GET THE APP
Monday, September 15, 2025

Category: Immigration
March 10, 2025
William Upton
Corruption
Immigration

Rep. Brandon Gill Exposes Chicago Mayor’s Massive Luxury Gift Haul.

Chicago’s far-left, illegal immigrant protecting Mayor Brandon Johnson is now publicly disclosing the numerous luxury gifts his office has received from undisclosed benefactors after being pressed on the matter by Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX) during a House hearing last week on Capitol Hill. Johnson, who is facing mounting criticism from Chicago residents who contend he puts the needs of illegal immigrants over their own, granted ABC7 Chicago access to the gift room in City Hall where the luxury items are housed.

Among the items Mayor Johnson has received—as his city has spent nearly $700 million since 2022 providing benefits for over 50,000 illegal immigrants—are HUGO BOSS cufflinks, a Montblanc pen, designer women’s handbags, including Kate Spade, autographed sports paraphernalia, and personalized artwork featuring Johnson. The lack of transparency and public access to the gifts and the room in which they’re stored has drawn scrutiny from local officials as well, including the City of Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg.

“On June 12, 2023, you received HUGO BOSS cufflinks and a personalized Montblanc pen. Do you know who gave you those?” Congressman Gill pressed the Chicago Mayor during last week’s hearing. In response, Mayor Johnson insisted he had received the items on behalf of his city. However, as Inspector General Witzburg contends, the gifts were not publicly accessible, raising ethical concerns about whether they were treated as personal items.

According to Congressman Gill, the Chicago Mayor’s office claims the gifts will now be donated to charity. However, the Texas Republican, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), raises the concern that some of the items could have been kickbacks for lucrative city contracts pertaining to housing and feeding Chicago’s illegal immigrant population. Congressman Gill notes he will soon introduce legislation to end sanctuary city laws.

READ:

show less
Chicago's far-left, illegal immigrant protecting Mayor Brandon Johnson is now publicly disclosing the numerous luxury gifts his office has received from undisclosed benefactors after being pressed on the matter by Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX) during a House hearing last week on Capitol Hill. Johnson, who is facing mounting criticism from Chicago residents who contend he puts the needs of illegal immigrants over their own, granted ABC7 Chicago access to the gift room in City Hall where the luxury items are housed. show more
March 10, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration

Trump Team Repurposes CBP One App into Self-Deportation Tool.

The Trump administration has announced that the former CBP One app, used by migrants to enter the United States under the prior Biden regime, will be repurposed into a self-deportation app. Renamed the CBP Home app, it will allow illegals to submit information on their intent to leave the country.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is behind the changes to the app, which will see all existing CBP One apps upgraded to CBP Home.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem touted the changes, saying, “The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One App to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. With the launching of the CBP Home App, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system.”

Noem added that if illegals use the app to self-deport, they may be eligible to return to the U.S. legally, but if they fail to do so, they will be caught by authorities, deported, and never be allowed to return.

The National Pulse previously reported that President Donald J. Trump ended the functionality of the CBP One app on his first day in office in January. Under the former Biden regime, the app had been used to parole over one million immigrants at designated points of entry through CBP One appointments.

Image by Gage Skidmore. 

show less
The Trump administration has announced that the former CBP One app, used by migrants to enter the United States under the prior Biden regime, will be repurposed into a self-deportation app. Renamed the CBP Home app, it will allow illegals to submit information on their intent to leave the country. show more
March 6, 2025
Crime
Immigration
News

Sanctuary Laws Protect Migrant Who Burned Woman Alive from ICE.

An illegal alien who has been charged with setting a woman on fire while she was sleeping on a New York City subway is being protected from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state sanctuary laws. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, is accused of setting Debrina Kawam, 57, on fire and killing her last year.

Zapeta-Calil has been charged with murder and arson following the December 22 incident at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station. After allegedly setting Kawam aflame, Zapeta-Calil reportedly fanned the blaze with a shirt to intensify it before observing the scene from a platform bench.

Due to New York City’s sanctuary city policies, the Department of Corrections has not honored an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for Zapeta-Calil.

ICE reports that Zapeta-Calil entered the U.S. illegally in 2018 and was subsequently deported, but re-entered the country at an unspecified time. Before his arrest, he was residing in a Brooklyn shelter and working as a roofer.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has urged Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to suspend sanctuary protections immediately. Mayor Eric Adams has also called for collaboration between the NYPD and ICE, requesting federal prosecutors charge Zapeta-Calil in addition to state charges.

Zapeta-Calil has entered a plea of not guilty.

show less
An illegal alien who has been charged with setting a woman on fire while she was sleeping on a New York City subway is being protected from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by state sanctuary laws. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, is accused of setting Debrina Kawam, 57, on fire and killing her last year. show more
Migrant Crime
March 6, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Venezuelan Arrested for Stabbing Death of High School Student.

A Venezuelan national has been arrested in Utah in connection with the murder of a high school student in Tukwila, Washington. Jose Antonio Cedeno-Ponce, 20, faces charges of second-degree murder in King County Superior Court. The arrest was executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force in Orem, Utah, after Cedeno-Ponce had reportedly fled Washington. He remains in custody at the Utah County Jail, awaiting extradition to Washington.

The incident, which occurred on January 10, involved a stabbing near Foster High School on Tukwila International Boulevard. Officers from Tukwila Police arrived at the scene following reports of a fight, finding a victim with stab wounds. Despite attempts at resuscitation, 16-year-old Alan Jaller was pronounced dead. According to court documents, Cedeno-Ponce allegedly drove to the location to engage in a confrontation with high school students armed with a knife. He is accused of stabbing the victim during the altercation before leaving Washington and abandoning his car in Idaho.

The victim, Alan Jaller, a Colombian national, had moved to the Seattle area two years prior and attended Evergreen High School. Jaller’s parents indicated that they had a prior acquaintanceship with Cedeno-Ponce.

Authorities list Cedeno-Ponce as a Seattle resident, with official documents revealing an active U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer against him. However, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Seattle have not confirmed his immigration status.

show less
A Venezuelan national has been arrested in Utah in connection with the murder of a high school student in Tukwila, Washington. Jose Antonio Cedeno-Ponce, 20, faces charges of second-degree murder in King County Superior Court. The arrest was executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force in Orem, Utah, after Cedeno-Ponce had reportedly fled Washington. He remains in custody at the Utah County Jail, awaiting extradition to Washington. show more
March 5, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration
Politics

Chicago Mayor Admits He Favors Illegals Over Americans.

A Republican lawmaker has forced Chicago’s leftist mayor to admit he not only supports giving illegals the right to vote in local elections but wants to fund their abortions and more. Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX) grilled Mayor Brandon Johnson during a congressional hearing this week.

Claiming that Chicago is a “welcoming city,” Mayor Johnson first admitted to supporting driver’s licenses for illegals. Driver’s licenses have been used in the past by illegals to register to vote in poorly vetted federal elections, despite them being ineligible as non-citizens.

Representative Gill went on to ask if Mayor Johnson supports healthcare for illegals, free or reduced college, and taxpayer-funded abortions for illegals. Gill took all of Johnson’s answers to mean ‘Yes,’ which Johnson did not dispute. Such support is not readily available to many Americans.

The exchange comes after a long history of support for illegals from Johnson, who once attempted to get former President Joe Biden to grant work permits to half a million illegal aliens. Last year, it was revealed that Chicago had spent nearly $300 million on over 38,000 migrants to house them, feed them, and pay for their medical care.

Homelessness in Chicago has surged amid the city’s migrant crisis, increasing by 200 percent from 2023 to 2024.

WATCH:

show less
A Republican lawmaker has forced Chicago's leftist mayor to admit he not only supports giving illegals the right to vote in local elections but wants to fund their abortions and more. Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX) grilled Mayor Brandon Johnson during a congressional hearing this week. show more
March 4, 2025
Immigration

NYC Eases ID Card Rules for Illegal Aliens Despite Mayor Adams’s Pledge to Support Trump’s Deportations.

In an effort spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams, New York City has expanded the types of documentation that can be used to apply for its municipal residency ID card, IDNYC. The new rules increase the variety of documents that immigrants, including those without legal status, can present to prove city residency.

The program is intended to assist individuals in accessing services such as housing and healthcare. The change permits the use of 23 additional forms of identification, including expired driver’s licenses and prior documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Prisons.

First introduced in 2015 under the Bill de Blasio administration, IDNYC was designed to provide all New Yorkers, from age 10 onwards, with identification that facilitates better access to city services. Access to IDNYC has been expanded as a response to the ongoing migrant influx, with over 1.7 million cards issued since its inception.

However, the IDNYC program has faced ongoing criticism from the public and federal lawmakers like Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), who argues that it undermines federal immigration law and presents security concerns. Critics express apprehension about the absence of thorough vetting processes and the potential destruction of documentation that could aid investigations.

City officials plan to hold a public hearing on March 28 to address any adjustments needed for the ID program.

Image by Anthony Quintano.

show less
In an effort spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams, New York City has expanded the types of documentation that can be used to apply for its municipal residency ID card, IDNYC. The new rules increase the variety of documents that immigrants, including those without legal status, can present to prove city residency. show more
Biden Border
March 3, 2025
Immigration

House Report Reveals How Joe Biden Radically Transformed Temporary Protected Status Into De Facto Amnesty Program.

The House Judiciary Committee has released a new report detailing the significant and controversial changes former President Joe Biden made to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program during his four years in office. Established 35 years ago when Congress adopted the Immigration Act of 1990, the TPS program also saw significant expansions under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, being extended to individuals illegally residing in the United States from Haiti and Liberia, respectively.

“What was intended by Congress to be a temporary status has become, over time, a permanent, automatically renewed designation, with some countries being designated for TPS for decades despite changed country conditions,” the House Judiciary Committee report states, adding: “The Biden-Harris Administration vastly expanded this de facto amnesty to hundreds of thousands of new aliens, many of whom are in the country illegally.”

According to House Judiciary Committee investigators, Biden government officials doubled the number of TPS grantees compared to the status grants during President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office. In total, around one million foreign nationals residing in the United States were recipients of TPS during Biden’s time in office, with an estimated 725,000 being of Haitian or Venezuelan origin.

When President Trump’s first term ended in January 2021, the number of TPS grantees stood at just 410,000. However, the former Biden government ballooned that number to 1.4 million.

The committee report goes on to criticize the long-standing misuse of the TPS program, suggesting TPS has become a de facto amnesty rather than its intended temporary measure. It argues that many beneficiaries enter the U.S. without visas, with data showing that 95 percent of Venezuelans and 91 percent of Haitians did not have a visa upon entry.

show less
The House Judiciary Committee has released a new report detailing the significant and controversial changes former President Joe Biden made to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program during his four years in office. Established 35 years ago when Congress adopted the Immigration Act of 1990, the TPS program also saw significant expansions under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, being extended to individuals illegally residing in the United States from Haiti and Liberia, respectively. show more
March 3, 2025
Immigration
UK

English Channel Migrant Crossings Surge, Nearly 600 Arrivals in One Day.

Over the weekend, small boat migrant arrivals in the United Kingdom reached a new daily peak for the year, with nearly 600 migrants recorded crossing the English Channel from France and landing on British shores. According to data released by the Home Office—the British equivalent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—on Monday, 592 migrants arrived in Britain, aboard 11 vessels. This marks the highest single-day influx so far in 2025 bringing the cumulative number of arrivals so far this year to 2,716.

Previously, the largest daily count was 260 arrivals, observed on January 13. The current year-to-date figures reflect a 20 percent rise compared to the same period last year, which saw 2,255 crossings.

With improving weather and sea conditions, officials anticipate a further rise in crossings. Over the past week, 823 individuals have sailed from France to England. On March 1, one boat carrying 68 migrants landed, and on February 25, 163 people arrived on three separate boats.

French authorities issued a statement regarding rescue efforts conducted overnight between March 1 and March 2. Assistance was requested by migrants on several vessels, including two individuals from one boat suspected of suffering from hypothermia.

In efforts to deter illegal crossings, the Home Office has announced new legislation. Investigators will have the authority to confiscate mobile phones from suspected traffickers, endangering lives at sea will become a criminal offense, and those involved in the distribution or handling of vessel parts potentially used in Channel crossings could face up to 14 years of imprisonment. However, one of the current Labour government’s first acts was to scrap plans to deport boat migrants to a third safe country, namely Rwanda, removing a potentially potent deterrent.

Since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office, a total of 25,958 crossings have been logged.

Image by Acabashi; Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 4.0; Source: Wikimedia Commons.

show less
Over the weekend, small boat migrant arrivals in the United Kingdom reached a new daily peak for the year, with nearly 600 migrants recorded crossing the English Channel from France and landing on British shores. According to data released by the Home Office—the British equivalent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—on Monday, 592 migrants arrived in Britain, aboard 11 vessels. This marks the highest single-day influx so far in 2025 bringing the cumulative number of arrivals so far this year to 2,716. show more
March 3, 2025
Wake Up Right
Immigration

Lowest Border Numbers in Recorded History.

President Donald J. Trump took a much-deserved victory lap over the weekend after illegal border crossings dropped to their lowest number on record in February, the first full month of his second term in office.

The details: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released figures for February 2025 showing just 8,326 people tried to illegally cross the southern border.

Back up: Under Joe Biden, border apprehensions peaked in September 2023 at 269,735—8,991 per day.

Yes, you read that right. Under Joe Biden, we had more illegals coming to the country in a single day than Trump had in the entire month of February.

Trump reacts: The 47th president wrote on Truth Social: “The Invasion of our Country is OVER… Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation.”

The Trump effect: Droves of would-be illegal aliens are reportedly turning around and going home after learning of dramatically ramped-up border enforcement and the canceling of generous government handouts.

Deportations: Between January 21 and February 27, the Trump administration removed 55,000 illegal aliens from the U.S, according to DHS.

Debunking a Democrat talking point: The left claims deportations were lower under Trump, which is technically true — there were 67,700 removals per month in 2024. But here’s the catch:

  • Under Biden, most “removals” were just turning people away at the border, not ICE deportations from within the U.S.
  • Biden saw 200,000 illegal crossings per month—Trump had just 8,000.
  • With fewer illegal crossings under Trump, there were simply fewer people to remove.

Big picture: It took Trump one month to solve a problem that Joe Biden and Democrats refused to address in four years.

Be sure to subscribe to the Wake Up Right newsletter! 

show less
President Donald J. Trump took a much-deserved victory lap over the weekend after illegal border crossings dropped to their lowest number on record in February, the first full month of his second term in office. show more
February 28, 2025
Immigration

Trump Administration Surpasses 50,000 Migrant Removals, Targets Fugitives.

The Trump administration has removed over 50,000 illegal immigrants so far, according to officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A number of those deported are long-standing fugitives who have avoided removal proceedings, in some instances for decades.

Ivan Oramas, 61, and Santos Maradiaga-Villalta, 40, both of whom had standing deportation orders dating back more than 20 years, are among those who have been detained and removed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Oramas, a Cuban national, was ordered deported in October 2003. He has convictions for sexual battery and aggravated assault, with the sexual battery charge involving severe injury. ICE agents in Houston apprehended him this week.

Meanwhile, Maradiaga-Villalta, from Honduras, was arrested in Phoenix. His deportation order was issued in January 2006, and he has previous convictions for smuggling aliens into the United States.

Notably, of the 50,000 illegal immigrants apprehended since President Donald J. Trump‘s inauguration on January 20, 2025, around 20,000 are said to be fugitives who have standing deportation orders. In the final year of the previous Biden government, at large illegal immigrant arrests totalled just 33,000 for the entire year.

DHS also notes that border encounters have plummeted from around 15,000 per day under Biden to just 200 under President Trump. The current rate of daily encounters is at a 15-year-low.

In his first week in office, President Trump surged resources—including military personnel—to the U.S. southern border to prevent continued illegal crossings. The measures have helped drastically reduce the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country unlawfully.

show less
The Trump administration has removed over 50,000 illegal immigrants so far, according to officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A number of those deported are long-standing fugitives who have avoided removal proceedings, in some instances for decades. show more