Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Guardian publishes explainer on 145 statewide ballot measures across 39 states in midterm elections — The Guardian reports on 145 statewide referendum measures voters will face in 39 states during the upcoming midterm elections. Key ballot initiatives include California's proposed billionaire wealth tax (Proposition 40), property tax measures in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee, trans athlete and medical care restrictions in five states, noncitizen voting requirements in six states, and abortion rights protections in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. The article notes the long-run passage rate for referendums is approximately 41%.

Supporting reports

• Marine Le Pen's political fortunes rise amid civil unrest — As rioting and disorder began in France, the political prospects of anti-immigration right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen improved significantly, as measured by prediction markets. In contrast, left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon's chances remained unchanged despite his promises of increased social spending. The public shift reflects growing attribution of disorder to immigration and migration issues.

Supporting reports

• Trump border czar states denaturalization and deportation of Omar is possible — Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," stated on Fox News that the federal government could "of course" denaturalize and deport Representative Ilhan Omar if evidence supports it. Homan described denaturalization as a "long, tedious process" that has been used before. His comments were the first explicit remarks by a named top Trump administration official linking denaturalization and deportation to Omar since the October 12 raid on her home.

Supporting reports

• JD Vance campaigns against Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan — Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Michigan against Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him "a little weasel who should shut his mouth and show a little gratitude to the country that gave him everything." El-Sayed responded by defending his commitment to America, noting he was born in the country and criticizing Republican policies on healthcare, unions, and election integrity.

Supporting reports

• Class action complaint filed — Gonzalez v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security — Seven people formerly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a class action complaint in D.D.C. alleging that ICE has maintained a de facto policy since January 2025 of not returning property—including passports, Employment Authorization Documents, driver's licenses, cell phones, and money—seized from people detained for civil immigration purposes after their release. Plaintiffs allege the policy violates the Fourth Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act and seek class certification, declaratory relief, vacatur of the policy, and an injunction requiring ICE to return property or explain its basis for withholding it.

Supporting reports

• Trump makes dehumanizing comments about Minnesota and Somali Americans — At a rally, Trump made dehumanizing comments about Minnesota, stating "Look at what's happening in the once great state of MN. What a mess. Somalia - all they do is kill each other in the streets. They cheat on everything." The crowd then chanted "De-port! De-port!" in response to Trump's remarks, which targeted Somali Americans and immigrants in Minnesota.

Supporting reports

• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin responded to Mamdani — DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference to respond to Mayor Mamdani's criticism of ICE. While flexing his fist on a rubber stress ball throughout, Mullin called Mamdani's words "dangerous and incite hostility" and called the shooting subject "a thug, an absolute worst of the worst." When asked whether it was clear to the subject that he was being stopped by ICE given that agents were in plain clothes and vehicles were unmarked, Mullin responded that undercover investigations necessarily involve unmarked cars and uniforms.

Supporting reports

• Trump made inflammatory statements targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota — Trump accused Somali immigrants of taking over Minnesota and associated them with crime and violence. He repeatedly urged residents to "fight back" and mentioned that the federal government could intervene if requested by Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. His statements followed reports of criminal investigations involving Somali American individuals, including an alleged plot against the Mall of America.

Supporting reports

• ICE collected tens of millions of voter records for deportation targeting — Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under direction of Deputy Assistant Secretary Heather Honey, collected approximately 48.4 million voter records through undisclosed "independent sources" and obtained an additional 50.6 million records from the Department of Justice. Records from ten states—Texas, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio—were prioritized. The data was sent to HSI's Innovation Lab and is pending entry into Palantir's ELITE system, used to identify and locate people for deportation. This effort targets noncitizen voters, though noncitizen voting is extremely rare.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents shot man in car with 5-year-old in Manhattan — ICE agents surrounded a vehicle in Marble Hill in northern Manhattan and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, shooting a man in the neck. The vehicle also contained a 5-year-old child. The man was taken to a hospital, remained conscious, and was in stable condition as of Thursday night.
• ICE agent shoots man in New York City during enforcement operation with child in vehicle — An ICE agent shot and wounded a 28-year-old man during an enforcement operation in the Marble Hill neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday afternoon. Early reports indicated agents surrounded the man and a five-year-old child in a car before firing multiple rounds. The child was physically unharmed. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated he negotiated unsuccessfully with President Trump and DHS Secretary Mullin for the man's release and demanded ICE cease enforcement in the city. The shooting sparked immediate protests and clashes between demonstrators and NYPD at a nearby hospital.
• ICE officer shoots man in neck during arrest in Manhattan's Marble Hill neighborhood — On Thursday afternoon, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in the neck with an assault-style rifle during an arrest in Manhattan's Marble Hill neighborhood. Belgal's young child was in the back of his car at the time. Residents reported the officers were not clearly identified and expressed fear and anger. Belgal was detained and booked into the federal Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn. A federal judge ordered ICE to keep him in the area after his attorneys filed emergency motions requesting release.
• WIRED reported on ICE agent Brenden Cuni's history of unlawful arrests — WIRED reported that an ICE agent on the scene of the Manhattan shooting, identified as Brenden Cuni, has repeatedly been accused in federal court of unlawful arrests and using force during arrests in New York City and Minneapolis. Cuni was photographed at the scene in a high-visibility yellow construction vest brandishing a modified AR-15-style rifle. Federal court cases, social media, and public records reviewed by WIRED suggest Cuni has repeatedly been at the center of illegal ICE street arrests. Court filings accuse him of using a Taser on a handcuffed man, while activists allege he forced a pregnant woman to the ground during a Minneapolis operation. In recent months, federal judges have repeatedly found arrests involving Cuni unlawful, with one judge calling an arrest warrant he signed "fraudulent," another saying video evidence contradicts his sworn account, and a third case where the government withdrew his sworn statements as inaccurate.

Supporting reports

• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for ICE removal from city — NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference expressing anger at ICE following the shooting in Manhattan. Mamdani called for ICE to be removed from the city, schools, hospitals, and streets, stating that ICE operates with impunity, sows chaos and terror, and has killed more people than it has saved. He criticized the shooting tactics as having no explanation, particularly firing multiple rounds into a car with a 5-year-old. Mamdani noted that ICE agents in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles create confusion about whether they are law enforcement or attackers. He stated he made clear to the president and secretary that ICE agents should leave the scene and cease enforcement actions in NYC, arguing these actions make the city less safe and terrify New Yorkers.

Supporting reports

• Bo French tweets outrage at Indian American children at University of Texas football game — Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a tweet expressing outrage at a group of Indian American children attending a University of Texas football game. The tweet sparked a weeks-long social media debate and received grassroots support from the Right, contributing to a broader wave of anti-Indian sentiment in online conservative spaces.

Supporting reports

• Stephen Miller accelerates removal of undocumented children and plans ICE detention facility — Stephen Miller is accelerating the removal of undocumented children at what the article describes as a "mind-numbing rate" and planning an ICE detention facility designed to hold 3,000 children. The article notes that children are appearing in immigration court without legal representation and facing deportation alone.

Supporting reports

• North Carolina state agencies sign ICE cooperation agreements — Multiple North Carolina state agencies have signed cooperation agreements with ICE, according to a Raleigh News and Observer article cited in the text. The article contrasts this with New York State's sanctuary laws, which enabled local officials to successfully intervene in an ICE enforcement action in Oswego, New York.

Supporting reports

• California Governor Newsom signs immigration restrictions and oversight legislation — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of immigration-related legislation on Tuesday establishing new restrictions and oversight for law enforcement and immigration detention. The measures include a prohibition on electric-shock gloves used by law enforcement, expanded detention-facility oversight, and a 25% tax on private detention facilities. The "No Kings Act" creates a state law avenue for civil lawsuits against federal officers accused of violating constitutional rights. Within hours, three California residents amended lawsuits against federal immigration officers to invoke the new law, alleging unconstitutional detention and excessive force.
• Three California residents amend lawsuits under new "No Kings Act" — Within hours of Governor Newsom signing California's new "No Kings Act," three California residents amended existing lawsuits against federal immigration officers to invoke the new state law. The plaintiffs allege unconstitutional detention and excessive force; these allegations remain unresolved by the courts.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge rules Wisconsin mosque president Salah Sarsour removable under Cold War-era law — An immigration judge ruled that Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque and a US permanent resident for nearly three decades, is "removable" under a Cold War-era statute. Sarsour was detained by ICE in March 2026; a federal judge had found his detention likely retaliatory for his Palestinian rights advocacy. Despite that ruling, the Trump administration fast-tracked his immigration case on a separate legal track. Judge Jayme Salinardi, brought in from out of state, issued the removal ruling and announced his retirement shortly after.

Supporting reports

• Republican senator criticizes Trump immigration enforcement agenda — Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Trump ally, publicly criticized the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement agenda, urging it to "step back" and reassess. His comments followed condemnation from three rancher associations citing ICE operations' negative impact on agricultural communities, and an ACLU investigation finding that approximately 75% of 593 people arrested by ICE in West Virginia during "Operation Country Roads" in January had no criminal record. Justice stated the administration may be "doing something wrong" and dragging away long-term residents.

Supporting reports

• Family of Renee Good files wrongful death lawsuits against ICE agent and Trump officials — The family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, during Minneapolis immigration protests, filed two federal lawsuits on September 30, 2026. The suits name the agent who shot her, Jonathan Ross, and senior Trump administration officials including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The lawsuits allege wrongful death, civil rights violations, and conspiracy, claiming Good was shot while steering her vehicle away from the agent, contradicting DHS claims of self-defense and domestic terrorism.
• Lawsuits filed over death of Renee Good during Operation Metro Surge — The family and partner of Renee Good, killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, filed two lawsuits—one against ICE agent Jonathan Ross and senior Trump administration officials, the other against the federal government. The complaint alleges Operation Metro Surge was a "violent and discriminatory campaign" targeting Minnesotans based on race and national origin, resulting in two deaths, one shooting, one death in detention, and over $200 million in economic damage. The lawsuit documents that federal officials immediately blamed Good for her own death without investigation, with DHS and the President calling her a "domestic terrorist" and "professional agitator," while the Deputy AG announced no investigation would occur and the FBI was pressured to abandon a civil rights inquiry into the shooter.

Supporting reports

• SCOTUS grants stay and certiorari in DHS v. D.V.D. immigration removal case — The Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of a February 2026 District Court order from Massachusetts that had invalidated the Government's guidance on third-country removals. The Court also granted certiorari and directed the parties to brief four questions, including whether the district court had jurisdiction, whether it had authority to enter classwide declaratory relief and APA vacatur, whether the Government's removal guidance violates 8 U.S.C. §1231(b), the Due Process Clause, or FARRA/CAT regulations, and such other questions the Government deems appropriate. The case is scheduled for argument in December 2026. Three Justices (Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson) would have denied the stay.
• US Supreme Court lifts lower-court restrictions on third-country deportations — The US Supreme Court's six-justice conservative majority temporarily lifted a lower-court decision requiring the Trump administration to provide immigrants notice and opportunity to claim fear of torture or persecution before deporting them to third countries. The administration had argued the requirement prevented efficient removals. The ruling takes effect while the Court considers the larger case, with oral arguments scheduled for December. The administration has deported over 25,000 immigrants to at least 29 countries under these agreements.
• Supreme Court temporarily permits third-country deportations to continue — The Supreme Court approved the Trump administration's request to suspend a lower court ruling that restricted deportations to countries other than immigrants' countries of origin. A federal district judge had ruled against the administration's procedures for carrying out these removals, including treatment of notice and opportunities to raise fears of persecution or torture. The Supreme Court's order temporarily permits the contested procedures to continue while the case proceeds; oral arguments are scheduled for December. The Court has not yet issued a decision establishing whether the policy is lawful.

Supporting reports

• Government Accountability Office found Trump's funding cancellation unconstitutional — The Government Accountability Office sent a letter to congressional leaders on September 29 stating that Trump's cancellation of $810 million in federal funding, primarily for Health and Human Services programs serving refugees and asylum seekers, violated the Constitution. Trump used the "pocket rescission" process to bypass Congress, ensuring the funds would go unspent before the end of the fiscal year.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed: State of Colorado v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security — The State of Colorado filed a federal complaint challenging DHS and ICE's award of a five-year contract to The GEO Group to renovate and operate the former Hudson Correctional Facility as a 1,200-bed civil immigration detention center (Big Horn facility). Colorado alleges DHS violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to prepare an environmental impact statement, violated the Administrative Procedure Act by acting arbitrarily and capriciously without explanation for departing from prior NEPA review practice, and violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by failing to ensure local infrastructure could support the facility. Colorado seeks declaratory relief, vacatur and stay of the contract, preliminary and permanent injunctions, and remand to the agencies.

Supporting reports

• Administration refuses to spend $810 million Congress appropriated — On September 26, the Trump administration announced it is refusing to spend $810 million that Congress appropriated on a bipartisan basis for research in Health and Human Services and programs serving immigrants and minority groups, characterizing the spending as "wasteful and harmful government spending that does not benefit American citizens." The Government Accountability Office has determined that such "pocket rescissions" are unconstitutional, as they violate the constitutional requirement that the president "take care that the laws be faithfully executed" and usurp Congress's power of the purse.
• Administration announced refusal to spend approximately one billion dollars Congress appropriated for programs helping Americans — On Friday, September 27, the Trump administration announced it was refusing to spend approximately one billion dollars that Congress had appropriated for programs designed to help the American people. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that this refusal to spend congressionally appropriated funds is illegal. The action came as the administration faced criticism over other spending decisions and policy implementations.
• Sen. Collins denounced $810 million in pocket rescissions — Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) posted on X that Congress received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the administration without warning or consultation. Collins stated this represents an attempt by OMB to undermine Congress's constitutional power of the purse, violating the Impoundment Control Act. She noted the OMB intentionally withheld funds for months to execute the unlawful cancellation of bipartisan appropriations. Collins pledged to work with colleagues to address the illegal actions.
• Government Accountability Office found Trump's funding cancellation unconstitutional — The Government Accountability Office sent a letter to congressional leaders on September 29 stating that Trump's cancellation of $810 million in federal funding, primarily for Health and Human Services programs serving refugees and asylum seekers, violated the Constitution. Trump used the "pocket rescission" process to bypass Congress, ensuring the funds would go unspent before the end of the fiscal year.
• Complaint filed: State of California et al. v. Trump (N.D. Cal. 3:26-cv-11185) — Seven states (California, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon) filed a complaint in the Northern District of California challenging President Trump's Sept. 25, 2026 rescission of $810 million in federal appropriations, including $567 million for refugee and entrant assistance at HHS. The states allege the administration timed the rescissions to expire before Congress could act under the Impoundment Control Act and withheld additional funds as "quiet impoundments." They seek declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and an order compelling the administration to obligate and spend the withheld funds, arguing the impoundments violate the separation of powers, the Presentment Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
• Complaint filed: State of New York v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — The State of New York filed suit in federal district court challenging HUD's decision not to obligate $56.1 million in congressionally appropriated funds for the Housing Counseling program. Trump announced a "pocket rescission" of the funds on September 25, 2026, citing alleged failure to reduce delinquencies and claiming grantees pursued "DEI-centric discriminatory agendas." New York alleges HUD exceeded its statutory authority, violated the Administrative Procedure Act, and breached the mandatory obligation requirement in 12 U.S.C. § 1701x(a)(4)(A). The state seeks declaratory relief, vacatur of HUD's decisions, and an order compelling full obligation of the appropriation.
• Trump administration withheld $810 million in congressionally allocated funds — The Trump administration is refusing to spend $810 million in funds that Congress allocated. More than half of the withheld money—over $405 million—is designated for programs supporting refugees, asylees, and other non-citizens. The impoundment represents an assertion of executive power over congressionally mandated spending.

Supporting reports

• U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan criticized ICE for inhumane detention conditions — U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement for ignoring his previous orders and continuing to hold people in "inhumane and unconstitutional" conditions at Manhattan's 26 Federal Plaza. The judge found detainees were deprived of "sleep, sanitary living conditions, basic personal hygiene needs, sufficient food and water, and adequate medical care." Kaplan required ICE to provide adequate space and humane conditions for detainees.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration petitions Supreme Court to overturn third-country deportation ban — Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice filed a petition with the US Supreme Court on Thursday, September 25, 2026, seeking to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that blocked the Trump administration's policy of deporting immigrants to countries other than their own. The administration has already deported over 25,000 migrants to at least 29 third countries, including dangerous locations such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The lower court had declared the Department of Homeland Security's policy unlawful, and the appeals court upheld that decision in a class-action lawsuit brought by migrants subject to deportation orders.

Supporting reports

• ICE stopped publicly revealing locations of detainees subject to deportation orders — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding thousands of detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, according to the Associated Press. The policy change makes it harder for families and lawyers to locate detainees or file additional legal challenges.