Rebecca Santana, Author at The Rapid City Post

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with a reporter on her plane while in the air en route from Quito, Ecuador to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

DHS Secretary says entire southern border wall to be painted black to stop people from climbing it

August 19, 2025

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the entire southern border wall with Mexico is being painted black to deter illegal immigration. She credits President Trump with the idea, noting that black paint makes the wall hotter, making it harder to climb. Noem discussed this during a visit to New Mexico on Tuesday, where she helped paint a section of the wall. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks adds that the paint will also deter rust. Building the wall was a key focus of Trump’s first term, and Homeland Security is receiving $46 billion to complete it.

A federal agent escorts a man to a bus after he was detained following an appearance at immigration court, Monday, July 28, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Homeland Security removes age limits for ICE recruits to boost hiring for Trump deportations

August 6, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security has removed age limits for new hires at the agency responsible for immigration enforcement. This change aims to expand hiring after Congress provided a massive funding boost. On Wednesday, the department announced that it waived age limits so more people could join ICE, which is at the center of efforts to carry out mass deportations. Congress recently passed a bill allowing ICE to hire 10,000 more staff. Applicants can now be as young as 18. New recruits must pass medical and drug screenings and complete a physical fitness test. ICE is also offering bonuses and benefits to attract new hires.

FILE - Federal agents stage at MacArthur Park Monday, July 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File)

ICE entices new recruits with patriotism pitch and promise of $50,000 signing bonuses

July 30, 2025

The agency responsible for President Trump’s mass deportations agenda is launching a recruiting campaign. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking what the campaign says are “brave and heroic Americans” to become deportation officers, lawyers, and investigators. The campaign uses patriotic imagery and slogans like “AMERICA NEEDS YOU.” The agency is offering up to $50,000 in signing bonuses and other benefits. This expansion is funded by a $170 billion bill from Congress, with ICE receiving $76.5 billion. But there are concerns about whether the rapid growth will potentially lower recruitment standards.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrives for a news conference where she announced that most airline passengers will no longer have to remove their shoes at security checkpoints on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at Reagan National Airport in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

First the shoes went back on. Now, at US airport security, more liquid in carry-ons may be at hand

July 16, 2025

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggests changes to the amount of liquids travelers can carry on planes may be coming. She’s speaking of possible changes to the current 3.4-ounce liquid limit for carry-ons. This follows her recent announcement allowing travelers to keep their shoes on during airport screenings, ending a policy in place since 2006. The liquid limits were introduced after a 2006 plot involving liquid explosives was foiled. Noem envisions a streamlined airport experience where passengers quickly pass through security with minimal hassle. She says a multilayered screening process is enabling changes in screening and security that still maintain safety standards.

A family from Colombia is detained and escorted to a bus by federal agents following an appearance at immigration court Monday, July 14, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Trump administration fires 17 immigration court judges across ten states, union says

July 15, 2025

Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in recent days. That’s according to the union that represents the judges. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers says 15 judges were dismissed on Friday and two more on Monday. The firings occurred across ten states, including California, Texas, and New York. The union criticizes the move, calling it harmful as courts face a backlog of 3.5 million cases. Immigration courts, under the Justice Department, are already struggling with delays. The union claims over 100 judges have left or been fired since the Trump administration began, worsening the system’s challenges. No comment has been provided by officials.

Afghan refugees who returned after fleeing Iran to escape deportation and conflict line up at a UNHCR facility near the Islam Qala crossing in western Herat province, Afghanistan, on Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Omid Haqjoo)

With temporary protections for some Afghans set to expire, appeals court steps in

July 14, 2025

An appeals court has briefly extended protections for nearly 12,000 Afghans in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status. The Department of Homeland Security had announced in May that TPS for Afghans would end, leaving many at risk of deportation. On Monday, the nonprofit CASA appealed the decision and secured a one-week stay. The court has asked both sides to submit briefs this week. Advocates argue that many Afghans supported U.S. efforts during the war and deserve safety. TPS allows individuals to work and avoid deportation but doesn’t provide a path to citizenship, making its renewal precarious.

Krome Detention Center officers man an entrance gate as people hold a vigil outside to recognize those who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, as well as those affected by mass deportations, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Leadership shakeups at agency tasked with carrying out Trump’s mass deportations agenda

May 29, 2025

A staff reorganization is underway at the agency carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced leadership changes Tuesday at the department tasked with finding, arresting and removing immigrants who no longer have the right to be in the country as well as at the agency’s investigative division. ICE said the changes would help the agency achieve “President Trump and the American people’s mandate of arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safe.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said earlier this week that the administration was setting a goal of 3,000 arrests by ICE each day.

Deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Madison Sheahan, flanked by Acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, speaks during a news conference at ICE Headquarters, in Washington, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump administration uses multiple techniques to encourage and force deportation

May 21, 2025

Carrying out mass deportations was a key rallying cry during Donald Trump’s campaign for the presidency. Since the day he was sworn into office, his administration has focused on how to make that rallying cry reality. They’ve touted their policy of going after “the worst of the worst” — meaning people who’ve committed crimes in America — while leaning on some nations to take immigrants who the U.S. has difficulty deporting to their own countries. They’ve removed protections from hundreds of thousands of people the Biden administration admitted on a temporary basis into the country with the aim of eventually making them deportable. They’ve even suggested people “self-deport.”

Rebecca Santana.