On November 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a devastating preliminary injunction against Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and federal immigration enforcement agents in Chicago, explicitly finding that Bovino “admitted that he lied” about the October 23, 2025 tear gas …
Judge Sara EllisGregory BovinoDepartment of Homeland SecurityCBPICE+3 moregregory-bovinojudge-sara-ellisjudicial-rebukeperjuryconstitutional-violations+7 more
On October 27, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security posted an image from the Halo video game franchise showing Master Chief and a Spartan in a Warthog vehicle with the text “DESTROY THE FLOOD” as an ICE recruitment advertisement. The post was captioned “Finishing this …
Department of Homeland SecurityKaelan DorrMarcus LehtoICEWhite Housedepartment-of-homeland-securityicetroll-culturedehumanizationrecruitment+3 more
On October 23, 2025, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was caught on video personally throwing at least one tear gas canister into a crowd of protesters in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, directly violating a federal court restraining order issued just two weeks earlier by U.S. …
Gregory BovinoJudge Sara EllisDepartment of Homeland SecurityCBPChicago Headline Club+1 moregregory-bovinoborder-patrolconstitutional-violationsjudicial-defianceuse-of-force+6 more
During the fourth week of the October 2025 government shutdown affecting over 700,000 federal employees, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that approximately 70,000 Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers—including ICE deportation officers, CBP border patrol agents, Secret Service …
Kristi NoemDepartment of Homeland SecurityImmigration and Customs EnforcementCustoms and Border ProtectionSecret Service+2 moregovernment-shutdowninstitutional-captureimmigration-enforcementaccountability-crisisbudget-reconciliation+1 more
President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum on October 9, 2025, authorizing the construction of up to four Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) abroad to address ‘urgent national security needs’ in the Arctic region. The memorandum invokes presidential authority under 14 U.S.C. 1151(b) …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseU.S. Coast GuardDepartment of Homeland Securityexecutive-powerpresidential-authoritynational-securitymilitary
The Department of Homeland Security and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implemented a data-sharing agreement providing ICE with access to the personal information of all 79 million Medicaid enrollees nationwide. The shared database includes names, addresses, birth dates, ethnic and racial …
Department of Homeland SecurityCenters for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesICEState Attorneys General Coalitionsurveillance-expansioncivil-liberties-violationhealthcare-weaponizationinstitutional-capture
In September 2025 alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded $1.4 billion in new surveillance technology contracts, representing the highest monthly total in at least 18 years. These contracts provide ICE with extensive surveillance capabilities including facial recognition algorithms, …
Immigration and Customs EnforcementDepartment of Homeland Securityicesurveillancefacial-recognitionmass-surveillancedhs+3 more
President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation imposing severe restrictions on H-1B specialty occupation workers, requiring employers to pay a $100,000 fee per petition with limited national-interest exemptions. This dramatic escalation in visa costs represents a fundamental shift in skilled …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseDepartment of Homeland Securityexecutive-powerpresidential-authorityimmigrationsystematic-corruption
The State Department revoked over 6,000 student visas, including 200-300 for alleged ‘support for terrorism,’ with particular focus on students participating in pro-Palestinian protests and criticism of Israel’s Gaza war. A Tufts student was detained for six weeks after co-writing …
State DepartmentMarco RubioDepartment of Homeland Securityweaponizationinstitutional-capturefree-speech
Governor DeSantis announced “Deportation Depot” at Baker Correctional Institution on August 14, 2025, just days before Alligator Alcatraz’s court-ordered closure. The repurposed state prison 43 miles west of Jacksonville offers 1,300 beds expandable to 2,000, with setup cost of …
Ron DeSantisKevin Guthrie (FL Emergency Management)Kristi NoemDepartment of Homeland Securitydetention-expansionprison-repurposingdeportation-infrastructurestate-federal-partnership
The Trump administration announced on August 8, 2025, an increased federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C., with expanded patrols by federal agents at tourist sites, transit hubs, and government buildings. This surge in federal forces in the nation’s capital follows earlier …
Trump AdministrationDepartment of Homeland SecurityU.S. Marshals ServiceFederal Protective Servicefederal-deploymentlaw-enforcementwashington-dc
Senator Jon Ossoff’s investigation identified 510 credible reports of human rights abuse in ICE detention, including 41 cases of physical or sexual abuse, 18 reports of child mistreatment, and 14 reports of pregnant women abuse. At Krome detention center, the facility held 1,200 more people …
Jon OssoffICEDepartment of Homeland SecurityTricia McLaughlin (DHS)Krome detention centerdetention-abuseovercrowdingchild-abusecongressional-investigationhuman-rights-violations
The Trump administration implemented its March 2025 executive order ‘Stopping Waste, Fraud and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos,’ demanding that states hand over comprehensive data on Medicaid recipients, SNAP (food assistance) beneficiaries, and voter registration rolls to federal …
Department of Homeland SecurityUSDADepartment of Health and Human ServicesDOGEDonald Trumpinstitutional-capturesurveillancedata-centralizationweaponization
Fourteen people died in ICE custody by August 2025, with 11 deaths occurring since the start of the Trump administration. Nearly 90% of ICE detainees are held in facilities run by private companies GEO Group and CoreCivic. Reports documented widespread medical neglect, overcrowding, lack of food, …
ICECoreCivicGEO GroupDepartment of Homeland Securitydetention-deathsmedical-neglectovercrowdingprivate-prisonshuman-rights-violations
ICE denied multiple members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities across the country, including Rep. Jason Crow at Aurora, Colorado and six Maryland Democrats at Baltimore’s Fallon Federal Building. Despite a 2019 law guaranteeing congressional access for oversight, ICE …
ICEDepartment of Homeland SecurityRep. Jason CrowSen. Chris Van HollenSen. Angela Alsobrooks+5 morecongressional-oversightice-detentiontransparency-failurerule-of-lawimmigration-enforcement
Trump’s signature budget reconciliation bill increases federal deficits by $3.4 trillion over 10 years while transferring wealth upward, with 65% of benefits flowing to top 10% of earners. Creates multiple opaque funding streams including $100M OMB slush fund for “efficiencies” and …
Donald TrumpMike Johnson (House Speaker)Republican CongressOffice of Management and BudgetDepartment of Homeland Securitybudget-reconciliationtax-cuts-for-wealthyslush-fundswealth-transferkleptocracy+2 more
One Big Beautiful Bill provides $45 billion for building new immigration detention centers, with overwhelming majority going to private companies contracted to build and run facilities. Represents 308% increase over ICE’s FY2024 detention budget, creating capacity for 125,000 beds operated by …
Donald TrumpDepartment of Homeland SecurityICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)Private prison contractorsprivatizationimmigration-detentionprivate-prisonsmass-incarcerationgovernment-contract+1 more
Brookings June 26, 2025, analysis warned Trump’s deployment of 700 Marines and 4,000 federalized National Guard to LA violates Posse Comitatus Act. Trump invoked 10 USC §12406 (not Insurrection Act) claiming “inherent constitutional authority” to protect federal property. …
Brookings InstitutionLegal scholarsDepartment of DefenseDepartment of Homeland SecurityTrump Administrationanalysiscivil-militaryinsurrection-actposse-comitatuslegal-analysis+2 more
Operation Tidal Wave (April 21-26, 2025) resulted in 1,120 arrests across Florida, the largest number in a single state in one week in ICE’s history. While ICE claimed all were “criminal aliens,” 37% had no criminal convictions beyond immigration violations. Governor DeSantis and …
ICEMadison SheahanRon DeSantisDepartment of Homeland Securitymass-arrestspolitical-operations287g-programspropaganda-operations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on April 9, 2025, that it would screen immigrants’ social media activity for antisemitic content when adjudicating immigration benefits. The policy allows denial of visas, green cards, and citizenship based on social media posts deemed …
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)Department of Homeland SecurityTrump AdministrationCivil liberties groupsimmigrationscreeningsocial-mediafirst-amendmentviewpoint-discrimination+2 more
DHS implemented a reduction in force eliminating over 300 employees across three oversight offices—the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. Over 100 CRCL employees lost …
Department of Homeland SecurityTricia McLaughlin (DHS)Office for Civil Rights and Civil LibertiesImmigration Detention OmbudsmanCitizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsmanoversight-eliminationaccountability-destructionmass-layoffscivil-rights-violations
Madison Sheahan, a 28-year-old former aide to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with no law enforcement experience, was appointed ICE Deputy Director on March 9, 2025. Federal law requires the ICE Director to have “a minimum of 5 years professional experience in law enforcement, and a minimum of 5 …
Madison SheahanKristi NoemICEDepartment of Homeland Securityillegal-appointmentsqualifications-violationpoliticizationfederal-law-violation
Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello, a 20-year ICE veteran, was removed from his position on February 21, 2025, after failing to meet deportation quotas of 3,000 daily arrests despite only achieving 1,200-1,400 per day. Vitello was reassigned to a senior enforcement role after just one month leading …
Caleb VitelloICEDonald TrumpDepartment of Homeland Securitypersonnel-purgesimpossible-quotasloyalty-testsdeportation-quotas
Trump declared national emergency at southern border citing “invasion” by cartels, criminal gangs, and “unvetted military-age males.” Deployed 1,500 active-duty troops (1,000 Army, 500 Marines) with helicopters and intelligence analysts. Ordered Pentagon to develop 10-day …
Donald TrumpDepartment of DefenseDepartment of Homeland SecurityPentagonMexican President Claudia Sheinbaumimmigrationnational-emergencybordercapture-patternsenergy
Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, creating a process to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The order directs cabinet officials to make recommendations within 14 days and prepare to invoke the Alien Enemies …
Donald TrumpSecretary of StateDepartment of TreasuryDepartment of JusticeDepartment of Homeland Security+2 morecartelsterrorism-designationexecutive-orderproject-2025border-security+4 more
Anduril Industries announced deployment of its 300th Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST) along the southern U.S. border, significantly expanding its AI-powered surveillance infrastructure for Customs and Border Protection. The deployment includes the Extended Range Sentry Tower, featuring an 80-foot …
Anduril IndustriesU.S. Customs and Border ProtectionDepartment of Homeland SecurityPalmer LuckeyBorder MilitarizationSurveillanceAI SurveillanceImmigration EnforcementAutonomous Weapons
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted simultaneous raids on Sean Combs’ properties in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami as part of a comprehensive federal sex trafficking investigation. Federal prosecutors unveiled a three-count indictment alleging a decade-long criminal enterprise …
Department of Homeland SecuritySean CombsFederal ProsecutorsU.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New Yorkhomeland-securitysex-traffickingfederal-investigationracketeeringcriminal-enterprise+2 more
Elon Musk’s release of internal Twitter documents (Twitter Files) exposes systematic government-social media platform coordination infrastructure that represents the comprehensive institutionalization of WHIG information control template through digital platform capture and systematic …
Elon MuskTwitter/X CorporationMatt TaibbiBari WeissMichael Shellenberger+6 moretwitter-files-revelationsgovernment-social-media-coordinationsystematic-information-controldigital-platform-censorshipwhig-information-template-completion+4 more
Attorney General Merrick Garland established Task Force KleptoCapture, an unprecedented interagency law enforcement unit dedicated to enforcing sanctions and seizing assets of Russian kleptocrats following the Ukraine invasion. The initiative represents a major expansion of US anti-corruption …
Merrick GarlandAndrew AdamsDepartment of JusticeFBIU.S. Secret Service+2 morekleptocracysanctionsasset-recoverydojrussia+3 more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded Anduril Industries a $25 million contract for autonomous surveillance towers (ASTs) along the U.S.-Mexico border, with plans to deploy 200 towers by 2022 in a relationship worth more than $200 million. The AST system combines Anduril’s radar-equipped …
Anduril IndustriesU.S. Customs and Border ProtectionDepartment of Homeland SecurityPalmer LuckeyBorder MilitarizationSurveillanceAutonomous WeaponsImmigration EnforcementAI Surveillance
Private security contractor MVM Inc. detained migrant children in Hampton Inn hotels across Arizona and Texas border cities before expelling them under Title 42. The company held at least 29 children in hotels in April 2020, increasing to 80 by May, with children as young as 1 year old detained …
MVM Inc.ICEHampton Inn & SuitesSonesta HotelsDepartment of Homeland Securityshadow-detentionchild-detentionprivate-contractorstitle-42hotel-jails+1 more
GAO reports document ICE’s reliance on a complex network of contracted detention facilities, including Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) with guaranteed-minimum payment structures. In FY2019, ICE maintained contracts with 230+ facilities for longer‑term detention, alongside …
ICEPrivate contractors (CoreCivic)Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Marshals ServiceState and local governments+1 moredetention-networkprocurement-violationsimmigration-enforcementigsa-contractsguaranteed-minimums+1 more
FBI field offices around the country began surveilling Occupy Wall Street organizers as early as August 2011—a month before the first protesters arrived at Zuccotti Park—treating the nonviolent economic justice movement as a potential terrorist threat despite acknowledging internally that organizers …
FBIDepartment of Homeland SecurityOccupy Wall StreetJoint Terrorism Task Forcefbi-abusesurveillanceprotest-suppressionfirst-amendmentdomestic-spying
In 2009, the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), Southern California’s multiagency, multidisciplinary fusion center, began using Palantir Technologies’ data analysis platform to connect and analyze Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and other intelligence data. This marked …
Joint Regional Intelligence CenterLos Angeles Police DepartmentPalantir TechnologiesDepartment of Homeland Securitypalantirlapdfusion-centersdomestic-surveillancejric+1 more
Between 2007 and 2009, Palantir Technologies experienced explosive growth within the U.S. government, expanding from eight pilot programs to more than 50 programs across multiple federal agencies. This rapid expansion was driven by referrals from early adopters and represented Palantir’s …
Palantir TechnologiesFederal Bureau of InvestigationNational Security AgencyDepartment of Homeland SecuritySecurities and Exchange Commissionpalantirgovernment-contractsexpansionfbinsa+2 more
On October 15, 2005, Dubai Ports World (DPW), a UAE state-owned company, initiated a CFIUS review to acquire British firm P&O’s port management operations, which included six major U.S. ports. The 30-day review process involved 12 government agencies, with the Intelligence Community …
Dubai Ports WorldSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumCFIUSUS Coast GuardP&O+2 moreforeign-investmentnational-securityregulatory-captureintelligence-gapsport-security+1 more
Accenture, leading the Smart Border Alliance, was awarded a major Department of Homeland Security contract to develop a comprehensive border management technology system. The five-year contract, valued between $10 million and $10 billion, aimed to create a ‘virtual border’ system using …
AccentureDepartment of Homeland SecurityAsa HutchinsonSmart Border Alliancehomeland-securitygovernment-contractborder-technologysurveillancedhs-acquisition