Lucas Sielaff was in a car queue waiting to cross from Mexico into the US when a border guard, seeing his German passport, began bombarding him with questions.
The 25-year-old tourist, who had been travelling with his American fiancée, was shackled, taken in for questioning, and then interrogated for hours. He spent 16 days in detention before being escorted to the airport and allowed to fly back to Germany earlier this month.
“I still have nightmares [about the experience] and I’m not yet back to normal,” Sielaff told the Financial Times. “I’m trying to process everything properly. It’ll take a while.”
Sielaff, who had a valid visa waiver entry permit and had visited the US several times previously, is one of a string of high-profile cases of European and Canadian tourists to have suffered hostile treatment at the hands of border guards since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Avoid Trump’s Amerika. You’ll be sorry if you don’t.
The mood inside the White House is verging on panic with just days to go before Donald Trump‘s ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2.
Trump is expected to unveil sweeping new tariffs on America’s global trading partners, but those tasked with implementing his agenda admit they’re uncertain.
Behind closed doors, top administration officials are deeply concerned, with many quietly admitting they’re unsure what the president is actually going to do.
But with less than a week to go, even the most basic details including which countries will be hit, at what rates, and for which goods, remain undecided or constantly shifting.
White House officials freaking out about Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’
White House officials are increasingly alarmed ahead of Trump’s April 2 ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement, uncertain of its scope or targets with a series of conflicting signals from the president.
During an interview with Sen. Chris Coons on MSNBC’s “The Weekend ” former RNC Chair Michael Steele got the Delaware democrats to agree with him the Trump appointee is either lying or has no idea what she is talking about.
During an appearance on Fox News on Thursday, Trump’s AG claimed, “I think Signal is a very safe way to communicate. I don’t think foreign adversaries are able to hack Signal as far as I know and maybe people just have to keep an eye on their contact list a little bit more carefully.”
‘Deliberately ignorant’ Pam Bondi claim slapped down by MSNBC host
A glib comment by Attorney General Pam Bondi that the use of the Signal messaging service is perfectly satisfactory for high-level conversations between Donald Trump administration officials was dismantled on MSNBC on Saturday morning. During an interview with Sen. Chris Coons on MSNBC’s “The Weekend ” former RNC Chair Michael Steele got the Delawa…
Two Trump administration spreadsheets – which each include what numerous advocates and government officials say is highly sensitive information on programs funded by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – were sent to Congress and also leaked online.
The leak, which sent a variety of international groups and nonprofits scrambling to assess the damage and protect workers operating under repressive regimes, came after the organizations had pressed the Trump administration to keep the sensitive information private and received some assurances it would remain secret.
Reached for comment, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly says: “These documents were transmitted to Congress and not publicly released by the State Department.” She urged Rolling Stone to contact “whoever leaked it and in turn, made it public.”
…
“Please do not share the spreadsheet that was circulating yesterday with terminated awards listed and if possible remove it or ask it to be removed from anywhere you’ve seen it,” reads one message shared in a private USAID chat late this week. “It contains information about partners who are working in unsafe environments with restricted civil society space or terrible LGBTQ laws etc. A few of our friends already had to pull staff on an emergency basis yesterday due to threats and unwanted attention from their governments. Please pass along to anyone you think needs to see this.”
One top executive at an international nonprofit and U.S. government implementing partner that’s been grappling with the fallout bluntly tells Rolling Stone: “In all our years of receiving grants from a range of governments, we have never seen the safety of government partners treated with such reckless abandon. People will lose their liberty, and possibly even more, because of this.”
Another source with knowledge of the situation – a State Department career official – says: “Lives are in danger that did not have to be.”
What do you expect when your government is run by a bunch of wannabes from Fox News?
‘Lives Are In Danger’ After a Trump Admin Spreadsheet Leak, Sources Say
5,000 poorly trained, poorly disciplined cowboys with guns, no boss!
Although ICE seems to be winning the current popularity contest, BATF traditionally has been considered the worst of the federal law enforcement agencies. It was BATF that ultimately caused the deaths of ~80 people at the Branch Davidian complex near Waco, Texas.
“As the Post’s Perry Stein and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez wrote, ‘Patel arrived at ATF’s Northeast Washington headquarters, snapped photos in the lobby, met career leaders and commended their work, according to multiple people familiar with the visit. But since then, Patel has not returned, and there appears to be scant communication between the acting director and the people who work for the 5,000-person agency, said the people familiar with the situation.'”
Trump appointee’s disappearing act has key department at a standstill: report
Donald Trump’s decision to hand newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel the reins as the interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has to the department being adrift with Patel reportedly ignoring his duties. According to a report from the Washington Post, since being tasked with running the department and overs…
On Thursday, March 27, President Donald Trump issued yet another executive order — this time, one aimed at the Smithsonian Institute. Trump called for expressions of “improper ideologies” or to be removed from Smithsonian’s museums and information centers, and for the removal of displays that “promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy.”
‘One phrase in particular’ makes Trump’s Smithsonian order ‘deeply disturbing’: analysis
On Thursday, March 27, President Donald Trump issued yet another executive order — this time, one aimed at the Smithsonian Institute. Trump called for expressions of “improper ideologies” or to be removed from Smithsonian’s museums and information centers, and for the removal of displays that “promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federa…
Dr. Peter Marks, one of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) top vaccine officials, has resigned.
In a resignation letter dated Friday, March 28, which was obtained by KFF reporter Stephanie Armour and shared on X, Marks cited the work done by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as one of the reasons for his resignation.
“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” the physician wrote.
FDA’s Top Vaccine Scientist Resigns Due to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s ‘Misinformation and Lies’
Kennedy was sworn in as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary last month
Leavitt went on to highlight other efforts, such as honoring veterans and women, before going on to slam the media for focusing its attention on the government Houthi group chat story published in The Atlantic.
In the scoop, the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg revealed that he was accidentally added to a chat on the app Signal where top administrators were discussing a strike on the Houthis in Yemen, including screenshots of messages with some of their attack plans. Among those in the chat included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Vice President JD Vance.
Leavitt slammed the piece as a “sensationalized story from the failing Atlantic magazine” while attempting to smear the reporter and doubling-down on claims that no classified information was leaked. She also said that Waltz, who added Goldberg, took responsibility for the incident and claimed an investigation into the matter was underway.
“If the story proves anything, it proves that Democrats and their propagandists in the mainstream media know how to fabricate, orchestrate and disseminate a misinformation campaign quite well,” Leavitt said.
She went on to accuse Goldberg, who has previously been critical of the president, of being an “anti-Trump hater” and a “registered Democrat.” Goldberg, 59, has interviewed high-profile political figures including Barack Obama and supported the invasion of Iraq over fears of chemical weapons, which Leavitt mentioned in an attempt to discredit the journalist.
Goldberg, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has previously drawn the ire of Trump after writing a piece ahead of the November election about his alleged affinity for Adolf Hitler, with exclusive insights from top ex-staffers including Gen. John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff.
Humiliated Karoline Leavitt abruptly cuts short press conference and runs away
Donald Trump’s press secretary appeared to crumble under pressure following repeated questions on the government’s leaked war plans
“I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, of Canada. It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The post on Truth Social caused Trump supporters to turn on and criticize the president on X.
“PMs Trudeau and Carney did a masterful job pushing back on Trump’s BS. Minimal pushback to a bully breaks them. Trump looks dumb here bc what was the point of stiffening Canada’s back to begin with? Trump is weak asf,” a user wrote on X.
“President Trump says the call with PM Carney happened. Note the language here, he’s no longer calling the Canadian PM Governor,” another wrote on X.
“Trump is funny cos he spoke with Trudeau without respect and he is like Polite with Carney, even called him Prime Minister. Huge win politically for Carne,” another wrote on X.
“Not the 51st state, any more? I can’t keep up. Carney is a shrewd man. Trump would be wise to remember that,” posted another on the social media site.
“Trump Speaks to PM Mark Carney of Canada Trump calls it an ‘extremely productive’ call No mention of ‘51st State & No Guv Carney’ ( It was only to tease Trudeau) Both will be meeting after elections,” another posted on X.
The call comes after President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to bring in a new 25% tariff on finished vehicles imported into the United States next week.
‘Dumb’ Donald Trump is torn apart after crisis phone call with Canadian leader Mark Carney
People are turning on the President Donald Trump after he took to his social media site Truth Social to say his call with Canadian PM Mark Carney was “extremely productive”.
Federal authorities have detained and arrested multiple international students in the last few weeks.
A University of Minnesota graduate student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers Thursday night, according to a statement from University leadership.
The international graduate student, who is enrolled in the Carlson School [of Management], was detained at an off-campus residence. The University is not sharing the student’s name or where they are being held due to student privacy laws, but it is providing support to the student, University spokesperson Andria Waclawski said.
ICE has arrested more than 32,000 people since Donald Trump took office in January, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Last year, ICE made just over 33,000 arrests.
ICE detains UMN student
A University of Minnesota graduate student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers Thursday night, according to a statement from University leadership. The international graduate student, who is…
