Latest news with #DHS
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump's National Guard immigration enforcement could divide states
Guard troops under state authority are not subject to laws barring the military from directly participating in civilian law enforcement activities. The Trump administration, according to CNN, is assessing whether DHS can send requested National Guard troops sourced from red states -- such as from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's Texas -- into blue states like California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is unlikely to authorize his troops to support DHS/ICE under state orders. Stephen Miller, the White House's deputy chief of staff for domestic policy, has previously floated the idea of such deployments. "You go to the red state governors and you say, 'Give us your National Guard.' We will deputize them as immigration enforcement officers," Miller said in a 2023 podcast interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk. "If you're going to go into an unfriendly state like Maryland, when then it will just be Virginia doing the arrest in Maryland." Legal experts and former DHS officials who spoke with USA TODAY emphasized the unprecedented nature of such a proposal. John Sandweg, an attorney who served as ICE's acting director and as acting general counsel for DHS, said using the Guard for interior enforcement in unwilling states would "push the envelope of the idea of the state militia and National Guard." Sandweg said such an arrangement would be "very consistent with everything we're seeing" from the Trump administration, which relied on an obscure law only used once before (to break a U.S. Postal Service strike in 1970) when Trump overrode Newsom and took control of a significant portion of the California National Guard. The DHS request, if filled, would also radically depart from the Guard's historical role in immigration enforcement, which has been limited to border security under every administration since that of former President George W. Bush. The White House referred USA TODAY to DHS, which did not immediately respond to an inquiry. The Pentagon did not respond to a query from USA TODAY. "We very much support President Trump's focus on defending the homeland on our southern border, as well as supporting law enforcement officials doing their job in ICE in Los Angeles," Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth said at a June 11 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Return of ICE partnership program The DHS proposal called for the 20,000 National Guard troops operating under what is known as Title 32 authority. In that situation, the federal government picks up the tab but governors retain command authority. But the request memo, which USA TODAY obtained, specifies that the Guardsmen would then work for ICE through a partnership program known as 287(g). In recent months, the Trump administration has dramatically increased ICE's reach through the 287(g) partnership program by reestablishing its "task force" model. ICE confirmed receipt of questions from USA TODAY regarding the 287(g) program but did not respond before publication. The 287(g) program, which began in 1996, allows DHS and ICE to delegate immigration enforcement authority to local and state law enforcement agencies, whose officers then receive training from ICE. The state and local authorities are "deputized to enforce certain aspects of immigration law," according to Texas A&M law professor Huyen Pham. Once qualified, participating personnel from local/state agencies with task force agreements can join up with ICE-led immigration enforcement task forces, according to the agency website. But concerns over racial profiling by partner agencies and relative inefficiency compared to other programs led DHS to terminate all task force agreements during the Obama administration. The Trump administration has rapidly revived the model. Publicly available ICE data shows that between Inauguration Day and June 12, the administration inked 287(g) task force partnerships with 338 new local and state law enforcement agencies. That includes four states where the National Guard's state leader has signed an ICE task force agreement: Texas, Florida, Louisiana (via its parent agency, the Louisiana Military Department) and West Virginia. More: More than 600 local police agencies are partnering with ICE: See if yours is one of them It's unclear what specific roles Guard troops from those states play alongside DHS, though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis included the Florida National Guard in a list of agencies he thanked for their role in an April series of statewide immigration raids. But whether 287(g) task force participants can operate across state lines is another, legally untested matter. Joe Maher, who was the top career lawyer in DHS from 2011 to 2024, said interstate use of the authority was "never proposed" during his time with the department. Pham described the idea as "uncharted territory." Although Trump during his first administration deployed red state National Guard troops in state-controlled status into Washington, D.C. to quell civil unrest in June 2020, without the consent of local officials, experts believe there are constitutional problems with federal task forces taking state-controlled Guardsmen into unwilling states. But some, including legal scholars from New York University's Brennan Center, have argued a potential loophole exists unless Congress bans using the National Guard to enforce the law in other states without gubernatorial consent. Citing Alexander Hamilton's writing in the Federalist Papers, Maher said the framers "didn't think of having one state's militia or National Guard ... do law enforcement in another state that does not want that to happen." The Insurrection Act One state's adjutant general, who requested anonymity to discuss future operations, said he believes the administration is unlikely to take National Guard troops into unwilling states unless the Insurrection Act is invoked. The Insurrection Act allows the president to use active duty troops -- including National Guard members federalized under presidential authority, as 4,000 members of the California National Guard currently are -- to directly enforce laws without restriction. At that point, state consent largely wouldn't influence deployment decisions. Trump directed the Pentagon and DHS to study using the act for immigration enforcement in an executive order signed the first day of his second term. Although he has not invoked the Insurrection Act amid the anti-ICE protests or the ongoing deportation push, Trump said he would consider doing so if ongoing unrest worsened. Former Rep. Bill Enyart, D-Illinois, a retired two-star general who led the Illinois National Guard, said using the Insurrection Act for a deportation push would be "an overreach by the federal government." Enyart, also an attorney, argued that previous invocations of the law to override governors -- such as when President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to enforce racial integration at the University of Alabama -- were "defending the civil rights" of the states' citizens. "This is pretty clearly a different situation," Enyart said. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook and Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Released from Hospital After Allergic Reaction
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Released from Hospital After Allergic Reaction originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was hospitalized Tuesday in Washington D.C. following an allergic reaction, and released later that to Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin Noem is 'alert and recovering' after receiving treatment for the reaction. Noem was transported to the hospital by ambulance from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington according to a DHS official. Noem, who assumed leadership of the DHS in January, oversees a workforce of roughly 260,000 employees tasked with responsibilities ranging from immigration enforcement and airport security to disaster response. Since taking office, she has maintained a high profile presence in her role amid backlash against recent immigration enforcement actions, and has frequently taken part in immigration enforcement last week, Noem held a press conference that drew national attention when U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed and flanked by federal agents. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Dodgers say team kept U.S. immigration agents from accessing Dodger Stadium
The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday that the club barred federal immigration agents from the Dodger Stadium parking lot as a fresh wave of raids continued across the United States' second-biggest city. The Dodgers, who have been criticized for their failure to publicly comment on the U.S. government's immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, said in a statement that the team denied access to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who "requested permission to access the parking lots." "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization," the statement said, adding that the team's game later Thursday would go ahead as scheduled. Images and video shared on social media showed a line of unmarked trucks and masked agents at one Dodger Stadium entrance while protesters nearby chanted "ICE out of LA." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later said the agents at the venue were from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not ICE. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers," DHS said in a statement. "CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement." The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in Los Angeles, which has become ground zero of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown across the United States. The city has seen scattered violence but mostly peaceful protests in recent weeks, ignited by an escalation in federal immigration sweeps that have targeted migrant workers in garment factories, car washes and other workplaces. Local media on Thursday reported further raids across the city targeting Home Depot (a home improvement retailer) locations, where day laborers often gather in parking lots seeking work. In addition to the mobilization of ICE agents, Trump has ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the city in response to the protests — a move opposed by city leaders and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is a Democrat. The incident at Dodger Stadium on Thursday comes as the reigning World Series champions have faced criticism for their response to the immigration crackdown. The team has a heavily Latino fan base, with some claiming a sense of betrayal over the franchise's failure to speak out against the ongoing raids. As of early Thursday, the Dodgers have made no formal statement in regard to the immigration raids across the city. The team's failure to condemn the immigration offensive came under scrutiny last weekend, when Latin American pop singer Nezza defied Dodgers officials and sang the U.S. national anthem in Spanish before a home game. Speaking outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday after federal agents left the venue, one 27-year-old fan among a small group of protesters said she felt let down by the team. "They've been very quiet since these ICE raids started, and I think it's very hypocritical of them not to say anything when the majority of their fan base is the Latino population here in Los Angeles," said Paola, who asked only to be identified by her first name. "It 100% feels like betrayal. I was born and raised here, I've supported them my whole life — for them not to come out and support us during these times is messed up." Los Angeles Times sports columnist Dylan Hernandez has slammed the team's response to the immigration crackdown. "The Dodgers boast that more than 40 percent of their fan base is Latino, but they can't even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort," Hernandez wrote. "How ungrateful. How disrespectful. How cowardly." While the Dodgers have remained silent, the team's popular outfielder Enrique Hernandez lashed out against the raids in a statement on Instagram. "I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city," wrote Hernandez, who is from Puerto Rico. "This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights."
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICE Insists That Congress Needs Its Permission To Conduct Oversight
This week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released new guidance on "facility visit and engagement protocol for Members of Congress and staff." "ICE detention locations and Field Offices are secure facilities. As such, all visitors are required to comply with [identity] verification and security screening requirements prior to entry," it specified. "When planning to visit an ICE facility, ICE asks requests to be submitted at least 72 hours in advance." Incidentally, it's perfectly legal for members of Congress to visit ICE detention facilities, even unannounced. And ICE's attempt to circumvent that requirement threatens the constitutional system of checks and balances. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which funded the government through September 2024, specified that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may not "prevent…a Member of Congress" or one of their employees "from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens" or to modify the facility in advance of such a visit. It also clarified that the DHS cannot "require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility." ICE's new guidance tries to get around this by stipulating that "ICE Field Offices are not detention facilities and fall outside of the [law's] requirements." Nevertheless, it adds that "while Member[s] of Congress are not required to provide advance notice for visits to ICE detention facilities, ICE requires a minimum of 24-hours' notice for visits by congressional staff" (emphasis in the original). Further, "visit request[s] are not considered actionable until receipt of the request is acknowledged" by ICE. The new rules also stipulate that visiting members of Congress may not bring in cellphones or recording devices, they must be escorted by ICE staff at all times, and they may not "have any physical or verbal contact with any person in ICE detention facilities unless previously requested and specifically approved by ICE Headquarters." In recent weeks, Democratic lawmakers have tried to enter ICE facilities, only to be turned away or threatened with imprisonment. Last week, authorities charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D–N.J.) with three felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers. McIver and other lawmakers visited Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark last month. A scuffle apparently ensued when authorities arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for trespassing, though those charges were later dropped. This week, four members of Congress who visited the ICE Processing Center in Broadview, Illinois, were apparently denied access when they arrived. "We have reports that immigrants are being detained here without access to their attorneys, sleeping on the floor and without food," Rep. Chuy Garcia (D–Ill.), one of the members in attendance, alleged in a post on X. The DHS replied from its official account, "Congressman, all members and staff need to comply with facility rules, procedures, and instructions from ICE personnel on site." On Wednesday, Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman (D–N.Y.) visited an office in Manhattan where migrants were allegedly being kept, only to be denied entry by Bill Joyce, the deputy director of the field office. Joyce denied it was a detention facility, saying that even though migrants were being kept on-site, ICE was simply "housing them until they can be detained." In video captured at the scene in Manhattan, Goldman said he and Nadler had requested permission to visit—even though they "have the authority to show up unannounced"—but were denied. This isn't uncharacteristic of the agency: Earlier this year, ICE agents denied Reason's C.J. Ciaramella access to an immigration court at a federal detention facility in Miami, in defiance of both federal law and guidance listed on the agency's own website. (ICE later admitted the facility was "open daily to the public.") Regardless of the actual conditions of any ICE facility, it's clear Congress' intent was to establish its legislative oversight role over an executive agency. Checks and balances are a key feature of American government: Each of the three branches has the power to keep the others in check. For ICE to claim an all-encompassing right to operate in the dark, apart from the prying eyes of even a co-equal branch of government, flies in the face of the Constitution's clear meaning. "This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny Member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants – and sometimes even U.S. citizens – for days at a time. They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time," Rep. Bennie Thompson (D–Miss.), the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. "There is no valid or legal reason for denying Member access to ICE facilities and DHS's ever-changing justifications prove this….If ICE has nothing to hide, DHS must make its facilities available." The post ICE Insists That Congress Needs Its Permission To Conduct Oversight appeared first on
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
US immigration agents barred from LA Dodgers' stadium: team
The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday the club barred federal immigration agents from the team's stadium parking lot as a fresh wave of raids continued across America's second-biggest city. The Dodgers, who have been criticized for their failure to comment publicly on the US government's immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, said in a statement the team denied access to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who "requested permission to access the parking lots." "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization," the statement said, adding that the team's game later Thursday would go ahead as scheduled. Images and video shared on social media showed a line of unmarked trucks and masked agents at one Dodger Stadium entrance while protesters nearby chanted "ICE out of LA." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later clarified that the agents at the venue were from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not ICE. "This had nothing to do with the Dodgers. CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," a DHS statement said. The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in Los Angeles, which has become ground zero of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown across the United States. The city has seen scattered violence but mostly peaceful protests in recent weeks, ignited by an escalation in federal immigration sweeps that have targeted migrant workers in garment factories, car washes and other workplaces. Local media reported further raids across the city on Thursday targeting Home Depot stores, a home improvement retailer where day laborers often gather in parking lots seeking work. In addition to the mobilization of ICE agents, Trump has ordered the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines into the city in response to the protests -- a move opposed by city leaders and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is a Democrat. The incident at Dodger Stadium on Thursday comes as the reigning World Series champions have faced criticism for their response to the immigration crackdown. The team has a heavily Latino fan base, with some claiming a sense of betrayal over the franchise's failure to speak out against the ongoing raids. As of early Thursday, the Dodgers have made no formal statement in regard to the immigration raids across the city. - '100 percent betrayal' - The team's failure to condemn the immigration offensive came under scrutiny last weekend, when Latin American pop singer Nezza defied Dodgers officials and sang the US national anthem in Spanish before the team's home game. Speaking outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday after federal agents had left the venue, one 27-year-old fan among a small group of protesters told AFP she felt let down by the team. "They've been very quiet since these ICE raids started, and I think it's very hypocritical of them not to say anything when the majority of their fan base is the Latino population here in Los Angeles," Paola, who asked only to be identified by her first name, told AFP. "It 100 percent feels like betrayal. I was born and raised here, I've supported them my whole life -- for them not to come out and support us during these times is messed up." Los Angeles Times sports columnist Dylan Hernandez has slammed the team's response to the immigration crackdown. "The Dodgers boast that more than 40 percent of their fan base is Latino, but they can't even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort," Hernandez wrote. "How ungrateful. How disrespectful. How cowardly." While the Dodgers have remained silent, the team's popular outfielder Enrique Hernandez lashed out against the raids in a statement on Instagram. "I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city," wrote Hernandez, who is from Puerto Rico. "This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights."
