“Terrorist” designation doesn’t apply to local CAIR chapters, Paxton argues in defending Abbott order
In his office’s response to a lawsuit filed by Texas chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the AG said the governor’s “foreign terrorist organization” proclamation applies only to CAIR’s national entity.
Texas National Guard’s deployment in Illinois blocked by U.S. Supreme Court
Around 200 Texas National Guard troops were deployed to the Chicago area in early October, despite opposition from local and state governments in Illinois.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Texas law restricting kids from app stores
Senate Bill 2420, which would have gone into effect on Jan. 1, likely violates the First Amendment, according to the ruling.
Trump administration weighing new South Texas land exchange with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Federal officials are considering swapping 775 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge with the aerospace company, according to The New York Times.
Trump admin sues Illinois Gov. Pritzker over laws shielding migrants from courthouse arrests
The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over new laws that aim to protect migrants from arrest at key locations, including courthouses, hospitals and day cares. The lawsuit was filed on Monday, arguing that the new protective measures prohibiting immigration agents from detaining migrants going about daily business at specific locations are unconstitutional and “threaten the safety of federal officers,” the DOJ said in a statement. The governor signed laws earlier this month that ban civil arrests at and around courthouses across the state. The measures also require hospitals, day care centers and public universities to have procedures in place for addressing civil immigration operations and protecting personal information. The laws, which took effect immediately, also provide legal steps for people whose constitutional rights were violated during the federal immigration raids in the Chicago area, including $10,000 in damages for a person unlawfully arrested while attempting to attend a court proceeding. PRITZKER SIGNS BILL TO FURTHER SHIELD ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ILLINOIS FROM DEPORTATIONS Pritzker, a Democrat, has led the fight against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Illinois, particularly over the indiscriminate and sometimes violent nature in which they are detained. But the governor’s office reaffirmed that he is not against arresting illegal migrants who commit violent crimes. “However, the Trump administration’s masked agents are not targeting the ‘worst of the worst’ — they are harassing and detaining law-abiding U.S. citizens and Black and brown people at daycares, hospitals and courthouses,” spokesperson Jillian Kaehler said in a statement. Earlier this year, the federal government reversed a Biden administration policy prohibiting immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools and churches. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which began in September in the Chicago area but appears to have since largely wound down for now, led to more than 4,000 arrests. But data on people arrested from early September through mid-October showed only 15% had criminal records, with the vast majority of offenses being traffic violations, misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies. Immigration and legal advocates have praised the new laws protecting migrants in Illinois, saying many immigrants were avoiding courthouses, hospitals and schools out of fear of arrest amid the president’s mass deportation agenda. The laws are “a brave choice” in opposing ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Our collective resistance to ICE and CBP’s violent attacks on our communities goes beyond community-led rapid response — it includes legislative solutions as well,” he said. The DOJ claims Pritzker and state Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also a Democrat, violated the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal law is the “supreme Law of the Land.” ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS PASS BILL BANNING ICE IMMIGRATION ARRESTS NEAR COURTHOUSES Raoul and his staff are reviewing the DOJ’s complaint. “This new law reflects our belief that no one is above the law, regardless of their position or authority,” Pritzker’s office said. “Unlike the Trump administration, Illinois is protecting constitutional rights in our state.” The lawsuit is part of an initiative by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to block state and local laws the DOJ argues impede federal immigration operations, as other states have also made efforts to protect migrants against federal raids at sensitive locations. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Christmastime ICE Operation ‘Angel’s Honor’ nets child rapist, torturer
A Christmastime U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation named Operation “Angel’s Honor” in tribute to murdered Georgia nursing student Laken Riley netted over 1,000 criminal illegal aliens, according to the agency. In a Monday statement, ICE announced the “successful conclusion” of a 14-day enforcement operation that it said resulted in over 1,030 criminal illegal aliens arrested under the Laken Riley Act. The agency said the operation was codenamed “Angel’s Honor” in memory of Riley, who was murdered by Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Ibarra in 2024. Congress passed the Laken Riley Act with bipartisan support in January, and the measure was signed into law by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office. The law stipulates mandatory detention of non-citizens charged with specific crimes, including burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, assault on a law enforcement officer, or any crime causing serious bodily injury or death. DHS ARRESTS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, INCLUDING MURDERERS AND PEDOPHILES, IN WEEKEND OPERATION In the Monday statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Trump “empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration.” “Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country,” said Noem. “We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice,” she went on, adding, “I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets.” ICE highlighted some of the criminal illegals arrested during the operation, which included individuals who raped and tortured children. DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS ‘CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS’ Among those arrested was Jamie Escobar-Mirales, a 37-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, who ICE said was arrested on Dec. 18. According to the agency, his criminal history includes an arrest for two counts of rape of a child. He is now facing removal proceedings. A different illegal immigrant from Mexico named Javier Diaz-Cabrera, 40, was arrested on Dec. 18. He has a criminal history that includes an arrest for illegal sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13 and sexual assault with a victim under 18 by a guardian. Evelyn Martinez-Rodriguez, a 36-year-old from Honduras, was arrested on Dec. 9. ICE said her criminal history includes arrests for assault-torture/willful abuse of a child, domestic violence assault, assault and public order crimes. Another illegal, Fredy Garcia-Canan, a 34-year-old from Guatemala, was arrested on Dec. 19. He has an outstanding removal order from 2024 and has a criminal history including an arrest for intentional bodily harm with a deadly weapon, criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated endangering to a child. Guatemalan illegal Brandon Barrientos-Garcia, 28, was also arrested on Dec. 19. His criminal history includes an arrest for assault by strangulation, breaking/entering to terrorize/injure and domestic violence assault, per ICE. DHS TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER ARRESTING OVER 10K ILLEGAL ALIENS IN DEEP BLUE CITY DESPITE VIOLENT RIOTS Fernando Manzanares-Cruz, a 40-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested on Dec. 16 and had a removal order from 2016. His criminal history includes arrests for assault and battery of a pregnant victim, assault and battery of a family/household member and witness intimidation. Even further back, ICE arrested Mexican illegal Braulio Rosas-Ayala, 44, who was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 1999. Rosas-Ayala’s criminal history includes an arrest for rape and sodomy. Commenting on the roundup, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, “We named this operation ‘Angel’s Honor’ in honor of the memory of Laken Riley, whose life was tragically cut short by illegal alien crime.” GOP GOVERNOR LAYS OUT PLAN TO ‘PURGE’ TERRORISTS AND TERROR SUPPORTERS FROM STATE “This operation, while a massive success, also serves as a solemn reminder of the profound impact that immigrant violence and crime can have on victims and their loved ones,” said Lyons. “ICE’s mission,” said Lyons, “is to ensure that no more Americans will fall victim to illegal alien crime.”
Venezuela passes law enacting harsh penalties for supporters of US blockade
Government of President Nicolas Maduro denounces US seizure of oil tankers as illegal acts of piracy. By News Agencies Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Venezuela’s National Assembly has passed a law enacting harsh penalties for those who support or help finance blockades and acts of piracy, including up to 20 years in prison. The legislation was passed on Tuesday after the United States seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela, acts that the government of President Nicolas Maduro has denounced as lawless acts of piracy. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “This law seeks to protect the national economy and avoid the erosion of living standards for the population,” Giuseppe Alessandrello said while presenting the law before the National Assembly, which is controlled by Maduro’s ruling party. The US has carried out a series of increasingly aggressive measures over the past several months, deploying sizeable military forces to Latin America, seizing oil tankers, killing dozens of people in military strikes on what it says are drug-trafficking boats and threatening land strikes on Venezuela itself. The legality of some of those acts, such as the seizures of oil tankers in international waters, is contested. Others, such as the strikes against alleged drug traffickers, are widely considered illegal. “We are in the presence of a power that acts outside of international law, demanding that Venezuelans vacate our country and hand it over,” Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s representative at the United Nations, told the UN Security Council during a meeting on Tuesday. “The threat is not Venezuela,” he added. “The threat is the US government.” China and Russia also criticised US actions, with Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia saying that the Trump administration was creating a “template” for the use of force that could be used against other Latin American countries in the future. Advertisement The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the US military had moved special operations aircraft and cargo planes with troops into the Caribbean this week. “We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we’ve ever had and by far the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” Trump told reporters on Monday. Maduro has said the US is seeking to topple his government and seize control of Venezuela’s large oil reserves, which members of the Trump administration have falsely claimed rightfully belong to the US. Trump said on Monday that the US would retain the oil seized from the tankers as well as the tankers themselves. Addressing the UN Security Council, US ambassador Mike Waltz said that oil sales were a “primary economic lifeline for Maduro and his illegitimate regime”, repeating the largely unfounded claim that Maduro oversees a vast criminal enterprise that traffics drugs to the US. “The single most serious threat to this hemisphere, our very own neighbourhood and the United States, is from transnational terrorist and criminal groups,” Waltz said. The US pressure campaign has become a useful pretext for the Venezuelan government’s efforts to crack down on internal dissent. Rights groups said the Maduro government has become more repressive since a presidential election in July 2024, in which Maduro claimed victory despite widespread doubts about the credibility of the results. The opposition has maintained it was the true winner, and few countries have recognised Maduro’s victory. Adblock test (Why?)
Belgium joins South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at ICJ
Other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkiye, have already joined the case in The Hague. Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Belgium has formally joined the case launched by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. In a statement on Tuesday, the ICJ – The Hague-based highest court of the United Nations – said Belgium had filed a declaration of intervention in the case. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Turkiye, have already joined the proceedings. South Africa brought the case in December 2023, arguing that Israel’s war in Gaza violates the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Israel has rejected the allegations and criticised the case. While a final ruling could take years, the ICJ issued provisional measures in January 2024 ordering Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. The court’s orders are legally binding although it has no direct mechanism to enforce them. The ICJ also said Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and its policies amount to annexation. Israel has continued its assaults in Gaza and the occupied West Bank despite the rulings and growing international criticism while advancing plans to seize large parts of Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, the United States and several of its European allies continue to provide military and financial support to Israel. Washington has rejected the merits of South Africa’s case, and US lawmakers have criticised the country and issued threats against it. Advertisement The US has also imposed sanctions on members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Belgium was also among a group of countries that recognised the State of Palestine in September. Nearly 80 percent of UN member states now recognise Palestine. Since a ceasefire began on October 10, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said, Israel has killed at least 406 Palestinians and injured 1,118 in the enclave. Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the ministry said, at least 70,942 Palestinians have been killed and 171,195 wounded. Adblock test (Why?)
How will Syria deal with its growing security challenges?
Renewed fighting between army and SDF highlights volatility. As the year comes to an end, a deal between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was expected to come into force. Instead, fighting has erupted between the two sides in the northern city of Aleppo. They later agreed to stop the fighting, while blaming each other for the violence. That deal was supposed to lead to the SDF integrating with the army, but it is stalling on how that should be implemented. This renewed tension comes as Damascus faces other threats, ranging from ISIL (ISIS) to recurrent conflicts with the Druze community and continuing attacks by Israel. So what does this complex security situation mean for Syria, a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests Haid Haid – Researcher at Chatham House Steven Heydemann – Professor and Middle East Studies programme director at Smith College Omer Ozkizilcik – Nonresident fellow for the Syria project in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programme Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi’s air quality dips to ‘severe’ category, large parts record AQI above…
Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate on Tuesday as a thick layer of toxic smog blanketed large parts of the national capital, including areas around India Gate. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) near India Gate stood at 421, placing it in the ‘severe’ category.