Immigration Policy – CoolPal

Trump’s ‘Department of War’ Meme and Chicago Immigration Crackdown: A Look Back at a Controversial 2025 Episode

2025-09-07 CoolPal

Trump’s ‘Department of War’ Meme and Chicago Immigration Crackdown: A Look Back at a Controversial 2025 Episode In a controversial episode from 2025, then-President Donald Trump stirred national debate by posting a meme on social media, threatening Chicago with an immigration crackdown and provocatively stating the city would ‘find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.’ This declaration followed an executive order signed by Trump just the day prior, rebranding the Pentagon as the ‘Department of War.’ The meme,…

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Trump-Era Deportation Plans: A Look Back at Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Case and Eswatini

2025-09-06 CoolPal

Trump-Era Deportation Plans: A Look Back at Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Case and Eswatini While not a breaking news item in 2025, the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia offers a retrospective look into the Trump administration’s immigration policies and its efforts to deport individuals to various African nations, including Eswatini. During the Trump presidency, Abrego Garcia faced a complex legal battle, initially fighting deportation to Uganda due to fears of persecution. Subsequently, the administration informed him of plans to deport him…

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US Labor Force Sees 1.2 Million Immigrant Drop as Stricter Policies Take Hold

2025-09-02 CoolPal

US Labor Force Sees 1.2 Million Immigrant Drop as Stricter Policies Take Hold Preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau, analyzed by the Pew Research Center, reveals a significant decline of over 1.2 million immigrants from the American labor force between January and July 2025. This stark reduction, encompassing both undocumented and legal residents, is directly attributed to President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies, sparking widespread concern among economists and industry leaders. As the nation observed Labor Day, the ripple…

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Labor Day 2025: Trump’s Second Term Labor Policies Face Fierce Union Backlash

2025-09-01 CoolPal

Labor Day 2025: Trump’s Second Term Labor Policies Face Fierce Union Backlash Seven months into his second term, President Trump maintains his administration is on track to deliver a renaissance for American workers, championing policies designed to boost blue-collar jobs and rebuild the nation’s industrial base. However, this Labor Day, a chorus of prominent labor leaders is vehemently challenging that narrative, accusing the administration of implementing the most hostile policies towards workers in recent memory. Despite official figures showing average…

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Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Guatemalan Child Deportations

2025-09-01 CoolPal

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s Guatemalan Child Deportations A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s efforts to deport dozens of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, an order that comes amid a broader crackdown on undocumented migration in President Trump’s second term. District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued a temporary restraining order on Sunday, preventing officials from sending migrant children back to Guatemala, where advocacy groups argue they face risks of abuse and persecution. The legal challenge was initiated by…

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Federal Judge Halts Trump-Era Rapid Deportation Policy Expansion

2025-08-31 CoolPal

Federal Judge Halts Trump-Era Rapid Deportation Policy Expansion A federal judge has recently issued a ruling that temporarily blocks a Trump administration policy which permitted the swift removal of undocumented immigrants without due process. This policy, enacted in January, allowed federal agents to deport individuals from anywhere in the U.S. if they could not promptly demonstrate over two years of residency. The decision effectively pauses a key component of the former President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The expanded rule,…

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Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Expanded Fast-Track Deportation Plan

2025-08-31 CoolPal

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Expanded Fast-Track Deportation Plan A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction, blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to significantly expand the speedy deportation of undocumented migrants detained within the United States. This ruling represents a considerable setback for President Donald Trump’s stated goal of rapidly removing a million individuals annually during his second term. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden nominee, questioned the administration’s expanded use of the federal expedited removal statute, suggesting it…

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Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration’s Nationwide Fast-Track Deportation Expansion

2025-08-30 CoolPal

Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration’s Nationwide Fast-Track Deportation Expansion A federal judge has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, issuing an order on Friday that blocks the nationwide expansion of fast-track deportations. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the administration’s effort, known as expedited removal, likely violates the due process rights of migrants. The ruling indefinitely postpones a January directive that sought to extend expedited removal — previously limited to border areas and recent arrivals…

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Reform UK Leader Farage Vows Mass Migrant Deportations, ECHR Exit Amid Rising Crossings

2025-08-27 CoolPal

Reform UK Leader Farage Vows Mass Migrant Deportations, ECHR Exit Amid Rising Crossings Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s hard-right Reform UK party, announced a radical plan on Tuesday to immediately detain and deport all illegal migrants, including children, should his party win the next general election. The controversial proposals, which include withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), come as the UK grapples with a significant surge in Channel crossings and escalating public frustration over asylum policies. Addressing…

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Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Funding Cuts to Dozens of Sanctuary Cities

2025-08-24 CoolPal

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Funding Cuts to Dozens of Sanctuary Cities A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction, halting the Trump administration’s efforts to withhold grant funding from 34 ‘sanctuary’ cities and counties that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The ruling, delivered by Judge William Orrick, protects hundreds of millions of dollars in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants from being stripped from these municipalities. Judge Orrick’s 15-page order significantly expands the number of cities shielded…

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Federal Court Upholds Block on Trump-Era ‘Sanctuary City’ Funding Cuts

2025-08-24 CoolPal

Federal Court Upholds Block on Trump-Era ‘Sanctuary City’ Funding Cuts A U.S. District Judge has reaffirmed a preliminary injunction, preventing the former Trump administration from withholding federal funds from dozens of cities and counties due to their ‘sanctuary’ policies. The ruling, issued late Friday, extends protections to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and 30 other jurisdictions, building on an earlier order that safeguarded cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. U.S. District Judge William Orrick, who initially issued the injunction,…

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Oregon Governor Defies U.S. Attorney General on Sanctuary Laws Amidst Federal Showdown

2025-08-20 CoolPal

Oregon Governor Defies U.S. Attorney General on Sanctuary Laws Amidst Federal Showdown Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has firmly reiterated the state’s commitment to its sanctuary laws, directly challenging a recent ultimatum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. In a letter issued this week, Governor Kotek rejected Bondi’s assertions that Oregon is obstructing federal immigration enforcement and confirmed the state has no intention of repealing its long-standing protections. This defiant stance comes after Attorney General Bondi last week threatened legal action…

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Washington State Defies Federal Immigration Demands Amid Escalating Tensions

2025-08-20 CoolPal

Washington State Defies Federal Immigration Demands Amid Escalating Tensions Tensions are escalating between the federal government and so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” including Washington state, following strong demands from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for states to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Last week, Bondi dispatched letters to seven governors and numerous mayors, among them Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, asserting the need for compliance. Bondi has hinted at severe repercussions, including potential lawsuits, a review of federal…

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USCIS Implements Stricter Vetting for Immigrant Benefits, Targeting Anti-Americanism

2025-08-20 CoolPal

USCIS Implements Stricter Vetting for Immigrant Benefits, Targeting Anti-Americanism U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced immediate updates to its Policy Manual, significantly tightening the criteria for evaluating certain immigrant benefit requests. The new guidance empowers USCIS officers to consider an applicant’s involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations, as well as any evidence of antisemitic activity, when exercising discretion in adjudications. In a major expansion of its vetting processes, USCIS will now include reviews for anti-American activity in its…

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Florida Truck Crash: Immigration Status Ignites Political Firestorm

2025-08-19 CoolPal

Florida Truck Crash: Immigration Status Ignites Political Firestorm A fatal truck crash in Florida has sparked a renewed political debate over immigration policy, after federal officials confirmed the driver involved was in the U.S. illegally. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the truck driver, Harjinder Singh, accused of causing the deaths of three people by making an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike, had entered the country illegally from Mexico in 2018. The incident has intensified a verbal dispute…

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Trump Orders Exclusion of Undocumented Immigrants from Census, Igniting Constitutional Challenge

2025-08-08 CoolPal

Trump Orders Exclusion of Undocumented Immigrants from Census, Igniting Constitutional Challenge In a move set to spark immediate legal and political battles, Donald Trump has issued a directive ordering the Commerce Department to conduct a new U.S. census that explicitly excludes undocumented immigrants from the official population count. Announced on Thursday via Truth Social, the former president stated the census would be ‘based on modern day facts and figures’ and leverage data from the 2024 Presidential Election, with a clear…

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President Trump Orders Major Census Overhaul, Aims to Exclude Undocumented Residents

2025-08-07 CoolPal

President Trump Orders Major Census Overhaul, Aims to Exclude Undocumented Residents President Trump announced sweeping directives Thursday for a “new” U.S. census, instructing his administration to begin work on an unprecedented exclusion of millions of people living in the country without legal status from future population counts. The move, detailed in a social media post, introduces significant uncertainty regarding the traditionally scheduled 2030 census and raises immediate questions about its constitutionality. The 14th Amendment mandates the inclusion of the “whole…

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DOJ Unveils List of 35 “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions, Vows Expanded Immigration Enforcement

2025-08-06 CoolPal

DOJ Unveils List of 35 “Sanctuary” Jurisdictions, Vows Expanded Immigration Enforcement Washington — The Justice Department has officially published a list identifying 35 “sanctuary” jurisdictions, signaling an aggressive new phase in its efforts to enforce federal immigration laws. The comprehensive list targets states, counties, and cities that limit local cooperation with federal immigration agents, with the Department vowing to initiate further lawsuits. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a strong statement alongside the publication, asserting, “Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and…

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Breaking: US State Department Officially Launches $15,000 Visa Bond Pilot Program

2025-08-05 CoolPal

Breaking: US State Department Officially Launches $15,000 Visa Bond Pilot Program The U.S. State Department today officially initiated a new pilot program that could require some international tourists and business travelers to post bonds as high as $15,000 to enter the United States. The federal registry notice detailing the controversial visa bond program was published on August 5th, marking its official rollout. Under the 12-month pilot, these substantial bonds will be levied on visitors from countries identified with consistently high…

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Federal Judge Poised to Rule on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Detention Amid Complex Deportation Battle

2025-07-24 CoolPal

Federal Judge Poised to Rule on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Detention Amid Complex Deportation Battle The fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native whose case has become a flashpoint in U.S. immigration policy, hangs in the balance as a federal judge in Tennessee is expected to rule imminently on his pre-trial detention. Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran mega-prison in March despite a 2019 court order, was brought back to the U.S. in June to face human…

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US Deports Five Convicted Migrants to Eswatini Amidst Renewed Controversies

2025-07-16 CoolPal

US Deports Five Convicted Migrants to Eswatini Amidst Renewed Controversies In a significant move, the US Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the deportation of five individuals convicted of serious crimes to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the deportees, from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba, and Yemen, were convicted of offenses ranging from child rape to murder, describing them as “depraved monsters” who had been “terrorizing American communities.” This deportation follows a recent US…

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Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Camp: A Look Back at Trump-Era Controversy

2025-07-15 CoolPal

Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Migrant Camp: A Look Back at Trump-Era Controversy A controversial migrant detention facility, dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ in the remote Florida Everglades, sparked widespread debate during the Trump administration. Then-President Donald Trump, accompanied by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, toured the site, celebrating the harsh conditions intended for detainees. The tented camp, located on mosquito-infested land west of Miami, was hailed by DeSantis as a model for states supporting Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Protesters gathered to oppose the facility,…

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Florida ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Under Fire After Lawmaker Visits Reveal Horrific Conditions, Republicans Disagree

2025-07-13 CoolPal

Florida ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Under Fire After Lawmaker Visits Reveal Horrific Conditions, Republicans Disagree OCHOPEE, Fla. – A new immigration detention facility in Florida, dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ is facing severe criticism from Democratic lawmakers who describe it as crowded, unsanitary, and bug-infested following a recent visit. This starkly contrasts with Republican representatives on the same tour, who reported seeing a clean and well-functioning facility. The state-arranged tour followed earlier attempts by some Democrats to gain access to the 3,000-bed…

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UK-France Migrant Returns Pilot Commences: Cooper Confident Amidst Legal Scrutiny

2025-07-12 CoolPal

UK-France Migrant Returns Pilot Commences: Cooper Confident Amidst Legal Scrutiny The new “one in, one out” migrant returns scheme between the UK and France has officially commenced, following its agreement earlier this week. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has expressed strong confidence in the deal’s ability to withstand potential legal challenges, a hurdle that previously hindered the UK’s efforts to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda. Announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, the groundbreaking…

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Trump-Era ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Revisited: Impact on Taxes, Immigration, and Social Programs Still Felt Years Later

2025-07-07 CoolPal

Trump-Era ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Revisited: Impact on Taxes, Immigration, and Social Programs Still Felt Years Later While signed into law during the Trump administration, the sweeping legislation dubbed the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ continues to shape the economic and social landscape. Originally enacted following an Independence Day signing ceremony at the White House, the nearly 900-page bill significantly altered tax policy, boosted immigration enforcement, and reformed social safety nets, with its effects still observable today. Key provisions of the bill included…

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Trump Administration Deports Eight Migrants to South Sudan After Supreme Court Victory

2025-07-06 CoolPal

Trump Administration Deports Eight Migrants to South Sudan After Supreme Court Victory Eight migrants have been deported to South Sudan by the Trump administration, with their plane landing just before midnight EST on Friday. This controversial move follows a pivotal Supreme Court decision on June 27, 2025, which clarified that the administration was not bound by a lower court order to hold the individuals at a U.S. military base in Djibouti. The deportations mark a significant win for the administration,…

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Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Migrant Deportation Policy, Clearing Way for Removals to South Sudan

2025-07-04 CoolPal

Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Migrant Deportation Policy, Clearing Way for Removals to South Sudan The Supreme Court has delivered a significant ruling, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with the immediate deportation of a group of migrants held in Djibouti to South Sudan. The high court’s decision, issued on Thursday, effectively overrides a lower court’s hold on their removal. This order comes just days after the Supreme Court’s June 23 decision, which broadly permitted the administration to deport certain migrants…

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Trump Backs Florida’s Plan to Use National Guard as Immigration Judges

2025-07-02 CoolPal

Trump Backs Florida’s Plan to Use National Guard as Immigration Judges TALLAHASSEE — Former President Donald Trump yesterday, July 1, 2025, gave his full approval to Florida’s ambitious plan to deploy qualified National Guard members as immigration judges. This controversial initiative, championed by Governor Ron DeSantis, aims to significantly fast-track deportations from a new state-run immigration detention center in South Florida, dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’. During a visit to the facility in the Everglades, Trump publicly endorsed DeSantis’s long-standing request to…

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Trump Tours Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ as Florida Detention Center Opens Today

2025-07-01 CoolPal

Trump Tours Controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ as Florida Detention Center Opens Today TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – President Donald Trump is visiting a new, highly controversial immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades today, marking its official opening. Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by state officials, the facility is a key component of Florida’s aggressive efforts to support Trump’s national immigration crackdown, though it has drawn widespread condemnation from critics. The compound, quickly erected with heavy-duty tents and temporary buildings about 45 miles west of…

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Deportation Fears Halt Abrego Garcia’s Release, Judge Cites Conflicting Statements

2025-07-01 CoolPal

Deportation Fears Halt Abrego Garcia’s Release, Judge Cites Conflicting Statements NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A federal judge in Tennessee ruled Monday to keep Kilmar Abrego Garcia in jail, delaying his release amidst escalating concerns from his legal team that he could be swiftly deported before facing trial on human smuggling charges. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys requested the delay, citing what they described as “contradictory statements” from the Trump administration regarding their client’s fate. Lawyers expressed a lack of faith in representations from…

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Trump-Era Immigration Case: Key Witness Spared Deportation in Kilmar Abrego Garcia Prosecution

2025-07-01 CoolPal

Trump-Era Immigration Case: Key Witness Spared Deportation in Kilmar Abrego Garcia Prosecution In a significant development from the Trump administration era, court records reveal that the government agreed to spare Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, a key witness in the federal prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, from deportation. This decision was made in exchange for Hernandez Reyes’s cooperation in the case. Hernandez Reyes, 38, had previously been convicted of migrant smuggling and illegally reentering the United States after deportation. He also…

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case: Lawyers Seek Continued Detention Amid Conflicting Deportation Statements

2025-06-28 CoolPal

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case: Lawyers Seek Continued Detention Amid Conflicting Deportation Statements Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia have made an unusual request to a federal judge in Tennessee: to delay his release from jail. The request stems from what his lawyers describe as “contradictory statements” from the Trump administration regarding whether he will be deported upon release. A federal judge in Nashville had been preparing to release Abrego Garcia, who faces human smuggling charges, to await trial. However, the judge…

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DOJ Commits to US Trial for Kilmar Abrego Garcia Amidst Deportation Concerns

2025-06-27 CoolPal

DOJ Commits to US Trial for Kilmar Abrego Garcia Amidst Deportation Concerns The Justice Department has affirmed that Kilmar Abrego Garcia will face federal smuggling charges in Tennessee before any potential move to deport him. This commitment comes amidst growing concerns that Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March and later returned to the U.S., could be swiftly expelled again. On Thursday, June 26, a Justice Department spokesperson clarified that Garcia “will not walk free in our…

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Supreme Court Upholds Deportation of Migrants to Third Countries

2025-06-24 CoolPal

Supreme Court Upholds Deportation of Migrants to Third Countries On Monday, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing for the deportation of migrants to countries other than their countries of origin. This decision permits deportations without prior assessments of the potential harm migrants might face in their destination countries. The ruling overturns a prior order issued by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy. Judge Murphy’s order mandated assessments of the risk to migrants before deportation,…

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Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to Tie Transportation Funding to Immigration Enforcement

2025-06-20 CoolPal

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to Tie Transportation Funding to Immigration Enforcement On Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s policy that conditioned federal transportation grant funding on states’ cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The lawsuit, filed by twenty Democratic-led states, argued that the U.S. Department of Transportation lacked the legal authority to impose such a condition on the federally allocated funds. The states contended that…

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Trump’s Travel Ban: A Potential Massive Expansion

2025-06-17 CoolPal

Trump’s Travel Ban: A Potential Massive Expansion Hey friend, remember Trump’s travel ban? Well, get this: his administration is reportedly considering a HUGE expansion, potentially adding 36 more countries to the list! According to a leaked State Department memo, countries like Angola, Nigeria, and even Tonga are on the chopping block. That’s on top of the 12 countries already banned (Afghanistan, Iran, etc.) and several others with partial restrictions. The original ban, as you may recall, was incredibly controversial and…

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Trump Administration Weighs Expanding Travel Ban to 36 More Countries

2025-06-17 CoolPal

Trump Administration Weighs Expanding Travel Ban to 36 More Countries The Trump administration is considering a dramatic expansion of its controversial travel ban, potentially adding 36 countries to the list of nations whose citizens would face restrictions entering the United States. This significant escalation, revealed in a State Department memo obtained by the Washington Post, would drastically reshape US immigration policy. The memo, reportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, names Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso,…

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Portland ICE Protest Erupts into Riot, Sparking Federal Intervention

2025-06-16 CoolPal

Portland ICE Protest Erupts into Riot, Sparking Federal Intervention A large, peaceful protest in Portland against the Trump administration on Saturday took a dramatic turn when a smaller group broke off and clashed with federal agents at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The ensuing riot resulted in arrests, injuries, and a strong response from federal authorities. While 50,000 people participated in the initial march, a significantly smaller contingent targeted the ICE facility on South Macadam Avenue. The…

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