Federal immigration authorities detained dozens of workers and arrested company officials during a major raid at a South Carolina manufacturing plant this week, the culmination of what state officials described as a years-long investigation into the employment of illegal immigrants.
The operation, <a href="https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/06/04/ag-48-detained-by-ice-operation-burnstein-von-seelen-6-indicted/">dubbed</a> “Operation Ghost Story,” targeted Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville, a city roughly 86 miles from Columbia. Authorities said 48 workers were detained and are being investigated for potential immigration violations. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨HOLY CRAP!!!
An absolutely MASSIVE operation is underway as ICE has SURROUNDED a casting company in rural South Carolina.
A criminal search warrant is currently being executed for the alleged hiring of illegal aliens&#8230;
There are literally HUNDREDS of people in handcuffs!!! <a href="https://t.co/lcBLPj7cKn">pic.twitter.com/lcBLPj7cKn</a>
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2062293719945019527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Officials also announced criminal charges against plant manager Christopher Ramey and human resources coordinator Sandy Willis. The two are accused of conspiracy, identity fraud related to employment, and forgery. 

Four additional defendants were charged with supplying fake identification documents that workers used to obtain employment. One of the defendants, Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia, is currently at large and wanted by authorities.
ICE partnered with the Department of Homeland Security, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Abbeville and Greenwood County Sheriff&#8217;s Offices, the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and other state and local agencies in carrying out the operation.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark A. Keel <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/ice-raid-employees-arrested-south-carolina-business/71493075">called</a> this raid “the direct result of an exhaustive, years-long investigation.”  
 
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said the operation demonstrates the state&#8217;s commitment to enforcing immigration and identity fraud laws.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wilson stated in a press conference. “If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you.”
Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings manufactures precision pieces for major corporations such as General Electric, General Dynamics, and Siemens.

Immigration Advocates Demonstrate And Clash With Officers Outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility In Newark

Years-Long Probe Leads To Major ICE Raid At Manufacturing Plant

Department of Homeland Security

homeland security

illegal alien

Illegal Immigation

illegal immigrant

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Immigration

Law Enforcement

law enforcements

Police

South Carolina

Police arrested over 20 people Sunday night outside a New Jersey ICE detention center that has been the target of violent protests. 
The arrests came after nearly a hundred people armed with helmets, gas masks, and shields broke curfew outside the Delaney Hall detention facility, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/01/us-news/at-least-20-protesters-arrested-at-ice-detention-center-delaney-hall-as-dhs-vows-zero-tolerance-for-rioters/">reported</a>. One person scrawled “Kill ICE” on a wall in spray paint while crowds chanted leftist slogans like “Give Peace a Chance” and “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA.”
Local authorities imposed a 9:00 p.m. curfew after riots broke out at Delaney Hall on Saturday evening as tires were burned and objects thrown at police officers. Activists have alleged that illegal immigrants detained at the facility have faced poor conditions. 
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said that those arrested included a group who came to “protest armed with helmets, shields, or gas masks” and that they “deliberately refused to comply with repeated orders to leave the area.” 
“Their actions put the public at risk, and I am grateful to law enforcement for de-escalating the situation,” she said. 
The Department of Homeland Security posted several videos on social media on Sunday night showing protesters being arrested. “If you riot, you will face the consequences. Law and order prevails,” the department said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If you riot, you will face the consequences. Law and order prevails. <a href="https://t.co/FQSchSqfz0">https://t.co/FQSchSqfz0</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2061275930367041606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In other posts, the department said it would have “ZERO tolerance for rioters” and that “lawlessness, rioting, and obstruction of law enforcement will NOT be tolerated.”
Top New Jersey Democrats have continued attacks on ICE despite the violent protests over the weekend. 
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka used most of his <a href="https://x.com/CityofNewarkNJ/status/2061223246435963170">statement</a> on the unrest to condemn ICE, adding at the end that “it is also important to note that burning tires in the street, throwing bottles or bricks, and bringing weapons to protest have made this situation more dangerous” and “detracts” from the protests “original premise.” 
Commenting on the protests from Saturday night, Democrat Governor Mikie Sherrill <a href="https://x.com/GovSherrillNJ/status/2061042802285240365">said</a> that her “number one priority will always be public safety, and I remain dedicated to protecting constitutional rights. We simply cannot let ICE surge into our community.”
The unrest comes as detainees at Delaney Hall engage in a purported “hunger strike.” A source <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-hunger-striking-ice-detainees-are-secretly-pounding-doritos-and-honey-buns">told</a> The Daily Wire last week that detainees are opting to not eat their regular meals while going to the commissary to purchase snacks instead. Meanwhile, activist groups are <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/protesters-clash-ice-agents-during-protest-delaney-hall-newark-amid-hunger-strike-inside/19179424/">claiming</a> that detainees are being fed spoiled food and meals contaminated with worms.
Under President Donald Trump, ICE facilities and officers have faced an increase in protests and attacks. Earlier this year, Homeland Security reported an 8,000% increase in death threats against ICE officers and their families. Earlier this year, conservative commentator Ben Ferguson noted that ICE did not face similar pressure from the legacy media and the Left under former President Barack Obama.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CNN&#8217;s Abby Phillip: ICE raids? Controversial. Always have been, always will be.<a href="https://x.com/benfergusonshow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benfergusonshow</a>: Not really! When Obama was doing them it wasn&#8217;t controversial! You guys [CNN] did ride alongs! <a href="https://t.co/AeJ1IsVlk8">pic.twitter.com/AeJ1IsVlk8</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2013820042266251557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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CNN host Abby Phillip said that ICE raids were &#8220;controversial&#8221; and &#8220;always have been, always will be.&#8221;
&#8220;Not really,&#8221; Ferguson replied. &#8220;When Obama was doing them it wasn&#8217;t controversial. You guys did ride alongs.&#8221;
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=NJImACtyd8qr901jiXzUj00P9jus01iozN02&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Protestors Demonstrate And Clash With Officers Outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility In Newark

‘Kill ICE’ Rioters Came Prepared. So Did Police.

Anti-ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

mikie sherrill

New Jersey

Riots

Seattle’s thin blue line is refusing to bow to City Hall’s woke thought police.
In an attempt to muzzle the rank-and-file, Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration tried to strong-arm the Seattle Police Officers Guild into scrubbing a social media post highlighting a bloody triple shooting. But the cops aren&#8217;t backing down from the anti-police regime. Instead, they’re firing back with a clear message: You won’t intimidate us.
The drama erupted after a horrific ambush outside a Capitol Hill nightclub left three people leaking blood onto the pavement. The police union blasted out a video of the carnage with a direct, common-sense demand: “Mayor Katie, how many more examples do you need? Don&#8217;t take away the vital tools officers rely on.”
The post hammered Wilson for freezing the expansion of city surveillance cameras that feed the Real-Time Crime Center — vital tech desperately needed to hunt down killers while the department suffocates under an unprecedented staffing crisis.
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BREAKING: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson ordered the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild to DELETE this post criticizing her, per KOMO News.
.<a href="https://x.com/MayorofSeattle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorofSeattle</a> really doesn’t want you to see this post! Would be a shame if it went viral! <a href="https://t.co/KJuLWdsrn3">https://t.co/KJuLWdsrn3</a> <a href="https://t.co/9ovpD9mn12">pic.twitter.com/9ovpD9mn12</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2059747247017824568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But instead of tackling the violent thugs terrorizing Seattle’s streets, Wilson’s spreadsheet warriors immediately weaponized City Hall to protect her fragile ego.
By the next morning, the mayor&#8217;s office fired off a threatening email to Seattle Police Officers Guild President Kent Loux, falsely claiming the post broke police policy and municipal code. The brass-knuckle directive demanded: “Please pull the post immediately.”
“That’s an order,” Loux told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6_WhDZ4JL0">KOMO</a>, exposing the political hit job. “I looked at the content of the email. I thought, well, that sounds like a threat.”
Making the mayor’s temper tantrum even more embarrassing? City Hall got the facts completely wrong.
The thin-skinned bureaucrats claimed the union leaked sensitive city camera footage. In reality, the video was publicly available, lifted straight from KOMO’s news broadcast. Loux even sent the clueless politicians the link to prove it.
“In no way do I feel like I&#8217;m being unprofessional by alerting the public to a publicly sourced video pointing to the fact that these work and these capture good data for us,” Loux said.
The guild hit the mayor back with a cease-and-desist order, legally freezing any attempts to discipline officers over the free-speech dustup.
Realizing they brought a butter knife to a gunfight, Wilson’s team did a U-turn, retracting their censorship demand and claiming they &#8220;look forward to working with the police union.&#8221;
Don&#8217;t hold your breath. Loux says the guild will keep blasting Wilson’s soft-on-crime lunacy.
“We&#8217;re not changing our tone, our rhetoric,” Loux warned. “We&#8217;re not going to be threatened or intimidated.”

2026 Seattle International Film Festival

Socialist Mayor Orders Police Union To Scrub Post That Called Her Out

Crime

Seattle

Social Media

A police officer&#8217;s body-worn camera captured the dramatic moment when he caught a baby who was thrown from the second floor of a burning home.
The officer was responding to a <a href="https://www.woodtv.com/news/kalamazoo-county/kdps-officer-catches-baby-during-escape-from-house-fire/">house fire</a> in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and was able to locate a woman and her baby trapped on the second floor at the rear of the home. Upon learning that the woman was unable to get downstairs with the baby, he instructed her to kick out the window screen and throw the baby down to him.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;THROW ME YOUR KID&#8221;: A police officer yelled up to a woman trapped on the top floor of a house before catching the baby in midair and helping the woman escape. <a href="https://t.co/xEYaZoMIF3">https://t.co/xEYaZoMIF3</a> <a href="https://t.co/ChCBVTlJ7f">pic.twitter.com/ChCBVTlJ7f</a>
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WFLA/status/2057097098286285073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Ma&#8217;am,&#8221; the officer shouted as sirens screamed in the background. &#8220;Throw me your kid! Kick out the screen! Kick out the screen!&#8221;
The video showed the woman attempting to kick the screen free from the window frame. A dispatcher could be heard on the radio, relaying information about the fire: &#8220;We do have entrapment.&#8221;
&#8220;Oh my God. I got contact on the B side,&#8221; the officer said into his two-way. &#8220;She&#8217;s trying to get the kid out the window, second story.&#8221;
Turning back to the window, he called to the woman again and urged her to drop the child. &#8220;Come here, okay, hang on &#8230; okay &#8230; I got it!&#8221;
The baby then appeared in the frame, safe in the arms of the waiting police officer.
&#8220;Ma&#8217;am! Ma&#8217;am! Come out,&#8221; he said, and then into the radio, &#8220;Can I get someone on the B side? I got the baby.&#8221;
Other officers brought a ladder around the house so that the woman could climb down to safety. She was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation but sustained no injuries. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety stated that the cause of the fire was still under investigation, and noted that part of the roof had to be removed in order for them to fully extinguish the fire in the attic.

Screenshot/Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety

WATCH: The Moment Police Officer Catches Baby Thrown From Burning Home

baby

Fire

Rescue

Authorities in a New Jersey town took aggressive action this week after fights broke out when a mob of teens and young adults caused chaos on its popular beachfront. 
The city of Long Branch imposed an emergency 8:00 p.m. curfew after it said there was an &#8220;unauthorized pop-up gathering” of hundreds of people at Pier Village on Tuesday evening. This pop-up “quickly deteriorated into fights, individuals jumping on parked vehicles, and disorder along the boardwalk and surrounding streets,” the city <a href="https://www.longbranch.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/198">said</a>. 
The city deployed 139 law enforcement officers to respond to the incident, including 69 Long Branch officers and personnel from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and New Jersey Transit Police. The officers cleared the pop-up by 9:15 p.m. 
Videos posted to social media show large crowds of people sprinting through the area as police officers clear the streets. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Unruly teen crowd takes over Pier Village in Long Branch, police respond" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jJOoiYovu3o?start=60&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;It really was a ton of people screaming, running,&#8221; Anthony Pizzi, who witnessed the chaos, told CBS. &#8220;Somebody pulled up the car right there and they just started jumping on the car.”
Six people were arrested as a result of the chaos, and police are investigating multiple aggravated assault cases and reports of a stolen car. Those arrested included a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman for disorderly conduct, three juvenile females for disorderly conduct, and a juvenile male for an eluding incident. 
The females arrested were all from Newark, about 45 miles away from Long Branch. The male was from New Brunswick, about 38 miles away. 
The city said that many of the people who arrived for the pop-up traveled by train to arrive in Long Branch. 
“The City of Long Branch takes these events seriously and will not tolerate conduct that endangers residents, visitors, business owners, or our public safety personnel,”said Long Branch Director of Public Safety Charles Shirley. “Pop-up gatherings of this nature have repeatedly disrupted Jersey Shore communities, and Long Branch is prepared to act decisively whenever public safety is threatened.”
Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the city said that anyone visiting the area “intending to engage in violence or disorder should expect to be arrested and prosecuted.”
Major cities throughout the country have faced so-called “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-takeovers-turn-blue-cities-into-scenes-from-the-purge">teen-takeovers</a>,” where massive groups of teenagers shut down public spaces, and engage in assaults, robberies, vandalism, and shootings. Earlier this week, multiple stabbings <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/rhode-island-beach-chaos-leads-to-three-stabbed-11-arrested/">took place</a> at beaches throughout Rhode Island during similar events.

People enjoy warm weather at New Jersey beach

WATCH: Police Crack Down After Teens Cause Chaos In Popular Beach Town

Teen-Takeover

Teenagers

Pedestrians could be seen running in all directions as a vehicle caught fire, then exploded during rush hour on Tuesday evening, just a block away from New York City&#8217;s famous Charging Bull statue.
Several videos caught the wild blaze as it quickly engulfed the car — which appeared to be affiliated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) — and the ensuing explosion that sent onlookers scattering to get away from the billowing smoke.
&#8220;Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/car-explodes-near-wall-streets-charging-bull-video/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">captioned</a> a video shared via X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue <a href="https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq">https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq</a> <a href="https://t.co/3c01DpqX9G">pic.twitter.com/3c01DpqX9G</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2057118321057689853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Several other videos shared across X showed the blaze from different angles.
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Story here 👉️ <a href="https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I">https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I</a> A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull. Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before… <a href="https://t.co/bGVe9JRg3l">pic.twitter.com/bGVe9JRg3l</a>
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7NY/status/2057081277979693440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
The vehicle initially caught fire while parked outside the MTA&#8217;s headquarters on Broadway near Stone Street. The New York City Police and Fire Departments responded to reports about a car on fire at 5:42 p.m., according to local reporting, and firefighters reportedly extinguished the flames by around 7 p.m.
No injuries were reported despite the magnitude of the blast, and city officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
The New York Post confirmed that the vehicle did belong to the MTA, but said that all questions about the ongoing investigation should be directed to the FDNY.

US-NEWS-NYC-ROOSEVELT-ISLAND-EXPLOSIONS-NY

WATCH: Pedestrians Run For Their Lives As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Pedestrians Flee As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Explosion

New York City

Authorities charged a Tennessee school board member with assault after he called a young female student “hot” last month during a board meeting. 
Washington County School Board member Keith Ervin <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">faces</a> a simple assault charge after he was caught on camera touching a student board member named Hannah Campbell on her shoulder before saying, “God, you’re hot. Damn. Where do you go to school at?” After the comment, Ervin leaned over and gave the girl a side hug as a few others present at the meeting laughed before moving on. 
The incident occurred on April 2, 2026, during a school board meeting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=977US_SUGg8">streamed</a> on YouTube. 
The girl’s father filed a complaint on April 3 and a grand jury returned a true bill on May 11 with the assault charge, the Johnson City Press <a href="https://johnsoncitypress.com/news/373972/washington-county-school-board-member-keith-ervin-charged-with-assault/">reported</a>. Ervin reported to the Jonesborough Police Department on May 18 and will make his first court appearance on August 7. 
In a statement, the Washington County Board of Education said it was aware of the charges.
“The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin’s actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district. The Board remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and appropriate environment for all students and staff,” the board said. “Since this is an open legal matter, neither the Board nor any district official has any further comment.”
The board, which censured Ervin during an emergency meeting days after the comment was made, said it could not remove him because he was “independently elected.” 
At a later meeting, Campbell called the school board cowards for not taking more action. 
“To begin, I want to address Ervin’s actions, which were not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory,” she said. “I know this because he has not behaved this way with any of our male members, nor do I believe that he ever would. I do not wish to beat a dead horse, as everyone here has clear context as to what happened was wrong.”
In a statement after public outrage over the comment, Ervin said he was not referring to the girl’s appearance. 
“Last week at the board meeting I wanted to congratulate a student who did a great job sharing thoughts with all that was in the room,” he said. “When I mentioned she was hot, I meant she was on a roll. It was nothing to do with her appearance.”
Ervin has been on the board since 2006 and his school board bio describes him as a self-employed dairy farmer on the board of directors for the Washington County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of Bethesda Methodist Church. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire on the assault charge.

612222368_1294989445999112_8267564507158645690_n

One Creepy Word At A School Board Meeting Changed Everything

Education

Public Schools

Tennessee

In the final major debate of the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington, D.C., the candidates spent as much time accusing each other of corruption and Republican sympathies as they did defending their own visions for the city — a revealing display in a race where the Democratic nominee is all but certain to win in November.
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH6ngPu8G9A">hour-long forum</a>, hosted by Fox 5 D.C., quickly became a combative showdown between Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George, who repeatedly traded barbs over crime, campaign donations, and ties to President Donald Trump. Businessman Gary Goodweather was on stage as well, but drew less attention, often struggling to break into the sharper exchanges between the two council veterans.
The clash over public safety was among the night’s most pointed moments. After moderators raised a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/late-night-troublemakers-tear-up-d-c-chipotle-as-trump-admin-vows-to-crack-down-on-teen-takeovers">violent brawl involving teenagers at a Chipotle</a> in Navy Yard, Lewis George defended her opposition to the city’s youth curfew by arguing that enforcement could put minors in danger because of the federal law-enforcement presence in the district.
“Using the curfew as a tool for our young people is dangerous,” Lewis George said. “It is dangerous because we have federal troops who are in our city, mass ICE agents who are in our city, and these are the people enforcing this law on our young people.”
McDuffie seized on the opening to portray her as soft on crime. 
“What they need to do is treat these teen takeovers like the public safety emergency that they are,” he said. &#8220;Doing nothing is not an option.” He went further, directly blaming Lewis George for delaying action on the curfew. &#8220;The council had an opportunity to act just a few weeks ago, before the curfew expired, but they didn’t act, because Janeese Lewis George shut it down.&#8221; 
Lewis George responded by accusing McDuffie of opportunism and trying to appeal to conservatives in a city that remains overwhelmingly Democratic. 
“Now that he is taking big Trump donor dollars and Republican dollars, he’s now using cheap political points from Republicans to score in this moment,” she said. “It’s disingenuous and disheartening.”
That charge became a recurring theme throughout the night, with Lewis George repeatedly invoking what she described as McDuffie’s acceptance of donations from “Trump donor dollars,” while McDuffie countered by accusing her of facing <a href="https://campaignforaccountability.org/watchdog-files-ethics-complaint-against-d-c-mayoral-candidate-janeese-lewis-george-over-financial-disclosure-failures/">campaign finance scrutiny</a>.
“There’s only one person on this stage who’s actively under investigation for violations of the campaign finance laws, and it’s Ms. Janice Lewis George,” McDuffie said.
The debate also underscored just how far Left the race has moved in a city where Republicans are effectively noncompetitive. All three candidates said they would end cooperation between D.C. police and ICE. Asked whether they would direct the Metropolitan Police Department to work with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on enforcing the youth curfew, both Lewis George and Goodweather answered flatly: “No.” McDuffie likewise pledged to cut off cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, saying he would “sign an executive order to rescind ICE” from the city.
Goodweather had perhaps the most unusual proposal of the evening, suggesting that Washington eventually construct “a fourth-generation air-cooled nuclear reactor on federal land in D.C.” as part of his energy plan, a remark that stood out in a debate otherwise dominated by housing, public safety, and mutual accusations.
In a city where the Democratic primary will almost certainly decide the next mayor, Tuesday’s debate showed candidates not racing to the center, but competing to prove who is more liberal — and who can paint their Democratic rival as secretly aligned with the Right. The Washington, D.C., primary is on June 16.

Washington, DC skyline

D.C. Democrats Face Questions Over Teen Takeovers As Mayoral Race Heats Up

Debate

Democrats

Donald Trump

Washington D.C.

A growing wave of juvenile crime and “teen takeovers” in major Democrat-run cities is prompting renewed scrutiny of leftist policing policies, with critics warning that years of anti-law enforcement rhetoric have created an atmosphere of escalating disorder.
The phenomenon has erupted in cities including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in recent months, with incidents often coordinated through TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms.
Col. Frank Carpenter, chief of police in Chesterfield County, Virginia, told <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/30/us-news/teen-takeovers-turn-city-centers-into-scenes-from-the-purge-cops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Post</a> these scenes resemble “The Purge,” a dystopian horror film franchise depicting cities descending into lawlessness. Police sources say that massive groups of teenagers have increasingly overwhelmed officers, shut down public spaces, and engaged in assaults, robberies, vandalism, and shootings.
As with Virginia, these incidents are especially concentrated in Democrat-led cities. Chicago, in particular, has emerged as one of the most visible examples.
Last week, a silver sedan <a href="https://x.com/ChicagoContrar1/status/2053107479580479701?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rammed</a> a Chicago Police Department squad car during a downtown street takeover near Grant Park while crowds of teens surrounded the vehicle, cheering, filming officers on their phones, and pounding on the patrol car’s hood. Just two days later, on Friday, a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWl_IufDx1X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second takeover erupted</a> on the city’s South Side. In another incident earlier this spring, teens allegedly set vehicles ablaze by igniting fireworks inside them.
Similar incidents have recently unfolded in Los Angeles beach communities and <a href="https://x.com/WellsJorda89710/status/2043154989682511888?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington, D.C</a>., where viral videos show large crowds overwhelming police presence and turning public areas into chaotic scenes. Though no one was killed, in one Los Angeles-area takeover, gunfire broke out and struck four victims ranging from 17 to 22 years old.
In New York City, police arrested a 17-year-old suspect in the fatal stabbing of 39-year-old Leonides Baez near Times Square. According to investigators, the teen allegedly said he was inspired by a TikTok trend known as “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/nyregion/teenager-stabbing-times-square-nyc-tiktok.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">messing with crackheads</a>,” in which vulnerable or homeless individuals are harassed for entertainment and online attention.
Authorities say several teens approached Baez before he was stabbed to death outside of a restaurant.
Critics say the social media component is central to understanding this crime trend. The Wall Street Journal recently characterized many of the incidents as “performative crime,” that is, criminal acts committed for viral attention and social status online.
But some analysts argue the deeper causes run far beyond TikTok.
Heather Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of &#8220;The War on Cops,&#8221; said authorities are failing to confront the fact that these crimes are overwhelmingly being carried out by young African Americans and reflect long-term breakdowns in the black family structure.
“This is a long-standing problem, and nobody wants to talk about what the causes are,” Mac Donald said during an interview with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/hosts/morning-wire?elementPosition=7&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Browse+by+Hosts&amp;rowType=Hosts+Carousel">Morning Wire</a>. “The criminal justice system is terrified, really, to do anything about it.”
The extreme nature of the takeovers is prompting Republican leaders to act though. On Friday, U.S. Attorney <a href="https://x.com/foxnews/status/2055326776549605474?s=43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeanine Pirro announced</a> a significant offensive against the parents of minors participating in these crimes. Pirro pledged to pursue criminal charges against parents who neglect their supervisory duties, warning that such failures could result in substantial financial penalties or incarceration.
“If the evidence shows the parent knew or should have known or permitted or failed to prevent participation, we are going to charge them,” Pirro stated, adding, “If you drop your kid off and you fail to supervise them, or you let them skip school to join the chaos, you are going to face fines, court ordered classes, and possible jail time.&#8221;
Another contributing factor Mac Donald pointed to is schools, which she said have historically been reluctant to discipline black students after years of pressure from leftist activists and federal officials who claimed disciplinary disparities were evidence of systemic racism.
“Teachers now have been told they can’t do that,” she said, referring to enforcing discipline and behavioral standards in classrooms. She also blamed the lingering effects of the anti-police movement that exploded after the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, riots and intensified following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“Policing obviously has been under one prolonged assault since the Ferguson riots,” Mac Donald said. “The pressure is on them not to intervene at all because they don’t want another George Floyd riot or Ferguson riot in their city.”
The debate has intensified as some blue-city leaders continue pushing policies that restrict law enforcement.
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to curtail “pretextual” traffic stops by the LAPD. The stops are initiated for low-level violations such as broken taillights or expired tags that sometimes lead officers to uncover illegal weapons or narcotics. The city council&#8217;s vote is now set to be debated by the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, which has the final say.
Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has previously described aggressive law enforcement approaches as a “sickness” in Chicago that he wanted to “eradicate.”
Mac Donald argued that years of political hostility toward proactive policing have worsened violent crime. “There’s nothing more important that the police can do to lower gun crime than these types of investigative stops,” she said.
Although officials in cities such as New York and Chicago often point to declining overall crime statistics, Mac Donald said those numbers can obscure broader public disorder. “Murders don’t lie. You can’t hide the bodies,” she said, noting homicide rates remain elevated compared to pre-2020 levels despite recent declines from their peak.
Police recruitment has also become increasingly difficult in major urban departments. Mac Donald said cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago remain severely understaffed as officers retire early, leave for red states, or avoid entering the profession altogether.
“If current policies continue,” she warned, “people who can leave are going to leave.”

US-NEWS-CHICAGO-SHOOTINGS-TB

Teen Takeovers Turn Blue Cities Into ‘Scenes From The Purge’

Chicago

NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) &#8211; A New York man was found guilty on Wednesday of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government after a trial over federal prosecutors&#8217; allegations that he operated a &#8220;secret police station&#8221; on behalf of Beijing in Manhattan&#8217;s Chinatown neighborhood.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Lu Jianwang, 64, should have alerted the U.S. Attorney General that he was a Chinese agent when he helped open the so-called police station in 2022. They also said he helped China&#8217;s government locate a pro-democracy activist living in California.
Lu was arrested in April 2023. He had pleaded not guilty to the three felony charges he faced: conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, acting as an unregistered agent of China, and obstruction of justice.
A jury in Brooklyn federal court reached the verdict after a weeklong trial. Lu faces up to 30 years in prison.
&#8220;May today’s verdict send a message to other foreign agents–the FBI maintains its unwavering resolve to reveal and disrupt the clandestine operations of adversarial nations,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle in an announcement of the verdict.
The Justice Department has in recent years been ramping up probes into what it calls &#8220;transnational repression&#8221; by U.S. adversaries such as China and Iran to intimidate political opponents living in the United States.
CHINA CALLS CHARGES FABRICATED
China&#8217;s government has called the charges in the case &#8220;fabricated&#8221; and part of an effort to smear the country&#8217;s image. Beijing has said there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services.
In her opening statement on May 6, prosecutor Lindsey Oken said Lu &#8211; a naturalized U.S. citizen &#8211; had ties with Chinese law enforcement and met with officials who tasked him with opening the station during a trip to China in 2022.
Oken said Lu ran the station out of a nondescript office building in Chinatown. She said he started out by helping Chinese nationals living in New York with renewing driver&#8217;s licenses, which alone is a crime if not disclosed to the U.S. government.
Oken said Lu also agreed to help the Chinese government locate a pro-democracy activist living in the United States. Prosecutors did not allege that the activist was harmed.
John Carman, a lawyer for Lu, said his client agreed to open the center to help Chinese nationals who were unable to travel to the country to renew documents due to the COVID pandemic. But Carman said Lu was not tasked by the Chinese government to do so.
A co-defendant arrested alongside Lu, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to act as an unregistered Chinese agent.
The arrests followed a 2022 investigation published by Spain-based advocacy group Safeguard Defenders that reported China had set up overseas &#8220;service stations,&#8221; including in New York, that illegally worked with Chinese police to pressure fugitives to return to China.
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(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Karen Sloan; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

FILE PHOTO: Lu Jianwang arrives at Brooklyn federal court during his trial in New York City

Chinese Agent Found Guilty In NYC ‘Secret Police Station’ Case

China

Communist China

New York

Two South Florida-based police officers are suing for defamation following the release of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s action thriller “The Rip.”
Miami-Dade area sergeants Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana filed a lawsuit against the film’s production company, Artists Equity, earlier this month in Miami federal court, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rip-lawsuit-ben-affleck-matt-damon-98647a282521fe01ce73d8a7afeb4400">per</a> the Associated Press. Smith and Santana are seeking an undisclosed amount of compensatory damages, along with punitive damages and attorney fees. They are also asking for a retraction and added disclaimers in the film.
“The Rip” was inspired by the true story of two police officers who discovered millions of dollars inside a house. 
“A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on,” the IMDb description says.
It was released on Netflix in January and currently has a 78% critic rating and 65% audience score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_rip">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. 
The lawsuit states that people now believe Smith, the real-life supervisor of the investigative team, and Santana, the lead detective on the case, actually committed the criminal acts portrayed in the film, even with the film’s disclaimers stating that it’s not a true story.
&#8220;Third parties have asked Plaintiffs which characters in the Film they were and how many buckets they kept,&#8221; the lawsuit states. &#8220;Family members, colleagues and peers in other entities unknown to the Plaintiffs but aware of the 2016 case, also remarked that Plaintiffs must have used seized funds to build personal property improvements, purchase vehicles and vessels, and afford private schooling for their children.&#8221;
The lawsuit further states that Smith and Santana have &#8220;repeatedly been questioned by third parties regarding the characters and events depicted.&#8221; They claim to have been contacted by a Miami-Dade County State Attorney inquiring about the allegations and threatening an investigation. 
&#8220;The Film and its promotional content imply misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in connection with a real law-enforcement operation,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-dade-officers-suing-over-matt-damon-and-ben-affleck-movie-the-rip/3807644/">says</a>. &#8220;As a result, Plaintiffs have suffered damage to their reputations, diminished standing among peers and colleagues, and injury to their credibility in law-enforcement and professional circles.&#8221;
An attorney for Artists Equity said in March that the film already has a disclaimer saying it doesn’t depict real events or people, the outlet noted. The disclaimer text says, &#8220;This program is inspired by real events; however, the characters and events depicted have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes, and any similarity to actual persons is purely coincidental and unintentional.”
Affleck and Damon already stated that the narrative was inspired by the real 2016 incident in Miami and hired Miami-Dade Police Capt. Chris Casiano as a technical advisor on the film.
“We really wanted to kind of understand what those dynamics were like,” Damon told AP during an interview in January. “I mean, these units are very tight because they’re really putting their lives in each other’s hands, and they’re doing something that’s very dangerous.”

Matt Damon Ben Affleck

Police Officers Slap Matt Damon And Ben Affleck With Defamation Lawsuit

Police Officers Sue Matt Damon And Ben Affleck For Defamation

Ben Affleck

Entertainment

Florida

Hollywood

Lawsuit

Matt Damon

Movies

New video captures the emotional moments as Florida police officers turned to prayer and faith to help talk a suicidal man off the edge of a bridge.
The <a href="https://x.com/JSOPIO/status/2049277489952763951?s=20">Jacksonville Police Department</a> released body camera footage of an April 12 crisis incident involving a young man preparing to take his own life on top of the Dames Point Bridge.
&#8220;Whatever you&#8217;re going through, man, you can get through it,&#8221; Officer Antonio Richardson said.
The young man, wearing black slides and gray sweatpants, shrugged his shoulders and stood with his back turned to the officer.
&#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s talk about it for a minute, Richardson said. &#8220;Can I at least have a prayer with you?&#8221;
The appeal to faith appeared to resonate, and the young man turned toward the officer to listen.
&#8220;You mind if I just hold your hand and pray with you? Come on, man, touch my hand,&#8221; the officer said.
The 96-second viral video offers only a brief glimpse of a long, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">40-minute emotional standoff</a> before the young man ultimately stepped away from the ledge.
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&#8220;You&#8217;re hurting, but if you jump, you&#8217;re going to hurt other people,&#8221; Richardson told him. &#8220;The cycle of hurt has got to stop.&#8221;
Richardson, an 18-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a pastor of more than 30 years, extended his arm and embraced the crying man into his arms, helping save his life.
“I remember reaching out my hand toward him, and at first, he was reluctant and kept looking like he wanted to jump. I kept saying, &#8216;Come on, man, don’t do it,&#8217; and he finally turned and reached his hand toward me. That was a magical moment,&#8221; Richardson said, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">according to local outlet WTLV. </a>
Officer Creighton-Nelson offered more words of encouragement.
&#8220;I love you. We all love you. We wear this badge for many reasons. This is the main reason,&#8221; Nelson told the man. &#8220;To reach those whom the devil thinks he got. He ain&#8217;t got you.&#8221;
In that moment, the Jacksonville Police Department said their officers &#8220;were just people showing how much they care for another person.&#8221;
&#8220;I was praying, and God spared his life,&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VsXceoS-n0">Robinson told Fox News.</a> &#8220;We connected, and as a result of that connection, he didn&#8217;t jump, and that&#8217;s what it&#8217;s all about.&#8221;

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