All articles tagged with #dhs
New DHS records show undercover officers infiltrating anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, monitoring private chats, taking photographs, and assisting with fundraising and logistics, as part of a broad surveillance operation tied to a DOJ prosecution of 15 protesters.
The Trump administration is moving to revoke nonimmigrant visas from foreigners who entered the U.S. on temporary visas (like tourism or business) but then sought asylum to stay long-term, a rolling process that could affect around 200,000 people per AP reporting. The State Department says revocations will be identified in coordination with Homeland Security and won’t happen in one swoop, grounded in the idea that obtaining a visa to seek asylum is fraud. The policy follows other restrictions on asylum and a directive instructing consular officers to ask two questions about fear of persecution. The State Department has already revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump began his second term, as part of broader immigration safeguards.
A DHS proposal to tighten scrutiny of H-1B contracting and revise cap-exemption eligibility is under White House review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs; once cleared, a draft will be published, with the rule aiming to impose higher costs on H-1B users, alongside a separate proposal to add a $103,265 fee for all 85,000 annual-cap H-1B hires.
The Department of Homeland Security publicly criticized Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for urging private parking owners to reject ICE staging in the city after ICE sought 249 parking spaces, calling her actions “unhinged.” Wu countered with an open letter and joined with other cities to restrict ICE on municipal property, while filing a FOIA request for local responses. Boston’s city council and officials have expressed opposition to increased ICE presence, as ICE expands its look for parking spaces in multiple cities nationwide.
The Trump administration proposed formalizing a $103,265 H-1B visa fee via the Department of Homeland Security, replacing the temporary $100,000 charge, with a 30-day public comment period as lawsuits challenge the move and presidential authority; the higher cost could deter high-skilled visa applications.
The DHS plans to spend up to $20 million to arm ICE officers with Compliant Technologies’ G.L.O.V.E. electric-shock gloves, a move that has drawn civil-rights criticism over potential misuse and oversight gaps. The device delivers 324–380 volts on skin contact and has appeared in police, school, and healthcare settings, with past incidents cited in Kentucky jails and Omaha schools to illustrate risks. Advocates caution that training, accountability, and the potential chilling effects of shocks in immigration enforcement are insufficient, while ICE and DHS say the tools are needed and will be properly reviewed under policy standards.
The immigrant father of a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Key West and remains in ICE custody awaiting removal after reportedly entering the U.S. illegally decades ago; his family says he’s lived in the U.S. for about 20 years and had a work permit, a Social Security card and a driver’s license, but DHS notes that such documents do not guarantee legal status. The sailor, Joshua Aviles, is aboard the Lincoln returning from a Middle East deployment, and his family says the detention adds strain on service members’ families amid ongoing immigration enforcement.
Trump’s nominee Lance Schroyer to lead ICE is stalled in the Senate, with Rand Paul delaying a hearing amid probes into Minneapolis shootings, while DHS officials reportedly prefer acting director Dave Venturella to preserve leadership stability and avoid escalation of tensions over immigration policy.
DHS told Nevada officials that only 185 people on the state’s voter rolls are confirmed noncitizens after manual review, from an initial ceiling of about 15,903 potential cases and 6,218 more flagged for review. The broader claim of up to 278,000 noncitizens across four states was described as preliminary and not fully vetted, drawing skepticism from experts over the lack of disclosed methodology and data transparency amid political debate over election integrity.
A top DHS official, James Percival, used his official social media to attack sitting district judges who ruled against the Trump administration, labeling them the “Worst of the Worst” and accusing them of “judicial sabotage.” Nearly 130 former judges and two watchdog groups filed a Florida Bar ethics complaint seeking an investigation for potential professional-conduct violations. Ethics experts say the remarks breach rules restricting disparagement of judges and could undermine judicial credibility and public trust, a concern magnified by rising threats to judges (415 threats in 2026 through Aug. 17). Percival has not commented beyond a DHS post referencing a related award nomination; the Florida Bar’s investigation status remains unclear.
A federal judge ruled that ending Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status can proceed, lifting a pause on the move while a lawsuit progresses. The court said the plaintiffs showed irreparable harm but did not prove a likelihood of success on the merits, allowing the government to end TPS for Somalis as litigation continues. With roughly 700 Somalis in the U.S. on TPS, this could affect work authorization and risk deportation, though advocates say some alternative paths remain and the broader TPS framework may still face challenges.
New court filings reveal a broad undercover DHS operation, Puppet Master, infiltrating meetings and monitoring activists in Minnesota protests against immigration enforcement. Agents reportedly attended church and library gatherings, tracked activist chats, and pulled license-plate data as they labeled a network of conspirators. Groups from Sunrise Movement to AFL-CIO were among those investigated, and 15 people were charged in June with conspiring against the government. DHS declined comment on ongoing investigations, while critics warn the surveillance could chill protected protest and civic engagement.
The Department of Homeland Security plans to spend up to $20 million to obtain G.L.O.V.E. electric shock gloves for ICE, intended as a nonlethal tool to de-escalate arrests; critics warn of civil rights risks and potential abuse, DHS has not yet disclosed deployment details, and officials emphasize training and safeguards while body-camera expansion continues.
DHS acknowledged that it did not publicly disclose the death of Jose Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan detainee who had a seizure after being processed at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, noting he was taken to a hospital and died after leaving ICE custody. The disclosure follows a policy shift announced earlier this year that ICE would not report deaths occurring within 30 days of a detainee’s release from custody, a rollback of a 2021 Biden-era rule. Critics, including Rep. Rob Menendez, say the change creates a loophole that shields agencies from accountability, while DHS says ICE remains committed to transparency regarding detainee deaths. The Delaney Hall facility is operated by Geo Group and has been the site of protests and hunger strikes by immigration advocates.
Newly released records show DHS conducted broad surveillance of left-wing groups and anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota, using undercover agents and data seizures as part of an operation tied to a Trump-era crackdown; civil-rights advocates warn the effort risks criminalizing lawful protest, though no organizations are charged.