How Trump's placement of the National Guard has pitted neighbors against neighbors in Los Angeles
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
Joe Rogan on ICE raids, arrests under Trump: ‘It's insane'
Podcaster Joe Rogan continued to knock the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workplace raids that have become a hallmark of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, calling the effort 'insane' on Tuesday's episode of his show. 'It's insane,' Rogan, who endorsed President Trump in his reelection bid last fall, said on 'The Joe Rogan Experience.' 'Not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers — just construction workers.' 'Showing up on construction sites, raiding them,' he continued, shaking his head. 'Gardeners. Like, really?' Rogan previously blasted the ICE raids last month, calling them 'f—ing nuts.' Trump campaigned on more aggressive immigration enforcement, but he has faced some backlash over the raids targeting migrant workers. Mass protests broke out in Los Angeles last month as word spread that ICE was conducting raids in California, and Trump sent thousands of National Guard members and Marines to protect federal workers and property during the demonstrations. The Trump administration briefly paused workplace raids at hotels, restaurants and farms in mid-June, but ICE agents were told to return to targeting those sites June 17 to meet the White House's ambitious goal of 3,000 migrant arrests per day. The administration has repeatedly defended arresting and deporting undocumented migrants. 'Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability,' Homeland Security spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement as the raids resumed. 'These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation,' she continued.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Will Camp Blanding be the 'Alligator Alcatraz' of Northeast Florida? Here's what we know.
After greeting President Donald Trump at a newly unveiled immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz," Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans for a second facility at Camp Blanding that will hold up to 2,000 detainees. Construction on the site could begin as early as next week, following the 4th of July weekend. To support his claim, DeSantis said the Camp Blanding facility will bolster both state and federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, calling it a key component in Florida's broader immigration enforcement strategy. Criticism of 'Alligator Alcatraz": Florida lawmaker calls immigrant detention centers 'concentration camps' on CNN Camp Blanding, located southwest of Jacksonville, serves as the primary training site for the Florida National Guard. Additionally, the site includes weapons ranges, educational facilities, simulation platforms, and maintenance support, serving not only the state's National Guard but also a wide range of federal, state, and local agencies across the Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) spectrum. Originally, the idea of using the site as a second immigration detention center was proposed during a news conference on June 25th by Gov. Ron DeSantis. He argued that a dedicated facility is necessary, saying, 'We can't have every illegal housed in our jails because we actually have non-illegals who need to be housed there.' However, aside from being a training center, the facility also has an operating museum for civilians. However, the question remains whether turning Camp Blanding into an immigration detention center will disrupt its current daily operations. Yes, Camp Blanding played a big role during World War II as one of the U.S. Army's major training centers. It started in 1939 as a training area for the Florida National Guard, but as the U.S. prepared for war, it quickly expanded into a federal military base. During the war, Camp Blanding became home to two full infantry divisions and many smaller units. In 1944 and 1945, thousands of soldiers trained here before heading overseas to join combat. The camp also included a large hospital with 2,800 beds, a German POW camp, and later, a Separation Center to help soldiers return to civilian life after the war. Due to its history, the camp was turned into a museum for civilians to indulge in history. After the war ended, Camp Blanding returned to state control. Today, it's still an important training site for the National Guard, Reserves, and even some active-duty military units. Whether you're a history buff or just passing through, Camp Blanding offers a fascinating glimpse into America's wartime past. More Camp Blanding history: Black Panther Division back at Camp Blanding, 75 years later The Camp Blanding Museum features uniforms, weapons, vehicles, and aircraft dating back to the 1940s. According to its website, plans are underway to expand exhibits to include the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terror. Visitors can also browse a gift shop offering history books, patches, pins, and military memorabilia. Outside, the Memorial Park displays large artifacts and monuments honoring those who trained or served at Camp Blanding throughout the decades. As of now, the museum is open to civilians daily from noon to 4 p.m. Located at 5629 SR 16 West, Building 3040, in Starke. Admissions are currently free, with tours available before or after normal hours by appointment, according to the website. As of now, DeSantis has said it will be fully funded by the Federal government, and the construction of Alligator Alcatraz can give a general estimate of the costs that building a facility in Northeast Florida could look like. For what we know now, the remote facility in South Florida, which is composed of large tents and other planned facilities, will cost the state around $450 million a year to run. However, to reduce some of the costs, Florida can request some reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. DeSantis has stated that the project will be fully funded by the federal government. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told USA TODAY that a significant portion of the center and its facilities will be financed through FEMA's Shelter and Services Program, and while the state has confirmed that FEMA will reimburse costs for the Everglades facility, it has not yet addressed whether additional sites will also qualify for reimbursement. To place things into perspective, the 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility, designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees, was created in roughly one week under the direction of state Attorney General James Uthmeier. In comparison, Camp Blanding is expected to hold up to 2,000 detainees. During a tour of the facility on July 1, Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told NBC News that the site can now hold 500 detainees and will be expanded to fit as many as 3,000. As of now, there were rows of bunk beds inside fenced-in areas under a white tent structure with air conditioning. Being present in the U.S. without proper authorization is generally a civil violation, not a criminal one. This means it's handled through immigration proceedings, like deportation, rather than criminal court. Criminal Offenses Include: Illegal Entry: Entering the U.S. without authorization, like crossing the border illegally, is a misdemeanor for the first offense, potentially punishable by fine or imprisonment. Illegal Reentry: Reentering the U.S. after being deported or removed is a felony, with potential penalties of fines and imprisonment. Other Immigration-Related Crimes: Other crimes like smuggling aliens, harboring aliens, or marriage fraud for immigration purposes can also be prosecuted under criminal law. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Camp Blanding: What to know about Florida's second 'Alligator Alcatraz'
CNBC
8 hours ago
- CNBC
App that allows people to share ICE sightings gets boost in downloads after White House backlash
A new platform that encourages users to share information about sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents nearby rose to the top of the Apple App Store this week, amid criticism from Trump administration officials who say the app could put agents at risk. ICEBlock, which launched in April, made headlines after a CNN article about it was called out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons on Monday. Both cited concerns over agent safety in their statements about the app, stating that "agents are facing a 500% increase in assaults." But Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock's Texas-based developer, called the administration's recent criticism "another right-wing fearmongering scare tactic," telling NBC News in a phone interview on Tuesday that his app was designed to be a resource for immigrants who are fearful they will get deported. He said he felt like he was "watching history repeat itself" when he saw things like "5-year-olds in courtrooms with no representation" and "college students being disappeared for their political opinions." "When I saw what was happening in this country, I really just wanted to do something to help fight back," said Aaron, a onetime musician who spent several months working on the app. "I grew up in a Jewish household, and being part of the Jewish community, I had the chance to meet Holocaust survivors and learn the history of what happened in Nazi Germany, and the parallels that we can draw between what's happening right now in our country and Hitler's rise to power are undeniable." The app, which is free and gives users the ability to anonymously report ICE sightings within a five-mile radius, had approximately 95,200 users as of Monday, Aaron said. He said he has not received updated figures from Apple since the White House and ICE issued their comments on the app. ICEBlock is among several crowdsourcing platforms — including the website People Over Papers and the app ResistMap — that people across the U.S. have utilized to warn immigrants in their communities about ICE's whereabouts. Its popularity comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. Raids — and subsequent protests in cities like Los Angeles — have become more widespread as ICE has ramped up its deportation of immigrants. The White House has stood by its policies, stating last month that President Donald Trump "remains committed to enforcing federal immigration law — anyone present in the United States illegally is at risk of deportation." In Monday's White House briefing, Leavitt said she had not seen CNN's report about ICEBlock, but described the app as "encouraging violence against law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our country safe." When asked for comment about ICEBlock, a spokesperson for ICE referred NBC News to Lyons' previous statement in which he called CNN's reporting "sickening," and said the app "basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers' backs." He also expressed concern that covering the app could invite "violence against them with a national megaphone." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also weighed in on Tuesday, saying, "We're working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them [CNN] for that." "Because what they're doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities, operations," she said while speaking to reporters alongside President Trump in Florida. "And we're going to actually go after them and prosecute them with the partnership of Pam if we can. Because what they're doing, we believe, is illegal." CNN did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. The network issued a statement on X in response to Noem and DHS, writing that ICEBlock "is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it. There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, or does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN." Aaron, the developer, also disputed the administration's claims about ICEBlock causing harm. "This app is for informational purposes only, and I always like to say it is to inform, not obstruct," he said. "We are looking for people to be safe, to protect themselves and their communities." ICEBlock is currently available on iOS devices; it's also available in multiple languages and for vision- and hearing-impaired people. When users open the app, they are asked to allow notifications at all times so they can get real-time updates about their area. Once they agree, they are able to see a map of their location, and a list of any reported ICE sightings. If there are none, the app will say "No Sightings Reported." A person can report a sighting by pressing a plus sign and entering a specific address. "Modeled after Waze but for ICE sightings, the app ensures user privacy by storing no personal data, making it impossible to trace reports back to individual users," ICEBlock states on its website. Users can't make reports outside the five-mile radius where their phone is — a safeguard against false reporting — and all reports automatically expire after four hours. The app, which encourages users to "see something, tap something," doesn't track any data beyond the number of users, according to Aaron. In the past week, ICEBlock has been promoted by many users on the social media platform BlueSky. Aaron said he's also seen some people post to X that the app has helped them avoid run-ins with ICE. Since ICEBlock has picked up more attention, Aaron said he has faced online harassment, such as people posting antisemitic comments about him on social media. But he said helping other people feel safer outweighs any negative responses. "I think if you can save one person's life, or help one person avoid a horrible situation, I've done my job," he said.
