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Topic: Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security

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📊 Analysis Summary

Alternative Data 2 Analyses 45 Facts

Mainstream reporting this week focused on aggressive DHS/immigration enforcement and legal pushback: a 7th Circuit panel temporarily stayed Judge Sara Ellis’s broad injunction limiting use of force in the Chicago “Operation Midway Blitz,” citing separation‑of‑powers and overbreadth while setting an expedited appeal; internal DHS documents showed Border Patrol surges in Charlotte arrested far fewer people classified as “criminal aliens” than officials publicly emphasized and planned further deployments; House Freedom Caucus members urged DHS to deny a security clearance to NYC mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani; ICE custody rose to about 65,135 detainees with roughly half lacking criminal convictions; and USCIS paused affirmative asylum decisions and ordered reexaminations of refugee green cards as part of a post‑shooting vetting review.

What mainstream coverage tended to omit were technical, demographic and research contexts that bear on policy and practice: internal references to DHS’s AI governance (Directive 139‑08) and reports that agents used ChatGPT to draft use‑of‑force reports, with attendant accuracy, privacy and evidence‑integrity concerns; local demographic data for places like Mecklenburg County and research showing immigrants generally have lower crime rates, which complicates claims that these operations target “dangerous” populations; independent statistics (TRAC, ITEP, Migration Policy Institute, PNAS, American Immigration Council) that would better disaggregate who is being arrested or detained, the role of administrative pauses in changing migration statistics, and DHS’s claim of rising assaults on enforcement personnel. Opinion pieces added contrasting frames: some argued federal levers (clearances, funding, deployments) can effectively curb sanctuary policies, while analysts warned that halting processing and re‑vetting mechanically reduces recorded inflows and risks legal/ humanitarian harm. These contrarian and technical perspectives—on AI use, local demographics, methodological effects on migration statistics, and the legal limits of federal injunctions—are important for readers who only follow mainstream headlines.

Summary generated: November 29, 2025 at 08:57 PM

DHS says 400 arrests in Twin Cities 'Operation Metro Surge,' blasts Walz and Frey

2d Developing 12

The Department of Homeland Security says Operation Metro Surge has resulted in about 400 arrests across the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, targeting noncitizens with deportation orders and what officials called a “worst of the worst” list that includes people from Somalia, Mexico, El Salvador and other countries, and naming multiple arrestees with prior convictions. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly rebuked Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey—accusing them of failing to protect Minnesotans and rejecting Walz’s claims that U.S. citizens were improperly detained—while local leaders have moved to limit city cooperation as the operation unfolds amid broader federal immigration actions and heated rhetoric about Somali migrants.

ICE Operations Donald Trump Department of Homeland Security

At DHS hearing, Democrats press Noem; Thompson later says he misspoke on 'unfortunate accident' remark

3d Developing 11

At a Dec. 11 House Homeland Security Committee hearing, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was sharply pressed by Democrats — including Rep. Bennie Thompson, who urged her to resign — over immigration policy, alleged unlawful deportations (including veterans), withheld grants and asylum vetting, as protesters briefly disrupted testimony and Noem defended DHS as combating transnational crime while calling the D.C. National Guard shooting a “terrorist attack.” Thompson, who during the session called the shooting an “unfortunate accident,” later told CNN he “misspoke,” saying he did not stand by that phrasing and meant to challenge Noem’s assertions about who approved the suspect’s asylum application.

Department of Homeland Security Congressional Oversight Immigration & Demographic Change

ICE detention hits 65,135; nearly half have no criminal record, official data show

Government and FOIA-derived operational data show ICE custody at roughly 65,135 people as of Nov. 16 (with DHS reporting November averages near 66,000), and nearly half—about 48% (30,986)—had no U.S. criminal charges or convictions while 26% had convictions and 26% had pending charges. The records and local booking data document a sharp surge in ICE-initiated arrests of non‑criminals (CBS notes a 2,143% rise among ICE arrestees from Jan. 26 to Nov. 16 and FOIA data show daily arrests climbing), driven in part by broader arrest targets and multiagency operations, even as DHS disputes some FOIA-derived arrest-rate estimates.

Immigration Enforcement DHS/ICE Department of Homeland Security

Trump personally rejects Noem firing rumor, praises DHS chief

4d Developing 2

At a Dec. 10 White House roundtable, Trump personally rejected reports he was considering replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, saying he is “so happy” with her and calling her “fantastic,” while the White House labeled the report “total Fake News.” He also defended War Secretary Pete Hegseth as “phenomenal,” and DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the story, quipping she has “seen more credible reporting on Big Foot.”

Donald Trump Department of Homeland Security

CBP publishes ESTA screening expansion in Federal Register; 60-day comment opens

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Customs and Border Protection published a proposal in the Federal Register on Dec. 10 to expand screening for Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) travelers from roughly 40 countries and opened a 60‑day public comment period. The plan — pending OMB review and citing a January executive order on enhanced vetting — would make ESTA mobile‑only and require applicants to submit five years of social media history, five years of phone numbers, IP addresses and photo metadata, ten years of email addresses, biometric data (face, fingerprint, DNA, iris), immediate family members' personal information, and a selfie captured via a CBP app; critics warn it could dampen tourism ahead of events like the 2026 World Cup.

Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security & Immigration Digital Privacy & Surveillance

DHS buys six Boeing 737s for deportations

4d Developing 1

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Wednesday it signed a deal to acquire six Boeing 737 aircraft for immigration removal flights, a move officials say will streamline logistics and save an estimated $279 million. The contract, reported as signed with Virginia-based Daedalus Aviation, is funded by the July omnibus 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which set aside $170 billion for border and immigration efforts.

Immigration & Demographic Change Department of Homeland Security

Trump administration will expand travel ban to more than 30 countries, DHS chief says

4d Developing 5

After meeting with President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly urged a "full travel ban" and said the administration will expand the current policy covering 19 countries to around—or "over"—30, though she declined to name the countries or give a start date and said the president is still evaluating additions. DHS said it will announce the list soon, and Noem said the expansion would target countries lacking stable governments or the ability to vet travelers, building on a June proclamation that fully barred 12 nations and placed seven under heightened restrictions.

Trump Administration Homeland Security Immigration Policy

CBP officer indicted over Illinois hotel assaults

5d Developing 2

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer has been indicted on charges alleging he sexually assaulted and robbed four women at hotels in Schaumburg and Naperville, Illinois, during multiple incidents in 2022. Prosecutors say he used his badge, service weapon and later a knife to force entry, demand money and coerce sexual acts — with one victim, who worked in the sex industry, reportedly robbed multiple times — and forensic analysis tied him to the hotels through travel records and Google Maps searches.

Civil Rights Prosecutions Department of Homeland Security Law Enforcement Misconduct

Texas flags 2,724 voters via SAVE checks

NPR reports Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson ran the state’s ~18 million voter registrations through DHS’s overhauled SAVE system in October, flagging 2,724 'potential noncitizens' (~0.015%) and prompting counties to send 30‑day proof‑of‑citizenship notices with cancellation upon non‑response. The piece documents at least one naturalized U.S. citizen wrongly flagged and removed and notes the Trump administration has linked SAVE to Social Security (since May) and State Department passport data, with about 47 million voter records queried nationally.

Elections Administration Department of Homeland Security

USCIS adds vetting center, deepens re-reviews amid 19-country adjudication pause

USCIS has instituted a nationwide pause on adjudications for nationals of 19 “countries of concern,” directing officers to stop final decisions on all case types—including green cards and naturalizations—and to conduct a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of approved benefit requests (including entrants on or after Jan. 20, 2021) with potential interviews, re-interviews, case prioritization within 90 days, and referrals to enforcement. Director Joseph Edlow has launched a new vetting center in Atlanta, expanded hiring for enforcement-focused roles amid agency workforce changes, and framed the measures as necessary to maximize vetting for national security after the D.C. shooting, with the pause’s duration left to his discretion.

Immigration Enforcement Homeland Security USCIS

USCIS pauses all asylum decisions nationwide

USCIS has paused asylum decisions nationwide and halted processing of many immigration applications as part of a broader shift toward enforcement, instituting enhanced vetting and re‑reviews that agency leaders say are intended to tighten scrutiny. Officials and attorneys warn the move will reopen prior cases and slow adjudications for applicants from across the system, making already broad processing times — which can range roughly from a few weeks to several years — even harder to predict.

Asylum and Refugees Department of Homeland Security U.S. Immigration Policy

USCIS launches vetting center to recheck approvals

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USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said last week the agency created a vetting center to conduct interviews and re-review already approved immigration applications, expanding post–Nov. 26 measures that paused adjudications for nationals of 19 countries and halted many asylum decisions. The White House also said it will re-review all Biden-era refugee approvals, while at least 1,300 staff accepted a 'Fork in the Road' resignation offer as the agency shifts toward enforcement.

U.S. Immigration Policy Department of Homeland Security

DHS launches 'Worst of the Worst' arrest database

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The Department of Homeland Security on Monday unveiled a 'Worst of the Worst' webpage listing criminal noncitizens arrested during the current enforcement campaign, launching with 10,000 arrest entries and promising ongoing updates. The searchable site spans all 50 states and highlights serious offenses such as homicide, rape and child sex crimes; DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the tool aims to increase transparency and counter misinformation amid sanctuary‑jurisdiction disputes.

Immigration Enforcement Department of Homeland Security