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Thursday, October 23, 2025
11 hours ago
News
War

Trump Sanctions Russian Oil Firms, Citing ‘Lack of Serious Commitment’ to Peace.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, specifically its two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Treasury Department, Rosneft Oil Company, Lukoil OAO, and their subsidiaries.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced today, impacting entities operating in Russia’s energy sector and U.S. financial systems.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

🎯IMPACT: These sanctions block property and restrict transactions involving the targeted entities, aiming to hinder Russia’s ability to fund its military operations.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, citing “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.” The sanctions specifically target Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO, along with their subsidiaries.

Rosneft and Lukoil are major players in the exploration, production, refining, and sale of oil and gas. The sanctions, enacted under Executive Order 14024, aim to block these companies’ access to U.S. financial systems and restrict their ability to raise revenue for Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.

“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” stated Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. He added, “Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”

The sanctions also extend to subsidiaries of Rosneft and Lukoil, including entities involved in oil and gas production, refining, and exploration. All property and interests in property of these companies under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them unless specifically authorized.

OFAC emphasized that foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions with these entities risk secondary sanctions. The move is part of the broader effort to pressure Russia into negotiating a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, which has stalled since Trump staged a major in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August.

Russia may be stalling because it believes it is close to a significant military breakthrough in a war that has been stalemated for months, with reports indicating that Ukraine may be on the verge of retreating from the lynchpin fortress city of Pokrovsk, in the hotly contested Donbass (Donbas) region.

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11 hours ago
Politics

Far-Left Prof’s Lawsuit Blocks Land Transfer for Trump Presidential Library.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit has temporarily halted the transfer of downtown Miami, Florida, real estate intended for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library,  with a far-left retired academic claiming that the Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees violated a state transparency law.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Marvin Dunn, a retired professor, filed the lawsuit against Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in Miami, with a court ruling on the matter in October 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The court ruling has blocked the property transfer, requiring either an appeal or a new public vote.

IN FULL

An 85-year-old, far-left, retired college professor is the mastermind of a lawsuit based on a technicality in Florida’s Sunshine Law that has—for now—succeeded in temporarily blocking the transfer of a key piece of downtown Miami real estate designated for the future site of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Marvin Dunn, who taught psychology at Florida International University (FIU) from 1972 until 2006, is a well-known Miami-area progressive political activist, frequently comparing President Trump to German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Dunn contends that Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees breached Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” law. He alleges the board did not provide adequate public notice before a meeting where the board voted to transfer a $66 million state-owned property to the Trump Foundation.

The property in question is a 2.63-acre parking lot adjacent to Miami’s historic Freedom Tower. It was approved for transfer by the state to the foundation overseeing Trump’s proposed library. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and his cabinet had endorsed the plan, describing the site as ideal for a significant cultural and tourist landmark.

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12 hours ago
NatSec
News

Narco-Terrorists Bombed Off Colombia as Anti-Cartel Strikes Expand to Pacific.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military destroyed a boat off the coast of Colombia in its campaign against drug-trafficking “narco-terrorists.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. military forces, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and drug traffickers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Off the coast of Colombia, in the Pacific Ocean, during October 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Just as al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The strike marks an expansion of anti-cartel U.S. military operations into the Pacific Ocean.

IN FULL

The U.S. military has carried out a missile strike on a small boat off the coast of Colombia, marking the first such operation in the Pacific Ocean as part of its ongoing campaign against drug-trafficking cartels. The strike reportedly killed two people.

A video released by War Secretary Pete Hegseth showed the vessel carrying what appeared to be brown packages before it was destroyed. In a statement, Hegseth compared the drug traffickers to al-Qaeda, saying, “Just as al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice.”

This latest operation expands the Trump administration’s anti-cartel campaign, which had previously focused on the Caribbean region, particularly near Venezuela. The White House has not explained why the campaign has now shifted into the Pacific. Since September, the administration has conducted several strikes on maritime targets it claims were transporting narcotics, though specific details about the individuals or groups targeted have not been made public.

The Colombia strike follows a series of earlier military actions in South American waters. On October 3, Hegseth announced a previous attack on “narco-terrorists,” and less than two weeks later, on October 14, President Donald J. Trump confirmed another strike on a vessel near Venezuela, reportedly killing six people.

Notably, the Colombia strike comes as President Donald J. Trump and Colombia’s Marxist leader, Gustavo Petro, are engaged in a public feud, with President Trump branding the Colombian a “lunatic” and Petro suggesting he may attempt to “get rid of” the America First leader.

The U.A. operations are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to classify certain drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in order to tackle them more robustly. Much of the intelligence used to select targets has reportedly come from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), but remains classified.

The Trump administration has defended the operations as a matter of national security, citing the President’s Article II powers to act in self-defense.

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12 hours ago
News
Politics

Top Democrat Calls American Suffering ‘Leverage’ in Shutdown Showdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) says Democrats in Congress are deliberately leveraging the “suffering” of American families during the government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Katherine Clark, the Democratic Party, President Donald J. Trump, and affected American families.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The government shutdown is ongoing as of October 2025, impacting the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.” – Rep. Katherine Clark

🎯IMPACT: Federal employees remain unpaid, small businesses face challenges, and services like food stamps are at risk.

IN FULL

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) has candidly admitted that the hardship faced by American families due to the ongoing shutdown offers a strategic advantage to the Democratic Party. “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark stated.

House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly attempted to pass legislation to fund the government, but they lack the 60 votes in the Senate required to stop Senate Democrats from preventing it from moving forward. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is demanding that key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act be changed before he will allow the government to be funded. Like Clark, Schumer appears to believe the ongoing hardship caused by the shutdown is working in his party’s favor, recently telling the press, “Every day gets better for us.”

The shutdown has impacted over a million federal workers, leaving them without paychecks and causing widespread disruptions. Airports are grappling with major delays, food stamp programs are running low on funds, and small businesses are fighting to survive. Tourists are also being turned away from Washington, D.C.’s iconic landmarks.

President Donald J. Trump has taken measures to ease the burden, ensuring military personnel continue to receive pay and maintaining funding for essential nutrition programs for low-income women and children.

The Democrats’ strategy has drawn sharp criticism, with many believing they are making a deliberate effort to amplify suffering for political advantage. They appear to be calculating that the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate, will be blamed by the public for the shutdown, and not them. However, some polling suggests blame is beginning to shift towards the Democrats rather than the ruling party as the situation drags on.

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13 hours ago
The National Pulse
Analysis

The Stupidest Thing in American Health Care? Failing to Tackle Obesity Early.

It takes a very particular kind of political brainworm to look at a country where nearly half the population is obese, where Medicare and Medicaid hemorrhage cash treating diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer — and say: let’s not pay for the medicine that actually fixes the root problem.

And yet, here we are.

GLP-1 medications, such as Zepbound and Wegovy, appear to be the first truly practical and measurable tools in the fight against obesity. And it’s a fight America has been losing for some time. It makes everything more complicated, including schooling, military and police recruitment, and, of course, it strains the healthcare system in the long term.

These aren’t fad diets or late-night infomercial garbage. They’re clinical, FDA-approved drugs with proven, repeatable results. They make people eat less. They make people lose weight. They make people healthier. The trial data, lived experiences, and economic modeling all back it up, now.

So why, in God’s name, are Medicare and Medicaid still banned from covering them?

The answer, naturally, is bureaucracy. Specifically, rules written in a different century, when “obesity” was treated like a cosmetic problem instead of what it actually is: a chronic, degenerative, society-wrecking disease. These regulations are so old that they might as well be written in typewriter ink or sent via fax. And they remain in place today, even as America’s health outcomes spiral and healthcare costs explode — not despite them, but because of them.

This is both a policy oversight and a moral failure. It’s also an utter financial farce.

Because when you don’t treat obesity at the source, you get to pay for everything that follows: heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, amputations, strokes, early dementia, and cancers. You also get to pay for all the consequences of those conditions: hospital beds, nursing homes, permanent disability, and premature death.

Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars every single year dealing with obesity and its aftermath.

A recent study found that covering GLP-1s under Medicare alone, without involvement from private insurance, would generate nearly $1 trillion in economic and social benefits over the next decade. It’s a Manhattan Project for public health, sitting right in front of us and still being ignored. And while America dithers, the consequences compound.

Patients desperate for help are turning to third-world compounders. Backroom operators cooking up unregulated versions of these drugs, often sourced from China or God knows where. The FDA itself has been warning people: these versions are riskier, less effective, and sometimes outright dangerous. But when your insurance doesn’t cover the legitimate option, what do you expect people to do?

And guess who’s hit hardest? Poor people. Working-class Americans who can’t afford the sticker price, or who cannot wait for the system to get its act together. The wealthy are getting thinner and healthier, and everyone else is getting sicker. This is not a populist healthcare model.

This is where the left also usually shrieks about inequality. And for once, they’d be right. However, it’s their regulatory regime that enforces the inequality.

A DPAC poll from earlier this year found nearly 70% of Republican voters and Trump supporters back Medicare and Medicaid coverage of GLP-1s. That is what we call consensus. That’s people using their eyes and their brains and saying, “Yeah, this makes sense.”

Because it does make sense.

Making America Healthy Again means using the tools we have. It means giving people choices.

Tackling obesity isn’t like elective Botox or some reality-TV lifestyle add-on. It’s a public health necessity.

It is infinitely cheaper, more intelligent, and humane to pay for weight loss up front than it is to bankroll the slow, brutal consequences of doing nothing.

America is a nation spending billions cleaning up after obesity, and zero on stopping it at the source.

That’s not just stupid. That’s sabotage.

President Trump and Congress, it is time for change.

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It takes a very particular kind of political brainworm to look at a country where nearly half the population is obese, where Medicare and Medicaid hemorrhage cash treating diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer — and say: let’s not pay for the medicine that actually fixes the root problem.

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14 hours ago
Crime
News

Trump’s Memphis Crime Crackdown Dismantles Gangs, Recovers Missing Children.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Over 1,000 arrests were made and dozens of missing children were located in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of President Donald J. Trump’s crime crackdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Federal agents, local authorities, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R), National Guard troops, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Since September in Memphis, Tennessee, with arrests continuing through October.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Tolerating crime is a choice: under President Trump, we refuse to accept the victimization of innocent American citizens and will continue making our cities safe again.” – Pam Bondi

🎯IMPACT: 1,309 arrests, 72 missing children located, and 247 firearms seized, with a focus on dismantling gang activity and violent crime.

IN FULL

Law enforcement authorities in Memphis, Tennessee, have made 1,309 arrests and recovered 72 missing children as part of a significant crime crackdown launched in September under the direction of President Donald J. Trump. The operation, established through a presidential memorandum signed on September 15, created the Memphis Safe Task Force and authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to assist in tackling violent crime and gang activity in what is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

According to a White House official, those arrested include over 100 confirmed gang members from groups such as MS-13 and the Gangster Disciples. The crackdown has also led to the seizure of 247 firearms and the apprehension of suspects involved in serious crimes, including aggravated rape of a child and kidnapping.

Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the initiative, stating, “From arresting more than 100 gang members to locating more than 70 missing children, our brave federal agents and local authorities are doing incredible work to protect the good people of Memphis.” She continued, “Tolerating crime is a choice: under President Trump, we refuse to accept the victimization of innocent American citizens and will continue making our cities safe again.”

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) expressed strong support for the operation, suggesting it could continue indefinitely. He emphasized the need for a sustained approach to address the city’s long-standing issues with violent crime.

The operation in Memphis comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to address child trafficking and recover missing children. Recent investigations have revealed that as many as 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children went missing after being placed with sponsors by the Biden regime, according to whistleblowers.

Trump officials say they have tracked down approximately 25,000 of those children since taking office. Separate law enforcement actions have also led to the rescue of dozens of children from trafficking rings, including a recent operation in Florida where 60 missing children were recovered.

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15 hours ago
Politics

State Legislature Passes Trump-Backed Election Map Adding GOP House Seat.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: North Carolina Republican lawmakers approved new U.S. House district maps aimed at securing an additional GOP seat for the 2026 elections.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: North Carolina General Assembly Republicans, Democratic Rep. Don Davis, and state Democrats.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The maps were finalized on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in North Carolina’s legislative chambers.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” – GOP Rep. Brenden Jones

🎯IMPACT: Republicans could secure 11 of 14 U.S. House seats in North Carolina, bolstering GOP efforts to maintain control of Congress.

IN FULL

North Carolina Republican lawmakers adopted new U.S. House district maps on Wednesday, aiming to secure an additional GOP seat in the 2026 elections. The state House approved the maps following a party-line vote in the Senate on Tuesday. The changes are likely to significantly reduce the reelection odds for Congressman Don Davis (D-NC), who represents a district in northeastern North Carolina that is considered a swing seat as neither Republicans nor Democrats hold a clear partisan advantage.

Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly, and Governor Josh Stein ID-NC) cannot veto redistricting maps under state law. This leaves the GOP’s proposal poised for implementation unless legal challenges from Democrats or voting rights groups succeed. Candidate filing for the 2026 elections is set to begin on December 1, 2025.

Speaking on the floor, state Representative Brenden Jones (R), defended the mid-cycle district  redraw, arguing: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” Democrats, however, criticized the maps as a racial gerrymander, with state Rep. Gloristine Brown (D) declaring, “You are silencing Black voices and are going against the will of your constituents.”

The new map could shift counties in Rep. Davis’s 1st District to a coastal district more favorable to Republicans. Statewide election data suggests the GOP could win 11 of 14 House seats under the new boundaries. However, the new districts will likely draw numerous legal challenges from Democrats and leftist lawfare groups who claim the map violates the Voting Rights Act.

Republican leaders in the state legislature contend that the redistricting was based on political considerations, not racial data. GOP leaders also pointed to North Carolina’s support for President Donald J. Trump in recent presidential elections as justification for increasing Republican representation in Congress. Senate leader Phil Berger said the maps align with “listening to the will of the people.”

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15 hours ago
Media
NatSec

The National Pulse Joins the Pentagon Press Corps.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The National Pulse officially joined the Pentagon’s press corps on Wednesday, following an effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to open access to the department to news outlets beyond Washington, D.C.’s corporate media establishment.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam and political editor Will Upton, along with senior Pentagon officials like Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell, and the corporate media.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday,  October 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be joining the new Pentagon press corps.” — Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell

🎯IMPACT: The Pentagon press corps and new media policy aim to prevent the leakage of classified information, while also expanding access to “a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists.”

IN FULL

The National Pulse officially joined the Pentagon’s press corps on Wednesday, following an effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to open access to the department to news outlets beyond Washington, D.C.’s corporate media establishment.

“Thank you for opening this up from previously only being accessible to the (often foreign-funded) corporate media,” The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief, Raheem Kassam, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) addressed to Hegesh. The National Pulse’s political editor, Will Upon, will serve as the lead Pentagon correspondent, with Kassm providing coverage as well.


“We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be joining the new Pentagon press corps. Twenty-six journalists across 18 outlets were among the former Pentagon press corps who chose to sign the DOW media access policy,” Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell said in a statement.

“New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people. Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon,” he added.


In late September, the Pentagon undertook a major shake-up of its press corps aimed at cracking down on leaks of classified information and the malicious publication of national security secrets. This included issuing a renewed Pentagon media policy designed to prevent media presence in sensitive national security areas and limit access to Pentagon officials without approval from the Department of War.

Notably, the number of former Pentagon press corps members who have signed on to the media policy has risen to 26, representing 18 total media outlets. Just over 60 journalists are being accredited for the first time.

The leak of a preliminary, low-confidence Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment of the U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities via CNN’s Natasha Bertand likely gave urgency to the policy change. Media outlets used documents to prematurely declare the bombings a failure.

Bertrand has a long history of politically motivated reporting, having aggressively promoted the Russiagate hoax. She has also been credibly accused of serving as a conduit for defense and intelligence community partisans who worked to suppress news coverage of Hunter Biden’s “Laptop from Hell,” smearing it as Russian disinformation.

Notably, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, née Cortes, previously served as a writing fellow at The National Pulse,

Image by Asten.

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16 hours ago
Education
News

Trump Admin Approves Student Loan Forgiveness for 2.5 Million.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration agreed to cancel billions in student loan debt for up to 2.5 million borrowers as part of a federal court settlement over stalled income-driven repayment (IDR) programs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Trump administration, and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The settlement was filed on October 17, 2025, in federal court as part of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) v. U.S. Department of Education case.

💬KEY QUOTE: “For nearly a decade, the AFT has fought for the rights of student loan borrowers to be freed from the shackles of unjust debt – and today, a huge part of that affordability fight was vindicated.” – Randi Weingarten, AFT President

🎯IMPACT: Borrowers eligible for relief are being notified, with options to accept forgiveness or opt out, according to the Department of Education.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has agreed to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loan debt for as many as 2.5 million borrowers, following a federal court settlement in the case American Federation of Teachers (AFT) v. U.S. Department of Education. The settlement, filed on October 17, reinstates loan forgiveness provisions tied to income-driven repayment (IDR) programs, including Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Based Repayment (IBR). These plans cap monthly payments based on income and household size, and forgive remaining balances after 20 to 25 years of qualifying payments.

The agreement comes after the AFT sued the Trump administration in March 2025, claiming it had unlawfully reversed Joe Biden-era loan forgiveness initiatives. According to the lawsuit, the Department of Education, under President Trump, removed IDR enrollment applications from federal websites and directed servicers to stop processing new enrollments and forgiveness applications. The AFT argued that this violated federal law by denying borrowers access to debt relief guaranteed by Congress.

“For nearly a decade, the AFT has fought for the rights of student loan borrowers to be freed from the shackles of unjust debt—and today, a huge part of that affordability fight was vindicated,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a statement. “Our agreement means that borrowers stuck in limbo can either get immediate relief or finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. And, crucially, they won’t ever get taxed on that relief. The AFT will hold the federal government to its word, and we won’t stop fighting until college is affordable and taking out a student loan doesn’t trap millions of Americans in a ruinous and exploitative debt cycle.”

The Department of Education began notifying eligible borrowers in October, sending emails that offer the option to accept forgiveness or opt out. Borrowers who receive forgiveness by the end of 2025 will not face federal income taxes on the discharged debt, under provisions maintained from previous legislation.

This settlement comes amid broader changes to the Department of Education under Trump. In March 2025, the president signed an executive order directing the department’s dismantling, aiming to return educational authority to states and local governments.

Earlier that year, the department eliminated over $600 million in funding for teacher training programs which promoted “divisive ideologies,” including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As part of this shift, the department’s workforce has also been significantly reduced.

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17 hours ago
News

African Illegals and Anti-ICE Rioters Arrested During NYC Raid.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal raid in New York City’s Chinatown led to the arrests of nine illegal migrants from West Africa and four protesters accused of obstructing law enforcement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Migrants from Senegal, Mali, and Guinea; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents; protesters; and New York City officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood, specifically on Canal Street.

💬KEY QUOTE: “During this law enforcement operation, rioters who were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement.” – DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

🎯IMPACT: The operation highlighted tensions between federal law enforcement and local officials, sparking criticism from activists and politicians.

IN FULL

On Tuesday, a federal operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in New York City’s Chinatown led to the arrest of nine illegal immigrants from Senegal, Mali, and Guinea, who were allegedly involved in selling counterfeit goods. Additionally, four protesters were detained for reportedly interfering with law enforcement by blocking vehicles and throwing objects.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the raid “targeted” and “intelligence-driven,” aimed at addressing criminal activity tied to counterfeit goods. “During this law enforcement operation, rioters who were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement,” McLaughlin noted. “Already, one rioter has been arrested for assault on a federal officer.”

Murad Awawdeh, vice president of advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, stated during a news conference that between 15 and 40 vendors were arrested, along with two local residents protesting the operation. City officials, including a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, stressed their adherence to local, anti-borders “sanctuary” policies, noting that New York City does not assist federal authorities with civil deportation actions.

Zohran Mamdani, the Democrats’ socialist mayoral candidate—himself a Ugandan immigrant—condemned the raid as “aggressive and reckless” in a post on X. “Once again, the Trump administration chooses authoritarian theatrics that create fear, not safety. It must stop,” he declared.

Notably, Mamdani is on record as favoring defunding the police and abolishing prisons and ICE.

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