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Tag: Alejandro Mayorkas
July 10, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration

Trump Admin Catches MS-13 Leaders Released Into U.S. Under Biden.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal law enforcement arrested two illegal immigrant MS-13 gang leaders during a raid in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday. Both men are wanted by El Salvador’s government for numerous violent crimes.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Melvin Alejandro Varela Pérez, a.k.a. Payaso, Rene Escobar-Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), other federal law enforcement agencies, MS-13, the government of El Salvador, INTERPOL, and the former Biden government.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The two MS-13 gang leaders were arrested on Wednesday, July 9, 2025; both were detained and paroled into the United States by the former Biden government.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Biden Administration allowed two ringleaders of MS-13, one of the most violent gangs in the world, straight into our country. One of these depraved aliens is on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted Fugitives list and is wanted for five counts of murder. The other has an INTERPOL notice for drug trafficking.” — DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

🎯IMPACT: Both men are now in ICE custody while the agency coordinates for them to be returned to El Salvador.

IN FULL

Two illegal immigrant MS-13 gang kingpins were arrested during a federal raid in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Melvin Alejandro Varela Pérez—also known as Payaso—and Rene Escobar-Ochoa are both wanted by the Salvadoran government and are accused of numerous murders, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking. Pérez is listed on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted, and Escobar-Ochoa is the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice. Concerningly, DHS states that despite the warrants and Red Notice, both men were paroled by the former Biden government into the United States after being detained while illegally crossing the U.S. southern border.

“The Biden Administration allowed two ringleaders of MS-13, one of the most violent gangs in the world, straight into our country,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs. “One of these depraved aliens is on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted Fugitives list and is wanted for five counts of murder. The other has an INTERPOL notice for drug trafficking.”

“These are the kinds of scum-bags sanctuary politicians are protecting and letting walk free on America’s streets,” she added.

Both men are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being captured in the raid, which was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and included other federal and international law enforcement partners. DHS says that ICE will continue to hold both MS-13 leaders as it coordinates with the Salvadoran government on returning them to the Central American nation to face justice.

The arrests are being highlighted as a shocking example of the lack of adequate vetting of illegal immigrants detained and subsequently released into the interior of the U.S. under former President Joe Biden.

Speaking on the matter on Thursday, President Donald J. Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, blasted the Biden-Harris era, noting that former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had directed U.S. immigration officials to only proceed with immediate deportations when the detainee had prior violent criminal convictions and not merely warrants for violent crimes.

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January 21, 2025
Immigration
News

Trump DHS Reverses Mayorkas Memo, Tightens ICE and Parole Policies.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday announced the reversal of restrictions placed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The changes involve rescinding a 2021 policy that designated certain areas as off-limits to ICE enforcement. The initial directive aimed to protect access to vital services by preventing ICE actions in locations such as educational institutions, healthcare facilities, religious sites, and social service establishments.

The newly issued memo suggests enforcement personnel use discretion and common sense when determining operational locations. The memo posits that broad guidelines are unnecessary for determining where immigration laws should be enforced. Some ICE agents expressed the view that this change will enable more effective action against illegal immigration, as they will no longer be restricted from operating near schools and other formerly protected areas.

Additionally, a second memo targets the use of humanitarian parole, which had been broadly applied by the previous administration to admit migrants en masse. This parole previously allowed several hundred thousand migrants, including nationals from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, to enter the U.S. The memo emphasizes that humanitarian parole should be applied on a “case by case basis,” aligning with the statute that critics claim has been misused.

The DHS memos instruct ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders to review existing parole policies and identify any that may not comply with legal statutes. This includes developing strategies to modify, pause, or end any non-compliant programs.

These policy changes follow a series of executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump just after his inauguration, which included deploying military forces to the southern border, terminating certain parole programs, and voiding birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. The orders also announced a national emergency and the renewal of border wall construction efforts, with the goal of drastically reducing illegal entry.

Official White House Photo by Oliver Contreras.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday announced the reversal of restrictions placed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The changes involve rescinding a 2021 policy that designated certain areas as off-limits to ICE enforcement. The initial directive aimed to protect access to vital services by preventing ICE actions in locations such as educational institutions, healthcare facilities, religious sites, and social service establishments. show more
January 15, 2025
William Upton
Immigration

Border Encounters Drop to Lowest Daily Average Since July 2020 Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration.

Daily encounters with illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border in December hit their lowest average since July 2020. The decline is likely due to the impending inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has pledged to enact comprehensive security measures at the border and organize the mass deportation of illegal immigrants present in the United States.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the total number of unlawful immigrants crossing the border and encountered by federal immigration officials was 96,000 last month. Illegal immigration encounters can be seasonal, with peak crossings occurring in the spring and summer and declining as the weather cools. However, the Biden government insists the decline in encounters is due to border security measures enacted after the unchecked flow of illegal immigrants became a contentious presidential campaign issue.

“Our approach has been tough, humane, legal, and effective,” Biden DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted during a recent press conference. Despite the drop, border encounters during much of outgoing President Joe Biden’s term in office hit all-time records. Between October 2023 and February 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) logged one million encounters with illegal immigrants. Late last year, border agents saw a concerning surge in Chinese illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country unlawfully.

Trump is pushing lawmakers on Capitol Hill to take up a budget reconciliation bill to help his incoming administration begin the removal of tens of millions of unlawful immigrants currently residing in the United States. However, there are some concerns that provisions from legislation expanding work visas and granting amnesty to many illegal immigrants could sneak into the reconciliation measure. Sponsored by Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL), the Dignity Act would drastically expand H-1B visa caps while making it more difficult to deport some illegals already in the United States.

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Daily encounters with illegal immigrants at the U.S. southern border in December hit their lowest average since July 2020. The decline is likely due to the impending inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has pledged to enact comprehensive security measures at the border and organize the mass deportation of illegal immigrants present in the United States. show more
November 15, 2024
William Upton
Economy
Immigration

Biden’s DHS Sec Mayorkas Is Drastically Lifting Visa Caps on His Way Out.

The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing a drastic increase in the H-2B Visa cap for the Fiscal Year 2025. H-2B visas are granted to temporary non-agricultural immigrant workers. In an announcement by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, the department says it expects to make available an additional 64,716 visas on top of the current cap for the next year.

According to the department, the increase is necessary to meet the demands of American companies specifically operating in the “hospitality and tourism, landscaping, [and] seafood processing” industries. The National Pulse has reported extensively on the replacement of native-born American workers with cheap foreign labor under the Biden-Harris government, and the DHS visa cap announcement is set to exacerbate the problem.

“The Department of Homeland Security is committed to further growing our nation’s strong economy,” Mayorkas said in a statement announcing the move. He added: “By maximizing the use of the H-2B visa program, the Department of Homeland Security is helping to ensure the labor needs of American businesses are met, keeping prices down for consumers while strengthening worker protections and deterring irregular migration to the United States.”

BIDEN’S CHEAP, FOREIGN LABOR. 

Employment data indicates that most of the jobs created under Joe Biden have been taken by foreign-born labor. According to a recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an estimated 1.3 million native-born American workers lost their jobs in August. Meanwhile, the number of foreign-born workers increased by 635,000.

Additionally, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers reveal that labor force participation among foreign-born residents is at nearly 70 percent. Meanwhile, the rate among native-born Americans remains below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

The last-minute decision by DHS appears to be aimed at hampering any attempt by President-elect Donald J. Trump to reduce America’s reliance on cheap immigrant labor and rectify the lack of employment for American citizens.

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The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing a drastic increase in the H-2B Visa cap for the Fiscal Year 2025. H-2B visas are granted to temporary non-agricultural immigrant workers. In an announcement by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, the department says it expects to make available an additional 64,716 visas on top of the current cap for the next year. show more
paxton
October 17, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Election 2024
Election Integrity

In the Absence of the RNC, 15 State Attorneys General Are Stepping Up…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by 15 other state attorneys general, sent a letter to Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, demanding that DHS fulfill its legal obligation to assist states in verifying the citizenship of registered voters.

On October 7, Paxton formally requested the federal government provide data on the citizenship status of individuals who may have illegally registered to vote in Texas. Paxton attached a list of approximately 450,000 voters who registered without presenting a state-issued driver’s license or ID, meaning their citizenship status had not been confirmed. This request triggered the federal government’s legal duty to respond. Several other states have made similar demands to ensure the accuracy of their voter rolls.

However, the Biden-Harris government has not granted states access to the federal databases needed to verify noncitizens are not on voter rolls. While federal law makes it illegal for noncitizens to register to vote, vetting is weak. Courts have ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship for voter registration. As a result, states must rely on federal databases to verify citizenship status.

In the letter, Paxton and the other attorneys general expressed frustration with DHS’s delayed responses, accusing the agency of failing to grant access to its Person Centric Query Service (PCQS) database, which is essential for verifying voter registration information. They argued that DHS is legally required to provide the information, regardless of its opinion on the usefulness of the data.

“Secretary Mayorkas owes every state the requested information without delay. They are legally obligated to assist in ensuring noncitizens are not registering or voting in American elections,” Paxton insists.

Despite the ban on noncitizen voting, research suggests foreigners do vote in U.S. elections, mainly for Democrats and in numbers significant enough to change the outcome.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by 15 other state attorneys general, sent a letter to Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, demanding that DHS fulfill its legal obligation to assist states in verifying the citizenship of registered voters. show more
October 11, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
NatSec

Afghan Terror Plotter Worked for CIA.

An Afghan charged with plotting an Election Day terror attack after being imported to the U.S. following the Biden-Harris government’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan previously worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, worked in a security role for the CIA in his native country. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tawhedi passed a “multilayered screening and vetting” process, including checks against intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism databases, before being paroled into the U.S.

Biden-Harris officials claim Tawhedi became radicalized just weeks after his arrival on September 9, 2021. However, they are incentivized to claim his radicalization occurred after he entered the U.S., or they would be implicated in failing to detect his terroristic intentions before importing him.

Tawhedi entered the country under “humanitarian parole” after the Biden-Harris government fast-tracked the entry of tens of thousands of Afghan migrants. DHS initially claimed he arrived on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), but the State Department pushed back, saying that Tawhedi came in under humanitarian parole and applied for an SIV on arrival.

Tawhedi, based in Oklahoma, allegedly planned to target large gatherings on Election Day and was prepared to die as a “martyr” along with his juvenile brother-in-law, who was brought to the U.S. through another immigration program.

Biden-Harris Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has remained silent on the case, avoiding questions about failures in the vetting process for Afghans. Regardless, the incident raises serious concerns about how many other potential threats may be inside the U.S. due to the Democrats’ lax immigration policies.

Hundreds of would-be illegal immigrants apprehended at America’s borders have been discovered to have terrorism links. Surprisingly, more of these migrants are caught attempting to cross the northern border than the southern border.

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An Afghan charged with plotting an Election Day terror attack after being imported to the U.S. following the Biden-Harris government's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan previously worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, worked in a security role for the CIA in his native country. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tawhedi passed a "multilayered screening and vetting" process, including checks against intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism databases, before being paroled into the U.S. show more
October 2, 2024
William Upton
Immigration
Politics

Biden-Harris Govt Says FEMA Needs Money for Hurricanes After Agency Spends $1 Billion Housing Illegals.

The Biden-Harris government’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is suggesting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—a subagency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ostensibly tasked with responding to natural disasters—likely will not have enough money in its budget to get through hurricane season. While FEMA claims the catastrophic damage and costs from Hurricane Helene will limit its ability to respond to future storms, the agency announced $380 million in supplemental funding for illegal immigrant housing just a month ago—bringing the total to over $1 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.

Mayorkas made the remarks while traveling with President Joe Biden to North Carolina, where the western part of the state has seen catastrophic flooding and mudslides—with at least 160 declared dead so far—in the wake of Helene. The Biden cabinet official made similar claims in June, telling Congress that FEMA was underbudgeted.

In fiscal year 2024, FEMA saw an allocation of around $20 billion, while DHS received over $61 billion in total. In April, the disaster management agency announced it would “provide $640.9 million of available funds to enable non-federal entities to off-set allowable costs incurred for services associated with noncitizen migrant arrivals in their communities.” These grant funds primarily go to paying for food and shelter for illegal immigrants as they await their appearance before an immigration judge.

Despite the initial allotment for illegal immigrant housing, FEMA announced at the end of August that it would make an additional $380 million in grants available. The supplemental grants bring FEMA’s total spending on shelter and food for illegal immigrants to over $1 billion for the fiscal year.

The National Pulse reported earlier this week that eight illegal immigrants were arrested in flood-ravaged eastern Tennesse for looting in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath.

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The Biden-Harris government's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is suggesting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—a subagency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ostensibly tasked with responding to natural disasters—likely will not have enough money in its budget to get through hurricane season. While FEMA claims the catastrophic damage and costs from Hurricane Helene will limit its ability to respond to future storms, the agency announced $380 million in supplemental funding for illegal immigrant housing just a month ago—bringing the total to over $1 billion for the 2024 fiscal year. show more
October 1, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
NatSec

The Great Walz of China: Oversight Demands DHS Docs on Dem VP Nom’s Ties to CCP.

The House Oversight Committee is demanding the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hand over documents allegedly relating to the 2024 Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, states his committee is informed by a whistleblower that communications exist between DHS personnel regarding their concerns about Walz and his ties to China.

“During its briefings with over twenty federal agencies in its investigation, the Committee has learned of the emphasis the CCP has placed on influencing government leaders, including state governors. Along those lines, the Committee has recently received whistleblower disclosures informing the Committee of serious concerns among [DHS] personnel regarding a longstanding connection between the CCP and Minnesota Governor Timothy James Walz,” Comer writes.

The Kentucky Congressman states that the Oversight Committee is aware that DHS employees have used a non-classified Microsoft Teams chat, which contains information relevant to Walz and the Committee’s investigation of Chinese influence among U.S. politicians. Additionally, Comer claims that DHS is in possession of other classified and non-classified documents detailing concerns about Walz and the CCP that are relevant to the Congressional probe.

Attached to Comer’s letter is a subpoena for the communications and documents in DHS’s possession. In addition, the chairman emphasizes that the investigation is not politically motivated as it began long before Kamala Harris named Walz her running mate.

Meanwhile, The National Pulse reported in August that a Nebraska newspaper article from the 1990s shows Walz—then a high school teacher—openly praising the Chinese communist regime in his classroom. Concerningly, Walz also took his students on numerous trips to the communist country.

READ:

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The House Oversight Committee is demanding the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hand over documents allegedly relating to the 2024 Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, states his committee is informed by a whistleblower that communications exist between DHS personnel regarding their concerns about Walz and his ties to China. show more
August 26, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
NatSec
TECH

Biden-Harris DHS Lists DEI—Not Border Security—as Number One Objective of IT Strategic Plan.

The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for “customs, border, and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and manmade disasters, antiterrorism work, and cybersecurity,” states that building “a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace” as the number one objective of its Information Technology Strategic Plan for 2024-2028.

“DHS strives to attract individuals across all levels of the DHS IT workforce, including senior leadership positions, that represent the diversity of the populations we serve,” states objective 1.1. of the plan.

“We will expand partnerships with diverse academic institutions, professional organizations, and communities and strengthen internship, rotation, and developmental programs that promote equitable access to career advancement for all employees,” it adds.

The document begins with a message from Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen, who formerly worked for Google, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Penn Biden Center, and the Biden-Harris Transition Team. He also states up front in the DHS plan that “attracting, hiring, developing, and retaining diverse technology
talent” who can “bring their authentic selves to work every day” is his top priority.

An obsession with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) also plagues the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), which often relies on DHS personnel to execute its duties.

A top official at the scandal-ridden agency, which almost allowed former President Donald J. Trump to be assassinated in July after a series of security lapses, described DEI as “mission imperative” and his “ultimate goal” in a 2023 podcast.

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The Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for "customs, border, and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and manmade disasters, antiterrorism work, and cybersecurity," states that building "a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace" as the number one objective of its Information Technology Strategic Plan for 2024-2028. show more
August 9, 2024
Election 2024
Immigration
NatSec

ICYMI: Biden-Harris DHS Released 99 Terror Watchlist Illegals into U.S.

The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement has released an interim staff report revealing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) permitted nearly 100 migrants on the federal government’s terrorist watchlist to remain in the country between fiscal years 2021 and 2023.

The report, which covers the period of the Biden-Harris government, states that of over 250 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist encountered by Border Patrol at the south-west border, at least 99 were released into American communities. Additionally, 34 other individuals are in DHS custody but have not been removed from the United States. These encounters involved individuals from 36 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Pakistan—all countries with an endemic terrorist presence.

For fiscal year 2024, the report underscores that Border Patrol has encountered numerous illegal aliens from countries deemed national security risks. This includes encounters with 2,134 Afghan nationals, 33,347 Chinese nationals, 541 Iranian nationals, 520 Syrian nationals, and 3,104 Uzbek nationals.

NOTABLE CASES.

One notable case mentioned is that of Mohammad Kharwin, a 48-year-old Afghan and member of the terrorist group Hezb-e-Islami. Federal agents arrested him in April after repeated releases into the country by Border Patrol.

The report further mentions the arrest of eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan, linked to Islamic State, in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles in June.

The report criticizes the Biden-Harris regime for its handling of border security, stating that its policies are allowing millions of illegal aliens to enter the United States, hundreds of whom have links to terrorist organizations.

More than 7.3 million illegal aliens have been released or evaded capture at the border under Biden and Harris, it notes, including 375 individuals on the terrorist watchlist. This represents a 3,000 percent increase in watchlisted alien encounters compared to the Donald Trump administration.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement has released an interim staff report revealing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) permitted nearly 100 migrants on the federal government’s terrorist watchlist to remain in the country between fiscal years 2021 and 2023. show more