Tim Walz Suggests ICE Is ‘Trump’s Modern-Day Gestapo’ In Commencement Speech

Tim Walz Suggests ICE Is 'Trump's Modern-Day Gestapo' In Commencement Speech

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz compared the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel executing the Trump administration's immigration agenda to the Gestapo in a Saturday commencement address at the University of Minnesota law school. President Donald Trump issued several executive orders to address illegal immigration and border security, includingdesignatingMexican drug cartels and South and Central American gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, and the president has alsoinvokedthe Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up thedeportationof gang members. Walz, the failed Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024, suggested during the speech that Trump is using ICE to implement his immigration agenda in similar fashion to how Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler used the Gestapo secret police to target opponents,accordingto RealClearPolitics. "Donald Trump's modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets," Walz claimed. "They're in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons—no chance to mount a defense, not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye, just grabbed up by masked agents, shoved into those vans, and disappeared."(RELATED: Andy McCarthy Says Dem Reps Who Stormed ICE Facility 'Open To Prosecution') WATCH: "To be clear, there's no way for us to know whether they were actually criminals or not, because they refused to give them a trial," Walz continued. "We're supposed to just take their word for it." Democrats initially rallied around Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an adjudicated member of MS-13 deported to El Salvador in March, as a symbol of resistance to Trump's immigration policies, and several members of Congress — including Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen —traveledto El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia. The Trump administrationreleaseda 13-page dossier detailing the evidence suggesting that Abrego Garcia is a MS-13 gang member in April, which included rulings from immigration courts that found he was a member of the El Salvadoran prison gang. Recent polling indicates that 48.3% of Americans approve Trump's approach to immigration so far, and that 48.9% disapprove,accordingto RealClearPolling. A White Housefact sheetreleased in late April showed that border crossings, migrant encounters and "gotaways" were all down by 93% or more through the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Walz also claimed Trump was trying to intimidate members of Congress, referencing a chaotic May 9incidentinvolving Democratic New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, LaMonica McIver and Rob Menendez Jr. outside an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey. The Democratic lawmakersdeniedwrongdoing in a May 11 appearance on CNN. Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy toured the ICE facility in Newark and describer her observations during a Mondayappearanceon "Fox and Friends." "ICE has nothing to hide," Campos-Duffy said. "They have nothing to be ashamed of. This facility is so clean. It has, you know, all kind of recreation facilities, outdoor soccer field, weight equipment, domino tables. It has telephones everywhere with signs next to them of how they can, phone numbers to reach their consulate and also legal facilities, computer web cams." "There are doors on the bedrooms and they aren't even locked," Campos-Duffy continued. "The facility actually looks like a high school." Walz isconsidereda possible Democratic candidate for president in the 2028 election cycle. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter's byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 18, 2025

Tim Walz Suggests ICE Is ‘Trump’s Modern-Day Gestapo’ In Commencement Speech

Tim Walz Suggests ICE Is 'Trump's Modern-Day Gestapo' In Commencement Speech Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz compared the Imm...

Read More

Brazil hopes China, other countries may loosen trade bans over bird flu

Brazil hopes China, other countries may loosen trade bans over bird flu

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Roberto Samora BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil's poultry industry is reeling from the country's first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm, but officials hope China and other major consumers will soon loosen countrywide bans on importing Brazil's chicken. If the world's largest chicken exporter can contain the outbreak in Brazil's southernmost state, then China could follow the example of Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to limit bans to only that state's chicken, government officials said. "Since global demand is very strong, it's likely that there will soon be some flexibility," said Luis Rua, international secretary at Brazil's Agriculture Ministry. "We are doing our part to quickly share information so things aren't suspended for long." Brazil's chicken exports account for more than 35% of the global trade, making a nationwide ban painful not just for Brazilian farmers but also major importers. Brazil provides over half of China's chicken imports, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said, with much of the rest coming from the United States. A devastating U.S. bird flu outbreak and wider trade tensions with Washington have limited Chinese appetite for American poultry. China now blocks poultry from more than 40 U.S. states over bird flu, according to U.S. government data. Brazilian farmers are also counting on warm relations between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the poultry trade ban. Renan Augusto Araujo, a senior market analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said the outbreak threatened to reduce Brazilian chicken exports by 10% to 20%, depending on how quickly the outbreak is contained and consumers loosen trade bans. The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where the outbreak was flagged on Friday, is the country's No. 3 chicken producer and had already suspended exports to China due to an isolated outbreak of Newcastle Disease last year. "If there is no evidence (of bird flu) in any other region of the country, it could indeed trigger a wave of flexibility and these countries could continue to buy from Brazil, except for the region of Rio Grande do Sul," Favaro said. The European Union and South Korea are among other major importers who have banned Brazilian chicken. SPREAD COULD WORSEN OUTLOOK In the event of a wider bird flu outbreak spreading across Brazil, as it did in the United States, officials and analysts said outlooks could get dimmer. That scenario would raise U.S. hopes for China to ease restrictions on American poultry. Under a Phase 1 trade agreement China signed with U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in 2020, China is supposed to lift statewide bans on U.S. poultry 90 days after states eliminate bird flu from infected farms. However, China has kept bans in place longer than it had agreed in that deal, said Greg Tyler, CEO of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council industry group. "If Brazil is out of that market for 60 days, China is going to need the product," Tyler said. "Hopefully that may push them, along with the fact that we're having the trade negotiations with the Chinese right now, to try to move them back to abiding by that regionalization agreement." Tyler noted that China's automatic suspension of Brazil imports for 60 days is already more lenient than its agreement with the United States. "They're getting a better deal than we are," he said. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Roberto Samora in Sao PauloAdditional reporting by Oliver Griffin in Sao Paulo and Tom Polansek in ChicagoEditing by Brad Haynes and Rod Nickel)

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 18, 2025

Brazil hopes China, other countries may loosen trade bans over bird flu

Brazil hopes China, other countries may loosen trade bans over bird flu By Lisandra Paraguassu and Roberto Samora BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazi...

Read More

Trump tax bill passes in key US House committee vote

Trump tax bill passes in key US House committee vote

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill, stalled for days by Republican infighting over spending cuts, won approval from a key congressional committee on May 18 to advance toward possible passage in the House of Representatives later this week. The action was a big win for Trump andHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, after hardline Republican conservatives on May 16blocked the billfrom clearing the House Budget Committee over a dispute involving spending cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans and the repeal of green energy tax credits. Four hardline members of the committee's 21 Republicans allowed the legislation to advance by voting "present" in a rare May 18 session. The bill passed in a 17-16 vote, with all Democrats voting against it. The hardliners had spent much of the day in closed-door negotiations with House Republican leaders and White House officials. "The deliberations continue at this very moment. They will continue on into the week, and I suspect, right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill before the House," House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington said. Nonpartisan analysts say the bill, which would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's signature first-term legislative win, would add $3 trillion to $5 trillion to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt over the next decade. Moody's cited the rising debt, which it said was on track to reach 134% of GDP by 2035, for its decision on May 16 to downgrade the U.S. credit rating. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the cut's significance in a pair of television interviews on May 18, saying the bill would spur economic growth that would outpace what the nation owed. How would it work?House Republicans' bill includes 'no tax on tips' proposal. "I don't put much credence in the Moody's" downgrade, Bessent told CNN's "State of the Union" program, echoing White House criticism. Economic experts, meanwhile, warn that the downgrade from the last of the three major credit agencies was a clear sign that the U.S. has too much debt and should prompt lawmakers to either increase revenue or spend less. Congressional Republicans in 2017 also argued that the tax cuts would pay for themselves by stimulating economic growth. But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the changes increased the federal deficit by just under $1.9 trillion over a decade, even when including positive economic effects. House of Representatives SpeakerMike Johnsonon May 18 said the chamber is still "on track" to pass the bill, which the House Budget Committee plans to vote on in a 10 p.m. hearing. "We've had lots of conversations. We'll have more today," Johnson said on "Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream" when asked about hard-line Republicans, including Representatives Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, demanding more spending cuts. Trump's Republicans hold a 220-213 majority in the House and are divided over how deeply to slash spending to offset the cost of the tax cuts. Hardliners want cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program, a move that moderates and some Republican senators have pushed back against, saying it would hurt the very voters who elected Trump in November, and whose support they will need in 2026, when control of Congress is again up for grabs. The bill's cuts would kick 8.6 million people off Medicaid, the joint federal-state program for low-income Americans. It also aims to eliminate taxes on tips and some overtime income —both Trump campaign promises — while also boosting defense spending and providing more funds for Trump's border crackdown. Republicans are also at odds over the deductibility of state and local taxes, or SALT, an issue of great significance to a handful of incumbents from states such as New York and California that are critical to the party's narrow House majority. Moody's downgrade, coming amid ongoing economic uncertainty over Trump'stariffsthat have already roiled global markets, could further rattle investors when Wall Street re-opens on May 19. What's in the GOP tax bill:No tax on tips, child tax credit, and MAGA saving accounts Trump and his administration have vowed to balance the budget since the Republican president took office again in January. But his attempts to cut government spending throughElon Musk'sDepartment of Government Efficiency have fallen far short of its goals. It also remains unclear what revenue would be raised through tariffs as Trump swings between imposing higher rates and cutting deals. Johnson said the downgrade showed the need for the tax bill. "Moody's is not incorrect," Johnson said. "We're talking about historic spending cuts. I mean, this will help to change the trajectory for the U.S. economy." He aims for the bill to pass the House this week, ahead of the May 26 Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers face a far harder deadline later this summer, when they will need to address the U.S. debt ceiling or trigger a potentially catastrophic default. Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the credit rating cut spelled trouble for Americans. "That is a big deal. That means that we are likely headed for a recession," Murphy told NBC's "Meet the Press." "That probably means higher interest rates for anybody out there who is trying to start a business or to buy a home. These guys are running the economy recklessly." (Additional reporting by Katharine Jackson, David Morgan and Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot and Stephen Coates) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Donald Trump tax bill wins approval in key House committee vote

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 18, 2025

Trump tax bill passes in key US House committee vote

Trump tax bill passes in key US House committee vote WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill, stalled for days by Rep...

Read More

AP PHOTOS: Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight kill dozens

AP PHOTOS: Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight kill dozens

JABALIA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says it has launched "extensive" newground operationsin Gaza. Hospitals and medics say airstrikes in Israel's new offensive killed at least 103 people overnight and into Sunday. They say dozens of children are among the dead. The strikes also forced northern Gaza's main hospital to close. Israel says it is pressuring Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire that would free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. But it wouldn't necessarily end the 19-month war. Hamas says it wants a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and a pathway to ending the war as part of any deal. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by Associated Press photo editors.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 18, 2025

AP PHOTOS: Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight kill dozens

AP PHOTOS: Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight kill dozens JABALIA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says it has launched "extensive" ne...

Read More

Former Hamas hostages recall horrific torture in Gaza as they call for remaining captives’ freedom at NYC Israel Day parade

Former Hamas hostages recall horrific torture in Gaza as they call for remaining captives' freedom at NYC Israel Day parade

A pair of freed Israeli hostages recalled the torture they and others endured in Gaza as they joined the thousands marching atNew York City's Israel Day paradeon Sunday. Keith and Aviva Siegeljoined chants from the attendees on Fifth Avenue demanding the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza be freed during the annual parade. US-Israel dual citizen Keith Siegel, 66 — who was held captive for 484 days before being freed in February — said there can be no time to waste in freeing the hostages, giventhe horrors he enduredand witnessed inside Hamas' tunnel network. "I experienced abuse of many different kinds," Siegel said, alluding to his days spent shuffling around in dark tunnels and being deprived of food. "I witnessed the abuse and the literal torture of other hostages that I saw, including women. I witnessed sexual abuse," he added. "I witnessed violence and humiliation and starvation and dehydration, being held in terrible conditions, not being able to clean my body for weeks at a time." Despite the horrors in Gaza and the kidnappings on Oct. 7, which also saw 64 of his neighbors slain, Siegel considers himself "a very lucky man" for surviving and being able to advocate for his fellow captives. "We have lives that we can save, we must save them," he told the crowd on Fifth Avenue. "I feel terrible that I was released and they were left behind. I am doing anything that I can possibly do to bring them back home." Aviva, who wasfreed in November 2023, described "being in captivity underground and touching death" as "one of the worst things that anyone can go through." "They have to all come home, all the 58 hostages in Gaza. They deserve a better life…We need to, as humans, push and scream for them, because they can't," she added. The Siegels' plea was echoed by the thousands attending the parade who waved Israeli flags as they chanted "Bring them home" and "Hamas gotta go." Along with the former hostages, wounded Israel Defense Forces soldiers Yiftach Golov, 41, and Liam Shpilman, 27, joined the parade. Golov, who suffered injuries to his back and left shoulder after a bomb blast in the West Bank back in 2003, said he was moved to see such a large crowd in New York in support of the Jewish state. "Right now, Israel is undergoing a huge rebuilding of national resilience. The story of Israel is about its people, that's what basically is the source of the strength for its people," he said. Shpilman, who volunteered to serve in the IDF once again following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, said the war was necessary to protect Israel, no matter the cost. Shpliman was deployed along the northern border in the fight against Hezbollah, with a suicide drone ripping off his right leg and crushing his spine. "Israel has the right to defend herself," he said about the current conflict. "I can say to you that our enemies will always find a reason to attack us. In the past, the Jewish blood was cheaper. Not anymore." New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and New York Mayor Eric Adams also partook in the parade. Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Comptroller Scott Stringer — who are running in a crowded Democratic Party primary for city mayor — were also at the event. Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani skipped the parade. "Zohran had prior commitments at churches and rallies across New York City today. However, he continues to believe in Israel's right to exist and has said so repeatedly," his campaign spokesman Andrew Epstein said. Other candidates, city Comptroller Brad Lander and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, also did not attend the parade. Both attended the pre-parade breakfast sponsored by the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. Debra Lea, 25, of the Upper East Side, said it was important for as many people as possible to come out to the parade, which marks the second march since the start ofthe war in Gaza. "I march every single year. I think it's so important. If we can't be loud and proud in a city like New York, how can we expect that from Jews anywhere else in the world? We are setting an example," she told The Post. Alan Stern, 90, of Long Island, agreed that it was important to show widespread support for the Jewish community during such trying times. "I think it's important to be counted," he said.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 18, 2025

Former Hamas hostages recall horrific torture in Gaza as they call for remaining captives’ freedom at NYC Israel Day parade

Former Hamas hostages recall horrific torture in Gaza as they call for remaining captives' freedom at NYC Israel Day parade A pair of fr...

Read More