Tag Archives: ICE

Newsweek: Kristi Noem responds to ICEBlock app: ‘Obstruction of justice’

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Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has criticized an app that enables users to track the locations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, branding it an “obstruction of justice.”

Noem issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, after the creator of the ICEBlock app, which uses an anonymous reporting system to maintain a real-time map of ICE activity, described its purpose as helping people avoid contact with ICE officers.

“This sure looks like obstruction of justice,” she wrote. “Our brave ICE law enforcement face a 500% increase in assaults against them. If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, told CNN that he did not want anyone to use the app to target ICE officers, and that it was designed to help people “avoid them altogether if they want.”

…

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said in a statement given to Newsweek, “CNN’s promotion of an ‘ICE spotting’ app is reckless and irresponsible.”

“Advertising an app that basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs is sickening. My officers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults, and going on live television to announce an app that lets anyone zero in on their locations is like inviting violence against them with a national megaphone.

“CNN is willfully endangering the lives of officers who put their lives on the line every day and enabling dangerous criminal aliens to evade U.S. law. Is this simply reckless ‘journalism’ or overt activism?”

That’s complete bullshit! What’s “endangering” your pigs is the way they dress up like Gestapo thugs and disappear people off the streets. Until they clean up their act, they’ll continue to be on the losing end of the popularity contest.

Kristi Noem responds to ICEBlock app: ‘Obstruction of justice’
The secretary of Homeland Security said that the app, which warns people of where ICE officers are operating, could encourage attacks against government agents.

https://www.newsweek.com/kirsti-noem-iceblock-deportation-immigration-app-2092878

News Nation: Mayor: Recent ICE raids ‘extremely shameful, un-American

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  • Fears of ICE arrests led the city of Bell Gardens to cancel July 4 celebrations
  • Mayor Jorgel Chavez accused federal agents of inciting fear
  • Other predominantly Latino communities canceled their events

Bell Gardens Mayor Jorgel Chavez has called recent ICE raids happening throughout the state of California “extremely shameful and un-American.”

Chavez said he and city officials made the decision to cancel Independence Day celebrations due to community fears of ICE agents coming to the area to make arrests, accusing the agency of racially profiling the residents.

“We’re being targeted,” Chavez said. “Communities like mine that are predominantly Latino, we’ve seen agents showing up in unmarked cars, wearing masks, refusing to identify themselves. We want to talk about enforcing the law; instead, it’s creating fear.”

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/ice-raids-bell-gardens-mayor

News Nation: Mayor: Recent ICE raids ‘extremely shameful, un-American

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

USA Today: Vance: Medicaid cuts in Senate tax bill ‘immaterial’ compared to ICE increases

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In a series of social media posts, Vice President JD Vance said the cost of the GOP spending bill, including the effect of the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, are “immaterial” compared to the money he says it will save through expanded funding for immigration enforcement.

“The thing that will bankrupt this country more than any other policy is flooding the country with illegal immigration and then giving those migrants generous benefits. The (bill) fixes this problem. And therefore it must pass,” Vance said in a June 30 post on the social media site X, a few hours before he cast the tie-breaking vote to move the spending bill back to the House.

“Everything else ‒ the (Congressional Budget Office) score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy ‒ is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions,” he said in a second post.

This assumes that “illegal” immigrants contribute nothing to the economy, which is totally false. Removing “illegal” immigrants will cause a net loss of hundreds of billions of dollars for California alone (not to mention other states), and it is on top of that loss that millions of Americans will be losing their health insurance.

J.D. Dunce is a f*ck*ng sh*t for brains disgrace. Nobody in Greenland wanted them over for lunch, and I wouldn’t either.

Vance: Medicaid cuts in Senate tax bill ‘immaterial’ compared to ICE increases
Vice President JD Vance said cuts to Medicaid and budget impacts in the Senate tax bill don’t compare to the importance of ICE spending.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/01/vance-medicaid-cuts-ice-spending-tax-bill/84429757007

Daily Beast: Florida City Ends ICE Deal Ahead of Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Visit

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Key West, home to the southernmost point in the continental U.S., voted to end its cooperation agreement with ICE.

A Florida city welcomed President Donald Trump to the state Tuesday by making life harder for his ICE goons.

Hours before Trump touched down at Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz,” city commissioners in Key West voted 6-1 in favor of scrapping an agreement requiring local police to coordinate with federal immigration officials.

The vote “basically invalidated the city’s most recent agreement with ICE,” which was reached in March, reported Local 10.

“People who are seeking political asylum are important members of our community,” Commissioner Samuel Kaufman said, according to WLRN. “We have thousands of them here, by the way. And they deserve the respect that anybody else does.”

Florida’s southernmost city, less than 100 miles from the Cuban coast, is also among its most progressive. Commissioner Donald Lee said that the city’s police chief, Sean Brandenburg, signed the deal to cooperate with ICE because he had a proverbial “gun” to his head from both federal and state officials. The Florida city of Fort Myers has refused to sign an agreement, and its leaders have been threatened with removal from office.

Key West residents went into uproar last month when a beloved local hairstylist, who a city cop stopped as he rode his e-bike to work, was placed in ICE custody and detained for weeks.

Lee Stinton, a Northern Ireland national, holds an employment authorization card and has applied for a green card, according to Keys Weekly. Still, his traffic infraction reportedly warranted the involvement of ICE agents, who allegedly harassed him and tossed him in a detention center in Miami, where a Canadian citizen, 49, and a Cuban national, 75, died in custody within the last week.

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“The ICE agent that got involved in his traffic stop—and I’m still not sure how that happened, whether he was riding with the police officer or showed up separately—saw the photo of the two of us on Lee’s phone’s lock screen, and assumed I was Haitian,” Davis said. “He asked Lee, ‘Is that your boyfriend? We’ll go find him as well and get two for one.’”

Florida City Ends ICE Deal Ahead of Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Visit
Key West, home to the southernmost point in the continental U.S., voted to end its cooperation agreement with ICE.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-city-ends-ice-deal-ahead-of-trumps-alligator-alcatraz-visit

ABC News: Department of Justice suing Los Angeles over sanctuary city policy

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The Department of Justice is suing the city of Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policy, alleging it interferes with the enforcement of federal immigration laws, officials announced on Monday.

“The challenged law and policies of the City of Los Angeles obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit is targeting Ordinance Number 188441, which prohibits city resources, including personnel, from being used for immigration enforcement. The DOJ is seeking a permanent injunction barring the city from enforcing the ordinance.

Big waste of time and money — the Tenth Amendment (separation of powers) says the federal government can’t hijack state or local governments to do their bidding.

Department of Justice suing Los Angeles over sanctuary city policy
The lawsuit is targeting Ordinance Number 188441, which prohibits city resources, including personnel, from being used for immigration enforcement.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-suing-los-angeles-sanctuary-city-policy/story?id=123348526

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

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

NBC News: Debate over ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center a personal one for members of Miccosukee and Seminole tribes

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The homes of Miccosukee and Seminole people, as well as their ceremonial sites, surround the detention center on three sides.

The constant rumbling of passing dump trucks drowns out the once familiar chirping of birds at the family home of Mae’anna Osceola-Hart in Everglades National Park.

“It’s all-day, all-night truck noise,” says the 21-year-old photographer who describes herself as part Miccosukee and part Seminole, two Florida tribes at the heart of the debate over the detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The homes of Miccosukee and Seminole people, as well as their ceremonial sites, surround the detention center on three sides.

Osceola-Hart’s great-grandfather Wild Bill Osceola fought against the development of an airport at the same site where the ICE facility’s construction is now underway.

In 1968, authorities in Dade County, now known as Miami-Dade County, began building the Big Cypress Jetport on land the Miccosukees used for ceremonial practices. The Dade County Port Authority referred to the project as the “world’s largest airport,” with six runways designed to handle large jets, and officials were quoted as calling the environmental and tribal leaders who opposed it “butterfly chasers.”

The airport became a flashpoint for resistance, but in 1969, a coalition including Osceola-Hart’s great-grandfather, fellow tribesmen and conservationists persuaded Florida Gov. Claude R. Kirk Jr. that the airport would damage the Everglades. He ordered construction be stopped. One runway, approximately 10,000 feet in length, was left behind as a training ground for pilots.

Osceola-Hart is proud of her great-grandfather’s efforts to stop the 1960s development, but she is disappointed the Miccosukees lost land they considered sacred. “We got kicked out of ceremonial grounds,” she says.

Finding a safe place to live has been an ongoing battle for the tribes in Florida. Seminoles retreated into the Everglades after the Seminole wars ended in 1858.

…

Leaders of both tribes are constantly advocating for the preservation of the national park’s wildlife and vegetation, but they don’t have authority over how the land is used.

“It’s a long, fraught battle,” says William “Popeye” Osceola, secretary of the Miccosukee Tribe, describing how tribes are constantly fighting for rights over the land they have lived on for more than a century.

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William Osceola tells young members of his tribe to stay engaged to protect their rights. “Some of these fights, they come in different forms, but it’s still the same fight.” he said.

Osceola-Hart agrees. “This is history repeating itself,” she says.

Debate over ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center a personal one for members of Miccosukee and Seminole tribes
The homes of Miccosukee and Seminole people, as well as their ceremonial sites, surround the detention center on three sides.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alligator-alcatraz-detention-center-personal-rcna215824

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Major Increase in Non-Criminal Detainees by ICE

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported an 800% rise in non-criminal detainees since President Donald Trump took office, reaching a record 51,302 by early June. Only 30% of those detained were convicted criminals. The data suggests immigration enforcement is increasingly targeting non-criminal offenses, which has fueled criticism from Democratic leaders.

Former ICE Director Sarah Saldaña said, “This push on numbers — exclusive of whether or not the job is being done right — is very concerning.”

Saldaña added, “You’re going to have people who are being pushed to the limit, who in a rush may not get things right, including information on a person’s status.”

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After Trump took office, the number of non-criminal detainees rose sharply to 7,781. Presently, only four in ten individuals detained by ICE are convicted criminals, marking a 20 percent decline since January.

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ICE operations have remained largely under the radar as enforcement has ramped up under the Trump administration. Internal records show only 10% of detainees were convicted of serious crimes, raising concerns about misclassification.

Major Increase in Non-Criminal Detainees by ICE
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/major-increase-in-non-criminal-detainees-by-ice/ss-AA1HEBfp