Category: Immigration

Miller Pushes States to Strip Education Rights from Undocumented

Stephen Miller, Trump’s senior immigration adviser, is orchestrating a campaign to dismantle the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment by encouraging Republican-led states to deny public education funding to undocumented children. Miller raised this idea in a closed-door meeting with Texas lawmakers in Washington, citing congressional gridlock as justification for state-level action that would challenge the 1982 Supreme Court precedent in Plyler v. Doe, which mandated free public education for undocumented children as a constitutional right.

If enacted, Miller’s proposal would classify approximately one million children as members of a subordinate class excluded from mainstream society. As Justice William Brennan wrote in the Plyler decision, denying these children basic education forecloses their ability to contribute to the nation’s progress and violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee that “The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is not confined to the protection of citizens.” Miller’s strategy aims to use state legislation as a testing ground to weaken federal constitutional protections, encouraging other Republican states and federal lawmakers to follow suit.

Miller’s assault on the 14th Amendment extends beyond education policy and represents a broader assault on the constitutional protections established after the Civil War. The 14th Amendment was designed as a political text to ensure equal protection and citizenship rights for all people, directly extending the prohibitions of the 13th Amendment against slavery and involuntary servitude. Miller’s crusade against immigration and his efforts to strip constitutional protections from vulnerable populations reveal an intent to fundamentally reshape American democracy by dismantling the legal and political framework designed to prevent the creation of subordinate classes.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/28/opinion/stephen-miller-birthright-citizenship-14th-amendment.html)

Trump Admits ICE Raids Toxic, Plans Quieter Deportations

President Trump has privately acknowledged to his wife Melania and top aides, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, that brutal Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have become politically toxic ahead of midterm elections, according to The Wall Street Journal. The admission follows high-profile ICE operations that resulted in federal agents fatally shooting American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January, incidents that Wiles believes have poisoned voter attitudes toward immigration enforcement and the term “mass deportation.”

Trump is planning to shift tactics by reducing visible ICE operations in Democratic-leaning cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and focusing instead on arresting individuals he characterizes as “bad guys.” Arrests have declined from over 1,500 daily to approximately 1,200, according to sources cited by the Journal. Despite these reported plans, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denied any policy changes, claiming Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda remains unchanged and that approximately 3 million immigrants have left the United States through forced or self-deportation.

Senator Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee to replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that his primary goal is to remove the department from daily news coverage within six months. Mullin, a former MMA fighter and plumber with no immigration enforcement background, acknowledged his lack of expertise in the field. Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed Mullin’s inexperience, stating the nominee would rely on career experts to guide policy decisions despite having minimal knowledge of immigration operations.

The shift reflects Trump’s concern that mass deportation rhetoric and violent ICE operations damage Republican electoral prospects rather than any genuine commitment to protecting immigrants or respecting due process. Trump’s private concessions to Melania and advisers demonstrate that political calculation, not principle, drives his approach to immigration policy. The administration continues to describe its deportation operations as targeting criminals while obscuring the human cost of its enforcement agenda.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-makes-shock-private-admission-042229444.html)

Trump DHS Order Targets Tens of Thousands Legal Refugees

The Trump administration issued a sweeping Department of Homeland Security order requiring that tens of thousands of lawfully present refugees return to federal custody one year after admission to the United States for green card application review, potentially enabling mass detention of refugees who fled persecution. The memo, filed ahead of a Thursday federal court hearing in Minnesota, states DHS “may maintain custody for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” directly contradicting established legal protections refugees have received under prior administrations and upending longstanding immigration safeguards that have governed refugee resettlement for decades.

Advocacy and resettlement organizations condemned the order as unlawful detention of people the U.S. government itself admitted legally. HIAS, an international Jewish nonprofit serving refugees, stated the policy constitutes “a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present in this country,” after those refugees were promised safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Democratic U.S. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota declared the government “failed to offer any coherent argument for their policy in either law or fact,” while U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar joined refugee rights supporters opposing the measure at a courthouse news conference.

The order represents the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown targeting Minnesota, which included Operation PARRIS, a “sweeping initiative” purportedly to reexamine 5,600 Minnesota refugees without permanent resident status. Federal agents conducted door-to-door arrests, sending refugees to detention centers in Texas without access to attorneys, with some later abandoned in Texas to find their own way home. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim blocked the government from targeting Minnesota refugees in January, ruling the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on claims that “their arrest and detention, and the policy that purports to justify them, are unlawful,” and noting refugees undergo extensive vetting by multiple agencies before resettlement and none arrested had been deemed dangerous or charged with deportable crimes.

Judge Tunheim previously rejected the government’s legal rationale as producing illogical results, writing that mandating detention would be “nonsensical” since refugees cannot apply for green cards until one year after U.S. arrival, making nearly all refugees subject to detention under the administration’s interpretation. Trump’s broader immigration restrictions have suspended green card approvals for refugees admitted during the Biden years and dramatically reduced the number of refugees admitted to the country, citing national security and economic concerns despite expert consensus that refugees undergo rigorous background screening before entry.

The new order applies nationally but was filed specifically before Minnesota federal court arguments on whether Judge Tunheim’s temporary protective order for Minnesota refugees would be extended beyond its February 25 expiration date. Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers indicated the government would have discretion whether to arrest refugees at the one year mark, a claim met with skepticism by refugee attorneys and legal observers monitoring whether the courts would tolerate mass preventive detention of legally admitted refugees facing no criminal charges or flight risk.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/judge-weighs-extending-protections-refugees-050548010.html)

Trump Demands Omar Jailed or Deported to Somalia After Attack

President Donald Trump attacked Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in a Saturday morning Truth Social post, demanding she be imprisoned or deported to Somalia days after she was assaulted onstage with a vinegar-filled syringe. Trump falsely claimed Omar orchestrated the attack, stating “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” and accused her and other Somali immigrants of fraud and corruption related to Minnesota finances.

Trump’s post attacked Omar as a “scammer” and suggested she and “her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now or, far worse, send them back to Somalia.” He also criticized Governor Tim Walz, characterizing him as either corrupt or incompetent for allegedly failing to prevent unspecified Minnesota fraud. Trump’s demand to deport Omar echoes rhetoric he has repeatedly deployed at rallies attacking Omar’s background and citizenship status.

Omar responded by questioning Trump’s decency and mental fitness, telling CNN that Trump “lacks” the compassion and basic humanity she was raised to possess. She suggested invoking the 25th Amendment, stating Trump exhibits “some sort of dementia” given his contradictory public statements about her and his apparent inability to recall his own rhetoric.

Trump has consistently used deportation rhetoric targeting Omar, repeatedly suggesting she return to Somalia where she was born. This pattern of attacks intensified following the on-stage assault, with Trump immediately weaponizing the incident as a platform for xenophobic accusations rather than expressing concern for her safety.

The attack and Trump’s response align with his broader pattern of dehumanizing Somali immigrants and people, including recent statements characterizing Somalis as “good at” only “pirating ships” during a White House briefing marking his return to office.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-rages-at-ilhan-omar-in-early-morning-rant-days-after-attack-demands-sending-her-to-jail-or-back-to-africa/)

Trump Demands Jail for Noem Critics, Attacks Protest ‘Scam’

President Donald Trump defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday via Truth Social, attacking protesters and Democrats as “Radical Left Lunatics” and “Insurrectionists” while demanding they be imprisoned. Trump claimed Noem is being targeted “because she is a woman” and credited her with fixing “the Border disaster” he inherited, asserting the murder rate reached a 125-year low under his administration.

Trump characterized protests in Minnesota and major cities as a “SCAM” designed to obscure what he labeled “CRIMINAL ACTS of theft and insurrection” by Democrats. He accused Democrats of “stealing Billions of Dollars from Minnesota, and other Cities and States” and instructed Republicans not to be “pushed around” by what he termed aggressive protest manipulation.

The president reiterated his campaign platform of “Strong Borders, and Law and Order” and separately praised Border Czar Tom Homan, whom Trump appointed this week to oversee the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota. The operation has deployed approximately 2,100 federal agents to the Minneapolis area in what officials characterize as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted.

Trump’s remarks come amid DOJ investigations into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over allegations they conspired to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations through public statements. Trump’s invocation of imprisonment for political opponents and protesters aligns with his broader pattern of weaponizing federal authority against critics.

The late-night posts demonstrate Trump’s willingness to criminalize dissent and attribute federal policy failures to Democratic sabotage while absolving his administration of responsibility for enforcement outcomes.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ice-protest/)

FBI Agent Resigns as DOJ Blocks Renee Good Shooting Probe

FBI supervisor Tracee Mergen resigned from the Minneapolis field office after Washington leadership pressured her to abandon a civil rights investigation into ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7. Such inquiries are standard procedure following officer-involved shootings. The Trump administration weaponized the Justice Department by instead investigating Good and her partner for alleged ties to left-wing protest groups, prompting at least six senior prosecutors in the Minneapolis U.S. attorney’s office to resign in protest.

Senior Justice Department officials have stated there are no plans to investigate whether Ross used excessive force when he fired multiple shots at the unarmed mother sitting in her vehicle. Federal investigators refused to cooperate with state and local Minnesota prosecutors seeking to open their own inquiry into the shooting. The New York Times video analysis found no evidence supporting Trump administration officials’ claims that Good attempted to ram Ross with her Honda Pilot, yet they publicly labeled her a “domestic terrorist.”

The Justice Department simultaneously opened investigations into Minnesota Democratic elected officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, scrutinizing whether they conspired to obstruct Trump’s immigration enforcement through public statements. Subpoenas were issued this week to their offices and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her’s office as part of this effort.

The department prosecuted three protesters—Nekima Levy-Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly—charging them with conspiracy for interrupting a church service to protest a pastor’s apparent ICE work, alleging they “intimidated, harassed, oppressed and terrorized the parishioners.” Federal judges denied prosecutors’ requests to detain the three while awaiting trial.

These actions reflect a coordinated strategy by the Trump administration’s Justice Department to shield federal immigration enforcement from oversight, punish Democratic critics of ICE operations, and criminalize protest activity opposing deportation policies, while Trump falsely claimed protesters were paid agitators.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/us/fbi-agent-ice-shooting-renee-good.html)

Federal Prosecutors Subpoena Minnesota Democrats on Immigration

Federal prosecutors issued subpoenas on Tuesday to at least five Minnesota Democratic officials, including Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, State Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. The subpoenas demanded documents related to their policies on immigration enforcement and represent an expansion of the Department of Justice investigation into their response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in the state.

The investigation centers on whether elected officials in Minnesota conspired to impede federal immigration agents who have been deployed to the state since last month. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Frey and Walz of “encouraging violence against law enforcement” and referred to their actions as “terrorism,” though there is no evidence either man incited violence or engaged in terrorist activity. The subpoenas do not cite a specific criminal statute, but prosecutors are examining the officials’ public statements and conduct regarding the federal crackdown.

The investigation follows the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, an unarmed mother of three, by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis this month. The shooting triggered sustained protests against federal agents in the city, prompting Frey to publicly demand that agents leave and Walz to criticize their conduct. The Justice Department has vowed to arrest anyone impeding the agents’ mission.

The inquiry into the Minnesota officials’ speech and conduct targeting federal immigration enforcement directly examines political expression protected by the First Amendment. The investigation’s expansion to include state and county prosecutors suggests the Trump administration intends to use federal law enforcement to punish Democratic officials for criticizing immigration operations. The Department of Justice has previously initiated investigations into Walz and Frey regarding allegations they conspired to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations through public statements.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/politics/subpoena-minnesota-democrats-immigration.html)

Trump Falsely Claims Protest Witness Was Paid Agitator

At a White House press conference on Tuesday, President Trump made an unsubstantiated claim that a woman captured on video shouting “Shame! Shame!” after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good on January 7 was a “paid agitator” or “professional agitator.” Trump offered no evidence for the accusation, instead characterizing the woman’s vocal protest as unnaturally loud and professional in manner, concluding she must be a paid operative rather than a genuine bystander expressing outrage at the killing.

During the same briefing, Trump defended the ICE immigration crackdown in Minnesota by displaying printouts labeled “MINNESOTA WORST OF WORST,” claiming they documented immigrants with criminal records that agents had detained. He repeatedly asserted that ICE agents are “patriots” seeking only to remove dangerous individuals from the country, framing opposition to the operation as the work of “paid agitators and insurrectionists” rather than concerned residents reacting to enforcement actions in their community.

Trump’s accusation contradicts documented evidence and patterns of protest. Multiple recorded incidents over the past year show genuine community members expressing opposition to immigration raids without compensation, according to reporting that examined his earlier repetition of the same baseless claim. The president provided no documentation, financial records, or identifying information linking the protesting woman to any organization or payment scheme.

The video of Good’s shooting was recorded by multiple bystanders, including by Ross himself, and shows the fatal incident occurred in public view on a Minneapolis street. The woman shouting “Shame!” is visible in at least one cell phone recording, though it remains unclear from available footage whether she is the person recording or a separate bystander. Trump acknowledged feeling “terribly” about Good’s death while simultaneously dismissing vocal responses to it as inauthentic and orchestrated.

Trump’s dismissal of protester motivation follows a pattern of administration officials defending the shooting, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Vice President JD Vance both characterizing the fatal shooting as justified. By labeling all opposition as paid and inauthentic, the administration avoids addressing the substantive objections residents have raised to the ICE enforcement campaign in Minnesota.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-wildly-claims-bystander-who-yelled-shame-after-renee-good-shooting-was-a-paid-agitator/)

Trump Appeals Judge’s Ban on ICE Retaliation Against Protesters

President Trump’s administration appealed a federal court order issued by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez that restricts Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from retaliating against peaceful protesters in Minneapolis. The order prohibits federal agents from arresting protesters engaged in peaceful demonstration, using crowd-dispersal weapons like pepper spray, or detaining drivers without reasonable suspicion of obstruction. The appeal was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, with the administration seeking relief from the Eighth Circuit, a panel dominated by Republican-appointed judges.

Judge Menendez, a Biden appointee, issued the protective order following escalating protests over ICE operations in the city and multiple incidents in which federal agents killed or seriously injured people. The ruling specifically addressed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by a federal agent while attempting to drive around agents attempting to box in her vehicle. The order explicitly bars agents from retaliating against persons observing or documenting federal operations designated “Operation Metro Surge.”

Trump responded to the court order with a False statement on Truth Social, praising Menendez as a “highly respected judge” while simultaneously misrepresenting her ruling by claiming she had “declined to block ICE operations.” In reality, the judge imposed significant restrictions on federal agent conduct, directly contradicting Trump’s characterization. This occurred one day after Trump claimed Menendez had delayed her decision to allow the Justice Department time to respond, framing her judicial independence as a favor to his administration.

The appeal reflects the Trump administration’s resistance to judicial oversight of federal law enforcement tactics during immigration enforcement operations. By appealing to the Eighth Circuit, Trump’s Justice Department seeks to overturn protections for peaceful protesters that federal courts determined were necessary following documented harm. The move demonstrates the administration’s pattern of challenging state and local criticism of ICE operations, including investigating state officials who have publicly opposed the deployment.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2674908994/)

DOJ Investigates Walz, Frey Over ICE Criticism Allegations

The Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey regarding allegations they conspired to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations through public statements. Federal prosecutors are examining whether their criticism of the deployment of nearly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents to the region violates 18 U.S.C. § 372, a statute that criminalizes conspiracies to obstruct federal officers through force, intimidation, or threats, according to CBS News sources.

The investigation follows an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good, which triggered local protests and confrontations between demonstrators and federal law enforcement. Walz and Frey have publicly stated that the federal operation fuels instability rather than enhancing public safety, with Frey warning the situation was “not sustainable,” while both leaders repeatedly called for peaceful demonstrations.

Public criticism of federal policy typically receives constitutional protection unless prosecutors demonstrate coordination or direct incitement to physically obstruct law enforcement. CBS News noted that the rare statute under review requires evidence of conspiracy to use force, intimidation, or threats—a high legal threshold that distinguishes criminal obstruction from protected speech.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Walz and Frey on social media of “encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement,” characterizing their statements as federal felonies. Noem’s public allegation preceded the DOJ inquiry by one day, linking criticism of the federal operation to an incident in which an ICE agent fired a weapon after being attacked by three individuals with snow shovels and broom handles.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the investigation to CBS News. Trump has previously amplified unfounded conspiracy theories targeting Walz, establishing a pattern of using federal agencies to pursue political opponents.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/doj-reportedly-investigating-tim-walz-and-jacob-frey-over-alleged-conspiracy-to-impede-federal-agents/)

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