Unlawful ICE arrests at immigration courts will continue across the country, despite the Department of Justice admitting that federal agents have no such authority to make them.In a Tuesday letter to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel of New York City, the DOJ conceded that a 2025 Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo used to justify the arrests of hundreds of immigrants appearing in immigration court “does not and has never applied to civil immigration enforcement actions in or near immigration court.” Despite the stunning concession, the Department of Homeland Security doesn’t seem to care. It will continue to arrest immigrants showing up for their hearings, the DHS said in a statement Thursday.“There is no change in policy. We will continue to arrest illegal aliens at immigration courts following their proceedings. It is common sense to take them into custody following the completion of their removal proceedings,” the statement reads. “Nothing prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them,” it concludes. Actually, it does. The DOJ itself admitted the memo does not mean ICE has free rein to arrest whoever it wants, wherever it wants. The disclosure was part of a federal court case brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union that challenges ICE’s nefarious arrests of immigrants at Manhattan’s immigration court, which has seen the most arrests of any major city in America. Thousands more have been unlawfully arrested at courthouses across the country. The DOJ apologized in a letter to Castel, and blamed the mistake on ICE. “We deeply regret that this error has come to light at this late stage, after the parties have expended significant resources and time to litigate this case and this Court has carefully considered Plaintiffs’ challenge to the 2025 ICE Guidance,” the letter reads.It doesn’t really matter whose fault it was, especially as it seems ICE will continue snatching immigrants trying to comply with the federal system whether it’s authorized or not.
President Trump cares more about getting a statue of himself built in Venezuela than he does about Americans getting cheaper gas prices.Interior Secretary Doug Burgum planted the absurd inkling in Trump’s easily flattered head during a Thursday Cabinet meeting at the White House.“Back on Venezuela—[Energy Secretary] Chris [Wright] … had a chance to be there,” Burgum said. “I literally think they’re gonna put up a statue of President Trump … and it’s not a political statement, it’s—”“I actually think that would be a great honor,” Trump interrupted.“It’s like they view President Trump like Simon Buller,” Burgum continued, perhaps referring to Simón Bolívar, who led a massive chunk of South America into independence from Spain. “He’s the liberator of a country, and this is a country where they, you know they love American baseball, you look on the street, they’re wearing NBA jerseys.”Burgum: "I literally think they're gonna put up a statue to President Trump in Venezuela. And it's not a political statement. He's the liberator." pic.twitter.com/nBYjGdjcCC— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2026“Their production on oil production is climbing towards 50 percent increase just in the three months we’ve been here. That flows to American refineries on the Gulf Coast, lowering the price of gas in America, so it’s a—” Burgum continued before Trump cut in.“Forget that. When are they gonna do the statue? To hell with the other thing,” Trump said as the room erupted in laughter. While it came off as a joke at the moment, a sitting president suggesting that the country whose president he kidnapped and jailed build a statue of him is tasteless in any context.Trump’s dismissal of oil and gas prices—perhaps the most important issue to the average American—is emblematic of his entire second tenure as president. Chest pounding, bravado, and imperialism abroad while the Americans he promised to fight for flail at home.BURGUM: That flows to American refineries on the gulf coast, lowering the cost of gas in AmericaTRUMP: Forget that. When are they gonna do the statue? pic.twitter.com/Pw2iD418Qs— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2026
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche advocated for sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places, in the clearest proof yet that the Trump administration plans to use the overfunded and undertrained police force to suppress the vote.Blanche made the comments in a speech at the popular conservative conference CPAC on Thursday. “Why is there objection to sending ICE officers to polling places?” he said. “Illegals can’t vote. It doesn’t make any sense.”Federal law prohibits government forces from patrolling poll sites unless “such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” Nonetheless, top Trump officials have balked when asked if ICE would be deployed for the midterms.In February, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called a question on the subject “silly” and “disingenuous” while declining to actually answer.Other right-wing freaks—cough, Steve Bannon, cough—have been all in on the idea for some time. And as Trump’s polling numbers continue to nosedive, it would be surprising if he didn’t do everything he could for his party to remain in power. Earlier this year, the president remarked that Republicans should “nationalize the voting.”Critics worry that the presence of ICE agents at polling stations could deter Americans from voting, even if all their documents are in order. The agency has already killed two American citizens in 2026, and detained over 170 in 2025.The idea that noncitizens are consistently voting in American elections is a myth Trump has successfully convinced his base is true. Funnily enough, most high-profile attempts at voter fraud have come from his own supporters.