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Category: Immigration
September 2, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

Trump Using Troops to Tackle LA Rioters was Unlawful: Clinton Judge.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Bill Clinton-appointed federal judge ruled President Donald J. Trump’s deployment of troops to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and federal buildings in Los Angeles, California, was largely unlawful, barring their use for police functions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued in September 2025, related to the Trump administration’s response to pro-illegal immigrant riots starting in June 2025, in Los Angeles.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law,” Judge Breyer claimed.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement, with potential implications for future deployments—but is likely to be appealed. Notably, a previous ruling by Breyer against President Trump deploying the National Guard in L.A. was overturned unanimously.

IN FULL

A federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton has ruled that President Donald J. Trump’s deployment of military troops in Los Angeles, California, is largely unlawful. The ruling prohibits the Pentagon from using the National Guard and U.S. Marines for police duties, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer complaining about President Trump potentially “creating a national police force with the President as its chief.”

In June, Trump sent troops to Los Angeles to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and federal buildings, arguing that state and local law enforcement were not sufficiently defending them against pro-illegal immigrant rioters due to “sanctuary” laws. Although most troops have now been withdrawn, approximately 300 remain, with plans under consideration to deploy federal law enforcement and troops to restore order in other cities in Washington, D.C.-style crime crackdowns.

San Francisco-based Judge Breyer ruled that the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the military’s role in domestic law enforcement. His ruling bans the Pentagon from “ordering, instructing, training, or using the National Guard currently deployed in California, and any military troops heretofore deployed in California, [to engage] in arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants.”

Technically, the ruling does not mandate the removal of the remaining 300 troops, only that they be used only for what Breyer deems lawful purposes. Notably, although the decision is a victory for Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom, who brought the case, its longevity is uncertain. Breyer previously ruled that President Trump could not deploy the National Guard in L.A. at all, only to be overturned swiftly and unanimously on appeal.

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August 29, 2025
Immigration

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

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

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August 29, 2025
Immigration

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

PULSE POINTS

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

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

📍WHEN & WHERE: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 2025.

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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August 29, 2025
Crime
Immigration

ICE Captures Pedophile Living Illegally in California Daycare.

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 29, 2025
Immigration
News

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

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

Image by Sebastián Losada.

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August 29, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Migrant Riots Are Overtaking Another Once-Peaceful European Country.

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

Image by REGIS COLOMBO/diapo.ch.

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Migrant Crime
August 28, 2025
Immigration
News

ICE Deportations Near 200,000, on Track to Reach 300,000 By Year End.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies have deported nearly 350,000 people since President Donald J. Trump took office, with ICE alone deporting close to 200,000.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Deportations recorded during the 2025 Fiscal Year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In the face of a historic number of injunctions from activist judges, ICE, CBP, and the U.S. Coast Guard have made historic progress to carry out President Trump’s promise of arresting and deporting illegal aliens who have invaded our country.” – Senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official

🎯IMPACT: ICE deportations could surpass 300,000 in fiscal year 2025, potentially matching levels last seen under former President Obama in 2014.

IN FULL

New data reveals that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported nearly 200,000 individuals under President Donald J. Trump‘s second term so far. Notably, total deportations across federal agencies are nearing 350,000, according to a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official.

These numbers include deportations carried out by ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as self-deportations. From October through December 2024, ICE recorded approximately 71,400 deportations. When including these numbers, ICE is—by itself—on track to potentially surpass 300,000 deportations in fiscal year 2025. This would be the highest number since fiscal year 2014, when around 316,000 deportations were carried out under former President Barack Obama.

Notably, President Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, was executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations at ICE in 2014.

Meanwhile, CBP has recorded over 132,000 deportations this year, along with tracking approximately 17,500 self-deportations. Combined with ICE’s efforts, these numbers bring the total deportations under Trump’s administration to nearly 350,000 since the beginning of his second term.

“In the face of a historic number of injunctions from activist judges, ICE, CBP, and the U.S. Coast Guard have made historic progress to carry out President Trump’s promise of arresting and deporting illegal aliens who have invaded our country,” a senior Homeland Security official said. “Additionally, illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now or face the consequence.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has estimated that, in total, 1.6 million illegal immigrants have self-deported since President Trump’s inauguration.

The current daily rate of ICE arrests—between 1,000 and 2,000—still falls short of the White House’s stated goal of 3,000 daily arrests, although it is around double that of the former Biden government.

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August 28, 2025
Immigration

Trump Directs ICE to Intensify Operations in These Five Sanctuary Cities:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration announced plans to intensify immigration enforcement in five major U.S. cities, including Chicago, with federal officials considering a naval base as an operations hub.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: White House Border Czar Tom Homan, President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 28, 2025; cities include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle.

💬KEY QUOTE: “All these sanctuary cities… refuse to work with ICE,” said Tom Homan.

🎯IMPACT: The move could expand ICE operations and potentially increase federal intervention in sanctuary cities.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has announced an effort to ramp up immigration enforcement in five major U.S. cities, including Chicago. Federal officials are reportedly considering utilizing a Lake Michigan naval base as an operations hub for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan, speaking to reporters on Thursday, stated that a “large contingent” of ICE agents would be deployed to sanctuary jurisdictions that continue to undermine federal immigration laws. Cities targeted include New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Chicago.

President Donald J. Trump has also criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) for violent crime in Chicago, suggesting that the city’s leadership has failed to protect its residents. Trump reiterated the federal government’s readiness to intervene if necessary.

“Governor Pritzker had 6 murders in Chicago this weekend. 20 people were shot. But he doesn’t want to ask me for help. Can this be possible?” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He added: “The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’t capable of doing. STAY TUNED!!!”

Homan confirmed ongoing discussions about expanding ICE’s presence near Chicago, emphasizing the administration’s stance against sanctuary city policies. “All these sanctuary cities… refuse to work with ICE,” Homan said.

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August 28, 2025
Immigration

Trump Has Started Deporting Illegal Aliens to Rwanda.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Seven illegal immigrants were transferred from the United States to Rwanda in August under a third-country deportation agreement, according to Rwandan authorities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, the Rwandan government, and seven unidentified deportees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deportees arrived in Rwanda in mid-August 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda.” – Yolande Makolo, Rwandan government spokeswoman.

🎯IMPACT: The deportation agreement highlights ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to facilitate mass deportations by sending migrants who cannot be sent hom directly to third countries, including Rwanda.

IN FULL

The African nation of Rwanda has begun accepting illegal immigrants removed from the United States as part of a third-country deportation agreement. According to Rwandan government officials, the country received seven illegal immigrants deported from the United States in August, with the agreement currently allowing the transfer of up to 250 deportees.

Yolande Makolo, spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, confirmed that the first group of seven vetted illegal immigrant deportees arrived in mid-August. She added that the migrants have been accommodated by an international organization, with visits from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Rwandan social service representatives.

Makolo stated, “Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda.” Those approved for settlement in Rwanda will receive workforce training and access to healthcare, she said.

Rwanda is one of four African countries that have reached deportation agreements with the U.S., alongside Uganda, Swaziland (Eswatini), and South Sudan.

Image by Hjalmar Gislason.

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August 27, 2025
Education
Immigration

Trump Sues Walz’s Minnesota for Funding Tuition for Illegals While Charging Americans More.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over a law allowing illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition rates while U.S. citizens from other states are charged higher fees.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), Minnesota Democrats, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit pertains to a recently passed Minnesota law.

💬KEY QUOTE: “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit challenges Minnesota’s attempt to bypass federal law, which prohibits states from offering lower tuition rates to illegal aliens while charging higher rates to U.S. citizens.

IN FULL

The Trump administration is suing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and his state over a law that allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at public colleges, arguing it violates federal law and unfairly disadvantages American citizens from other states.

The law, known as the North Star Promise, grants illegal alien students in-state tuition rates if they can prove they live in Minnesota and attended school there. Meanwhile, U.S. citizens from other states must pay significantly higher out-of-state rates.

Federal officials argue this policy breaks federal law prohibiting states from offering in-state tuition to illegal immigrants unless the same benefit is extended to all U.S. citizens, regardless of residency. “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Minnesota Democrats attempted to sidestep the federal restriction by making tuition eligibility based on high school attendance rather than state residency. Under the law, illegal alien students who attended a Minnesota high school qualify for in-state tuition, while U.S. citizens who went to high school outside the state do not.

Critics see this as a dubious legal loophole intended to flout the intent of federal law. Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) general counsel Christopher J. Hajec stated, “For Minnesota, it’s not enough to let illegal aliens, who are not permitted to live in the United States at all, into its state schools, and apply lower admission standards to instate illegal aliens than to out-of-state Americans. Even after all that, Minnesota also lets them pay much less in tuition than out-of-state Americans have to pay. That’s where federal law and its supremacy come in, however.”

This lawsuit follows another move by the Trump administration to terminate a Clinton-era policy allowing illegal immigrants to access federally funded career, technical, and adult education programs. Education Secretary Linda McMahon declared, “Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

She promised that under the Trump administration, “hardworking American taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for illegal aliens to participate in our career, technical, or adult education programs or activities.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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