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emilybregel.bsky.social
Emily Bregel
@emilybregel.bsky.social
2K followers 390 following 100 posts
Border/immigration reporter
Arizona Daily Star

ebregel@tucson.com
On Signal: emdashbregs.28
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emilybregel.bsky.social
Emily Bregel @emilybregel.bsky.social · Nov 12
I'm Emily Bregel, border/immigration reporter for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson 👋 I welcome tips, story ideas, complaints and/or greetings! Send to ebregel(at)tucson(dot)com
Reposted by Emily Bregel
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
“.. using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought ..”

@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...
February 13, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
markhisted.org
In terms of what cures are being lost:

- Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis
- herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis
- shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease
"Moderna's CEO announced the company will no longer invest in new Phase 3 vaccine trials for infectious diseases: 'You cannot make a return on investment if you don't have access to the U.S. market. Vaccines for Epstein-Barr virus, herpes, and shingles have been shelved.” 9:12 AM Feb 12, 2026 604.8K Views
February 13, 2026 at 5:44 AM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
atrupar.com
Bondi crashes out over Epstein: "The Dow is over 50,000 dollars! I don't know why you're laughing. You're a great stock trader as I hear, Raskin. The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. That's what we should be talking about."
February 11, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
newrepublic.com
Gregory Bovino, who was leading Border Patrol at the time, praised the agent who shot citizen and Chicago resident Marimar Martinez five times in an October email newly released by federal prosecutors.

“In light of your excellent service in Chicago, you have much yet left to do!!” trib.al/znOXBBw
Border Patrol Chief Praised Agent Who Shot Unarmed Woman Five Times
Greg Bovino privately reached out to congratulate the agent who bragged about shooting Marimar Martinez in Chicago.
trib.al
February 11, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
freedom.press
Rümeysa Öztürk’s case is "arguably the most blatant press freedom violation of this century, and maybe the last century as well," FPF's Seth Stern said.

Read more from @brianstelter.bsky.social: view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/177...
February 11, 2026 at 5:41 PM
emilybregel.bsky.social
Julia Benitez, a 79-year-old Cuban asylum seeker with dementia, has been held in ICE detention in Arizona for nine months. Advocates say ICE is detaining more elderly/disabled people, as it issues "blanket denials" for release on humanitarian parole. @tucson.com tinyurl.com/4tchby7j
Grandmother languishes 9 months in detention as ICE holds more elderly people
Among detainees at Eloy Detention Center, 79-year-old Julia Benitez is known as "la abuela," the grandmother in Spanish.
tinyurl.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
normcharlatan.bsky.social
Like 75% of the US Olympic curlers are from Minnesota. A lot of them curl out of two clubs in Saint Paul, one club is in Frogtown, a neighborhood that has been very heavily targeted by ICE. These curlers are good neighbors.
factpostnews.bsky.social FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 4d
US Olympic Curling Team member speaks out against ICE:

"I'm proud to represent Team USA. But we'd be remiss if we didn't mention what's going on in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been. What's happening is wrong. There's no shades of gray."
February 10, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.

If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
npr.org
Alberto Castañeda Mondragón was hospitalized with eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. Officers claimed he ran into a wall, but medical staff doubted that account. n.pr/4bHoZDU
Immigrant whose skull was broken in 8 places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked
Alberto Castañeda Mondragón was hospitalized with eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. Officers claimed he ran into a wall, but medical staff doubted that account.
n.pr
February 8, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
dmain.bsky.social
Goddam it
benmullin.bsky.social Ben Mullin @benmullin.bsky.social · 10d
NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning.

Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Washington Post Begins Sweeping Layoffs
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
radleybalko.bsky.social
Floored by this story. A man wrote a pollite email to a federal prosecutor objecting to the deportation of an Afghan seeking asylum. DHS responded with an administrative warrant to get the man's info from Google, then visited his home to intimidate him.
DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email
The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.
newrepublic.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
jayapal.house.gov
A judge has blocked the Trump admin’s attempts to block Members of Congress from making unannounced inspection visits to ICE detention facilities AGAIN.

It is our duty to conduct oversight — and we will not let Trump and his lawless DHS stand in the way of that.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
Judge Again Blocks Policy Restricting Lawmakers’ Access to ICE Facilities
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
joaquincastrotx.bsky.social
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.

Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
February 1, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
propublica.org
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
emilybregel.bsky.social
Immigration detention facilities in Florence, AZ are quietly managing a measles outbreak, with three cases identified there as of Friday, but information shared with the public has been limited and delayed, to the concern of volunteers who help recently released detainees. tucson.com/news/local/b...
Measles outbreak at ICE detention centers in Arizona prompts quarantine
DHS's delay in addressing the three confirmed measles cases, and their location, has been frustrating for migrant-aid volunteers trying to understand the scope of the outbreak in Pinal County.
tucson.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
joycewhitevance.bsky.social
DM me? We used to get hundreds of highly qualified applicants for a single job posting. Good prosecutors are increasingly hesitant to work for this DOJ.
January 31, 2026 at 3:51 PM
emilybregel.bsky.social
Huge turnout for Tucson's anti-ICE protest Friday. An estimated 3,000 people came out as part of the national strike in protest of Trump's immigration policies. Charlie Borla (@charlieborla.bsky.social) reports for the AZ Daily Star: @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/a...
Thousands in Tucson protest ICE
Protesters across the country participated Friday in a national "no work, no school, no shopping" day. In Tucson, thousands of people filled downtown for hours.
tucson.com
January 31, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
azluminaria.org
TUSD warns Friday classes could be canceled if protest-related staff absences leave schools short on supervision. The district says a final call is coming by noon
TUSD may cancel Friday classes due to employee absences in protest of ICE - AZ Luminaria
The Tucson Unified School District says it may cancel classes Friday because of hundreds of potential employee absences protesting immigration enforcement across the country. TUSD Superintendent Gabri...
azluminaria.org
January 29, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
newslit.org
It's hard to recognize AI-generated content because it’s increasingly realistic "and because we’re all vulnerable to the influence of our own biases, which can cause us to under-scrutinize things we want to believe.” - NLP's @peteradams.bsky.social in this @startribune.com story ⤵️
AI image of Alex Pretti’s killing is the latest altered photo amid ICE surge in Minneapolis
Look closely, slow down, think critically before believing what you see on the internet, experts caution.
www.startribune.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:54 PM
emilybregel.bsky.social
UPDATE: A suspected human smuggler fired a gun at a federal helicopter and at a Border Patrol agent on the ground who returned fire, critically injuring him, in an incident Tuesday south of Tucson, investigators said. tucson.com/news/local/b...
Man shot by Border Patrol south of Tucson after he fired on agents, FBI says
A person described as a "suspect" was shot and wounded Tuesday morning and flown by helicopter to Tucson, authorities say.
tucson.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:30 AM
emilybregel.bsky.social
One critically wounded in Border Patrol shooting south of Tucson; Pima County Sheriff's Deaprtment and FBI investigating. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/b...
1 critically wounded in Border Patrol shooting south of Tucson
A person described as a "suspect" was shot and wounded Tuesday morning and flown by helicopter to Tucson, authorities say.
tucson.com
January 27, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
murphywoodhouse.bsky.social
My friend and former colleague @emilybregel.bsky.social is reporting on the border patrol shooting near Tucson. Folo for reliable information on this developing situation tucson.com/news/local/b...
1 critically wounded in Border Patrol shooting south of Tucson
A person described as a "suspect" was shot and wounded Tuesday morning and flown by helicopter to Tucson, authorities say.
tucson.com
January 27, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
You have to read this. Firsthand affidavit from one of the women who was there and recording the video. She talks about how Alex Pretti was directing traffic when she arrived. She watched him be killed in front of her. She's afraid to go home, worried she'll be arrested.
1. I am a resident of the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am over 18 years of age. I am a children's entertainer who specializes in face painting. 2. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at about 8:50 am, I was getting ready to go to work when I heard whistles outside. I knew the whistles meant that ICE agents were in the area, so I decided to check it out on my way to work. I've been involved in observing in my community because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors. Connecting to your local community and knowing who your neighbors are is something I profoundly value. 3. I drove to Nicollet Ave. and 26th where I could hear the whistles coming from. I turned south onto Nicollet. There were already several ICE agents there and they'd set up a sort of vehicle convoy on Nicollet and 28th. There were also about 15 observers there, recording and observing ICE. 4. I saw ICE agents surrounding cars and punching car windows. I also saw them stopping vehicles further down Nicollet, so I backed up because I didn't feel safe continuing on. 5. I noticed a man sort of acting to help traffic move more smoothly. He helped me find a place to park. I got out with my whistle and my camera. I went over to him and said something like, "I'm going to film and use my whistle." 6. It seemed like most ICE activity was happening a little farther down the street from us, near 27th. Someone was being thrown to the ground. 7. I started recording. There was an agent by a car across the street. Two observers were a few feet away from the agent, blowing their whistles. One was wearing a backpack. 8. I and the man who was observing and helping direct traffic were standing in the street. There was a phone in the man's hand recording a video. 9. An agent approached and asked us to back up, so I moved slowly back onto the sidewalk. 10. The man stayed in the street, filming as the other observers I mentioned earlier were being forced backward by another ICE agent threatening them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support them as they got threatened, just with his camera out. I didn't see him reach for or hold a gun. 11. Then the ICE agent shoved one of the other observers to the ground. Then he started pepper spraying all three of them directly in the face and all over. The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him. 12. Then the man tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying. More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up. All three of the observers looked to have been badly affected by the pepper spray. I could feel the pepper spray in my eyes. 13. The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn't see him touch any of them-he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times. 14.1 don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him. 15. The video I recorded of what happened accurately depicts the events leading up to the agents shooting him and several minutes afterwards. The video is attached as Exhibit 1. 16. I have read the statement from DHS about what happened and it is wrong. The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground. 17. I feel afraid. Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me. I don't know what the agents will do when they find me. I do know that they're not telling the truth about what happened. I've heard that other witnesses might have been arrested and taken to the Whipple Building. 18. I am disgusted and gutted at how they are treating my neighbors and my state. I keep alternating between crying and feeling determined it is important to remember the value of documenting injustice. We show up for the people who need us to bear witness, because it can't just be one group of people bearing the brunt of their tyranny. This is a struggle to protect our freedom and democracy, those things are on the line. He lost his life for those values. I declare under penalty of perjury that everything I have stated in this document is true and correct. Dated and signed on Jan 24, 2026 in Hennepin County, State of Minnesota.
January 25, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
Chief Strategist for Rand Paul.
January 24, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Emily Bregel
mdelbosque.bsky.social
The ICE agent who shot Renee Good was a former Border Patrol agent. And today's murder was committed by a Border Patrol agent. This is violence and impunity that border communities have known all too well for years.
Man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown, National Guard activated
A federal immigration officer has shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.
apnews.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:44 PM