The Reuters news agency reported on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it has begun deploying hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to assist in security at airports facing significant staffing issues.
ICE agents were deployed at over twelve major travel hubs across the country, with agents seen in Atlanta, San Francisco, New York, and New Jersey. This comes as Donald Trump has threatened further action against everyday working-class people. Posed as a way to expedite lines at airports, ICE agents can be seen patrolling airports rather than processing security lines.
ICE agents are not trained to handle security at airports, unlike the thousands of TSA agents who show up to work every day. With this news to come, many are in fear of targeted harassment across the United States.
The Trump administration is calling for democrats to open the government, which has been holding out in an attempt to restrict funding of DHS. The truth is that Democrats are not the majority; they are not in control to pass legislation allowing the government to fully reopen after a partial shutdown when a funding bill was not passed.
On January 29, 2026, the Senate failed to advance the government funding package in a 45–55 vote. Seven Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill.
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On March 11, 2026, Gavin Newsom publicly addressed reports about a alledged Iran-linked drone threat and said, “As it relates to drone strikes, we have been aware of that information.” KCRA reported this as remarks he made on Wednesday while discussing California security coordination through the State Operations Center and Cal OES.
On Facebook Newsom alerted:
I am in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials, including with California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, to monitor potential threats to California — including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East.
While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state.
The video was verified with the Govenrors press office
California is home to over 39.5 million people with a large coastal area stretching over 800 miles. Iran is 7,300 miles in distance from California. Iran’s longest-range documented ballistic missiles include the Khorramshahr-4, also known as the Kheibar, as well as other missiles in the Khorramshahr family. Publicly reported estimates place their operational range between roughly 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers. These are liquid-fueled systems designed to carry heavier warheads, and they have drawn particular attention for their reported ability to reduce detection and complicate interception. (Iran Watch)
Senator Alex Padilla,
“My office is aware of reports of potential Iranian retaliatory attacks on California communities and I remain in contact with local and state partners to ensure public safety. I’ve also requested additional information from Trump administration officials on federal efforts to counter any potential threats.”
Estefany María Rodríguez Florez fled death threats in Colombia, followed all legal procedures in the U.S., and was detained by federal agents the morning after covering an ICE raid. A federal judge is now demanding answers, and so are we.
Let’s clarify what actually happened, as the government is trying to obscure it.
On March 4, a Nashville Fugitive Operations Team — a surveillance unit, not a patrol — followed Rodríguez, her husband, and their seven-year-old daughter from their home. They waited until the daughter was at her bus stop, then surrounded their car, which bore their news outlet Nashville Noticias logo, and took Rodríguez into custody. No warrant was shown, and her husband, a U.S. citizen, wasn’t given an explanation.
Her name is Estefany María Rodríguez Florez. The day before her arrest, she was reporting on ICE agents detaining a man in a Nashville parking lot.
This is not coincidental. Her lawyers, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, a retired immigration judge, and a federal judge — who has ordered the government to clarify her detention by Monday — all agree something is amiss.
Who Is Estefany Rodríguez, and Why Does That Matter?
Rodríguez, 35, holds a journalism degree from Colombia, where she reported on government corruption, armed groups, and agencies, which earned her death threats. These threats were serious enough to warrant police involvement and a security detail. Clearly putting a target on Rodríguez.
When her daughter was one, she moved legally to the U.S. on a tourist visa in March 2021. Before its expiry, she filed for asylum internally, as permitted by law, and married a U.S. citizen, applying for permanent residency. During a time when most of the government was stressed from a pandemic she followed the rules to stay. Yet the government now is trying to force her to leave. She now has a work permit valid through 2029.
In 2022, she joined Nashville Noticias and reported for Univision 42 Nashville, covering social issues, families, health, police, and immigration — especially ICE enforcement in Middle Tennessee. The TIRRC praised her for courageously telling about the harms caused by ICE. Journalism written for the voice of Latino communities proves to bring notice and awareness in an understanding way that Latino readers engage with when participating in their community and exercising political rights.
Her attorney, Joel Coxander, noted that she always understood she might be detained simply for being present at enforcement operations, yet she reported on them anyway. ICE classified her as a fugitive.
Why the Location of Her Arrest Matters
Rodríguez was detained at a gym on Murfreesboro Pike — a diverse community in Antioch and South Nashville.
This area’s demographics include 35.3% Black, 32.2% White, and 22.1% Hispanic residents. The Hispanic population here is more than twice Nashville’s citywide average, and a large percentage of schoolchildren are Hispanic, indicating a community shift. Nearly 29% of residents are foreign-born, more than doubling the metro average. Over a third speak a non-English language at home, mostly Spanish. With a large population speaking languages other than English, there is a barrier to every aspect of community use.
The median household income is $72,233, and about 10.7% of families live in poverty. Median household size is slightly above average at 2.5 people. A clear indication of a diverse community and the known threat of ICE activity from the Trump administration.
These are working-class families — including immigrants, many undocumented or in the process of immigration. Rodríguez’s reporting focused on her local community, not outsiders covering a foreign crisis. This distinction is crucial for understanding her work and why the government may have wanted to stop her.
The Setup: Two Appointments ICE Can’t Explain
ICE’s justification for calling Rodríguez a “flight risk” hinges on a story that unravels under scrutiny.
In January 2026, ICE requested her appearance at their Nashville office. Winter Storm Fern canceled the appointment, and ICE rescheduled for February 26. Her husband and her attorney’s office checked, and the agency said she wasn’t in the system and shouldn’t come. A new appointment was set for March 17.
ICE then used these missed appointments to justify her detention and arrest.
Her attorney explained, –
“She’s being told, ‘We’re holding it against you that you didn’t do this thing we told you you didn’t have to do,’”
-and noted her team went to ICE ahead of the appointment.
The Warrant Issue: A Crumpled Photo
When her attorneys challenged the warrantless arrest, ICE responded with a photo of a crumpled warrant dated March 2 — two days before the arrest. The document lacks a file number, and the certificate of service is blank, indicating it was never served.
Records confirm she was never presented with a warrant from the moment she left her home until her detention.
Her lawyers called it an “unserved, unexecuted, and crumpled-into-a-ball warrant,” offering no legal cover. The government disputes this, and a judge is now examining the matter.
Retaliation, Press Freedom, and a Pattern
The Columbia Journalism Review highlighted a concerning pattern: journalists like Rodríguez working for Spanish-language outlets, with less prominence, covering immigrant communities and facing potential risks from enforcement actions.
State Rep. John Ray Clemmons called her arrest alarming, especially given her reporting on anti-immigrant laws. Rebbeca Aguilar, a longtime journalist, emphasized that all journalists must do their work without fear of retaliation.
Her attorneys have asked the court to declare her arrest a First Amendment violation. The case is actively being considered.
Her Current Status and What’s at Risk
Rodríguez is held at Etowah County Jail in Alabama, with plans to transfer her to Louisiana. Her husband, Alejandro Medina III, hasn’t spoken with her since her detention, and he is urgently trying to reunite with her so they can finally take their postponed honeymoon.
Her daughter waits, and her scheduled green card appointment on March 17 can’t proceed while she’s detained.
A judge has demanded the government justify her continued detention in writing by Monday midnight. A hearing could happen as soon as Tuesday.
Understand that ICE detains more people than ever, with over 70,000 held in January 2026 — a 75% increase from the previous year, with higher arrest rates and community arrests skyrocketing. Most detainees have no criminal convictions.
This case exemplifies how enforcement policies affect real lives — in a community along Murfreesboro Pike, where many families are building lives and hopes, now threatened by unjust detention based on a flawed warrant and administrative mishandling.
The court has until Tuesday to rule. We will keep reporting on what unfolds next.
On March 5th, 2026, Trump issued a statement announcing that Kristi Noem would be leaving her position. Noem has been under fire for her mishandling of the deaths of two American citizens during the ICE operation “Metro Surge” that resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. During the first year of Trump’s second term, Noem served as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that the American people strongly protested for its conduct on immigration policies.
Noem came under the latest scrutiny during her congressional hearing. In the hearing, lawmakers asked Noem why she used $220 million in taxpayer money to fund an ad campaign she said Trump personally approved.
Trump told Reuters on Thursday, “I never knew anything about the ad campaign.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem filming an ad at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, Oct. 2, 2025. Tia Dufour | DHS
The most significant legal and political consequences revolve around Governor Noem’s testimony about her top aide, Corey Lewandowski. When questioned about whether Lewandowski had a role in approving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contracts, she responded with a flat “No.” However, internal DHS records and ProPublica reports later revealed his signature on multimillion-dollar contract routing sheets. This has led to accusations that she lied under oath.
Noem sparked a lively debate after her comments on two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, tragically shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. Even amidst significant pushback and conflicting evidence, she stood firm in her stance, choosing not to apologize for calling them “domestic terrorists.”
Noem has a legacy defined in mistrust and a lack of transparency for the American people, who have fought since the beginning of the second term of Donald Trump for accountability of ICE agents and internal policies.
Amid widespread resident outrage over a warehouse sale, New Jersey residents stand against ICE in Roxbury. DG Roxbury Property Owner, L.P., linked to Dallas-based Dalfen Industrial and a Goldman Sachs asset management fund, sold a 470,000-square-foot warehouse at 1879 Route 46 in Roxbury to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for ICE. The deal closed on February 19, 2026, for $129.3 million, raising concerns about the local community’s future and the influence of corporate and financial interests. The protest drew over 150 people from Roxbury and neighboring towns. With signs held up that said NO ICE and referencing the disgraced Trump admin as equal to nazis many spoke up for what they believed in.
Credit: No ICE North Jersey Alliance. Aerial view of the Roxbury warehouse sold to ICE.
Roxbury Township in Morris County, NJ, is a suburban area with about 23,111 residents as of 2023 and an average age of 43.3. The community is mostly white, comprising roughly 71-80% of the population, and has a median household income of over $130,000. The poverty rate is low, at approximately 5.4%.
The call is clear: get ICE out of New Jersey. The GSA, which oversees the sale and leasing of property, has been contacted and requested documents related to the sale of the warehouse. The agency responded to the request and alerted The Penny Tribune that they will try to release the documents pertaining to another property in Roseland, NJ, as well as the detention facility in Newark, NJ. The GSA confirmed this on February 19th 2026, they would release the files.
A video submitted by a protester shows them walking up to the group of people. A line formed along the street as drivers passed by, witnessing their community standing up for the non-citizen population.
Despite the scale of the crash, an ambulance did not arrive for 20 minutes. St. Paul police later confirmed the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening.
A multiple-car crash has been confirmed following a high-speed chase with ICE agents during the pursuit of an individual. The crash occurred outside Nina’s Coffee Cafe in St. Paul.
Over a dozen agents were on the scene at the time of the crash.
“This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately,” said St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her,
Brandon Reade said a single federal agent in an unmarked sedan sped by, giving chase – Minnesota Reformer
After the initial crash, an agent was seen exiting a vehicle and chasing the victim on foot, catching up to them. A bystander called 911 to report the incident, and an ambulance arrived twenty minutes later with ICE agents leaving shortly after. St. Paul police reported the victim did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Another unconfirmed sighting of ICE occurred between Emerson Ave and Fremont Ave off of West Broadway. Neighbors came out and alerted everyone. The ice vehicle left the alley and was headed west on Broadway.
Copyright 2025 Google
Background:
“Metro Surge” initiative began in early December 2025. Some sources specify actions started around Dec. 1. This is a federal crackdown under the Trump administration aimed at arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants. Over 3,000 federal agents were deployed to the Twin Cities.
Following a chaotic morning shooting on Kings Road, Roxbury residents are demanding answers. Between a controversial 470,000-square-foot warehouse proposal and increased ICE activity across NJ
“I was born here, but I’m still nervous. It does not go by me every day to think that I could be stopped,” Roxbury Township resident Sharon Medina said at Tuesday night’s meeting.
ICE has been targeting New Jersey since July of 2025, and residents are fed up. On February 10th, 2026, around 7 am, a shooting occurred in Roxbury, NJ, on Kings Road across from the historic train station.
“I saw a video earlier today where the gentleman was not in a car and there was a gun drawn facing him in the street in our area,” resident Diana May said
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says an ICE officer shot out the tires of a vehicle that rammed a law enforcement vehicle during an immigration arrest on Tuesday in Roxbury. According to a DHS spokesperson, federal agents were conducting a planned operation to take Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas into custody.
“In an attempt to evade arrest, Lopez-Banegas rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over,” the DHS statement said.
“We recognize that matters of this nature raise concerns within our communities,” Davenport’s statement continued. “Public safety remains our top priority. As Acting Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, it is my duty to protect the safety of residents of this state and uphold the Constitution. I will do everything in my power to fulfill this responsibility.”
ICE has been spotted in Hoptacong, NJ, multiple times over the past few days. Video evidence shows ICE performing vehicle stops in neighborhoods, stoking fear amongst residents.
On February 10th, around 6pm, ICE vehicles were spotted being transported westbound on Route 80. DHS has not disclosed the vehicles’ destinations, and the department has refused to comment on the activity.
The protests in Roxbury, New Jersey, were triggered by reports that the federal government plans to convert a massive local warehouse into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility.
The controversy began in late December 2025 and continued into January 2026 after The Washington Post reported leaked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents. These documents identify a 470,000-square-foot warehouse on Route 46 as a possible site to hold up to 1,500 detainees. Many protesters contend that warehouses are meant for “packages, not people,” pointing out issues such as inadequate ventilation, lack of natural light, and poor sanitation. Local residents and the all-Republican town council are worried about the impact on infrastructure, including water supplies, sewers, and emergency services like police and fire. On January 13, 2026, Roxbury’s town council unanimously adopted a resolution firmly opposing the facility.
The Legal Battle
Although New Jersey enacted a law in 2021 that prevents towns and counties from contracting with ICE, private companies such as Dalfen Industrial, owner of the Roxbury warehouse, can still collaborate with the federal government. Protesters are now urging the town to utilize zoning ordinances and land-use laws to block the facility, contending that, despite the federal government’s “supremacy,” private corporations are still required to adhere to local building and safety regulations.
Getting Involved
Protests will continue, and on Presidents Day 2026, a protest will take place at Ledgewood Commons in Ledgewood, NJ.
The flyer distributed by the activist group No Ice Roxbury is as follows.
