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Category: Immigration
December 17, 2025
Immigration
News

Trump Expands Travel Ban, Adds Palestinians and 20 Other Nations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced an expansion of his travel ban, adding 20 more countries to the list of nations facing entry prohibitions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The policy follows a fatal attack on National Guard troops during the Thanksgiving holiday period in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to the measures as addressing “foreign invaders” entering the United States.

🎯IMPACT: The expansion doubles the number of countries subject to U.S. travel restrictions, with measures ranging from stricter visa screening to enhanced documentation requirements.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has confirmed a significant expansion of his travel ban policy, adding entry restrictions for citizens from 20 additional countries. The new measures feature full bans on individuals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria seeking to enter the United States.

Administration officials defended the move as necessary to bolster border security, pointing to widespread corruption, fake documents, and inconsistent criminal records in the listed countries. These issues make it challenging to effectively screen applicants.

The decision comes in the wake of a deadly shooting over the Thanksgiving period, in which Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers near the White House. One soldier, Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe is still in critical condition. Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. amid former President Joe Biden’s botched 2021 withdrawal from Kabul, has entered a not guilty plea to murder and assault charges.

The updated proclamation applies partial limits to 15 other countries, including Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. These are now subject to tougher visa reviews or additional paperwork demands, but not complete bans. Current lawful residents and those with valid visas are not affected.

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December 17, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Migrants Are Commiting 500% More Rapes and 400% More Murders Than Locals in This Western Country.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A new study reveals the disproportionate role of foreigners in serious crimes in Spain, including rapes and murders, which have risen sharply in recent years.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Researchers from CEU-CEFAS Demographic Observatory, migrants, and Spanish citizens.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Crime data analyzed from 2010-2024 across Spain.

💬KEY QUOTE: “91 percent of convicted rapists are migrants.” – CEU-CEFAS Report on crime in the Catalonia region.

🎯IMPACT: The study calls for stricter migration controls, additional police resources, and harsher penalties to address the rise in violent crimes.

IN FULL

Independent analysts are raising alarms about the involvement of foreigners in serious crime in Spain. According to a new study by the CEU-CEFAS Demographic Observatory, migrants are “significantly overrepresented” in the European Union (EU) member state’s most serious criminal statistics.

In Catalonia, the report notes that although migrants account for only about 17 percent of the population, “91 percent of convicted rapists are migrants.” Across Spain’s prison system, where foreign nationals make up around 31 percent of inmates, the study says they commit “500 percent more rapes and 414 percent more murders per capita than Spanish citizens.” Between 2019 and 2023, attempted murders nearly doubled, while penetrative rape cases climbed 143 percent, rising from 2,214 to 5,206. Illegal property occupation has also grown sharply, with foreigners accounting for more than half of arrests in such cases, a figure far exceeding their share of the population. The report attributes these trends to “imported crime” and calls for stricter migration controls, additional police and judicial resources, and tougher penalties.

Recent regional data appear to reinforce these concerns. In Barcelona, police figures for 2024 show that nearly 80 percent of arrests involved foreign nationals, particularly in theft, violent robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual assault. In the Basque Country, people of foreign origin accounted for nearly two-thirds of arrests so far in 2025, despite immigrants representing a relatively small portion of the population.

Comparable patterns have been reported elsewhere in Europe. In Austria, police data from last year showed that foreign nationals made up about 46.8 percent of all criminal suspects, even though they account for only around 20 percent of the population. In Germany, foreigners are also overrepresented in crime statistics. In Berlin, for instance, excluding immigration-related offenses, nearly 44 percent of recorded crimes involved foreign suspects, a figure that rises above 57 percent in more diverse cities such as Frankfurt. Notably, violent crime, including homicide, has increased in several German regions in recent years.

The United Kingdom has reported similar disparities. Police data indicate that foreign nationals account for a disproportionate share of sexual offense charges in London compared with their share of the population.

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December 16, 2025
Immigration
Politics

Dem Governor Allows Law Blocking Police from Assisting ICE to Pass.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Governor Janet Mills (D) of Maine allowed LD 1971, a law barring state police from enforcing federal immigration laws, to pass without her signature.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Janet Mills, Democratic state Representative Deqa Dhalac, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Maine’s Republican Party.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The law will take effect in January after Mills declined to veto it within the required ten-day window.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Maine is making clear what we believe: that the federal government should overhaul a failed immigration system… and that no one will make us abandon our neighbors based on the color of their skin or the country they once, if ever, called home.” – Janet Mills

🎯IMPACT: Critics, including Maine’s Republican Party, argue the law endangers public safety by limiting cooperation between state and federal law enforcement.

IN FULL

Maine’s Governor Janet Mills (D) has decided she will allow LD 1971, a law preventing state police from enforcing immigration laws or assisting federal immigration authorities, to pass without her signature. Mills stated that she feels U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has engaged in “unacceptable actions,” though she admitted the new law is “imperfect.”

Mills failed to act within the ten-day window to sign or veto the legislation, effectively allowing it to become law automatically when the Maine legislature reconvenes in January. In an op-ed published on Monday, Gov. Mills criticized ICE for targeting individuals she described as “law-abiding” and accused the federal government of “weaponizing” immigration enforcement. She also repealed a prior executive order requiring state police cooperation with ICE.

The bill was introduced by Democrat state Representative Deqa Dhalac, a Somali immigrant and the first black Muslim woman elected to Maine’s state legislature. Dhalac argued that the law would “protect the dignity, due process, and public safety of all who call our state home,” while accusing local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities of eroding trust with immigrant communities.

Maine’s Republican Party strongly criticized the decision, stating, “Limiting cooperation between Maine law enforcement and federal authorities… shows a reckless disregard for public safety and will put Maine’s public at risk.” The GOP also warns that the law shields dangerous criminals and hinders law enforcement from protecting the public effectively.

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December 16, 2025
Economy
Immigration

Trump’s Treasury Secretary: Mass Deportations Are Lowering Rent for Americans.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent credited President Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation agenda for helping bring down apartment rents across the U.S.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Comments were made on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Rents are down. You know the story that the Biden administration doesn’t want to talk about: The mass unfettered immigration that pushed up rents, especially for working Americans.” – Scott Bessent

🎯IMPACT: The decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has lessened competition in the rental market, causing housing costs to begin to decline for working Americans.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation of illegal immigrants is beginning to have an impact on housing rents, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Data from November shows that apartment rents fell 1.1 percent compared to the previous year, and 5.2 percent compared to November 2022.

“Rents are down. You know the story that the Biden administration doesn’t want to talk about: The mass unfettered immigration that pushed up rents, especially for working Americans,” Bessent said on Tuesday. He continued: “There’s a recent study out from the Wharton School that shows every one percent increase in population, rents went up one percent. So, by enforcing the border, sending home more than two million illegals, we’re now seeing… rents coming down substantially.”

“I think that will continue for the rest of the year. We brought interest rates down, so we brought mortgage rates down, and I think everything else will follow that,” the Treasury Secretary added. Meanwhile, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner recently noted that the surge in housing prices, which occurred as former President Joe Biden imported millions of illegal immigrants to the United States, shows “it’s not a coincidence, it’s a correlation.”

The National Pulse previously reported that as the impacts of the Biden government’s immigration and border policies began to take hold in early 2024, New York City saw rental costs skyrocket. In February 2024, there was an 18 percent surge in one-bedroom rentals in New York City, which pushed the average price to a record high of $4,200. Even in Jersey City, situated across the Hudson River from Manhattan, the median rent cost rose 5.4 percent to $3,140.

Earlier this month, HUD found that mass immigration has a specific detrimental impact on lower-income Americans who earn too much to qualify for public housing assistance. “One key cause of elevated worst-case needs is immigration. Between 2021 and 2024, the foreign-born population of the United States increased by more than six million—the largest such increase over such a short period in American history,” the HUD investigation stated, adding: “This immigration-driven increase in households has contributed to a significant increase in housing demand, thus driving up housing prices. In fact, in some markets, immigration has accounted for nearly all of the increase in housing demand in recent years.”

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December 16, 2025
Immigration

Trump Implements Stricter Green Card Eligibility Rules.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced new photo requirements for immigration documents, effective immediately.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and immigration applicants, including Green Card holders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on December 2025, with immediate effect across the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This ensures every photo used in a secure document is recent, accurate, and reliable—key requirements to preventing fraud and identity theft.” – USCIS

🎯IMPACT: The updated requirements are part of a broader push by DHS to modernize screening and vetting processes for immigrants.

IN FULL

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is implementing new requirements for photographs submitted with immigration documents. Announced on December 12, the updated guidance takes effect immediately and is part of a broader push by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to modernize screening and vetting processes for immigrants, including Green Card holders and applicants.

Under the new policy, photographs submitted for official immigration documents must not be older than three years from the date a form is filed. This marks a departure from the previous flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, where photos could be reused for up to 10 years to accommodate processing disruptions. That allowance has now been rescinded.

Additionally, self-submitted photos, including those taken at home or by private providers, will no longer be accepted. Only photographs captured by USCIS or other government-authorized entities will meet the new requirements. According to USCIS, “This ensures every photo used in a secure document is recent, accurate, and reliable—key requirements to preventing fraud and identity theft.”

The updated policy applies to several important forms, including the Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card), Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization), and Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship). USCIS stated, “This policy change aligns with Department of Homeland Security priorities to modernize screening and vetting processes and address the vulnerabilities in identity documents.”

Image by Gulbenk.

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December 16, 2025
Corruption
Immigration

Trump Cabinet Member Demands Tim Walz Resign Amid Fraud Scandal.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon is calling for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) to resign over widespread fraud allegations in the state.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sec. McMahon, Governor Walz, and others accused of fraud links, including Somali-linked nonprofits like Feeding Our Future and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The letter was sent on Tuesday, addressing fraud in Minnesota during Walz’s tenure as governor, which began in 2019.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Shame on you, Governor Walz, for allowing this to happen—and for benefiting from it.” – Linda McMahon

🎯IMPACT: Alleged fraud has cost taxpayers over $1 billion, with calls for accountability and potential political consequences for Walz.

IN FULL

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon is demanding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) resign over his administration’s handling—and alleged enabling—of a massive social services fraud scandal tied to his state’s Somali immigrant community. In a letter sent to the Democrat governor and failed 2024 vice presidential candidate on Tuesday, McMahon accused Walz of failing to prevent widespread fraud in federal programs, including education aid, which saw several nonprofit organizations and Somali community leaders funnel an estimated $1 billion in taxpayer dollars into their personal coffers.

“You have been Minnesota’s Governor since 2019. During that time, your careless lack of oversight and abuse of the welfare system has attracted fraudsters from around the world, especially from Somalia, to establish a beachhead of criminality in our country,” McMahon wrote, adding: “As President Trump put it, you have turned Minnesota into a ‘fraudulent hub of money laundering activity.’”

The Education Secretary went on to reveal her discovery of fraud within Minnesota’s college education system, noting that nearly 2,000 “ghost students” were identified as having received $12.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants and loans. “They collected checks from the federal government, shared a small portion of the money with the college, and pocketed the rest—without attending the college at all,” McMahon wrote.

McMahon accused Walz of overseeing a “massive scandal of welfare fraud” that spanned programs such as housing benefits, food stamps, and small-business relief, among others. Secretary McMahon also criticized Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), alleging she borrowed “tens of thousands” in student loans and has been unwilling to repay them despite her taxpayer-funded salary.

The Trump administration’s Education Secretary concluded her letter with a call for Walz to step down as governor.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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December 16, 2025
Immigration
Politics

ICE Denies Rep. Omar’s Allegation of Son Being Stopped for Citizenship Check.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons denied Representative Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) claim that her son was stopped and questioned by ICE agents at a Minnesota Target.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Ilhan Omar, her son, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and ICE personnel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The alleged incident took place over the weekend at a Target in Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son. It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof.” – Todd Lyons

🎯IMPACT: Rep. Omar accused ICE agents of racial profiling, despite providing no proof of the incident actually happening.

IN FULL

The Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Todd Lyons, is dismissing a claim made by Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) alleging her son was stopped by ICE agents at a Minnesota Target over the weekend and ordered to provide proof of citizenship. According to Rep. Omar, a Somali immigrant, her son presented a U.S. passport or passport card and was subsequently released.

“ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son. It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof,” Lyons stated on Tuesday. He also criticized Omar’s comments to local Minnesota media as a “ridiculous effort” to demonize federal law enforcement, linking such rhetoric to an increase in threats against ICE personnel. Notably, federal immigration agents have seen a reported 1,150 percent rise in assaults and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats.

Responding to Lyons, Rep. Omar’s communications director, Jacklyn Rogers, reiterated the Minnesota Democrat’s account of the incident, while accusing ICE of racial profiling and claiming the agency operates as a “rogue agency beyond reform.” Rogers added, “Our office would welcome the opportunity to review [ICE’s] records.”

The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, following allegations of widespread social services fraud and concerns about taxpayer dollars being funneled to Islamist terror groups like al-Shabaab. Omar has criticized the Trump administration for what she described as the demonization of her community.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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December 16, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Illegal Immigrant Gets 20-Year Sentence for Vicious Attack on ICE Agent.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A criminal illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 20 years in prison after assaulting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Wichita, Kansas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Diego Barron-Esquivel, U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser, and Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent Charles J. Cole.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The sentencing took place on December 15 in Kansas following a guilty plea on December 3, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.

🎯IMPACT: Federal authorities reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy for violence against law enforcement, promising swift justice for offenders.

IN FULL

Federal prosecutors secured the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico who brutally attacked a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Wichita, Kansas. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) officials emphasized that there is zero tolerance for violent assaults on federal law enforcement and immigration agents, warning that federal prosecutors will seek the maximum penalty under the law in such cases.

The sentencing of Diego Barron‑Esquivel, who violently punched and strangled an ICE officer with his own badge cord until the agent nearly lost consciousness, was described as a clear warning to those who threaten law enforcement. U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas Ryan A. Kriegshauser condemned the attack as “completely unacceptable” and praised the courage of officers who risk their lives daily.

“Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” said Kriegshauser, adding, “Our society would cease to function without brave officers enforcing the law. We owe these officers our thanks and our respect. This sentence shows how egregious the conduct was in this case.”

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Charles J. Cole underscored that anyone who lays a hand on federal agents will face swift and severe justice. Barron-Esquivel pleaded guilty earlier this month to intentionally assaulting and strangling an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer while he was performing his official duties this past February.

According to DHS, Barron-Esquivel has an extensive and violent criminal record, including multiple charges for “domestic battery, multiple counts of violation of protection order, criminal damage to property, aggravated robbery, felony theft, transporting an open container, criminal restraint, possession of drug paraphernalia, and improper use of an automobile.”

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December 16, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

California Sues Trump Admin Over Withheld Funds Linked to Truckers Who Don’t Speak English.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for withholding $33 million in federal funds over truck driver English-proficiency requirements.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The state of California, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on December 12, 2025, following federal actions announced earlier in the year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Their negligence endangered every family on America’s roadways, and it ends today.” – Sean Duffy.

🎯IMPACT: The case highlights tensions over federal safety regulations amid recent fatal accidents involving illegal immigrant commercial drivers, and could impact state funding and compliance across the trucking industry.

IN FULL

The State of California has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) withheld $33 million in federal funds. The funding was tied to commercial vehicle safety programs and the state’s decision not to comply with federal English-proficiency requirements for truck drivers.

In May, the DOT reinstated the English language rule for commercial drivers, which California claims it maintains compliance with. The state, in its court filing, describes the federal decision to withhold funding as “arbitrary and capricious,” contending the loss of monetary support could harm public safety and the California economy.

However, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the move to withhold funds, stating that over 9,500 truck drivers were removed from service since May for failing English-proficiency checks. “America First means safety first,” Duffy said earlier this year. He emphasized that ensuring truck drivers can understand traffic signs is a matter of public safety.

Pennsylvania and New York have also been warned by the DOT about the potential for federal funding loss if they fail to address issues with commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The National Pulse reported last week that a DOT review found 53 percent of non-domiciled CDLs were reportedly issued unlawfully to illegal immigrants. Nationwide, nearly half of truck driving schools were found to be noncompliant with federal guidelines, with thousands of training providers removed or placed on notice for violations.

Secretary Duffy criticized prior administrations for allowing “bad actors” to exploit the system, undermining road safety and getting people killed. “Their negligence endangered every family on America’s roadways, and it ends today,” he said.

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December 16, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

Biden Judge Delays Trump Admin Effort to Restrict SNAP Benefits for Migrants.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge extended the grace period for states to comply with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility rules after a legal challenge by 20 states.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, 20 state attorneys general, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon Kasubhai, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on November 26, and the ruling was issued on December 15. The issue involves SNAP programs across the U.S.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The inability to provide compliance in the time period in which they were forced to by virtue of the guidance contributed to an erosion of trust.” – Judge Michael Simon Kasubhai.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling mandates that the Trump administration extend the grace period for states to comply with changes to SNAP eligibility.

IN FULL

A federal judge ruled on Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must allow states additional time to bring themselves into compliance with new guidance regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility. The order follows a coalition of 20 state attorneys general filing suit on November 26, arguing that the administration failed to provide a legally required 120-day compliance period.

The issue centers on guidance issued by the USDA on October 31, 2025, which would bar SNAP benefit eligibility for certain lawful permanent residents—including refugees and asylum seekers. Notably, the USDA guidance stems from changes to SNAP, also known as food stamps, made under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 4. Provisions in the law significantly reduced the number of immigrants who can qualify for the supplemental food assistance.

States were initially told to comply immediately with the new SNAP eligibility rules or face significant fines. However, after an initial legal challenge, the Trump administration reversed course on December 10 and reinstated eligibility for all lawful permanent residents. Other SNAP restrictions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act remain in place, and the USDA continues to contend that the compliance grace period ended on November 1.

In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon Kasubhai—a Biden appointee—agreed with the 20 state attorneys general, ruling that the USDA’s position was unlawful and inconsistent with past practices. “The inability to provide compliance in the time period in which they were forced to by virtue of the guidance contributed to an erosion of trust,” Judge Kasubhai wrote, extending the grace period to April 9, 2026.

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