human rights violations

Armed With New Slush Fund, ‘Lawless and Rogue’ ICE Arrests 10,000+ in Just Five Days

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Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Those arrested in the recent surge include a 56-year-old Catholic nun from Nigeria.

Ordered by the Trump White House to aggressively increase arrest rates, federal immigration officials have reportedly detained more than 10,000 people in just the last five days, intensifying fear in communities across the United States.

The New York Times, which was first to report the new detention figures late Wednesday, noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were “told that 2,000 arrests a day was the new standard for enforcement.” The agency, flush with cash following President Donald Trump’s signing of a reconciliation package containing another $70 billion for immigration enforcement, has been instructed to assign 80% of its officers to “arrest operations,” according to the Times.

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The Trump administration claims to be targeting the “worst of the worst,” but available data shows that the percentage of people arrested by ICE despite having no criminal convictions has tended to rise during the agency’s mass detention efforts. On Sunday, ICE briefly detained a 56-year-old nun from Nigeria as she walked to church in McAllen, Texas.

“The geniuses at ICE just arrested a Catholic nun, who practices as a nurse, as she was walking to church,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrote in response to Sister Leticia Ugboaja’s detention. “Our Republican colleagues think they need even more money. Had enough?”

The Times reported that immigration attorneys across the US “have been on alert” as ICE arrests surge, though much more quietly than earlier blitzes in Minneapolis—where federal immigration agents killed two US citizens—and other major cities, where groups of armed and masked officers roamed the streets and menaced neighborhoods.

“Cindy Blandon, an immigration attorney in Miami, said that one of her clients, a Nicaraguan father of two children, had an immigration court hearing set for 2027, but was arrested by ICE on Monday during a routine check-in,” the Times reported. “And in Utah, Ysabel Lonazco, an immigration attorney, has noticed an uptick as well… One of her clients, Arturo, a 48-year-old Mexican man, was arrested in Salt Lake City on his way to a soccer game on Sunday, according to his wife, Veronica. She said the arrest had shattered their family.”

ICE also appears to be ignoring a federal judge’s order last week curtailing arrests at immigration courthouses. According to The Intercept:

On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested an Ecuadorian man at a court at 26 Federal Plaza and a man from the Dominican Republic at another court at 290 Broadway, both in Lower Manhattan. The arrests continued on Monday, when ICE agents detained a third man, originally from Guatemala, at 290 Broadway.

In legal filings challenging the detentions of the men taken Thursday, advocates with the nonprofit Make the Road New York accused ICE of not only violating their clients’ right to due process, but also of brazenly flouting a federal court order.

Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, told The Intercept that “we’re witnessing ICE, yet again, operate in a lawless and rogue fashion and not following court orders.”

“We’re supposedly a nation under the rule of law, and our judicial branch has said that this agency must stop engaging in this lawless behavior, and they continue to do so,” said Awawdeh.

ICE is currently headed by Acting Director David Venturella, a former private prison executive. A record number of people have died in ICE custody under the second Trump administration.

Last week, Trump announced that he intends to nominate former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer to lead ICE in a permanent capacity.

Marcos Charles, the head of ICE’s deportation wing, cheered the recent arrest surge in an email to agency personnel earlier this week. On Saturday, ICE officers arrested 2,400 people.

“I want to personally thank each of you for your extraordinary efforts this past weekend,” Charles wrote, according to the Times. “Through your dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to our mission, enforcement and removal operations achieved remarkable operational results.”

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says disinhibition and swearing are typical and common symptoms
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says disinhibition and swearing are typical and common symptoms

Continue ReadingArmed With New Slush Fund, ‘Lawless and Rogue’ ICE Arrests 10,000+ in Just Five Days

‘Yeah, That’s Illegal’: USPS Chief Says States Won’t Receive Mail Ballots Unless They Hand Voter Rolls to Trump

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Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections on September 17, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
 (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

“You’re making a decision that people cannot vote by mail. That’s unacceptable,” said US Sen. Gary Peters.

Postmaster General David Steiner drew the ire of Democratic senators and voting rights advocates on Wednesday when he said that the US Postal Service would not deliver mail-in ballots in states that do not hand their voter files to the Trump administration.

During a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the panels ranking member, asked Steiner if USPS would deliver ballots in a state whose government had refused the Trump administration’s request for access to its absentee voter list.

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“Under our proposed regulation, no,” Steiner replied. “We would tell the state that we need the manifest.”

Peters responded by accusing USPS of creating a rule that “coerces” states into handing their voter files to the federal government even though they are under no legal obligation to do so.

“You’re making a decision that people cannot vote by mail,” Peters said. “That’s unacceptable.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also sparred with Steiner during the hearing, informing the postmaster general that USPS had absolutely no role to play in determining how states conduct their elections.

“You run the Postal Service, you deliver the mail,” Blumenthal said. “You don’t review ballots or registration. Nobody said you should… This proposed rule is bogus.”

Blumenthal demanded Steiner commit to deliver all mail-in ballots to voters in his state regardless of whether it complied with the Trump administration’s demands, but the postmaster general said he would not make such a commitment.

“Our proposed rule is subject to litigation,” Steiner told him. “We’ll see how that all turns out.”

“Well, I guess we will see,” Blumenthal replied, “but it will probably be in court.”

Some observers reacted with shock to Steiner’s willingness to go along with Trump’s latest election-rigging scheme, which they said was patently unconstitutional.

“Yeah, that’s illegal,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. “The Post Office can’t refuse to deliver mail to try and get policy concessions.”

“We have a Postmaster General who should not be in any position of trust or influence,” commented political scientist Norman Ornstein, “a disgraceful traitor to American values.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signaled his state would challenge the proposed USPS rule.

“Illinois expanded vote-by-mail because we believe voting should be easier, not harder,” Pritzker wrote. “Now, Trump’s handpicked Postmaster General is threatening to withhold mail ballots unless states turn over voter rolls. That’s not election security. It’s voter suppression.”

Political scientist Robert E. Kelly argued that Trump’s attack on mail-in voting was a “deeply malign gimmick which makes it so hard to accommodate MAGA within the US political order.”

“No one thought to use the mail as a partisan weapon,” Kelly wrote. “The laws and norms around mail are poorly known, because no one ever thought to try this gambit before. But now, because Trump insists on politicizing the bureaucracy, this whole thing will go to court just months before the election.”

Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Continue Reading‘Yeah, That’s Illegal’: USPS Chief Says States Won’t Receive Mail Ballots Unless They Hand Voter Rolls to Trump

Israeli army confirms authenticity of image showing Palestinian detainee abused in Gaza

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Israeli soldiers carrying rifles patrol a street during a raid on Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine, on June 18, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli army on Thursday confirmed the authenticity of a widely circulated image showing a Palestinian detainee being abused by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

The image shows the detainee lying face down, blindfolded and bound with wire, with an iron rod strapped to his back.

The image sparked widespread criticism on social media and renewed calls from human rights advocates for an independent investigation into the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.

The confirmation came in a statement carried by Israel’s Army Radio, which quoted an unnamed military spokesperson after the image circulated widely on social media.

“The army confirms that the footage published on Palestinian networks over the past 24 hours, showing a man from Gaza handcuffed, tied to a bed, blindfolded, and with a rod tied to his back, is real footage that occurred in the Gaza Strip,” the spokesperson said.

Army Radio published the image but provided no details about where or when the incident occurred.

The image renewed attention to the harsh detention conditions and abuse of Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

According to Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups, about 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, where detainees face torture, starvation, and medical neglect that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of prisoners.

Israel has waged a genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 73,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 173,000, according to Palestinian figures, while widespread destruction has affected about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure.

READ: Israeli army disperses protest in southern West Bank, injures, arrests Palestinians

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
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Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.
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Continue ReadingIsraeli army confirms authenticity of image showing Palestinian detainee abused in Gaza

US fighter jets presence over Hormuz threatens regional security: Iranian army

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The United States announces that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, carrying 3,500 U.S. troops, has reached the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command in the Middle East on March 2026. [US CENTCOM/Handout – Anadolu Agency]

The Iranian army warned on Thursday that the continued presence of US manned and unmanned military aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz threatens regional security and vowed a “swift and decisive” response to any American interference in the strategic waterway.

In a statement carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said the continued presence of US fighter jets and drones over the Strait of Hormuz “has caused insecurity in this waterway and will threaten regional security.”

Iran “will not hesitate to take any action” to repel “any aggression and violation by the US military and its supporters in defense of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Any American interference in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a decisive and swift response from the armed forces,” the statement said

READ: Tehran vows ‘immediate powerful response’ to threats against Iranian people, leadership

The headquarters described the Strait of Hormuz as “the sovereign territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and that the security and stability of the strategic waterway constitute “a red line” for the country’s armed forces.

It also reiterated that all oil tankers and commercial vessels must use the navigation route designated by Iran when transiting the strait.

According to the statement, any vessel failing to comply with Iran’s designated route or navigation protocols will face “an immediate and forceful response” from the armed forces and risk its own security.

Iran and the US reached the memorandum of understanding on June 18 called for extending the ceasefire reached earlier for 60 days, lifting the US naval blockade on Iran, and the full reopening of Strait of Hormuz.

Technical negotiations to implement the memorandum and agree on a final deal that will also include consensus on the status of Iran’s nuclear program continue under joint Qatari-Pakistani mediation.

READ: Iran says IAEA inspectors ‘will not be granted any access’ to bombed nuclear sites

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.

Continue ReadingUS fighter jets presence over Hormuz threatens regional security: Iranian army

Hamas calls for emergency Arab summit over alleged Gaza displacement plans

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This picture shows national flags of the Arab league countries. [Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images]

Hamas has called on the Arab League to convene an emergency summit to address what it described as Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, urging Arab states to adopt a unified political response.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said repeated Israeli statements about proposals concerning Gaza’s population reflected what he described as the seriousness of efforts to displace Palestinians from the territory.

Qassem argued that these plans are accompanied by military actions that, in his view, are destroying the conditions necessary for civilian life and forcing residents to leave the Strip.

He called on the Arab League to hold an emergency summit to coordinate a collective response.

According to Qassem, the issue extends beyond the Palestinian territories and poses a broader challenge to Arab national security.

He said any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza would directly affect the security interests of neighbouring Arab states, particularly Egypt.

The Hamas spokesperson urged Arab governments to move beyond statements of condemnation and adopt what he described as practical political and diplomatic measures to prevent any displacement of Gaza’s population.

He also called for efforts to end the war, halt Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on the territory.

Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is pursuing a policy of forcibly displacing Gaza’s population, while international discussions continue over post-war governance and the future administration of the territory.

READ: Arab League says calls to end UNRWA’s role in Gaza lack legal basis

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.

Continue ReadingHamas calls for emergency Arab summit over alleged Gaza displacement plans