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LA Times: ‘Hell on earth.’ A Venezuelan deportee describes abuse in El Salvador prison

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  • Jerce Reyes Barrios, 36, was one of more than 250 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador from the United States in March and incarcerated in the country’s infamous prison.
  • “There was blood, vomit and people passed out on the floor, he said.
  • A one-time professional soccer player, Reyes Barrios left Venezuela last year amid political unrest and attempted to apply for asylum at the Otay Mesa border crossing in California.

When Jerce Reyes Barrios and other Venezuelan deportees entered a maximum security prison in El Salvador this spring, he said guards greeted them with taunts.

“Welcome to El Salvador, you sons of bitches,” Reyes Barrios said the guards told them. “You’ve arrived at the Terrorist Confinement Center. Hell on earth.”

What followed, Reyes Barrios said, were the darkest months of his life. Reyes Barrios said he was regularly beaten on his neck, ribs and head. He and other prisoners were given little food and forced to drink contaminated water. They slept on metal beds with no mattresses in overcrowded cells, listening to the screams of other inmates.

“There was blood, vomit and people passed out on the floor, he said.

Reyes Barrios, 36, was one of more than 250 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador from the United States in March after President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. Many of the men, including Reyes Barrios, insist that they have no ties to the gang and were denied due process.

After enduring months in detention in El Salvador, they were sent home last week as part of a prisoner exchange deal that included Venezuela’s release of several detained Americans.

Venezuela’s attorney general said interviews with the men revealed “systemic torture” inside the Salvadoran prison, including daily beatings, rancid food and sexual abuse.

One of the former detainees, Neiyerver Adrián León Rengel, filed a claim Thursday with the Homeland Security Department, accusing the U.S. of removing him without due process and asking for $1.3 million in damages.

Reyes Barrios spoke to The Times over video Thursday after returning to his hometown of Machiques, a city of 140,000 not far from the Colombian border. He was overjoyed to be reunited with his mother, his wife and his children. But he said he was haunted by his experience in prison.

A onetime professional soccer player, Reyes Barrios left Venezuela last year amid political unrest and in search of economic opportunity. He entered the U.S. on Sept. 1 at the Otay Mesa border crossing in California under the asylum program known as CBP One. He was immediately detained, accused of being a gangster and placed in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A court statement earlier this year from his attorney, Linette Tobin, said authorities tied Reyes Barrios to Tren de Aragua based solely on an arm tattoo and a social media post in which he made a hand gesture that U.S. authorities interpreted as a gang sign.

The tattoo — a crown sitting atop a soccer ball, with a rosary and the word “Díos” or “God” — is actually an homage to his favorite team, Real Madrid, Tobin wrote. She said the hand gesture is sign language for “I Love You.”

While in custody in California, Reyes Barrios applied for political asylum and other relief. A hearing had been set for April 17, but on March 15, he was deported to El Salvador “with no notice to counsel or family,” Tobin wrote. Reyes Barrios “has never been arrested or charged with a crime,” Tobin added. “He has a steady employment record as a soccer player as well as a soccer coach for children and youth.”

The surprise deportation of Reyes Barrios and other Venezuelans to El Salvador drew outcry from human rights advocates and spurred a legal battle with the Trump administration.

Reyes Barrios was not aware of the controversy over deportations as he was ushered in handcuffs from the airport in San Salvador to the country’s infamous Terrorism Confinement Center, also known as CECOT.

There, Reyes Barrios said he and other inmates were forced to walk on their knees as their heads were shaved and they were repeatedly beaten. He said he was put in a cell with 21 other men — all Venezuelans. Guards meted out measly portions of beans and tortillas and told the inmates they “would never eat chicken or meat again.”

El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has detained tens of thousands of his compatriots in CECOT and other prisons in recent years, part of a gang crackdown that human rights advocates say has ensnared thousands of innocent people.

Bukele garnered worldwide attention and praise from U.S. Republicans after he published dramatic photos and videos showing hundreds of prisoners crammed together in humiliating positions, wearing nothing but underwear and shackles. During a meeting with Bukele at the Oval Office this year, Trump said he was interested in sending “homegrowns” — i.e. American prisoners — to El Salvador’s jails.

A spokeswoman for Bukele did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Reyes Barrios said guards told him and the other detained Venezuelans that they would spend the rest of their lives in the prison.

Reyes Barrios said he started praying at night: “God, protect my mother and my children. I entrust my soul to you because I think I’m going to die.”

Then, several days ago, he and the other prisoners were awakened by yelling in the early morning hours. Guards told them they had 20 minutes to take showers and prepare to leave.

“At that moment, we all shouted with joy,” Reyes Barrios said. “I think that was my only happy day at CECOT.”

After arriving in Venezuela, Reyes Barrios and the other returnees spent days in government custody, undergoing medical checks and interviews with officials.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has seized on the treatment of prisoners, airing videos on state television in which some deportees describe suffering abuses including rape, beatings and being shot at with pellet guns. Venezuelan authorities say they are investigating Bukele over the alleged abuse.

Maduro, a leftist authoritarian who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, has maintained his grip on power by jailing — and sometimes torturing — opponents. Many of the 7.7 million Venezuelans who have fled the country in recent years have cited political repression as one reason for leaving.

In Tobin’s court statement, she said Reyes Barrios participated in two demonstrations against Maduro in early 2024. After the second, Reyes Barrios was detained by authorities along with other protesters and tortured, she wrote.

Reyes Barrios said he did not wish to discuss Venezuelan politics. He said he was just grateful to be back with his family.

“My mother is very happy, ” he said.

He was greeted in his hometown by some of the young soccer players he once coached. They wore their uniforms and held balloons. Reyes Barrios juggled a ball a bit, gave the kids hugs and high fives, and smiled.

‘Hell on earth.’ A Venezuelan deportee describes abuse in El Salvador prison
A Venezuelan man who was deported from California to El Salvador and held at one of the country’s infamous prisons recounts his months in custody, recalling meager rations and the torture and beating of fellow inmates.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-07-24/i-think-im-going-to-die-a-venezuelan-deportee-recounts-abuse-in-el-salvador-prison

Knewz: Trump Impeachment Campaign Makes Major Moves in House

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In a powerful show of public dissent, nearly one million Americans signed a petition calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Knewz.com has learned that the signatures were collected by advocacy organizations Free Speech For People and Women’s March and delivered to the leadership of the House Judiciary Committee following a press conference by Representative Al Green of Texas.

Backed by a growing protest movement and a formal campaign known as “Impeach Trump. Again.” led by constitutional lawyers at Free Speech For People, the effort accuses President Trump of a sweeping list of constitutional violations and abuses of power. Supporters of the movement argue that Congress must now act decisively to defend the democracy. Speaking to reporters outside the United States Capitol, Rep. Green expressed his appreciation to Free Speech For People, Women’s March and the nearly one million individuals who had signed the petition calling for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. He emphasized that the widespread public support demonstrated the urgency and significance of the issue, which Congress could no longer afford to ignore, he said. “His abuse of power, disregard for the Constitution, authoritarian dictatorship activity and violations of the War Powers Clause demand a response. Impeachment and removal from office is the remedy provided in our Constitution to protect democracy from an authoritarian president whose threat to democracy has become an assault on democracy. This is why the article of impeachment filed in June is the first in the foundation to remove an authoritarian president — but not the last,” Rep. Green said in a statement.

Tamika Middleton, the Managing Director of Women’s March, accused President Trump of “trampling” on the Constitution and attacking “our communities with cruelty and impunity.” She said in her statement, “Nearly one million people demanding impeachment is proof that we will not back down. Congress must act now to protect our freedoms and our futures.” Alexandra Flores-Quilty, the Campaign Director for Free Speech For People, told reporters outside the U.S. Capitol, “What this campaign shows is that nearly 1 million Americans across the country refuse to let Trump and his allies destroy our democracy. … It’s up to Congress to do their job, defend the Constitution and impeach and remove Donald Trump from office for his grave abuses of power.”

According to reports, Rep. Green introduced articles of impeachment against Trump for violating the War Powers Clause of the Constitution following the military attack on Iran without congressional authorization and forced a floor vote on the articles. Seventy-eight members of the House voted in favor of advancing the articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Green — nearly four times the number who had previously gone on record supporting such action against President Trump. With close to one million petition signatures now submitted in support of impeachment, advocates argue that Congress faces growing public pressure to act on its constitutional responsibilities. “The Framers designed the constitutional remedy of impeachment to deal with a president who would attack the Constitution, trample on the rule of law and engage in High Crimes. … The American people are demanding that Members of Congress abide by their oath to protect and defend the Constitution and impeach and remove Trump,” said John Bonifaz, the co-founder and president of Free Speech For People.

According to the Impeach Trump Again campaign, the allegations against the president span a wide range of constitutional and legal violations. These include unlawfully bypassing Congress’ authority to declare war, deploying military forces against civilian protesters and engaging in the illegal detention, deportation and removal of U.S. residents, migrants and asylum-seekers — sometimes to foreign prisons. He is also accused of attempting to deport immigrants for peaceful protest, defying court orders and undermining judicial authority. Additional charges involve using presidential power for personal retribution, dismantling independent oversight bodies, imposing unauthorized tariffs and accepting prohibited foreign and domestic emoluments. The campaign further alleges he repeatedly overstepped local, state and federal boundaries by abusing emergency and pardon powers, interfering with the judicial process and corruptly dismissing criminal charges against political figures including New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Other serious accusations include denying citizens their birthright, obstructing efforts to secure elections, allegedly planning the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and engaging in corrupt activities during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump Impeachment Campaign Makes Major Moves in House
In a powerful show of public dissent, nearly one million Americans signed a petition calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

https://knewz.com/trump-impeachment-campaign-makes-major-moves-in-house

Associated Press: Trump signs bill to cancel $9 billion in foreign aid, public broadcasting funding

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President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday canceling about $9 billion that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.

The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country.

The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way.

Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them.

The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some local public stations in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are “not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”

On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer.

Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world’s most impoverished people.

“With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

Trump signs bill to cancel $9 billion in foreign aid, public broadcasting funding
President Donald Trump has signed a bill to cancel about $9 billion that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid.

https://apnews.com/article/pbs-npr-budget-cuts-trump-republicans-7d29c97c85d0b450549af657e115f0f8

Latin Times: ICE Releases Deaf Mongolian Asylum Seeker Held Without Interpreter For Months

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“How can he meaningfully participate if he doesn’t know what’s being said and he cannot communicate?” said a judge about the case back on July 9

A deaf Mongolian asylum seeker detained for months in Southern California without access to a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter has been released from federal immigration custody, his family confirmed to local media.

The man, identified as “Avirmed” at his family’s request due to concerns of retaliation by the Mongolian government, had been held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center since February.

His release came after a federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated his civil rights by failing to provide an interpreter, thereby preventing him from meaningfully participating in his asylum proceedings, as Cal Matters reports.

Judge Dana Sabraw of the U.S. Southern District of California ordered ICE on July 9 to provide Avirmed with a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter and redo two key assessments—the first evaluating his mental health, the second assessing whether he has a credible fear of returning to Mongolia.

“How can he meaningfully participate if he doesn’t know what’s being said and he cannot communicate?” Sabraw asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Dimbleby at the time, to which Dimbleby answered that many people don’t fully understand the legal proceedings in immigration court.

ICE Releases Deaf Mongolian Asylum Seeker Held Without Interpreter For Months
“How can he meaningfully participate if he doesn’t know what’s being said and he cannot communicate?” said a judge about the case back on July 9

https://www.latintimes.com/ice-releases-deaf-mongolian-asylum-seeker-held-without-interpreter-months-587393

Latin Times: Florida AG Encourages People To Report Their Ex Partners To Immigration Authorities: ‘We’d Be Happy To Assist’

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“If your ex is in this country illegally, please feel free to reach out to our office,” said James Uthmeier

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier encouraged people to report their ex partners to immigration authorities so they can be deported.

In a social media post, Uthmeier said “we recently got a tip from someone whose abusive ex overstayed a tourism visa” and now he is “cued up for deportation.”

“If your ex is in the country illegally, please feel free to reach out to our office. We’d be happy to assist.”

Uthmeier has also made headlines recently for proposing the construction of the migrant detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” located at a remote airport site surrounded by Everglades wildlife. The facility has in fact been inaugurated and mired by allegations of mistreatment. Legal advocates are calling for the shutting down of the facility, decrying “unlivable” conditions that include mosquito-ridden units and lights being on all the time.

Uthmeier made the post as CBS News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted some 150,000 deportations in the first six months.

The figure is still far from its self-imposed goal of recording 1 million deportations in the first year of the administration, but the agency has vowed to ramp up efforts, especially after getting tens of billions in funds following the passage of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Should deportations continue at this pace, they would reach about 300,000 by the end of the year, the highest figure since fiscal year 2014, when the Obama administration conducted 316,000 ICE removals. The highest amount ever recorded was in 2012, when the agency conducted some 410,000 deportations.

However, the administration is significantly ramping up efforts to that end, especially after getting an additional $45 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as well as $30 billion to fund every stage of the deportation process. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said last week that the agency plans to use some of that money to hire 10,000 agents to locate and arrest migrants suspected of being in the country unlawfully.

Asshole!

James Uthmeier is such a pathetic excuse for human detritus!

Florida AG Encourages People To Report Their Ex Partners To Immigration Authorities: ‘We’d Be Happy To Assist’
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier encouraged people to report their ex partners to immigration authorities if they are in the country unlawfully

https://www.latintimes.com/florida-ag-encourages-people-report-their-ex-partners-immigration-authorities-wed-happy-587482

Law & Crime: ‘Flip-side of the same coin’: Trump-appointed judge dismisses White House lawsuit by using Supreme Court precedent that tossed nationwide injunctions

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The Trump administration may not terminate its agencies’ collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), in large part because allowing it to do so would be similar to the “judicial overreach” that the Supreme Court sought to mitigate in a recent ruling in favor of President Donald Trump, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

The White House’s attempt to toss out labor unions from key federal agencies, as U.S. District Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas put it, boils down to the authority that the different branches of government possess.

And on this matter, because the Trump administration’s lawsuit was preemptive – that is, asking the court to approve of their future conduct in breaking the CBAs as part of an executive order – the judge found that his hands were tied.

To explain why he came to that decision, the judge pointed to the highest court in the land and its recent case in Trump v. CASA that severely limited the power of U.S. district judges to issue nationwide injunctions.

“This Court’s decision to dismiss this case for lack of jurisdiction is bolstered by the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trump v. CASA, wherein the Supreme Court held that universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted to federal courts,” Albright, a Trump appointee from the president’s first term, wrote in a 27-page filing.

In making its decision in the landmark birthright citizenship case, the Supreme Court found that universal injunctions were not present for most of the country’s history. And in this case, the district judge opined, the White House asked a court to go a step further – by asking for relief to do something before having even begun.

Albright wrote, at length:

Here, pre-enforcement declaratory judgments pre-approving an Executive Order have been conspicuously nonexistent for all of this Nation’s history. CASA was not decided upon the issue of standing before us today. Nonetheless, the practical impact of the holding in CASA as well as the core legal principle espoused by the Supreme Court remains central to this Court’s decision today— “federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them.” Absent a justiciable case or controversy, this Court will not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch. Accordingly, this case is dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

Trump’s March 27 Executive Order 14251 – titled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs – declared to “enhance the national security of the United States” by having agencies “have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.”

On the same day, the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo to the relevant agencies – which include the Department of Defense and Department of State – that they are “no longer required to collectively bargain with Federal unions.”

It is also on this fateful March day that the administration filed its lawsuit against the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest labor union representing federal workers, seeking pre-approval for the termination of the CBAs. The timing of that action is where the district judge takes issue, finding that no “controversy” requiring him to act existed at the time of the lawsuit because the executive order had not yet been publicly announced.

“It is difficult to imagine how the parties could have formed a concrete dispute over the Executive Order when that document had not yet been released to the public,” Albright wrote. And because a “controversy” could not be found, the White House did not have the legal authority to bring the case, and the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear it.

The Texas-based judge was not unsympathetic to the Trump administration’s position, however. Pointing to nearly 25 nationwide injunctions being filed in the first 100 days of the administration, Albright wrote: “The Court is sympathetic to the administration’s desire for legal certainty with respect to its ability to enforce its Executive Orders when faced with the unavoidable reality that a district court somewhere will likely issue a universal injunction.”

But, again pointing to the Supreme Court, he wrote that “it is appropriate to presume” district courts will follow the high court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA and “curtail the availability” of nationwide injunctions – thus helping ease their concerns.

Albright focused on the issue of precedent while underscoring how much the judiciary can step in on the executive branch’s behalf.

“Allowing the government to seek a declaratory judgment every time (as in this case) the Executive signs a new Executive Order appears to this Court to simply be an escalation in the battle to gain some advantage by being able to select the venue in which the litigation is filed,” he wrote. “The perception, whether correct or not, that one party or the other can gain advantage by selecting a favorable forum threatens the legitimacy of the federal courts.”

He then concluded by once again referencing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling.

“[T]he relief Plaintiffs now seek is roughly the flip-side of the same coin as the relief sought by litigants seeking nationwide injunctions against this Administration,” Albright wrote. “One litigant rushes off to select a forum it perceives to be favorable to enjoin an Executive Order; and the Administration now rushes to preempt that injunction with a declaratory judgment in its own forum of choice.”

“While the Court understands the reasoning behind the Administration’s response to what it perceives as improper judicial overreach, the solution to perceived judicial overreach is not more judicial overreach, but a return to the principles of judicial restraint and strict adherence to the constitutional limits imposed upon the federal judiciary,” he concluded.

Seeking a national injunction in support of executive order(s) not yet issued — that’s quite a stretch, and then some!

Federal judge dismisses White House lawsuit by using SCOTUS precedent that helped Trump
The Trump administration may not terminate its agencies’ collective bargaining agreements, a federal judge ruled as he cited recent Supreme Court precedent that handed the president a major win.
‘Flip-side of the same coin’: Trump-appointed judge dismisses White House lawsuit by using Supreme Court precedent that tossed nationwide injunctions

Daily Mail: Pam [Bimbo #3] Bondi sidelined by sudden medical condition after bombshell report claims AG told Trump he was in Epstein files

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Pam [Bimbo #3] Bondi abruptly canceled her appearance at a high-profile anti-trafficking summit on Wednesday, citing a sudden medical emergency.

The attorney general – who has been under siege over the Epstein files – was scheduled to appear at CPAC’s Summit Against Human Trafficking when a speaker at the event made the stunning announcement. 

‘I do have a note from the attorney general, from Attorney General Pam [Bimbo #3] Bondi, that I wanted to share,’ Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti said. 

He then read her statement aloud: ‘I’m sorry to miss all of my CPAC friends today…’

‘Unfortunately, I am recovering from a recently torn cornea, which is preventing me from being with you. I truly wish I was able to join you and support all of the work being done on this critical issue.’ 

At the conclusion of the statement, Galeotti laughed nervously as scattered applause came from the audience. 

‘We appreciate the applause for her and not boos for me,’ he joked. ‘So I will do my best to fill those big shoes.’ 

Several people can be seen walking out of the conference after it was revealed the attorney general would not be speaking.

The Department of Justice did not provide any further information about [Bimbo #3] Bondi’s condition. 

Her injury came just hours after a bombshell report claimed she personally informed President Trump that his name appeared ‘multiple times’ in the Jeffrey Epstein files. 

[Bimbo #3] Bondi’s appearance at the CPAC summit was highly-anticipated given her central role in the administration’s long-promised disclosures about the billionaire pedophile. 

Adding to the intrigue, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that [Bimbo #3] Bondi had informed President Trump in May that his name appeared more frequently than expected in the trove of sealed Epstein files. 

[Bimbo #3] Bondi had warned Trump that while the documents included ‘unverified hearsay,’ they also contained child pornography and sensitive victim information. She also advised against further public releases, the WSJ said.

The Journal’s report directly contradicts Trump’s public statements about the drama surrounding the Epstein files. 

On July 15, when asked whether his name came up in a briefing with [Bimbo #3] Bondi about the Epstein records, Trump replied bluntly: ‘No, no.’ 

He described the meeting as ‘just a very quick briefing,’ and accused former FBI Director James Comey of ‘making up’ the contents of the files.

Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, slammed the Journal’s reporting as ‘fake news,’ responding to the Daily Mail in a statement.

‘The fact is that the President kicked [Epstein] out of his club for being a creep,’ Cheung said. ‘This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about.’

But the Journal’s reporting was backed by multiple senior officials, who said [Bimbo #3] Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche briefed Trump as part of a ‘routine meeting.’

The Journal also noted that [Bimbo #3] Bondi recommended withholding additional Epstein documents due to their inclusion of graphic material and potential privacy violations.

‘They turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,’ [Bimbo #3] Bondi said at a July 8 cabinet meeting. ‘Never going to be released, never going to see the light of day.’

[Bimbo #3] Bondi’s explanation has done little to quell outrage particularly from Trump’s MAGA base, which has grown increasingly hostile towards over what they see as stall tactics and contradictions. 

Her promise earlier this year on Fox News that she had the Epstein ‘client list’ on her desk proved hollow, as the long-awaited ‘Phase I’ release offered no significant revelations. 

A leaked DOJ-FBI memo later revealed that no such ‘client list’ had ever been located in agency files.

The backlash has ignited conspiracies of a cover-up and infighting within pro-Trump circles. 

Calls to release everything have grown louder, and some prominent MAGA influencers have demanded [Bimbo #3] Bondi’s resignation. 

The administration’s failure to deliver on the campaign promise of transparency in the Epstein case is becoming a political flashpoint. 

Trump has had recent beef with the Wall Street Journal, threatening to sue the publication and its owner Rupert Murdoch for publishing last week a piece claiming he sent Epstein a 50th birthday card with a hand-drawn outline of a naked women. 

The paper claims that Trump wrote in the card’s note: ‘May every day be another wonderful secret.’ 

‘I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women,’ Trump fired back when asked if he transmitted such a card. ‘It’s not my language. It’s not my words.’

Legal experts say such a defamation lawsuit would be difficult to win, but the threat underscores the president’s rising frustration with how the Epstein story is dominating headlines – and damaging his team’s credibility.

How convenient, and from someone who’d scarcely know the truth if it bit her!

Pam Bondi sidelined by sudden medical condition after bombshell report
The attorney general was scheduled to speak at CPAC’s Summit Against Human Trafficking when a speaker at the event made the stunning announcement.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14934851/Pam-Bondi-sidelined-sudden-medical-condition-bombshell-report-claims-AG-told-Trump-Epstein-files.html

amNewYork: EXCLUSIVE | amNY’s ICE coverage prompts press organizations to air concerns over treatment of journalists covering detentions

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An amNewYork article reporting on ICE intimidating the press sparked outrage from the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and prompted the organization to send letters to federal authorities and the Mayor’s office.

On June 26, amNewYork reported on federal agents using intimidation tactics inside 290 Broadway as photojournalists documented ICE detainments. The report detailed threats made against media members observing agents arresting immigrants. Agents also photographed reporters’ city-issued press credentials and sought to prohibit photographers from accessing public areas.

In one incident, not disclosed in the original coverage, two masked agents surrounded an amNewYork reporter and took a mocking selfie before laughing to themselves.

In response, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, an American non-profit organization founded in 2012 to fund and support free speech and freedom of the press, along with a slew of press rights organizations — such the National Press Photographers Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, and more — compiled several letters to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Federal Protective Services asking them to address the intimidation tactics.

“The undersigned press freedom organizations write to express our serious concern regarding recent reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making arrests in New York City immigration courts are harassing journalists, according to part of the letter which was provided to amNewYork. “This conduct, reported in amNY on June 26, 2025, raises serious First Amendment and press freedom concerns. It is likely to chill constitutionally protected reporting on a matter of the utmost public interest.”

According to the FPF, both Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Federal Protective Services did not respond to their concerns.

Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel for the National Press Photographers Association, condemned the lack of response to what they cite as extremely troubling conduct.

“It is unfortunate that the agencies we addressed in our letters failed to reply to our real concerns regarding reports that ICE agents are harassing journalists by photographing their press credentials, attempting to improperly restrict their access to public areas in federal facilities, and otherwise interfering with their ability to report on matters of great public concern,” Osterreicher said. “Given their disregard for the well-established rules outlined in our letters regarding press credentials and photography, we view the actions by these federal agents as a blatant attempt to chill press freedoms.”

On the FPF webpage, the non-profit criticized the federal government for touting its self-proclaimed accomplishments through its X account and ride alongs with Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media film crews while looking to suppress other journalists taking an objective look at the activity.

Advocacy director at FPF Seth Stern pushed back on this selective reporting.

“ICE is doing everything it can to silence news coverage of its actions, from concealing agents’ identities to accusing reporters of committing crimes by informing the public to intimidating and surveilling journalists in immigration courts, as amNewYork reported. Authorities in New York — and any federal officials with integrity who haven’t been fired for it yet — need to step in and tell ICE that we don’t have secret police here,” Stern said. “Journalists must be allowed to cover Trump’s immigration crackdown without being harassed by agents who don’t want the public knowing what they’re up to.”

amNewYork reached out to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and is awaiting a response. 

EXCLUSIVE | amNY’s ICE coverage prompts press organizations to air concerns over treatment of journalists covering detentions | amNewYork
An amNewYork article reporting on ICE intimidating the press sparked outrage from the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and prompted the organization to
EXCLUSIVE | amNY’s ICE coverage prompts press organizations to air concerns over treatment of journalists covering detentions