DHS Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Over 23,000 Illegal Aliens Released into U.S. by DHS in Two Months

March 26, 2021March 25, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Under Joe Biden, the Department of Homeland Security has overseen the release of over 23,400 illegal aliens into the United States since February, according to Breitbart.

These illegals were released after they had already been detained at the border for attempting to cross. Of that 23,400, around 15,600 were released in the month of March alone. This is in addition to the thousands of more illegals who have similarly been released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the same period, with the exact numbers currently being unavailable.

Eleven States File Motion to Intervene in Ninth Circuit Case over Public Charge Rule

March 15, 2021March 14, 2021 The Center Square

Eleven states, led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, have filed a motion to intervene in a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case over challenges to a 2018 public charge rule change that required immigrants coming to the U.S. to prove they could financially support themselves.

The Biden administration removed the rule change, effective March 9. Subsequently, the Department of Homeland Security announced on March 11 it will no longer apply the rule.

In a statement, it said it had “closed the book on the public charge rule and is doing the same with respect to a proposed rule regarding the affidavit of support that would have placed undue burdens on American families wishing to sponsor individuals lawfully immigrating to the U.S.”

Report: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Plans to Gut ICE Immigration Enforcement

February 25, 2021February 24, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has introduced a plan to “reorganize” ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations to the point where it will no longer be about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws, the Washington Times reported.

The Cuba-born Mayorkas floated this plan to essentially “abolish ICE” last week during a telephone conference call with agency personnel in Texas, according to the Times’ sources, who claimed Mayorkas proposed “taking members of the country’s 4,000-strong deportation force off the streets and converting them into criminal investigators.”

Some Deportations Will Be Put on Hold for Biden’s First 100 Days, New Acting DHS Secretary Says

January 23, 2021January 22, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

A pause in deporting certain noncitizens from the U.S. will be in effect for 100 days starting Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

The pause will be in effect while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reviews immigration enforcement policies and practices, according to Acting DHS Secretary David Pekoske. The pause will allow officials to “review and reset” policies to focus on public safety, border and national security.

DHS to Accept New DACA ‘Dreamer’ Applications Under Trump Administration

December 9, 2020December 8, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting first-time Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival applications starting Monday, officials announced.

U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas George Garaufis issued an opinion requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy that was in effect before September 2017, according to the Department of Homeland Security. President Donald Trump ended the DACA program in September 2017, claiming that the program was unconstitutional, the Associated Press reported.

Attorneys General Lash Out at DHS Student Visa Rules Letter Limiting Foreign Students’ Stay

November 23, 2020November 22, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

In late October, 23 U.S. states’ Attorneys General submitted a letter to the Department of Homeland Security expressing opposition to a proposed rule change that would place new limits on the time an international student can spend in the U.S.

The new rule would limit the validity of an international student visa to generally four years, the same amount of time it typically takes for a student to complete an undergraduate program. The current stipulation, characterized as “Duration of Stay,” allows a student to stay in the United States as long as they are pursuing a full course of studying or training.

DOJ and DHS Confirm Active Federal Probe into Criminal Activity and Funding Related to Violent Riots

September 3, 2020September 2, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week that the DOJ is investigating the organizers and funders behind the violent riots that have engulfed the country since May.

“We are investigating coordinated, criminal activity—not First Amendment activity—and violence related to riots, destruction of federal property and violence against law enforcement officers,” said DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec on Tuesday.

‘We Will Not Retreat’: DHS’ Chad Wolf Defends Portland Intervention Amid Riots

July 23, 2020July 22, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the ongoing protests in Portland are “the complete opposite” of peaceful demonstrations and that the federal government would “not retreat.”

“We support and we will protect those who want to peacefully protest,” Wolf said in a press conference Tuesday. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing in Portland every night, roughly from midnight to 4:30 or 5 a.m. is the complete opposite.”

House Democrats Ask DHS to ‘Release as Many Immigrants as Possible from Detention’

March 25, 2020March 24, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Citing the coronavirus pandemic, several progressive lawmakers are demanding the Department of Homeland Security release illegal aliens from detention and scale back other immigration enforcement measures.

DHS To Allow 35,000 More Seasonal Workers Into the Country

March 6, 2020March 5, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is raising the cap on H-2B visas by 35,000 and pledged to add extra security provisions for the guest worker system.

Ken Cuccinelli Was Illegally Appointed to Top Immigration Post, Judge Rules

March 3, 2020March 2, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins A federal judge ruled that Ken Cuccinelli was illegally appointed to lead a top immigration post last year and invalidated some of his directives. Cuccinelli was illegally appointed by the Trump administration to head U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to a 55-page ruling issued Sunday by Judge…

Obama-Era DHS Whistleblower Philip Haney Found Dead with Gunshot Wound to Chest

February 24, 2020February 24, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

An Obama-era whistleblower was found dead Friday morning in a remote area roughly an hour outside of Sacramento, California with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Philip Haney, one of the founding members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), exposed the Obama Administration’s dangerously P.C. national security policies in 2015 and 2016. His body was found next to a vehicle near Drytown, California.

DHS Suspends New Yorkers From Its Trusted Travelers Programs in Wake of Illegal Alien ID Law

February 9, 2020February 11, 2020 Admin

The Department of Homeland Security is suspending New Yorkers from enrolling in Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs in response to a new state law that bans information sharing with the federal government.

DHS Chief Rips Nancy Pelosi’s Claims on Travel Ban Expansion as ‘Grossly Inaccurate’

February 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, accused Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of “grossly inaccurate and irresponsible” rhetoric for claiming that the administration’s updated travel ban affects 350 million people.

“Facts are stubborn. The new travel restrictions do not apply to 350 million people — as some of our critics would lead you to believe. Such statements are grossly inaccurate and irresponsible,” Wolf tweeted out on Sunday, linking to an official statement from Pelosi regarding the administration’s new travel ban rules.

DHS Started Preparing Against Iran Threats Months Ago, Acting Secretary Says

January 26, 2020January 25, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

YUMA, Arizona — Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the U.S. government was well prepared for any threats from Iran because it had prepared months in advance.

Internal Audit of Minnesota DHS Confirms Allegations of Whistleblower Who Was Retaliated Against

January 23, 2020January 22, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

An internal audit released Tuesday of the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division confirms some of the allegations raised by a whistleblower last year.

Ellison Joins Lawsuit Against ICE Over Practice of Arresting Illegals in Courthouses

January 20, 2020January 19, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his support last week for a lawsuit that would halt the federal immigration arrests of illegal immigrants in and around state courthouses across the country.

Another Caravan Is Headed for the US Border, But DHS Says It’s Ready

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020 Admin

Hundreds of Central American migrants are headed toward the United States, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the border programs it has put in place, along with international cooperation, will keep them at bay.

The Minnesota Sun’s 10 Most Popular Stories of 2019

December 28, 2019December 30, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The dominant conservative storylines of 2019 included the ongoing reports of fraud and corruption at Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, the scandals of Rep. Ilhan Omar, violence in the Twin Cities, and the radical policy proposals passed by the DFL-controlled Minnesota House.

Trump Administration Wants to Restrict More Criminal Aliens From Qualifying for Asylum

December 22, 2019December 21, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Trump administration is proposing to bar foreign nationals convicted of drunk driving, gang-related crime, illegal re-entry, and other illicit activity from winning asylum protection in the United States.

DHS Chief Says $1.4 Trillion Spending Bill Will Help Build ‘Significant Amount of Wall’

December 20, 2019December 19, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Thursday the $1.4 trillion spending package making its way through Congress will pay for an enormous amount of new barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Gov. Walz Hires Consultant to Tell Another Consultant How to Conduct Review of DHS

December 15, 2019December 14, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that his administration has started a formal process to look into breaking up Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, but Republicans criticized the Democratic governor’s plan for involving an excessive number of outside consultants.

DHS Reports Border Apprehensions Drop for Sixth Consecutive Month: ‘Catch and Release Is Over’

December 10, 2019December 9, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Enforcement actions at the U.S.-Mexico border fell again in November, marking six consecutive months of declining apprehensions.

Email Appears to Show DHS Wanted to Cut Check to Child Care Center Connected to ‘Taliban Official’

November 27, 2019November 27, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Officials in Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) allegedly wanted to cut a new check to a child care center that had its bank account frozen by the Office of Foreign Asset Control because of the account owner’s association “with a Taliban official,” emails obtained by a state representative show.

Think Tank Launches ‘Scandal Tracker’ So Minnesotans Can Keep Up with Reports of Fraud

November 21, 2019November 20, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A Minnesota think tank launched a new “scandal tracker” so residents can keep up with the latest reports of fraud and mismanagement coming out of the state’s agencies.

Ken Cuccinelli Tapped for Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security

November 19, 2019November 18, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Ken Cuccinelli, a former attorney general of Virginia, has been tapped to be the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, which makes him second in command of the department.

Senate Paves the Way for Chad Wolf to Become Next DHS Chief

November 15, 2019November 15, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress took a major step that paves the way for Chad Wolf to become the next acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Commissioners Skip Minnesota Senate Hearing After Report Shows 1300 Contract Violations Across Agencies

November 14, 2019November 13, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

State Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center) said she was “very upset” with a pair of commissioners for skipping a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing on contract violations in the Minnesota Department of Human Services and other state agencies.

Trump Taps Chad Wolf as DHS Acting Secretary

November 3, 2019November 2, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Donald Trump named Chad Wolf as the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Friday, replacing Kevin McAleenan.

DHS Blasted for ‘Lack of Humanity’ in Asking Tribal Nations to Pay $29 Million for State’s Mistakes

November 2, 2019November 1, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles testified before a joint Senate committee hearing this week where he described the Minnesota Department of Human Services as “dysfunctional” and “fraught with problems,” and warned of “contentious litigation” between tribal nations and the state.

New Report Describes Culture of ‘Troubling Dysfunction’ at Minnesota DHS

October 30, 2019October 29, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A new report released Tuesday claims that Minnesota’s Department of Human Services repeatedly reimbursed opioid treatment providers “without legal authority” and “never documented their decisions.”

Minnesota DHS Continues to Retaliate Against Employee for Speaking Out

October 26, 2019October 25, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A state employee who blew the whistle on fraud within Minnesota’s Department of Human Services said in an interview this week that she’s still being retaliated against.

White House House Deems Cuccinelli, Morgan Ineligible to Lead DHS

October 23, 2019October 22, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The White House told the Daily Caller News Foundation that both USCIS acting Director Ken Cuccinelli and CBP acting Commissioner Mark Morgan are ineligible to become the next acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Conservative Leaders Push Trump to Choose Ken Cuccinelli to Lead DHS

October 16, 2019October 15, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

A group of prominent conservative leaders has signed on to a letter strongly endorsing Ken Cuccinelli to be the next leader of the Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Audit Finds Minnesota Paid $3.7 Million for Dead Medicaid Enrollees

October 3, 2019October 2, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services released Wednesday the findings of a multi-state audit, which identified $3.7 million in health care benefits paid to “deceased enrollees” in Minnesota.

DHS Chief: ‘We Have 3,000 People Already Deployed’ For Hurricane Dorian

September 2, 2019September 1, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

cting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said federal agencies are prepared to take on Hurricane Dorian, which upgraded to a catastrophic Category 5 storm.

Minnesota’s Department of Human Services Has Lost $300 Million in Three Years, State Senator Says

September 2, 2019September 1, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

State Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, recently revealed that the Minnesota Department of Human Services has lost more than $300 million in the last three years, either “by error or fraud.”

Another Top Minnesota DHS Official Resigns

August 31, 2019August 30, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Another high-ranking official at Minnesota’s Department of Human Services has stepped down, making her the second to leave this week alone.

GOP Reps Ask Gov. Walz for ‘Independent Audit’ of DHS

August 29, 2019August 28, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Two Minnesota Republicans sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday requesting an “independent audit of DHS spending” following revelations that the department owes the federal government up to $73 million.

DHS Using Loophole Around Flores To Address Immigration Crisis

August 22, 2019August 21, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Trump administration is rolling out its own licensing standards for family residential centers, a move that will work around the Flores settlement and mitigate the illegal immigration crisis.

Two Minneapolis Men Charged in Federal Court for Running Fraudulent Adult Day Care Business

August 5, 2019August 4, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Two Minneapolis men who ran a business providing adult day care services to individuals enrolled in the Minnesota Medicaid program were recently charged with tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Minnesota House GOP Calls on Democrats to Hold Hearings on DHS During Upcoming ‘Mini-Session’

August 4, 2019August 4, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota House Republicans are calling on their Democratic colleagues to hold hearings on the ongoing turmoil at the Department of Human Services during an upcoming legislative “mini-session.”

Walz Asks Senate Republicans to ‘Suspend’ Effort Seeking Information on Fraud in Government

July 31, 2019July 30, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz has asked Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) to “suspend” a Senate Republican effort seeking information on “abusive or fraudulent behavior” in the state government.

Walz Administration Sees Another Resignation

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

Sarah Walker, Minnesota’s Department of Corrections (DOC) deputy commissioner, resigned Friday after just six months. She’s currently under investigation after someone filed a complaint against her. “We received complaints about Deputy Commissioner Walker and the investigation has not been completed,” Sarah Fitzgerald, a spokeswoman for Minnesota’s DOC said to…

‘Six Million Meals’: DHS Chief Breaks Down How Much Care Illegal Migrants Receive

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins Acting Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan revealed exactly how much care illegal migrants receive upon arriving at the border, abolishing narratives set by Democratic critics of the department. “Despite the scale of the challenge we face, and the failure to enact legislation that would have prevented —…

President Trump Puts Limit on Asylum Claims at Border

July 16, 2019July 15, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Fred Lucas While waiting for Congress to act on closing immigration loopholes, the Trump administration is imposing a new rule to limit asylum claims by requiring professed refugees to first seek asylum in another country closer to home. The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security announced…

Commissioner Tony Lourey Abruptly Resigns from ‘Dumpster Fire’ at Minnesota DHS

July 16, 2019July 15, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Tony Lourey abruptly resigned Monday, making him the third top DHS official to step down in just a few short days. “I believe a new leader is necessary to best execute your vision for human services and continue the critical work of improving…

Investigation Into Minnesota Inspector General Carolyn Ham Hasn’t Even Started Yet

July 15, 2019July 14, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Department of Human Services Inspector General Carolyn Ham was placed on “investigative leave” in March, but reporters learned Friday that the investigation into Ham’s conduct hasn’t even started yet. Ham, however, continues to be paid while she’s on leave and has earned $42,000 since her leave first began,…

DHS Inspector General: Overcrowded Migrant Centers ‘A Ticking Time Bomb’

July 4, 2019July 3, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

A new report by the Homeland Security Inspector General describes appalling conditions and wretched overcrowding at migrant detention centers in Texas with a top manager at one of the facilities saying he fears for the security of his staff, calling the situation a “ticking time bomb.” The report released…

DHS Expects Border Apprehensions to Decrease By 25%, Credits Trump’s Deal With Mexico

June 29, 2019January 2, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expects apprehensions of illegal aliens to decline by 25% along the U.S. southern border in June and directly credited President Donald Trump’s immigration deal with Mexico for the change. “It’s become clear that over the past three weeks, since the…