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Wednesday, December 17, 2025
6 minutes ago
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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42 minutes ago
News

Bondi Beach Mass Shooting: Naveed Akram Faces 15 Murder Charges.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Naveed Akram, the lone surviving suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting targeting Jews at Australia’s Bondi Beach, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Naveed Akram, his father Sajid Akram, who was killed, and victims, including two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl named Matilda.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney, targeting a Hanukkah celebration.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” a New South Wales (NSW) Police statement said.

🎯IMPACT: Fifteen people were killed, and dozens were injured in the attack, which has been linked to the Islamic State (ISIS).

IN FULL

Naveed Akram, the sole surviving suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, faced charges on Wednesday for 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. The charges also include 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent to murder, New South Wales Police reports.

Akram is still hospitalized and under guard after being wounded by police gunfire. His father, Sajid Akram, a 50-year-old immigrant born in India, died in a shootout with police at the scene. The attack, aimed at Australia’s Jewish community during a Hanukkah event, killed 15 people and injured many others.

The proceedings against Naveed Akram have been postponed until April 2026. Authorities have stated that the attack drew inspiration from the Islamic State (ISIS), a designated terrorist group in Australia. Two handmade Islamic State flags were found in a vehicle registered to Naveed Akram and parked close to the famous beach.

“Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” a statement from NSW Police read. The probe, called both “massive” and “complex,” is still active.

Victims included two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, as identified by her family. The incident has profoundly affected the Jewish community and Australian society as a whole, but left-wing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intends to respond to it by imposing even stricter gun controls on the public rather than restricting immigration.

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2 hours ago
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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14 hours ago
Economy
News

Americans First: Stats Show Net Job Growth Now Favors U.S. Citizens, Foreign-Born Employment Declining.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A new jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that all net job growth is now going to native-born Americans, while foreign-born employment is on the decline.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Labor Department, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and economist E.J. Antoni.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was issued on Tuesday, highlighting employment trends in the United States over the past year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Under the Biden administration, most job growth came from government jobs and foreign labor. Now, with [President Trump] at the helm, every single job created has been in the PRIVATE SECTOR for NATIVE-BORN AMERICANS,” the Labor Department wrote on X.

🎯IMPACT: The change marks a significant shift from previous years, where Biden-era policies led to disproportionate job growth for foreign-born workers over native-born Americans.

IN FULL

A Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report, released on Tuesday, indicates that net job gains are now benefiting native-born Americans, as employment among foreign-born workers continues to decline. The data shows that native-born workers added jobs for yet another month in a row, as foreign-born individuals continue leaving the labor force.

This represents a sharp shift away from approaches during the Biden era, when a huge share of new jobs were filled by migrants and Americans lost work. “Under the Biden administration, most job growth came from government jobs and foreign labor. Now, with [President Trump] at the helm, every single job created has been in the PRIVATE SECTOR for NATIVE-BORN AMERICANS,” the Labor Department wrote on X.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented, “Since President Trump took office, 100% of the job growth has come in the private sector and among native-born Americans — exactly where it should be.”

Economist E.J. Antoni has noted that, over the last 12 months, employment among native-born Americans increased by 2.6 million, while foreign-born jobs declined slightly. Antoni called this jobs report the strongest November ever recorded for employment increases among native-born Americans—despite unemployment overall hitting a four-year high.

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14 hours ago
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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15 hours ago
2A
News

Tim Walz Launches Tirade Against Second Amendment Rights.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) signed executive orders targeting gun owners while attacking the Second Amendment and Republicans who support gun rights.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tim Walz, Minnesota Republicans, and state whistleblowers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: December 16, during a press conference in Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s time to start reporting that it is all bullshit.” – Tim Walz, referring to support for gun rights.

🎯IMPACT: Walz intends to use coerced data from insurance companies to study firearm-related public health costs.

IN FULL

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) signed a series of executive orders on December 16 that he said are aimed at reducing gun violence, while attacking Republican lawmakers for refusing to advance a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Speaking at a press conference, the failed 2024 vice presidential candidate smeared GOP legislators and rejected arguments that gun bans would infringe on individual liberty. “It’s time to start reporting that it is all bullshit,” he said, referring to claims that further gun restrictions represent an attack on freedom.

During the event, Walz blamed gun policy for violent crime, stating, “We are the murder gun capital of the planet, because people have made the decision to protect gun manufacturers and those who don’t want to take responsible action.” His orders include the creation of a public safety council and a directive requiring insurance companies to turn over firearms-related data to the state.

Walz said, “We are going to use that data to do the research the federal government is too cowardly to do, to understand that this is a public health crisis that could be attacked like any other public health crisis if we simply had the courage.” He warned insurers to prepare for legal action if they refuse to comply.

Walz’s remarks on gun rights come as his administration continues to face criticism over a sprawling welfare fraud scandal involving more than $1 billion in public funds. Whistleblowers have alleged that fraud linked to Somali-run nonprofit organizations went unchecked for years and that state employees who raised concerns faced “systemic” retaliation. Separate reporting has claimed Walz was aware of COVID-era fraud as early as 2019 but failed to initiate a full investigation.

On August 27, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis left two children dead and at least 17 others injured. Authorities said the suspect, a biological male who identified as transgender, had posted videos online showing firearms engraved with political messages targeting President Donald J. Trump. In June, Democrat Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortmann and her husband were murdered. The accused killer, a former political appointee under Walz, allegedly claimed in a letter to the FBI that he acted on behalf of the governor.

Walz, who has repeatedly called for banning so-called “assault weapons,” has previously cited his National Guard experience to reinforce his position, claiming he has carried “weapons of war… in war,” and that they do not belong in any other setting. In reality, however, Walz never served in a combat zone, taking early retirement to pursue his political career shortly before the unit he led was deployed to Iraq. Former comrades branded him a “deserter,” “habitual liar,” and “coward” during the 2024 campaign.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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15 hours ago
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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16 hours ago
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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16 hours ago
News

Republicans Are Implementing Major Spending Cuts for Leftist Initiatives in This State:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Republican-controlled House in Michigan cut $645 million in funding, targeting leftist initiatives after rejecting a request for a budget extension from Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Michigan House Republicans, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Democratic state officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The cuts were made last week in Michigan during budget negotiations for the new fiscal year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds.” – House Speaker Matt Hall

🎯IMPACT: The cuts redirected funding from initiatives such as diversity grants, green energy projects, and programs for illegal immigrants, sparking outrage among Democrats.

IN FULL

Michigan’s Republican-controlled House used a little-known state law last week to cut $645 million in government spending, targeting programs generally supported by Democrats. The move followed Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request to extend $2.7 billion in unspent funds beyond the end of the fiscal year.

“We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds,” House Speaker Matt Hall (R) said. He accused Whitmer and Democrats of requesting “a lot more money than they need” for discretionary, long-term purposes.

The largest reduction was $159 million from Whitmer’s Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund, which matches federal grants to state job creation goals. Nearly $103 million was cut from Community Enhancement Grants, which had supported diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Other cuts included $1.2 million for a program supplying feminine hygiene products in public restrooms, some of which were in boys’ bathrooms, and funding for electric vehicle charging stations along Lake Michigan.

Hall said funds could be restored through a supplemental budget and challenged Whitmer’s administration to justify each allocation. Democratic leaders have suggested they may pursue legal action to challenge the cuts.

The Michigan actions reflect a broader pattern of recent reductions to programs associated with progressive politics. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that approximately 83 percent of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts, roughly 5,200 of 6,200, would be terminated or shifted to State Department oversight. Rubio said many of the eliminated contracts “spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, and in some cases even harmed, the core national interests of the United States.”

Image by Antony-22.

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17 hours ago
Crime
News

Trump Designates Colombian Cartel as Foreign Terrorist Group.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The State Department designated the Colombian Clan del Golfo as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. State Department and the Colombian Clan del Golfo drug cartel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The designation was announced on Tuesday, targeting activities linked to Colombia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and stop the campaigns of violence and terror committed by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations.” – State Department statement

🎯IMPACT: The move seeks to cut off funding and resources to the Clan del Golfo and curb its violent activities.

IN FULL

The U.S. State Department has officially designated Colombia’s Clan del Golfo drug cartel as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), citing the group’s role in large-scale drug trafficking and sustained violence. According to the department, Clan del Golfo has thousands of members and finances its operations largely through cocaine trafficking. U.S. officials say the organization has carried out terrorist attacks against Colombian public officials, members of law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians.

“The United States will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and stop the campaigns of violence and terror committed by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations,” the department stated in its announcement.

The designation is intended to restrict the group’s access to funding, weapons, and logistical support by cutting it off from the U.S. financial system and prohibiting Americans from providing material assistance to it. Clan del Golfo has long been considered one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Colombia, with influence over major cocaine trafficking routes and a history of armed confrontation with the Colombian state.

The move reflects a broader U.S. effort to treat major transnational criminal organizations as national security threats rather than solely law enforcement challenges. Earlier this year, the State Department designated several other groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. Those designations marked a significant escalation in how the U.S. government addresses international drug cartels and criminal networks.

The decision to apply terrorist labels to Mexican cartels prompted diplomatic tension, with Mexican officials warning Washington against actions they said could infringe on Mexico’s sovereignty. U.S. officials argue that the designations provide additional legal and financial tools to disrupt cartel operations, particularly those linked to drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violence that affects both the United States and its allies.

In a separate move later in the year, the U.S. government also announced plans to designate certain foreign-based groups linked to Antifa ideology as foreign terrorist organizations, signaling an expansion beyond traditional jihadist or insurgent groups.

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