⛪💰 Catholic Charities Lays Off 200 Workers Amid Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Cuts
✈️🚨 Trump Administration Deports Hundreds Despite Judge’s Order Halting Removals Under Wartime Act 🚀✈️ SpaceX Starship Explosions Disrupt 500 Flights, Cost Airlines Millions in Delays
🚧📱 TikTok Becomes Key Smuggling Tool as Migrants and Coyotes Evade Border Crackdowns
Megan Janetsky, AP.- Human smugglers are increasingly using TikTok to advertise illegal border crossings, showcasing methods like dune buggies, tunnels, and Jet Skis to lure migrants into their networks. The short-form videos, reviewed by the AP, often display camouflaged migrants trekking through the desert and testimonials from those claiming to have crossed successfully. Smugglers manipulate TikTok’s algorithm to attract desperate migrants, shifting narratives based on U.S. immigration policies—most recently downplaying Trump’s border crackdown and claiming officials have been bribed. The platform bans human smuggling content and has struggled to control the trend. Migrants also use social media to document their journeys, but experts warn that some are coerced into recording staged “safe arrival” videos. Authorities and advocacy groups fear that these online tactics are making smuggling operations more sophisticated and harder to combat, with cartels exploiting migrants for extortion and kidnapping along the way.
🔗🏢 El Salvador’s Mega-Prison Holds Migrants Deported Under Trump’s Wartime Immigration Crackdown
Marcos Alemán and Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press.- The U.S. transferred hundreds of migrants to El Salvador’s high-security mega-prison, CECOT, under a controversial agreement with President Nayib Bukele’s government. The detainees, alleged by the Trump administration to be members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, were deported despite a federal judge’s temporary restraining order. CECOT, a massive prison designed for gang members, prohibits visitation, recreation, and rehabilitation programs. Bukele’s administration received $6 million from the U.S. to house detainees for one year. Human rights organizations have condemned conditions in the prison, citing overcrowding, torture, and medical neglect. Critics argue that Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act is unprecedented and lacks evidence that those deported are gang members. Video footage shows detainees shackled, forcibly bent over, and placed in cells under heavy military security.
⛪💰 Catholic Charities Lays Off 200 Workers Amid Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Cuts
_Elaine Ayala & Elizabeth L. T. Moore, Express-News.- Catholic Charities of San Antonio has laid off 200 employees—half its staff—following drastic federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration. The agency, which supports refugee resettlement and food assistance, is facing a $60 million budget shortfall, including $33 million for the now-closed Migrant Resource Center. The cuts have left nearly 90 refugee families from Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Cuba at risk of eviction. Catholic Charities Fort Worth recently sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over a similar funding freeze, which has disrupted services for over 100,000 people. Other cities, including Houston and Dallas, have also seen refugee aid programs crippled by layoffs. San Antonio officials scramble for housing support, but landlords refuse city assistance. Catholic Charities has launched a fundraising campaign, calling the crisis “devastating” and urging donations to continue serving vulnerable families.
✈️🚨 Trump Administration Deports Hundreds Despite Judge’s Order Halting Removals Under Wartime Act
Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press.- The Trump administration deported hundreds of migrants to El Salvador despite a federal judge’s emergency order temporarily blocking the removals. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued the ruling Saturday, but two planes carrying deportees were already en route to El Salvador and Honduras. The administration justified the deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law historically used during wartime, claiming the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua posed a national security threat. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, an ally of Trump, agreed to house 300 deportees in his prisons. Critics, including the ACLU, argue the government violated the court’s order and lacked evidence that the deported individuals were gang members. The Venezuelan government condemned the move, comparing it to historical human rights abuses. A court hearing is scheduled for Friday to determine if Trump has exceeded his legal authority.
🚀✈️ SpaceX Starship Explosions Disrupt 500 Flights, Cost Airlines Millions in Delays
Brandon Lingle, Express-News.- Recent SpaceX Starship explosions have caused significant disruptions to commercial aviation, delaying nearly 500 flights and resulting in millions of dollars in airline losses. The FAA activated debris response areas after the January and March test flights ended in catastrophic failures, scattering debris across the Atlantic and the Caribbean. The March 6 explosion alone led to 171 flight delays and 28 diversions. FAA data estimates that passenger carriers lost nearly $1.1 million due to these incidents, while cargo airline losses were even higher. A recent study warns that the growing number of commercial space launches increases the risk of aircraft collisions with space debris. Aviation authorities must prepare for continued disruptions with over 2,300 abandoned rockets in orbit. The FAA has grounded Starship pending further investigations, with SpaceX leading the review under government oversight.
Key Points:
Flight Disruptions: Nearly 500 delays, 80 diversions, and millions in airline losses.
March 6 Failure: Starship exploded mid-flight, scattering debris across busy air routes.
FAA Response: Grounded Starship; ongoing investigation into both incidents.
Rising Risk: Study warns of increasing aircraft-space debris collisions.
Future Challenges: Aviation authorities must address uncontrolled space reentries.