Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE agents shoot and kill Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez during traffic stop in Franklin Park, Illinois — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initiated a traffic stop of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a Mexican national and cook, in Franklin Park, Illinois on Friday. During the encounter near a school, agents shot and killed Villegas-Gonzalez. DHS claimed he resisted arrest and dragged an officer with his car; surveillance video shows him backing up and driving forward as agents pulled on his door. After the shooting, agents broke the car window and removed his body. Illinois lawmakers, including US Representative Delia Ramirez and Governor JB Pritzker, called for a full investigation, stating the incident exemplifies violence from Trump's deportation campaign.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at barber shop during Operation Midway Blitz — ICE agents detained William Alberto Gimenez Gonzalez at a barber shop in Chicago on Friday as part of Operation Midway Blitz, an ICE enforcement campaign. The Latino Union of Chicago expressed concern that Gimenez may have been targeted for his involvement in a lawsuit against Home Depot and off-duty Chicago police officers over physical assaults and detention of recently arrived immigrants documented in a 2024 City Bureau investigation.

Supporting reports

• Immigration judge orders deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil — An immigration judge in Louisiana ordered the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian protest leader and legal permanent resident, citing alleged misrepresentation of facts on his green card application. The judge found willful misrepresentation rather than oversight. Khalil's lawyers announced they would appeal and noted that a separate federal district court order prohibits his immediate removal while his civil rights case proceeds. Khalil characterized the order as retaliation for his exercise of free speech.

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• Florida teacher removed from classroom for calling Kirk "racist" and "neo-Nazi" — Matthew Theobald, a social studies teacher in Florida, was removed from the classroom for a post on his personal social media account describing Charlie Kirk as "not a good guy" and "a racist, misogynistic, fear-mongering neo-Nazi." On September 11, Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas sent a letter to all Florida schools announcing the state would investigate every teacher who makes "vile" comments about Kirk. The removal occurred as part of the broader coordinated pressure campaign.

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• Larry Bushart sues Tennessee county over arrest and 37-day jailing for Facebook meme — Larry Bushart, a former law enforcement officer, filed a lawsuit against Perry County, Tennessee, Sheriff Nick Weems, and investigator Jason Morrow after being arrested and jailed for 37 days in September 2025 for posting a Facebook meme. The meme, shared in comments on a vigil post for assassinated activist Charlie Kirk, showed Trump with a quote from a 2024 Iowa school shooting ("We have to get over it"), captioned "This seems relevant today." Police arrested Bushart the next day, charging him with "threatening mass violence at a school," though the meme referenced a shooting in Iowa, not the local Tennessee school. The criminal charge was dropped in late October. Bushart alleges violations of his First and Fourth Amendment rights and seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

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• ICE agents physically assault and wrongfully detain US citizen car wash owner — On September 9, 2025, ICE agents conducted a raid at a Los Angeles car wash owned by Rafie Ollah Shouhed, a 79-year-old US citizen. Surveillance footage shows agents pushing Shouhed to the ground, and according to his attorney, agents violently body-slammed him onto pavement, jumped on his back, and handcuffed him despite his protests about recent heart surgery. Shouhed sustained broken ribs, traumatic brain injury, and elbow injuries. He was detained for nearly 12 hours without being charged with a crime, even after agents confirmed his citizenship status. On September 26, 2025, Shouhed filed a $50 million civil lawsuit against DHS, CBP, ICE, and Border Patrol alleging assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
• Rafie Ollah Shouhed, 79-year-old U.S. citizen, tackled by ICE agents and detained without charges — On September 9, 2025, Rafie Ollah Shouhed, a 79-year-old U.S. citizen who owns a car wash in the Los Angeles area, was detained during an ICE raid. Video evidence shows ICE agents tackling Shouhed. He was held for 12 hours, denied medical treatment, and suffered broken ribs, an injured elbow, and post-concussive symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Federal officials claimed Shouhed was impeding the raid but he was never charged.

Supporting reports

• Irish citizen held in ICE detention despite valid work permit; conditions described as torture — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit and no criminal record, has been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, Texas for five months following his arrest on 9 September 2025. Despite obtaining a statutory exemption allowing him to work after marrying a US citizen and applying for lawful permanent residence, Culleton remains detained and unable to attend his October green card interview. He reports severe conditions including overcrowding (71 detainees in one room), inadequate food, filthy facilities, and staff-related safety concerns. His lawyer states US authorities are threatening deportation "any day."
• Irish man detained by ICE for five months despite valid work permit and US citizen spouse — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit and married to a US citizen, was arrested by ICE agents on September 9, 2025, outside a Home Depot in Massachusetts and has been held in ICE detention facilities for five months under conditions he describes as torture-like. Despite having obtained a statutory exemption allowing him to work while his application for lawful permanent residence is pending, he remains in custody and faces potential removal. His wife, a US citizen, and his attorney are calling for his immediate release to allow him to complete his status adjustment process.
• Irish national held in ICE detention despite valid work permit and pending green card application — Seamus Culleton, an Irish national with a valid work permit tied to a pending green card application, was arrested by ICE on September 9, 2025, during a random immigration sweep at a hardware store in Massachusetts. Despite being married to a US citizen, having no criminal record, and possessing documentation of lawful work authorization, Culleton was detained for five months across multiple facilities, ultimately transferred to El Paso, Texas. A judge approved his release on bond in November, but ICE continued detaining him. ICE agents later claimed Culleton had signed deportation documents, which he disputes; a federal judge noted irregularities in ICE's court filings but sided with the agency.

Supporting reports

• ICE resumes immigration sweeps in Los Angeles following court ruling — Following the Supreme Court's reversal of the restraining order, ICE resumed large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles on September 8. Greg Bovino, head of U.S. Border Patrol in Los Angeles, announced via social media that operations were "starting back up" and that agents were "going hard in Los Angeles today." The Department of Homeland Security declared the decision a victory and vowed to "flood the zone" in the city, accusing Mayor Karen Bass of "protecting" immigrants.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi celebrated Supreme Court racial profiling decision — Attorney General Pam Bondi characterized the Supreme Court's decision permitting racial profiling in immigration detentions as "another massive victory" and stated that ICE can now continue roving patrols in California "without judicial micromanagement."
• ICE detained Donna Hughes-Brown, lawful permanent resident, for 37-year-old probation — Donna Hughes-Brown, a lawful permanent resident of 37 years, was detained by ICE and separated from her four children and five grandchildren. Her detention was based on a bad check for $25 written in 2015, for which she had already paid restitution and received probation. Under Trump administration policy, this prior conviction classified her as a "criminal illegal alien" eligible for deportation.
• Navy veteran James Brown expressed regret for voting for Trump after wife's ICE detention — U.S. Navy veteran James Brown told Newsweek he "100%" regrets voting for Trump after his wife was taken into ICE detention. Brown stated that Trump had advertised he would deport criminal illegal immigrants, but that the administration is not being truthful about what is actually happening to legal immigrants.

Supporting reports

• Chicago mayor opposes militarized immigration enforcement — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement opposing the Trump administration's announced immigration enforcement operation, stating the city received no advance notice of enhanced ICE action. Johnson cited ICE's documented track record of detaining and deporting U.S. citizens and violating detainees' human rights as grounds for opposing militarized enforcement without due process protections.
• Chicago mayor reports lack of federal notice for ICE enforcement operations — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on X that the city received no advance notice of enhanced immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration. Johnson stated the city remains opposed to militarized immigration enforcement without due process, citing ICE's documented history of detaining and deporting American citizens and violating detainees' human rights.

Supporting reports

• Rightwing influencer accompanies ICE agents during enforcement raids in Chicago — Ben Bergquam, a far-right internet personality, accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during raids in Chicago on Sunday, filming content and confronting local residents. ICE arrested four people on the city's southwest side. Bergquam, who has a history of spreading false claims about migrants and federal agencies, was present in vehicles with agents and later yelled at protesters that they were "the enemy within." The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm whether Bergquam was authorized to participate in enforcement operations.

Supporting reports

• ICE detained Donna Hughes-Brown, lawful permanent resident, for 37-year-old probation — Donna Hughes-Brown, a lawful permanent resident of 37 years, was detained by ICE and separated from her four children and five grandchildren. Her detention was based on a bad check for $25 written in 2015, for which she had already paid restitution and received probation. Under Trump administration policy, this prior conviction classified her as a "criminal illegal alien" eligible for deportation.

Supporting reports

• Tom Homan threatened prosecution of protesters — Fox News pushed a false narrative that protesters against National Guard deployments were being paid. Deportation Czar Tom Homan appeared on Fox and claimed that protesters would be "prosecuted too" if they were financed from outside, suggesting that the government would investigate and prosecute protest organizers.
• Tom Homan falsely claimed protesters are paid by unnamed sources — On Fox News, Trump's border czar Tom Homan stated without evidence that those protesting the administration's immigration crackdown are "absolutely" being paid to do so, and threatened that those funding the protests "will be prosecuted too." The claim was made without providing any factual basis or evidence.

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• Government Accountability Project called for investigation of FEMA employee retaliation — The non-profit whistleblower and advocacy organization, Government Accountability Project, sent a letter to lawmakers and oversight agencies to call for investigations into the "illegal retaliation" by the Trump administration against more than 30 FEMA employees, who were suspended and put on paid leave after signing an open letter warning Congress about issues at the agency. The letter said the suspensions "blatantly violate the federal laws protecting whistleblowers" and asked lawmakers to reinstate the affected employees.

Supporting reports

• DOJ considering ban on trans firearm ownership — Multiple outlets reported that the Justice Department is considering banning trans people from owning firearms by designating being trans as a mental illness that could disqualify someone from possessing a firearm under existing regulations.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration warned of deportation for asylum seeker Kilmar Abrego Garcia — In a court filing, the Trump administration warned that the government will seek to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to El Salvador if his attempt to open an asylum case in the US is successful, arguing the move would nullify an earlier ruling meant to prevent him from being sent back to his home country.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys National Guard to Washington DC and calls for prosecuting minors as adults — The Trump administration deployed approximately 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington DC, temporarily taking over the city's police department. Trump called for charging teens as young as 14 as adults for certain crimes, citing a recent assault case. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated she would push to prosecute even younger minors. The deployment occurred amid a broader federal crackdown including immigration raids. DC officials and juvenile justice advocates expressed concern that the measure does not address root causes of crime and may increase police violence against young Black residents.
• Trump administration deploys national guard and federal agents to Washington DC streets — The Trump administration deployed national guard troops and federal agents to Washington DC streets, citing crime reduction as justification despite DC crime rates being at 30-year lows. The president took control of the city's police department and threatened similar federal interventions in Chicago and New Orleans. This action prompted the formation of the activist group Free DC and sparked large-scale protests, including a march of thousands to the White House on Saturday.
• Trump Administration Deploys National Guard in Washington DC — The Trump administration deployed national guard troops in Washington DC, prompting protests from residents and activist groups. The deployment is part of a broader federal intervention in the city, which has included taking over the police department and sending federal agents onto city streets. These actions have been met with significant opposition from local groups like Free DC, which argue that such federal interventions threaten the city's autonomy and democracy at large.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon approved Navy base as DHS immigration enforcement hub — The Pentagon approved the use of a Chicago-area Navy base as a hub for the Department of Homeland Security as part of its crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The base could also be used to house National Guard troops or military members if Trump deploys them to the city.
• Pentagon reassigning 600 military lawyers as temporary immigration judges — The Washington Post reported that Hegseth plans to reassign up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges after a request for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. The move has raised concerns, including from one person involved in the planning of their reassignment, who says officers may not have experience or would receive insufficient training for immigration court proceedings, including deportation hearings.