Tag Archives: White House

Center Square: Administration responds to ‘promotion’ of anti-ICE app

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An app called ICEBlock designed to help people avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is now available for download for free in the Apple app store.

The Trump administration said the app is dangerous for federal agents enforcing federal laws.

CNN posted a video interview with the app’s designer, Joshua Aaron, a “musician and developer,” according to the network, Monday morning.

“When I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back,” Aaron said.

Just like popular navigation apps rely on users’ real-time reports of car accidents or construction and then alert other users taking those routes, ICEBlock relies on users to report sightings of ICE agents and then reflects those sightings on a map. Users can be notified of all of the reported sightings within a five-mile radius.

The app contains a disclaimer that it does not “collect, store or process any personal data about you.”

“One of the core principles in the design of this app is 100% anonymity for our user base,” Aaron told CNN Tech Reporter Clare Duffy. “There is no sign-up process. There is no user data collected. There is no user data even captured by our app.”

Aaron told Duffy that there were already 20,000 users by the time of the interview.

And of course the dumbest woman in America, White House press secretary Karoline “Bimbo #1” Leavitt, is whining:

“I’ll have to go back and watch the clip myself, but surely it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers,” Leavitt said. “As you know… there’s been a 500% increase in violence against ICE agents, law enforcement officers across the country who are just simply trying to do their jobs and remove public safety threats from our communities.”

And Faux News can’t pass up an opportunity to make a false accusation against its competitor:

Fox News and others suggested that CNN was promoting the app in its coverage.

“It’s unacceptable that a major network would promote such an app that is encouraging violence against law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our country safe,” Leavitt added.

And the Head Goon himself is getting bent out of shape:

Border Czar Tom Homan appeared on Fox Across America, a national live syndicated radio talk show, later Monday afternoon to speak on the issue. Homan echoed Leavitt’s comments and said it would enable “bad guys” to escape apprehension. He also said he has enlisted the help of the Department of Justice to respond.

“It also puts ICE in an extremely dangerous position because… there’s going to be one guy that’s going to happen soon that’s laying in wait, who’s going to, you know, wait for ICE to show up and attack them. So this is a dangerous, dangerous situation,” Homan told the host. “I’ve sent that information over to DOJ. I asked them to take whatever legal action they can take to take because this is an unprecedented attack, even by a media outlet, on the safety and security of those who are trying to force laws on this country.”

At the end of the day, the First Amendment will prevail!

WATCH: Administration responds to ‘promotion’ of anti-ICE app
(The Center Square) – An app called ICEBlock designed to help people avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is now available for download for free in the Apple app

https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_ae793d5f-a990-4867-831f-1fc4d64df1ee.html

Straight Arrow News: ICE raids surge, but few employers face charges

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According to The Washington Post, a spokesperson with the Justice Department said in a statement: “Under President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, the Department of Justice will enforce federal immigration laws and hold bad actors accountable when they employ illegal aliens in violation of federal law.”

However, almost no business owners or managers are being held legally accountable for hiring unauthorized workers. The Post conducted in-depth investigative work, reviewing legal documents and business ownership records to confirm whether any company owners or managers were charged. The Post found that despite numerous raids, just one employer was charged with a crime.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not disclosed how many raids have resulted in employer charges. In April, ICE reported more than 1,000 arrests of migrants residing in the U.S. illegally and proposed over $1 million in fines against businesses during Trump’s first 100 days in the White House, The Post reports.

Only one employer charged, so far:

John Washburn, a company manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, California, was charged with knowingly employing migrant workers who reside in the country illegally. Washburn pleaded guilty, and the DOJ stated that he received one year of probation and was required to complete 50 hours of community service. He did not receive jail time.

Chad Hartmann, the manager of Glenn Valley Foods in Nebraska, will not face charges after federal immigration agents arrested 76 of his workers. According to ICE, an investigation found that about 70 migrant workers who live in the U.S. illegally at the facility were using stolen identities and Social Security numbers to get jobs and benefits. Hartmann said he believed he was hiring people authorized to work in the U.S.

As a result, over 100 real people had their identities misused, causing them serious financial, emotional and legal harm, according to an ICE press release.

It’s unusual for business owners to be prosecuted for hiring migrant workers who reside in the country illegally. To charge someone, prosecutors must prove the employer knowingly hired someone without legal work authorization. Proving what an employer knew in court can be difficult and time-consuming.

ICE raids surge, but few employers face charges
ICE workplace raids have surged under Trump, but employers hiring undocumented workers are rarely prosecuted.

https://san.com/cc/ice-raids-surge-but-few-employers-face-charges

Forbes: Trump-Musk Feud: Musk Says Trump’s Comments About Him Are ‘Just Plain Wrong’

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Elon Musk on Wednesday suggested that President Donald Trump’s criticism of subsidies received by his companies was wrong, as he continued to mock supporters of the president’s signature spending bill, a day after the president said he’ll look into potentially deporting the Tesla CEO and threatened probes into his companies amid a reignited feud between the two.

I love a good cat fight, and when it’s two corrupt kleptocrats clawing at one another, that’s all the better!

Musk Says Trump’s Comments About Him Are ‘Just Plain Wrong’ And ‘Disappointing’
The billionaire, whose ties with the president have frayed in the past month, attacked GOP lawmakers backing the Trump’s spending bill while boosting its critics.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/07/02/trump-musk-feud-musk-says-trumps-comments-about-him-are-just-plain-wrong

KTLA: Man, pregnant woman snatched from parked vehicle in Simi Valley

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A man and his pregnant wife were seen being removed from their vehicle before they were taken into custody by immigration agents in Simi Valley.

The witness, who only identified herself as Briana, said the incident happened near Royal Avenue and Carson Street around 8 a.m.

The pair, who were sitting in an SUV, were suddenly surrounded by three vehicles while several masked agents approached the SUV and opened the doors. The agents were seen pulling the man and woman out of the car.

“They were so quick, they just literally left and broke the windows,” Briana said. “You could see his sandal was left there. It was pretty traumatic. It’s going on everywhere. It’s just the law, I guess.”

Briana said she was driving when she noticed the masked agents and decided to pull over to find out what was happening.

She said the couple appeared to be in their 30s and could only speak Spanish. She was heard yelling at the agents, but did not physically intervene with the arrest.

“The [man and woman] kept looking at me, like, asking for help, but all I could do was record them,” she said. “They just were desperate to get out of the situation. They were scared. There were people with masks. Who are they? Where are they taking them?”

Briana said that at one point, the man being held on the ground told the agents that his wife was pregnant.

“There were three guys pinning down a pregnant woman,” she said. “There’s no reason for that.”

In the video, one of the agents’ vests has a decal that reads, “Police-ICE.” Ultimately, the couple was placed into vehicles and driven away.

KTLA’s Lindsey Pena was able to contact the pregnant woman, who said she and her husband were taken to a facility in Camarillo. She said her husband remains in custody, but she was released with an ankle monitor and has a follow-up appointment at the facility next week.

KTLA has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security several times for more details on the arrest and any crimes the couple may be accused of and is awaiting a reply. The couple has not been identified.

The White House has vowed to continue immigration enforcement operations in Southern California and across the U.S. 

Local leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, have demanded that the Trump administration stop the raids that sparked protests in early June.

However, federal officials said it would continue conducting immigration raids and deportations. “ICE will continue to enforce the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X.

Couple arrested by federal immigration agents in Simi Valley
Editor’s note: KTLA reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment multiple times prior to publication. As of publishing, DHS has not responded. KTLA will update this article w…

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/couple-arrested-by-federal-immigration-agents-in-simi-valley

Alternet: ‘Should be investigated’: [Bimbo #1] Leavitt says Trump could revoke mayoral candidate’s citizenship

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According to White House press secretary Karoline [Bimbo #1] Leavitt, President Donald Trump has not yet ruled out stripping U.S. citizenship from New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

During Monday’s White House press briefing, [Bimbo #1] Leavitt answered a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy, in which he pressed [Bimbo #1] Leavitt on the administration’s position on using denaturalization to prevent Mamdani from becoming mayor of New York City. Rolling Stone reporter Nikki McCann Ramirez posted the exchange to Bluesky, in which Leavitt left the door open for Trump to pursue deportation after Doocy’s follow-up question.

“He doesn’t want this individual to be elected,” [Bimbo #1] Leavitt said in response to Doocy asking if Trump wants Mamdani deported.

It’s always entertaining to hear from the dumbest woman in America!

‘Should be investigated’: Leavitt says Trump could revoke mayoral candidate’s citizenship
Forbidden

https://www.alternet.org/leavitt-trump-revoke-citizenship

Rolling Stone: Leaked Iran Call Further Shreds Trump’s Narrative: Report

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Iranian government officials in a phone call said that the U.S. military strikes against its nuclear facilities were not as damaging or extensive as they had expected, further undermining the Trump administration’s narrative that they were “completely and totally obliterated.” The Washington Post first reported the call, citing four people familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.

In the conversation that was meant to be private, Iranian government officials wondered why the strikes did not cause more widespread destruction.

The administration in a statement from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt essentially confirmed the existence of the call but called the paper’s reporting “shameful.”

“It’s shameful that The Washington Post is helping people commit felonies by publishing out-of-context leaks,” Leavitt said. “The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over.”

Except that the bunker busters aren’t capable of penetrating through hundred of feet of rock. There are no “hundreds of feet of rubble”.

When it comes to presidential press secretaries, they don’t come any dumber than Karoline “Bimbo #1” Leavitt. She wrote the book on stupidity.

Leaked Iran Call Further Shreds Trump’s Narrative: Report
Iranian officials in a conversation intercepted by U.S. intelligence said the strikes on nuclear facilities were less destructive than expected.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/leaked-iran-call-nuclear-trump-1235375174

Daily Digest: Mexico Roars: Sheinbaum torches Kristi Noem over controversial comments

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… the Mexican President did not hesitate to put the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in her place.

In a message on her Twitter account, Sheinbaum was very firm: “In response to a question from a media outlet, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security mistakenly mentioned that I encouraged violent protests in Los Angeles. I inform you that this is absolutely false.”

Kristi Noem [hsf] accused the president during a press conference at the White House: “Claudia Sheinbaum came out and encouraged more protests in L.A., and I condemn her for that,” as reported by Reuters.

…

Sheinbaum has sought to distance herself from these events and address Kristi Noem’s accusations: “We do not agree with violent actions as a form of protest; the burning of police cars seems more like an act of provocation than resistance.”

Daily Digest: Mexico Roars: Sheinbaum torches Kristi Noem over controversial comments

https://thedailydigest.com/singapore/archivo/kristi-noem-sparks-international-feud-with-sheinbaum-mexico-hits-back-hard

Rolling Stone: Trump Demands Republicans Crack Down on Nonprofits That Protest ICE

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The president endorsed a GOP lawmaker’s bill to take away the tax-exempt status of groups supposedly involved in “unlawful riots”

President Donald Trump voiced support Saturday for new legislation aiming to punish groups linked to the June protests in Los Angeles against the administration’s aggressive immigration raids and arrests. 

The legislation, offered by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), would make nonprofits involved in supposedly “organizing the riots” ineligible for federal funding or tax-exempt status. At the center of the proposed bill is an immigrants rights group based in L.A. that denies any wrongdoing and says the accusations are false.

“CONGRESSMAN KEVIN KILEY’S, ‘NO TAX DOLLARS FOR RIOTS’ legislation, should be passed immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday. “I am hereby instructing my Administration not to pay ANY money to these radicalized groups, regardless of the legislation. They get paid to incite riots, burn down or destroy a city, then come back to the trough to get money to help rebuild it. NO MORE MONEY!!!”

The text of the bill has not been publicly released. 

Kiley framed the protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a threat. “The violence we have witnessed in Los Angeles is a threat to the safety of our communities and federal officers, and it undermines democracy by obstructing the policies of a duly elected president from being implemented.” Kiley said in a statement. “We need better tools to deter and punish this lawless and anti-democratic behavior.” 

What we really need is to rid ourselves of this lawless and anti-democratic autocrat masquerading as president. Hopefully he’ll soon find his way into a memory-care unit and fade into history

Trump Demands Republicans Crack Down on Nonprofits That Protest ICE
Trump voiced support for new legislation to crack down on groups linked to protests against ICE in Los Angeles.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-ice-protests-republican-bill-nonprofits-1235375003

Guardian: Ice arrests of US military veterans and their relatives are on the rise: ‘a country that I fought for’

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As Trump urges more deportations, veterans are seeing their parents, children and even themselves detained

The son of an American citizen and military veteran – but who has no citizenship to any country – was deported from the US to Jamaica in late May.

Jermaine Thomas’s deportation, recently reported on by the Austin Chronicle, is one of a growing number of immigration cases involving military service members’ relatives or even veterans themselves who have been ensnared in the Trump administration’s mass deportation program.

As the Chronicle reported, Thomas was born on a US army base in Germany to an American citizen father, who was originally born in Jamaica and is now dead. Thomas does not have US, German or Jamaican citizenship – but Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency deported him anyway to Jamaica, a country in which he had never set foot.

Thomas had spent two-and-a-half months incarcerated while waiting for an update on his case. He was previously at the center of a case brought before the US supreme court regarding his unique legal status.

The federal government argued that Thomas – who had previously received a deportation order – was not a citizen simply because he was born on a US army base, and it used prior criminal convictions to buttress the case against him. He petitioned for a review of the order, but the supreme court denied him, finding his father “did not meet the physical presence requirement of the [law] in force at the time of Thomas’s birth”.

…

In another recent case, the wife of another Marine Corps veteran was detained by Ice despite still breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter. According to the Associated Press, the veteran’s wife had been going through a process to obtain legal residency.

…

In March, Ice officials arrested the daughter of a US veteran who had been fighting a legal battle regarding her status. Alma Bowman, 58, was taken into custody by Ice during a check-in at the Atlanta field office, despite her having lived in the US since she was 10 years old.

Bowman was born in the Philippines during the Vietnam war, to a US navy service member from Illinois stationed there. She had lived in Georgia for almost 50 years. Her permanent residency was revoked following a minor criminal conviction from 20 years ago, leading her to continue a legal battle to obtain citizenship in the US.

…

In another recent case, a US army veteran and green-card holder left on his own to South Korea. His deportation order was due to charges related to drug possession and an issue with drug addiction after being wounded in combat in the 1980s, for which he earned the prestigious Purple Heart citation.

“I can’t believe this is happening in America,” Sae Joon Park, who had held legal permanent residency, told National Public Radio. “That blows me away – like, [it is] a country that I fought for.”

Ice arrests of US military veterans and their relatives are on the rise: ‘a country that I fought for’
As Trump urges more deportations, veterans are seeing their parents, children and even themselves detained

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/28/us-military-veterans-detained-trump

Daily Beast: Trump Frees Felon to Keep Deported Maryland Dad Locked Up

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The White House is so hellbent on keeping Kilmar Abrego Garcia behind bars, it has released a convicted human smuggler.

The Trump administration has freed a convicted human smuggler in its desperate bid to convict Kilmar Abrego Garcia of the same charge.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Abrego Garcia in March—a move the Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted was an error—before a federal judge forced the administration to return him. Abrego Garcia was placed in federal custody on a human smuggling charge as soon as he set foot on U.S. soil again.

Despite President Donald Trump’s pledge to focus mass deportation efforts on criminals—the “worst of the worst”—the DOJ has now released three-time felon Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes from federal prison and transferred him to a halfway house in exchange for his testimony against Abrego Garcia, an undocumented father from Maryland.

Which likely will make him an unreliable witness because he has been paid / rewarded for his testimony. When it’s all over, Kilmar Abrego Garcia will walk free.

“It’s wild to me,” Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, told the Washington Post. “It’s just further evidence of how the government is using Kilmar’s case to further their propaganda and prove their political point.”

Trump Frees Felon to Keep Deported Maryland Dad Locked Up
The White House is so hellbent on keeping Kilmar Abrego Garcia behind bars, it has released a convicted human smuggler.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-frees-felon-to-keep-deported-maryland-dad-locked-up