Illegal Immigration

Eric Swalwell Uses Nativity Scene to Attack ICE on Christmas
Illegal Immigration

Eric Swalwell Uses Nativity Scene to Attack ICE on Christmas

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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., sparked controversy on Christmas Day after posting an image on social media that portrayed Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as illegal immigrants being confronted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, a depiction that drew sharp criticism from religious observers and conservative commentators.

Swalwell shared the image on X on Dec. 25, alongside a caption that read, “May this be the last Christmas we live this nightmare.” The image showed spray-painted figures labeled as ICE agents breaking into a Bethlehem stable, where Jesus was born, with the Holy Family depicted inside the nativity scene.

The congressman’s post was widely interpreted as likening the biblical account of Jesus’ birth to modern immigration enforcement in the United States. Critics argued that the depiction misrepresented Scripture and inaccurately portrayed Mary and Joseph as illegal migrants.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem in compliance with a Roman census ordered by Emperor Caesar Augustus, not as fugitives or unlawful travelers. The biblical account states:

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. [So] Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:1–4).

The passage explains that Joseph returned to his ancestral hometown of Bethlehem for the census, which is where Jesus was born. The Bible does not describe Mary and Joseph as illegal immigrants during this journey.

The claim that Jesus should be considered a refugee or illegal migrant has circulated in left-wing political and religious commentary in recent years, particularly in debates over modern immigration policy.

Many Christian scholars and theologians have disputed that characterization as historically inaccurate.

Breitbart News previously addressed the issue, with Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D., noting that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral home, and that the Holy Family later fled to Egypt only after King Herod ordered the killing of infant boys in the region.

According to that account, Mary and Joseph temporarily settled in Egypt, which at the time was part of the Roman Empire, before returning to Galilee following Herod’s death.

Jesus spent most of his childhood in Galilee, not as a displaced foreigner, but within the Roman-controlled territory where his family resided.

Swalwell’s Christmas post was not the only recent instance in which the nativity story was reinterpreted through the lens of modern immigration politics.

A progressive church in Illinois faced criticism last month after unveiling a nativity display that depicted baby Jesus zip-tied, Roman soldiers portrayed as ICE agents, and Mary and Joseph wearing gas masks.

Lake Street Church of Evanston defended the display in a Facebook post, stating that it “reimagines the nativity as a scene of forced family separation, drawing direct parallels between the Holy Family’s refugee experience and contemporary immigration detention practices.”

The church’s display and Swalwell’s post both generated backlash from Christians who argued that such portrayals politicize religious imagery and misrepresent biblical history.

Critics said the depictions replace the scriptural account with modern political narratives that do not align with the historical or theological context of the nativity.

Swalwell did not elaborate further on his Christmas post or respond publicly to the criticism following its publication.

The congressman has been a vocal supporter of progressive immigration policies and has frequently criticized federal immigration enforcement efforts, including ICE operations.

The controversy surrounding Swalwell’s post comes amid ongoing national debates over border security, immigration enforcement, and the role of faith in public life.

While supporters of such imagery argue it draws attention to humanitarian concerns, opponents contend that religious figures and sacred events are being repurposed to advance political messaging.

California Moves to Reissue 17,000 CDLs Despite Federal Noncompliance Warnings
Illegal Immigration

California Moves to Reissue 17,000 CDLs Despite Federal Noncompliance Warnings

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California is preparing to reissue roughly 17,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses that the state had previously moved to revoke under federal pressure, a decision that comes despite unresolved compliance violations identified by federal regulators and the continued threat of severe enforcement action.

State transportation officials confirmed that the California Department of Motor Vehicles will begin restoring the licenses to immigrant drivers who received 60-day cancellation notices on November 6.

While the state has not detailed the specific reissuance process, officials have pointed to a November 13 emergency stay issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit blocking enforcement of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s interim final rule limiting eligibility for non-domiciled CDLs.

The court’s action, however, addressed only the interim rule issued on September 29. It did not resolve or suspend a separate set of violations documented by FMCSA during its 2025 Annual Program Review, which found that approximately one-quarter of California’s non-domiciled CDLs were improperly issued under regulations that predated the emergency rule.

Those findings triggered a corrective action process under federal law and prompted federal officials to warn California that more than $150 million in highway funding could be withheld if the state failed to come into compliance.

That enforcement threat remains in place regardless of the court’s stay.

FMCSA’s review identified systemic issues, including licenses issued with expiration dates extending years beyond drivers’ lawful presence authorization, licenses issued to Mexican nationals prohibited from holding non-domiciled CDLs unless protected under DACA, and inadequate verification procedures.

These violations were cited as grounds for a preliminary determination of substantial noncompliance under federal regulations.

Federal guidance issued on November 13 made clear that states subject to corrective action plans must maintain pauses on non-domiciled CDL issuance until compliance with pre-rule standards is demonstrated.

California remains under such a plan.

Federal law gives FMCSA broad enforcement authority. Under 49 U.S.C. § 31312, the agency can decertify a state’s entire CDL program if it determines the state is in substantial noncompliance.

Decertification would prohibit California from issuing, renewing, transferring, or upgrading any commercial learner’s permits or CDLs, not just non-domiciled credentials, until deficiencies are corrected.

Such an action would have immediate consequences across California’s trucking sector, freezing new driver pipelines, halting CDL testing and training, and disrupting freight operations along one of the nation’s most critical transportation corridors.

FMCSA has already signaled its willingness to use that authority.

The agency recently threatened Pennsylvania with decertification after an Uzbek terror suspect was found holding a state-issued CDL, giving the state 30 days to respond.

Federal officials have indicated California’s situation is more serious, citing what they view as continued defiance rather than remediation.

Commercial driver’s licenses function under a federal-state partnership established by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986.

While states administer licensing, credentials are recognized nationwide based on compliance with federal standards.

If California reissues licenses deemed improperly issued, those credentials could face challenges in interstate commerce, exposing drivers and carriers to enforcement risks in other states.

Federal officials could also take intermediate steps short of decertification, including withholding highway funds, issuing determinations of noncompliance, or directing other states to treat California-issued licenses from the noncompliance period as invalid for interstate operation.

California officials argue that many of the licenses at issue involved clerical expiration-date errors rather than substantive violations.

The state maintains that underlying work authorizations remain valid and that reissued licenses can be aligned with federal requirements under pre-September 29 regulations.

In an October 26 response to FMCSA, California acknowledged identifying roughly 20,000 non-domiciled CDLs with expiration dates exceeding lawful presence but declined to revoke them.

FMCSA rejected that explanation. In its November 13 response, the agency stated that “the regulatory universe of non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs is premised on the basic notion that a non-domiciled driver’s commercial motor vehicle driving privileges cannot extend beyond that driver’s lawful presence in the United States.”

The dispute has unfolded amid broader political tensions between California and the Trump administration.

Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly opposed federal immigration enforcement initiatives, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has made non-domiciled CDL enforcement a priority.

After a crash on Interstate 10 on October 21 involving a California asylum seeker, Jashanpreet Singh, that killed three people, Duffy blamed state noncompliance.

“My prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragedy,” Duffy said.

“It would have never happened if Gavin Newsom had followed our new rules. California broke the law and now three people are dead.”

California disputed that assessment, arguing the case involved an automatic regulatory change rather than a discretionary license upgrade. FMCSA rejected the state’s defense.

For drivers, carriers, and the broader trucking industry, uncertainty remains.

Thousands of drivers are awaiting reissued licenses, while carriers are watching closely to see whether those credentials will be recognized beyond California’s borders.

Federal officials now face a decision on whether to escalate enforcement or allow California to proceed despite unresolved findings of noncompliance.

Senator Tuberville Drops a Spicy Meme During Rant on Democrats’ Terrorist Buddies
Illegal Immigration

Senator Tuberville Drops a Spicy Meme During Rant on Democrats’ Terrorist Buddies

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Senator Tommy Tuberville delivered sharp criticism of Democrats during remarks in which he accused them of enabling terrorism through immigration policies, access to public benefits, and what he described as a failure to address security risks tied to foreign extremist groups.

Tuberville’s comments focused on Democratic immigration positions, foreign policy rhetoric, and praise for countries he characterized as unstable and dangerous.

He argued that Democratic leaders are ignoring security threats while allowing individuals he described as terrorists to enter and remain in the United States.

“Democrats invite terrorists from all over the world into this country,” Tuberville said.

“They let them steal our benefits, enjoy our schools, overrun, our hospitals, vote in our elections, and then steal our tax dollars to send back to their home countries to fund terrorism.”

The senator claimed that U.S. resources are being misused and that taxpayer funds are ultimately ending up overseas in ways that undermine national security.

His remarks were framed as part of a broader critique of Democratic priorities on immigration enforcement, public spending, and national defense.

Tuberville also singled out Democratic lawmakers who have spoken favorably about Somalia, questioning those statements by pointing to the country’s security conditions.

He referenced praise he said has come from “woke Democrats like Omar,” arguing that such descriptions are disconnected from realities on the ground.

“By the way I’ve seen all of these woke Democrats like Omar calling Somalia a wonderful place,” Tuberville said.

“If it’s such a wonderful place, why doesn’t she move back?”

He continued by citing violence and instability in Somalia, focusing on terrorist activity carried out by al-Shabaab and conditions in the country’s capital.

“If Somalia is all that, why is the terrorist group al Shabaab murdering Somalian civilians by the masses,” Tuberville said.

“And why is the capital of Somalia considered to be one of the most dangerous Capitals in the World due to frequent terrorist bombings, target targeting, killings and ambushes that sounds like a place no one would ever want to visit or live.”

WATCH:

Tom Homan Drops the Mic on Democrats Threatening Him
Illegal Immigration

Tom Homan Drops the Mic on Democrats Threatening Him

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Jesse Watters and Tom Homan discussed the political fallout surrounding border enforcement, with Homan saying Democrats have openly threatened to prosecute him for his work during the Trump administration.

The exchange centered on the consequences of border failures, the impact of Trump-era policies, and the future of immigration enforcement under President Trump.

Watters opened the segment by asking Homan directly, “Are you worried, Tom that they’re going to target you with prosecution after this is all over?”

Homan responded that the threats are not hypothetical.

“Oh, they already said they’re going to so Come get some bottom line is, I’m not letting them forget what they did the last four years,” he said.

Homan pointed to the scale of human smuggling and drug deaths tied to border activity.

He said, “A half a million children were were separated from their families and smuggled across this border. A quarter million Americans died from drug overdoses that came across that border.”

Homan contrasted those outcomes with the policies implemented during Trump’s presidency, saying Trump delivered on security and enforcement.

“And once President Trump done, he gave us the most secure border in history this nation,” Homan said.

According to his account, those policies produced measurable declines in key areas. He said that under Trump, “sex trafficking plummeted,” and “known inspector terrorists coming across, across the borders plummeted.”

He added that “criminal cartels are going broke” and said Trump delivered “record, record deportation.”

Homan described Trump as having kept his promises on immigration.

“Every promise he’d made, the American people he’s getting,” he said.

Looking ahead, Homan said the administration intends to identify and review individuals who entered the country without full screening.

“And let’s not forget, let’s not forget, we’re going to find every one of these people that weren’t vetted, and we’re going to make sure that they are properly vetted, and if not, they’re going home,” he said.

Homan closed by crediting Trump for improvements in national security.

“President Trump made this country safe again,” he said.

WATCH:

Stephen Miller Spills the Beans on the Housing Crisis in New York City
Illegal Immigration

Stephen Miller Spills the Beans on the Housing Crisis in New York City

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Stephen Miller said New York City’s housing costs are being driven higher by the number of foreign-born residents living in rent-controlled units, arguing that large-scale deportations and reduced migration are necessary to address the issue.

He also said that deregulation and tax cuts, paired with reduced migration, would help lower housing costs for U.S. citizens.

Miller pointed to New York City data in making his case.

“Percent of the population of rent controlled housing in New York City are foreign born. Think about that. In in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, 40% of rent controlled properties are being lived in by people who weren’t even born in the country,” he said.

He characterized the current system as one that benefits non-citizens at the expense of native-born residents.

“What kind of system is this, we bring in people from foreign countries, and then we pay to lower the cost of their housing, while people who are born here have to pay higher prices,” Miller said.

Miller connected the issue to the broader immigration agenda under President Trump.

“So when President Trump is reducing that migration, that is what’s going to ultimately, along with all these other steps, deregulation, historic tax cuts, going to bring down the cost of housing,” he said.

The comments come as housing affordability continues to be a central policy issue in major metropolitan areas.

Miller framed immigration levels as a primary factor influencing supply and demand in rent-controlled units, while pointing to economic policies such as deregulation and tax reductions as additional steps he said would ease costs for U.S. citizens.

DHS Lays the Smack Down On Criminal Illegal Aliens in Chicago During Operation Midway Blitz
Illegal Immigration

DHS Lays the Smack Down On Criminal Illegal Aliens in Chicago During Operation Midway Blitz

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Federal immigration enforcement operations in the Chicago area have escalated in recent weeks, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents coming under direct attack during targeted actions against illegal aliens.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that ICE officers were the targets of two separate vehicular assaults carried out by individuals in the country illegally.

In a statement released by DHS, officials detailed the incidents, which took place in Norridge and Bensenville, Illinois.

According to the report, ICE agents were deliberately rammed while conducting enforcement operations under the ongoing federal initiative known as Operation Midway Blitz.

“In the first assault in Norridge, IL, Miguel Escareno De Loera, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, rammed his vehicle into an ICE law enforcement vehicle twice,” DHS stated.

“He then jumped a curb and crashed his car into a stop sign—ending his violent assault.” DHS officials confirmed that Escareno De Loera entered the United States at an unknown time and place without inspection by immigration officials.

The second attack occurred in Bensenville, where ICE agents were engaged in another targeted operation.

“In the second instance, Widman Osberto Lopez-Funes, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, rammed his vehicle into ICE agents during a targeted enforcement operation, and then exited the vehicle and fled into his residence in Bensenville, IL.

This criminal illegal alien was later arrested on scene without incident,” the statement said.

Both incidents showcase the risks faced by federal immigration officers as they continue enforcement actions in areas where local leadership has publicly opposed such operations.

Operation Midway Blitz, launched in mid-September, is a DHS initiative designed to target criminal aliens and enforce federal immigration law in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The operation has faced significant opposition from state and city leadership. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have both criticized the federal effort, calling instead for policies more favorable to migrants residing in the state.

Despite this opposition, federal officials have continued to pursue enforcement actions.

DHS has pointed to the assaults on its officers as evidence of growing risks and escalating hostility toward federal law enforcement in the region.

President Donald Trump has addressed the situation, stating that deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago remains an option if attacks on federal agents continue.

While Trump has not yet authorized such a move, DHS officials have confirmed that contingency planning is under discussion should conditions on the ground worsen.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were targets of two separate vehicular assaults in the Chicago metro area,” DHS emphasized in its statement.

The agency said that despite the attacks, enforcement operations will continue and that individuals responsible for targeting law enforcement will face consequences under federal law.

ICE agents remain active in the Chicago area as Operation Midway Blitz continues.

DHS has not provided specific details about upcoming enforcement actions but confirmed that operations will persist in the coming weeks.

The recent assaults, coupled with open opposition from Illinois leadership, have highlighted the tensions between state and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.

DHS officials reiterated that their mission remains unchanged: to uphold U.S. immigration law and remove criminal aliens from the country.

Both Escareno De Loera and Lopez-Funes remain in federal custody as proceedings move forward.

Federal officials said further details on charges and deportation proceedings will be released in the coming days.

A Dozen Democrats Arrested in Mobs of Violent Protestors in Chicago and New York
Illegal Immigration

A Dozen Democrats Arrested in Mobs of Violent Protestors in Chicago and New York

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers confronted protesters outside the Broadview Processing Center in Chicago on Friday as part of a broader wave of demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement.

The confrontation came during the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” an initiative aimed at targeting and removing criminal illegal aliens in the Chicago area.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), protesters attempted to block ICE vehicles from entering and leaving the facility, while some participants slashed tires on federal vehicles.

ICE officers deployed gas canisters after demonstrators pushed past protest lines and sought to obstruct federal agents. Several arrests were made during the clashes.

Video from the scene showed protesters confronting ICE officers and attempting to hamper their movements around the facility.

NewsNation confirmed that at least one federal vehicle had its tires slashed during the demonstration.

In a statement provided to Breitbart News, DHS said, “These riots outside the ICE Broadview Processing Center and attacks on ICE officers come after Democrat politicians, including Governor Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, have villainized and demonized ICE law enforcement.”

The agency said the protest escalated to the point that federal law enforcement had to intervene without assistance from local police.

“Early this morning, over a hundred rioters surrounded the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Broadview Processing Center—rioters assaulted law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property. Police under JB Pritzker’s sanctuary jurisdiction refused to answer multiple calls for assistance. So far, federal law enforcement arrested three rioters,” DHS said.

The department also noted that ICE officers have reported a more than 1,000 percent increase in assaults against them in recent weeks.

One of those arrested was Kat Abughazaleh, a Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois’ Ninth District.

Abughazaleh, a Palestinian activist and former Media Matters employee, moved from Washington, D.C., to Chicago last year in order to run for the seat currently held by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

Video from the protest showed Abughazaleh being forced to the ground by ICE officers as she attempted to approach federal vehicles.

Chicago Alderman Andre Vasquez confirmed to reporters that he was among those who joined the protest outside the Broadview facility.

DHS said vans were observed arriving at the site throughout the morning to transport demonstrators, describing the protest as “an organized effort to obstruct ICE law enforcement.”

Chicago was not the only site of pro-immigration protests on Friday.

In New York City, demonstrators also clashed with ICE officers and blocked federal vehicles. A day earlier, multiple elected officials in New York were arrested after staging a sit-in at an ICE facility.

Among those taken into custody were New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Senators Julia Salazar and Gustavo Rivera, and Assembly members Emily Gallagher and Marcela Mitaynes.

Federal officers arrested 71 people during the protest.

DHS said that in addition to the incidents in Illinois and New York, ICE officers elsewhere have recently reported that vehicles have been used against them in attempted assaults.

Federal officials indicated that they intend to continue operations despite the protests, citing the need to enforce immigration law and address violent attacks against officers.

The events in Chicago and New York highlight the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions.

While DHS has emphasized the dangers faced by ICE officers, protests and demonstrations against immigration enforcement are expected to continue in the weeks ahead.

DOJ Targets Illinois Over Pritzker-Signed Bill to Give College Aid to Illegal Aliens
Illegal Immigration

DOJ Targets Illinois Over Pritzker-Signed Bill to Give College Aid to Illegal Aliens

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President Donald Trump’s administration moved Tuesday to block a new Illinois law that extends in-state tuition rates, scholarships, and other forms of student financial aid to illegal immigrants.

The Department of Justice announced it has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the state, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, state Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the boards of trustees of Illinois’ public universities.

The complaint argues that Illinois’ newly enacted policy violates federal law by offering post-secondary education benefits to illegal immigrants that are not equally available to U.S. citizens from other states.

According to the filing, “federal law prohibits providing aliens not lawfully present in the United States with any post-secondary education benefit on the basis of residency unless that benefit is also available to United States citizens and nationals regardless of their residency.”

The law, signed in August by Pritzker, provides state-funded aid to any Illinois resident regardless of immigration status.

It includes provisions making financial aid available to students who are not eligible for federal programs, such as noncitizens without permanent residency status and transgender students disqualified for failing to register with Selective Service.

The bill states it is intended to create “equitable eligibility for financial aid and benefits” for all students in the state.

U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft, representing the Southern District of Illinois, said in a statement that Illinois’ law is in clear conflict with federal requirements.

“Illinois has an apparent desire to win a ‘race to the bottom’ as the country’s leading sanctuary state,” Weinhoeft said.

He added that the state’s “misguided approach mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens plainly violates federal law” and that “this policy treats illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states and incentivizes even more illegal immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”

“Illinois citizens deserve better,” Weinhoeft said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi also commented on the lawsuit, noting that the DOJ has filed multiple challenges against state policies seen as granting special treatment to illegal immigrants.

“This Department of Justice has already filed multiple lawsuits to prevent U.S. students from being treated like second-class citizens — Illinois now joins the list of states where we are relentlessly fighting to vindicate federal law,” Bondi said.

Pritzker’s office defended the law in a statement to Fox News Digital, framing it as consistent with the state’s priorities.

“This is yet another blatant attempt to strip Illinoisans of resources and opportunities,” a spokesperson said.

“While the Trump Administration strips away federal resources from all Americans, Illinois provides consistent and inclusive educational pathways for all students – including immigrants and first-generation students – to access support and contribute to our state.”

The spokesperson added, “All Illinoisans deserve a fair shot to obtain an education and our programs and policies are consistent with federal laws.”

The law has drawn criticism from parents in Illinois who argue it places their children at a disadvantage.

Michelle Cunney, a local mother and chapter leader for Parents’ Rights in Education, told Fox News Digital that the measure is deeply troubling.

“To be honest, it’s terrifying that not only are we having to pay for this, as you know, tax-paying citizens … But also, as parents, not knowing how it will really truly end up affecting our children and their education,” she said.

Cunney added that under Pritzker’s leadership, “we know that the children who are not here legally will get … more of a chance and an opportunity to get scholarships and everything than our children, because to Pritzker, and so many others, we are not important. We are not anything other than money.”

The outcome of the case could have implications beyond Illinois, as other states consider similar laws to expand financial aid access to students regardless of immigration status.

The Justice Department’s action signals the administration’s determination to use the courts to challenge state policies it views as conflicting with federal immigration law.

Media Pushes “Active Firefighter” Myth, Democrats Amplify Before DHS Debunks It
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Illegal Immigration

Media Pushes “Active Firefighter” Myth, Democrats Amplify Before DHS Debunks It

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Two individuals working on federal lands in Washington state were arrested last week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined they were in the country illegally, contradicting media claims that frontline firefighters were pulled from active wildfire operations.

The incident took place after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested CBP assistance to verify the identities of work crews operating in a remote location.

According to an official CBP statement, BLM rangers asked Border Patrol agents to confirm that contractors on-site matched the rosters provided by their employer.

“Due to the remote location of the work site, BLM requested USBP assistance verifying the identities of all personnel present.

The work crews, totaling 44 individuals, required identity verification to ensure that the individuals on-site matched the contractor rosters,” CBP said in its release.

During the process, officials identified discrepancies in records.

Two individuals were confirmed to be in the United States illegally, including one with a prior order of removal.

Both were detained and transported to the Bellingham Station on charges of illegal entry and reentry after removal under 8 U.S. Code 1326.

The remaining 42 workers were cleared and released from the scene.

CBP emphasized that “the contract termination and enforcement action did not interfere with firefighting operations or the response to any active fires in the area, nor did it pose any danger to the surrounding community.”

According to investigators, the workers had been hired by an independent contractor based in Oregon.

While they were listed as firefighters on official rosters, neither individual was actively engaged in fire suppression at the time of the arrests.

Officials said they were performing non-firefighting duties such as wood chopping.

Despite the official account, reports circulated widely on social media claiming that Border Patrol had pulled firefighters from the front lines of a wildfire.

The Associated Press and other outlets highlighted the incident with images of active fire scenes, which critics said gave the misleading impression that firefighting efforts had been disrupted.

Attorneys for one of the men said their client had lived in Oregon since childhood and applied for a U visa in 2018 after he and his family were victims of a federal crime.

His lawyer argued that the case had been delayed for more than seven years by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The attorney declined to confirm whether his client had deferred status.

The other man had previously been ordered removed from the United States.

Both remain in federal custody pending further proceedings.

The case quickly drew attention from lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) criticized the arrests in a public statement, saying, “ICE detained two firefighters who were working to stop a wildfire. These people are risking their lives to keep communities safe. How does this make Americans safer? Every day this Administration finds a new way to show how backward and inhumane it is.”

CBP officials, however, disputed the characterization that the arrests interfered with firefighting or endangered communities.

The agency reiterated that the men were not engaged in active fire suppression when they were taken into custody.

The arrests highlight continuing debate over federal immigration enforcement and contractor hiring practices.

Officials said the case originated with contractor record discrepancies and was not part of a targeted immigration operation against firefighting personnel.

JB Pritzker Lets It Slip Why He’s Worried About Trump’s Crime Crackdown in Chicago
Illegal Immigration

JB Pritzker Lets It Slip Why He’s Worried About Trump’s Crime Crackdown in Chicago

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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker raised concerns Sunday that President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement plans could impact future elections, as the White House signaled a forthcoming surge of federal assets to Chicago.

During an appearance on CBS’s Face The Nation, Pritzker alleged that the administration’s strategy to combat crime and target illegal immigration in the city carried political motives.

He claimed the deployment of federal assets amounted to “an attack on the American people” and suggested the president’s “other intentions” were linked to elections.

“This is a part of his plan to do something really nefarious, which is to interfere with elections in 2026,” Pritzker said at a separate press conference.

“He wants to have troops on the ground, to stop people from voting, to intimidate people from going to the voting booth. So, take note, that is what this is all about.”

The comments followed a weekend post from President Trump on social media in which he criticized the governor for resisting federal assistance in Chicago.

“Six people were killed, and 24 people were shot, in Chicago last weekend, and JB Pritzker, the weak and pathetic Governor of Illinois, just said that he doesn’t need help in preventing CRIME,” the president wrote.

“He is CRAZY!!! He better straighten it out, FAST, or we’re coming! MAGA. President DJT.”

Reports indicate the administration is preparing to carry out a major immigration enforcement operation in Chicago as soon as next week.

While details have not been disclosed, the president has not ruled out using National Guard personnel to assist with deportations.

Justice Department officials have said the operation will focus on targeting individuals with outstanding removal orders and violent offenders.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Pritzker in opposing the plan.

The mayor, whose approval ratings have fallen sharply in recent months, announced Saturday that he would sign an executive order directing city agencies to resist federal enforcement efforts.

According to CNN, the order instructs departments and law enforcement to “pursue all available legal and legislative avenues to resist coordinated efforts from the federal government.”

Johnson also urged Chicago residents to “rise up” against the administration’s plan.

He argued that the federal deployment would undermine local authority and vowed to challenge the move in court.

“We are not going to let Donald Trump militarize our city,” Johnson said.

The White House, however, maintains that the plan is necessary to restore order.

Administration officials have repeatedly pointed to violent crime in Chicago, as well as the city’s growing population of illegal aliens, as justification for deploying additional resources.

The legal battle over the president’s authority to mobilize federal assets may echo earlier disputes in California.

Attorney General Rob Bonta previously filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the administration from assuming control of that state’s National Guard during unrest in Los Angeles.

A federal appeals court ultimately sided with the president, ruling that he has the authority to deploy Guard personnel to address domestic crises.

With the temporary restraining order in California rejected and federal authority affirmed, legal experts note that Chicago officials face an uphill battle in preventing federal enforcement operations.

Still, both Pritzker and Johnson have pledged to continue opposing the administration’s efforts.

Federal agencies have not provided a specific timeline for the Chicago operation but confirmed preparations are underway.

The Department of Homeland Security is expected to coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal partners if the surge moves forward.


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