The Latest Immigration-Related News
Propaganda, addressing root causes, and other news not seen in legacy media
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Public Affairs issued a press release bragging about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s first month into her tenure and “Making America Safe Again” under President Donald Trump. However, aside from trying to take temporary protected status (TPS) from Venezuelans and Haitians, Noem hasn’t done much other than appear in copious amounts of anti-immigrant propaganda.
The press release also ignores the efforts of the Mexican government to help stop migrant caravans at its southern border and the efforts of various Latin American countries that have been taking in displaced migrants from all over the world. Instead, it gives her all the credit for record low numbers of migrants at the U.S.-Mexcian border.
“Under Secretary Noem’s strong leadership, DHS is hard at work securing our borders, arresting and removing criminal aliens, safeguarding the U.S. cyber infrastructure, protecting America’s leaders, deterring terrorism, and keeping America safe.“
Later in the press release, it mentions the multi-million-dollar DHS ad campaign launched last week to try and convince migrants to self-deport or they “will hunt you down.” In a statement accompanying the release of the videos, DHS said, “This series of ads will run on radio, broadcast, and digital, in multiple countries and regions in various dialects. Ads will be hyper-targeted, including through social media, text message, and digital to reach illegal immigrants in the interior of the United States, as well as internationally.”
Crediting week-old videos for low numbers at the border is a stretch, to say the least.
“Today, Secretary Noem announced on Saturday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered only 200 aliens at the U.S. Southern border. That is the lowest number of apprehensions in a single day in over 15 years. These record low numbers come days after Secretary Noem launched a multimillion-dollar nationwide and international ad campaign warning illegal aliens to stay out.”
Rubio Targets Cuban Doctors
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against anyone “including foreign government officials” who are involved with “Cuba’s overseas medical missions,” in what he calls a labor exploitation program. There are an estimated 30,000 Cuban doctors on medical missions throughout the world, including Mexico, Venezuela, Europe, and Africa. in a blow to humanitarian needs globally.
“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labor export program, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This policy also applies to the immediate family of such persons. The Department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy.”
Root Causes
On Monday, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, led six top-ranking Foreign Affairs and Appropriations Democrats in a letter to the Trump administration opposing its attempt to eliminate the Inter-American Foundation and end lifesaving and stabilizing development work in Latin America and the Caribbean. In a statement, Castro called the move illegal.
“Congress established the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) in 1969 to support community-driven development, economic growth, and democratic governance in Latin America and the Caribbean,” reads the statement from Castro’s office. “In 2024, the Republican-controlled Congress appropriated $47 million for IAF programming, which has long earned bipartisan praise for addressing the root causes of forced migration in the Americas. On February 19, President Trump issued an executive order to effectively eliminate the Inter-American Foundation and other foreign development organizations, including the United States African Development Foundation (USADF).”
Joining Castro in signing the letter:
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-05), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human, Rights, & Global Women’s Issues
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy.
“The IAF plays a crucial role in promoting U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean by supporting community-driven development, fostering economic growth, and strengthening democratic governance. Moreover, the IAF is a statutorily authorized independent entity, supported by repeated bipartisan appropriations, and its elimination cannot be effectuated by executive action alone,” the members wrote.
Earlier in the day, Rep. Castro and several signers of the IAF letter sent a similar letter opposing the administration’s efforts to eliminate the United States Africa Development Foundation.
Other News: Scholars Affirm Legality of DEI Programs
On Friday, a coalition of law professors, including preeminent anti-discrimination and constitutional law scholars, sent a memo to over 500 U.S. colleges and universities affirming the legality of diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) initiatives under federal civil rights laws and Supreme Court precedent.
The memo is in response to President Trump's January 21 Executive Order titled, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” and related communications such as the February 14, 2025, Dear Colleague Letter from the Department of Education. The coalition urges university leaders to confidently defend DEI initiatives vital for creating academic environments free from bias, stigma, and harassment.
“Universities should also continue to communicate their egalitarian-oriented values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The signatories include distinguished professors from institutions such as Boston University, NYU, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, and many others.”
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"Noem hasn’t done much other than appear in copious amounts of anti-immigrant propaganda." You're forgetting that she's singlehandedly brought back glamorous law enforcement cosplay as a hobby.
I can't think of anyone in recent memory who's a better living action figure. Her talent for dressing in an assortment of militaristic outfits, complete with coordinating bulletproof vest, and finishing her look with expertly applied makeup and complementary ball cap placed over perfectly blown out hair has no equal in government. She's proof that it's not enough to deploy prejudicial immigration enforcement; today's environment demands it be done with fashionable dramatic flair.