Tag Archives: Trump Administration

Newsweek: Social Security predicted to run out of money sooner due to Trump bill

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A federal actuary has acknowledged that Social Security trusts will begin to become insolvent by 2034, with just 81 percent of beneficiaries estimated to receive their promised benefits.

Chief Actuary Karen Glenn wrote in a letter to Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, a Senate Finance Committee ranking member, on Tuesday: “Because the revenue from income taxation of Social Security benefits is directed to the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, implementation of the OBBBA will have material effects on the financial status of the Social Security trust funds.”

“The ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ provides historic tax relief to America’s seniors,” a Social Security Administration (SSA) spokesperson told Newsweek on Thursday. “As Commissioner [Frank] Bisignano has repeatedly emphasized, ensuring the long-term financial health of these trust funds remains a top priority.

“The Social Security Administration is committed to working with Congress and other stakeholders to protect and strengthen these vital programs, ensuring that millions of Americans can continue to rely on Social Security for a secure retirement and support in times of disability—both now and in the future. We remain focused on responsible stewardship and transparent communication.”

Why It Matters

The Social Security system, supporting retirement income for tens of millions of Americans, now faces an earlier-than-expected financial crisis following major United States tax policy changes. The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted under President Donald Trump, has shifted the projected date of insolvency, which could impact benefit payouts for about 62 million retirees and dependents.

Policymakers, financial experts and advocacy groups have responded with warnings about the urgent need for legislative action to preserve benefits and the long-term viability of the program that remains a cornerstone of American social policy. Without intervention, automatic cuts could leave Americans with roughly three-quarters of the benefits currently anticipated.

This issue not only affects today’s retirees but also has profound implications for future generations of U.S. workers who depend on the ongoing stability of the Social Security system. The projected financial strain intensifies longstanding debates on tax policy, government spending and entitlement reform.

The SSA reported that roughly 70 million people were receiving Social Security benefits as of June of this year.

What To Know

The SSA revised its timetable for trust fund depletion following the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, 2025.

The Office of the Chief Actuary, under the guidance of SSA, reported that cumulative costs to the Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) trust funds (jointly called OASDI) would increase by roughly $168.6 billion over the coming decade due largely to lower income tax rates and new deduction rules, including a temporarily enhanced standard deduction for seniors.

As a result, the actuarial balance further deteriorated to -3.98 percent from -3.82 percent.

If combined with further projections, Social Security reductions for future generations could reach or exceed 30 percent.

Social Security benefits will face an automatic 24 percent cut at the time of insolvency in late 2032, according to an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). By 2099, that cut could exceed well over 30 percent.

That 2032 estimate is equivalent to an $18,100 annual benefit cut for a dual-earning couple retiring at the start of 2033, shortly after trust fund insolvency. Simultaneously, those same retirees might experience reduced access to health care due to an 11 percent cut in Medicare Hospital Insurance payments.

Cuts would grow over time as scheduled benefits continue to outpace dedicated revenues, per the nonpartisan CRFB. The same actuarial forecasts warned that Medicare’s trust fund faces a similar timeline, expecting depletion in 2033.

CRFB’s estimates are somewhat larger than those implied by the most recent trustees’ report, due to tax rate cuts and an increase in the senior standard deduction from OBBBA, reducing Social Security’s revenue from the income taxation of benefits, which they say is increasing the required cut by about a percentage point upon insolvency.

“If the expanded senior standard deduction and other temporary measures of OBBBA are made permanent, the benefit cut would grow larger,” CRFB said.

Newsweek reached out to CRFB via email for additional comment.

The revised insolvency projections are also the product of broader demographic changes, including increased retirements among baby boomers, a declining birth rate, and lowered wage-growth expectations.

The latest trustee report in mid-June highlighted that, even apart from recent legislation, taxes collected for Social Security have struggled to keep pace with payouts due to the program’s structure.

What People Are Saying

Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano, in a June 18 press release: “To ensure we serve the public and deliver high-quality service to the 185 million people who work and pay payroll taxes for Social Security and the 70 million beneficiaries who will receive benefits during 2025, the financial status of the trust funds remains a top priority for the Trump Administration.

“Congress, along with the Social Security Administration and others committed to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, must work together to protect and strengthen the trust funds for the millions of Americans who rely on it—now and in the future— for a secure retirement or in the event of a disability.”

From an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget on July 24: “Policymakers pledging not to touch Social Security are implicitly endorsing these deep benefit cuts for 62 million retirees in 2032 and beyond. It is time for policymakers to tell the truth about the program’s finances and to pursue trust fund solutions to head off insolvency and improve the program for current and future generations.”

What Happens Next

Congress faces mounting pressure to act before the projected Social Security trust fund depletion in 2034 to avoid automatic benefit cuts. Options under discussion include tax hikes, changes to the benefit formula, or increasing the full retirement age.

Social Security predicted to run out of money sooner due to Trump bill
One organization warns that a dual-earning couple retiring in 2033 could experience a Social Security trust fund cut of $18,100.

https://www.newsweek.com/social-security-retirement-savings-benefits-money-2110258

Daily Beast: U.S. Citizen: I Was Seized by ICE and Held for Days Without Water

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Andrea Velez spent two days in a Los Angeles detention center despite telling ICE officers that she is a U.S. citizen.

An American citizen has told how she was held by ICE for 48 hours, claiming she was denied water despite proving her legal status.

Andrea Velez, 32, had just arrived at work in Downtown Los Angeles on June 24 when agents grabbed her and forced her into a car.

Velez told NBC4 News Los Angeles that an immigration raid was going on when she was slammed to the ground. Velez, a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, who works in fashion was taken into custody while her mother, Margarita Flores, screamed at agents to stop.

“She’s a U.S. citizen,” Velez’s mother, an immigrant from Mexico, said through tears. “They’re taking her. Help her, someone.”

Velez said she was sitting in a detention center and was given nothing to drink for 24 hours. In total she spent two days in detention. She said that the ordeal has left her unable to physically return to work.

“I’m taking things day by day,” she told the station.

The incident had been notorious from the beginning. LAPD officers were called to the scene because it was reported as a “kidnapping” but did not intervene when it became clear it was an ICE action—even though it was against a U.S. citizen, ABC& Los Angeles previously reported.

Velez was charged with assaulting a federal officer while he was attempting to arrest a suspect. A federal criminal complaint alleged that the agent was chasing after a man but Velez stepped into the agent’s path and extended her arm “in an apparent effort to prevent him from apprehending the male subject he was chasing.” The complaint added that her arm hit the agent in the face.

The incident had been notorious from the beginning. LAPD officers were called to the scene because it was reported as a “kidnapping” but did not intervene when it became clear it was an ICE action—even though it was against a U.S. citizen, ABC& Los Angeles previously reported.

Velez was charged with assaulting a federal officer while he was attempting to arrest a suspect. A federal criminal complaint alleged that the agent was chasing after a man but Velez stepped into the agent’s path and extended her arm “in an apparent effort to prevent him from apprehending the male subject he was chasing.” The complaint added that her arm hit the agent in the face.

Velez denied wrongdoing. She said that during the incident, someone grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. She tried to tell the agent, who was in plainclothes, that she was an American citizen. But he told her she was “interfering” and he was going to arrest her.

“That’s when I asked him to show me his ID, his badge number,” she said. “I asked him if he had a warrant, and he said I didn’t need to know any of that.”

Velez said she repeatedly told ICE officers she was a U.S. citizen. When she was taken into a Los Angeles detention center, she gave officers her driver’s license and health insurance card to prove her citizenship status. She was still locked behind bars.

Velez’s family was unaware of her whereabouts for more than a day until lawyers for the family tracked her down.

Later, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed her case without prejudice, meaning it could be reopened if prosecutors decide to.

Velez’s attorneys told NBC Los Angeles that they are exploring legal moves against the federal government.

Between 2015 and 2020, ICE erroneously deported at least 70 U.S. citizens, arrested 674 and detained 121. It is unclear how many have been mistakenly taken amid the Trump administration’s mass campaign to deport 1 million immigrants per year.

In January, U.S. citizen Julio Noriega was looking for work in Chicago when he was swept up in the mass raids. In May, Georgia college student Ximena Arias-Cristobal was detained after police pulled over the wrong car during a traffic stop. In June, a deputy U.S. marshal was detained in Arizona because he “fit the general description of a subject being sought by ICE.” That same month, a Ph.D. student named Job Garcia was tackled and thrown to the ground by ICE for recording a raid in Los Angeles.

A recent lawsuit claims that at least three American-born children have been removed from the country. The sudden banishment includes a 4-year-old boy with stage-four kidney cancer who was receiving critical, life-saving medical treatment in the United States. He was shipped from Louisiana to Honduras in April.

The Daily Beast has reached out to ICE for comment.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Beast: “FALSE. ICE provided Andrea Velez with water, food, sanitary products, and she was given restroom breaks as needed. The media needs to stop peddling lies and smears that have led to a 1000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE officers.”

U.S. Citizen: I Was Seized by ICE and Held for Days Without Water
Andrea Velez spent two days in a Los Angeles detention center despite telling ICE officers that she is a U.S. citizen.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-citizen-andrea-velez-i-was-seized-by-ice-and-held-for-days-without-water

Daily Beast: ICE Accidentally Adds Wrong Person to Sensitive Group Chat

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The reported blunder echoes the Trump administration’s infamous Signalgate fiasco.

ICE has joined the Trump cabinet in the group chat disaster club.

Law enforcement officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies accidentally added a stranger to their group chat, exposing highly sensitive information about a manhunt, according to a 404 Media report published Thursday.

The blunder echoes the infamous Signal chat fiasco, in which a journalist was inadvertently included in a text chain where top members of the Trump administration discussed impending air strikes in Yemen.

The ICE messages, which discuss an active search for a convicted attempted murderer slated for deportation, were sent via MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, and were not end-to-end encrypted like messages on Signal or WhatsApp.

Officials reportedly texted an ICE “Field Operations Worksheet” on Wednesday that revealed detailed information about the person being sought—including their Social Security number—and DMV and license plate reader data, 404 Media reported.

The outlet labeled the incident a “significant data breach and operational security failure for ICE.”

404 Media reported that the group chat had six members, verifying one as an ICE official and identifying another as likely from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Daily Beast has reached out to ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service for comment.

The person mistakenly added to the group chat is not a law enforcement official and had no connection to the manhunt, according to 404 Media. They told the outlet they were added weeks ago and assumed the messages were spam—until they received the ICE worksheet and license plate numbers.

404 Media, which said it obtained and verified screenshots from the group chat, has withheld the person’s identity to protect them from retaliation.

In Wednesday’s messages, the law enforcement officials discussed the search for their target and their next moves.

“Going to need to roll out at 1000,” one member texts the chat, called “Mass Text.”

“Copy. We can break it down at 10,” another replies.

The unintended recipient told 404 Media that the messages stopped coming shortly thereafter.

In what became known as “Signalgate,” Trump cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed classified attack plans for airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen on a Signal chat.

ICE Accidentally Adds Wrong Person to Sensitive Group Chat
The reported blunder echoes the Trump administration’s infamous Signalgate fiasco.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-accidentally-adds-wrong-person-to-sensitive-group-chat-about-manhunt

2 paragraphs: Former Commanding General of US Army Europe Calls Trump-Putin Meeting “Despicable”

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Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former Commanding General of the U.S. Army Europe and the Seventh Army Mark Hertling responded to President Donald Trump greeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday in what was billed as a summit to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hertling, who often provides military analyst on CNN, wrote on social media on Friday: “This afternoon, I told @NicolleDWallace that I had a sense of ‘dread’ about what might happen in the Alaskan ‘summit.’ After watching the press conference, that dread has come to life.” He added, “This whole thing is despicable.”

Days before the summit, Hertling wrote: “Watching the US prep for a critically important meeting with Putin in Alaska reminds me of students who realize they had an assignment a day before it is due. Hoping I’m wrong, but concerned about the diplomatic approach & the potential outcome.”

Hertling is not the only highly decorated veteran who has voiced opposition to Trump’s warm welcome of Putin on U.S. soil. Retired Marine Lt. Col. fighter pilot Amy McGrath also criticized the Trump administration.

McGrath wrote: “I’m sorry but it’s hard to get over the picture of the airmen on their knees, in front of the Russian jet, rolling out the red carpet for a mass murderer. Just never thought I’d see that.”

MAGA influencers including Charlie Kirk and Fox News star Laura Ingraham, neither with military credentials, say those who are critical of the meeting are “biased.”

Kirk wrote: “Anything the media says about the Alaska summit must be immediately discredited because they are mad Trump met with Putin at all.” And Ingraham responded to the negative feedback on X: “Anyone saying that the Trump-Putin meeting was a failure is ignorant, biased or both.”

Trump, who has continually threatened Putin with increased sanctions and worse if the Russian leader failed to agree to a ceasefire by certain dates, left the meeting saying a ceasefire was no longer the immediate goal.

“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Former Commanding General of US Army Europe Calls Trump-Putin Meeting “Despicable”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/former-commanding-general-of-us-army-europe-calls-trump-putin-meeting-despicable/ar-AA1KE0DV

Haaretz.com: U.S. Homeland Security Accused of Posting Antisemitic Dog Whistles in ICE Recruitment Tweets

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U.S. Homeland Security Accused of Posting Antisemitic Dog Whistles in ICE Recruitment Tweets

The posts reflect a larger effort by DHS and ICE, who are seeing a massive budget increase and hiring spree under President Trump, to use nostalgic language and images depicting American ‘culture’ and ‘heritage’ as under attack from outsiders

Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security’s X account appeared to reference an antisemitic dog whistle. And it wasn’t the first time that happened this summer.

“Which way, American man?” the department’s official page posted Sunday, over a political cartoon from 1936 called “Uncle Sam at the Crossroads.”

The post, a recruitment ad for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alluded to the phrase “Which way, Western man?” – the title of a 1978 book steeped in antisemitic conspiracy theories and explicit threats against Jews. As a social media meme, the phrase has been used to ridicule the “woke,” feminism and immigrants.

In its own X post on Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League called the “Which way” reference “the latest problematic ICE recruitment post from the X account of the Department of Homeland Security.” The ADL cited several problems with it, including the reference to the 1978 book by William Gayley Simpson, whom the organization calls a “white supremacist and antisemite.”

The “American man” post came a month after another controversial post from DHS reading “Remember your Homeland’s Heritage,” with both “H”s capitalized — an alignment that both progressive outlets and X’s own AI chatbot Grok theorized could be an illusion to “HH,” a shorthand for “Heil Hitler” deployed by neo-Nazis.

“HH capitalization … and a painting symbolizing white colonial expansion over Native lands mirrors known white supremacist dogwhistles,” Grok wrote in response to one user.

Multiple Trump administration officials have documented ties to antisemitic and white-supremacist circles and ideologies. Trump’s nominee to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, announced this week, “has repeatedly appeared in front of the massive portrait of Adolf Hitler’s favorite battleship during media interviews,” the Daily Beast reported.

Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a Jewish Telegraphic Agency request for comment. In a statement to CNN, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “Calling everything you dislike ‘Nazi propaganda’ is tiresome,” and went on to describe the intended message of the “American man” post: “Uncle Sam, who represents America, is at a crossroads, pondering which way America should go.”

The posts reflect a larger effort by DHS and ICE, who are seeing a massive budget increase and hiring spree under President Trump, to use nostalgic language and images depicting American “culture” and “heritage” as under attack from outsiders. As part of its ICE recruitment efforts, DHS has employed numerous works of art depicting frontier life and other American idylls – often without permission from the artists or their estates.

Other images used by DHS, such as John Gast’s 1872 painting “American Progress,” are positive depictions of concepts like Manifest Destiny. DHS itself does not have such a lengthy history: It was formed in 2002 in response to the 9/11 attacks, largely by consolidating offices from other departments.

Critics from groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights say the DHS posts use coded language and motifs popular in online white supremacist communities, with some overlap with Christian nationalism: One video overlays a Bible verse over footage of ICE agents. DHS has claimed to receive 100,000 ICE applications since launching its campaign.

But the latest post is more overt.

“Which Way, Western Man?” argues that Western and “Nordic” culture is under threat by Jews. The book includes passages on “the Jewish-led and largely Jewish-manned movement of Communism” and “the Jewification of the West.” One chapter is titled “The Necessity of Eugenics.”

The book has since been re-published by National Vanguard Books, a neo-Nazi group that also publishes the white nationalist novel/manifesto “The Turner Diaries.”

Mike Rothschild, a Jewish researcher of conspiracy theories, wrote on X that the post was “a clear reference” to the book, which he described as “a work of staggering racism and antisemitism that argues Jews must be ‘put out and kept out’ of western society.”

The ADL also objected to DHS’s use of the 1936 cartoon by Frank Lea, which depicts Uncle Sam puzzling over signs pointing to “Inflation,” “Depression” and “Opportunity.” The DHS version replaces those signs with ones reading “Cultural Decline,” “Invasion” and “Law & Order.” Text overlaid on the image reads, “America needs you. Join ICE now.”

The alterations, the ADL said, “basically equate migrants in the U.S. with ‘cultural decay’ and ‘invasion.'” The Jewish civil rights group concludes, “A U.S. government agency should not resort to using such language and imagery for any purpose, let alone recruiting people to serve.”

Liberal Jews, largely pro-immigrant thanks to their own families’ immigrant backgrounds, have increasingly spoken out against ICE’s migrant roundup tactics, including raids at houses of worship. A recent detention center opened in the Everglades has also drawn comparisons to concentration camps.

Pam Nadell, a historian whose forthcoming book is a history of American antisemitism, told JTA that when it came to both posts, “I see the antisemitism.”

“Think of who they’re appealing to, who might be likely to want to join ICE and come and get rid of the immigrants,” Nadell said. She also saw significance in using a New Deal-era cartoon but replacing the name of Franklin Roosevelt’s anti-poverty program with “Cultural Decline.” Roosevelt’s critics, she said, were often antisemitic.

“In the ’30s, the attacks on the New Deal, the attacks on Roosevelt, the charges that he was controlled and manipulated by a cabal of Jews, that’s part of the right-wing attack against the New Deal,” she said. “So the fact that they’re replacing that attack with ‘Cultural Decline,’ that’s the same kind of right-wing attack. Back then, it was on the government; now it’s on civil society.”

U.S. Homeland Security Accused of Posting Antisemitic Dog Whistles in ICE Recruitment Tweets
The posts reflect a larger effort by DHS and ICE, who are seeing a massive budget increase and hiring spree under President Trump, to use nostalgic language and images depicting American ‘culture’ and ‘heritage’ as under attack from outsiders

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u-s-homeland-security-accused-of-posting-antisemitic-dog-whistles-in-ice-recruitment-tweets/ar-AA1KEjV9

Fox News: Protesters confront officers patrolling DC streets after Trump policing takeover

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The federal takeover of policing in Washington D.C. sparked protests near Union Station Thursday night,with demonstrators calling police and National Guard officers “Nazis.”

“You guys safe over here? You guys safe? Are you guys being murdered?” one protester was heard sarcastically asking officers. Others said they are “betraying” the country and “terrorizing the community.”

“You will never know a moment of peace,” one man said, accusing the officers of being “Nazis.”

“Sad incel car. Sad incel car, look at that,” a woman shouted as a Tesla Cybertruck is stopped.

“Y’all are the reason why our country is going downhill,” a protester shouted at officers during a traffic stop.

President Donald Trump announced the move on Monday, and the National Guard and a variety of federal agencies, including ICE and the FBI, have been patrolling and conducting operations throughout the city. Some arrests have already been made, including dozens of illegal immigrants.

Attorney General Pam [“Bimbo #2”] Bondi initially ordered that Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole be in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department as an “emergency police commissioner,” although that directive was later changed to ensure Cole worked with Mayor Muriel Bowser. [“Bimbo #2”] Bondi also ordering more compliance between local police and federal immigration authorities.

Democrats have criticized the takeover as an overreach, with members of Congress asking for a resolution to terminate the “crime emergency” that was declared by the Trump administration.

“President Trump’s incursions against D.C. are among the most egregious attacks on D.C. home rule in decades. D.C. residents are Americans, worthy of the same autonomy granted to residents of the states,” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents D.C. as a delegate, said in a statement.

“Our local police force, paid for by D.C. residents, should not be subject to federalization, an action that wouldn’t be possible for any other police department in the country. No emergency exists in D.C. that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the D.C. Police for federal purposes, as required by law,” she added.

Meanwhile, the White House blasted the resolution, as the Trump administration said the intention is to lower crime in the capital city.

“But instead of supporting what should be a bipartisan measure to Make DC Safe Again, Democrats are burying their heads in the sand, denying there is a problem, and carrying the torch for dangerous criminals that terrorize DC communities,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital.

“D.C. residents know the reality on the ground – crime was out of control and President Trump’s actions are making the city safer. The left’s refusal to support widely popular issues with the American public – like stopping violent crime – are why their approval ratings are at historic lows and will continue to tank,” she added. 

The city is suing over the action, arguing that it hinders the ability of the district to self-govern.

“We are suing to block the federal government takeover of D.C. police. By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb posted to X on Friday. 

“The federal government’s power over DC is not absolute, and it should not be exercised as such. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act permits the President to request MPD’s services. But it can only be done temporarily, for special emergencies, and solely for federal purposes,” he added.

Protesters confront officers patrolling DC streets after Trump policing takeover

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/protesters-confront-officers-patrolling-dc-streets-after-trump-policing-takeover/ar-AA1KDzdC

San Diego Union Tribune: ICE arrests parent outside of Linda Vista Elementary, school officials say

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A parent waiting nearby to pick up his child from Linda Vista Elementary School was arrested Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, school officials said.

The arrest occurred days after the start of the school year, and a week after another parent — who an immigration judge had ordered deportation in absentia — was taken into custody by federal immigration agents outside an elementary school in Chula Vista during morning drop-off.

Immigration enforcement arrests have increased locally within the first months of the Trump administration. One of the administration’s first actions was to rescind Biden-era guidance that restricted immigration enforcement operations “in or near” certain protected places, including schools.

Families and officials alike said such enforcement actions during school drop-off or pickup can send fear through the community.

“This did just not happen to one household. It happened to an entire school community,” San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Fabiola Bagula said Friday at a news conference outside the school. “It left children, families and staff, with questions and fears that no one, especially our youngest learners, should have to carry.”

Thursday’s arrest happened about 3:10 p.m., just before school dismissal, as the man waited in a line of cars near the campus, school officials said. Other families were present, but not students, officials added.

On Saturday, Tricia McLaughlin, the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement that ICE did not target the school, and that the arrest did not took place on school grounds.

She said the operation was targeting a man originally from Mexico who was “fraudulently using an American’s social security number.”

McLaughlin said officers approached the man after he pulled over in a parking lot. He was arrested and placed in removal proceedings, she added.

“Any smears that ICE targeted an elementary school are contributing to the 1000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement.”

Homeland Security officials called the school’s principal, Miriam Atlas, following the arrest. She then informed the child’s mother of the situation, Bagula said.

“We have added counselors and district staff at the school today because the ripple effects of an incident like this extend far beyond the moment itself,” Bagula said. “They live in the stories that children will tell for the rest of their lives, in the questions they ask and in the worry that they carry home.”

Sabrina Bazzo, a trustee on the San Diego Unified School District board, referred to the incident as “unacceptable.”

“How do we expect our students to stay focused on learning when they have to worry about their parents and family members not feeling safe right outside this door,” she said.

Bazzo said she had heard that some parents had started organizing to pick up other students in case their parents felt uncomfortable about coming to school.

While dropping off their children at school Friday, some shared concerns about such enforcement near schools.

The mother of a first-grade student, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions, said she learned of the arrest on social media.  “I’m afraid. I don’t know what might happen,” she said in Spanish. “The situation is worrying.”

Another mother, who walked her two children to school, said they have told her they are afraid. She also asked not to be identified out of fear for her safety.

Her 10-year-old daughter said that she fears for her family. “This has really changed my life,” she said. “I used to come to school feeling calm, knowing my mom would pick me up every day. Now, with everything that’s happening, I’m worried she won’t come back for me. It’s not just me; other children are worried, too.”

In a letter to parents on Thursday, Principal Miriam Atlas stressed that “school grounds are safe spaces that cannot be accessed by ICE without a proper, signed warrant.”

“We have reiterated our policies and protocols to all staff to ensure everyone understands these critical guidelines. In California, schools cannot ask about immigration status during enrollment or share student records without parental consent or a court order,” the letter reads.

Atlas said they were working with school agencies to make sure the affected family had access to the resources they needed.

In December, the San Diego Unified School District passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to being a “welcoming district” for all students. Their actions included informing the school community about their rights and creating a new website with resources and additional information.

ICE arrests parent outside of Linda Vista Elementary, school officials say
School officials and community members voiced their concerns after the father was arrested while waiting to pick up his child from school
ICE arrests parent outside of Linda Vista Elementary, school officials say

Bradenton Herald: Supreme Court Ruling Backfires on Trump Admin

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“… we reiterate our concerns that the Trump administration has not shared the details of a plan to redistribute the Department’s work in a way that does not cause significant disruption for America’s college students.”

The Department of Education is reportedly experiencing operational challenges due to staffing cuts and new regulatory requirements, now challenged with meeting demands with fewer resources.

Staffing cuts of over 50% have most notably impacted Federal Student Aid and Civil Rights divisions. The Supreme Court has allowed the staff reductions amid ongoing legal proceedings.

Department leaders claimed they’re prepared to enforce new rules, but educators doubt their capacity. Shutting down the department requires Congress, though both parties have resisted the move.

President Donald Trump has supported reducing the federal role in education, though the department still offers aid and enforces standards. The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act has changed student loan repayment programs, expanded Pell Grant eligibility, and tightened college accountability.

Deputy Press Secretary at the Department of Education Ellen Keast said, “Just within President Trump’s first six months, the Department has responsibly managed and streamlined key federal student aid features.”

Keast added, “We will continue to deliver meaningful and on time results while implementing President Trump’s OBBB (‘One Big Beautiful Bill’) to better serve students, families, and administrators.”

A new law limits new borrowers to two repayment options and sets a 2028 deadline to shift specific income-driven plans. American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Beth Akers said, “I do have significant concerns that the speed of the cuts will have left us with a department that is unable to effectively implement this legislation.”

Melanie Storey, President of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said, “With significantly more work on the horizon to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we reiterate our concerns that the Trump administration has not shared the details of a plan to redistribute the Department’s work in a way that does not cause significant disruption for America’s college students.”

Pell Grants now cover short skill-based courses with departmental approval. A “do no harm” rule links federal aid to positive student outcomes, requiring collaboration with schools and agencies.

Supreme Court Ruling Backfires on Trump Admin
The Department of Education is reportedly experiencing operational challenges due to staffing cuts and new regulatory requirements, now challenged with meeting demands with fewer resources. Staffing cuts of over 50% have most notably impacted Federal Student Aid and Civil Rights divisions. The Supreme Court has allowed the staff reductions amid ongoing legal proceedings. Department leadersContinue reading “Supreme Court Ruling Backfires on Trump…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/supreme-court-ruling-backfires-on-trump-admin/ar-AA1KEjSs

Rolling Stone: Trump Cuts Off Medical Visas from Gaza After Laura Loomer Meltdown

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The move comes after Loomer, the right-wing provocateur, freaked out over a video of children from Gaza coming to the U.S. for medical care

Donald Trump’s administration stopped all visitor visas from Gaza — including those for humanitarian and medical aid — on Saturday after far-right provocateur and Trump friend Laura Loomer posted about several Palestinian children being allowed into the U.S. for medical care amid Israel’s relentless siege and blockade. 

The State Department said it will “conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,” in a post on X. 

“It’s amazing how fast we can get results from the Trump administration,” Loomer wrote on X, adding an applause emoji.”

Loomer posted a video Friday showing children from Gaza arriving in San Francisco for treatment, greeted by a cheering crowd. Loomer called the video an “exclusive,” posting it to X with her watermark on it, despite it being posted on Aug. 6 by the nonprofit HEAL Palestine, which provides medical care to Palestinians. 

“How did Palestinians get Visas under the Trump administration to get into the United States? Did @StateDept approve this? How did they get out of Gaza? Is @SecRubio aware of this?” she asked Friday. 

The caption of the Aug. 6 video reads, “Leyan, Ghazal, and their siblings will [begin] medical treatment and school as soon as possible under the care of HEAL.”

Loomer messages Rolling Stone on Saturday afternoon: “The MAGA base didn’t vote for more Islamic immigration into the United States. I applaud Secretary of State Marco Rubio for halting the Visas of Gazans from a HAMAS hot zone and look forward to seeing the State Department’s review of the rogue State Department employees who signed off on visas for Gazans who have shown a disrespect for American life as Hamas continues to hold hostages.”

According to NBC Bay Area, Leyan is a 14-year-old who was burned and injured by shrapnel in an explosion at her school. Ghazal, 6, was also hurt in an explosion. Another child who arrived, 8-year-old Anas, was hurt in an explosion that killed his entire family. There were 11 children in total evacuated, the largest medical evacuation of injured children from Gaza to the U.S.

“The logistics of getting them out is also a nightmare,” Talha Baquar of HEAL Palestine told NBC Bay Area. “The Israeli government has to approve of their release. One of the children who’s coming today, he’s been on a waitlist to get out. He’s had his medical visa since November of last year.”

“These children could not wait,” Dr. Zeena Salman, pediatric oncologist and co-founder of HEAL Palestine, said in a statement. “Their lives are at stake, and this mission is about giving them a future.”

After the children receive medical care, they will go to Egypt, where HEAL will continue to support them, the organization said. HEAL has evacuated 63 injured children and 148 people total as of August 4, according to its website.

Andrew Miller, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, posted on X that the State Department’s move reflected “prejudice.” 

“I dealt with such cases during the Biden admin. No one leaves Gaza w/o Israel’s approval & everyone’s vetted through U.S. databases. Any security risk is negligible. This is rank ethnic/religious prejudice. Denying sick people critical medical care is cowardly & depraved.”

Loomer declared victory after the State Department announced it would stop visas from Gaza.

“This is fantastic news,” she posted on X. “Hopefully all GAZANS will be added to President Trump’s travel ban. There are doctors in other countries. The U.S. is not the world’s hospital!”

“Thank you for bringing attention to this matter, @LauraLoomer,” Jan. 6 rally organizer Caroline Wren wrote on X. 

Islamophobic Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) applauded Loomer for posting the video. “Massive credit needs to be given to @LauraLoomer for uncovering this and making me and other officials aware. Well done, Laura,” he posted on X. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement that the State Department’s move seemed “intentionally cruel.” 

“Blocking Palestinian children injured by American weapons from coming to America for medical treatment is the latest sign that the intentional cruelty of President Trump’s ‘Israel First’ administration knows no bounds,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Israel has led a brutal onslaught and near-total blockade in Gaza since October 7, 2023, following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, Gaza’s Health Ministry said at the end of July. More than 50,000 children in Gaza have been killed or injured during this period, according to UNICEF, and more than one child has been killed per hour, according to The Washington Post. In April, an Israeli airstrike destroyed part of the last fully functional hospital in Gaza. Israel has tightly restricted food and humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza, creating widespread famine throughout the strip.

Trump previously called Loomer a “free spirit” when the two traveled together last September, and she continues to privately advise him and others in the administration.

After Trump won in November, various Gazan families and immigration attorneys — who were already largely sickened by the Biden administration’s actions during this conflict — were in panic mode, fearing the worst for how any slivers of relief and options they were offered under the Democratic presidency would evaporate under a second Trump government.

Those fears are being realized, and then some.

“I’ve visited with some of the children in Houston, [Texas], who have been brought here from Gaza for medical treatment,” human rights lawyer Maria Kari told Rolling Stone in January. “I’m a mother and I don’t know how many diapers you’ve changed. But until this war, I had never seen someone have to change a diaper on a baby — who was just under two years old — who had third-degree burns on the diaper-change area. The sound the baby makes is horrifying. It’s seared into your brain. It haunts you forever. I’ve sat and ate with a girl who had to hold her jaw while we ate because there’s a hole in her jaw and food was falling out while she ate. I’ve sat and painted ceramic dinosaurs with these children — the same things I do with my children — and they’re so beautiful, they’re so cute and resilient. One of them had just buried her baby sister just before she got on a plane to come here.” 

This is whom Republicans and their allies are working hard to shun, banish, and deny relief.

Trump Cuts Off Medical Visas from Gaza After Laura Loomer Meltdown
Donald Trump stopped all visas from Gaza, including for humanitarian and medical aid, after Laura Loomer freaked out about children getting care.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-gaza-laura-loomer-medical-visas-hospital-1235410184

Sun Herald: Lawsuit Targets ICE Arrests at Court Hearings

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A coalition of immigrants and advocates has filed a class-action lawsuit in D.C. to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from arresting migrants at immigration court hearings. They argued these arrests, which have increased significantly in 2025, instill fear in asylum seekers and violate U.S. immigration law and the Fifth Amendment. Their complaint cites surprise arrests leading to family separations and heightened fear of persecution.

Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman said, “The Trump administration is weaponizing immigration courts and chilling participation in the legal process.”

Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative Interim CEO Priyanka Gandhi-Abriano said, “The arrests are a deliberate attempt to intimidate people.”

ICE often arrests individuals after deportation cases have been dismissed, enabling expedited deportations. Advocates alleged that the administration has used courts to intimidate participants in legal processes.

Gandhi-Abriano said, “Our friends, neighbors, and families are told to ‘do it the right way’ — to follow the legal process. They’re doing just that — showing up to court, complying with the law. Despite this, they’re being arrested and detained.”

National Immigrant Justice Center Director of Litigation Keren Zwick said, “We are witnessing an authoritarian takeover of the U.S. immigration court system by the Trump administration.”

Immigration officials have defended the actions as lawful, claiming those with credible fear have still been able to pursue their cases and that targeting court attendees has improved enforcement. Critics warned that the practices risk undermining due process rights.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said, “We aren’t some medieval kingdom; there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law.” She added, “The ability of law enforcement to make arrests of criminal illegal aliens in courthouses is common sense. It conserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be. It is also safer for our officers and the community.”

Lawsuit Targets ICE Arrests at Court Hearings

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lawsuit-targets-ice-arrests-at-court-hearings/ar-AA1KEhLx