Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Electronic Frontier Foundation documented Flock data searches targeting protest activity and abortion-related investigations. — EFF analysis of more than 12 million Flock searches logged by more than 3,900 agencies between December 2024 and October 2025 identified searches tied to February 2025 50501 protests, April 2025 Hands Off protests, and June and October 2025 No Kings protests. In Texas, law enforcement searched 83,345 cameras across 6,809 networks as part of an abortion investigation with the search reason logged as "had an abortion, search for female." In California, cities including Mountain View and Santa Cruz discovered broader out-of-state and federal access than authorized and canceled contracts as a result.

Supporting reports

• Justice Department sues Idaho over voter-roll production — The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced a federal lawsuit against Idaho for failing to produce its full voter registration lists upon request. The DOJ characterized the action as part of its election-integrity oversight authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which permits the Attorney General to demand production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter rolls. This lawsuit brings the DOJ's total to 30 states and the District of Columbia facing similar suits.
• DOJ sues Idaho for refusing to release voter roll data — Trump's Justice Department sued Idaho on April 2 for refusing to turn over sensitive data from its voter rolls. The DOJ has now sued at least 30 states and DC to obtain unredacted voter rolls, including other red states such as Utah, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The pattern of federal coercion to access voter data raises concerns about centralized control of election administration.

Supporting reports

• TSA agents tipped off ICE to arrest mother and child at San Francisco airport — TSA agents at San Francisco International Airport flagged the immigration status and travel plans of Angelina Lopez Jimenez and her nine-year-old daughter Wendy Godinez Lopez to ICE officers, who arrested them on March 23, 2026. The Guatemalan nationals, who had been released by border agents in 2018 with a notice to appear in court and later ordered removed by an immigration judge, were apprehended as they traveled to Miami. The arrest, filmed by bystanders, drew condemnation from Democratic lawmakers and raised concerns about California sanctuary policy compliance.
• Trump administration expanded data-sharing between TSA and ICE for domestic flight targeting — The Trump administration expanded data-sharing protocols between TSA and ICE beginning last year, marking a major shift in immigration enforcement strategy by enabling ICE to target individuals on domestic flights based on flagged immigration status. This represents a departure from historical practice in which interior immigration enforcement did not previously target domestic air travel. The arrangement has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers who argue it leads to indiscriminate arrests.

Supporting reports

• Kash Patel admits FBI purchasing location data on Americans without warrants — FBI Director Kash Patel testified under oath before the Senate Intelligence Committee that the FBI purchases commercially available location data on Americans, stating it is "consistent with the constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act." Senator Ron Wyden challenged this practice as an unconstitutional end-run around the Fourth Amendment, noting that law enforcement must obtain warrants to get location data directly from telecom companies but can circumvent this by buying from private data brokers. Wyden called for passage of the bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act to close the data broker loophole.
• FBI Director Kash Patel admits agency buys Americans' location data — During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 18, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath that the FBI purchases Americans' location data. The admission drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who called the practice "a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment" and called for passage of the Government Surveillance Reform Act to close the data broker loophole allowing intelligence agencies to purchase private data.
• FBI Director Patel admits FBI purchases location data on Americans — During Senate Intelligence Committee testimony on March 19, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted that under Trump, the government has been buying location data derived from internet advertising on Americans from private companies. When asked by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) if the FBI would commit to stopping this practice, Patel stated: "We do purchase commercially available information that's consistent with the Constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and it has led to some valuable intelligence for us." This represents a reversal from 2023, when FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the FBI did not buy such information.

Supporting reports

• Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office expands immigration enforcement capacity and embeds immigration checks into routine local policing — Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office tripled its "designated immigration officers" from 100 to 334 between January 1 and January 31, 2026. In November 2025, the department formally embedded immigration enforcement procedures into standard operating procedures, allowing certified deputies to conduct immigration status checks based on "reasonable suspicion," request immigration officers, and execute civil immigration arrests without state or local criminal charges. The policy creates a tracking system for immigration investigations and routes all custody cases through a new processing step at police headquarters for immigration status verification before jail transport.

Supporting reports

• Federal lawsuit alleges DHS agents labeled observers "domestic terrorists" — Legal nonprofit Protect Democracy filed a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that DHS agents are retaliating against people who lawfully observe and record federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit references a viral video from Portland, Maine, in which an agent told an observer: "Cause we have a nice little database. And now you're considered a domestic terrorist." DHS denied the database exists but acknowledged it "monitors and investigates" threats. In Minnesota, dozens of people submitted sworn declarations to the ACLU stating federal agents told them filming enforcement operations was illegal or constituted interference.
• Federal judge documented immigration agents disregarding judicial directives — A Bush-appointed federal judge compiled nearly one hundred documented instances in which immigration agents disregarded judicial directives within a single month, noting the list was almost certainly incomplete. A separate judge stated publicly that the vast majority of people brought before his court had lawful status. A government attorney was held in civil contempt, and another described arriving with no training and no guidance. Hundreds of agents remain in operation, with on-the-ground observers reporting operations shifting toward communities with less visibility.
• Legal observers classified using language associated with violent extremism — A new federal lawsuit alleges that legal observers monitoring immigration enforcement operations are being classified using language associated with violent extremism. A former agency attorney testified that officer training was cut by over 40%, including constitutional law and use-of-force instruction.

Supporting reports

• ICE detains Gámez-Cuéllar family despite asylum status and legal compliance — ICE detained the Gámez-Cuéllar family—parents Luis and Emma, and children Antonio (18), Caleb (14), and Joshua (12)—on February 25 after they reported to a scheduled ICE appointment. The family had entered the U.S. in 2023 on an asylum claim, had been granted asylum, attended all required court dates and check-ins, and had no criminal history. The parents were held at Dilley family detention center; Antonio was held separately at an adult facility. The detention occurred despite the family's full compliance with immigration procedures.

Supporting reports

• ICE enforcement escalation expands into community spaces and everyday interactions under Trump administration second term — The Trump administration's second-term deportation push has escalated dramatically, expanding enforcement into community spaces and everyday interactions. ICE has systematically made it harder for people in detention to access legal representation, moved to eliminate bond hearings and conventional release mechanisms, and transferred detainees to remote facilities far from legal aid organizations and family support systems. Communities from New Bedford, Massachusetts to counties across Kentucky and North Carolina report growing fear as enforcement sweeps continue and jail-based transfers increase.
• ICE arrests through local jail cooperation reached 48 percent — Analysis of newly released federal data by the Prison Policy Initiative shows that nearly half of all ICE arrests in the United States now occur through local jail cooperation rather than federal enforcement actions. Individuals arrested for minor offenses are automatically reported to ICE, which places detainers to hold them past their release date, funneling them into the deportation system before conviction or judicial review. States with sanctuary policies show lower rates; states with 287(g) agreements show higher rates.

Supporting reports

• FBI Director Kash Patel launches investigation into Signal group chats used by protesters — FBI Director Kash Patel announced on January 26 that he launched an investigation into Signal group chats used by protesters in Minnesota to share information about federal immigration agents, including their locations and license plate numbers. The move targets legally obtained information and the act of recording law enforcement officials, both protected by the First Amendment.
• Justice Department appeals to Eighth Circuit after judge declines to issue arrest warrants for CNN anchor and protesters — Federal prosecutors sought Chief Judge Schiltz's assistance in arresting former CNN anchor Don Lemon and others linked to an anti-ICE church protest. After Schiltz declined to overturn a magistrate's denial of arrest warrants, the Justice Department appealed directly to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The circuit court rejected the government's request, prompting Schiltz to write letters criticizing the Justice Department's approach and highlighting the flood of "illegal" detention cases overwhelming Minnesota courts.
• FBI director announced investigation of Signal chats of Minneapolis observers — FBI Director Kash Patel told a right-wing podcaster that the FBI will investigate Signal chats of those organized in Minneapolis to observe and record federal agents, to determine if they endangered federal agents. Podcaster Benny Johnson suggested the chats were "coordinated infrastructure" and asked the FBI to "take a crack at trying to get rid of this infrastructure the way they approach the mob or cartels or other terrorist networks."
• TikTok suppresses anti-ICE videos following Oracle acquisition — Following TikTok's acquisition by an Oracle-led consortium in late January 2026, users reported inability to upload videos critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Law professor Stephen Vladeck reported his anti-ICE video remained "under review" for nine hours; comedian Megan Stalter and California State Sen. Scott Wiener also reported suppression. TikTok attributed the issue to a data center outage, but the timing coincided with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison's known Trump loyalty, raising concerns about state influence over the platform's content moderation.
• Federal agents arrested journalist Don Lemon on FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy charges — More than two dozen federal agents arrested independent journalist Don Lemon late on January 29, charging him with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiring to hurt the exercise of rights—a Reconstruction-era law originally used against the Ku Klux Klan. Lemon had filmed protesters disrupting a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18 at a white nationalist church with ties to the Trump administration. A magistrate judge and federal judge had both refused to issue warrants; the administration then sought indictment via federal grand jury. Lemon stated he would plead not guilty and continue his journalism.
• Federal agents arrest Don Lemon and three journalists — On January 29, federal agents arrested Don Lemon and three other journalists in relation to their coverage of an anti-ICE protest inside a St. Paul, Minnesota church. Lemon has been charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and violating the FACE Act by allegedly obstructing access to a house of worship. The arrests come one week after a federal magistrate judge rejected the Justice Department's initial request to bring charges. Lemon's lawyer Abbe Lowell called the move an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and a "transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration."
• Federal magistrate and district judge refused to issue arrest warrants for Don Lemon — A federal magistrate judge refused to issue a warrant for Don Lemon and his producer, stating prosecutors had not shown evidence justifying arrest. When the administration asked a federal judge to overturn that decision, the judge also refused, calling the request "unprecedented." The administration then escalated the case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which also refused to intervene.
• DOJ charges Don Lemon and three others with civil rights crimes related to Minnesota church protest — The Department of Justice charged former CNN anchor Don Lemon and three others with federal civil rights crimes, alleging they interfered with religious freedom at a church in Minnesota earlier in January. Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday while covering the Grammy Awards and released Friday. The charges also invoked the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. A federal magistrate judge had previously declined to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon, but the DOJ proceeded with charges anyway. The White House celebrated the arrest on social media.
• Don Lemon arrested on charges connected to Minnesota church protest — Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, 59, was arrested on charges related to a Minnesota church protest. Lemon, who was terminated by CNN in 2023 following allegations of problematic behavior toward female colleagues and controversial on-air remarks, has since worked as an independent journalist on YouTube. The arrest marks a significant development in his career trajectory following his departure from mainstream media.
• Federal agents arrest journalist Georgia Fort for covering ICE protest at Minnesota church — Georgia Fort, an independent Minnesota journalist, was arrested at her home on January 30 after covering a January 18 protest at St. Paul's Cities church, where a pastor reportedly works for ICE. Fort was charged alongside Don Lemon under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) and conspiracy statutes—charges experts call unprecedented against journalists. The DOJ pursued the case aggressively after a federal judge and appeals court initially refused to charge the journalists; a grand jury eventually secured an indictment. Fort livestreamed her arrest and has since been unable to cover related stories due to legal and safety concerns.
• Federal agents conduct search of Fort's home and question her children — When federal agents arrested Georgia Fort at her home on January 30, approximately two dozen agents remained outside for hours after her arrest. As Fort's family attempted to leave, agents stopped them in the driveway and questioned her children about whether they possessed her laptop or cellphone. Fort's daughters, aged 17, 8, and 7, were terrified by the encounter. The youngest daughter now discusses ICE daily; the oldest has experienced nightmares. Fort stated agents could have waited until children left for school and questioned why so many agents were needed to arrest a journalist.
• Journalist Don Lemon arrested by Trump administration after covering anti-ICE protest — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested on January 30, 2026, by federal agents at a Los Angeles hotel while covering the Grammy Awards. The Trump administration obtained a federal grand jury indictment against Lemon, independent journalist Georgia Fort, and others on charges of conspiracy and interfering with worshippers' constitutional rights during an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church on January 18. A federal magistrate judge had previously refused to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon. On February 8, Lemon spoke publicly about the arrest, characterizing it as an attack on press freedom and warning that democracy becomes "hollow" when the First Amendment is threatened.
• Federal agents arrested journalist Georgia Fort and two protest participants — Federal agents arrested independent journalist Georgia Fort of Minnesota, along with two protest participants, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the January 18 church protest in St. Paul. All four people arrested in the past 24 hours are Black.
• Don Lemon arrested on federal civil rights charges — Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested by federal authorities and charged with federal civil rights crimes in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church service earlier in January. The Department of Homeland Security stated Lemon was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers. His attorney Abbe Lowell stated Lemon's "constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done" and characterized the arrest as "an unprecedented attack on the first amendment." Career DOJ prosecutors in Minnesota and Louisiana refused to be involved in charging Lemon and other journalists who covered the Minneapolis church protests, believing the evidence does not support the charges.

Supporting reports

• ICE agent labeled legal observer as domestic terrorist for recording — An ICE agent in Maine photographed a legal observer's car and, when questioned about why he was taking her information, responded that she was being added to a database and "considered a domestic terrorist." The agent appeared to be referencing Trump's September 25, 2025, memo NSPM-7, which describes opposition to the administration's policies—protected by the First Amendment—as "domestic terrorism."

Supporting reports

• ICE memo authorizes warrantless home entry using force — An internal ICE memo from May 2025, reported by the Associated Press, authorizes agents to use force to enter people's homes without a warrant from a judge. Legal experts stated that such guidance violates the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable search and seizure.
• ICE memo claims authority for warrantless home entry — A leaked memo from ICE, signed by Acting Director Todd Lyons in May 2025, suggests that immigration agents may use an administrative removal document, Form I-205, as authority to enter homes and arrest individuals without a judge-signed warrant. This memo, reported by the Associated Press, raises significant Fourth Amendment concerns as it implies a shift from judicial oversight to administrative self-authorization for home entries by ICE agents.
• ICE Memo Signals Shift in Home Entry Protocols — A leaked memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) suggests a potential policy shift from requiring judicial oversight to allowing administrative self-authorization for home entries. This change could have significant implications for Fourth Amendment rights, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. The memo indicates an escalation in enforcement tactics, raising concerns about the balance between security measures and civil liberties. The response from civil society, particularly in Minnesota, includes plans for protests and economic disruptions to oppose this shift.
• ICE memo authorized warrantless home entries using only administrative paperwork — ICE whistleblowers and new reporting revealed a secret internal memo authorizing agents to force their way into people's homes without a judge's warrant, relying only on ICE-issued administrative paperwork that even DHS training materials say is unconstitutional. The memo was deliberately hidden, passed around verbally, and used to train new recruits, explaining recent door-busting raids like the one in Minneapolis where no judicial warrant was shown.
• ICE memo authorizes warrantless home entries based on administrative warrants — According to an internal ICE memo, federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people's homes without a judge's warrant, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding constitutional guidance. The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter residences based solely on administrative warrants to arrest individuals, bypassing judicial oversight requirements.
• Senator Blumenthal warned against secret ICE warrantless entry policy — Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued a public warning against the secret ICE policy authorizing agents to break into homes without judicial warrants. He characterized the policy as "unlawful & morally repugnant" and stated that "every American should be terrified" by it. Blumenthal emphasized that in a democracy, the government is barred from breaking into homes without approval from a judge, except in vanishingly rare circumstances.
• Leaked ICE memo attempts to redefine warrant standards to permit warrantless home entry — A leaked ICE memo attempts to justify home entry without a judge-signed judicial warrant, instead relying on internal administrative paperwork. The memo distinguishes between judicial warrants (signed by a judge) and administrative warrants (internal executive-branch paperwork), effectively claiming the executive branch can grant itself permission to enter homes. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal has formally raised this as a constitutional violation in writing, citing Fourth Amendment concerns.

Supporting reports

• Arrest and detention of Patty O'Keefe by ICE agents in Minneapolis — Patty O'Keefe, a 36-year-old environmental nonprofit worker and volunteer ICE monitor, was arrested by three ICE agents while tracking an ICE convoy. One agent pepper-sprayed her vehicle and smashed the front windows; she was hauled out and arrested. O'Keefe was transported to an ICE facility near the airport, held for eight hours in a section designated for U.S. citizens, and heard detainees awaiting deportation. She was released without charge. During detention, an officer allegedly taunted her with a reference to Renee Good's death.

Supporting reports

• ICE warrantless detention and forced transport of US citizen ChongLy Thao in St Paul, Minnesota — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents broke down the door of ChongLy "Scott" Thao's home in St Paul without a warrant, dragged him into the street in sub-freezing conditions, and forcibly transported him for approximately two hours before returning him. Thao is a naturalized US citizen and Hmong American. Local Ramsey County authorities opened an investigation into the incident as a possible kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. DHS claimed agents were executing a warrant targeting alleged sexual predators but acknowledged Thao refused fingerprinting and facial identification.
• ICE agents detain US citizen without warrant in Minnesota home, remove him in underwear in subfreezing weather — Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents forced entry into ChongLy "Scott" Thao's St Paul, Minnesota home without a warrant, pointed guns at his family, and detained him despite his US citizenship. Agents removed Thao from his home in only underwear and sandals in subfreezing conditions while his four-year-old grandson watched. After approximately one to two hours, agents realized Thao was a US citizen with no criminal record and returned him home without apology. DHS claimed the operation targeted two convicted sex offenders allegedly living at the residence; Thao's family disputes this account and states only family members reside there.
• Brooklyn Park police chief reported ICE civil rights violations and targeting of officers of color — Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, police chief Mark Bruley reported to media that police were receiving repeated complaints about civil rights violations by ICE agents. He recounted that ICE agents stopped an off-duty police officer of color, demanded her paperwork despite her being a U.S. citizen, held her at gunpoint, knocked her phone from her hand when she attempted to film, and only left when she identified herself as a police officer. Bruley stated that if this was happening to officers, he feared far worse was occurring to community members daily.
• ICE conducts warrantless search and detention of U.S. citizen Scott Thao in Minnesota — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents broke into the home of U.S. citizen ChongLy "Scott" Thao without a warrant on Sunday, held him at gunpoint, marched him outside in subfreezing weather wearing only sandals and underwear, detained him for an hour or two, and then returned him to his home. ICE subsequently falsely claimed that members of his family are on the registered sex offender list.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents conduct racial profiling stops of US citizens and legal residents across multiple states — Following the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, ICE and US Customs and Border Protection agents have conducted stops and surveillance of US citizens and lawful permanent residents in California, Nebraska, Florida, Minnesota, and other states, with multiple individuals reporting that the encounters were based on racial profiling. Incidents include stops in parks, traffic stops, and sustained surveillance. The administration deployed approximately 2,000 ICE officers and 800 CBP agents to Minneapolis, focused enforcement on Somali communities, and announced plans to end temporary protected status for Somalis. A September 2025 Supreme Court ruling permitted agents to consider race or ethnicity as a factor in enforcement decisions.
• Racial profiling stop of Joaquin and Gloria Espinoza by ICE agents in Minneapolis suburbs — On Monday, January 20, 2026, ICE agents stopped a vehicle driven by Joaquin with passenger Gloria Espinoza on a quiet street in Minneapolis suburbs. Both are U.S. citizens for more than 30 years. Espinoza reported that agents appeared to have no cause for the stop other than the color of their skin and that officers taunted them while conducting background checks. Civilian observers arrived in seven vehicles, honking horns and documenting the interaction on video. The agents eventually released the couple without arrest.

Supporting reports

• ICE agent grabs and throws phone of woman recording agents in Minnesota — A woman recording ICE agents in Minnesota was told by an agent, "Have you not learned your lesson over the past couple of days?" referring to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a mother killed by an ICE agent. When she asked what the "lesson" was, the agent grabbed her phone and threw it, destroying or damaging the recording device.

Supporting reports

• DHS launched "Operation Puppet Master" to surveil leftwing groups and anti-ICE protesters — The Department of Homeland Security conducted extensive surveillance of progressive organizations and anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis and New York City in early 2026. Internal DHS reports, disclosed in a criminal case against 15 Minneapolis protesters, reveal the agency sent undercover agents to community meetings, infiltrated encrypted Signal chats, obtained financial records of unions and nonprofits including AFL-CIO and SEIU, and made audio recordings of activist gatherings. The operation, titled "Operation Puppet Master," targeted groups opposing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Supporting reports

• ICE collected DNA from nearly 920,000 immigrants in 2025, most never convicted of crime — According to data from Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology, ICE collected DNA samples from approximately 920,000 immigrants in ICE custody during 2025, including samples from young children. These samples have become the largest single source of new genetic profiles added to the FBI's criminal database, despite the vast majority of people in ICE custody never having been convicted of a crime.

Supporting reports

• State Department orders U.S. embassies to collect data on crimes committed by immigrants — U.S. embassies in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have been ordered to gather data on crimes committed by immigrants as part of implementing the administration's anti-immigration agenda. Senior officials have characterized mass migration as an "existential threat to western civilization." This directive reflects the NSS's emphasis on immigration as a national security priority and signals a coordinated effort across the diplomatic corps to support the administration's immigration-focused worldview.

Supporting reports

• ICE agents conduct warrantless home surveillance of deported student's family in Austin — Immigration agents in three unmarked vehicles appeared at the Texas home of Francis López, father of Any Lucia López Belloza, a 19-year-old college student deported to Honduras on November 20 after detention at Boston airport. One agent forced open a gate to the family's backyard; the agents remained for approximately two hours without knocking or communicating, then departed. The family's lawyer stated agents carried no papers or warrant. The family believes the visit was retaliation for the student's public statements about her deportation.

Supporting reports

• Illinois warned rental car companies about ICE license plate switching — NBC News reported that officials in Illinois told national rental car companies that federal immigration agents using their vehicles for enforcement operations are prohibited from switching out the license plate in an effort to disguise the vehicle, and warned that the companies could be held liable if agents do so.

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

• DC resident sued for detention after protesting National Guard with Star Wars music — A DC resident filed a lawsuit after being handcuffed and detained for protesting the National Guard's presence in DC neighborhoods by playing "The Imperial March" from Star Wars. Sam O'Hara regularly walked several feet behind National Guard patrols, playing the march (also known as "Darth Vader's Theme") at audible but not blaring volume on his phone or a small speaker. He recorded the encounters and posted videos on TikTok, where millions of people viewed them. The ACLU is representing O'Hara in the federal lawsuit.

Supporting reports

• ICE issued fine to legal resident for not carrying registration documents — The Chicago Tribune reported that ICE agents in the city issued a $130 fine against a 60-year-old legal resident originally from El Salvador for not carrying proof of registration documents with him, a federal law that was rarely enforced before Trump took office in January.

Supporting reports

• Trump Justice Department building largest voting database — The New York Times reported that Trump's Justice Department is quietly building the largest national voting database in the agency's history, which includes data from more than 30 states. Experts say efforts to collect information about individual voters, including their names and addresses, may be against the law, and have raised concerns about the data being used to revive debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election being stolen or to discredit future elections.

Supporting reports

• 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.