Department of Homeland Security

President Trump used Department of Homeland Security funds, specifically from Customs and Border Protection, to air pro-Trump television ads praising his presidency. After bipartisan criticism over the use of taxpayer money, Trump announced his MAGA Inc. super PAC would reimburse the government. Nearly $1.5 million was spent on ads that aired nationally and locally. Democratic senators called the ads illegal Hatch Act violations.

9 reports · 3 sources · Updated Oct 6, 08:26 AM UTC

On October 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued an injunction halting the Trump administration's $1.7 billion border security project in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The project, led by the Department of Homeland Security, planned vehicle barriers, patrol roads, and surveillance systems. Environmental groups and local stakeholders sued, challenging the use of waivers to bypass environmental laws. Construction had begun in August but paused due to local opposition. The Center for Biological Diversity called the ruling a "historic victory."

5 reports · 2 sources · Updated Oct 3, 12:47 AM UTC

The family of Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother of three killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, filed two federal lawsuits on October 1, 2026. One suit, under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleges wrongful death through battery, assault, false imprisonment, and negligence. The second, citing the Ku Klux Klan Act, alleges a conspiracy to interfere with civil rights, naming Ross, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, border czar Tom Homan, and others. The lawsuits challenge the self-defense claim, asserting Ross was not in danger when he fired three shots.

11 reports · 5 sources · Updated Oct 2, 08:30 PM UTC

The Trump administration used funds from the Department of Homeland Security, including money allocated for border security and memorials, to produce and air television ads promoting President Trump. The ads, which have cost over $1.7 million and aired thousands of times, feature Trump in campaign-style settings. Democratic senators have called the ads illegal, and a Republican senator blocked a resolution criticizing them. The White House defends the ads as public service announcements.

20 reports · 5 sources · Updated Oct 1, 11:29 PM UTC

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority lifted lower court restrictions on the Trump administration's expansion of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, allowing the government to use Social Security data to identify noncitizen voters. The 6-3 ruling permits the Department of Homeland Security to include data on every American for voter eligibility checks ahead of midterm elections, though federal law limits mass roll alterations close to elections. Critics warn the system could disenfranchise eligible voters.

13 reports · 5 sources · Updated Sep 26, 12:42 AM UTC

President Donald Trump withdrew the nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine, to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 17, 2026. The nomination stalled after Senate Homeland Security Committee Chair Rand Paul requested more information about an investigation into federal agents allegedly killing two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Trump offered no reason for the withdrawal, leaving the agency without a Senate-confirmed director since 2014.

11 reports · 6 sources · Updated Sep 18, 08:53 AM UTC

On September 14, 2023, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston issued a preliminary injunction blocking a Department of Homeland Security rule that would have capped F visas for international students at four years and I visas for journalists at 240 days. The judge ruled the policy “arbitrary and capricious,” citing DHS’s failure to address concerns or consider alternatives, and warned of “catastrophic” damage to higher education and the economy. The rule was set to take effect September 15.

5 reports · 4 sources · Updated Sep 16, 07:00 PM UTC

A September 2026 DHS OIG report revealed that at least 79 immigrant detainees were held in two outdoor metal cages, each measuring 4 feet 3 inches by 7 feet 9 inches, at the Alligator Alcatraz soft-sided detention camp in the Florida Everglades from July 2025 to January 2026. Staff called the cages "calming areas," but the OIG found locking mechanisms and documented disciplinary use. The report also cited overcrowding, insufficient medical care, and food safety violations.

5 reports · 2 sources · Updated Sep 14, 09:15 PM UTC