What's Happening?
Three more people have been killed at the hands of ICE agents.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot by immigration officers in Houston, Texas after being pulled over. Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was shot outside a laundromat in Biddeford, Maine. And just this Wednesday, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a Mexican tourist, was hit by a semi-truck after being chased by ICE agents.
Salgado Araujo and Durán Guerrero are the 29th and 30th people to be shot by immigration officers since Trump took office. DHS immediately blamed both men for their demise, claiming that Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle” and Durán Guerrero threatened officers. These statements are similar to the ones made about previous victims.
Protestors in Maine and Texas are calling for independent investigations, highlighting their lack of trust in the DOJ and DHS’ ability to fairly and objectively interrogate agents. Advocates from rights groups have been asking what recourse people have when ICE violates rights with impunity.
Trump continues to encourage deportations
The Department of Homeland Security is now the highest-funded law enforcement agency, following Trump’s signing of a bill that provides $70 billion in funding to ICE and CBP, enough to last to the end of his term. $38 billion was given for ICE to ramp up arrests, detention, and deportations. Additionally, these agencies were funded without the changes Democrats sought, including requiring warrants to enter homes, prohibiting masks, and requiring body cameras.
Although DHS had previously pledged to equip their agents with body cameras, they have not fully implemented this promise and the administration walked back on its pause on pulling vehicles over, claiming immigration officers have faced a “3,300% increase in vehicle attacks” This figure has not been verified or proven by DHS or the administration.
Moreover, ICE has expanded its deportation operations to smaller cities and towns across the nation, targeting people’s residences and work places. ICE alleges that the people it targets are “murderers, pedophiles, violent assailants, and drug traffickers” but a Guardian report shows that the majority of people arrested have no criminal convictions.
Policy Perspectives
Oversight Versus Accountability
Several members of Congress have proposed measures aimed at preventing further deaths in ICE custody. But their ideas imply that the issue lies with lax congressional oversight over DHS, rather than accountability for their actions. Would providing uniforms to ICE agents, rather than allowing them to run amok in unbranded sweatshirts and jeans, or forcing all agents to wear body cameras end the militarized deportations and killings? It’s unclear and probably unlikely.
That leaves accountability. Calls for independent investigations for full transparency aren’t new. The House introduced the Hold ICE Accountable Act to establish an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate unlawful conduct. Additionally, the Senate drafted their own version proposing an independent commission reporting directly to Congress to monitor ICE and enforce civil rights and procedural standards. Senators King and Baldwin are calling for ICE personnel to wear generic law enforcement gear that would clearly identify them and include body cameras.
Even this week, Democrats outraged over the increasing deaths are demanding answers regarding DHS’ vetting and training process. Representative Pramila Jayapal was joined by nearly 200 Democrats in a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin calling for an investigation into the murders of Salgado Araujo and Durán Guerrero while Senator John Hickenlooper and 38 others demanded stronger accountability measures for ICE, including body cameras, ID requirements, and a review of enforcement protocols.
But in a Republican-controlled Congress, these measures are going to languish in committee. Rather than echo their colleagues' calls for new operational guardrails or accountability, Republican lawmakers have consistently advanced major funding packages for ICE and bypassed public and Democratic demands for constraints and transparency, using special budget reconciliation procedures. For Republicans, their official approach has prioritized border security and the expansion of enforcement capacity over oversight, transparency, and accountability. In other words, they will not debate, advance, or vote on any legislation that clashes with their platform.
Panic at the Polls
Ahead of the November midterms, these arrests and killings create a grim picture. Are we safe at the polls? Congress has yet to reassure Americans, but passing legislation that establishes clear ramifications for rogue agents and consequences for those using ICE as a power trip would be a good first step to protecting us from the administration’s constant attempts to dismantle our democratic rights.
As ICE and the DHS continue to target South American immigrants in pursuit of Trump's mass deportation agenda, while Republicans in Congress amplify anti-Muslim rhetoric with little meaningful pushback, one message is becoming increasingly clear: the Trump administration and its allies are advancing a vision of America in which belonging is increasingly reserved for those who fit a narrow, predominantly white identity.
ON OUR RADAR
HHS Secretary Kennedy Pauses Medicaid funding
Citing alleged fraud and noncompliance, the Trump administration has paused more than $1 billion in Medicaid funding to residents in California and Minnesota using AI to identify potential fraud. Most of the claims were against in-home services, which are vital for disabled Americans. The Health Department is also threatening to expand its authority to override states and potentially ban people from receiving federal funding. California and Minnesota have criticized the moves as politically motivated attacks, and highlighted how the pause will impact the most vulnerable.
NDAA Passes House with Controversial Section 219
The House passed the annual Defense Authorization bill largely along party lines, with 6 Democrats joining most Republicans. 7 Republicans opposed the legislation. Most of the sharp partisan divide comes from opposition to Section 219, which will expand defense technology cooperation and integrations between U.S. and Israeli militaries. The Massie and Khanna amendment to strike Section 219 was blocked by the House Rules Committee, meaning that it was not voted on or debated. Now, the NDAA goes to the Senate, where lawmakers are considering their own version before they negotiate a final conference agreement.
Congress Yet Again Calls for Trump to End War in Iran
The House War Powers Resolution on Iran passed for the second time while in the Senate the resolution fell short by two votes. Democrats are continuing to introduce these measures to build pressure on Republicans to go on record about a publicly and politically unpopular war as well as send a message to Trump that Congress has had enough. Representative Gregory Meeks has signaled he is planning to force a vote by introducing a resolution that, upon its passage, allows him to file a lawsuit to enforce the previously adopted Congressional war powers resolution. This war not only remains deeply unpopular with the American people, but in a rare convergence with the country, Congress is also raising its voice against Trump’s disaster in Iran.
Spain Overcomes Argentina to Win Their Third World Cup Title
Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match, giving Spain the win they needed to become the world’s champions and causing a massive sigh of relief for the whole world who did not want to see Argentina lift the trophy, following their ugly and racist behavior on and off the pitch.
England placed third after beating France 6-4 in one of the best matches of the entire tournament. The match also saw a phenomenal hat-trick by Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.
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