Tag Archives: united states

LA Times: How did a rumor about an ICE raid on a homeless shelter escalate to Mayor Bass?

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At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Karen Bass made a startling claim.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had appeared at a homeless shelter that day, among other sensitive locations in Los Angeles, she said.

But what actually happened at the Whitsett West Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood remains murky. The shifting narratives reflect the anxiety of Angelenos amid ICE raids targeting immigrants at Home Depots, churches and retail centers.

…

According to Laura Harwood, Hope the Mission’s deputy chief program officer, people in a car tried to get access to the tiny home village on Thursday afternoon, telling security guards that they were American citizens who wanted to see how their taxpayer dollars were being used. The guards did not admit the visitors, who were wearing civilian clothes.

“This is a really unusual situation. This really doesn’t happen,” Harwood said.

Other employees saw some men looking into the complex from different sides and taking pictures.

A worker at the tiny home village, who requested anonymity because he has family members who are undocumented, told The Times that he was returning from lunch when he spotted two DHS SUVs with tinted windows down the block.

So it seems that ICE thugs probably were casing out the homeless shelter; they just haven’t yet gotten around to raiding it.

How did a rumor about an ICE raid on a homeless shelter escalate to Mayor Bass?
At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Karen Bass made a startling claim. U.S.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-13/ice-raid-homeless-shelter-rumor-bass

Raw Story: Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem called out over her ‘disturbing’ comments as Padilla was cuffed

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The day after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was manhandled by homeland security secretary Kristi Noem’s security team before being forced to the ground and being handcuffed, MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin called out the Donald Trump appointee for her actions and comments as the lawmaker was dragged out.

Speaking with host Ana Cabrera, Rubin expressed her own disgust at the men who grabbed the lawmaker before taking aim at [Bimbo #2] Noem for continuing on as if nothing happened.

After watching footage of the incident, Rubin said she focused on what Noem complained about as the altercation took place.

Pointing out that Padilla “was escorted into that room DHS and an FBI agent flanking him, so clearly, somebody in the Department of Homeland Security was well aware that Alex Padilla was not only in the building, but in the room.”

“The idea that Alex Padilla was an attacker and was not recognized by people affiliated with Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem, or that Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem herself didn’t recognize Alex Padilla and stop herself to say, ‘Well, wait a second, that’s California’s senior senator, Alex Padilla, but instead continues on her way as he’s being escorted from the room and then pushed to the ground and handcuffed – that is an incredibly disturbing moment.”

“I don’t know if you could hear this,” she told Cabrera, “But as Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem is continuing at her press conference, she’s talking about the danger of DHS agents being doxxed. I imagine that she was talking about the reasons for their wearing masks on the streets of Los Angeles and other places.”

“The idea that her concern was, in that moment, more about DHS agents being doxed while a sitting U.S. senator is being forcibly removed for nothing disruptive is chilling to the bone,” she remarked. “I saw that yesterday. I thought that I was incapable of more hyperbole, and I just don’t know where to muster it from anymore.”

What do you expect from a psychotic liar who shot her own family’s puppy and goat? All she cares about are herself and her Rollex. U.S. Senators being abused and brown people being disappeared are of no consequence to her.

Kristi Noem called out over her ‘disturbing’ comments as Padilla was cuffed

https://www.rawstory.com/noem-2672365076

Tampa Free Press: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Sounds Alarm: ICE Agents At Risk During “No Kings” Rallies

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As nationwide “No Kings” protests prepare to challenge President Donald Trump’s administration this Saturday, coinciding with a military parade and Flag Day, Florida officials are drawing a firm line against violence and the doxing of law enforcement, promising a stark contrast to recent unrest seen elsewhere.

Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons voiced grave concerns on a Friday podcast, fearing his agents could face violent attacks from “agitators” and “anarchists” who he believes will exploit the planned demonstrations.

“This is the perfect catalyst to jump on that,” Lyons warned on “VINCE,” expressing worry that “negative energy” fueled by anti-ICE rhetoric could be directed at his agents, potentially leading to fatalities.

“They’re going to get somebody killed, right? It’s only a matter of time because, even with throwing a rock or a Molotov cocktail, you can still kill somebody, right?” Lyons said. “And it’s just this fired up rhetoric that’s going viral.”

Who the hell cares? The problem is your ill-disciplined, ill-trained Gestapo thugs running around with masks, guns, and badges, as they snatch brown people off the streets and disappear them. Frankly I could care less what happens to your Gestapo Schweinen.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Sounds Alarm: ICE Agents At Risk During “No Kings” Rallies
As nationwide “No Kings” protests prepare to challenge President Donald Trump’s administration this Saturday, coinciding with a military parade and Flag Day,
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons Sounds Alarm: ICE Agents At Risk During “No Kings” Rallies

Find Your Local “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance” Demonstration, Saturday, June 14

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No Kings
On June 14—Flag Day—Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.

https://www.nokings.org

‘No Kings’ protest locations: See where demonstrations are planned
What to know if there’s a planned “No Kings” protest in your city on June 14? This map charts all the locations.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/13/no-kings-protest-locations-june-14/84185581007

ICE Thugs Kidnap Diabetic American Citizen, Not Heard From Since Kidnapping

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KTLA: Southern California father who is U.S. citizen, arrested during immigration raid, family says

Family members are demanding answers after they say a man who is a U.S. citizen was wrongfully arrested by federal agents during an immigration raid in Montebello. 

On June 12, surveillance video captured the moment several masked and armed agents surrounded a tow truck business in Montebello.

The agents quickly entered the property and began detaining mechanics and other workers at the site.

One of the detained men who was later released spoke to KTLA but asked not to be identified out of safety concerns. He said he was violently grabbed and taken by the agents despite being a U.S. citizen.

“He slammed me to the gate,” the man told KTLA’s Ellina Abovian. “He put my hands behind my back. I’m an American citizen. You do not do that to Americans.”

Nataly Degante, whose cousin, Javier Ramirez, 32, was arrested in the raid, said that while agents began handcuffing everyone, they reportedly never provided identification or information about why they were there.

“We see in the video that they don’t come with a warrant,” she said. “They don’t have any documentation in their hands.”

Degante said her cousin is a U.S. citizen and a single father of two young children. She described him as a hard worker with no criminal record.

Video of the raid shows some workers being moved to the ground as agents quickly handcuffed them. Ramirez is also seen on the video yelling to the agents that he’s a citizen.

“He’s telling them he is a U.S. citizen and he’s letting them know, ‘My passport is in my pocket,’” Degante said.  

However, Ramirez was handcuffed and taken into custody. His brother tried following Ramirez’s location through his cell phone’s tracking app, but the signal was eventually lost. His family has not heard from him since.

“We haven’t heard anything about him,” said Abimael Dominguez, his brother. “He’s diabetic. I don’t even know if he has insulin yet or has he eaten? We don’t know anything. “

It remains unclear whether the agents were with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Some of the agents appeared to be wearing uniforms with a Border Patrol insignia. 

“I voted, but not for this,” said the man who was detained and later released. “I’m an American citizen. I want the best for all of us. I feel like there is due process that we must follow.”

“They’re not only taking criminals, they are taking our community,” Degante said.

As of Friday afternoon, Homeland Security has not responded to KTLA’s request for comment about why Ramirez was detained or whether he was wanted for any crimes.

Southern California father who is U.S. citizen, arrested during immigration raid, family says

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/southern-california-father-who-is-u-s-citizen-arrested-during-immigration-raid-family-says

Bimbo Bitch Kristi Noem Personally Joins Raid to Terrorize Pregnant Mother of 4

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KTLA: DHS Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem attends ICE raid at Los Angeles County home

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem joined federal immigration agents Thursday on a raid targeting a man with a criminal record at a Huntington Park, California, home, the agency said.

The raid occurred Thursday morning when about a half-dozen vehicles carrying heavily armed, masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents converged on a home occupied by a 28-year-old pregnant mother of four.

Sabrina Medina said she was in the shower around 6 a.m. when her brother-in-law first saw the menacing presence in front of the family’s home.

“I was just terrified, I’m not going to lie to you,” Medina told KTLA’s Rick Chambers. “I was shaking. I was scared. I’ve never gone through anything like this.”

Medina said she looked out the window and saw 10 men dressed in tactical military gear, all carrying rifles.

“I was like, ‘Am I dreaming or is this real?’” she said.

According to Medina, who is a U.S. citizen, the agents told her to exit her home with her children. Standing in the driveway, they showed her a warrant for her husband, listing his name as David Garcia.

As she explained that her husband’s name is Jorge and that he was not at the house, one of the agents was captured on an outdoor home surveillance camera turning the device away from what was transpiring.

Evidence tampering! (not a great surprise when ICE thugs are involved)

Cameras inside the home captured the heavily armed ICE agents going through the residence room by room, all while [Bimbo #2] Noem, wearing a bulletproof vest and ballcap, watched from the street.

DHS later posted on X that the target of the raid was “an illegal alien from Mexico who had previously been deported. His criminal history includes drug trafficking and assault.”

After hearing about the raid, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn went to the Huntington Park neighborhood and spoke with some of Medina’s neighbors.

“I’m very disappointed in this government right now and what they’re doing,” she told KTLA.

Four months pregnant with her fifth child, the Huntington Park mother said if her husband is deported, the family’s future is bleak.

“I’m not going to be able to pay my rent when I have to pay it,” she explained. “My husband is not here. I don’t know if they’re going to pick him up tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. It’s sad.”

ICE agents, along with [Bimbo #2] Noem, eventually left the home empty-handed, and the children were allowed back inside.

DHS Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem attends ICE raid at Los Angeles County home

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dhs-secretary-kristi-noem-attends-ice-raid-at-home-of-pregnant-l-a-county-mother

Atlantic Daily: Handcuffing a U.S. Senator Is a Warning

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The treatment of Alex Padilla is part of a pattern of harassing Donald Trump’s opposition.

Like knowing the names of lots of federal judges, widespread familiarity with specific theories of authoritarian rule is not generally a hallmark of a healthy society. But as the United States’ vital signs get more dire, Steven Levitsky’s and Lucan A. Way’s concept of “competitive authoritarianism” feels unsettlingly relevant.

The idea came to mind again when federal officers manhandled and then handcuffed Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, yesterday as he tried to ask a question of Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security, at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Because it took place at a media event, the incident was recorded clearly on video, and it’s shocking. Nearly as disturbing as the footage is the fact that even though the incident is on tape, the Trump administration attempted to lie baldly about what happened. Officials said Padilla never identified himself as a senator and that security personnel thought he was an attacker; video shows him audibly identifying himself and wearing a U.S. Senate shirt. They said he lunged at Noem; video shows nothing of the sort. (If only Noem’s security detail had been so vigilant when her purse was stolen in April.)

…

Handcuffing a U.S. Senator Is a Warning
The treatment of Alex Padilla is part of a pattern of harassing Donald Trump’s opposition.

https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/06/alex-padilla-noem-dhs-handcuff-authoritarianism/683176

Newsweek: Texas’ largest newspaper trashes Greg Abbott protest move: ‘Expect better’

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The Houston Chronicle, Texas’s top selling newspaper, has published an editorial fiercely critical of Governor Greg Abbott over his rhetoric and decision to deploy Texas National Guard troops in response to protests against immigration enforcement, saying “we expect better of him.”

On Tuesday, Abbott announced the deployment of Texas National Guard soldiers. The following day on X he said “5,000+” National Guard personnel would help manage protests in the state adding: “Don’t mess with Texas.”

The move came after days of unrest in Los Angeles which began on June 6 when demonstrators clashed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempting to conduct raids in the city. The following days saw more violent disorder with Waymo self-driving vehicles set on fire and rocks thrown at police who responded with tear gas and other “less lethal” weapons.

…

In its editorial, the Houston Chronicle said Abbott’s decision to deploy National Guard troops following protests “seems like an overreaction,” adding: “But there was no serious indication Tuesday that Texas was on the verge of exploding. No burning cars. No looting. No mayors imposing curfews.”

Instead the editorial claimed the “most significant provocation to violence seemed to come from Abbott himself, citing the governor’s warning that “Peaceful protesting is legal. But once you cross the line, you will be arrested. FAFO.” FAFO is an acronym for ‘F*** around find out.’

The editorial described this as “the kind of thing that middle schoolers say before a fistfight” adding: “This isn’t the grown-up leadership that Texas needs.”

Greg Abbott is just another sycophant sucking up to King Donald.

Texas’ largest newspaper trashes Greg Abbott protest move: ‘Expect better’
Anti-Trump protests are expected across Texas on Saturday as part of the “No Kings” movement.

https://www.newsweek.com/texas-largest-newspaper-trashes-greg-abbott-protest-move-expect-better-2085043

Axios: Judge denies Mahmoud Khalil’s release after Trump admin submits new filing

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A federal judge has declined to release Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil from federal detention after the Trump administration submitted a last-minute filing.

Why it matters: The administration’s tug-of-war with courts over Khalil represents a historic test for immigrants’ speech rights – namely, those of permanent residents – particularly where they concern pro-Palestinian speech.

Driving the news: The federal government on Friday said that continuing to detain Khalil does not violate the court’s Wednesday injunction, because Khalil’s detainment is now based on “other grounds,” such as being undocumented when he entered the U.S.

How many millions of our $$ will be wasted harassing this poor guy and his family?

Judge denies Mahmoud Khalil’s release after Trump admin submits new filing
The Trump admin argued that the judge’s injunction “does not interfere” with authority to detain Khalil on other grounds.

https://www.axios.com/2025/06/13/trump-admin-refuses-to-release-mahmoud-khalil-despite-judges-order

Newsweek: Woman detained on honeymoon faces deportation despite being stateless

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Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old who recently married a U.S. citizen, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February after returning from her honeymoon, and her husband fears she may soon be deported.

…

ICE detained Sakeik in February as she and her husband, Taahir Shaikh, returned from their honeymoon to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The couple got married in January.

Shaikh told reporters that his wife may be deported to an unknown location soon. The ICE detainee database showed that as of Friday, she was still being held at the El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas.

However, a spokesperson for the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) told Newsweek that she was being detained in the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

Sakeik, who is of Palestinian descent, was born in Saudi Arabia but holds no citizenship there. Her husband said she was unable to obtain Saudi citizenship.

“She’s stateless, she doesn’t hold citizenship in any part of this world,” he told WFAA.

Sakeik first came to the United States when she was 8 years old. Her husband said her family applied for asylum but a judge signed a removal order. She was later given legal permission to work in the country, he said.

She was in the process of obtaining her green card and had attended all the mandatory immigration appointments, with one slated for July prior to her detention, her husband said.

In December 2023, Sakeik graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, her LinkedIn page said. She has been working as a wedding photographer for more than five years.

On Thursday, the North Texas chapter of CAIR held a news conference on the matter, saying in a media advisory, “Despite a pending green-card application, a lawful marriage to a U.S. citizen, and a spotless compliance record for the past 15 years, ICE has notified Sakeik’s legal counsel that Sakeik could be removed as early as tonight—but will not disclose the destination country. Sakeik’s husband fears she could be sent to a country that she has no birth or national ties to, after being given a life to live here for 15 years.”

Woman detained on honeymoon faces deportation despite being stateless
Ward Sakeik has been detained for four months and now faces deportation to an unknown location, her husband says.

https://www.newsweek.com/stateless-woman-detained-honeymoon-faces-deportation-2085161