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Friday, August 29, 2025

Category: News
1 hour ago
Immigration

Trump DOJ Loosens Qualifications for Temporary Judges to Tackle Immigration Backlog.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a rule change allowing attorneys without immigration law experience to serve as temporary immigration judges.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and immigration judges.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The rule was published on Thursday in the Federal Register and applies to immigration courts nationwide.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge],” the DOJ stated in the Federal Register.

🎯IMPACT: The new rule aims to address a backlog of over three million immigration cases by expanding the pool of eligible judges.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a rule change to allow attorneys without immigration law experience to act as temporary immigration judges as part of an effort to clear a backlog of immigration cases numbering in the millions. On Thursday, the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review published the rule in the Federal Register removing the requirement that temporary immigration judges have substantive prior experience in immigration law.

According to the rule change, Attorney General Pam Bondi will hold authority over the approval of jurists appointed to serve as immigration judges. This represents a significant shift following the dismissal or buyout of over 100 judges by the Trump administration earlier this year, amid concerns that many had an anti-deportation bias.

The Federal Register rule change states that the DOJ “no longer believes the restriction of TIJs to current department employees with a threshold level of immigration law experience serves EOIR’s interests,” adding: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge] and EOIR has hired individuals from other federal agencies and Department components without prior immigration experience who have become successful and exemplary [immigration judges].” It further explained that the change allows for “the greatest degree of flexibility” in finding qualified candidates.

In addition, the rule notes that attorneys with experience in prominent courts or those who have clerked for the Supreme Court should not be disqualified from serving in an immigration-related capacity.

The DOJ emphasized that the need for assistance in adjudicating immigration cases has significantly increased since the original plan to utilize temporary immigration judges was introduced in 2014.

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2 hours ago
Immigration

ICE Has Tripled Arrests of Illegal Aliens in This Democrat City:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has tripled the rate of arrests of illegal immigrants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, compared to the Biden government’s final year in office.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, Pittsburgh police, eight regional agencies, and illegal immigrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities.” – Mayor Ed Gainey (D)

🎯IMPACT: ICE arrests have increased and leftist activists are protesting.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged agents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, taking about 580 illegal immigrants into custody in the city so far this year, compared with only 210 in the same time frame during former President Joe Biden’s final year in office. The surge in arrests comes despite Pittsburgh’s Democrat-enacted policy barring local police from assisting ICE in federal immigration enforcement actions.

Notably, the arrest data was compiled by the Deportation Data Project, a pro-open borders non-profit group that works with organizations providing aid to illegal immigrants. Estimates from both Pew and the Center for Migration Studies suggest around 300,000 illegal immigrants currently reside in Pennsylvania.

Despite Democrat-backed legal measures preventing assistance from the Pittsburgh police, at least eight other regional law enforcement agencies have approved ICE’s 287(g) cooperation agreements. The federally coordinated immigration enforcement operation has sparked backlash from far-left activists, who allege ICE raids have damaged several local businesses, including causing a restaurant kitchen fire. However, ICE contends the fire was caused by a group of illegal immigrants employed by the establishment.

According to an ICE spokesman, the “damage to the restaurant, including the small fire, was created by the illegal aliens themselves while they were trying to escape or hide from law enforcement officers.”

Despite Pittsburgh recently being removed from the Justice Department’s list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions, Democrat city mayor Ed Gainey has stressed that “It’s important to make clear that the City of Pittsburgh has not altered its policies or practices.”

“We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities,” he added.

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2 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

ICE Captures Pedophile Living Illegally in California Daycare.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant, convicted sex offender, and gang member was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being found living inside a daycare for children in California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico and a documented member of the Logan Heights gang.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Cruz-Rodriguez was arrested in San Diego, California, at an in-home daycare facility.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city.” – Senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official

🎯IMPACT: The arrest ensures highlights the threat to children and the wider American public posed by illegal aliens, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico with an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for sexual abuse of a child under 14, sexual battery, illegal possession of a firearm, robbery, and drunk driving. Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, a documented member of the Logan Heights gang who was previously deported from the United States on three separate occasions, was discovered living with his wife, a DACA recipient, inside an in-home daycare for children in San Diego, California.

“It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city,” a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement, adding: “Thanks to the brave work of our ICE law enforcement officers, this criminal illegal alien, convicted pedophile, and known Logan Heights gang member—will no longer be able to prey on children inside a daycare.”

Cruz-Rodriguez was first ordered deported by a federal immigration judge in 1996 and was removed from the United States that same year. Subsequently, he reentered illegally and was deported again in 2003. A third deportation occurred in December 2012 after another illegal reentry. Following this, he reentered the U.S. again as an unknown “got-away.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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3 hours ago
Immigration
News

Open Borders Kill: At Least 49 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A boat carrying migrants towards Europe capsized off the coast of Mauritania, leaving at least 49 dead and around 100 missing.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The passengers were primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on August 26, approximately 37 miles north of Nouakchott, Mauritania.

🎯IMPACT: The drownings highlight the dangerousness of Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, encouraging migrants to make hazardous journeys in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive.

IN FULL

At least 49 migrants have died and around 100 more are missing after a dugout canoe capsized off the coast of Mauritania while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, a key gateway for illegal immigration into Europe. Mauritanian coastguards confirmed that 17 individuals were rescued, and search operations are still underway.

The vessel, which survivors say departed from Gambia six days earlier, was carrying approximately 160 migrants, primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals, when it overturned off Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. According to coastguard officials, the boat capsized late Tuesday night after passengers, spotting lights from a nearby coastal town, moved to one side, causing the vessel to destabilize and flip.

The incident occurred along the increasingly trafficked and notoriously deadly Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. This route has become one of the most popular and dangerous paths to Europe. More than half of migrant deaths worldwide result from drowning during illegal sea crossings, with the Canary Islands route accounting for a significant portion of those fatalities.

This incident highlights the threat to life posed by Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, with the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive, encouraging many migrants to embark on hazardous journeys.

Notably, the West African migration route to the Canary Islands has seen a dramatic rise recently. In 2024, illegal immigration along this route surged by 541 percent over a two-month period, overwhelming local Spanish authorities.

Image by Sebastián Losada.

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4 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Migrant Riots Are Overtaking Another Once-Peaceful European Country.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Riots broke out in Lausanne, Switzerland, following the death of a 17-year-old migrant during a police pursuit.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Marvin M., a migration-background 17-year-old, Swiss police, and up to 200 rioters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Marvin M. died while fleeing police on a stolen scooter on Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with riots taking place over the following days.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I expect that we will have [riots] again next week. Now you have these other groups, people related to more aggressive anti-capitalist positions, who say ‘OK, that’s the moment we can have riots’.” – Sandro Cattacin, sociology professor at the University of Geneva.

🎯IMPACT: The riots have raised concerns that Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, is facing the same issues with social disintegration as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-immigration European countries.

IN FULL

Lausanne, Switzerland, is facing riots after Marvin M., a 17-year-old migrant, died while fleeing police officers on a stolen scooter. The crash happened on Sunday, when Marvin drove into a garage wall. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at the scene.

Over Sunday and Monday nights, young rioters, many of them migrants, clashed with police, hurling Molotov cocktails and lighting fires. They accused the Lausanne police of so-called systemic racism, a charge intensified by recent findings of allegedly discriminatory messages in officers’ private WhatsApp chats, leading to the suspension of four officers.

Sandro Cattacin, a sociology professor at the University of Geneva, cautioned that the unrest could worsen if far-left anti-capitalist groups involve themselves. “If they arrive [at] the weekend, then [the riots will] be more brutal, and from the police [the response will] be more violent,” he said.

Mayor Gregoire Junod appeared to side with the rioters, urging a “cultural change” among the police to tackle alleged discrimination. Meanwhile, populist politicians have used the example of the riots to advocate for stricter immigration policies and policing.

The unrest underscores growing strains in Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, which has taken in over 200,000 refugees in the last decade and is beginning to experience some of the same social issues as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-diversity, high-immigration European countries.

Image by REGIS COLOMBO/diapo.ch.

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5 hours ago
Corruption
Lawfare

Trump, Fed Ask Court for Swift Decision on Dismissal of Lisa Cook.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump requested a judge deny Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook’s bid to block her removal as her lawsuit proceeds in court.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Lisa Cook, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Court filings were made on Friday morning, ahead of a scheduled hearing in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: The Federal Reserve stated it would “follow any order this Court issues.”

🎯IMPACT: The dispute will likely escalate to the Supreme Court for resolution regardless of the hearing’s outcome.

IN FULL

On Friday morning, President Donald J. Trump filed a request asking a judge to deny Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook’s attempt to block her removal. The filings were submitted just hours before a scheduled hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Cook’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges that Trump’s decision to terminate her is unlawful. She has requested a temporary restraining order to prevent her removal while the case is litigated. Trump has cited allegations from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who accused Cook of mortgage fraud involving properties in Atlanta and Ann Arbor, Michigan, prior to her tenure at the Federal Reserve.

On Thursday night, Pulte announced he had filed a second criminal referral against Cook with the Department of Justice (DOJ). This referral reportedly pertains to a mortgage for a condominium in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as alleged misrepresentations about that property and two others in government ethics filings during Cook’s time as a Fed governor.

The Federal Reserve, in its own court filing, stated it would not argue the merits of Cook’s request but asked Judge Jia Cobb to issue a “prompt ruling” to resolve the matter. The central bank also emphasized its intention to comply with any court order issued in the case. Cook has included Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Fed Board of Governors in her lawsuit, asserting that they could potentially act to enforce Trump’s decision to fire her.

Notably, Supreme Court precedent appears to be on President Trump’s side. Two early 20th-century cases, Shurtleff v. United States and Reagan v. United States, both grant the President broad authority to remove executive branch officials in cases where “for cause” statutes are vaguely defined.

Image by Brookings Institution.

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5 hours ago
News
Politics

Trump Terminates Security Detail for Kamala Harris.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s extended Secret Service protection has been canceled by President Donald J. Trump, effective September 1, 2025.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Kamala Harris, and the United States Secret Service.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision takes effect September 1, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” said Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris.

🎯IMPACT: Harris will no longer receive federal security protection, which was extended beyond the standard six months by former President Joe Biden in an order President Trump has now reversed.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has canceled extended Secret Service protection for former Vice President and failed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, effective September 1, 2025, according to a senior White House official. Typically, former vice presidents receive six months of Secret Service protection after leaving office, but Harris’s coverage was extended to one year by then‑President Joe Biden in an order that President Trump has now reversed.

Harris is set to embark on a 15‑city book tour in support of her memoir, 107 Days, which recounts her brief time as the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden’s withdrawal from the race. The tour, beginning in September, spans major U.S. cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Durham, Birmingham, and international stops in London and Toronto, and concludes in Miami on November 20.

The decision to terminate Harris’s additional security was communicated in a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that Secret Service protection beyond the six months required by law should be discontinued on September 1, 2025.

Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris, expressed gratitude on her behalf to the Secret Service, stating, “The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety.”

Since leaving office, Harris has focused on public engagement and writing. She notably announced in July 2025 that she will not run for California governor in 2026, a decision that closed off speculation about a state-level comeback. At the same time, she has not ruled out a potential second presidential bid in 2028.

President Trump’s move comes after his administration also removed Secret Service security for several others, including former national security official John Bolton. Bolton is now under investigation for potentially mishandling classified documents and was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on August 22.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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6 hours ago
News

FBI Director Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Files Suit Against Ex-Agent Over Spy Claims.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit has been filed against former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Kyle M. Seraphin, accusing him of maliciously making false claims about FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Alexis Wilkins, Kyle M. Seraphin, and FBI Director Kash Patel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The complaint was filed on August 27, 2025, in the Western District of Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[FBI Director Kash Patel] has had his own little ‘honeypot’ issue… She’s also a former Mossad agent… But I’m sure that’s totally because… love. That’s what real love looks like.” – Kyle M. Seraphin

🎯IMPACT: The case could set a precedent for accountability in spreading unverified and damaging claims online.

IN FULL

A legal complaint has been filed against Kyle M. Seraphin, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and current podcaster, alleging that he spread false and malicious claims about Alexis Wilkins, the American country singer dating FBI Director Kash Patel. The filing, made in the Western District of Texas, accuses Seraphin of falsely claiming that Wilkins is a foreign agent working to manipulate FBI Director Kash Patel.

The complaint references statements made by Seraphin on his podcast, where he alleged that Wilkins, described as a political commentator and country singer, was also a former Mossad agent. Seraphin further speculated on her relationship with Patel, suggesting ulterior motives tied to political affiliations.

“[FBI Director Kash Patel] has had his own little ‘honeypot’ issue that’s been going on of late, so we’re just going to acknowledge it real publicly,” Seraphin alleged, continuing: “He’s got a girlfriend that is half his age, who is apparently is both a country music singer, a political commentator on Rumble, a friend of John Rich through [Dan] Bongino, who also now owns a big chunk of Rumble, and she’s also a former Mossad agent in what is like the equivalent of their NSA.”

He added: “But I’m sure that’s totally because… love. That’s what real love looks like.”

Wilkins’s legal team argues that Seraphin knowingly spread these claims to his audience on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Rumble, and YouTube, profiting from the controversy. The complaint also highlights that Seraphin had met Wilkins and Patel at a conservative political event two years ago, making it unlikely that he was unaware of the facts regarding their relationship. Wilkins seeks to hold Seraphin accountable for what she claims are “malicious and knowing lies.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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19 hours ago
Health
News

RFK Jr., HHS Probe Medications of Catholic Church Trans Shooter.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced an investigation into whether psychiatric medication is contributing to the rise in mass shootings, following a mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a transgender gunman.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), shooter Robin Westman, and the broader American public impacted by mass shootings.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement came on Wednesday, following a shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Something changed, and it dramatically changed human behavior.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

🎯IMPACT: The investigation marks the first time the federal government is conducting studies into the potential link between psychiatric drugs and mass shootings.

IN FULL

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a federal investigation into the possible connection between psychiatric medications and mass shootings in the United States. Following the recent deadly attack at a Catholic school and church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a transgender gunman, Kennedy called the violence a “health crisis” and said his department is conducting the first in-depth government studies on the issue.

“I certainly consider mass shootings a health crisis, and we are doing for the first time real studies to find out what the ideology of that is. And we’re looking for the first time at psychiatric drugs,” Kennedy stated. He questioned whether America’s high rates of psychiatric drug use—many of which carry warnings for suicidal or homicidal thoughts—may be contributing to a disturbing change in people’s behavior. “Something changed, and it dramatically changed human behavior,” Kennedy Jr. said. “We are the most over-medicated nation in the world… and we will have an answer.”

Reflecting on his childhood, Kennedy, 71, said widespread gun ownership has existed in the U.S. for decades without the kind of violence seen today. “When I was a kid, we had shooting clubs at our school… Nobody was shooting,” he noted. “There’s never been a time in America, in the history of humanity, when people walked into a crowd… and just started randomly shooting. It’s happening in our country. It’s not happening around the world.”

The shooter at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Robin Westman, is a transgender previously known as Robert. The former marijuana dispensary employee opened fire during a morning mass, killing two young children and injuring at least 17 others. Authorities are reviewing videos allegedly posted by Westman before the shooting, showing disturbing content including Pride and Satanic symbols, anti-religious messages, and calls to “Kill Donald Trump.”

Westman’s case follows a growing number of mass shootings involving transgenders in recent years. Audrey Hale, another transgender shooter, killed six at a Christian school in Nashville in 2023. In 2024, Genesee Moreno, a transgender migrant, attempted a mass shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston. Other notable cases include Alec McKinney, a transgender teen who carried out a school shooting in Colorado in 2019, and Jack LaSota, the alleged leader of a violent transgender cult arrested in 2025 for multiple murders.

Kennedy said that gun access alone does not explain the trend. “There are many other countries that have comparable levels of guns… We had comparable levels in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. Something changed.”

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22 hours ago
News
Politics

Zohran Mamdani Trails Andrew Cuomo Head to Head in NYC.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A poll conducted by Tulchin Research suggests Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani would lose to former state governor Andrew Cuomo in a head-to-head contest for New York City Mayor—although he could win in a multi-candidate race.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Jim Walden.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Polling conducted from August 7 to 14, 2025, in New York City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “That poll is right.” – Andrew Cuomo

🎯IMPACT: The poll raises questions about Mamdani’s ability to secure victory in a two-person race if voters who oppose him rally to Cuomo.

IN FULL

A new poll from Tulchin Research, conducted between August 7 and 14 among 1,000 likely New York City voters, finds Democrat candidate and avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani trailing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) in a direct contest, 41 percent to Cuomo’s 52 percent. However, when the contest includes Republican Curtis Sliwa and independents Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden, Mamdani jumps to 42 percent, with Cuomo falling to 26 percent; Sliwa earns 17 percent, Adams nine percent, and Walden three percent.

Mamdani’s prior statements have generated significant controversy. Posts by the Ugandan immigrant and Muslim extremist critical of the NYPD resurfaced amid heightened attention following a police shooting, highlighting his strong anti-police views. He has also been publicly criticized for bragging about directing taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants, and for suggesting the abolition of prisons and private property—both of which have intensified concerns about his platform’s radicalism.

The self-described Democratic socialist’s candidacy has drawn national attention, particularly from President Donald J. Trump, who is considering intervening in the race to block Mamdani’s potential victory in November. Trump has floated the possibility of backing either Adams or Cuomo.

Addressing the Tulchin poll, Cuomo offered a succinct response: “That poll is right.”

However, as New York City prepares for its November 4 mayoral election, no major contenders have stepped aside, setting the stage for Mamdani securing the mayoralty due to the fracturing of those opposed to him.

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