DHS Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Panama Official Says Biden Administration Was Warned About Mass Migration from Haiti, 60k More Coming

October 4, 2021October 3, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Erika Mouynes, Panama’s foreign minister, says the Biden administration was warned in advance about thousands of Haitians heading to the U.S.

About 15,000 migrants recently arrived in Del Rio, Texas. According to the Department of Homeland Security, some were deported but the majority were released into U.S. communities while they await their asylum claim to be adjudicated.

According to Axios, Mouynes said an estimated 60,000 more migrants are making their way to the U.S. Many of the Haitian migrants travel through Panama to get there.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Claims at Least 20 Percent of Migrants Have Illnesses

September 29, 2021September 28, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced on Monday that the rate of illegal aliens carrying diseases with them into the country is “approximately 20 percent,” even though many such illegals have not been properly tested, as reported by the New York Post.

“When one is speaking of 7,000 or 7,500 people encountered at the border every day,” Mayorkas said at a press conference, “if one takes a look at that system, it is not built for that in a COVID environment where isolation is required.”

Mayorkas did not expand on what he meant by “illness,” and whether he was referring to the Chinese coronavirus or other diseases. However, he did mention that he does not expect to see a “tragic rise in the Delta variant” (also known as the India variant) following the latest surge at the border, which saw over 10,000 illegals, mostly from Haiti, enter the country illegally.

Around 12,400 Migrants Are Waiting to See Whether They’ll Be Allowed to Remain in U.S.

September 27, 2021September 26, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visits with a group of Border Patrol agents and CBP employees as he tours the Del Rio Port of Entry in Del Rio, Texas, September 20, 2021. DHS photo by Benjamin Applebaum

Around 12,400 migrants could be allowed to remain in the U.S., Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a White House press conference on Friday.

Border officials relied on Title 42, a Trump-era public health order implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to expel most migrants from the U.S., according to Mayorkas. Migrants who needed immediate medical attention or who feared torture if they were returned to their home country weren’t subject to removal.

“Approximately 12,400 will have cases heard by an immigration judge to make a determination on whether they’ll be removed or permitted to remain in the United States,” Mayorkas said. If someone is not subject to title 42 expulsion for the three reasons that I explained, acute vulnerability, operational capacity limitations, or a convention against torture exception, then the individual is placed in immigration proceedings.

Commentary: National Sabotage by Immigration

September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

As the first year of a Biden presidency that has felt like a decade nears its end, only the most ardent Democratic partisans still insist that the country is on the right track. The rest of us are left to debate whether the rancid fruit of this regime is a result of incompetence or design. By analysis of this administration’s immigration agenda alone, the inescapable conclusion is that it is indeed the latter. The macabre consequences of this fact threaten to take America into one of the darkest chapters in its history.

These kinds of conclusions run contrary to the traditional American ethos. Those who grew up with Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill” imagery or John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier vision experienced leadership that sought the best for America and its citizenry. In those eras, politicians from both major parties seemed to prioritize the good of the country; they only disagreed on the means to get us there.

Such notions seem quaint given today’s realities. Beneath the surface of Biden’s genial Uncle Joe schtick is an executive branch controlled by some of the most dogmatic left-wing apparatchiks ever seen in American politics. Among their witch’s brew of radical ideas, they have seized upon immigration as one of the quickest and most effective ways to transform the country to their vision.

Over 200,000 Illegal Migrants Encountered at the Southern Border for the Second Month in a Row

September 18, 2021September 17, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Monthly border encounters with migrants attempting to illegally enter the U.S. decreased slightly in August for the first time since President Joe Biden took office but remain near record highs, according to Customs and Border Protection data.

Border officials encountered nearly 209,000 migrants at the southern border in August, down from a record high of 213,500 people in July, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Officials encountered a record-high number of migrants compared to 50,000 in August 2020 and 62,700 in August 2019.

However, a “larger-than-usual number of migrants” are attempting to illegally cross the border several times so “total encounters somewhat overstate the number of unique individuals arriving at the border,” CBP announced. Officials encountered 156,600 unique individuals in August and 25% of them had at least one prior encounter in the last 12 months.

Pentagon Inspector General to Review Vetting of Afghan Evacuees

September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Department of Defense Inspector General’s office will review how Afghan evacuees were vetted before leaving their country and upon arrival in the U.S.

The evaluation will look into the biometric screening process, the handling of individuals flagged as “security risks,” and the management of “individuals’ ingress and egress to a DoD-managed facility when screening/vetting is not complete,” according to a letter Department of Defense Inspector General for Evaluations Michael Roark sent Thursday to senior Pentagon officials.

The Inspector General’s office will conduct the review at locations where evacuees are being housed upon arrival in the U.S., including Virginia’s Fort Picket, Marine Corps Base Quantico and the Dulles Expo Center.

Afghan Refugees Undergo ‘Biometric and Biographic Vetting’ Before Coming to America

September 9, 2021September 8, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Afghan refugees are subject to security and health screening performed by Department of Homeland Security officials before they’re evacuated to the U.S. or a third country for additional processing, a Biden administration senior official said.

Afghans must clear biometric and biographic vetting including iris scans, palm and voice prints and photographs before they’re evacuated from the country, CNN reported. The refugees are also tested for COVID-19 and offered vaccinations before they’re released, the senior official said in a background press call on Aug. 24.

“That [security screening] process involves biometric and biographic security screenings conducted by our intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals who are working quite literally around the clock to vet all of these Afghans before they’re allowed into the United States,” the Biden administration senior official said on the call.

Court Rules Against Catch and Release for Migrants

August 21, 2021August 20, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

A federal trial court in Texas ruled against the Biden administration’s directives to catch and release some migrants on Thursday.

A Texas federal judge blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from enforcing the Biden administration’s Jan. 20 and Feb. 18 memoranda prioritizing certain migrants for detention over others, granting Texas and Louisiana’s motion for a preliminary injunction, according to the court opinion.

“The States point out that the priority categories enumerated in these Memoranda omit certain others—namely, aliens convicted of serious drug offenses, aliens convicted of crimes of moral turpitude, and aliens subject to a final order of removal,” the opinion continues.

Commentary: Biden’s Domestic Terrorism Strategy Has Roots in Clinton Years

July 12, 2021July 11, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

The “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism,” released last month by the National Security Council, claims to take a “narrowly tailored” approach. Something along those lines is indeed evident throughout the document.

In 2016, readers learn, “an anti–authority violent extremist ambushed, shot, and killed five police officers in Dallas.” The national strategy document does not identify the killer, Micah Johnson, an African American veteran who hated cops. Johnson actually shot a dozen officers but managed to kill only five, and he had bomb-making materials in his home. This killer only opposes “authority” and his murder victims remain unidentified in the NSC document.

In 2017, according to the National Strategy “a lone gunman wounded four people at a congressional baseball practice.” Readers are not told this was James Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders supporter who hated Republicans and targeted them for assassination. That should easily qualify as domestic terrorism but here Hodgkinson is only a “gunman.” The National Strategy does not reveal that the “wounded” included Representative Steve Scalise (R-La.), who barely escaped with his life. The NSC document fails to mention that Hodkinson also shot Capitol Police special agent Crystal Griner, an African American.

Biden’s ICE Shuts Down Trump-Era Initiative to Help Victims of Illegal Aliens

June 16, 2021June 15, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Under the orders of Joe Biden, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered the shutdown of an office created by President Donald Trump for the purpose of helping victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens, as reported by CNN.

The announcement was made on Friday that the Victim Of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office was coming to an end, instead being replaced with an office that will focus on helping victims of crime irrespective of the immigration status of either the victims or the culprits.

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that “all people, regardless of their immigration status, should be able to access victim services without fear,” directly implying that the new office will actually cater to illegal aliens rather than American citizens. Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson confirmed these intentions in his own statement, declaring that ICE would be “committed to serving all victims of crime.”

Senators Propose $1 Billion to Aid DHS in Addressing Future Migrant Surges

June 1, 2021May 31, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Members of Galveston County S.W.A.T. work with with Customs and Border Protection Agents during Maritime Tactical Operations Group vessel boarding training in the Houston Ship Channel, Aug. 23, 2016.

Senators introduced legislation that would require federal agencies tasked with managing migration at the border to make strategic plans and allow access to $1 billion in contingency funding, lawmakers announced Friday.

Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly introduced the Border Response Resilience Act that would establish a $1 billion “Irregular Migration Border Response Fund” for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide food, clothing, blankets, and transportation for unaccompanied migrant minors and family members without having to transfer funding allocated to border security, according to the lawmakers. The act would require federal officials to make plans and “conduct exercises to improve the federal response to increased migration at the border.”

“DHS has been unprepared for unlawful migrant surges at our southern border in 2014, 2019, and again during the current crisis. This is unacceptable. DHS and other federal agencies must be able to respond immediately to the need for shelter for migrants as well as additional personnel to handle surging numbers of unlawful migrants at our border,” Portman said in a statement.

Biden Admin to Close ICE Detention Centers Where Officials Allegedly Performed Unnecessary Hysterectomies and Used Excessive Force Against Detainees

May 23, 2021May 22, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Biden administration plans to close two Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers after allegations of medical and physical abuse against detainees, CNN reported Thursday.

A doctor allegedly performed unauthorized hysterectomies and neglected other detainees at the privately operated Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, while it is alleged that officials exercised excessive use of force against peaceful detainees at the C. Carlos Carreiro Immigration Detention Center in Bristol County, Massachusetts, both facilities are expected to close, according to CNN.

“We have an obligation to make lasting improvements to our civil immigration detention system,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement, CNN reported. “This marks an important first step to realizing that goal.”

Former Border Officials Say Biden’s Mass Amnesty Proposal Will Worsen Migrant Crisis

May 3, 2021May 2, 2021 Minnesota Sun Staff

Former Trump administration immigration officials criticized President Joe Biden on Thursday for proposing mass amnesty for illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

Biden told Congress to pass his American Dream and Promise Act if they believe in securing the southern border or a pathway to citizenship for around 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally. Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and Heritage Foundation experts said Biden’s proposal would worsen the migrant crisis at the southern border, according to a press release.

“This is a crisis of his own making,” former DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement. “Instead of returning to commonsense enforcement, the Biden administration is pushing forward with a massive amnesty proposal that will exacerbate the crisis and undermine the rule of law.”

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.