Federal agents arrest 189 people in Trump's D.C. immigration crackdown
Federal authorities arrested 189 people in D.C. last week in a sweeping, multi-agency immigration crackdown — part of a broader effort under President Trump's new "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" directive.
The big picture: It's the first major move since Trump's March executive order established a federal task force to crack down on crime, clear homeless encampments, and "maximize immigration enforcement."
State of play: The sweep began last Tuesday. It was carried out by at least six federal agencies, according to the Department of Justice, ranging from ICE and Homeland Security to ATF and Diplomatic Security Service.
It's unclear where arrests were made. The crackdown coincided with ICE activity at restaurants across the city, where agents served around 100 local businesses with inspection orders to provide I-9 employment eligibility papers.
Friction point: The DOJ said in its initial press release that D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department was involved in the crackdown. But the release was later revised to remove MPD.
Mayor Bowser's spokesperson Susana Castillo told Axios MPD was not involved in the operation.
When ICE activity began last week, Bowser told news outlets, "It appears that ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn't look like they're targeting criminals, and so it is disrupting." She clarified: "No MPD activity involved."
What they're saying: In a Tuesday press conference, U.S. Attorney Ed Martin estimated that nearly a dozen of those arrested had criminal records, but "most of them are administrative."
The DOJ alleges that at least four of the individuals arrested have lengthy criminal histories ranging from drug possession to assault, and cites "gang-affiliated tattoos" in one instance.
The agency didn't respond to Axios' requests for records proving criminal activity.
Between the lines: Critics say many immigration sweeps aren't targeting criminals. A recent 60 Minutes investigation found that three-fourths of Venezuelan migrants flown to a notorious El Salvador prison had no known record.
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Local to the DMV News
‘Burn Their House Down with Them Inside’: Maryland Man Charged with Hate Crime After Allegedly Yelling Racist Slurs at Black Neighbors, Then Kicking and Attempting to Headbutt Cops as They Arrested Him
A Maryland man was charged with several offenses, including a hate crime, after he allegedly targeted his Black neighbors in two different incidents that took place within weeks of each other.
According to Charles County deputies, 50-year-old Michael Gerard Benedict was arrested for two separate incidents that took place on April 4 and April 28.
On April 4, deputies were called to Benedict’s neighborhood to respond to a dispute with two of his Black neighbors, according to charging documents cited by the Southern Maryland News Net and the Longview News-Journal.
The victims told responding officers that Benedict, who is white, yelled “You stupid n—rs” and “n—rs with big lips” at them when they arrived home. Benedict then allegedly threw sticks and other objects into their yard, while shouting that he would “burn their house down with them inside.”
When deputies located Benedict, he admitted that he was involved in an argument with his neighbors and may have used a racial slur and made a comment about burning their home. He told deputies he was upset because of loud music blasting from their home and their motion-activated security cameras, which he said were always sounding off.
Benedict was charged with making threats of arson for the incident.
His neighbor petitioned for a peace order that prohibited Benedict from making contact with or harassing him or his family. A judge approved the injunction on April 8, but only weeks later, deputies were called back to Benedict’s home after he violated the order.
On April 28, the neighbor called local law enforcement to report that Benedict had, once again, started yelling the N-word and other insults at him and his family when they arrived home from an outing that day.
The victim reported that he feared for his and his family’s safety due to their previous encounters with Benedict.
When officers arrived, they found Benedict sitting in his driveway. Court documents say the 50-year-old ignored multiple commands police made, then tried to grab two officers’ firearms, and physically resisted arrest.
The altercation reportedly escalated when Benedict kicked a sergeant, attempted to bite another officer’s hand, and then tried headbutting two other officers, charging documents say. When he was finally subdued and taken to a patrol car, he allegedly yelled more obscenities toward the victim’s property.
Click on the link for the full article
A Maryland man was charged with several offenses, including a hate crime, after he allegedly targeted his Black neighbors in two different incidents that took place within weeks of each other.
According to Charles County deputies, 50-year-old Michael Gerard Benedict was arrested for two separate incidents that took place on April 4 and April 28.
On April 4, deputies were called to Benedict’s neighborhood to respond to a dispute with two of his Black neighbors, according to charging documents cited by the Southern Maryland News Net and the Longview News-Journal.
The victims told responding officers that Benedict, who is white, yelled “You stupid n—rs” and “n—rs with big lips” at them when they arrived home. Benedict then allegedly threw sticks and other objects into their yard, while shouting that he would “burn their house down with them inside.”
When deputies located Benedict, he admitted that he was involved in an argument with his neighbors and may have used a racial slur and made a comment about burning their home. He told deputies he was upset because of loud music blasting from their home and their motion-activated security cameras, which he said were always sounding off.
Benedict was charged with making threats of arson for the incident.
His neighbor petitioned for a peace order that prohibited Benedict from making contact with or harassing him or his family. A judge approved the injunction on April 8, but only weeks later, deputies were called back to Benedict’s home after he violated the order.
On April 28, the neighbor called local law enforcement to report that Benedict had, once again, started yelling the N-word and other insults at him and his family when they arrived home from an outing that day.
The victim reported that he feared for his and his family’s safety due to their previous encounters with Benedict.
When officers arrived, they found Benedict sitting in his driveway. Court documents say the 50-year-old ignored multiple commands police made, then tried to grab two officers’ firearms, and physically resisted arrest.
The altercation reportedly escalated when Benedict kicked a sergeant, attempted to bite another officer’s hand, and then tried headbutting two other officers, charging documents say. When he was finally subdued and taken to a patrol car, he allegedly yelled more obscenities toward the victim’s property.
Click on the link for the full article
Virginia passes law to limit time teens spend on social media to one hour a day
Virginia teens under 16 will soon face limits on their social media usage after Governor Glenn Youngkin signed new legislation into law.
The law requires social media companies to set default time limits of one hour per day for users under 16 years old, with parents having the ability to adjust that time up or down.
"It's a good first start, and it's a good way for parents to be able to have better control over how much social media their kids are on," said Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D - Henrico), who co-sponsored the legislation.
VanValkenburg, who teaches in Henrico County schools, has witnessed the impact of excessive social media use firsthand.
"You see how much it hinders their ability to do well in school, and you see how much it hinders their socialization with their friends," VanValkenburg said.
He said among the social media platforms that would be subjected to the legislation include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest, and YouTube.
It would not apply to platforms that only provide email or direct messaging services.
The legislation underwent several changes during the legislative process.
It initially contained language that would have banned addictive feeds for anyone under 18, but that version was rejected in the Virginia House of Delegates.
VanValkenburg noted that the revised approach gained support from major social media companies like Meta.
"What is contained in the bill actually mimics a significant amount of what we already have for our teen accounts in Instagram," Meta lobbyist Patrick Cushing said during a Feb. 17, 2025 hearing on the bill. "So, Instagram has already moved to this type of restriction and so this codifies that plus some."
Click on the link for the full article
Virginia teens under 16 will soon face limits on their social media usage after Governor Glenn Youngkin signed new legislation into law.
The law requires social media companies to set default time limits of one hour per day for users under 16 years old, with parents having the ability to adjust that time up or down.
"It's a good first start, and it's a good way for parents to be able to have better control over how much social media their kids are on," said Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D - Henrico), who co-sponsored the legislation.
VanValkenburg, who teaches in Henrico County schools, has witnessed the impact of excessive social media use firsthand.
"You see how much it hinders their ability to do well in school, and you see how much it hinders their socialization with their friends," VanValkenburg said.
He said among the social media platforms that would be subjected to the legislation include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest, and YouTube.
It would not apply to platforms that only provide email or direct messaging services.
The legislation underwent several changes during the legislative process.
It initially contained language that would have banned addictive feeds for anyone under 18, but that version was rejected in the Virginia House of Delegates.
VanValkenburg noted that the revised approach gained support from major social media companies like Meta.
"What is contained in the bill actually mimics a significant amount of what we already have for our teen accounts in Instagram," Meta lobbyist Patrick Cushing said during a Feb. 17, 2025 hearing on the bill. "So, Instagram has already moved to this type of restriction and so this codifies that plus some."
Click on the link for the full article
So how did I know this was Chuck County before reading it?China wrote: Wed Jun 04, 2025 2:36 pm‘Burn Their House Down with Them Inside’: Maryland Man Charged with Hate Crime After Allegedly Yelling Racist Slurs at Black Neighbors, Then Kicking and Attempting to Headbutt Cops as They Arrested Him
A Maryland man was charged with several offenses, including a hate crime, after he allegedly targeted his Black neighbors in two different incidents that took place within weeks of each other.
According to Charles County deputies, 50-year-old Michael Gerard Benedict was arrested for two separate incidents that took place on April 4 and April 28.
On April 4, deputies were called to Benedict’s neighborhood to respond to a dispute with two of his Black neighbors, according to charging documents cited by the Southern Maryland News Net and the Longview News-Journal.
The victims told responding officers that Benedict, who is white, yelled “You stupid n—rs” and “n—rs with big lips” at them when they arrived home. Benedict then allegedly threw sticks and other objects into their yard, while shouting that he would “burn their house down with them inside.”
When deputies located Benedict, he admitted that he was involved in an argument with his neighbors and may have used a racial slur and made a comment about burning their home. He told deputies he was upset because of loud music blasting from their home and their motion-activated security cameras, which he said were always sounding off.
Benedict was charged with making threats of arson for the incident.
His neighbor petitioned for a peace order that prohibited Benedict from making contact with or harassing him or his family. A judge approved the injunction on April 8, but only weeks later, deputies were called back to Benedict’s home after he violated the order.
On April 28, the neighbor called local law enforcement to report that Benedict had, once again, started yelling the N-word and other insults at him and his family when they arrived home from an outing that day.
The victim reported that he feared for his and his family’s safety due to their previous encounters with Benedict.
When officers arrived, they found Benedict sitting in his driveway. Court documents say the 50-year-old ignored multiple commands police made, then tried to grab two officers’ firearms, and physically resisted arrest.
The altercation reportedly escalated when Benedict kicked a sergeant, attempted to bite another officer’s hand, and then tried headbutting two other officers, charging documents say. When he was finally subdued and taken to a patrol car, he allegedly yelled more obscenities toward the victim’s property.
Click on the link for the full article
The essence of fascism is to make laws forbidding everything and then enforce them selectively against your enemies. -John LesCroart
Bear with a taste for the burbs is relocated — again
“Elden the Bear” may be gone — safely relocated somewhere in Virginia — but the young black bear with a taste for the suburban backyard life won’t be forgotten.
He’s being honored by the Herndon Town Council, with June 9 being declared, “Elden the Bear Day.”
The young male bear, named “Elden” after his visit to Elden Street in Herndon on Monday, is the same bear that was found on Memorial Day in a backyard in the Langley Park area of Maryland’s Prince George’s County.
The then-unnamed bear was tranquilized, tagged and fitted with a tracking collar before officials with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources relocated the young bear to an undisclosed area in Western Maryland.
But it turns out, the bear — now known as Elden, didn’t find his new home suitable. So he did what young bears often do, went wandering, likely following creeks and waterways according to wildlife officials, and ended up in the town of Herndon on Monday.
Lisa Herndon, the public information officer for the Herndon Police Department, told WTOP that the bear made two stops in two different trees as police, Virginia biologists, Department of Wildlife Resources staff and Virginia Conservation Police all strategized on the best way to deal with the young bear.
“We brought in Fairfax County Fire and Rescue,” as well, Herndon said, noting they also brought along a “catch tarp” that might be needed as the bear was sedated and coaxed down from his perch.
“So they tranquilized him, and Elden just kind of sat still for five minutes or so” as the medication took hold. Then, Herndon said, the biologist in the tree gave Elden a bit of a nudge, “and he safely landed in the catch tarp.”
At that time, Herndon said, the bear “looked like it was asleep, and then it stirred, and then it got up and it started to walk — and it started to walk right towards me.”
That’s when Herndon heard, “Look out, look out, get back, get back!” from the team working on getting the bear ready for transport.
After a few more minutes, Elden went from being groggy to out cold and was ready for transport.
Click on the link for the full article
“Elden the Bear” may be gone — safely relocated somewhere in Virginia — but the young black bear with a taste for the suburban backyard life won’t be forgotten.
He’s being honored by the Herndon Town Council, with June 9 being declared, “Elden the Bear Day.”
The young male bear, named “Elden” after his visit to Elden Street in Herndon on Monday, is the same bear that was found on Memorial Day in a backyard in the Langley Park area of Maryland’s Prince George’s County.
The then-unnamed bear was tranquilized, tagged and fitted with a tracking collar before officials with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources relocated the young bear to an undisclosed area in Western Maryland.
But it turns out, the bear — now known as Elden, didn’t find his new home suitable. So he did what young bears often do, went wandering, likely following creeks and waterways according to wildlife officials, and ended up in the town of Herndon on Monday.
Lisa Herndon, the public information officer for the Herndon Police Department, told WTOP that the bear made two stops in two different trees as police, Virginia biologists, Department of Wildlife Resources staff and Virginia Conservation Police all strategized on the best way to deal with the young bear.
“We brought in Fairfax County Fire and Rescue,” as well, Herndon said, noting they also brought along a “catch tarp” that might be needed as the bear was sedated and coaxed down from his perch.
“So they tranquilized him, and Elden just kind of sat still for five minutes or so” as the medication took hold. Then, Herndon said, the biologist in the tree gave Elden a bit of a nudge, “and he safely landed in the catch tarp.”
At that time, Herndon said, the bear “looked like it was asleep, and then it stirred, and then it got up and it started to walk — and it started to walk right towards me.”
That’s when Herndon heard, “Look out, look out, get back, get back!” from the team working on getting the bear ready for transport.
After a few more minutes, Elden went from being groggy to out cold and was ready for transport.
Click on the link for the full article
Spanberger expands big fundraising advantage over Earle-Sears
Here is an archived LINKFormer Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, has expanded her commanding fundraising advantage over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in their historic race to become the first woman elected governor in Virginia, with nearly five times more cash to spend in the final five months of the campaign.
Spanberger, a Henrico County resident who stepped down this year after three terms in Congress to run for governor, raised $6.5 million in just over two months, compared with $3.5 million for Earle-Sears, whose campaign spent more money than it collected from April 1 to June 5.
Youngkin says gubernatorial appointments rejected by the General Assembly can still serve
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A fight is now brewing between Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly.
That’s because Youngkin is arguing that eight of his picks to serve on the board of visitors at various universities can continue to serve, despite their nominations being rejected by the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on June 9.
In a statement, Youngkin’s offices said, “Make no mistake, these highly qualified appointees will continue to serve in their posts as the Constitution of Virginia affords.”
Per Virginia law, the eight individuals have been serving on an interim basis until their nominations were considered by the General Assembly.
Youngkin’s office believes that should continue because they believe the Virginia Constitution requires the entire General Assembly to reject an appointment, not just one committee.
“It’s a really pathetic argument,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told 8News.
Democrats and Senate Clerk Susan Clarke Schaar disagree. In a letter obtained by 8News, Schaar said the actions taken by the Privileges and Elections Committee are “effective immediately.”
Surovell said it’s Schaar who has it right, and not Youngkin.
“We kill bills in committee all the time,” Surovell said. “Things happen in committee all the time that don’t get to the floor, and the Constitution doesn’t say that governors’ nominees, that we authorized in the code for him to make, are treated any differently than a bill.”
It’s unclear where things actually go from here, however, Surovell said any board members who allow a rejected nominee to serve could be guilty of malfeasance.