RSS Feeds

In the wake of two fatal shootings in six days involving immigration agents firing into vehicles, Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) has ordered its agents to halt most vehicle stops while pursuing undocumented immigrants, according to two sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. 

The policy guidance applies to agents under Enforcement and Removal Operations, the branch of ICE that detains and ultimately deports undocumented immigrants. It does not apply to the agency’s 287(g) program, which gives cooperating state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform some of the functions of immigration officers, one of the sources says. 

The pause follows deadly shootings in Houston and Biddeford, Maine, both of which involved agents attempting to stop someone in a vehicle, video evidence shows. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that both of the drivers attempted to run over law enforcement agents, but has not provided evidence to back up those claims. 

In a statement to TIME, an ICE spokesperson said, "We are always evaluating our procedures to keep our officers safe and criminals off our streets. We will not disclose or discuss law enforcement tactics."

Under President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE agents have been involved in a string of shootings, several of them involving people in vehicles in situations that critics have said involved agents defying their training. “When ICE does a traffic stop, they [agents] have limited authorities, because they're supposed to be immigration related,” a former ICE agent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, told TIME. “We weren't supposed to give chase to anyone [in a traffic stop] unless there's a fleeing felon, and we know for a fact there’s a felon who is going to endanger other lives.” 

In Biddeford, an investigation is still under way over a shooting death by a federal agent of a 26-year-old native of Colombia who was not the target of a warrant. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is running for reelection, said in a statement that the shooting in Biddeford raised “sufficient critical questions” and that she spoke to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin on Monday night and urged him to cease all “non-violent traffic stops.”

In Houston on July 7,  Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52-year-old father of three, was driving to work when he was pursued by federal agents and killed.

Deadly incidents earlier this year in Minnesota involving federal agents prompted a series of personnel shuffles in the Department of Homeland Security, including the departure of Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as the retirement of Greg Bovino, commander-at-large of the Border Patrol who oversaw the deportation operations, and ICE Director Todd Lyons. The fallout from Minnesota prompted a lengthy standoff in Congress which resulted in the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. History. DHS has recently renewed its push to ramp up deportation numbers nationwide, according to multiple outlets.

It is almost time for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to face voters once again. In October 2023, when Hamas broke out of Gaza and murdered hundreds of Israelis, most of them civilians, Netanyahu looked done for. Responsible for the worst intelligence and security failure in the history of the Jewish state, he promised total victory in wars of retribution against all of his country’s enemies: Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and their paymasters in Iran. For the past 33 months, the demands of wartime have held together an unruly coalition government in Israel dominated by hard-right and religious parties.

But an inconclusive war with Iran; a failure to defeat Hamas or Hezbollah; and a falling out with Washington, Israel’s essential benefactor, have left Netanyahu exposed. President Donald Trump has criticized Netanyahu for insubordination, citing his failure to fully support an Iran peace deal that the U.S. president urgently needs. Some Democrats, and many leaders around the world, have accused Netanyahu and Israeli forces of war crimes, which they deny.

Israelis must head to the polls by Oct. 27. Their prime minister is in real political trouble. The central issue of the upcoming election in the country will be Netanyahu’s failure to deliver the clear military victories and restoration of security he promised. Millions of Israelis also remember the corruption charges still looming over him and his bid to weaken Israel’s Supreme Court—the issues that roiled the nation’s politics before Oct. 7, 2023.

Secular and centrist Israelis resent Netanyahu’s deep political dependence on ultra-Orthodox voters who contribute little to the nation’s economy and refuse military service. Others note that Netanyahu, now 76, has grappled with both prostate cancer and heart disease, and may judge him no longer fit to serve.

But Israel’s longest-serving PM still has a fighting chance, because the opposition may not successfully form a government of its own. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid have lost support in recent weeks to a new party led by former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who has gained credibility in part because his son and nephew were killed fighting Hamas in Gaza.

If Bennett, Lapid, and Eisenkot joined forces, they could probably form the next government. But both Bennett and Eisenkot want the top job and believe they can win. A fractured opposition that prevails in elections but can’t agree who’s in charge may be Netanyahu’s best chance. He would then have a window to cut a deal—likely with Blue & White party leader Benny Gantz—to stay in power.

In the near term, this election is unlikely to mean much for Israel’s economy, which boasts a strong tech sector and now benefits from war-related production. Markets and the currency remain robust. Unemployment is low, in part because many workers are now serving in the army. A government without Netanyahu would certainly find a warmer welcome in Europe, reducing the risks of sanctions over Israeli actions in Gaza. It might also slow the exodus from Israel of liberal Israelis worried about Israel’s direction and international isolation.

An opposition win would not weaken Israel’s determination to work with Lebanon’s government to disarm Hezbollah. Any Israeli government would move toward a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon while insisting on the right to strike back at future Hezbollah threats. A Netanyahu loss would make Israeli annexation of the West Bank less likely—though one should not expect any serious talk of a Palestinian state.

The biggest difference between another Netanyahu government and an opposition win lies in each side’s approach to a battered but newly emboldened government in Tehran. A new prime minister, eager to repair relations with Washington, would be far less likely than Netanyahu to launch major new strikes inside Iran. Limited attacks and covert operations would remain possible, with the focus on preparing for the next war instead of prosecuting the current one.

So this election will likely be the voters’ verdict on Netanyahu himself. The war has delayed a political reckoning. That delay is almost over.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump is the “gravest threat to American democracy” as he addressed voters ahead of November's midterm elections.

Newsom, viewed as a possible Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, has repeatedly clashed with Trump and his Administration over a range of political and legal disputes.

"If you disagree with him, he tries to prosecute you. If you beat him, he calls you illegitimate. This is not normal in a democracy," Newsom said in a social media post Monday night. "From Georgia to California, we must stop him."

Newsom hit the campaign trail in Nevada last week in an effort to boost Democrats in the midterms.

Democrats hope to regain control of the House and Senate, both of which are currently held by Republicans. A Democratic victory in the House would restore the party's ability to more aggressively scrutinize the Trump Administration, including through congressional investigations.

When contacted for comment by TIME, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Newsom is “the worst governor in America.”

Newsom's latest remarks follow a filmed address he delivered during America's 250th anniversary celebrations.

In a speech that lasted more than eight minutes, Newsom argued the "nation’s democratic promise is under threat" from what he described as a “corrupt and unstable President.”

“Which is why, on America’s 250th birthday, we need a declaration of election independence—freedom from election manipulators and deniers, freedom from the militarization of election day, freedom from the fear of imprisonment if you don’t go along with Trump’s schemes,” he said.

In May, Newsom signed a bill to strengthen California’s voting safeguards ahead of the primary elections, citing what he characterized as “legitimate anxiety” over potential efforts by the Trump Administration to interfere in the democratic process.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of U.S. elections while pushing for passage of the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and impose other election-related restrictions. His efforts have drawn bipartisan criticism.

Just last month, Trump accused California Democrats of “cheating” and “trying to steal” elections from Republicans as Democrat Nithya Raman edged out his preferred candidate Spencer Pratt to secure the second spot in the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Newsom’s office responded by saying “Trump is lying about California again.”

But the tensions between the long-time sparring partners extend far beyond vote counts.

Newsom clashed with the President in June last year after he deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles to quell immigration-related protests without the request, or approval, of state leaders.

Trump suggested Newsom should be arrested over his handling of the unrest, insisting the National Guard was needed.

A legal battle ensued over the deployment of the troops, which were then sent to other cities across the U.S., sparking further backlash from Democratic leaders.

In his speech marking July 4, Newsom looked back on that time, warning: “Hear me clearly, that was a test run, a rehearsal. He’s measuring how far he can go and who would dare stop him.”

Trump also blamed Newsom for the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires that engulfed swaths of land in January last year. Newsom hit back and said the President was “playing politics” with the disaster.

The pair clashed again over matters related to redistricting efforts ahead of the midterms.

Newsom led a successful ballot measure last November, securing the redrawing of California's congressional district maps, a move designed to flip as many as five Republican-held seats, in response to a Trump-backed redistricting effort in Texas.