Category: Department of homeland security
Fly home or get caught: Trump’s TSA feeding ICE names before takeoff to nab illegal aliens ‘without apology’
President Donald Trump’s Transportation Security Administration is partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ramp up immigration enforcement.
While the two agencies are under the Department of Homeland Security, a New York Times report last week stated that “ICE has historically avoided interfering with domestic travel.”
‘The message to those in the country illegally is clear: The only reason you should be flying is to self-deport home.’
However, beginning in March, the TSA reportedly quietly expanded its data sharing with ICE.
According to the NYT, the TSA has been providing lists of travelers’ names to ICE ahead of their scheduled flights. ICE then cross-checks that information against its own database of those subject to deportation, the outlet wrote. Agents are then dispatched to apprehend those individuals at the airport.
The report noted that it is unclear how many arrests have resulted from this data-sharing effort. It claimed there was at least one such arrest by immigration officials at Boston Logan Airport on November 20. That individual was deported.
RELATED: App allegedly endangers ICE agents — now its creator is suing the Trump administration
“The administration has turned routine travel into a force multiplier for removals, potentially identifying thousands who thought they could evade the law simply by boarding a plane,” Scott Mechkowski, the former deputy head of ICE’s New York office, told the NYT.
“This isn’t about fear; it’s about restoring order and ensuring every American knows their government enforces its laws without apology,” he added.
RELATED: ‘Make travel family friendly again’: Trump admin launches $1B effort to improve airport experience
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A DHS spokesperson told Blaze News that the program was “nothing new,” adding that in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem “reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country and do so without identification.”
“Under President Trump, TSA and DHS will no longer tolerate this. This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport,” DHS added.
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‘Naked judicial activism’: Judge issues restraining order on ICE in Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation case
The high-profile deportation case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia is once again in the spotlight after an “activist” judge once again temporarily threw a wrench in the Department of Homeland Security’s work.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued an order barring immigration enforcement officials from detaining and deporting Garcia.
‘This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts.’
Judge Xinis, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, upheld requests from Garcia’s lawyers for a temporary restraining order against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, Newsweek reported.
Garcia was freed from immigration detention on Thursday after months of being in limbo, the Associated Press reported.
RELATED: Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s days in the US may be numbered after court’s latest ruling
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
“For the public to have any faith in the orderly administration of justice, the Court’s narrowly crafted remedy cannot be so quickly and easily upended without further briefing and consideration,” Xinis wrote.
Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, celebrated the news of the restraining order and his client’s release.
“Yesterday’s order from Judge Xinis and now the temporary restraining order this morning represent a victory of law over power,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who allegedly faced death threats from twin brothers from New Jersey earlier this week, told Newsweek that the decision was “naked judicial activism.”
“This order lacks any valid legal basis, and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts,” McLaughlin added.
Garcia, an illegal alien and alleged MS-13 associate living in Maryland, was deported to an infamous Salvadoran prison earlier this year before being returned to the United States for continued processing of his case.
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Are They Illegal? Because If They’re Illegal, That’s Why They’re Getting Arrested
As many of our readers know, the month of December has brought on Operation Swamp Sweep, which is a joint…
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‘So dumb it hurts my soul’: DHS brutally fact-checks viral ‘new data’ from Cato Institute
The Department of Homeland Security has showed no signs of slowing down its deportation campaign against the “worst of the worst” in the country. However, many of its detractors have tried countless methods of obstructing its mission and undermining public support.
On Monday, Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David Bier challenged the “worst of the worst” narrative with “new data” regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions.
‘By the way, every single one of these illegal aliens broke our nation’s laws by being in the country illegally.’
“Most ‘criminals’ had immigration, traffic, and vice offenses. Not the ‘worst of the worst,'” Bier said.
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
The pie chart shows that 73% of ICE detainees within the period of October 1-November 15 had “no conviction” and only 5% were “violent” offenders.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) highlighted the data, saying: “This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to Bier via Senator Murphy’s post: “This is so dumb it hurts my soul. This is a made up pie chart with no legitimate data behind it — just propaganda to undermine the brave work of @DHSgov law enforcement and fool Americans.”
McLaughlin went on to set the record straight: “~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have active criminal charges or criminal convictions. That doesn’t even include those wanted in another country for a crime, gang members, known/suspected terrorists, wanted by INTERPOL, human rights abusers. The list goes on.”
She then added what many people are thinking, for those who need to hear it: “By the way, every single one of these illegal aliens broke our nation’s laws by being in the country illegally.”
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‘You Think The Numbers Are Historic Now, Wait Until Next Year’: Homan Announces How Many New ICE Agents He’s Hired
‘it was already a historic operation’
Islamist groups in Texas rake in $13M in taxpayer-funded grants amid Abbott’s battle against Sharia law
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has taken aggressive action this week against Sharia law, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Yet critics are demanding to know why, during his time in office, millions in taxpayer-funded grants have been allocated to alleged Islamist organizations based in Texas.
Abbott announced on Tuesday that he had designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. The following day, Abbott urged local district attorneys to investigate potential Sharia “courts” operating in Texas and defying state and federal laws to push Islamic codes.
‘Unlike the previous administration, recipients of grants will no longer be permitted to use federal funds to … empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people.’
Despite Abbott’s recent actions, some have faulted the governor for allowing taxpayer dollars to be used to fund the uptick in Islamic mosques in Texas, citing a June report from the Middle East Forum. The article claimed Texas gave “over $13 million of federal and state monies to mosques and community groups aligned with Islamist movements such as Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as hostile foreign regimes.”
Of the 18 organizations that received funds, a dozen were said to have “extremist links.”
“While a few thousand dollars in the state government’s data consists of the return of escheated funds, the vast majority of the millions spent appear to be the result of direct state grants, subsidy programs, and federal sub-awards managed by the Texas state government,” the Middle East Forum wrote.
The Texas governor’s office told Blaze News that the funding referenced in the Middle East Forum’s report was not state tax dollars but rather federal funds distributed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
As part of that program, since 2016, roughly $63 million in federal funds have passed through Texas to nonprofit organizations, including $55 million to churches and synagogues, and a smaller portion went to mosques, according to Abbott’s office.
RELATED: Secret Sharia ‘courts’ in Texas may be quietly overriding state law — Abbott calls for investigation
Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images
The governor’s office contended that organization-vetting for this DHS and FEMA grant program is performed by these federal agencies, not by the state.
Sam Westrop, the director of Islamist Watch and the author of the Middle East Forum report, disputed this claim, arguing that the state was responsible for screening these grant applications and had the authority to exclude applicants.
Westrop told Blaze News that “only a small number” of the $13 million came from the DHS’ Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
“However, many of the grants we identified, while not all from DHS, were in fact paid for from federal funds; and are thus subawards,” Westrop stated. “But by serving as the primary grantee, the Texas state government is required by the federal government to vet and assess risk. Subawards are discretionary, and the primary grantee may exclude a subawardee.”
“So these grants may be financed by federal dollars, but the monies are distributed through and at the discretion of the Texas state government, much by the governor’s office itself,” Westrop added.
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program seeks to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations that are considered “high risk” of a terrorist attack. These nonprofits can include places of worship, educational facilities, and medical facilities, among other 501(c)(3) organizations. The funds are intended to support security enhancements, such as installing cameras, alarms, and fences. The grant can also be used toward security planning and training, as well as cybersecurity.
RELATED: No Sharia law in Texas: Abbott draws a hard line against radical Islam
Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Washington Post via Getty Images
According to FEMA, the State Administrative Agency in each state is “the only eligible applicant” for this grant and “responsible for handling the federal award.” Therefore, churches and other places of worship seeking funds through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program are “subapplicants that must apply through the SAA in the state or territory where the applying facility is physically located.” The nonprofits cannot apply directly to FEMA.
The applications are first “scored by the SAA in coordination with its state.” Then the SAA submits “a prioritized list of [investment justifications] with all scores to FEMA.”
FEMA notes that a facility’s local SAA may have its own requirements to apply for the grant. Texas’ SAA contact is the Homeland Security Grants Division under the Texas Office of the Governor.
These now-archived grant opportunities from Texas’ eGrants website state that the “Office of the Governor will screen all applications to ensure that they meet the requirements included in the funding announcement.” However, it notes that FEMA “makes final funding decisions.”
While it remains disputed whether Texas could have blocked these grants from going to alleged Islamist organizations, FEMA has made it clear that the DHS, under Secretary Kristi Noem, has significantly increased the vetting at the federal level.
“Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, FEMA conducted a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer,” a FEMA spokesperson told Blaze News. “For Fiscal Year 2025 grant awards, DHS and FEMA worked together to vet grant recipients and ensure that every dollar spent strengthens the nation’s resilience.”
“Unlike the previous administration, recipients of grants will no longer be permitted to use federal funds to house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects, or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people,” the spokesperson added.
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Ramming attacks on ICE spike, endangering agents as Democrats continue to spew hateful rhetoric
As Trump’s Department of Homeland Security continues its deportation campaign across the country, violence against law enforcement has skyrocketed. On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin joined Fox to discuss the increase in attacks and the resistance the DHS has faced from Democrat politicians.
Fox showed Tricia McLaughlin a montage of Democrat leadership, particularly from Chicago, seemingly advocating resistance against law enforcement.
‘It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK.’
“We need ICE out of our city,” Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson stated, claiming in a separate clip that federal agents had “broken laws” and “acted with impunity.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said, “Don’t believe it when they tell you they’re busting the worst of the worst gang and gang members. They’re attacking peaceful neighborhoods.”
Other examples of Democrats using highly charged rhetoric include Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) challenging the Trump administration to a “street fight,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) comparing ICE to “slave patrols,” and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) calling efforts to resist ICE “inspiring.”
Photo by Abel Uribe/Getty Images
In response to these speeches, McLaughlin said, “It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK. We will continue to do our jobs each and every day and get these violent criminal illegal aliens out of Chicago’s streets and out of sanctuary cities all over the country.”
“There is going to be no safe haven for violent criminal illegal aliens,” she added.
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin confirmed the meteoric rise in vehicular attacks on federal immigration officers.
On X, Melugin wrote, “There have been 71 vehicular attacks against Customs and Border Patrol since January 20, compared to 45 vehicle assaults during the same period in 2024 — a 58% increase.”
The most shocking statistic, however, is the increase in attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers: “There have been 28 vehicular attacks against ICE since January 20, compared to just 2 such incidents in the same period of 2024 — a 1,300% increase.”
Asked by Fox News about the mandate to hire 10,000 more ICE employees and the more than 200,000 applications for the positions, McLaughlin quipped, “We are looking for the best of the best to get the worst of the worst off our streets.”
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‘Exemplary’ TSA agents receive big bonus just in time for Christmas after powering through Dem shutdown without a paycheck
The Department of Homeland Security handed out bonuses to Transportation Security Administration agents who went above and beyond during the Democrat shutdown.
The 43-day shutdown forced essential government workers to continue working despite not receiving a paycheck.
‘We will be continuing to not only recognize employees across the country, but we will be looking at every single TSA official who helped serve during this government shutdown, and do what we can to recognize that.’
On Thursday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced during a press conference at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport that the federal government would provide a $10,000 bonus to TSA agents who showed “exemplary service.”
“Today we are announcing that we are going to be handing out bonus checks of $10,000 to TSOs, to agents who work for TSA who served with exemplary service,” Noem stated. “What that means is that we are going to not only continue their paychecks like they should have received all along, but also they’re going to get a bonus check for stepping up, taking on extra shifts, for showing up each and every day, for serving the American people.”
During the press conference, Noem handed out envelopes containing bonus checks to roughly two dozen TSA agents.
RELATED: Trump officially ends ‘pathetic’ Democrats’ record-breaking shutdown
Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“Every single one of these individuals served with exemplary service, which means they were an example of, not only taking seriously the security concerns and measures that TSA has to every single day and the Department of Homeland Security, but also they went above and beyond,” Noem said.
The DHS secretary stated that the department will continue to recognize government employees nationwide who stepped up during the shutdown.
RELATED: FAA cancels hundreds of flights, sparking holiday travel concerns amid ongoing Democrat shutdown
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
“We will be continuing to not only recognize employees across the country, but we will be looking at every single TSA official who helped serve during this government shutdown, and do what we can to recognize that and help them financially with a bonus check to get them and their family back on their feet,” Noem stated.
She also noted that the TSA will implement new security screening lanes for families with small children, as well as for veterans and active-duty military.
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‘Operation Dirtbag’ nabs over 230 criminal illegal aliens — but Noem wants more
As the Department of Homeland Security’s deportation operations continue to clean up our cities and remove illegal aliens across the country, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem took a moment to celebrate a big win in Florida.
On Tuesday, the secretary shared details in a Fox News interview about Operation Criminal Return, or as she liked to call it, “Operation Dirtbag.” The DHS posted a clip of the interview on X.
‘It’s remarkable, and we need to do more of it.’
Operation Dirtbag was so called because of the more than 230 criminal illegal aliens arrested, over 150 of whom were sexual predators, many against children, Noem explained.
“These individuals were sex offenders, but not just sex offenders — they targeted children,” Noem stated.
RELATED: Illegal alien pedophile allegedly ‘physically assaulted’ ICE agent during immigration operation: DHS
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“These individuals should’ve never been in our country to begin with, and the fact that they were sexual deviants and perverts and now we’ve gotten them off of our streets — it’s remarkable, and we need to do more of it,” Noem added.
Among the crimes committed by these illegal aliens were attempted premeditated murder with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation of children, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, according to the DHS’ X post.
Secretary Noem expressed her department’s appreciation for Florida’s cooperation in the operations.
“Our kids will be safer. And this partnership with Governor DeSantis in Florida is a model that we want to replicate across the country.”
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