An overwhelming majority of Ukrainians – 77.6 percent – believe that President Volodymyr Zelensky is ‘directly responsible’ for the prevalent and increasingly recognized corruption at the heart of the Ukrainian government and army, according to a new Ukrainian study from the Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF) and the Kyiv International Sociological Institute (KIIS).
The results are not surprising, according to the study’s conductors, who argue that “Zelensky now has the kind of power that no one has had since the Communist era.” Ukraine’s President is responsible for appointing security officials and controlling the government, he possesses an absolute majority in the parliament, and is in control of anti-corruption bodies.
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The same study also found that 61 percent of Ukrainian citizens either “very often” or “often” come across reports that problems within the military are preventing the military from fighting the Russians effectively.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed – 61.7 percent – felt that “corruption in procurement for the needs of the army” was to blame. Only 20.6 percent blamed the unsatisfactory training of Ukraine’s troops.The news follows Zelensky’s firing of all regional heads of military enlistment amidst ongoing investigations. He accused them of “treason”.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has proposed socialist grocery stores, claiming they can be funded by redirecting city subsidies from private grocery stores.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, and private grocery stores participating in the FRESH program.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: New York City, during Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We will redirect city funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores whose mission is lower prices, not price-gouging.” – Zohran Mamdani
🎯IMPACT: Mamdani’s proposal is based on a misunderstanding of city subsidies, which would lead to mass fiscal mismanagement if implemented.
IN FULL
Zohran Mamdani, the New York Democratic mayoral nominee, has defended his proposal for socialist grocery stores by stating that they could be funded by cutting city subsidies to private grocery stores. However, his claim is based on a misinterpretation of the city’s current grocery subsidy program, as first revealed by reporter Tim Carney.
Mamdani has repeatedly cited a figure of $140 million, claiming it represents the amount the city spends on subsidizing private grocery stores under the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. He has proposed redirecting half of this amount to fund his socialist grocery store initiative, which he estimates would cost $60 million.
The FRESH program, however, does not involve direct city spending of $140 million. Instead, it provides tax breaks and regulatory relief to grocery stores that invest in underserved areas, known as “food deserts.” Over the last six years, the program has cost the city approximately $20 million in waived tax revenue, rather than expenditure, averaging just $3.3 million per year. Furthermore, the $140 million figure cited by Mamdani refers to private investments made by grocery stores participating in the program, not government spending.
In a video, Mamdani argued, “We will redirect city funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores whose mission is lower prices, not price-gouging.” However, his misunderstanding of the FRESH program’s structure raises humiliating questions about the plan. Carney explains, “So, this program would take 42 years to cost the city the $140 million that Mamdani says “the city is set to spend” on it.”
This misrepresentation underscores a broader concern with Mamdani’s proposal: it appears to rely on a socialist framework that assumes private investment can be treated as public funds. Critics argue that such an approach would lead to fiscal mismanagement and actually undermine the city’s efforts to address food accessibility through public-private partnerships. This scenario would not just see government grocery stores with empty shelves, like North Korea, but also skew the market against private companies no longer incentivized to supply groceries to certain areas, leaving entire communities in new food deserts.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany has launched an effort to ban the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party—the second-most popular party in the country—citing alleged extremism.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, the Federal Constitutional Court, and the AfD.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The SPD’s resolution was adopted during their three-day party congress in Berlin, Germany.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics.” – Lars Klingbeil
🎯IMPACT: A ban would dissolve the AfD, confiscate its assets, and prohibit its re-establishment.
IN FULL
Germany’s leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD), which led the federal government until May, has officially launched an effort to ban the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. SPD delegates voted unanimously on June 29 to establish a “federal working group” to collect and present evidence of the anti-mass migration party’s alleged extremism, which they claim is already “overwhelming.”
The SPD accused the AfD, which placed second in this year’s federal elections, of undermining Germany’s constitution and eroding democracy, citing the party’s advocacy for “remigration” as a violation of human dignity. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil stated, “Based on historical experience, we have a constitution that provides the necessary instruments.” He added, “The moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics.”
In Germany, the European Union’s most populous country and top economy, only the Federal Constitutional Court can ban a political party, requiring a two-thirds majority of its Justices. If successful, a ban would dissolve the party, confiscate its assets, and outlaw its symbols and logos. Efforts to re-establish a banned party under a similar name would also be prohibited.
The legal push comes amid growing support for the AfD, particularly in eastern Germany, where recent elections have shown the party gaining significant traction. A recent survey placed the AfD at 32 percent, ahead of the SPD by nine points. Critics argue that the SPD is attempting to ban its political rival rather than compete with it democratically.
The move follows the designation of the AfD as an extremist group by Germany’s intelligence agency, the Bundesamt für Verfassungschutz (BfV), which enabled increased surveillance of the party. Critics, including X CEO Elon Musk, have condemned the proposed ban, labeling it “an extreme attack on democracy.” Newly elected Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the notionally conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel, conceded, “Ten million AfD voters—you can’t ban them. You have to engage with them factually and on substance.”
The BfV decided to pause the classification after the AfD launched a lawsuit to appeal the move. Germany also came under pressure from the Trump administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating, “That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise. What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A German woman faces a €1,800 (~$2,120) fine for reacting with ‘thumbs up’ emojis to a social media post about a 15-year-old killing a rapist migrant. Prosecutors claim her emojis endorsed vigilantism.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: A 64-year-old woman from Lohfelden, Hesse, and the Kassel public prosecutor’s office.
💬KEY QUOTE: “You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism.” – Kassel prosecutor’s penalty order
🎯IMPACT: The case underscores Germany’s increasingly draconian policing of online speech, raising concerns about freedom of expression.
IN FULL
A German woman faces prosecution and a fine equivalent to around $2,120 for reacting with emojis to a social media post. The case highlights how even the most minimal forms of digital expression are now being scrutinized under Germany’s draconian anti-speech regime.
The 64-year-old from Lohfelden, Hesse, found herself under investigation after responding with three thumbs-up emojis beneath a post on X (formerly Twitter). The original post reported on a 15-year-old Swedish girl who had killed the migrant man who raped her, and included the comment, “Does he now have 77 virgins?”
According to the Kassel public prosecutor’s office, the woman’s emoji reaction amounted to endorsing the killing and expressing satisfaction that it had targeted a migrant. Months after her October 26 interaction, she received a formal penalty notice, ordering her to pay 60 daily rates of $35 each.
The penalty order, parts of which the woman has shared publicly, alleges: “You agreed with this post as a user (…) by clicking ‘thumbs up’ three times. You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism, and you were particularly pleased that this vigilantism was perpetrated against a migrant.” Authorities also complain the “77 virgins” remark was intended to ridicule the dead rapist. This interpretation of her emoji use, entirely shaped by the prosecutor’s reading of intent, reflects a growing trend of criminalizing expressions of opinion online in Germany and Europe more generally.
The woman retains the right to appeal, and if she does, the case will proceed to a full trial. Germany’s crackdown on digital speech has seen several such incidents in recent years. Authorities have increasingly targeted individuals for online posts deemed offensive, including under Section 188 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits insults against politicians. One notable case involved a police search of a retiree’s home after he shared a meme labeling then-Economy Minister Robert Habeck a “Schwachkopf,” or “moron.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A poll from Electoral Calculus projects that Britain’s Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage, could come within one seat of an outright parliamentary majority if a General Election were held today.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the Reform Party, alongside the Starmer’s Labour Party and the formerly governing Conservative (Tory) Party.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Poll conducted between May 30 and June 26, 2023, across the United Kingdom.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I try to make it water off a duck’s back as far as possible. Because otherwise I think you lose any ability to focus and you just spend your whole time worrying about it.” – Keir Starmer
🎯IMPACT: Reform’s surge could lead to a minority government or coalition, displacing Labour and the Conservatives from the premiership for the first time since 1922.
IN FULL
A poll of polls conducted by Electoral Calculus suggests that the populist Reform Party, led by Brexit champion and Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage, would win 325 seats in a General Election, just one seat shy of an outright parliamentary majority. The survey, which included 5,400 participants between May 30 and June 26, places Reform at 29.4 percent of the vote, ahead of the governing Labour Party’s 22.9 percent and the formerly governing Conservatives’ 18.2 percent.
The results indicate the possibility of a minority or coalition government, with potential alliances between Reform and the Conservatives, or Northern Ireland’s pro-Brexit and socially conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This could see Farage entering Number 10 as Prime Minister. The poll highlights significant challenges for Labour and the Conservatives, who have held the premiership ever since David Lloyd George left office in 1922.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, acknowledged the situation but downplayed the impact of polling. Speaking to the press, he stated, “I try to make it water off a duck’s back as far as possible. Because otherwise I think you lose any ability to focus and you just spend your whole time worrying about it.”
Reform is gaining traction among Gen Z voters, particularly young men, driven by Farage’s strong presence on social media. Starmer’s visibility on platforms like China-linked TikTok, with a large youth audience, remains low, with Labour dedicating a significant portion of its overall social media content to attacking Farage and Reform.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump will join Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday to tour a new illegal immigrant detention center at the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Ron DeSantis, President Donald J. Trump, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The facility is located in the Everglades and is expected to be operational this week. President Trump is scheduled to attend the opening.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The security is amazing … natural and otherwise.” – Ron DeSantis
🎯IMPACT: The facility aims to streamline the deportation process and support the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump will travel to Florida on Tuesday to join Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for the opening of a new illegal immigration detention center at the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, also known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The facility, approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is located in the middle of the Everglades and intended for use in detaining illegal immigrants. DeSantis emphasized its logistical simplicity and natural security features, including alligators and pythons.
“People say there are training flights that go in there, but it’s a massive runway. And, you know … there’s not a lot of buildings out there, but there’s a lot of concrete. And so these guys set up this whole thing within a matter of days,” DeSantis said. He added that the facility is “not defunct” and highlighted its natural barriers, which make it difficult for detainees to escape: “The security is amazing … natural and otherwise.”
DeSantis explained that the facility will help expedite the deportation process. “You literally drive them to 2,000 feet, put them on a plane, and then they’re gone. It’s very logistically simple,” he said. The existing runway allows the federal government to fly detainees out of the country directly from the site.
The White House announced on Monday that President Trump will join DeSantis for the opening of the facility. According to the Florida governor, he spoke with President Trump over the weekend, stating that the America First leader is “very excited about doing it.” DeSantis has noted that Florida is assisting the federal government in fulfilling the voters’ mandate on immigration enforcement, saying, “We literally are doing what the voters who elected all of us have been demanding for many, many years.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A 13-year-old boy, Oscar Omar Hernandez, was allegedly murdered by his illegal immigrant soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, before his body was dumped in a ditch.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Oscar Omar Hernandez, 13, and Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Hernandez was last seen alive on March 28, 2025, in Sun Valley, California. His body was discovered on April 2 in Ventura County.
💬KEY QUOTE: “His soccer coach made soccer jerseys. He had taken other soccer teammates to help him, and that’s why my brother went.” – Alejandra Hernandez, sister of the victim.
🎯IMPACT: Garcia-Aquino faces charges of murder with special circumstances and additional charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of minors.
IN FULL
Oscar Omar Hernandez, a 13-year-old boy from Sun Valley, California, was allegedly murdered by his soccer coach, Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Hernandez’s body was discovered on April 2, 2025, in Ventura County, days after his family reported him missing. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the cause of death late last week to be acute alcohol poisoning.
Garcia-Aquino, 43, had been under investigation for two other alleged sexual assaults and was charged with murder in April. Prosecutors allege the murder occurred during the commission or attempted commission of lewd acts with a child, making him eligible for the death penalty. Hernandez’s family stated that the boy had been dropped off at a railway station to assist Garcia-Aquino with making soccer jerseys in Lancaster.
According to Hernandez’s sister, Alejandra, the coach had taken other teammates to help him with similar tasks in the past. “His soccer coach made soccer jerseys. He had taken other soccer teammates to help him, and that’s why my brother went,” Alejandra Hernandez said. On the night of the disappearance, Garcia-Aquino answered a call from the family, claiming that Hernandez was unable to speak because his hands were full of paint. The coach later told the family he had dropped the boy off, but Hernandez never returned home.
Garcia-Aquino also faces charges stemming from an alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy in Palmdale in February 2022. In that case, he reportedly befriended a family and allowed their son to stay at his residence, where the alleged assault occurred. Additionally, Los Angeles Police Department investigations have linked him to another child sexual abuse case from 2022.
Despite Gacia-Aquino being an illegal immigrant, a number of corporate media outlets have attempted to portray him simply as a “youth soccer coach.” This mirrors similar attempts to obfuscate criminal allegations against fellow Salvadoran illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia—an alleged MS-13 gang member, domestic abuser, and human trafficker—who was described at the time of arrest earlier this year as simply a “Maryland man” or a “Maryland father.”
Garcia-Aquino pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, including the special circumstances allegation, on June 18. He is scheduled to appear in court again in August.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Russia and Ukraine’s war has reached its 1,222nd day as both sides continue a protracted war of attrition with over a million casualties and a stalled peace process.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ukraine, Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Vladimir Putin, President Donald J. Trump.
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🎯IMPACT: The slow-moving frontlines and stalling of the peace process indicate far more casualties are likely on both sides in the coming weeks and months.
IN FULL
Russia’s war with Ukraine appears to be picking up pace in recent weeks, with Russia hammering parts of Ukraine with missiles and drones and appearing to be mounting a new offensive in the Sumy region. Reports indicate that as many as 50,000 Russian troops are active in the Sumy region, which neighbors Russia’s Kursk region, vastly outnumbering Ukrainian defenders.
The advance in Sumy comes after Ukraine’s failed counter-invasion into Kursk. This saw an initial breakthrough for Ukraine last year. Still, Russia eventually pushed the Ukrainians back after a surprise attack, partly through a gas pipeline, in March, which culminated in Ukraine eventually withdrawing from the region.
General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has admitted that Russia is advancing across the frontlines and that the frontline itself has grown to over 750 miles. The vast length of the front, according to Syrskiy, makes it difficult for Ukraine to defend itself, as Russia is constantly looking for weaknesses in the line and exploiting them.
Another possible factor for the Russian advances in Sumy is that Ukrainian authorities did not create any major defensive fortifications in the area, particularly anti-drone defences, after the Kursk offensive was launched. As a result, many soldiers now have to dig fortifications themselves, often under heavy Russian fire from artillery, FPV drones, and other weapons.
“It’s like they prepared for tank columns, not a battlefield where dozens of drones strike daily,” one soldier told the Wall Street Journal. “Every single day a position isn’t ready is a day someone might not come back,” he added.”
CORRUPTION.
It is unknown why the fortifications are incomplete, but Ukraine has struggled with a massive amount of corruption throughout the conflict, including officials taking bribes to grant men medical certificates to avoid conscription and skimming millions of dollars meant for arming soldiers. Previously, Russia was also able to make inroads in the Kharkov (Kharkiv) region after defenses were not constructed.
Ukraine’s Western-provided weapons have also failed to tip the scale of the battle, with a recent report noting that nearly all of the M1A1 Abrams tanks provided by the United States are either destroyed or disabled.
Despite this, Ukraine continues to demand more Western weapons systems, including more Patriot and German-made Taurus missile systems. However, Germany declined to send Taurus systems earlier this month.
PEACE PROCESS.
President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly attempted to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine, but both sides have stubbornly refused to compromise. President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to insist that not only should Russia leave the eastern regions occupied in 2022, but it should leave Crimea, annexed to Russia in 2014, as well. This is despite admitting that it is unlikely Ukraine can take back Crimea through military means.
President Trump warned both countries earlier this month that he was willing to sanction them both if a peace deal could not be achieved or was obstructed by either side. According to Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Trump is willing to support additional sanctions against Russia. Graham spoke on June 29, stating that he had spoken with the President about the issue and received his approval.
“So what does this bill do? If you’re buying products from Russia and you’re not helping Ukraine, then there’s a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70 percent of Putin’s oil. They keep his war machine going,” Graham said.
After 1,222 days of war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues at a slow pace, where the only sure thing remains the large number of soldiers killed on each side. Some estimate that the war has seen over a million casualties overall.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: European leaders agreed to meet President Donald J. Trump’s five percent defense spending demand, with much of the funds going to U.S. arms, to ease trade tensions.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President of the European Council António Costa, Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU member states
📍WHEN & WHERE: NATO summit in Brussels, late June 2025
💬KEY QUOTE: “Of course, a large part of this 5% will be spent for sure buying American, and it helps to rebalance the trade relations.” – António Costa
🎯IMPACT: The defense pledge could avert a trade war, but has triggered internal EU disputes over debt, subsidies, and where defense money should go.
IN FULL
Europe’s need to meet President Donald J. Trump’s defense spending demands is being used as a bargaining chip to de-escalate a looming trade war with the U.S., according to European Council chief António Costa. The newly adopted five percent of GDP military expenditure goal—up from two percent, which most European NATO members were already failing to meet—will reportedly funnel billions toward the U.S. defense industry, helping rebalance the long-standing goods-trade deficit.
“This agreement in NATO paved the way to have an agreement as soon as possible on trade,” Costa said. Trump has threatened to jack up tariffs on EU imports to 50 percent unless a deal is secured by July 9. The U.S. currently runs a $236 billion goods-trade deficit with the European Union—an imbalance Trump frequently highlights in speeches.
The EU has attempted to calm tensions by proposing reduced tariffs on U.S. products and easing regulatory barriers. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pressuring Brussels to strike a deal quickly, citing the need for relief for key sectors like automotive manufacturing. But there’s no consensus on what concessions the EU will make—or how much defense cash should stay within Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a protectionist line, insisting that increased military outlays must benefit European industries. Costa, in contrast, suggests appeasing the Trump administration by buying American may be necessary. Meanwhile, the EU is loosening fiscal rules and creating a new €150 billion ($176B) defense fund to help member states keep up with NATO expectations.
Debate is raging among member states over how the defense pot should be spent. Wealthier nations like Germany and the Netherlands balk at the idea of subsidizing poorer, debt-laden members like Italy and Greece. The question of EU-wide defense grants will be revisited at an October summit, after leaders papered over divisions in Brussels last week.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed into law a bill restricting property purchases by individuals or entities from adversarial nations.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and entities from nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Signed on June 20, effective September 1, in the state of Texas.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I signed SB 17 which is the toughest ban in America on preventing the sale of our land and other property to individuals and companies from China, Iran, North Korea & Russia.” – Gov. Greg Abbott
🎯IMPACT: The law aims to enhance national security by restricting property acquisitions from nations deemed adversarial.
IN FULL
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed Senate Bill 17 into law, which prohibits individuals or entities from nations deemed adversarial from purchasing land or property in the state. The law, signed on June 20, will go into effect on September 1. It specifically targets nations identified by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as posing national security risks in recent Annual Threat Assessments.
“I signed SB 17 which is the toughest ban in America on preventing the sale of our land and other property to individuals and companies from China, Iran, North Korea & Russia,” Gov. Abbott announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The legislation highlights China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as examples of adversarial nations listed in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment. Under the law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is authorized to investigate potential violations, which would be classified as felonies.
The bill applies to various types of property, including agricultural land, groundwater, mines or quarries, commercial and industrial properties, and residential properties. However, exemptions are made for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals legally residing in the U.S. who intend to purchase a primary residence.
Criticism has come primarily from immigrant interest groups—including Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), which has lobbied against federal programs like the China Initiative cracking down on individuals tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—who have expressed concern over potential racial profiling. The group stated that the bill “creates an overly broad net that places innocent foreign nationals at risk of racial profiling.”
Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a similar bill earlier in June, arguing that the legislation lacked clear implementation criteria and opened the door to arbitrary enforcement. “Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1109. Improvements to systems that protect our infrastructure are important. However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,” Hobbs said.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, alleging that its sanctuary policies interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Attorney General Pam Bondi, President Donald J. Trump, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on Monday, June 30, 2025, following recent pro-illegal immigrant riots in Los Angeles targeting ICE operations.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit seeks to block Los Angeles’s sanctuary policies, citing constitutional violations under the Supremacy Clause.
IN FULL
The Trump administration is suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging that its sanctuary policies obstruct federal immigration authorities from performing their duties. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) argues that Los Angeles’s policies intentionally discriminate against federal authorities, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by treating them differently from other law enforcement agencies. The lawsuit claims that these policies violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits state and local jurisdictions from interfering with federal law.
“The Los Angeles Ordinance and other policies intentionally discriminate against the Federal Government by treating federal immigration authorities differently than other law enforcement agents through access restrictions both to property and to individual detainees,” the lawsuit reads. It further accuses the city of prohibiting contractors from cooperating with federal authorities and disfavoring federal criminal laws.
Los Angeles recently experienced violent demonstrations and riots in response to ICE operations in the region. Mayor Karen Bass criticized the presence of federal law enforcement, stating, “Last Thursday, ICE entered our city and provoked the city by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools and, today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters.” Bass further claimed that the deployment of the National Guard was used as a pretext to escalate federal involvement.
Notably, the illegal aliens detained by ICE ahead of the riots included mass shooters and pedophiles. The DOJ is seeking a judicial order to block the enforcement of Los Angeles’s sanctuary policies.
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We don’t sell ads, and refuse corporate or political cash. It all comes down to you, the reader. I hope you can help.
