In high-profile operations, more than half of those arrested had no criminal record, an analysis shows.

PHOENIX, AZ — Arizona education officials are preparing to revise state training standards and curriculum policies to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion in federally funded programs. State leaders say they must act swiftly to avoid jeopardizing roughly $866 million in federal education funding. Because the executive order does not define “DEI,” Arizona’s Department of Education must craft its own terminology while hoping it aligns with federal expectations. The State Board of Education voted Monday to begin removing DEI-related language from structured English immersion training and professional teaching standards. Two stakeholder groups will develop recommended revisions for the board to consider later next year. The move comes after the U.S. Department of Education warned that districts failing to comply could face investigations and lose federal dollars. The directive has already faced numerous legal challenges across the country, with several courts issuing temporary stays. The proposal drew sharply mixed public comment. Some educators warned that eliminating DEI from schools would erase cultural competency practices and reduce support for Arizona’s diverse student populations. Critics said the shift risks repeating the fallout seen elsewhere, such as the temporary removal of Pentagon webpages honoring the Navajo Code Talkers and Tuskegee Airmen following Trump’s order. Supporters argued the term “equity” has been misapplied in recent years and that stripping DEI from standards would restore academic focus. Superintendent Tom Horne defended the changes but expressed concern that the timeline may not satisfy federal demands. Stakeholder meetings are expected to begin in February, with recommendations due next September. --- SOURCES * News From the States – MBFC Rating The post Arizona Begins Work to Comply With Trump Anti-DEI School Order appeared first on News Facts Network.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New policy moves by the Trump administration have sharply slowed legal immigration processing across the country, with attorneys and advocates warning that the system is on the verge of gridlock. According to reporting from Axios, the administration has paused all asylum decisions, moved to reopen green card and asylum cases processed under President Biden, and threatened to expand the travel-ban list — a combination immigration lawyers say is overwhelming U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS already had more than 11 million pending cases covering asylum, work permits, family visas, and green cards. The latest actions are expected to grow the backlog significantly, particularly the 1.5 million pending asylum cases now subject to additional scrutiny. Immigration attorneys told Axios the simultaneous changes amount to “effectively shutting down the legal immigration process,” with wait times becoming unpredictable and interviews and citizenship ceremonies canceled for applicants from the 19 countries currently on the travel-ban list. The administration has also shifted the agency toward a greater enforcement posture. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has launched a hiring effort for “Homeland Defenders” who will have arrest authority and opened a new vetting center in Atlanta. Officials say the pause allows DHS to re-evaluate applications from individuals in “high-risk countries,” citing national-security concerns. Attorneys warn that reopening older cases and increasing screening requirements will delay results for all applicants, some of whom already face waits of up to nearly four years for an immigration benefit. Sources: * Axios – MBFC Rating The post Trump Administration Brings Legal Immigration Nearly to a Halt appeared first on News Facts Network.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An international watchdog that tracks civic freedoms across the globe has downgraded the United States’ rating, citing a surge in restrictions on expression, assembly, and association under President Donald Trump. The organization, Civicus, now classifies the U.S. as “obstructed,” a step below its previous “narrowed” status, according to the group’s latest report. Civicus evaluates civic space in 198 countries and says an “obstructed” rating indicates a society where people can still organize and protest, but face a heightened risk of police violence, intimidation, and legal repercussions. The downgrade follows a year marked by deployments of National Guard forces to protests, expanded immigration-enforcement involvement in crowd control, and increased pressure on journalists. The report also highlights crackdowns on pro-Palestinian students and academics, including arrests, visa revocations, and investigations tied to campus activism. The group attributes much of the shift to Trump’s return to the White House, saying he has “triggered a wave of measures undermining democratic institutions and civic freedoms.” Civicus Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana warned of “rapid and systematic attempts to stifle civic freedoms” that Americans have long considered foundational rights. Prior reports from Civicus have also criticized Trump administration directives targeting so-called “antifa” groups despite lack of supporting evidence. The downgrade places the U.S. closer to countries classified as “repressed,” underscoring mounting concerns about protest rights, press freedom, and government retaliation against dissent. Sources: * Civicus – Unrated * Truthout – MBFC Rating The post Global Watchdog Downgrades U.S. Civic Freedom Rating appeared first on News Facts Network.