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VP Vance Says Trump Aims To Complete Border Wall By 2029

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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump Administration is working hard to secure the border.

During aย visit to Eagle Pass, Texas,ย a reporter asked Vice President Vance how he and the President would define โ€œsuccessโ€ when it comes to the initiative and how much of the border needs to be โ€œwalled offโ€ before the end of Trumpโ€™s administration.

โ€œI think the presidentโ€™s hope is that by the end of the term we build the entire border wall,โ€ the vice president replied.

โ€œAnd of course thatโ€™s the physical structure โ€” the border wall itself โ€” but we even heard today, there are so many good technological tools, so many great artificial intelligence-enabled technologies that allow usโ€ to guard the southern border, he added.

The Hill reported that Vance also suggested the administration would employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid with efforts to combat illegal immigration โ€” aย top priorityย for Trump, who promised while on the campaign trail to conduct theย largest deportation operation in history. The vice president pointed to AI-enabled cameras that can spot migrants up to 2 miles away from the border, before they cross over.

โ€œWeโ€™re using artificial intelligence to make us better at the job of border enforcement, but weโ€™ve got to make sure that technology is deployed across the entire American southern border,โ€ Vance said.

โ€œWeโ€™re going to do it as much as we can, as broadly as we can, because thatโ€™s how weโ€™re going to protect the American peopleโ€™s security,โ€ he added.

Building the wall was a centerpiece of Trumpโ€™s 2016 presidential campaign.ย During his first term, his administrationย reinforced more than 400 milesย of the already existing wall and added about 80 miles of barrier to the border.

Trump administrationย officials recently told GOP senatorsย that theyโ€™re running out of money to secure the border and need Congress to immediately pass $175 billion to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall and hire more law-enforcement agents.

El Salvador President Responds After Man Mistakenly Deported

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By Casa Presidencial El Salvador - https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotospresidencia_sv/54351745159/, CC0,

El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele toldย President Donald Trumpย in the Oval Office on Monday that he has no plans to return a Maryland man wrongfully deported to a prison in his country.

Bukeleโ€™s Oval Office meeting with President Trump was the first since the Supreme Court ruled last week that the U.S. must โ€œfacilitateโ€ the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

However, both Trump and Bukele suggested they donโ€™t have the power to return the Maryland man and Salvadoran national to the U.S.

โ€œHow could I return him to the United States? I smuggle him to the United States? Of course Iโ€™m not going to do it. The question is preposterous,โ€ Bukele said, going on to refer to Abrego Garcia as a terrorist.

โ€œI donโ€™t have the power to return him to the United States. Iโ€™m not releasing โ€” I mean, weโ€™re not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country,โ€ he added, saying El Salvador is no longer the murder capital of the world.

Before Bukele spoke, Trump and a number of his aides suggested the decision would rest with El Salvador.

โ€œThatโ€™s up to El Salvador if they want to return him. Thatโ€™s not up to us,โ€ Attorney Generalย Pam Bondiย said.

Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Supreme Court ruled last week that the government must โ€œfacilitateโ€ Abrego Garciaโ€™s return. (RELATED: Supreme Court Rules Wrongfully Deported Man Must Return To US)

โ€œThe order properly requires the Government to โ€˜facilitateโ€™ Abrego Garciaโ€™s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,โ€ the Supreme Court ruled, referencing a lower court decision. 

โ€œThe District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs. For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps,โ€ the order reads. 

White House aide Stephen Miller said seeking Abrego Garciaโ€™s return would equate to kidnapping him.

โ€œA district court judge tried to tell the administration that they had to kidnap a citizen of El Salvador and fly him back here. That issue was raised at the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court said the district court order was unlawful and its main components reversed, 9-0, unanimously stating clearly that neither the secretary of state nor the President could be compelled by anybody to forcibly retrieve a citizen of El Salvador from El Salvador, who again, is a member of MS-13,โ€ Miller said during the meeting.

Latino District Flips To Trump As Democrats Confess ‘Massive Shift’ On Border Policy

Some Democrats are finally acknowledging they need to course correct on their immigration stance.

A new report from The New York Times revealed some leading Democrat lawmakers have admitted that open borders and immigration are costing the party and

“When you have the most Latino district in the country outside of Puerto Rico vote for Trump, that should be a wake-up call for the Democratic Party,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas).

The report highlighted that Gonzalez witnessed President Donald Trump “win every county in his district along the border with Mexico.” Gonzalez’s 34th district in Texas has swung dramatically from voting heavily Democratic in recent presidential elections to going in favor of Trump in 2024.

“This is a Democratic district thatโ€™s been blue for over a century,” Gonzalez told the Times.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said the Democrat Party “got led astray by the 2016 and the 2020 elections, and we just never moved back.” 

“We looked feckless, we werenโ€™t decisive, we werenโ€™t listening to voters, and the voters decided that we werenโ€™t in the right when it comes to what was happening with the border,” Gallego told the Times. 

In May, Gallego released a border security plan that would speed up asylum seekers’ claims and make other countries do their “fair share” in receiving asylum seekers, as well as take action against cartel violence.

The New York Times reported that various Democrats “are pushing for a course correction they see as overdue,” noting a new proposal from the Democratic policy shop and left-wing think tank Center for American Progress. The organization is calling for expanding legal immigration but also for ramping up border security and clamping down on abuse of the nation’s asylum system, the latter two of which are longtime Republican priorities.

Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, admitted to the Times that Democrats will have to adopt some level of border security policy.

“Iโ€™m happy to argue with Stephen Miller or anyone else about why they are wrong,” Tanden told the New York Times. “But the way weโ€™re going to be able to do that is to also honestly assess that the border has been too insecure, that it allowed too many people to come through and that we need to fix that.”

The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to deport illegal immigrants as well as increase security at the U.S. border. The administration’s efforts have been criticized by progressives and violent anti-ICE protests recently prompted Trump to deploy the National Guard to California.

Trump Administration Delivers Historic Border Security Win โ€” Lowest Apprehensions Since 1970

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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security โ€” the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 โ€” slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.

This achievement came even though 72% of this yearโ€™s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration โ€” before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessorโ€™s โ€œopen-borderโ€ policies.

โ€œFiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,โ€ said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. โ€œFor too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs โ€” and the result is the most secure border in modern history.โ€


Reversing Bidenโ€™s Border Chaos

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Bidenโ€™s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Bidenโ€™s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred โ€” nearly three-quarters of the yearโ€™s total.

But once Trumpโ€™s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 โ€” just 27% of the fiscal yearโ€™s total.

September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border โ€” a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol โ€” a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.

Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Bidenโ€™s monthly averages.


Strong Action From Day One

President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:

  • Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
  • Ended โ€œcatch-and-releaseโ€, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
  • Shut down Bidenโ€™s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
  • Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
  • Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.

These policies stand in sharp contrast to Bidenโ€™s approach, which relied on controversial โ€œparoleโ€ programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.

Former First Lady Reveals The Trump Policy That ‘Keeps Her Awake At Night’

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FLOTUS at Fayetteville, N.C. -The Arts Center speech Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Former first ladyย Michelle Obamaย expressed fear over Presidentย Donald Trump’s immigration policies, saying they have kept her up at night.ย 

“Now that we have leadership that is sort of indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn’t,” the former first lady said Monday during an appearance on the podcast “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” adding that such deportation decisions “aren’t being made with courts and with due process.” 

“I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody,” she continued. “And that makes me โ€ฆ that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.” 

“And I and I see that when I’m driving around LA. I’m just looking in the faces of folks who could be a victim and I’m wondering, how are you feeling, how do you feel standing on the bus stop,” she said. 

“In this current climate, for me itโ€™s whatโ€™s happening to immigrants,” Obama said when asked about “recent tests of fear” related to individuals facing discrimination over the color of their skin. 

Obama noted that the “fear” does not personally impact her as a former first lady who has police protection. 

“Itโ€™s not the fear for myself anymore,” she continued. “I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. Iโ€™m Michelle Obama. I do still worry about my daughters in the world, even though they are somewhat recognizable.”

“My fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city,” she added, referring to her hometown of Chicago. 

During a Monday White House briefing to discuss border enforcement during President Donald Trumpโ€™s first hundred days border czar Tom Homan said that under Trump, unlawful crossings were โ€œhistorically lowโ€ and that the border was the most secure it has ever been. Homan drew a sharp contrast to the record number of illegal immigrants that entered the United States under the Biden administration.

โ€œEvery president I ever worked for took border security seriously because you canโ€™t have national security if you donโ€™t have strong border security,โ€ Homan said. โ€œEven President Obama and President Clinton took some steps to secure the border because they understood national security was important. Joe Biden is the first president in the history of this nation who came into office and unsecured a border on purpose. Thatโ€™s just a fact.โ€

Homan accused the Biden administration of weaponizing its immigration policies, motivated by the desire that a future Democrat president would give illegal immigrants released into the country amnesty, saying Biden was โ€œselling this country off for future political power.โ€

Watch:

Contrasting Biden and Trump, Homan said that between 11,000-15,000 people were crossing the border illegally per day this time of the year under Biden, while under Trump, just 178 had crossed in the last 24 hours. During the same time, he said there were 1,800 known โ€œgotawaysโ€ under Biden, compared to just 38 under Trump. Homan added that from January 20 to April 1, 2024, Biden released 184,000 illegals out of federal custody into the country. The Trump administration has only released nine total, including four so they could testify in criminal cases and four with extreme medical conditions.

In total, Homan said that there have been 139,000 deportations under Trump. He added that the administration was prioritizing the estimated 700,000 illegals who have been charged with crimes.

Federal Judge Finds Probable Cause To Hold Trump In Contempt

A federal judge said Wednesday that he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for failing to return two planes deporting migrants to El Salvador last month.

In the 48-page opinion, Judge Boasberg said the court had ultimately determined that the Trump administrationโ€™s actions on the March 15 deportation flights, which took place after he issued a bench ruling ordering their immediate return to U.S. soil, demonstrate a “willful disregard” for the court that is sufficient for the government to be found in criminal contempt.”

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Justice Department in a filing Wednesday to answer additional questions by April 23 if they want to “purge” the contempt.

Fox News reports:

That would involve identifying the individuals responsible for what he described as “contumacious conduct,” and by “determining whose โ€˜specific act or omissionโ€™ caused the noncompliance,” Boasberg said. 

The Justice Department could then request that the contempt be prosecuted by an attorney for the government and, should they decline to prosecute the matter, could “appoint another attorney to prosecute the contempt.”

“The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions,” the judge continued. “None of their responses has been satisfactoryโ€ฆ”

“As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Governmentโ€™s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt,” Boasberg said Wednesday.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Signals Support For Legal Protections For Longtime Migrant Workers

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

DES MOINES, Iowa โ€” Speaking at the Iowa State Fairgrounds hours before Independence Day, President Donald Trump said he is drafting legislation to shield long-serving farm and hospitality workers from immigration enforcement actions.

โ€œWeโ€™re working on legislation right now,โ€ Trump told the crowd. โ€œFarmers, look, they know better. They work with them for years.โ€

He referenced cases where immigrant workers had been employed for over a decade before being removed through federal action.

โ€œYou had cases… where people have worked for a farm for 14, 15 years, and they get thrown out pretty viciously. And we canโ€™t do it,โ€ Trump said.

The remarks appear to address the impact of immigration raids, such as those reported at California farms, where labor shortages have followed large-scale enforcement. A significant portion of that workforce is made up of illegal immigrants.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who was present on stage, had initially raised the issue.

After weeks of back-and-forth, Trump ultimately echoed her stance on Thursday night โ€” arguing that those in agriculture and hospitality deserve more authority over who they employ. โ€œWeโ€™re going to work with them, and weโ€™re going to work very strong and smart,โ€ he said. โ€œWeโ€™re going to put you in charge. Weโ€™re going to make you responsible. And I think thatโ€™s going to make a lot of people happy.โ€

Acknowledging that the proposal may not sit well with his partyโ€™s immigration hardliners, Trump added: โ€œradical right people, who I also happen to like a lot, they may not be quite as happy. But theyโ€™ll understand, wonโ€™t they?โ€

He then turned to Rollins and said, โ€œDo you think theyโ€™ll understand that youโ€™re the one that brought this whole situation up?โ€

The comments signal a more pragmatic tone on immigration from the president, who has long emphasized enforcement but now appears open to reforms aimed at stabilizing the labor force in key sectors.

Supreme Court Allows Trump Admin To Move Ahead With Ending Protected Status For Some Migrants

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Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On Monday, the Supreme Court lifted an injunction against the Trump administration, allowing it to move ahead with its plans to end protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants in the U.S.

The decision is a victory for the Trump administration, allowing it to move forward with its plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for hundreds of thousands of people who came to the U.S. through parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. 

The TPS program provides legal status and work permits for these individuals.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Mother Of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s Nephew Nabbed By ICE

Federal immigration authorities have detained the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s nephew, a woman who officials say overstayed a decades-old tourist visa. Bruna Caroline Ferreira was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after allegedly remaining in the United States illegally since her B2 visa expired in June 1999, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson quoted by NBC News.

Ferreira, originally from Brazil, shares an 11-year-old son with Leavittโ€™s older brother, Michael Leavitt. In a statement to New Hampshire outlet WMUR, Michael emphasized his sonโ€™s welfare amid the situation. โ€œThe only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son,โ€ he said.

Karoline Leavitt, 28, the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history, declined to comment on the arrest. However, a source told WMUR that Ferreira and Leavitt have not been in contact โ€œfor many years,โ€ adding that the child โ€œhas lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother.โ€

According to DHS, Ferreira entered the United States legally in 1998 but failed to depart when required. โ€œShe entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by June 6, 1999,โ€ the agency said. โ€œShe is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.โ€

NBC News reported that Ferreira had previously been arrested on suspicion of battery, though the outcome of that case is unclear. No charges appear in Massachusettsโ€™ online court records.

Ferreiraโ€™s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, strongly disputes DHSโ€™s characterization of his client, arguing she should not be facing deportation. He said she has โ€œmaintained her legal statusโ€ through the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and was actively working toward obtaining a green card before her arrest.

โ€œSheโ€™s in the process of actually getting her green card and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving,โ€ Pomerleau told WCVB. โ€œBruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I donโ€™t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. Thereโ€™s no charges out there. Sheโ€™s not a criminal illegal alien.โ€

Pomerleau said the family has been struggling with the distance, noting that Ferreiraโ€™s son has not spoken to her since she was taken into custody. โ€œIโ€™m just trying to fight to get her out of jail,โ€ he said. โ€œShe should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her childโ€™s life. Sheโ€™s a great mom, and from what I heard, I think heโ€™s been a pretty good dad.โ€

He added, โ€œHis mother is locked up in Louisiana, where she should have never been in the first place.โ€

The case comes as the Trump administration carries out what it describes as a broad โ€œmass deportation campaign,โ€ emphasizing stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws. The initiative includes encouraging voluntary return for those in the country illegally and increasing operations by ICE, the Border Patrol, and state National Guard units.

A relative of Ferreira has launched a GoFundMe campaign, stating she was brought to the U.S. as a child and โ€œfollowed all protocols.โ€ The fundraiser says, โ€œSince then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.โ€

Ferreira remains in federal custody as her removal proceedings continue.

Report: Trump Border Czar Homan, DHS Chief Noem Barely Speaking Or Meeting

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A simmering feud between Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trumpโ€™s border czar Tom Homan has grown so strained that the two leaders reportedly barely speak or meet with each other, according to a new Axios report. Despite the tension, neither official is in danger of losing their job, and President Trump continues to stand by both as key figures in his aggressive border-security agenda.

The clashโ€”with roots that appear more personal than ideologicalโ€”has raised eyebrows inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A White House adviser told Axios that Trump views the competition between Noem and Homan as a healthy dynamic that can improve overall performance. โ€œKristiโ€™s doing a great job,โ€ Trump reportedly said. โ€œHer and Tom donโ€™t get along, but theyโ€™re doing great.โ€

Personality Clash, Not Policy Collapse

Sources say the feud stems largely from a personality clash and differing leadership styles. While both leaders support tough enforcement of immigration laws, Noemโ€™s backers have criticized Homan for oversaturating conservative media with frequent appearances, especially on Fox News, which they say sometimes carries him past official channels or consultation with DHS communications staff. Homan has appeared on conservative outlets far more than Noem this year, which insiders say has aggravated the divide.

Career Officials Bristle, But Trump Wants Results

Career immigration officials have reportedly bristled at Noemโ€™s leadership style, including her public-facing promotion of policies like the CBP Home self-deportation app and the outsized influence of her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, who can only officially serve limited days under federal rules.

At the same time, Noemโ€™s allies say Homanโ€™s media presence sometimes strays into self-promotion, making news on policy pronouncements without coordination. But neither side is backing down, and several White House sources say Trump is satisfied with the job both are doing.

What This Means for Border Security

Despite internal friction, the Trump administrationโ€™s border enforcement efforts remain robust. Deportations have reached record levels under this team, and DHS continues to pursue hard-line priorities. That focus on illegal immigration enforcement aligns with what Trump was elected to deliver and remains popular among the presidentโ€™s base.

In public remarksโ€”such as Noemโ€™s recent testimony before the House Homeland Security Committeeโ€”Noem has defended the administrationโ€™s approach as strengthening national security and deterring illegal entries, insisting DHS is enforcing the law without selective leniency.