The Latest: Democrats vote down federal funding bill, putting government on path to shutdown
By The Associated Press
The U.S. government is on the brink of the first federal government shutdown in almost seven years, as Senate Democrats voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government.
The 55-45 vote Tuesday on the bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks fell short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation. It came as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands.
The Senate adjourned for the day without extending government funding, meaning a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday was certain.
Some government functions — like NASA’s space missions, President Donald Trump ’s immigration crackdown and certain public health work at FDA and the USDA — would continue during a shutdown.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump emphasized his vision of using the military for domestic purposes during a speech to top U.S. military officials. He emphasized handling “the enemy within,” referring to criminals and immigrants who are in the country illegally.
Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the unusual gathering of hundreds of U.S. military leaders who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world for an unveiling of new directives to end “woke” culture in the military.
Here’s the latest:
National Guard mission in Oregon to cost at least $3.8M in federal funds
Calling up 200 members of the Oregon National Guard for an 80-day order — including a 60-day mission, with other time for training and demobilization — will cost the federal government at least $3.8 million, the Oregon Military Department’s director for government and legislative affairs, Russell Gibson, told state lawmakers on Tuesday.
That figure is for troop pay and allowances, he said, adding that “there are other logistics costs that we are still working through,” such as meals and lodging.
In a memo to state leaders over the weekend, the Defense Department said 200 members of the state’s National Guard will be placed under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property. There have been nightly protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, which peaked in June and typically drew a couple dozen people in recent weeks before the deployment was announced.
Court disqualifies Trump-appointed US attorney in Nevada from overseeing multiple criminal cases
A federal judge has disqualified Trump-appointed Nevada federal prosecutor Sigal Chattah from several cases after concluding that she is “not validly serving” as acting U.S. attorney for the state.
Nevada federal public defenders in four cases challenged Chattah’s appointment, arguing that her term expired in July after she was appointed by Trump in April.
According to federal law, if a permanent U.S. Attorney is not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, judges of the Nevada District Court can appoint an interim U.S. Attorney until the vacancy is filled.
Arizona federal District Judge David G. Campbell ruled that Chattah is disqualified from supervising the four criminal prosecutions or any attorneys in the handling of the cases.
Trump displays ‘Trump 2028’ hats during leaders meeting
The president had some extra decor during the Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders on Monday: red “Trump 2028” hats.
Of course, the president cannot constitutionally run for a third term. But that has not stopped his allies — nor Trump himself — from flirting with the option.
He posted photos from the Oval Office meeting with the hats prominently displayed on the Resolute Desk.
Trump has a tendency to occasionally post digitally altered content on social media, but two people with knowledge of the meeting confirmed that the president did have those hats out as he sat down with Republicans Mike Johnson and John Thune, and Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.
The people were granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting.
5th Circuit to hear Alien Enemies Act appeal
The conservative appeals court Tuesday night vacated a ruling by a three-judge panel in which a majority found the Trump administration was misusing an 18th century wartime act to target a Venezuelan gang.
One judge on the circuit, Leslie H. Southwick, wrote that the decision will delay an inevitable final resolution to the unprecedented case by the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s highest court can only hear the case after the 5th Circuit is done with it.
But another judge, James C. Ho, apparently writing for the majority, noted that the Trump administration asked the entire circuit to weigh in first.
Senate adjourns without keeping government open, meaning shutdown is certain
The Senate has adjourned for the day without extending government funding, meaning a shutdown is certain at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Democratic senators voted down House-passed legislation to keep the government running for the next seven weeks and Republicans said they would not negotiate on the bill, leaving Congress at an uncertain impasse.
Senators will return to work Wednesday morning. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he’s hoping that enough Democrats will change their votes to reopen soon.
The House is not in session this week.
Federal agents grab and shove journalists outside NYC immigration court, sending one to hospital
The clash Tuesday is the latest between authorities enforcing Trump’s immigration crackdown and members of the public seeking to observe and document their actions.
A visual journalist identified as L. Vural Elibol of the Turkish news agency Anadolu hit his head on the floor at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pushed one journalist off an elevator and shoved another to the floor, according to video and witnesses.
A bystander held Elibol’s head and a nurse treated him until an ambulance arrived, witnesses said. The other journalists, amNewYork police bureau chief Dean Moses and Olga Fedorova, a freelance photographer whose clients include The Associated Press, were not seriously injured.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the agents’ actions, saying they were being “swarmed by agitators and members of the press, which obstructed operations.”
Fedorova said photographers had worked in the hallway outside immigration court for months without incident. The agents making arrests Tuesday, she said, didn’t announce any limits to where journalists could go, and they hadn’t made it clear they were making an arrest when they got on the elevator.
National parks to stay ‘generally’ open while most staff furloughed
The National Park Service plans to furlough about two-thirds of its employees while keeping parks largely open to visitors during the federal shutdown, according to a contingency plan released Tuesday night.
The plan says “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.” It says sites could be closed if damage is being done to park resources or due to excessive garbage buildup.
The plan also allows parks to enter into agreements with states, tribes or local governments willing to make donations to keep national park sites open. The park service has more than 400 sites, from large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to national battlefields and historic sites.
Of the park service’s 14,500 employees, 5,200 will be retained during the shutdown.
Many national parks stayed open during a 35-day shutdown in Trump’s first term. Limited staffing led to vandalism, gates being pried open and other problems.
Physical testing in military could ‘disqualify highly qualified individuals,’ Air Force veteran says
From the outset of Jennifer Ross’ two-decade career in the Air Force, she felt every step in her career path was clearly outlined by formulaic processes for promotion.
“The military is a unique way for women to start on equal footing,” Ross, 43, said. As someone who grew up in a low-income family, she was drawn to the stability of the career path, as well as the ethos of service. What she initially thought would only be a six-year career turned into four deployments to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ross, who now works for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, supports gender-neutral physical testing for military jobs that require specific skillsets. But she said making all physical testing gender neutral would be a step too far and could undermine meritocratic systems.
“There was no need for me to be able to perform at 100% gender neutral standard in order to sit at my desk and be a solid intelligence analyst,” Ross said.
Now, Ross is concerned that changes to physical testing “runs the risk of disqualifying highly qualified individuals.”
“There’s no rational strategy,” she said.
Senate Majority Leader says he’s open to conversation on health care credits
Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he’ll continue to press Democrats to vote for legislation to fund the government mostly at current levels, but if that passes, he’s open to negotiating with Democrats on one of their heath care priorities.
Thune says there are “conversations” happening with Democrats about the government funding bill. He also says he’s open to talks about extending tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, but only if Democrats acknowledge there will be significant changes from the current program.
But it appears that’s not happening with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Thune says if Schumer wants to talk, “He knows where I am. Right here, on the floor, 6 feet away from him.”
Federal agencies ordered to start shutdown plans
Trump’s budget office posted a letter with instructions from Director Russ Vought immediately after the failed Senate vote.
“Affected agencies should now execute their plans,” Vought wrote.
He told employees to come to work Wednesday to “undertake orderly shutdown activities.”
Senate Democratic leader calls on Republicans to negotiate on government funding
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says that the failed vote to fund the government shows that Republicans must enter a negotiation to gain their support.
“They’ve got to sit down and negotiate with Democrats to come to a bill that both parties can support,” said Schumer, a New York Democrat.
Democrats are demanding that Congress extend tax credits for health care plans offered under the Affordable Care Act.
Trump pulls nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics, AP source says
The White House is withdrawing the nomination of E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an AP source says. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the White House action, which hasn’t been publicly announced.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Senate received paperwork formally withdrawing Antoni’s nomination on Tuesday, the person said.
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— By Seung Min Kim
Senate Majority leader blames Democrats for approaching government shutdown
On the heels of a failed vote to fund the government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune laid the blame at the feet of Democrats and said he would continue to press them to vote for a temporary funding bill.
“The Democratic Caucus here in the Senate has chosen to shut down the government over a clean, nonpartisan funding bill,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said.
Republican leaders say they were encouraged that three members of the Democratic Caucus voted for their bill.
“We can reopen it tomorrow,” Thune said, adding that he was looking for a handful of Democrats to break party lines.
Democrats vote down GOP funding bill, putting government on path to shutdown
The 55-45 vote on the bill to extend federal funding for seven weeks has fallen short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.
The failed vote comes as Democrats are making good on their threat to close the government if Trump and Republicans won’t accede to their health care demands. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of health care benefits and other priorities.
Instead of negotiating, Democrats and Republicans have angrily blamed each other and refused to budge from their positions.
Government funding bill is poised to fail
A temporary bill to fund the government and avoid a shutdown is on track to fail in the Senate.
Democrats mostly opposed the legislation for a second time. The vote is still open, but with the tally at 55-44, it is short of the 60 votes needed.
Next steps are uncertain. But a shutdown Wednesday appears increasingly likely.
Department of Agriculture plans to furlough about half of its staff during a shutdown
That’s according to its new contingency plans posted online. The agency currently employees almost 86,000 staff members.
Essential work that will continue includes meat and poultry inspections and lab work, wildfire response, and animal and plant emergency programs including responding to H5N1 avian flu, New World Screwworm, exotic fruit flies, African swine fever and rabies.
Federal nutrition assistance programs for low-income people would continue, at least in the short term. Those enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, should receive their October 2025 payments as scheduled. During past shutdowns, the Women, Infants, and Children program, or WIC, has operated as usual.
Senate roll call is underway on government funding bill
The Senate is voting — one more time — on a temporary bill to fund the government and avert a federal shutdown.
But the outcome may be no different than the last time.
Democrats are rejecting the Republican bill that would fund operations into mid-November because it fails to include funds they are demanding to save health care programs. A Democratic-led bill that includes funding was again defeated.
Police respond to non-explosive suspicious device at college where Turning Point will host event
A bomb squad has detonated what authorities say was a suspicious device at the University of Utah where Turning Point USA has a stop on its college tour planned for the evening.
The Old Main building on the Logan campus was evacuated earlier Tuesday as police responded to a report about a suspicious package, the university said. Authorities found the device and determined it wasn’t explosive but detonated it to be safe, they said. The building was later cleared for students and others to return.
The Turning Point event was scheduled before its founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated on another college campus in Utah earlier this month.
The university tells local KLS.com that the event is moving forward as planned.
Maryland officials brace for economic difficulties in the face of government shutdown
Maryland is home to about 60 federal facilities, and residents also commute to federal jobs outside the state. There were about 269,000 Maryland residents employed by the federal government in 2023, and the state has already lost about 15,100 federal civilian jobs since January.
Officials expressed concerns about furloughed federal employees, as well as programs like the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
In the past, the federal government has reimbursed states that have paid to continue federal programs during shutdowns, “but this year the Trump administration has not provided written assurance that they’ll reimburse states,” said Matt Verghese, director of Gov. Wes Moore’s federal relations office.
He also said Maryland relies heavily on federal grants across state government.
Education Department’s shutdown contingency plan includes furloughing most of its workforce
Already diminished by cuts by the Trump administration, the U.S. Education Department would see more of its work come to a halt in the event of a government shutdown.
The department says many of its core operations would continue — federal financial aid would keep flowing, and student loan payments would still be due — but investigations into civil rights complaints would stop and the department would not issue new federal grants. About 87% of its workforce would be furloughed, according to a department contingency plan.
Trump has called for the dismantling of the Education Department, saying it has been overrun by liberal thinking. The department had about 4,100 employees when Trump took office in January. According to recent figures, it now has about 2,500. The administration has suggested agencies could see more positions eliminated entirely in a shutdown.
Federal courts could face limitations within days if government shuts down
While courts have drawn from fees and other funding to keep operations open for weeks during prior shutdowns, tighter budgets in recent years mean the courts can only sustain regular paid operations through Friday.
After that, the courts would continue to operate but be limited to emergency circumstances and core constitutional functions, potentially delaying hearings or trials in some cases.
The Supreme Court, which can draw on its own court fees, is expected to start its term as scheduled next week.
Department of Transportation updates its shutdown plans
Transportation Department officials say they have found a way to keep the academy that trains air traffic controllers in Oklahoma City open should the government shut down by using funding from prior years.
Many in aviation were concerned that a shutdown could force the school to send students home and disrupt efforts to get new controllers ready.
National Park Service doesn’t have shutdown plan
With a potential federal government shutdown just hours away, the National Park Service has not said whether it will close its more than 400 sites across the U.S. to visitors.
Park officials say contingency plans are still being updated and would be posted to the service’s website.
Many national parks including Yellowstone and Yosemite stayed open during a 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term. Limited staffing led to vandalism, gates being pried open and other problems, including an off-roader mowing down one of the namesake trees at Joshua Tree National Park in California.
A group of former national park superintendents last week called for parks to close in case of a government shutdown to protect park resources and visitor safety. States including Utah, Colorado and New York donated money to keep some national park sites open during past shutdowns.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran who lost her legs in Iraq, calls for Hegseth’s resignation
Duckworth said after Trump’s and Hegseth’s Quantico speeches that “the least qualified Defense Secretary in history” should resign.
She also said Trump’s idea to use U.S. cities as training grounds for the military is un-American.
The event itself, which involved considerable expense for generals and admirals to travel from around the world, amounted to a “partisan diatribe” that wasted military commanders’ time and taxpayer money, Duckworth said.
She said Hegseth’s rules changes for the military effectively encourage hazing. She called it “utterly appalling,” adding that Hegseth, a veteran himself, should be aware that troops have died as a result of hazing.
His changes to some rules of engagement, the senator said, will “create more enemies of America and make it more likely those enemies would torture captured American troops.”
GOP senator: Shutdown is about politics
Sen. John Kennedy is arguing that Democrats’ demands in the government funding fight are not really about policy, but instead placating the demands of their political base.
“This shutdown is about politics,” The Louisiana Republican said in a floor speech.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer did indeed face fierce backlash from liberal groups for allowing a government funding bill to advance to a final vote in March. This time, Democrats have made clear policy demands and are arguing that President Donald Trump is at fault for refusing to compromise with them.
But as a shutdown approached, Kennedy also predicted that it would be difficult to resolve the impasse if funding lapses after midnight.
“We’re not going to give into their demands,” Kennedy said.
Trump executive order aims to better use artificial intelligence to help treat pediatric cancer
The order promises $50 million in new funding for a childhood cancer data initiative created during Trump’s first term, with more potential new funding possible after that.
White House officials said the goal is using that data — combined with AI technology — to speed up diagnostic trials, sharpen diagenesis and strengthen prevention efforts.
They said it was too early to discuss what companies or technologies might be involved.
Announcing the order in the Oval Office, Trump said of AI, “It’s gonna be so accessible to everybody.”
He was surrounded by young cancer survivors and their parents who briefly told their stories. When the finished, Trump was moved enough to murmur “We’re not gonna top that” and call an end to the session.
Trump says deal close with Harvard
President Donald Trump said his administration is close to reaching a deal with Harvard University after a monthslong conflict with the Ivy League school.
On Wednesday, Trump initially said a deal had been reached but then said officials were “close to finalizing” the agreement. “We haven’t done it yet,” he said at the White House.
A truce with Harvard would end a clash that has tested the independence of America’s colleges.
The White House has targeted Harvard with a series of investigations and billions of dollars in funding cuts as it presses for changes to its policies and governance.
Trump came into office saying he would cut funding for schools that defied his agenda, vowing to eliminate “wokeness.”
Pope Leo XIV is urging Hamas to accept the Trump peace plan for Gaza
History’s first American pope repeated his call for an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. But Leo also expressed hope for the plan to put an an end to the war as he left his country estate in Castel Gandolfo late Tuesday.
“It seems that it is a realistic proposal,” he said. “There are elements that I think are very interesting, and I hope Hamas accepts it in the established timeframe.”
Leo also expressed concern about the fate of the flotilla bringing aid to Gaza. The 50-plus boats are expected to try to breach the Israeli naval blockade overnight when they get within 150 nautical miles of Gaza.
Leo said he understood the flotilla organizers’ desire to respond to the “true humanitarian emergency” in Gaza. But he expressed concern for the potential of violence.
The Italian government has warned flotilla organizers that Israel may treat their incursion as a “hostile act” and has urged them to stop. Italy has proposed an alternative delivery site in Cyprus and then assured organizers that the Catholic Church would get it to Palestinians.
As government shutdown approaches, Democrats call for negotiation with Republicans
As Democrats watch the minutes tick down to a government shutdown, they are acknowledging that the funding lapse could cause disruptions for many Americans even as they prepared to vote against a Republican bill that would keep funding mostly at current levels.
Instead, they called on their Republican counterparts to sit down to discuss extending health care benefits.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the no. 2 ranked senator in the Democratic Caucus, said in a floor speech, “On the Democratic side, we think this is a battle worth fighting.”
But Republicans have shown no interest in attaching health care policy to a funding bill. They have called on Democrats to fund the government before having a debate on health care subsidies and berated Democrats for trying to use government funding as leverage to force a negotiation.
Labor unions sue Trump administration over mass firing threats
A group of labor unions filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Office of Management and Budget, its Director Russ Vought, Office of Personnel Management and its Director Scott Kupor, claiming that the Trump administration violated the law by threatening to perform a mass firing of federal workers during a shutdown.
The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are plaintiffs in the suit.
They allege that the administration’s plan to fire federal employees during a shutdown is an unlawful abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress and violates the very laws that govern how shutdowns are supposed to function.
“Announcing plans to fire potentially tens of thousands of federal employees simply because Congress and the administration are at odds on funding the government past the end of the fiscal year is not only illegal – it’s immoral and unconscionable,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a news release.
Some Democratic senators remain mum on whether they’ll vote for shutdown
Concern has lingered among Democrats that some senators may vote with Republicans to prevent a shutdown.
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Sen. Angus King have declined to say how they will vote. But they did appear together in an informal hearing on the impacts of expiring ACA tax credits, saying the issue needed to be addressed now.
“There’s real urgency to extending the ACA premium tax credit payments now, because kicking the can down the road is going to make a real difference,” Shaheen said.
“The clock is ticking. Each day we wait makes the solution harder,” she added. “Waiting to act will leave more Americans uninsured.”
King told the Associated Press after the hearing that he hadn’t decided how he would vote, but that the hearing “underlines the importance of this.”
Rep. David Schweikert joins Trump-backed candidates in GOP primary for Arizona governor
The development raises Democratic hopes for flipping his seat in Congress.
“Congress is so dysfunctional that there is no value in the work,” Schweikert said as he confirmed his candidacy to The Associated Press in an interview.
“You work at a feverous pitch. You try to do high quality, intellectually robust work and you have to deal with the reality,” he said, pointing to the difficulty of getting co-sponsors for serious spending and budget legislation.
This frustration is partly why he’s running for governor. He said Arizona, by contrast, has the potential for wage and job growth with new leadership in the state’s highest office.
Schweikert plans to officially launch his campaign Wednesday and will finish his current congressional term, his consultant Chris Baker said, as he squares off against lobbyist and housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson and House Freedom Caucus member Andy Biggs. Both support Trump’s agenda, and the president has given both his endorsement.
▶ Read more about the race for Arizona governor
National Flood Insurance Program set to expire Tuesday, halting new policies and some home loans
With two months left in the Atlantic hurricane season, authorization for the National Flood Insurance Program is set to expire at the end of Tuesday if Congress doesn’t pass a spending bill.
Millions of policyholders rely on the NFIP to secure flood coverage that’s rarely part of standard homeowners policies and is required for mortgages in areas deemed high-risk.
While NFIP claims can still be paid during a lapse, new policies cannot be sold and existing ones can’t add coverage or be renewed.
Past freezes have wrought havoc on real estate transactions in flood-prone areas. When NFIP authorization lapsed for about 30 days in June 2010, an estimated 1,400 home sales were canceled or delayed daily, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Reporter disappointed by ruling in contempt case, lawyer says
An attorney for veteran investigative reporter Catherine Herridge said in an email that her legal team is “considering options for further review” after an appeals court panel ruled against her in a contempt fight.
The appeals court upheld a judge’s ruling holding Herridge in civil contempt for refusing to divulge her source for a series of Fox News stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.
Herridge’s lawyer, Patrick Philbin, said: “Ms. Herridge remains committed to protecting reporters’ First Amendment rights and confidential sources.”
Mike Johnson’s office displays video criticizing Democrats for past shutdown comments
Tourists walking through the Capitol halls stopped to watch the looped video message on a wide screen TV stationed in front of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.
It began with a title screen “Democrats on shutdowns in their words” and showed past comments from lawmakers when they condemned potential shutdowns. The videos included Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Katherine Clarke, the Democratic Whip, as well as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley.
“Under President Trump their tune has suddenly changed…” a message reads before shifting to news headlines that describe how Democrats have called for a government shutdown if a bipartisan deal isn’t reached to extend the current federal budget.
Argentina’s President Milei to meet with Trump
The Argentinian government said on X that its president, Javier Milei, will meet with Trump on Oct. 14.
The meeting comes after the U.S. government announced plans to extended a $20 billion swap line to Argentina that helps to backstop its economy with access to American dollars. The move by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was shortly ahead of Argentina’s Oct. 26 midterm elections.
Milei is also an political ally of Trump, having spoken in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. Trump, in his remarks at the event, praised Milei. “We’re very proud of you,” he said.
Vet Voice Foundation CEO also criticizes Hegseth’s speech
Janessa Goldbeck, who served in the Marines and is now CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, said the defense secretary’s speech Tuesday was more about “stoking grievance than strengthening the force.”
She said Hegseth’s plan for loosening the rules for discipline in the military confuses abuse with toughness and is the “mark of someone who’s never seen the real thing.”
“It takes no strength to hit a recruit — it takes real strength to teach one,” she said.
“I had a front-row seat every day to the extraordinary training our recruits receive from the most disciplined, professional Marines in the fleet,” Goldbeck said of her experience at Marine boot camp in California, while Hegseth “never served as a drill instructor and never trained a recruit.”
The secretary “has a cartoonish, 1980s comic-book idea of toughness he’s never outgrown,” she said. “Instead of focusing on what actually improves force readiness, he continues to waste time and taxpayer dollars on He-Man culture-war theatrics.”
Suburban Chicago police say federal agents creating a ‘safety crisis’
Police in a small Chicago suburb that houses a federal immigration building have launched three separate criminal investigations against federal agents.
Two involve alleged hit-and-run incidents while a third delves into allegations that agents fired chemical agents toward a reporter.
Armed immigration agents outside the center in Broadview have used increasingly aggressive tactics that local police say are unnecessary, dangerous to residents and raise serious concerns.
“We are experiencing an immediate public safety crisis,” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills told reporters Tuesday.
The processing center in Broadview, a community of about 8,000 people, has been at the front lines of a Chicago-area immigration operation.
Judge finds Trump administration unconstitutionally targeted noncitizens over Gaza war protests
U.S. District Judge William Young agreed with several university associations that the policy they described as ideological deportation violates the First Amendment. The Tuesday ruling came after a trial.
An email to the Homeland Security department for comment wasn’t immediately returned.
Military analyst says Hegseth’s message to military leaders didn’t match gravity of the event
Bryan Clark, a senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, said the Secretary of Defense’s speech Tuesday seemed more geared toward generating public relations content than “aligning the leadership around a set of ideas that the Trump administration is going to pursue.”
Clark said there had been some expectation that Pete Hegseth was going to delve into budget priorities, military investments or the new national defense strategy, which the Pentagon is expected to release sometime in the near future.
Clark said the message didn’t match the gravity of an event that drew hundreds of senior military leaders into one room.
“You’d think that the purpose of that would have been something more dramatic and important than grooming standards and physical fitness standards,” he said.
‘Women and men going into combat roles meet the same high standards’
Elisa Cardnell, president of the Service Women’s Action Network, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s statements about female troops and physical fitness, noting standards haven’t been lowered for women serving in combat roles.
She said he erroneously conflated combat standards with physical requirements for military service, which are adjusted for gender and age.
“A 50-year-old man, like a general, isn’t going to be doing the same number of push ups as a 17-year-old female,” Cardnell said.
But the requirements for serving in the infantry, for example, are the same for men and women, whether it’s carrying a certain amount of equipment or marching a certain distance, Cardnell said.
“Women and men going into combat roles meet the same high standards,” she said. “And those have never been lowered.”
