OUR PICKSGrand Jury Rebuffs DOJ Attempt to Indict 6 Democrats in Congress | Drone Incursion Led to Shutdown of El Paso Airport | How Trump Could Break the 2026 Elections, and more

Grand Jury Rebuffs Justice Dept. Attempt to Indict 6 Democrats in Congress  (Alan Feuer, Glenn Thrush, and Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times)
The rejection was a remarkable rebuke, suggesting that ordinary citizens did not believe that the lawmakers had committed any crimes.

Officials Claim Drone Incursion Led to Shutdown of El Paso Airport  (Karoun Demirjian and Jack Nicas, New York Times)
The secretary of transportation said the military had neutralized a drug cartel drone. Two officials said testing of counter-drone technology prompted the closure. The F.A.A. initially said it would last 10 days.

N.Y.P.D. Asks Trump Administration for Authority to Disable Drones  (Chelsia Rose Marcius, New York Times)
The request, by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, came a day before federal authorities closed the airspace in El Paso because of what they said was a drone threat.

Backlash to Trump Emboldens Democrats on DHS and ICE as Partial Shutdown Looms  (Sahil Kapur and Julie Tsirkin, NBC News)
Surveys show Americans are souring on Trump’s immigration crackdown, and Democrats are drawing a hard line on funding as they seek changes to rein in ICE and CBP.

ICE Hired Thousands While the Rest of the Immigration System Shrank  (Andrea Fuller, Albert Sun, and Eileen Sullivan, New York Times)
With more ICE agents and fewer judges and asylum officers, the balance of the federal immigration apparatus has shifted.

DHS Implies It Will Stop Certain Oversight Investigations, Senator Alleges  (Sean Michael Newhouse, Government Executive)
A Homeland Security Department official stressed in a statement that the secretary has the authority to pause some inspector general inquiries.

Less Than 14% Arrested by ICE in 2025 Had Violent Criminal Records, DHS Document Shows  (Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News)
According to a new Department of Homeland Security document obtained exclusively by CBS News, less than 14% of those arrested by ICE during President Trump’s first year back in office had violent criminal records.

How Hate Groups and Terrorists Use Gaming Platforms to Recruit Young Children  (Pranav Baskar, New York Times)
Fringe movements are using games and other online platforms to draw growing numbers of children to their causes, new data and dozens of interviews show.

She Bounced a $25 Check in 2014. ICE Tried to Deport Her.  (Joanna Slater, Washington Post)
A Missouri grandma and lawful resident spent months in detention for a decade-old misdemeanor, underscoring the massive scope of the administration’s deportation efforts.

How Trump Could Break the 2026 Elections  (David Frum, The Atlantic)
Stephen Richer on President Trump’s 2020 election denial, standing up to threats, and the Fulton County raid.