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New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
ICE to roll out bold, new cars emblazoned with agency's name, logo — leaving agents furious and terrified: ‘A bullseye'
This will blow ICE's cover. Immigration agents who have long gone undercover to make arrests across the country will soon be rolling in vehicles boldly emblazoned with the agency's logo — leaving agents furious and scared for their lives. The new fleet will be dark blue with 'ICE' plastered in giant, yellow letters across the side, along with the phrase 'Defend the Homeland' in all caps, a photo obtained by The Post shows. The vehicles are expected to be rolled out in Washington, DC, imminently, sources said. They will then be gradually deployed across the country. 'Obviously, we're going to need additional vehicles as we build out our workforce, so there'll be some marked vehicles from here in DC and around the country,' an ICE insider told The Post. But agents — who are dealing with a 1,000% increase in assaults by illegal immigrants and anti-ICE activists — say they're concerned that this will further expose them to dangerous threats. 'It's like having a bullseye,' said one ICE source. 'This will only raise officer-involved incidents in the streets because people will target the vehicles,' said another agency source, adding that agitators have already successfully 'impeded operations.' The sources described scary incidents in which activists have slashed tires and hurled projectiles at their cars. Agents already wear masks to shield their identities and dress in street clothes while making arrests — a practice that has come under scrutiny as the Trump administration ramps up its mass deportation effort. 'They won't let us do our jobs,' a source explained of the anti-ICE agitators. It was not clear how many vehicles ICE will deploy nationwide or how much the new fleet will cost. However, the Department of Homeland Security said agency's new wheels come after it received an influx of cash from the One Big Beautiful Bill. 'ICE is a law enforcement agency, and like all other law enforcement agencies has a fleet of vehicles that includes those with ICE branding. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE finally has the resources to grow its workforce to support ICE's mission, and that will include all types of additional vehicles,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Post. 'These specific vehicles will supplement the existing ICE fleet and support operations across the country,' she added. McLaughlin also defended the department's commitment to the safety of its agents. 'The safety and security of our brave men and women is, and always has been, our priority, and suggestions that law enforcement branded vehicles, no different from police vehicles, will jeopardize that is simply not the case,' she said. The fleet will be used in arrest operations but will not be utilized in undercover surveillance missions that are often conducted before an illegal immigrant target is collared, an ICE insider said. The imminent rollout of the new SUVs in DC comes as President Trump seized control of the city's police department in an effort to crack down on crime in the nation's capital. 'We are here with a large presence in DC following the president's announcement on Monday … we have additional officers and teams here in DC for the foreseeable future. You will be seeing a larger presence around the city as we make DC safe again,' said an ICE insider. On Wednesday night, immigration agents with the agency set up a checkpoint on 14th Street in Northwest DC that quickly drew a crowd of unruly protesters. 'Why are you here? You are trying to arrest innocent people? What's your purpose? What's your goal? What's the motive? Why won't you show your face? Do you look yourself in the mirror and think 'I did a good job today'?' one protester was heard yelling at officers, according to Fox News.
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
PM Modi pays tribute at Zagreb's Monument to the Homeland
Zagreb [Croatia], June 19 (ANI): In a gesture underscoring mutual respect and shared historical values, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic, paid tribute at The Monument to the Homeland in Zagreb on Wednesday, honouring brave soldiers and reinforcing the deep cultural and emotional ties between the two nations. 'The Monument to the Homeland holds immense importance to the people of Croatia. A short while ago, laid a wreath there,' Prime Minister Modi posted on X. The Monument to the Homeland in Zagreb stands as a powerful symbol of Croatia's struggle for independence and is dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Building on the spirit of this shared respect and remembrance, Prime Minister Modi later met the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, laying the foundation for a renewed partnership between the two nations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening India-Croatia ties across trade, technology, and cultural cooperation, and expressed their shared commitment to democratic values and global peace. 'Met Mr. Zoran Milanovic, the President of Croatia. Had extensive discussions on the full range of India-Croatia friendship, including ways to boost linkages of commerce and culture,' Prime Minister Modi posted on X, reflecting the depth and scope of the discussions held between the two leaders. Capping off this meaningful and historic visit, which marked multiple firsts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday concluded his tour of Croatia, calling it a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries. He was on a three-nation tour. His first stop was Cyprus, followed by Canada, where he attended the G7 Summit, and then Croatia, making it the first visit by an Indian PM to the European Nation. During his visit, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by the people and Government of Croatia. He expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and highlighted the visit's significance in ushering in a new chapter in the shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation between India and Croatia. 'Grateful to the people and Government of Croatia for the warm welcome during what has been a truly landmark visit. This visit ushers in a new chapter in our shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation,' PM Modi posted on X. He shared his positive experience of visiting Zagreb, appreciating the city's culture, people's lifestyle, and warmth, feeling at home during his stay. 'I am happy that I got the opportunity to come to this beautiful city of Zagreb. Even though this visit is a small one, I got to experience the city's culture, people's lifestyle, and warmth. I felt at home...,' he said. PM Modi noted that the visit marked an important milestone in bilateral relations, with many significant decisions made to strengthen India-Croatia ties. 'Today was an important milestone in our bilateral relations. We made many important decisions that will strengthen India-Croatia relations and open new avenues for working together in many areas...,' he added. His remarks came after a day of high-level engagements, including talks with his Croatian counterpart Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and a ceremonial welcome in the capital city of Zagreb, which he shared highlights of on Wednesday. (ANI)
Boston Globe
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Under Patel, FBI heightens focus on violent crime, illegal immigration. Other threats abound, too.
Advertisement A revised FBI priority list on its website places 'Crush Violent Crime' at the top, bringing the bureau into alignment with the vision of President Trump, who has made a crackdown on illegal immigration, cartels, and transnational gangs a cornerstone of his administration. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The FBI said in a statement that its commitment to investigating international and domestic terrorism has not changed. That The bureau said it continuously assesses threats and 'allocates resources and personnel in alignment with that analysis.' Signs of restructuring abound. The Justice Department has disbanded an Advertisement Some former officials are concerned the stepped-up focus on violent crime and immigration, areas already core to the mission of other agencies, risks deflecting attention from some of the complicated criminal and national security threats for which the bureau has long borne primary, if not exclusive responsibility for investigating. 'If you're looking down five feet in front of you, looking for gang members and I would say lower-level criminals, you're going to miss some of the more sophisticated strategic issues that may be already present or emerging,' said Chris Piehota, a retired senior FBI official. Immigration enforcement in particular is a new focus for the FBI. Since Trump's inauguration, the FBI has assumed greater responsibility for that work, saying it's made over 10,000 immigration-related arrests. Patel has highlighted the arrests on social media, doubling down on the administration's promise to prioritize immigration enforcement. Agents have been There's precedent for the FBI to rearrange priorities to meet evolving threats, though for the past two decades countering terrorism has remained a constant atop the agenda. Advertisement The FBI's new list of priorities places 'Crush Violent Crime' as a top pillar alongside 'Defend the Homeland,' though FBI leaders stress that counterterrorism remains the bureau's principal mandate. Patel's direct predecessor, Christopher Wray, often said he was hard-pressed to think of a time when the FBI was facing so many elevated threats at once. At the time of his departure last January, the FBI was grappling with elevated terrorism concerns; Testifying before lawmakers last month, Patel noted the surge in terrorism threats following the Rounding out the priority list are two newcomers: 'Rebuild Public Trust' and 'Fierce Organizational Accountability.' Those reflect the claims — amplified by Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino — that faith in the bureau had eroded through its years of investigations of Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago home was searched by agents for classified documents in 2022. Close allies of Trump, both men have committed to disclose files from past investigations, including into Advertisement They've also pledged to examine matters that have captivated attention in conservative circles, like the James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisor, said he was heartened by an enhanced violent crime focus so long as other initiatives weren't abandoned. 'Mission priorities change,' Gagliano said. 'The threat matrix changes. You've got to constantly get out in front of that.' The Trump administration has touted several terrorism successes but it's also employing a broad definition of what it believes constitutes terrorism. FBI and Justice Department officials see the fight against transnational gangs as part of their counterterrorism mandate, taking advantage of the administration's designation of the violent street gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations to bring terrorism-related charges against defendants, including a One national security concern Patel has preached continuity on in public is the threat from China, which he said in a recent Fox News interview keeps him up at night. Wray often called China the gravest long-term threat to national security. When he stepped aside in January, the FBI was contending with an espionage operation that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. There are signs of a broader national security realignment. A task force tracking foreign influence was disbanded and the Justice Department has scaled back criminal enforcement of a Advertisement
