedly stormed the church service and harassed worshippers, asserting that one of the pastors is a top ICE official in Minnesota. Since then, Trump administration officials have pledged to make arrests and use the FACE Act, which has long been weaponized against pro-life protesters, to prosecute the protesters, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was seen on video with the mob under the guise of functioning as an independent journalist.
The FACE Act penalizes those who “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”
Armstrong, who is the former president of the Minnesota NAACP, defended her actions during a CNN interview earlier this week. She said the group peacefully sat in the service and waited to confront the pastor about his colleague, who is allegedly a top ICE official in Minnesota, until after he prayed.
&#8220;We did not rush into that church, we actually went and sat down and participated in the service. And after the pastor prayed, that is when I stood up and asked him a question in response to his prayer, and then he responded to me, and then I proceeded to ask him about Pastor David Easterwood and how is it possible for him to serve as both a pastor and the director of ICE for Minnesota,&#8221; Armstrong said.
&#8220;And instead of responding to me, as soon as I said the name David Easterwood, the pastor said &#8216;shame, shame&#8217; and that is when I led us in chants &#8216;Justice for Renee Good&#8217; and &#8216;Hands up don&#8217;t shoot,'&#8221; she said, adding &#8220;We didn&#8217;t rush in, we didn&#8217;t bust in, we were a part of the service until I got up and posed that question to the pastor.&#8221;
Allen also spoke to the media after the incident, telling TMZ that the Trump administration should focus its resources on investigating Good&#8217;s death.
&#8220;I see this as a distraction from the real issue that is ICE is in Minnesota right now, terrorizing our communities &#8230; they&#8217;re murdering people,&#8221; she said.
She also doubled down, saying activists &#8220;should continue to interrupt spaces and make sure that people are very much aware of the people that they&#8217;re following, where their dollars are going and how we can start to disrupt that overall system that continues to want to oppress black and brown and indigenous people.&#8221;
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican who represents Minnesota, told The Daily Wire during an interview Thursday that he hopes the activists &#8220;get prosecuted to the full extent.&#8221; He also mentioned Don Lemon, whom he called &#8220;that failed reporter, that loser, that Lemon loser,&#8221; and said he should face accountability for joining the mob. Lemon claims he was covering the group as an independent journalist.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve been led to believe that this type of behavior is acceptable.  I mean, we&#8217;ve got [Minnesota Democratic Governor] Tim Walz and [Attorney General] Keith Ellison, literally doing everything they can to obstruct the lawful actions of federal law enforcement,&#8221; Emmer said.
Emmer also touched on the arrests that have already been made.
&#8220;Why am I surprised that this clearly immature school board member thinks that it&#8217;s okay to try to obstruct and confront federal law enforcement trying to do their job. It&#8217;s unfortunate, but she should be arrested and she should also be held accountable,&#8221; Emmer said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not enough just to say, &#8216;Oh, don&#8217;t do that again.&#8217; No, people have got to see there are consequences for this type of behavior. This has been the problem in Minnesota.  There have been no consequences,&#8221; he said.

Untitled design – 2026-01-22T090802.984

Feds Arrest Three In Connection With Anti-ICE Protest That Stormed Minnesota Church

Feds Arrest Two In Connection With Anti-ICE Protest That Stormed Minnesota Church

A group of 37 cartel members accused of committing crimes across the United States was flown in from Mexico Tuesday night as the Trump administration looks to crack down on the criminal organizations and increase pressure on the Mexican government.
Among the dozens of cartel members were human smugglers, arms traffickers, and alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste, Cártel del Golfo, Gulf Cartel, La Linea, and the former Beltrán-Leyva Organization, according to the Department of Justice.
The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration said that Mexico participated in the transfer of the fugitives, which was the largest of its kind and the third time the Mexican government has used its National Security Law to send fugitives north. Mexico&#8217;s cooperation signals a new willingness to crack down on cartel crimes alongside the United States.
“This is another landmark achievement in the Trump Administration’s mission to destroy the cartels. These 37 cartel members – including terrorists from the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and others – will now pay for their crimes against the American people on American soil. We are grateful for this collaboration with our international partners and will deliver swift, comprehensive justice for members of Foreign Terrorist Organizations who have spent years preying on the American people,&#8221; Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement after the operation.
<div id="attachment_1031457" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1031457" class="wp-image-1031457 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-2026-01-21T151932.244-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-2026-01-21T151932.244-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-2026-01-21T151932.244-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-2026-01-21T151932.244-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-2026-01-21T151932.244.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Department of Justice</div>
One of the individuals transferred was Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, who allegedly provided CJNG with grenades and engaged in illegal immigrant smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking for the cartel, according to the Justice Department.
Additionally, Eduardo Rigoberto Velasco Calderon and Eliomar Segura Torres were brought over after they allegedly laundered drug money for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and the Sinaloa Cartel by transferring the funds through cryptocurrency transactions, according to the DOJ.
Heriberto Hernández Rodriguez was also brought over from Mexico. He&#8217;s a member of Cártel del Noreste and is allegedly responsible for drug trafficking, kidnappings and assassinations, and procuring weapons for the cartel, according to the DOJ.
The cartel member allegedly commanded hundreds of sicarios and ordered the killings of multiple people between 2006 and 2022.
He also allegedly headed security for the cartel’s stash houses in Mexico, &#8220;which served as staging points for thousands of kilograms of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine to be transported into the United States for distribution,&#8221; the DOJ said.
The first Sinaloa cartel leader to be hit with terrorism charges, Pedro Inzunza Noriega, was also brought to the U.S. He also faces drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
Inzunza Noriega and his son, Pedro Inzunza Coronel, allegedly worked together to produce and traffic tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States as they led &#8220;one of the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl production networks in the world,&#8221; according to the DOJ.
Mexican authorities raided multiple drug sites allegedly controlled by the father and son duo in December 2024, seizing 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl, which was the largest known seizure of fentanyl in world history.
The son was killed during a capture operation last year in Mexico, before his father was captured by the Mexican military weeks later.
The transfer comes as President Donald Trump continues to threaten U.S. military action against cartels operating in Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-sheinbaum-trump-cartels-3b90e4a7efaf26f8f481dedf5e6423f4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> with Trump last week, saying such an operation would be &#8220;unnecessary.&#8221;

Untitled design – 2026-01-21T151757.955

Dozens Of Mexican Cartel Fugitives Flown To The U.S. To Face Justice

Drug Cartels

Mexico

Attorney General Pam Bondi fired a warning shot Thursday after a federal three-judge panel <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-allowed-to-use-a0c801e8c8c50700f71ab7f4c44f244f">ruled</a>, by a 2–1 margin, that California may use its newly minted congressional map — a voter-approved redraw designed to juice Democrats’ prospects in the 2026 midterms. Bondi made clear the fight is far from over, writing on X that California “impermissibly drew its new congressional map based on race,” calling the move unconstitutional and pledging that the Justice Department is reviewing “all legal options.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We disagree with yesterday’s 2-1 ruling on California’s redistricting map. California impermissibly drew its new congressional map based on race. That’s unconstitutional. We are reviewing all legal options.
&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2011786293659717863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The ruling rejected challenges from state Republicans and the DOJ, both of which argued that the map violated the Constitution by using race — particularly to favor Hispanic voters — as a driving factor in redrawing district lines. The panel instead accepted California Democrats’ insistence that the map was drawn for nakedly partisan purposes, a distinction that has become legally decisive since the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering presents a “political question” beyond the reach of federal courts.
Proposition 50, pushed aggressively by California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and approved decisively by voters in November, could hand Democrats as many as five additional House seats. Newsom, widely viewed as eyeing a 2028 presidential run, framed the effort as retaliation for a Texas mid-decade redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump. Republicans currently hold just nine of California’s 52 House seats, making the Golden State a tempting battlefield in the escalating national map war.
Democrats celebrated the ruling as a win for voters, with Newsom dismissing the lawsuit as a “weak attempt to silence” them. Republicans were less sanguine. California GOP chair Corrin Rankin vowed an appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the dissenting opinion — authored by Trump-appointed Judge Kenneth Lee — more accurately reflected the law and the facts. Lee warned that at least one district was drawn using race “to curry favor with Latino groups and voters,” undercutting the majority’s claim that the map was purely partisan.
The decision lands amid an increasingly brazen, state-by-state arms race over redistricting. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have moved to redraw maps mid-decade, while a judge forced Republican-run Utah to adopt a Democratic-leaning district. Notably, the Justice Department has sued only California.
The stakes are unmistakable. House Democrats need just a handful of seats to flip control of the chamber, potentially grinding Trump’s agenda to a halt and opening the floodgates to congressional investigations. With Republicans holding a razor-thin majority, California’s maps may prove decisive — or become the next front in a Supreme Court showdown over whether “partisan” gerrymandering is simply racial gerrymandering by another name.

Department of Justice 12/4/25

Bondi Vows To Fight After Court Greenlights California’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Redistricting Map

Bondi Vows DOJ Fight After Court Greenlights 'Unconstitutional' California Redistricting Map

California

Gavin Newsom

Redistricting

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has sued the state of Minnesota over affirmative action-based hiring practices.
&#8220;Today, @TheJusticeDept sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies. This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it,&#8221; Bondi posted on X, sharing a link to the DOJ&#8217;s official <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime">press release</a> on the matter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies.
This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it. <a href="https://t.co/NcNHMftLwa">https://t.co/NcNHMftLwa</a>
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2011504118699807030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota challenging Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies implement sex- and race-based affirmative action plans and consider &#8216;affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions,'&#8221; the release stated. &#8220;The State’s affirmative action program directs agencies to engage in employment practices that &#8216;balance&#8217; the sex and race composition of its workforce with the civilian labor force.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1423361/dl">suit</a> was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and asserts that Minnesota&#8217;s mandatory affirmative action-based hiring practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
&#8220;Because staffing is a zero-sum game, when Minnesota gives preferences to employees or prospective employees on the basis of their race, color, national origin, and sex, it inevitably and necessarily discriminates against other employees or prospective employees because of their race, color, national origin, and sex,&#8221; the filing stated, in part.
Bondi addressed the situation in Minnesota, saying that the lawsuit was just one way in which the DOJ was working from different angles to ensure that the state was not undermining federal policies — whether those policies pertained to enforcing immigration law, investigating fraud, or ensuring that federal efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were not being undermined.
&#8220;From suing over sanctuary city policies to a wide-ranging fraud investigation, today&#8217;s lawsuit is the Department of Justice&#8217;s latest effort to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law,&#8221; Bondi explained. &#8220;Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies.&#8221;
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon — at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division — added, &#8220;For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as ‘affirmative action.’ The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step. Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment. There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.'&#8221;

Trump To Lay Out His Plan For Reducing Crime In Nation’s Capital

DOJ Sues Minnesota Over Affirmative Action Hiring Practices: ‘DEI Codified Into Bad State Policy’

Affirmative Action

Department of Justice

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Tim Walz

The FBI executed a search warrant at a Washington Post reporter&#8217;s Virginia home on Wednesday morning as the feds investigate a government contractor who&#8217;s accused of leaking classified government materials.
Reporter Hannah Natanson, who focuses on &#8220;covering the Trump administration&#8217;s reshaping of the government,&#8221; was at home when FBI agents showed up at her front door and proceeded to search her house and seize two laptops, a phone, and a Garmin watch, the Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/14/washington-post-reporter-search/">reported</a>. Investigators reportedly told Natanson that she is not the target of the investigation. According to the Post, the FBI is looking into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor with top-secret security clearance.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Natanson was reporting on classified information that was &#8220;illegally leaked&#8221; by a &#8220;Pentagon contractor.&#8221; Bondi added that the accused leaker, whom she did not publicly identify, is in jail.
&#8220;This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;The leaker is currently behind bars. I am proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort. The Trump Administration will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security and the brave men and women who are serving our country.&#8221;
Perez-Lugones is a system administrator in Maryland who allegedly took classified intelligence reports to his home. The reports were found in his lunchbox and basement, according to the FBI.
Natanson, who was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize and describes herself as &#8220;the federal government whisperer,&#8221; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/24/trump-federal-government-workers/">wrote</a> in an article published last month that she connected with more than 1,000 sources within the Trump administration after posting her phone number to an online forum for federal government employees. She said federal workers who reached out to her often expressed frustration with the administration.
U.S. law protects journalists who publish classified information, provided they obtained it without coercion and did not ask anyone to break the law. Some of Natanson&#8217;s colleagues took to social media to defend her after news broke of the FBI search.
Last year, Bondi ended a policy implemented under former President Joe Biden that prohibited federal agencies from searching reporters&#8217; devices to identify a leaker. Bondi said that under her leadership, federal authorities would search reporters&#8217; devices and records only when necessary and after all other investigative avenues had been exhausted.

FBI/Washington Post

FBI Searches Washington Post Reporter’s Home In Classified Docs Probe, Leaker ‘Behind Bars’

classified documents

journalist

Media

Politics

Washington Post

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the fraud uncovered thus far in Minnesota — largely linked to the Somali community — was just the tip of what appears to be a very large iceberg, and she promised many more arrests and prosecutions in the coming weeks.
In a post shared to X on Monday afternoon, Bondi praised the work done by independent journalist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocking-video-exposes-more-apparent-somali-linked-fraud-in-walzs-minnesota">Nick Shirley</a>, who shared a lengthy video exposing the depth of the fraud in the childcare and health care industries — and she said that the Justice Department had already begun investigating the fraud months earlier.
&#8220;MINNESOTA FRAUD: [Nick Shirley]’s work has helped show Americans the scale of fraud in Tim Walz’s Minnesota,&#8221; Bondi posted. &#8220;@TheJusticeDept has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals – 85 of Somali descent – and more than 60 have been found guilty in court. We have more prosecutions coming … BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!&#8221;
FBI Director Kash Patel also responded to the story:
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CASE UPDATE: MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME
The FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota. However, even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2005305530651189719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Shirley shared <a href="https://x.com/nickshirleyy/status/2004642794862961123">video</a> of himself going from location to location, confronting people and, in some cases, having doors slammed in his face. At one location, which advertised itself as a &#8220;Quality Learing Center,&#8221; a white woman stood outside the building warning anyone who might be inside not to open up — and claiming that Shirley was with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
&#8220;Here is the full 42 minutes of my crew and I exposing Minnesota fraud, this might be my most important work yet,” Shirley captioned the video post. “We uncovered over $110,000,000 in ONE day &#8230; It’s time to hold these corrupt politicians and fraudsters accountable. We ALL work way too hard and pay too much in taxes for this to be happening, the fraud must be stopped.”
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Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-daycares-youtuber-payments-dec-2025">Tikki Brown</a> responded to the video on Monday, saying that all of the locations Shirley visited had been the subjects of random inspections within the last six months, and that children had been present when those visits were conducted.
Brown also questioned whether or not Shirley had gone to the daycare centers during normal operating hours, asking, &#8220;When were the videos taken? Were they during times that the center was scheduled to be open? Were they during the weekend?&#8221;
She also said that, in light of the video, the state planned to conduct follow-up checks.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

‘BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!’: Pam Bondi Says Somali Fraud Prosecutions Are Just Beginning

'BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!': Pam Bondi Says Somali Fraud Prosecutions Are Just Beginning

Crime

Fraud

Somalis

U.S.

Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino plans to leave the bureau next month.
Bongino posted his farewell announcement on X on Wednesday. Bongino’s message came soon after President Donald Trump <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2001398261685309668">hinted</a> at Bongino’s departure in comments made on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews, saying of Bongino, “I think he wants to go back to his show.”
“I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January. I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her,” <a href="https://x.com/FBIDDBongino/status/2001416238027935836">said</a> Bongino.
Trump appointed Bongino to the bureau in February. Bongino, before his career in conservative media, served in the New York Police Department and Secret Service. In the media, he was an adept watchdog over the Department of Justice and FBI, especially on scandals such as Operation Crossfire Hurricane and the Jeffrey Epstein saga.
Bongino recently wrapped one of his priorities for the FBI since coming into the deputy director role: identifying the suspected pipe bomber who planted bombs outside the Republican and Democratic headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021. Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-fbi-raids-home-of-suspected-january-6-pipe-bomber">noted</a> in a press conference that arresting the suspected bomber was “the best birthday present” Bongino could have asked for.
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The Department of Justice under Bondi has been roiled by controversies over the past year, including its handling of the so-called Epstein files and prosecutions targeting some of Trump&#8217;s chief antagonists.
White House chief-of-staff Susie Wiles was critical of Bondi in comments published recently in <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2">Vanity Fair</a>. Wiles said Bondi mishandled the investigation into Epstein when she released old information to a group of right-wing reporters and internet influencers.
“I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this,” Wiles said of the attorney general. “First she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn’t on her desk.”
Wiles was more complimentary of the FBI leadership.
“The people that really appreciated what a big deal this is are Kash [Patel] and [FBI deputy director] Dan Bongino,” she said. She noted that, before they were inside the department, Patel and Bongino had been two of the loudest voices calling for transparency on Epstein, suspecting that information on his connections to some elites had been buried in non-public government records.
After joining the FBI, Patel and Bongino investigated their hunch about the Epstein files. They later came to the conclusion that the so-called secret files did not exist, and said as much publicly.
The handling of the Epstein probe sparked tensions within the Justice Department. Bongino <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/11/epstein-files-dan-bongino-pam-bondi-trump">reportedly</a> took issue with Bondi’s handling of the situation in particular. At the time, the deputy head of the FBI was rumored to be on the way out over frustrations with the attorney general.

Dan Bongino

Dan Bongino Leaving FBI: ‘God Bless America, And All Those Who Defend Her’

Donald Trump

Executive

Top Trump officials are rallying behind chief of staff Susie Wiles after it was reported that Wiles made unflattering comments about the Trump team in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/susie-wiles-slams-vanity-fair-over-disingenuously-framed-hit-piece?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Susie+Wiles+Unloads+On+Trump+Team%2C+White+House+On+Defense%3F">forthcoming Vanity Fair profile</a>.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, Vice President JD Vance, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and FBI Director Kash Patel are just some of the heavy hitters sticking up for Wiles.
Bondi, whom Wiles allegedly criticized over her handling of the Epstein files, said on Tuesday that Wiles fights for the Trump agenda every day &#8220;with grace, loyalty, and historic effectiveness.&#8221; The AG also suggested the coming profile was a failed &#8220;attempt to divide this administration.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My dear friend <a href="https://twitter.com/SusieWiles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusieWiles</a> fights every day to advance President Trump’s agenda – and she does so with grace, loyalty, and historic effectiveness.
Any attempt to divide this administration will fail.
Any attempt to undermine and downplay President Trump’s monumental…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2000991371952357796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
VP Vance joked about Wiles allegedly calling him a &#8220;conspiracy theorist&#8221; in the profile, while also heaping praise on Wiles for being authentic and the &#8220;best&#8221; chief of staff for President Donald Trump.
&#8220;Sometimes I am a conspiracy theorist, but I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true,&#8221; Vance addressed the alleged comments. &#8220;And, by the way, Susie and I have joked about that in private and in public. For example, I believed in the crazy conspiracy theory back in 2020 that it was stupid to mask three-year-olds at the height of the COVID pandemic. I believed in this crazy conspiracy theory that the media and the government were covering up the fact that Joe Biden was clearly unable to do the job. And I believed in the conspiracy theory that Joe Biden was trying to throw his political opponents in jail rather than win an argument against his political opponents.&#8221;
&#8220;So, at least on some of these conspiracy theories, it turns out that a conspiracy theory is just something that was true six months before the media admitted it,&#8221; Vance joked. &#8220;And that&#8217;s my understanding.&#8221;
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Vance then praised Wiles as &#8220;the same exact person&#8221; when she&#8217;s in front of President Trump as she is when he&#8217;s not around, which the VP said is very unlike most people in politics.
&#8220;I have never seen her be disloyal to the president of the United States, and that makes her the best White House chief of staff that I think the president could have asked for,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
JUST IN: JD Vance fires back at reporter who asked him about Susie Wiles&#8217; alleged comment that he is a conspiracy theorist, starts listing off every conspiracy theory he believes in.
&#8220;I only believe in the conspiracy theories that are true.&#8221;
&#8220;I believed in the crazy conspiracy… <a href="https://t.co/NOhD9SJgg9">pic.twitter.com/NOhD9SJgg9</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2000981034389979313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
Vance also said the Trump team should give fewer interviews to the mainstream media, suggesting the MSM is not trustworthy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Vance&#8217;s parting comment on the VF article:
&#8220;If any of us have learned a lesson from that Vanity Fair article, I hope that the lesson is we should be giving fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/kSDrHW0cU3">https://t.co/kSDrHW0cU3</a>
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) <a href="https://twitter.com/alaynatreene/status/2000977900435132499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
Secretary Leavitt, early Tuesday morning, posted on X, &#8220;Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history. President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history.
President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie.
The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and… <a href="https://t.co/Y3NEXI6a1E">https://t.co/Y3NEXI6a1E</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2000944086904160480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Susie Wiles is by far the most effective and trustworthy Chief of Staff that my father has ever had,&#8221; Don Jr. said. &#8220;I very rarely speak out about my father&#8217;s staffers, but there is no one on Earth more equipped to serve my father as Chief of Staff than Susie.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Susie Wiles is by far the most effective and trustworthy Chief of Staff that my father has ever had.
When Susie took over my father&#8217;s political operation after J6, people forget how many &#8220;Republicans&#8221; were treating him like a pariah.
Countless operatives, consultants and… <a href="https://t.co/hCGRZT3qJe">https://t.co/hCGRZT3qJe</a>
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/2000968315880038713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blasted the media for the profile. &#8220;This is what the Left does: trash &amp; smear our best &amp; most effective people. They do it to President Trump daily — and now to Chief Susie Wiles,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Susie is the most TRUSTED, most PROFESSIONAL &amp; most EFFECTIVE Chief of Staff of my lifetime. Absolutely nobody better!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is what the Left does: trash &amp; smear our best &amp; most effective people.
They do it to President Trump daily — and now to Chief Susie Wiles.
Susie is the most TRUSTED, most PROFESSIONAL &amp; most EFFECTIVE Chief of Staff of my lifetime. Absolutely nobody better! <a href="https://t.co/2w34GZJFuS">https://t.co/2w34GZJFuS</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/2000985697226777027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Fake news comes after you when you’re effective… and there’s nobody in [Donald Trump]’s team more effective than [Susie Wiles],&#8221; FBI Director Kash Patel posted online.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fake news comes after you when you’re effective… and there’s nobody in <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s team more effective than <a href="https://twitter.com/SusieWiles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusieWiles</a>
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2000961090612813971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
President Trump, too, told the New York Post on Tuesday that he was not offended by Wiles&#8217; remarks.
“No, she meant that I’m — you see, I don’t drink alcohol,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;So everybody knows that — but I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic. I have said that many times about myself, I do. It’s a very possessive personality.&#8221;
“I’ve said that many times about myself,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I’m fortunate I’m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I’ve said that — what’s the word? Not possessive — possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I’ve said it many times, many times before.”
Wiles said on Tuesday that the coming profile &#8220;is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/susie-wiles-slams-vanity-fair-over-disingenuously-framed-hit-piece?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Susie+Wiles+Unloads+On+Trump+Team%2C+White+House+On+Defense%3F">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
&#8220;Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the president was left out of the story,&#8221; she continued.
“I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the president and our team,” Wiles added. “The truth is the Trump White House has already accomplished more in eleven months than any other president has accomplished in eight years and that is due to the unmatched leadership and vision of President Trump, for whom I have been honored to work for the better part of a decade. None of this will stop our relentless pursuit of Making America Great Again!”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/susie-wiles-slams-vanity-fair-over-disingenuously-framed-hit-piece?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Susie+Wiles+Unloads+On+Trump+Team%2C+White+House+On+Defense%3F">Susie Wiles Unloads On Trump Team, White House On Defense?</a>

JD Vance, Susie Wiles

The White House Doesn’t Care About Susie Wiles’ Vanity Fair Interview

JD Vance

Karoline Leavitt

Susie Wiles

Trump Administration

Hollywood reels after the gruesome deaths of iconic director Rob Reiner and his wife, and the arrest of their son. The FBI says it foiled a major left-wing terrorist plot in Southern California, and the manhunt continues for the Brown University shooter.
It’s Tuesday, December 16, 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-251216-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/reiner-son-arrested-fbi-kneecaps-terror-plot-12-16-25/id1576594336?i=1000741503828" 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;">Reiner Murders</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1015445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Reiners-Son-Suspected.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Hollywood icon Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-director-rob-reiner-and-wife-found-dead-in-apparent-homicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, and authorities determined that they were &#8220;victims of homicide.&#8221; Emergency responders were called to the home around 3:30 p.m. for a medical aid request. When firefighters arrived, they discovered the couple&#8217;s bodies. It’s been widely reported that their throats were cut. The Los Angeles County Coroner&#8217;s Office hasn’t officially released its causes of death yet, but the LAPD has classified them as homicides. The Reiners’ son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rob-reiners-son-charged-in-brutal-slayings-bail-set-at-4-million">taken</a> into custody later that night and &#8220;booked for murder,&#8221; according to police. He has reportedly struggled with substance abuse that create conflicts in the household. The Los Angeles Times reports that Rob and Nick got into an argument on Saturday at a party at Conan O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s home.
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Police said homicide detectives will present their case to the L.A. County District Attorney&#8217;s Office on Tuesday, when officials will determine which charges to file.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Leftwing Terror Plot Thwarted</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1015447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/NYE-Terror-Averted.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-pro-palestinian-groups-new-years-eve-bombing-plot-foiled-by-feds">announced</a> that after a thorough investigation, the Department of Justice thwarted a “massive and horrific” left-wing terror plot to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radical-leftist-group-accused-of-plotting-new-years-eve-bombings-also-had-plans-to-attack-ice?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Radical+Leftist+Group+Accused+Of+Plotting+New+Year%E2%80%99s+Eve+Bombings+Also+Had+Plans+To+Attack+ICE">bomb</a> a number of locations across Southern California on New Year’s Eve. The plan was allegedly being organized by a faction of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a leftist group that holds anti-Israel, anti-capitalist, and anti-American views. Bondi simply said this had been a long investigation, but it appears the turning point came when the FBI obtained clear plans for a terror attack. According to a DOJ affidavit obtained by Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, one of the group’s leaders, Audrey Carroll, 30, of Los Angeles, unknowingly provided an 8-page outline of the plot to a law enforcement source. That document, dubbed Operation Midnight Sun, outlined plans to drop backpacks containing IEDs at five separate locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties on New Year&#8217;s Eve. Carroll, along with three other individuals also living in the L.A. area, was charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. The FBI said the targets chosen included large American corporations–they didn’t give any names but said they were “similar to Amazon.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Hunt For The Brown University Gunman Continues</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1015449" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Providence-Manhunt-Continues.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Law enforcement continues to investigate a shooting at Brown University that killed two students and injured nine others. The Providence, Rhode Island, community has been deeply unsettled since officials released a person of interest late Sunday night after concluding the man they had detained was not the gunman. Authorities have continued a frenzied manhunt for the suspect, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authorities-release-new-footage-offer-50000-bounty-for-brown-shooting-suspect">releasing</a> additional images and video of a person of interest on Monday. The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual

MRN_251216_V2

Morning Brief: New Twists In Rob Reiner Murder & FBI Thwarts California Terror Plot

Brown University

Hollywood

Los Angeles

Morning Wire

Rob Reiner

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted video of the U.S. raid on an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday.
The video shows U.S. forces boarding and taking control of the vessel as part of an operation to enforce U.S. sanctions on the sale of Venezuelan oil.
“[T]he Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran,” said Bondi.
“For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,” she added. “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. For multiple… <a href="https://t.co/dNr0oAGl5x">pic.twitter.com/dNr0oAGl5x</a>
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1998875795151024337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
President Donald Trump confirmed news of the tanker seizure on Wednesday. Trump said that the tanker was seized “for very good reasons.” Asked about what will happen to the oil, the president <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1998860261915242721">said</a>, “We’ll keep it, I guess.”
U.S. forces <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-seizes-venezuelan-oil-tanker-amid-pressure-campaign-against-maduro">seized</a> the tanker off the coast of Venezuela as the White House has increasingly pressured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to step down. The president has placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro and threatened to order military strikes on drug cartel infrastructure and other targets in Venezuela.
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The U.S. military has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-strikes-another-drug-vessel-targeting-narco-terrorists-as-trump-floats-talks-with-venezuela">sunk</a> more than 20 vessels off Venezuela’s coast that were believed to be carrying illicit drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.
The decision to seize the oil tanker strikes directly at Venezuela’s main source of revenue, its state-controlled oil industry. The oil it can produce through its state-owned oil company, PDVSA, is often sold internationally to countries such as Iran and China at steep discounts because of the risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions.
The United States has oil interests in Venezuela, as well. Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury Department granted Chevron a waiver from U.S. sanctions to be able to drill in Venezuela in partnership with PDVSA. A portion of the oil drilled by Chevron is paid to the government of Venezuela in exchange for access.

Screenshot

Trump Admin Drops Video Showing U.S. Forces Swarming Oil Tanker Off Venezuelan Coast

Trump Admin Drops Video Showing U.S. Forces Swarm Oil Tanker

Venezuela

The Justice Department will no longer pursue civil rights lawsuits based on “disparate impact theory,” the Trump administration announced Tuesday.
The move comes after 50 years of government policy that encouraged lawsuits against “race neutral” policies without showing evidence of actual racial discrimination, the department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-rule-restores-equal-protection-all-civil-rights-enforcement">said</a>. Disparate impact theory is a framework that often assumes discrimination when there are different outcomes for different groups of people, even if there is no explicit discriminatory practice in place.
“For decades, the Justice Department has used disparate-impact liability to undermine the constitutional principle that all Americans must be treated equally under the law,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “No longer. This Department of Justice is eliminating its regulations that for far too long required recipients of federal funding to make decisions based on race.”
The Justice Department issued a rule removing disparate impact from consideration under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prevents entities that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, and national origin from receiving federal money or support.
“The prior ‘disparate impact’ regulations encouraged people to file lawsuits challenging racially neutral policies, without evidence of intentional discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our rejection of this theory will restore true equality under the law by requiring proof of actual discrimination, rather than enforcing race- or sex-based quotas or assumptions.”
The change comes after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-takes-sledgehammer-to-dei-in-latest-round-of-executive-orders-targeting-education">signed</a> an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-equality-of-opportunity-and-meritocracy/">executive order</a> in April that directed the federal government to stop using disparate impact theory in government policy and regulations. The order defined disparate impact theory as the “presumption” that “unlawful discrimination exists where there are any differences in outcomes in certain circumstances among different races, sexes, or similar groups, even if there is no facially discriminatory policy or practice or discriminatory intent involved, and even if everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.”
Trump said that this theory undermines America’s values of meritocracy and a colorblind society while also violating the Constitution.
“It is the policy of the United States to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts to the maximum degree possible to avoid violating the Constitution, Federal civil rights laws, and basic American ideals,” Trump wrote.
Last year, President Joe Biden’s Justice Department was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/notice-injunction-louisiana-v-epa-wd-la">blocked</a> from enforcing disparate impact claims against Louisiana.

Justice Department Holds Press Conference On Complaint Filed Under FACE Act

Justice Department Ends Policy That Promoted Dubious Racial Discrimination Suits

Civil Rights

Harmeet Dhillon

Racial Discrimination

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