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Category: Crime
January 23, 2026
Crime
News

Man Charged Over Threats to Kill ICE Agents and ‘Maga Maggots’ Had Weapons Cache, Palestinian Flag.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A 21-year-old Ohio man was arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and others on social media.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Justin Mesael Novoa, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Arrest made in Ohio, on January 22, 2026; home raided in December 2025; threats posted earlier in November and June 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Alright, you got me. That was me,” Novoa reportedly admitted during the search of his home.

🎯IMPACT: Novoa faces over 10 years in prison if convicted; the case is set for a preliminary hearing on February 5.

IN FULL

Federal authorities arrested Justin Mesael Novoa, 21, of Ohio, on charges of threatening to assault or murder a federal law enforcement officer and for threatening interstate communications. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest on Thursday, following an investigation into social media posts where Novoa allegedly threatened to shoot U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and people he referred to as “retarded maga maggots.”

According to the DOJ, the threats were posted on X (formerly Twitter) in June and November 2025. One post on November 9 stated, “can’t wait to shoot these p*ssy ice agents and retarded maga maggots.” Another post from June read, “they should blast every ice agent they find” and encouraged shooting agents in “masked, unmarked vehicles, no badge or id.”

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents served a summons to X on December 16 to obtain information about the anonymous account. The data provided by X linked the account to Novoa’s email and phone number. On December 20, agents executed a search of his home, where Novoa reportedly admitted to making the posts, saying, “Alright, you got me. That was me.”

During the search, authorities found two rifles, two shotguns, a handgun, ammunition, helmets, a plate carrier, and a Palestinian flag. The criminal complaint also detailed a history of anti-white and anti-Jewish posts from the account, including statements such as “hitler should have finished the job” and “id join hamas too. these filthy f***king subhuman rats deserve to be gassed and executed.”

Novoa is currently being held in jail by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. If convicted, Novoa could face more than 10 years in prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 5.

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January 23, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Dem Congressman Admits ICE ‘Serves the Public Interest,’ Begs Leftists to Stop Obstruction.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Jared Golden (D-ME) issued a statement urging his constituents not to interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state, acknowledging that their presence “serves the public interest.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Representative Jared Golden, ICE agents, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D), and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Maine, during the ongoing ICE operation “Catch of the Day,” announced this week by DHS.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Free speech and lawful protest are protected rights, but regardless of how anyone feels about immigration policy or ICE’s tactics, people must not obstruct or impede law enforcement activities.” – Jared Golden

🎯IMPACT: Golden’s stance has drawn criticism from progressive Democrats but praise from constituents in his conservative-leaning district.

IN FULL

Representative Jared Golden (D-ME) is one of the few Democrats around the country urging his constituents not to interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations currently underway in his state. Golden stated that these operations, part of “Operation Catch of the Day” announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “serve the public interest.”

Golden took an unusually firm stance in his statement, emphasizing, “A targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals who have engaged in criminal activity serves the public interest.” He also reminded constituents that while peaceful protests are a protected right, obstructing law enforcement activities is unacceptable. “Regardless of how anyone feels about immigration policy or ICE’s tactics, people must not obstruct or impede law enforcement activities,” he wrote.

The operation, which has seen increased federal scrutiny of Maine‘s Somali immigrant community, has seen public pushback from other Democrat lawmakers. Governor Janet Mills expressed outrage over ICE’s tactics. Mills stated, “If the Federal government has warrants, then it should show them. But if they are separating working mothers from young children, solely because they sought freedom here and have committed no crime, then the Federal government is only sowing intimidation and fear.”

Meanwhile, Senator Susan Collins (R) also weighed in, stating, “People who are in this country legally should not be targets of ICE investigations. They should be able to continue to go to work, school, and other public places and carry on with their normal lives.”

The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) had falsely suggested it could be legal for people to use deadly force against masked ICE agents, under Arizona’s “Stand Your Ground” law, if they feel their life is in danger.

Maine is not the only state where government officials are pleading with far-left demonstrators to stop interfering with law enforcement. Late Thursday, Vancouver, Washington Police Chief Troy Price posted a video to X (formerly Twitter), asking the public to stop following, approaching, and harassing his department’s specialty units, including the city’s S.W.A.T. team and Crime Reduction Unit. According to Chief Price, both police units have been mistaken by demonstrators for ICE agents.

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January 23, 2026
Crime

Feds Capture Olympian Turned Sinaloa Cocaine Kingpin Ryan Wedding.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, accused of running a major drug trafficking network and orchestrating multiple murders, has been arrested.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old Canadian national, and Andrew Clark, his alleged second-in-command.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Wedding was believed to have been living in Mexico and was added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last year.

🎯IMPACT: The arrest marks a significant development in dismantling an alleged drug network that moved cocaine from Colombia through Mexico to the U.S. and Canada.

IN FULL

Infamous drug trafficker, Sinaloa Cartel associate, and former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been arrested after being added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last year. A Canadian national, Wedding is accused of running a major drug network that smuggled cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into the United States. In addition, Wedding, 44, is accused of orchestrating several brutal murders to protect his drug trafficking interests.

Federal law enforcement believes that Wedding was hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel prior to his arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel formally announced the Olympian’s capture on Friday.

Wedding is accused of taking out a “multimillion-dollar bounty” targeting a federal witness against him last November. The FBI also contends that Wedding, along with his alleged second-in-command, Andrew Clark, 34, ordered the killings of two members of a Canadian family in 2023 as retaliation for a stolen drug shipment. The pair is further accused of directing the killing of another person in 2024 over an unresolved drug debt.

In 2002, Ryan Wedding represented Canada during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, by 2024, the athlete found himself criminally charged by the U.S. government for overseeing a sprawling cocaine smuggling operation which used semi-trucks to transport narcotics from Colombia—using routes through Mexico—destined for sale in the United States and Canada.

Last November, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced additional charges against Wedding, including two counts of murder involving the deaths of two witnesses in Colombia that were part of a federal extradition proceeding against him. He was previously convicted in the United States in 2010 on conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

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January 22, 2026
Crime
News

Jury Weighs Case Against Man Accused of Putting Bounty on Border Patrol Commander.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Chicago man is on trial for allegedly offering a bounty to kill Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino. Prosecutors argue it was a murder-for-hire plot, while the defense claims the defendant merely shared a social media post.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gregory Bovino, defendant Juan Espinoza Martinez, and federal prosecutors.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The trial took place in Chicago, Illinois, with the jury beginning deliberations on Thursday.

💬KEY QUOTE:  Messages included statements that “offered $2,000 for information on [Bovino’s] whereabouts and $10,000 if you take him down.”

🎯IMPACT: The trial is a test for the Justice Department, which has struggled with similar prosecutions.

IN FULL

A federal jury in Chicago, Illinois, is weighing the case of Juan Espinoza Martinez, who is charged with offering a bounty for the killing of Gregory Bovino, a senior tactical commander with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Prosecutors allege that Espinoza Martinez sent a series of Snapchat messages in October that amounted to a solicitation for murder.

According to testimony, the messages included statements that “offered $2,000 for information on [Bovino’s] whereabouts and $10,000 if you take him down,” along with an image of the Border Patrol commander. The government argues the messages were intentional and aimed at inciting violence against a federal official.

Defense attorneys counter that the messages were not original threats but forwarded social media posts reflecting anger over immigration raids. Defense lawyer Jonathan Bedi told jurors that “repeating neighborhood gossip is not a crime,” arguing there was no proof his client intended real-world harm. Espinoza Martinez’s brother testified that the messages were expressions of outrage circulating online after enforcement operations in Chicago and were not meant as an actual call to violence.

Bovino has been a visible figure in immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. Federal officials have warned in recent years that criminal organizations and extremist activists have circulated bounties and threats against ICE and Border Patrol agents, including senior commanders. Bovino himself has been targeted during protests, and video has circulated showing an agitator attempting to confront and attack him during a tense standoff involving federal agents.

Image by Chad Davis.

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January 22, 2026
Crime

Trump Admin’s Vought Turns Gaze on Federal Funding for Dem States.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered federal agencies to compile reports on funding provided to Democrat-controlled states in what appears to be a broader federal effort to investigate widespread social services fraud.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), OMB Director Russell Vought, federal agencies, and a number of Democrat-controlled states.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The memo was issued on January 20, with a deadline for agencies to submit data by January 28.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “This is a data-gathering exercise only. It does not involve withholding funds, and therefore does not violate any court order.” – OMB memo

🎯IMPACT: The states slated for the data collection include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—along with Washington, D.C.

IN FULL

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—under the direction of the agency’s director, Russell Vought—has instructed nearly all federal agencies to compile detailed reports on federal funding directed to Democratic-led states. According to documents that surfaced on Thursday, the directive excludes the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Notably, the January 20 memo emphasizes that this is a “data-gathering exercise only” and states that it “does not involve withholding funds, and therefore does not violate any court order.” While the memo does not outright state the intent of the data-gathering, it is likely tied to ongoing investigations into widespread allegations of social services fraud and the misuse of federal funds in Democrat-controlled states.

The states slated for the data collection include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington state, along with Washington, D.C. The reports are expected to detail federal funding to states and localities, universities, and nonprofit organizations operating within these jurisdictions. Importantly, the funds in question are appropriated by Congress, and the deadline for agencies to submit the requested data is January 28.

Allegations of the criminal misuse and fraudulent disbursement of taxpayer dollars have continued to mount after numerous social services fraud schemes were exposed in Minnesota, most of which have been linked to the state’s large Somali immigrant community. Similar accusations have arisen in Maine and California as well.

The National Pulse reported earlier this month that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent deployed his department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to begin a geographic targeting operation for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, applying extra scrutiny to all businesses engaging in overseas money transfers. In addition to the FinCEN geographic targeting order, Sec. Bessent announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will soon launch a task force charged with investigating instances of COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud and violations of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by nonprofits tied to the numerous Somali community-linked social services fraud schemes.

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January 22, 2026
Crime

Judge Rejects DOJ Charges Against Don Lemon for Church Invasion.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A federal magistrate judge in Minnesota declined to sign a complaint charging disgraced journalist Don Lemon for his involvement in a protest inside a St. Paul church.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Don Lemon, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, and anti-ICE agitators Chauntyll Louisa Allen and Nekima Levy Armstrong.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota was invaded on Sunday.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Being a journalist is not a badge or a shield that protects you from criminal consequences.” — Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon

🎯IMPACT: The Justice Department may explore other avenues to charge Lemon, while two other anti-ICE activists face federal charges under civil rights laws.

IN FULL

Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon appears to have escaped federal charges for the moment for his role in the storming of a Christian worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, by anti-ICE protestors last Sunday. On Thursday, a Minnesota federal magistrate judge refused to sign a criminal complaint charging Lemon, while still signing other charging documents against two of the protest’s organizers.

On Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into the storming of Cities Church, in which anti-ICE extremists entered the sanctuary and halted the service for roughly 30 minutes, eventually causing worshipers to flee the building. Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted hostile interviews during the disruption. Subsequent video clips suggest the ex-CNN anchor may have been more involved in the incident than he has publicly said.

Earlier on Thursday, Nekima Levy Armstrong—who runs the Black Lives Matter-affiliated Racial Justice Network (RJN)—was arrested and federally charged for her role in organizing the demonstration. Armstrong faces federal charges under 18 USC 241, a civil rights statute prohibiting conspiracies to interfere with constitutionally protected rights, such as religious freedom, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.

In addition, Chauntyll Louisa Allen—a member of the St. Paul School board—was also arrested and charged. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who arrived in Minnesota earlier this week to oversee the mobilization of DOJ resources to address ongoing violent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, announced the charges against both Armstrong and Allen.

Meanwhile, Lemon may still face federal charges despite the magistrate judge’s rejection of the DOJ filing. “Being a journalist is not a badge or a shield that protects you from criminal consequences,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon said in response to the decision.

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January 22, 2026
William Upton
Crime

DOJ Arrests Radical Black Activist Behind Anti-ICE Church Invasion.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Federal authorities arrested an anti-ICE agitator after a mob stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, and Nekima Levy Armstrong.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Announced Thursday, January 22, 2026, following the invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a service.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.” – Pam Bondi

🎯IMPACT: Federal action highlights a zero-tolerance stance on attacks against religious institutions by far-left activists.

IN FULL

The far-left organizer of an anti-ICE protest that stormed the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the weekend has been arrested by federal law enforcement. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday, January 22, that Nekima Levy Armstrong—a radical black activist who operates in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and runs the Racial Justice Network (RJN)—has been taken into custody for organizing what is being characterized as an attack on the church.

“Minutes ago at my direction, HSI and FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Attorney General Bondi wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning. She added, “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.”

The National Pulse reported on Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had opened an investigation into the violent protest, which halted a Christian worship service at Cities Church for around 30 minutes as anti-ICE agitators screamed at and intimidated parishioners. Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted interviews during the disruption. Congregants were forced to flee as the unrest unfolded inside the church.

Following the storming of Cities Church, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) tried to distance himself from the incident and ongoing violent anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Late Monday, Walz’s office claimed he has “repeatedly” urged residents to protest “peacefully,” despite prior anti-ICE provocations by the governor. “The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship,” his office claimed.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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January 22, 2026
William Upton
Crime

Parks Police Ask National Guard to Help Rid Notorious DC Landmark of Crime.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The United States Park Police has requested National Guard assistance in patrolling one of Washington, D.C.’s most notorious crime-ridden parks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Guard, the United States Park Police, Rock Creek Park Superintendent Brian Joyner, President Donald J. Trump, Meridian Hill Park, and criminals.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The Park Police request and National Guard patrols were announced earlier this week.

🎯IMPACT: The National Guard presence will coincide with National Park Service repairs to the park’s ornate cascading fountain, which had been rendered inoperable for years due to disrepair.

IN FULL

The United States Park Police has requested National Guard assistance in patrolling one of Washington, D.C.’s most notorious crime-ridden parks. National Guard units will now bolster the Park Police presence in Meridian Hill Park—dubbed by some residents as Malcolm X Park—”for the foreseeable future,” according to a notice from the superintendent of Rock Creek Park, which oversees the D.C. landmark.

Meridian Hill Park, covering an area of nearly 12 acres, sits 1.5 miles north of the White House and is bounded by 15th and 16th Streets NW in the nation’s capital. While the park was once known for its sweeping views of Washington, D.C., and its cascading fountain, Meridian Hill in the 1960s and ’70s became the epicenter of major political protests and eventually one of the city’s most crime-ridden places.

According to Rock Creek Park Superintendent Brian Joyner, the National Guard presence is due to “high levels of incidents” in the area, especially in the evenings. Notably, the National Guard presence will coincide with National Park Service repairs to the park’s ornate cascading fountain, which had been rendered inoperable for years due to disrepair.

Since the start of his second term last year, President Donald J. Trump has pushed an effort to clean up Washington, D.C., and crack down on crime in the city. The National Pulse reported last week that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates the Washington, D.C. area Metro subway and bus system, announced that 2025 marked the lowest crime rate in over two decades.

Additionally, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data shows that 2025 saw a 29 percent reduction in incidents of violent crime, with the number of homicides falling by an astounding 32 percent across the capital.

Image by Elvert Barnes.

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January 21, 2026
Crime
Immigration

DHS Officers Rammed By Illegal Immigrant, Shots Fired.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A federal agent opened fire in Southern California after a criminal illegal immigrant rammed law enforcement with his vehicle in an attempt to evade arrest.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers and William Eduardo Moran Carballo, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Wednesday morning in Compton, California.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots.” – DHS spokesman

🎯IMPACT: The suspect was apprehended without harm, but a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer sustained injuries.

IN FULL

A federal agent fired his weapon during a law enforcement operation in Compton, California, on Wednesday after a suspect used his vehicle to strike officers while attempting to avoid arrest, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The incident occurred during a targeted operation to apprehend William Eduardo Moran Carballo, a Salvadoran national accused of involvement in human smuggling. DHS said Carballo had previously been arrested twice for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and was the subject of a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in 2019.

“In a dangerous attempt to evade arrest, this criminal illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots,” a DHS spokesman said. Authorities said the suspect was not hit by the gunfire and fled on foot before being taken into custody. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was injured during the encounter, while the suspect was unharmed.

DHS, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), argued that sanctuary policies and ongoing violent anti-ICE protests have emboldened criminals to resist arrest. “These dangerous attempts to evade arrest have surged since sanctuary politicians, including Governor [Gavin] Newsom, have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest and provided guides advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest,” the agency said. The agency noted there has been a 3,200 percent increase in vehicle attacks against law enforcement.

The Compton confrontation comes amid a series of recent attacks targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and other federal officers. In one case, federal authorities offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the capture of an illegal immigrant accused of ramming ICE agents with a vehicle. In another case, an illegal immigrant received a 20-year federal prison sentence for a violent assault on an ICE officer.

Additional incidents have included a California professor accused of attacking ICE agents with tear gas and a reported 1,000 percent increase in assaults on ICE personnel following a sniper attack, according to federal officials.

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January 20, 2026
William Upton
Crime
Politics

Anti-ICE Groups Could Be Stripped of Non-Profit Status. Here’s How.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A nonprofit watchdog group, the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), and Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee are urging the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to begin investigating the tax-exempt status of leftist nonprofits, especially those behind violent anti-ICE protests in Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), the House Ways and Means Committee, the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and various leftist nonprofit organizations.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The letters were sent to the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Based on CCR’s fiscal sponsorship of an organization called, ‘Defend 612,’ we believe they may be in violation of one or more requirements for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), including, but not limited to, advocating for interference with federal immigration enforcement operations and advocating for ‘community defense’ against federal immigration authorities, insinuating the use of violence as a tactic.” — Center to Advance Security in America (CASA)

🎯IMPACT: Both the CASA and the House Ways and Means letters urge a broader federal approach that could result in a new framework for granting tax-exempt status and for how nonprofits operate in the United States.

IN FULL

A nonprofit watchdog group, the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), is pushing U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to launch an investigation into the tax-exempt status of a Minnesota group they allege has been integral to funding violent anti-ICE demonstrations in the state. At the same time, Bessent is also being urged by the House Ways and Means Committee’s Republican members to launch a similar investigation into leftist nonprofits and efforts to interfere with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

“We are writing to formally request that the Internal Revenue Service begin an investigation to review the tax-exempt status of the above-referenced organization, Cooperation Cannon River [CCR],” the CASA letter reads, continuing, “Based on CCR’s fiscal sponsorship of an organization called, ‘Defend 612,’ we believe they may be in violation of one or more requirements for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), including, but not limited to, advocating for interference with federal immigration enforcement operations and advocating for ‘community defense’ against federal immigration authorities, insinuating the use of violence as a tactic.”

“We believe that after a proper investigation, the facts will show that CCR’s support for ‘Defend 612’ and funding of its potentially illegal activity will be sufficient evidence to revoke its tax-exempt status,” the watchdog group’s letter contends.

Likewise, the House Ways and Means letter is asking Bessent and the IRS to investigate a broader swath of nonprofits, which they say exploit tax-exempt status to promote “anti-American and/or pro-terrorist ideals” and engage in fraudulent activities that misuse taxpayer funds. “As the Ways and Means Committee continues to investigate every corner of the tax-exempt sector to root out this waste, fraud, abuse, and illegal activity, it is now abundantly clear the system is in desperate need of an overhaul,” Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) wrote.

The National Pulse reported earlier this month that Secretary Bessent announced the IRS would soon form a task force charged with investigating instances of COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud and violations of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by nonprofits tied to the numerous Somali community-linked social services fraud schemes. However, both the CASA and the House Ways and Means letters urge a broader federal approach that could result in a new framework for granting tax-exempt status and for how nonprofits operate in the United States.

Already, the Ways and Means Committee has referred 11 nonprofits to the Treasury Department for investigation, citing allegations of antisemitism, terrorism ties, and illegal activities. Among those under scrutiny are The People’s Forum, accused of ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and other groups allegedly involved in anti-Israel protests and activities deemed unlawful.

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