The Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), which is noted for theft, trafficking including sex trafficking of children, rape, and murder, now has a foothold in 16 States. Never forget who caused this crisis, and remember it when 14 blue state governors and mayors try to stop Border Czar Tom Homan from arresting and […] The post Homeland Security: Tren de Aragua Is Active in 16 States appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Scott Perry told The Daily Wire he was not satisfied with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell’s answers during a Tuesday hearing on an agency employee’s instruction to relief workers to skip homes with Trump flags or signs. Perry, the chair of the subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, said that there needed to be an impartial investigation into the guidance that FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington issued in Lake Placid, Florida. Whistleblowers told The Daily Wire, which first reported on the guidance, that relief workers skipped at least 20 homes. “It looks like they are going try and cover their tracks here without really looking at it,” Perry told The Daily Wire shortly after the hearing wrapped. “She said she’s working with the Inspector General. Why not just request the Inspector General do an investigation so that it’s done transparently and FEMA either can be cleared or this employee can be cleared? Somebody has done something wrong here. We got two sets of stories. One of them is right, the other one is wrong, and you can’t have the one side adjudicating that.” Criswell said during the hearing that she would ask the Inspector General to conduct an investigation into the incident. Perry said that Republicans would ensure she follows through. The Pennsylvania Republican also observed that Criswell — who said that the guidance was an “isolated” incident — contradicted Washington, who alleges that the agency has a widespread policy of skipping “politically hostile” homes. Washington was fired a day after The Daily Wire reported on the guidance. She has since said that she has been made a scapegoat by FEMA. “We want to know who’s lying. Somebody’s lying,” Perry said.  “The person that they’ve fired has made multiple claims publicly that there was a culture that existed and that she was directed to do that,” Perry said of the guidance. “The FEMA administrator has said that she has not seen any evidence of that but she didn’t include that she was interested in finding it. She essentially dismissed that there would be any culture or anybody else involved but has no information to verify that.” Perry said the panel didn’t get a lot of answers on the guidance, apart from claims that there was an ongoing investigation into the matter. Criswell said that anyone else found to be discriminating based on political affiliation would be fired, and that the agency would ensure it didn’t happen again. Criswell is slated to speak before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday afternoon, where she will again be questioned about the guidance. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+

Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs said on Monday that she would “not tolerate” what she deems “misguided policies” when it comes to President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations. Hobbs’ comments were in response to questions from ABC News about whether she would help the Trump administration carry out deportations of criminal illegal immigrants. “What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those,” Hobbs said. Pressed to clarify which “misguided policies” she was referring to, Hobbs replied, “Hearing about the Trump administration’s plans for border security, the emphasis is really on these mass deportations. What we saw here today is the actual work happening at our ports of entry that are intercepting drugs, keeping those drugs off our streets, and we need more of that to secure the border.” The Arizona governor argued that mass deportation efforts would “divert needed resources.” “I think the diversion of law enforcement from the work that they do every day to keep our communities safe, people hiding in fear – we saw that under previous state policies here – and it harms communities. It tears families apart. And … that’s not going to happen on my watch,” Hobbs added. JUST IN: Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs bumbles through interview, says she will not let the Trump administration deport illegal aliens in Arizona. She sounds like a Valley Girl. “That’s not going to happen on my watch.” “We will not be participating in misguided efforts that… pic.twitter.com/1VgXWszo6k — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 18, 2024 On Tuesday, Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan warned governors and mayors who would consider obstructing the administration’s deportation operation that they could face serious legal consequences for doing so. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ “Well first of all, if they don’t want to help us, get the hell out of the way, we’re going to do it,” Homan told “Fox & Friends.” “Finally I will say this: They need to educate themselves,” Homan added. “They need to review this: Title 8, United States Code § 1324 (III), read about that, and don’t cross that line, because it is a felony to harbor and conceal illegal aliens from ICE. Read the statute. Don’t cross that line.”

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings and anchor Jake Tapper squared off over illegal immigration and the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to begin deporting illegal immigrants from the United States. Jennings noted that a number of Democrats have raised objections to the plan — and some have made the argument that mass deportation would adversely impact grocery prices because of the number of illegal migrants who work in agriculture. Tapper appeared to object, but ended up making the same argument. WATCH: CNN’s Jake Tapper: “Who’s having a meltdown [about Trump deporting farm workers]?”@ScottJenningsKY: “Uhhhh — I mean, everybody seems to be on the same sheet of music today that this is going to mess up the agriculture industry and drive the grocery prices higher. I’ve seen… pic.twitter.com/MMQIBphssn — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 18, 2024 “Who’s having a meltdown?” Tapper asked. “Uhhhh — I mean, everybody seems to be on the same sheet of music today that this is going to mess up the agriculture industry and drive the grocery prices higher,” Jennings replied. “I’ve seen numerous pieces on it. I’ve seen everybody seems to be out there talking about it and so, it strikes me, Jake, that Democrats — this is their new line of attack, that Donald Trump’s got a plan to raise your grocery prices simply by following through on his campaign promises. And I don’t — I just don’t think it’s true.” MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ “I’ve been covering this issue since the first Bush administration in 2001,” Tapper pushed back. “I mean, this is always one of the issues with it — is that there are a lot of undocumented immigrants who work for the agricultural sector and there’s always concerns about are those people actually going to be deported and, if so, what happens to prices for, you know, regular folk just trying to make a — make an honest living and buy some eggs.” Prior to Trump’s sweeping victory on November 5, Vice President-elect JD Vance explained that a new Trump administration would start by deporting illegal immigrants who had committed crimes in the United States or who already had standing deportation orders. President-elect Trump has confirmed that he would use military assets to aid in the deportation process.

“Illegals must go,” Tom Homan, the incoming Border Czar, has declared — and he and President-elect Trump mean that literally. Critics have a pat response: It is not physically or financially possible to implement the largest deportation program in our history. But they’re missing a critical tool: the ability of the entire executive branch to create conditions that will help induce self-deportation by many aliens. Trump and Homan have already indicated that they’re going to focus the Department of Homeland Security’s resources on the worst-of-the-worst, in what we can call a “catch-and-deport” program, in contrast to the “catch-and-release-or-don’t-even-bother-to-catch” program of the past four years. Their top priority is aliens who pose national security threats, as well as the murderers, rapists, burglars, arsonists, thieves, gang members and other criminals that President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas have allowed to freely roam throughout the nation. But many other illegal aliens can and should be removed by DHS. As a former immigration judge told me, just enforcing the estimated 1.3 million final-removal orders issued by immigration judges that have been piling up at the Department of Homeland Security – sitting there ignored by the current administration – would make a significant dent in the illegal alien population. Because these are final orders after the aliens have gone through the immigration court system, no advocacy group has any legal basis for suing the new administration to stop the aliens from being picked up and deported. These final deportation orders are like the “letters of transit” in the classic 1942 movie “Casablanca,” where Peter Lorre says they “cannot be rescinded, not even questioned.” Not only should DHS be enforcing these orders, but to the extent needed, other federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshalls Service, should be immediately directed by the president to help DHS agents to the extent needed. But the key to overall success is getting rid of the incentives and benefits that keep illegal aliens here. Most of them are here for one reason, and one reason only: economic. The largest proportion of illegal aliens are single, adult males. They are here to earn money that they send to their home countries. The remittances sent to Mexico alone are expected to reach $65 billion by the end of this year, one of the reasons the Mexican government has encouraged, aided, and assisted this illegal immigration. The Trump administration must use all of the powers of the federal government to make it as difficult as possible for illegal aliens to work, find housing, travel, engage in financial transactions, and otherwise live in the country they have no right to be in, and no right to work and live in. Here are just a few of the steps that should be taken on January 20, 2025, as soon as Donald Trump is inaugurated: TSA should be told to no longer permit anyone through security who is using an immigration arrest warrant or other documents issued by DHS to illegal aliens, instead of the required government-issued photo ID. All payments and grants being given to NGOs by DHS and any other government agency like Health and Human Services to transport, house, or otherwise provide any benefits for inadmissible, illegal aliens should be terminated. All work permits unlawfully issued by DHS to inadmissible illegal aliens should be terminated, and that includes any DACA beneficiaries. All access to any other government benefits by any executive branch agency should immediately be terminated, including access to Obamacare. Banking regulators, including Treasury, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and the NCUA, should require all banks and credit unions under their jurisdiction to require any individual opening a bank account to provide proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the U.S., such as a permanent resident alien. To the extent the president has power over the Federal Reserve system and the FDIC through his appointments, he should ensure that every appointee agrees to impose the same requirement on banks receiving benefits from the system or the FDIC. Financial regulators should ensure that aliens who are unlawfully in the U.S. cannot open bank accounts. The same rule should be applied to banks for all wire transfers made by those banks for their customers, as well as any other financial entities over which the federal government has jurisdiction. For foreign investors and others who are not present in the U.S., these rules would not apply and would not restrict their ability to invest and hold brokerage or other accounts in American banks. To the extent the president has authority over home mortgages through his appointments to executive branch agencies like the Federal Housing Administration, he should require a similar rule: no approval of federal mortgage insurance for homes, multi-family apartments, or other facilities unless the owners are verified as U.S. citizens or aliens legally in the country, and they agree not to lease or rent their properties to any individuals without requiring proof of citizenship or legal presence. That also should apply to Section 8 housing assistance provided by HUD to low-income households. The IRS should not provide tax refunds to aliens unlawfully present in the U.S. That is something the IRS can check through the E-Verify system maintained by DHS. The Social Security Administration should be ordered to engage in the same verification process for anyone applying for a Social Security number or other Taxpayer Identification Number, which is essential to individuals seeking tax refunds. For those who claim this would be too onerous, it would simply be applying the same requirement to federal agencies that the federal government already applies to all employers and all Americans who want to be employed. Job applicants have to provide proof of citizenship and identity as outlined in the federal I-9 “Employment Eligibility Verification form. To the extent that E-Verify does not provide an answer, those agencies could apply the provisions of the I-9 form to determine eligibility. The Biden administration has refused to enforce the federal law barring employers from hiring illegal aliens; the Justice Department needs to embark on a vigorous, very public, enforcement program against employers. Not only will that punish employers for breaking the law and depriving Americans of jobs, but the publicity from that should help deter many other employers from engaging in such behavior, drying up the ability of illegal aliens to work and earn a living. Many other steps should be taken, but these basic ones would provide a solid start. It has to be an all-government effort, not just an effort by DHS. These measures, if combined with similar steps by cooperative state governments—such as denying illegal aliens driver’s licenses and car license tags (thus limiting their transportation options) and all other types of permits and licenses—would provide an incentive for aliens to self-deport and stop abusing the generous hospitality of the U.S. * * * Hans von Spakovsky is Manager, Election Law Reform Initiative and Senior Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He is an authority on a wide range of issues — including civil rights, civil justice, the First Amendment, and immigration. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Longtime news anchor Katie Couric admitted to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that while she had liked Vice President Kamala Harris, she had been frustrated by her apparent inability to answer questions on the campaign trail. Couric and Psaki delivered a post-mortem of the 2024 presidential election — which saw Harris trounced by now President-elect Donald Trump in both the Electoral College and the popular vote — for Couric’s “Next Question” podcast. During their conversation, both women voiced frustration that Harris had failed to meet the voters where they were and answer the questions they wanted to have answered. WATCH: WATCH: Katie Couric admits Kamala was an awful candidate “Answer the G**damn question, please.”pic.twitter.com/MtvCNzrKcS — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 18, 2024 Psaki pointed out the fact that Harris simply hadn’t done what was necessary to reach voters — particularly those inclined to disagree with her — when she had limited herself to only a few interviews, all with relatively friendly outlets or media personalities. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ “And that means doing all of the things, including with people you disagree with, who are gonna be tough,” Psaki explained, saying that candidates had to be “fearless” and giving Harris credit for doing the interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier. Couric couched her criticism by first saying that she felt Harris had handled some things very well, but then she pointed out Harris’ tendency to evade questions even when she did sit for interviews. She noted that people weren’t likely to be convinced when Harris didn’t give satisfactory answers. “Like, if she was asked about changing the Supreme Court at that CNN town hall – she had an opportunity to talk about ethics and what, you know, Alito and Clarence Thomas were doing. And, she answered like in one sentence and like went on to something that had nothing to do with the question,” Couric noted, adding, “It’s like, answer the G**d*** question please!” “I mean … yeah,” Psaki agreed, laughing.

You know someone’s social media content is going to be good when they have “dad jokes” in their username. Okay, so I guess that not everyone would agree with that. However, I am not one of those people. In fact, when davesdadjokes (AKA TurkeyDad) posts online, he does so with people like me in mind. Not only does Dave tell punny dad jokes, he doe so for his turkeys. That’s right — this Dad has actual turkeys. While his puns aren’t turkey related (at least not always), he can always count on his animal friends to be amused. In fact, they even “laugh”! Don’t believe me? See for yourself in the hilariously silly video below! @davesdadjokes Please don't be "that guy" #Thanksgiving #turkeyarmy #turkeytok #dadjokes #dadmoves #funny #dadlife #turkey #girldad #dadsoftiktok #dad #comedy #turkeyjokes #jokes #dadjoke #turkeytiktok #turkeytok ♬ original sound – TurkeyDad Are fart jokes immature? Perhaps. But that does not mean they aren’t funny! Dave’s turkeys certainly think they are hilarious, in any case. And isn’t that really what matters the most, at the end of the day? Did You Know That Turkeys Love Dad Jokes? Dave Hilariously Proves They Do With His Punny Humor Already need another dose of Dave’s dad jokes? Check out another one in the video below. His adorable turkeys greatly appreciated this one, too! @davesdadjokes I'm fairly certain you only see this in the big city, these guys wouldn't even know. #turkeytiktok #dadjoke #jokes #turkeyjokes #comedy #dad #dadsoftiktok #girldad #turkey #dadlife #funny #dadmoves #dadjokes #turkeytok #turkeyarmy #Thanksgiving ♬ original sound – TurkeyDad “Bro found the key to life…” someone in the comments points out, “raise your very own easily amused audience for your dad jokes.” As much as Dave’s turkeys adore his sense of humor, not all of his jokes are a hit. Though, if you ask Dave, he swears that the joke in the video below simply “went over their head the first time.” @davesdadjokes The joke went over their head the first time #dadjoke #funny #jokes #dadjokes #turkeyjokes #turkey #turkeyarmy #thanksgiving ♬ original sound – TurkeyDad Did the turkeys not understand Dave’s joke at first or did the joke simply not land? It’s hard to say for sure. So, instead, I’ll let you be the judge of that one… “I did not get it the first time either,” someone admits in the comments, with another adding, “Surround yourself with people that find your jokes funny. Or turkeys whatever works.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Turkeys Have Perfectly Timed Reaction To Dad’s Punny Joke appeared first on InspireMore.

'I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces'