Several posts on X made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referencing a May incident at the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in New Jersey, in which U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged with assaulting federal immigration officers, have been removed following an order from Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jamel Semper.
Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) was charged in May with assaulting federal immigration officers during a congressional visit to the Delaney Hall immigrant detention center in Newark.
McIver has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted.
McIver argued that the charges violate the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause and are politically motivated, though she was seen on video physically pushing and striking a federal ICE agent.
After the May incident, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued several statements and social media posts criticizing Rep. McIver and other Democratic lawmakers who visited the Delaney Hall facility that day.
In response, McIver’s legal team filed a motion seeking to prohibit the government from making what they described as “extrajudicial statements” that could prejudice the ongoing legal proceedings, according to the New Jersey Globe. The motion cited eight posts on X and one official press release as examples,
Newsweek reported.
“As of this afternoon, the posts referenced in Defense Exhibits N through U have been removed,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche noted in a legal filing dated October 30, Newsweek reported. “The post referenced in Defense Exhibit V, however, remains available on X.com, as it appears to be controlled by a journalist and private citizen, and the Government lacks the authority to remove the post.”
The development follows a hearing held on October 21, during which Judge Semper heard arguments from both the Department of Justice and McIver’s legal team. At that time, the court directed the government to remove the posts and provide an update within a week.
However, eight days later, the Department of Justice had not complied, according to a November 6 letter from McIver’s attorney, Lee Cortes, to the judge, Newsweek added.
” … [E]ven with the additional time, DHS again has failed to remove all of the public statements that Congresswoman McIver brought to the government’s and the Court’s attention,” Cortes wrote in the letter.
Cortes went on to ask the court to issue sanctions if the DHS were to post such statements about McIver again.
“DHS has slow-walked the removal of clearly prejudicial statements, issued new ones, and continued to maintain others on its website. Without a further order from the Court, Congresswoman McIver will be forced to continue ‘play[ing] Whac-A-Mole’ with ‘government officials’…saying things that have absolutely no connection to the indictment,” Cortes noted, according to Newsweek.
One of the posts from DHS that was removed stated: “Delaney Hall Detention Center houses the WORST OF THE WORST! This stunt by sanctuary lawmakers puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and detainees at risk.”
Another post referenced McIver: “What happened on May 9 at Delaney Hall was not oversight. It was a political stunt that put the safety of our law enforcement agents, our staff, and our detainees at risk. This behavior was lawless, and it was beneath this body. Members of Congress are not above the law.”
McIver appeared in federal court last month as she continued to fight a three-count indictment accusing her of impeding and interfering with federal officers at the Newark, N.J., ICE detention facility in May.
Semper did not rule on McIver’s motion to dismiss the charges but raised concerns about Department of Homeland Security statements online referencing the incident.
The judge said it was prejudicial for “fact-free” social media posts from government officials to remain public while McIver’s case is pending, warning they could taint a future jury pool.
Barack and Michelle Obama continue to face persistent rumors about troubles in their marriage, despite efforts to keep their private life tightly guarded.
RadarOnline.com has gathered every public comment the couple — who have been married since 1992 — have made about their relationship as speculation swirls, the outlet reported over the weekend.
On the first day of the federal government shutdown, New York City is learning just how costly its commitment to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies could be under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, announced Wednesday that roughly $18 billion in federal funding for two major New York City infrastructure projects has been frozen.
“Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” Vought wrote on X. “More info to come soon.”
The projects affected are among the most significant in New York’s long-term transportation planning. One is the Hudson Tunnel Project, which would add a new passenger rail tunnel under the Hudson River, a vital corridor for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. The other is the long-delayed Second Avenue Subway expansion, a project that has been discussed for decades and is seen as critical to easing congestion on Manhattan’s East Side.
In a follow-up post, Vought confirmed both projects are on ice, immediately sparking debate over whether the freeze was primarily about DEI or about politics.
The Associated Press noted that the timing suggested more than policy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has made the Hudson Tunnel Project one of his signature priorities. In 2023, Schumer locked in a $6.88 billion federal grant for the tunnel. At the time, he acknowledged the funding was partly a safeguard in case Trump returned to the White House and Republicans reclaimed the Senate.
Both of those things have now happened.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents Brooklyn, also has a stake in the projects and has been one of Trump’s most vocal opponents in Congress.
The decision to freeze funding hits directly at the priorities of both New York Democrats who are central to the shutdown fight.
CBS News highlighted how the move reverberated beyond policy debates. For Schumer and Jeffries, it was a political gut punch delivered on the same day Democrats were already facing pressure for allowing the shutdown to drag on.
The broader context is that Trump has made rolling back DEI spending a cornerstone of his second administration.
During his first term, Trump signed an executive order restricting DEI training in federal agencies, though it was later rescinded by President Joe Biden.
Now, with Trump back in office and Republicans holding a Senate majority, the administration is applying that principle to billions of dollars in federal spending.
Vought framed the decision as a matter of constitutional principle. Supporters of the freeze argued online that taxpayers should not be forced to fund projects or programs that prioritize ideological commitments over core infrastructure needs.
“This is what accountability looks like,” one Trump supporter wrote on X. “No more DEI slush funds disguised as public works.”
Critics, however, accused the White House of weaponizing federal funding to punish political opponents. Some Democrats argued that the timing — the very first day of the shutdown — made it clear the freeze was aimed squarely at Schumer and Jeffries.
“This isn’t about DEI, it’s about Donald Trump flexing power,” one Democratic strategist said.
For New Yorkers, the practical implications are serious. The Hudson Tunnel Project is part of the larger Gateway Program, which seeks to modernize a century-old rail system that millions of commuters depend on.
Delays in federal funding could set the project back years, raising costs and leaving existing tunnels vulnerable to breakdowns. The Second Avenue Subway, meanwhile, has been in the works since the 1920s and has already been plagued by delays and cost overruns.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee was packed to the rafters, anticipation thick in the air. Progressive activists, mainstream media, and congressional staffers had gathered for what was expected to be a routine hearing on refugee resettlement. Instead, they witnessed an explosive confrontation that would rock Capitol Hill, shatter reputations, and send shockwaves far beyond the Beltway.
Representative Ilhan Omar, the outspoken congresswoman from Minnesota, stood at the witness table, her designer hijab catching the television lights. She launched into a fiery attack on Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, accusing him of representing
everything wrong with America’s past—the shameful legacy of prejudice against immigrants and Muslims.” The gallery erupted in applause, and the media readied their headlines for Kennedy’s public humiliation.
But as Omar’s voice rose, Kennedy sat quietly, taking notes with the calm precision of a seasoned prosecutor. The slight upturn at the corner of his mouth hinted that he was ready for what was to come. When Omar finally paused, Kennedy looked up, his serene expression belying the storm of evidence he was about to unleash.
“Thank you for that passionate speech about struggle and persecution, ma’am,” Kennedy began in his trademark Louisiana drawl. “You raise important points about understanding different experiences. And speaking of experiences, perhaps we should explore yours a bit more thoroughly.”
With those words, Kennedy opened a manila folder that would become the instrument of Omar’s destruction. The room fell silent as he began to lay out a meticulously documented case—one that would expose a web of fraud, corruption, and betrayal.
Kennedy’s first revelation centered on Omar’s 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. “Questions have been raised about this particular marriage,” Kennedy said, holding up documents. “Your brother.”
The committee room erupted. Supporters shouted “lies!” and “Islamophobia!” while reporters scrambled to update their stories. Kennedy remained undeterred, presenting educational records from the UK, sworn affidavits from the Somali community, and evidence that Omar, her cultural husband Ahmed Hirsi, and her legal husband Elmi all lived at the same address in Minnesota.
“In most cultures, it’s unusual for a woman to live with both her husband and her brother,” Kennedy said. “It’s even more unusual when she’s legally married to the brother, but filing taxes jointly with the other man. That’s tax fraud, ma’am. And if Elmi is indeed your brother, that’s immigration fraud—a federal crime.”
Omar’s defenses wavered. Kennedy pressed on, revealing a formal request for a DNA test she had repeatedly refused, and a damning email exchange: “Thanks for helping me get papers, sister. I’ll make sure to pay you back when I get to London.”