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Category: Immigration
January 16, 2026
Immigration
News

Trump Dismisses Insurrection Act Use… For Now.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump addressed the potential use of the Insurrection Act amid ongoing clashes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, involving federal immigration authorities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, federal immigration authorities, local officials in Minnesota, and Republican senators.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Friday, during Trump’s departure from the White House, with events escalating in Minneapolis.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The Insurrection Act remains a contentious option, with Republican leaders expressing reservations and urging reliance on local law enforcement.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump stated on Friday that there was no immediate need to invoke the Insurrection Act, despite ongoing unrest in Minneapolis where federal immigration authorities have faced violent confrontations. The 1807 law, which Trump had previously threatened to use, allows the president to deploy the military to enforce federal laws and suppress rebellions.

“I believe it was Bush, the elder Bush, he used it, I think 28 times,” Trump told reporters while departing the White House. He added, “It’s been used a lot. And if I needed it, I’d use it. I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it. It’s very powerful.”

The law was last invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King case. However, some Republican leaders have expressed hesitation about its use. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) remarked, “Hopefully the local officials working with not only the federal law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also the local law enforcement officials will be able to settle things down.”

Trump, in a Truth Social post, referred to those confronting federal officers as “Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists,” and accused local leaders of losing control, adding: “The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control,” he wrote. “If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”

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January 16, 2026
Immigration
NatSec

Biden Let in 36,000 Afghan Refugees Without IDs, Including at Least 50 Terrorists.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Senate hearing revealed that tens of thousands of Afghan refugees lacked key identification when entering the United States under a Joe Biden-era parole program.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deputy Inspector General Craig Adelman, Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and so-called Afghan refugees.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The hearing took place on January 14, 2026, before the Senate Border Security and Immigration and Crime and Counterterrorism subcommittees.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “There was missing information from the [Operation Allies Welcome] population, including first, last names, and date of birth… There was about 11,000 to 12,000 that did not know their date of birth.” — Craig Adelman

🎯IMPACT: Concerns have been raised about the safety and security of Americans due to flaws in the vetting process for Afghan refugees.

IN FULL

The Deputy Inspector General (IG) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told members of the U.S. Senate this week that thousands of Afghan evacuees were admitted to the United States without essential identification documents as part of the Biden government’s Operation Allies Welcome initiative. Craig Adelman, who serves as the deputy IG, stated that around 36,000 of these Afghans arrived without any form of identification, and between 11,000 and 12,000 claimed they could not even supply their date of birth.

Operation Allies Welcome began in 2021 and was designed to resettle Afghans who were believed to be allies of the U.S. after the American military pullout from Afghanistan. However, former President Joe Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in a concerning number of alleged refugees entering the United States with little to no federal vetting, subsequently raising serious national security concerns.

“There was missing information from the [Operation Allies Welcome] population, including first, last names, and date of birth,” Adelman said on Wednesday, continuing, “There was about 11,000 to 12,000 that did not know their date of birth.”

Concerningly, Adelman told senators that his office found no evidence that the former Biden government conducted any systematic interviews or mental health screenings of refugees before allowing them into the United States. On November 26, 2025, an Afghan national who entered the United States under Biden’s special immigrant visa program (SIV) shot two National Guard soldiers near the White House, killing one.

Just days before, another Afghan national, who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome, was arrested and federally charged with transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. The incidents prompted the Trump administration to begin “actively re-examining” all Afghan nationals who entered the United States under former President Biden.

The hearing also saw lawmakers reveal that the former Biden government allowed at least 50 confirmed or suspected terrorists into the country.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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January 16, 2026
Immigration
News

Dem Bill Could Dox Thousands of ICE Agents, Admin Warns.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Democrat congressman proposed a bill requiring ICE and CBP agents to wear uniforms featuring QR codes for identification, sparking backlash from the Trump administration.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY), the Trump administration, and DHS officials.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The bill is set to be introduced next week; the debate centers on immigration enforcement nationwide.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Surely this cannot be a serious proposal,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.

🎯IMPACT: The proposal has reignited debates over law enforcement transparency and the role of immigration agencies.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has strongly opposed a legislative proposal from Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) that would mandate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to have QR codes displayed on their uniforms. Torres has explained that scanning these codes would provide the public with the officer’s name, badge number, and employing agency. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denounced the idea, describing it as a “widescale doxxing campaign” and cautioning that it would prompt protesters to disrupt law enforcement activities.

“This is all because Democrats want to defend criminal illegal aliens,” Jackson stated. Torres pushed back in defense of his proposal, asserting that the Trump administration is afraid of “transparency and accountability.” Speaking to AMNewYork, Torres claimed it is an urgent necessity to “unmask ICE” both “physically and digitally,” while positioning QR codes as a safer method than directly requesting an officer’s identification. He labeled ICE a “systemically corrupt institution” and vowed to resist any efforts to boost the agency’s funding.

Administration officials pointed to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statistics indicating a 1,300 percent increase in assaults on ICE officers, linked to “dangerous and untrue smears” promoted by Democrats.

Torres’s measure has received backing from fellow Democrats, such as foreign-born Representative Shri Thanedar of Michigan, who has advocated for eliminating ICE entirely.

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January 15, 2026
Corruption
Immigration

ICE Just Detained This Chinese Billionaire.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Cui Lijie, a Chinese national and billionaire financier behind a controversial casino in Saipan, on suspicion of immigration violations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Cui Lijie, her son Ji Xiaobo, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Imperial Pacific International LLC.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Cui was detained on Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the West Pacific.

🎯IMPACT: Cui’s arrest highlights ongoing scrutiny around Chinese investment in U.S. territories and raises questions about immigration enforcement and visa policies.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained Cui Lijie, a Chinese national and former majority shareholder of Imperial Pacific International LLC, on suspicion of immigration violations. The arrest took place in Saipan, part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. unincorporated territory in the West Pacific.

Cui, 68, was reportedly detained by ICE’s Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations on Tuesday and is currently being held at the Department of Corrections in the village of Susupe. Local newspaper Marianas Variety reported the arrest, but ICE has not disclosed further details or announced a date for her hearing with an immigration judge.

Cui and her son Ji Xiaobo, both Chinese nationals, were instrumental in developing the Imperial Pacific Palace casino and a $600 million beachside hotel. Their ventures in the gaming industry followed their success in the junket industry in Macao, which promotes high-stakes VIP gambling experiences. However, the casino’s operations were marred by allegations of unlawful employment of Chinese illegal immigrants, safety violations, and suspected bribery of local officials.

In 2020, several executives associated with Imperial Pacific International and its contractor, MCC International Saipan, faced charges related to the illegal employment of foreign workers and the transfer of over $24 million to the United States to support unlawful activities. The casino was shut down in March 2020 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024, citing $165.8 million in liabilities.

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January 15, 2026
Immigration
Politics

Noem Confirms She Has Spoken With Trump About Invoking Insurrection Act.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed discussions with President Donald J.  Trump about invoking the Insurrection Act regarding anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary Noem, President Trump, Minnesota state authorities, and violent anti-ICE demonstrators.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Discussions occurred on Thursday concerning events in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “We did discuss the Insurrection Act. He certainly has the constitutional authority to utilize that.” Sec. Kristi Noem

🎯IMPACT: Trump warned he may invoke the Insurrection Act if local authorities fail to address violent anti-ICE protests effectively.

IN FULL

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged that she has discussed with President Donald J. Trump the possibility of his invoking the Insurrection Act to quell violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Earlier on Thursday, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that he is considering invoking the law to deploy U.S. military to the city unless Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) and local Democrat officials put an end to the violent unrest targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and personnel in the state.

“We did discuss the Insurrection Act. He certainly has the constitutional authority to utilize that,” Sec. Noem said outside the White House on Thursday, adding, “My hope is that this leadership team in Minnesota will start to work with us to get criminals off the streets. Remember, we are there and surged operations because of the largest fraud scheme in American history.”

Noem’s comments came after President Trump warned earlier in the morning, “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State.”

Civil unrest in Minneapolis has intensified in recent days following the fatal shooting of an anti-ICE activist after she attempted to run over a federal immigration officer last week. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported late Wednesday that two individuals attacked an ICE agent with a broomstick and a snow shovel during an attempted detention of a Venezuelan man. The Venezuelan man was shot in the leg during the incident.

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January 15, 2026
Immigration
Lawfare

Trump Is Praising a Biden Judge’s ICE Ruling, Here’s Why…

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D).

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued late Wednesday, with President Trump praising the decision early Thursday morning.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “A highly respected judge declined to block I.C.E. operations in the very politically corrupt State of Minnesota. I.C.E. will therefore be allowed to continue its highly successful operation of removing some of the most violent and vicious criminals anywhere in the World, many of them murderers, from the State.” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: ICE operations in Minnesota will continue, with Trump praising law enforcement efforts to ensure public safety.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump on Thursday praised U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez’s decision not to issue an immediate temporary restraining order (TRO) against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota. On Monday, Democrat Governor Tim Walz’s administration filed a lawsuit against President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking to halt its immigration enforcement actions in the state and requesting an emergency TRO as litigation proceeds.

“A highly respected judge declined to block I.C.E. operations in the very politically corrupt State of Minnesota. I.C.E. will therefore be allowed to continue its highly successful operation of removing some of the most violent and vicious criminals anywhere in the World, many of them murderers, from the State,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding: “The great patriots of Law Enforcement will continue to make our Country safe. RECORD LOW CRIME NUMBERS!!!”

Judge Menendez—a Joe Biden appointee—stated that she was disinclined to issue the TRO before first hearing the Trump administration’s response to the lawsuit. However, she stressed her decision to decline the request “should not be taken as a prejudgment of the merits of either the plaintiff’s case or the anticipated defense that may be raised by the United States.”

“It is simply observing that these are grave and important matters and that they are somewhat frontier issues in constitutional law,” the judge added. Menendez requested that the Trump administration respond to Minnesota’s lawsuit by January 19 and that Gov. Walz file a reply by January 22.

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January 15, 2026
Immigration
Media
News

Diddy/Epstein-Linked Network Tries to Dox ICE Agents LIVE on Camera.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Sensitive documents looted from a government vehicle were publicly exposed on a MeidasTouch livestream on Wednesday, showing the full names, contact information, and other personal details of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and other officials connected to immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: MeidasTouch, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), FBI agents, and anti-ICE agitators.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: During a disorderly protest on Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where abandoned ICE vehicles were looted.

💬KEY QUOTE: “One of the ICE agent vehicles got broken into, and I found this paperwork.” – Meidas Touch livestreamer

🎯IMPACT: MeidasTouch’s actions leave federal agents at personal risk and undermine federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

IN FULL

Sensitive documents belonging to federal agents were exposed by the far-left MeidasTouch organization on Wednesday, after documents looted from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle were shown on a livestream. It had been abandoned amid aggressive protests by anti-ICE agitators in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“One of the ICE agent vehicles got broken into, and I found this paperwork. It has a list with FBI operation info; it’s got full names of FBI agents, phone numbers, emails, there’s maps on where they’re staying, where they’re holding immigrants,” said MeidasTouch’s correspondent, leafing through the documents on camera.

“There’s hotel names in there. There’s judge names. This paperwork has people’s full names and their emails,” she stressed again, going on to show “a map showing you where they’re taking immigration targets and instructions on how to get into the building and what they’re supposed to do on booking.”

MeidasTouch doxing officials connected to immigration enforcement leaves them at considerable personal risk, with cartel gangsters already having put bounties on the lives of immigration agents, such as Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino.

MeidasTouch Editor-in-Chief Ron Filipkowski likened his work to “dropping a burning ember in a dry forest” and creating a “big blaze” in 2024, while urging Democrats to spread “deceptive posts” on social media. The organization’s founders are brothers Jordan, Brett, and Ben Meiselas, the last of whom got started in politics working for Sean “Diddy” Combs and Hillary Clinton.

Reid Hoffman, the Democrat megadonor and Epstein Island visitor, was an early financial backer of MeidasTouch. Notably, Hoffman’s visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island—officially Little Saint James—came in 2014, years after the financier was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution. Hoffman later admitted that “by lending my association, I helped [Epstein’s] reputation, and thus delayed justice for his survivors.”

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January 15, 2026
Immigration
Lawfare

Appeals Court Reopens Trump Deportation Case Against Pro-Hamas Activist.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court decision ordering the release of pro-Hamas activist Mahmoud Khalil, effectively reopening the Trump administration’s deportation case against him and the possibility of his detention.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mahmoud Khalil, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Judges Thomas Hardiman, Stephanos Bibas, and Arianna J. Freeman.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The ruling was handed down on January 15, 2026.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Did the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) strip the New Jersey District Court of subject matter jurisdiction? It did.” – Court ruling

🎯IMPACT: The ruling marks a significant setback for Khalil, while highlighting the administration’s stance against foreign pro-Hamas agitators.

IN FULL

A federal appeals court on Thursday reopened the Trump administration’s deportation proceedings against pro-Hamas activist and former Columbia University graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil. In a two-to-one decision, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit found that the New Jersey District Court Judge Michael E. Farbiarz was not the appropriate authority to rule on Khalil’s petition for release.

“The first question presented is whether the New Jersey District Court had jurisdiction over Khalil’s habeas petition. We hold that it did,” the majority opinion states, continuing: “Our conclusion about habeas jurisdiction requires us to answer a second question: Did the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) strip the New Jersey District Court of subject matter jurisdiction? It did.”

“Because the INA channels ‘[j]udicial review of all questions of law . . . arising from any action taken or proceeding brought to remove an alien from the United States’ into a single petition for review filed with a federal court of appeals, we hold that the District Court lacked jurisdiction over Khalil’s removal proceedings,” the ruling concludes, before ordering Khalil’s habeas petition vacated and dismissed.

Appellate Judges Thomas Hardiman (a Bush appointee) and Stephanos Bibas (a Trump appointee), who made up the Third Circuit panel’s majority, stated that Khalil’s attorneys should first seek legal redress through the federal immigration court system and, only once that avenue is exhausted, file the habeas petition with the federal district court. Judge Arianna J. Freeman (a Biden appointee) dissented, contending that Khalil’s claims of government violations of his fundamental rights should not be dismissed without judicial review.

The ruling is a significant blow to Khalil and his legal team, after his release from federal custody in March of last year. While an appeal is likely, the ruling—for now—transfers the proceedings to the U.S. immigration court system and could result in Khalil being returned to federal custody as his deportation case continues.

Image by SWinxy.

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January 15, 2026
Immigration
News

Migrant Shot After Attacking ICE Officer With a Shovel.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Venezuelan migrant was shot in the leg after attacking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with a shovel during a targeted enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE officers, a Venezuelan migrant, and others who attacked law enforcement during the operation.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Wednesday evening, near North Sixth Street and North 24th Avenue in Minneapolis.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life,” DHS officials said.

🎯IMPACT: Leftist agitators are protesting ICE operations in Minneapolis, with some confrontations between them and federal officers turning violent.

IN FULL

The target of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) action—a Venezuelan migrant—was shot in the leg on Wednesday evening. Officials say the migrant assaulted an ICE officer by striking him with a shovel, trying to hit his head, and the officer fired in self-defense.

After this clash, the Venezuelan ran into a nearby home, where three other targeted migrants were located, and they barricaded the residence. ICE eventually breached the building with a specialized tactical unit, and all four migrants were eventually detained.

Homeland Security officials explained that the officer faced an attack not only from the primary suspect but also from two others who came out of a nearby apartment, wielding a snow shovel and a broom handle. “Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired defensive shots to defend his life,” DHS officials said in a statement.

Leftist agitators in Minneapolis protested following the incident, with demonstrators confronting police officers well into the night. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and Police Chief Brian O’Hara held a joint news conference, calling for calm while criticizing ICE. Frey stated, “We have ICE agents throughout our city and throughout our state who, along with Border Patrol, are creating chaos. This is not the path we should be on in America,” implicitly suggesting that violent illegal aliens should be effectively exempted from federal immigration law and left alone.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche blamed Minnesota’s Democrat leaders for inciting violence against officers, saying, “Minnesota insurrection is a direct result of a FAILED governor and a TERRIBLE mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting.” Notably, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has previously compared ICE to Adolf Hitler’s Gestapo, and likened the current immigration enforcement operations in the North Star State to an “occupation.”

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January 15, 2026
Immigration

Trump Considers Invoking Insurrection Act Amid Minnesota Unrest.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy U.S. military forces to Minnesota as protests escalate against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, federal immigration agents, protesters, and violent anti-ICE protestors.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Trump referenced the Insurrection Act in a January 15, 2026, post on Truth Social in response to ongoing violent anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis, Minnesota

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT.” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: Invoking the Insurrection Act would allow President Trump to deploy U.S. military forces to the streets of Minneapolis to quell anti-ICE disorder.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump stated on Thursday that he will invoke the Insurrection Act in response to ongoing violent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, unless state and local officials obey federal orders and end the demonstrations. The rarely used federal law would allow President Trump to deploy U.S. military forces to the city to quell the unrest.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump wrote in a post Truth Social on Thursday.

The Insurrection Act was first used by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, though its use has been relatively rare in subsequent years. George H.W. Bush was the last U.S. president to invoke the act in 1992 to deploy troops to Los Angeles in response to the Rodney King riots.

Civil unrest in Minneapolis has intensified in recent days following the fatal shooting of an anti-ICE activist after she attempted to run over a federal immigration officer last week. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported late Wednesday that two individuals attacked an ICE agent with a broomstick and a snow shovel during an attempted detention of a Venezuelan man. The Venezuelan man was shot in the leg during the incident.

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