Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Federal judge Andrew Hanen to rule on Trump administration proposal eliminating DACA work permits in Texas — US District Court Judge Andrew Hanen is preparing to rule on competing proposals for the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Trump administration submitted a proposal that would revoke work permits for DACA recipients in Texas while reopening the program to new applicants in other states. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled DACA unlawful but narrowed the impact to Texas. Hanen's decision could affect approximately 86,000 DACA recipients in Texas, many of whom are employed, own businesses, and support families.

Supporting reports

• White House used Olivia Rodrigo song without permission for deportation messaging — In November 2025, the White House used singer Olivia Rodrigo's song "all-american bitch" in a video encouraging undocumented immigrants to self-deport without her consent. Rodrigo publicly condemned the use, writing "Don't ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda." The department responded by suggesting Rodrigo thank federal law enforcement officers instead of belittling their sacrifice.

Supporting reports

• ICE enforcement operations and detentions in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington DC on Halloween — Federal ICE agents conducted enforcement operations across multiple U.S. cities on Halloween 2025. In Chicago and suburbs, agents arrested multiple people and clashed with protesters; Evanston's mayor reported agents "assaulted" residents. In Los Angeles, ICE agents wore Halloween costume masks during enforcement. In Washington DC, national guard troops and federal officers dispersed a group of people, arresting five minors aged 14–18. Illinois Governor Pritzker had requested a pause in enforcement; Homeland Security Secretary Noem refused.
• ICE operations in Evanston with pepper spray and arrests of US citizens — On Friday (31 October 2025), ICE operations near Chute Middle School in Evanston, Chicago, escalated when federal agents used pepper spray and arrested three US citizens on allegations of "violence against law enforcement." The incident occurred during Halloween weekend celebrations despite the governor's request for a pause in enforcement operations.
• National Guard and federal officers disperse group and arrest five minors in Washington DC — On Halloween night in Washington DC, the Metropolitan Police Department and national guard troops dispersed a group of people they accused of being "disorderly" in the Navy Yard neighborhood. Five people were arrested, all aged 14–18. The incident reflects federal involvement in local law enforcement operations following the deployment of nearly 2,400 national guard troops to the city.

Supporting reports

• Illinois advocates sue ICE over conditions at Broadview detention facility — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois and the MacArthur Justice Center filed a federal lawsuit on Friday against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Homeland Security, alleging "inhumane and torturous" conditions at the Broadview immigration processing facility near Chicago. The lawsuit claims ICE agents denied detainees private calls with attorneys, blocked members of Congress, faith leaders, and journalists from entering, coerced detainees to sign documents they did not understand, and denied food, medical care, and basic necessities. Attorneys argue these actions violate Fifth Amendment due process rights and First Amendment rights to legal counsel, and seek court orders to improve facility conditions.

Supporting reports

• Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau calls for visa revocations under "El Quitavisas" campaign — Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state and ally of Stephen Miller, has called on Twitter followers to identify targets for visa revocation under the tagline "El Quitavisas" (The Visa Taker). Landau regularly attends Miller's daily immigration calls and serves as the enforcement mechanism to ensure Miller's directives are implemented, representing a politicization of the deputy secretary role.

Supporting reports

• Miller directs visa revocations targeting pro-Palestinian academics and Gaza war critics — John Armstrong, senior bureau official for consular affairs, testified in court that Stephen Miller personally held "at least a dozen" conversations directing visa revocations for pro-Palestinian academics, often identified by the website Canary Mission. Miller also lobbied for visa revocations targeting critics of Israel's Gaza war and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. These actions use visa authority as a tool for political retaliation and suppression of dissent.

Supporting reports

• State Department revokes thousands of visas and establishes country-based immigration bans — The Trump administration has revoked thousands of visas, many targeting students; established full or partial bans on immigrants from 19 countries; announced acceptance of only 7,500 refugees for the next year with priority given to white South Africans; and deported tens of thousands of people, sometimes to third countries in harsh conditions. These actions represent a systematic shift in State Department operations from facilitating legal migration to deterring it.

Supporting reports

• Illinois governor urges Trump administration to suspend ICE raids during Halloween weekend — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE/CBP leadership requesting a suspension of immigration enforcement operations from Friday to Sunday to allow children to celebrate Halloween without fear. Pritzker cited reports that border patrol agents used tear gas during a Halloween parade in Chicago the previous weekend, injuring and arresting people including U.S. citizens. A federal appeals court simultaneously blocked a judge's order requiring daily briefings on immigration sweeps.
• Homeland Security Secretary Noem refuses to pause immigration enforcement over Halloween weekend — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker requested that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pause immigration enforcement activities over the Halloween weekend to protect children from fear and intimidation. Noem refused at a news conference, stating the department was "absolutely not willing to put on pause any work that we will do to keep communities safe." Pritzker subsequently criticized Noem's refusal on social media.

Supporting reports

• ICE officer shoots at vehicle during enforcement stop in Phoenix — An ICE officer in Phoenix on Wednesday shot at a vehicle that federal agents had attempted to stop. The driver began to drive away, and officials stated the officer was in the vehicle's path. This incident is part of a pattern of shootings during expanded deportation operations.
• ICE agents shoot at vehicle during enforcement stop in Ontario, California — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted a vehicle stop in Ontario, California on Thursday when an uninvolved driver approached. Officers ordered the driver to leave; as the driver pulled away and reversed toward officers, an ICE officer fired defensive shots at the vehicle. The driver fled and abandoned the car. This was the second shooting involving ICE agents in the Los Angeles area within a week, amid expanded Trump administration deportation operations.
• ICE agents shoot TikTok creator documenting immigration enforcement in Los Angeles — Federal agents shot Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a TikTok creator with a large following who livestreams US immigration enforcement operations, after he allegedly attempted to ram federal agents' vehicles. Officers had surrounded and boxed in his car. Parias was shot in the elbow; a ricochet bullet struck a deputy US marshal in the hand. This incident occurred within the same week as the Ontario shooting.

Supporting reports

• Motion granted — Chicago Headline Club v. Noem (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12173 — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government's request to temporarily block Judge Ellis' Oct. 28 order requiring CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino to appear in court at 5:45PM on weekdays to report on use of force activities for each day.
• Appeals court paused order requiring CBP official to appear in court daily — An appeals court paused a federal judge's order requiring top CBP official Gregory Bovino to appear in court daily to provide updates about immigration enforcement activity in Chicago.
• Federal appeals court blocks judge's order for daily immigration sweep briefings — The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals blocked an order by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that would have required Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol official, to appear in federal court daily to report on immigration crackdowns and arrests in Chicago. The judge had previously stated that children in Halloween costumes do not pose an immediate threat justifying use of riot control weapons.
• — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted the government's request to issue a writ of mandamus blocking the district court's order that had required CBP Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino to appear in court to report on use of force activities for each day. The court found that the order “puts the court in the position of an inquisitor rather than that of a neutral adjudicator” and “sets the court up as a supervisor of Chief Bovino's activities, intruding on the personnel management decisions of the Executive Branch,” concluding that the order infringes on the separation of powers.

Supporting reports

• USDA posts partisan messaging on food assistance homepage blaming Democrats for shutdown — The USDA's food and nutrition homepage displays a banner with a "strikingly partisan message" falsely accusing Senate Democrats of shutting down the government to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants and transgender Americans. The notice states "the well has run dry" and announces no benefits will be issued November 1. The messaging conflates the shutdown with unrelated policy disputes and uses federal infrastructure to spread misinformation about the cause of the fiscal crisis.
• USDA falsely claims SNAP will run out of funding on November 1 — The USDA's official website asserts that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will exhaust funding on November 1, 2025, and attributes the shortfall to Democratic opposition to funding for "health care for illegal immigrants" and "gender mutilation procedures." According to Popular Information's investigation, both claims are false. SNAP has a $6 billion contingency reserve sufficient to fund the program for several additional weeks. The USDA previously issued guidance (September 30) explicitly authorizing use of contingency funds for regular benefits, but has since removed that guidance from its website. Democrats are not blocking SNAP funding over immigration or transgender healthcare; they are seeking extension of health insurance subsidies for U.S. citizens.
• Government websites display partisan political content blaming vulnerable groups — Multiple U.S. government websites, including those of the USDA and Department of Homeland Security, published content attributing the government shutdown to transgender people and undocumented immigrants rather than to policy decisions. The websites functioned as platforms for partisan messaging rather than neutral information dissemination.

Supporting reports

• Vice President Vance revived baseless conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants — While appearing on the New York Post's podcast, Vice President JD Vance revived the baseless racist conspiracy theory Trump pushed during the 2024 presidential debate that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were "eating cats and dogs."

Supporting reports

• Judge Ellis orders CBP officer Bovino to appear in court for TRO violations — U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered CBP sector chief Greg Bovino to appear in court on October 28, 2025, after a video showed him throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister at protesters without warning. Plaintiffs argued the action violated the temporary restraining order Ellis had issued on October 9. Immigration officers claimed a "mob" of "hostile and violent" rioters had thrown a rock at Bovino and hit him in the head, though no videos from the protest corroborated this claim. At the October 28 hearing, Ellis reminded Bovino that agents must give warnings before throwing tear gas and called out specific incidents, including one in which an agent pointed a pepper gun and real gun at a combat veteran lawfully standing on the roadside, and another in which federal agents threw tear gas near a children's Halloween costume parade.
• Judge Ellis orders CBP officer Bovino to obtain body camera and undergo training — U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered CBP sector chief Greg Bovino to obtain a body camera by Friday and undergo training in its use after Bovino stated he does not wear one and has not been trained. Ellis reminded Bovino that the camera would enable him to substantiate claims such as the alleged rock-throwing incident. Ellis also ordered Bovino to submit all reports and body camera footage of use-of-force incidents in and around Chicago by Friday and to appear in her court every day at 6:00 p.m. to keep her informed of agents' actions. Bovino promised to abide by the temporary restraining order.
• Case update — Chicago Headline Club v. Noem (N.D. Ill.) 1:25-cv-12173 — Judge Ellis further clarified her TRO and ordered that all federal agents place a conspicuous identifier on their uniforms and reiterated that all CPB agents should wear body cameras. She further required that CPB Commander Geregory Bovino wear a body camera and report to her each afternoon to provide updates on the operation, and that the Defendants provide her with all body camera video and use of force reports to date by Oct. 31 and all subsequent such video and reports within 24 hours of the reports being finalized. She also directed that Defendants should provide her by Oct. 31 with a chart of all individuals detained for violations not related to immigration enforcement.
• Federal judge orders daily court reporting by border patrol chief over Chicago enforcement — US District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Gregory Bovino, chief of the El Centro border patrol sector leading Trump's "Operation Midway Blitz" immigration crackdown in Chicago, to appear in federal court each weekday to report on enforcement incidents. The order followed a hearing where Ellis rebuked Bovino for agents' use of chemical irritants against residents, including children in Halloween costumes. Ellis also mandated Bovino obtain body camera training by Friday. The order represents an exceptional judicial attempt to impose oversight after agents repeatedly violated prior court orders restricting use of force.

Supporting reports

• DOJ claimed ICE no longer required to accommodate congressional oversight visits — Politico reported that Justice Department lawyers said in court that ICE is no longer required to accommodate oversight visits from lawmakers to its facilities, arguing that the requirement was part of government funding laws that expired when the federal government shutdown began in September, and that ICE is now operating with appropriations made in Trump's tax and spending bill, which does not require congressional access to ICE facilities.
• Congress denied entry to ICE holding facilities for oversight inspections — According to a lawsuit filed in Washington DC, members of Congress have been denied entry to ICE field offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Washington for congressionally mandated oversight inspections of holding facilities. ICE claims these are not traditional detention centers and therefore not subject to congressional inspection. Additionally, the government shutdown has been cited by the Trump administration to override oversight rules preventing congressional inspection of holding and detention centers.
• ICE claims shutdown eliminates congressional oversight obligation — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asserted that the government shutdown eliminates its legal obligation to permit congressional oversight visits to its detention facilities. This claim emerged despite ICE receiving an injection of $75 billion into its budget from July's budget reconciliation bill, allowing law enforcement agents to continue receiving paychecks including overtime. The assertion represents a unilateral claim of exemption from congressional oversight authority during the shutdown.
• ICE Claims Shutdown Limits Congressional Oversight — On October 28, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the government shutdown means it no longer has a legal obligation to allow congressional oversight visits to its detention facilities. This statement raises concerns about transparency and accountability within the agency during the shutdown.

Supporting reports

• Border patrol agents deploy tear gas at Chicago Halloween parade — Border patrol agents converged on a children's Halloween parade in Irving Park, Chicago, on October 26, deploying tear gas and tackling and arresting several people, including U.S. citizens, outside homes decorated for Halloween. Video footage reviewed by ABC News documented the incident. The action prompted judicial criticism and the governor's intervention.
• ICE agents deployed tear gas against Halloween parade protesters in Chicago — Federal ICE agents deployed chemical agents against protesters in Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood as parents and children were heading to a Halloween parade. Agents tackled an undocumented immigrant who had been working on a nearby home. As angry neighbors protested, agents began lobbing tear gas minutes before the scheduled start of the parade. Resident Brian Kolp, an attorney with law enforcement experience, stated he saw no weapons or physical contact that justified the use of force, including against his 70-year-old neighbor who was taken to the ground.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains British journalist Sami Hamdi for pro-Palestinian speech during US tour — British journalist Sami Hamdi was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday morning while on a speaking tour in the US. The Council on American-Islamic Relations characterized the detention as retaliation for Hamdi's criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. DHS Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated Hamdi's visa was revoked and he faces removal. Trump ally Laura Loomer publicly claimed credit for pressuring federal agencies to take action against Hamdi's visa status. A federal judge had ruled days earlier that the administration's policy of detaining and deporting foreign scholars over pro-Palestinian views violates the Constitution.
• ICE detention and deportation of British commentator Sami Hamdi for pro-Palestinian speech — Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at San Francisco International Airport on 26 October 2025 while on a US speaking tour. The Trump administration justified his detention by labeling him a "terrorist sympathizer" based on an edited video montage released by pro-Israel group Memri, without providing evidence or alleging specific crimes. Hamdi's visa was abruptly cancelled without notification. After three weeks in detention, he agreed to voluntary departure and returned to the UK on 14 November, though he retains the right to apply for a new visa.
• UK commentator Sami Hamdi's visa revoked and detained by ICE; agreed to voluntary departure — British political commentator Sami Hamdi was detained by ICE on 26 October at San Francisco International Airport while on a US speaking tour. The Department of Homeland Security revoked his visa without prior notice, citing alleged support for terrorism. CAIR stated the detention appeared retaliatory for Hamdi's criticism of Israel. On 10 November, Hamdi accepted an offer of voluntary departure. The charging document alleged only visa overstay; CAIR noted the government identified no criminal conduct or security grounds, and the agreement implicitly establishes he poses no danger to national security.
• ICE detained British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi at San Francisco airport — British Muslim journalist Sami Hamdi was detained by ICE agents at San Francisco International Airport, apparently at the urging of pro-Israel, anti-Muslim extremists Laura Loomer and Amy Mekelburg. The detention raised concerns about the use of immigration enforcement for political and religious targeting.
• ICE detention of British commentator Sami Hamdi over pro-Palestinian advocacy — Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator and editor-in-chief of International Interest, was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport while on a US speaking tour. He was taken to an immigration detention center in McFarland, California, pending deportation proceedings scheduled for November. The detention followed his public remarks about the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, which the Trump administration characterized as support for terrorism. His wife reported minimal contact since his arrest and stated the family was "being kept in the dark" about his status.

Supporting reports

• ICE pepper spray deployment at Old Irving Park Halloween parade, Chicago — On 25 October 2025, federal ICE agents deployed pepper spray at a Halloween event in Old Irving Park, Chicago, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled Halloween parade. The incident occurred despite Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's request that the Trump administration pause immigration enforcement operations during the Halloween weekend. The deployment disrupted community celebrations and heightened fear among residents in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

Supporting reports

• ICE accelerated hiring bypasses vetting standards, admits 200+ unqualified recruits — NBC News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, rushing to fill 10,000 new deportation officer positions funded by the July 2025 budget reconciliation act, has admitted more than 200 recruits with disqualifying criminal backgrounds, failed drug tests, or unmet academic and physical requirements. ICE shortened its training program from 13 weeks to 6 weeks, removed age limits, and offered $50,000 signing bonuses. Nearly half of those dismissed in the past three months failed an open-book exam; others could not meet basic fitness standards.
• ICE Recruitment Policy Changes — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has accelerated its recruitment process, allowing over 200 individuals with disqualifying criminal backgrounds or who fail drug tests to enter its training program. This change is part of a broader budget reconciliation measure that significantly increases ICE's funding and aims to hire 10,000 deportation officers. Critics warn that this could lead to higher corruption rates within the agency.

Supporting reports

• Honduran immigrant dies while fleeing ICE agents in Virginia — José Castro Rivera, 24, a Honduran national, died Thursday morning after running onto Interstate 264 in Norfolk, Virginia, while attempting to flee ICE agents during a targeted immigration enforcement operation. He was struck by a vehicle and fatally injured; an ICE agent administered CPR but he died at the scene. This marks the third known death among immigrants fleeing ICE raids under the Trump administration's mass deportation crackdown.

Supporting reports

• ICE raid at South Korean battery plant in Georgia detains approximately 300 workers — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted a raid at a South Korean-owned electric battery plant under construction in Georgia, detaining approximately 300 South Korean nationals on allegations of illegal work. The incident sparked widespread anger in Seoul and has strained US–South Korean relations ahead of Trump's meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Lee is expected to raise the incident and press for resolution of a stalled $350 billion US investment agreement.

Supporting reports

• Shooting at ICE facility in Dallas kills two detainees; widow questions role of political violence — On an unspecified date in August 2025, gunman Joshua Jahn opened fire on an ICE detention facility exterior in Dallas, Texas. A government van holding shackled immigrants awaiting detention was struck; three detainees were shot. Miguel García-Hernández, an undocumented Mexican national, died from his wounds; Norlan Guzman-Fuentes also died; José Andres Bordones-Molina survived. Jahn wrote "ANTI-ICE" on a bullet casing before shooting himself. García-Hernández's widow, Stephany Gauffeny, questioned whether anti-immigrant political rhetoric under the Trump administration contributed to the violence.

Supporting reports

• Democratic senators send letter demanding education department pressure DHS on school-area ICE enforcement — Eight Democratic senators sent a formal letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon demanding she pressure DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate restrictions on federal immigration enforcement operations near schools. The letter cited multiple incidents of violent ICE enforcement near Chicago schools, including teargas deployment near a school during recess and the arrest of a 16-year-old U.S. citizen student. The senators argued that ICE enforcement near schools violates common-sense policing guidelines and poses direct threats to student safety and wellbeing.

Supporting reports

• Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued proclamation declaring Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization based on false intelligence — In September 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an official proclamation declaring Tren de Aragua a "terrorist organization" and condemning President Biden's "open-border policies," citing the unverified "green light" warning to attack law enforcement. Abbott's public safety director called TdA members "cockroaches." The proclamation weaponized the false intelligence claim for political purposes.
• Department of Homeland Security deported Venezuelans using unsubstantiated TdA claims without due process — The Department of Homeland Security used unsubstantiated claims of Tren de Aragua affiliation to deport Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador without due process protections. DHS also moved to revoke the legal status of approximately 600,000 Venezuelan immigrants, actions justified in part by the false "green light" narrative and inflated threat claims.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys federal agents to San Francisco Bay Area for immigration enforcement — The Trump administration prepared to deploy more than 100 federal agents to the San Francisco Bay Area, reportedly using the US Coast Guard base in Alameda as a staging ground for a major immigration enforcement operation. The deployment follows weeks of threats by Trump targeting the Democratic-run city. California Governor Gavin Newsom and local officials condemned the move, with Newsom calling it "right out of the dictator's handbook" and comparing it to an arsonist putting out fires. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced executive actions to support immigrant communities ahead of the deployment.

Supporting reports

• New York Attorney General launches Federal Action Reporting Portal for ICE raid documentation — New York Attorney General Letitia James unveiled a "Federal Action Reporting Portal" form inviting residents to submit photos and videos of federal immigration enforcement actions, following a high-profile ICE raid in Manhattan's Chinatown on October 22. The raid involved over 50 federal agents, an armored vehicle, and resulted in the arrest and detention of four U.S. citizens for nearly 24 hours with no charges filed. James stated the portal aims to document potential violations of law and protect New Yorkers from fear and intimidation.