🌊⚠️ Sea Crossings Surge as Border Tightens, Smugglers Charge Up to $17K
🇺🇸🚫 Trump Administration Cancels Visas of 5 UCSD Students, Another Deported 🍞🇺🇸 Texas Bakery Raid Sparks Backlash in Pro-Trump County as Immigration Crackdown Hits Home
🌊⚠️ Sea Crossings Surge as Border Tightens, Smugglers Charge Up to $17K
Alexandra Mendoza & Alex Riggins, The San Diego Union-Tribune.– As the U.S.-Mexico land border becomes increasingly fortified under President Donald Trump’s second term, federal authorities report a surge in maritime smuggling near San Diego. On March 30, the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and Navy rescued 18 migrants from a disabled boat — one of nine such incidents recorded in just the final week of March. With land crossings down 96% from last year, authorities say smugglers are shifting to sea routes, charging desperate migrants from $3,000 to $17,000 for dangerous voyages aboard overloaded and unlit vessels. Some smugglers have been promised thousands per head. Several recent busts have led to federal charges for suspected smugglers and deported migrants. U.S. Navy destroyers like the USS Spruance are now patrolling the Pacific to support anti-smuggling operations, a stark escalation of border enforcement. Advocates warn this pushes asylum seekers into even deadlier situations while saddling them with enormous debt.
Key Stats:
⚖️ 264 maritime smuggling events reported in FY 2025 so far, with 826 apprehensions
💵 Smugglers charge $3,000–$17,000 per person
⚓ U.S. Navy destroyers deployed alongside Coast Guard
📉 Land crossings in San Diego sector down 95% year-over-year
🛥️ Migrants use pangas, jet skis, and pleasure boats to reach U.S. shores
🇺🇸🚫 Trump Administration Cancels Visas of 5 UCSD Students, Another Deported
Gary Robbins, The San Diego Union-Tribune.– The Trump administration has revoked the F-1 visas of five international students at UC San Diego and deported another amid a sweeping and opaque crackdown targeting foreign students across U.S. campuses. UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said the university was “working directly” with affected students, but no reasons were provided for the visa cancellations. UC officials confirmed similar actions at UCLA and Stanford and warned that the situation remains “fluid.” Some visa terminations nationally have been linked to pro-Palestinian activism, while others cite unrelated alleged offenses. Critics, including faculty and legal advocates, have condemned the moves as politically motivated and threatening academic freedom. More than 7,000 international students attend UCSD, primarily in STEM fields. Immigration arrests and deportations are already underway, with the State Department reporting 300 visa revocations, mostly targeting students.
⚖️🇺🇸 Trump Deports Venezuelans to El Salvador Prison Under 1798 Law, Defying Federal Court Order
Tim Sullivan, Associated Press.– President Donald Trump’s administration deported at least 137 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, despite a federal judge’s emergency order to halt the flights. The law, historically used during major wars, was invoked by Trump to target alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though many deportees had no verified gang affiliations. One was a gay makeup artist whose wrist tattoos honoring his parents and Venezuela’s “Three Kings” festival were flagged as gang symbols. Advocacy groups say ICE agents used vague identifiers like Chicago Bulls jerseys and star tattoos to designate detainees as threats. Legal challenges began hours before the deportations, but two ICE flights took off before the court could intervene. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele mocked the judge’s order on social media: “Oopsie… too late.” The Biden-appointed Judge James Boasberg may now hold officials in contempt. Trump’s team is appealing to the Supreme Court to continue the deportations.
🍞🇺🇸 Texas Bakery Raid Sparks Backlash in Pro-Trump County as Immigration Crackdown Hits Home
Valerie Gonzalez, AP.– The arrest of the owners of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas — a beloved community hub — has ignited fierce debate over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in a county that recently swung Republican. Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, legal permanent residents, were charged with harboring undocumented workers and could face deportation, despite being long-time contributors to their predominantly Latino town.
Supporters rallied outside the bakery, calling the February raid excessive and a blow to a trusted local institution. Many argue the couple was helping, not exploiting, workers. Six of the eight employees had visitor visas but no work permits. The bakery’s reopening has become a symbol of resilience and a protest. “Shopping at Abby’s is now a political statement,” said one customer.
The case underscores growing unease in the Rio Grande Valley, where Trump gained ground in 2024, about the real-life consequences of his aggressive immigration policies — particularly when they target respected neighbors rather than violent criminals.