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A congressional representative just proposed killing America's border tower program

MIT Technology Review

A congressional representative just proposed killing America's border tower program The proposed bill comes days after an MIT Technology Review investigation revealed that over 1,050 people have died within the advertised range of surveillance towers. Delia Ramirez, a Democratic US representative from Illinois, has announced a plan to introduce new legislation to terminate the surveillance tower program along the US southern border. The announcement comes just days after publication of an investigation, "Dying on Camera," in which we looked at deaths along the border that took place close to one or more of these towers. We also showed that the Department of Homeland Security does not keep track of these deaths or other metrics on the towers' success or failure. Ramirez, who sits on the Homeland Security Committee, cited's reporting that nearly "1,100 people have died within range of a billion-dollar surveillance tower system between 2015 and 2026," adding, "The towers that we have paid a billion dollars to just don't work." The US spent billions on border surveillance.



'Racist': DHS posted an AI image of a Sikh man. Backlash ensued

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. 'Racist': DHS posted an AI image of a Sikh man. The Department of Homeland Security posted an AI-generated image that was denounced as racist. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .


ICE Wants to Know Who Bought a Certain Green Beanie From REI in the Last 2 Years

WIRED

Homeland Security Investigations agents hit the outdoor retailer with a controversial subpoena as part of a dragnet search for the identities of protesters who entered a Minnesota church in March. Did you buy a beanie from REI recently? The Department of Homeland Security might be looking for you. New court filings allege that Homeland Security Investigations agents subpoenaed the outdoor retailer in March, requesting the transaction information for "all persons" in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area who had purchased a specific type of dark green beanie from the company since 2024.


The Cybersecurity Apocalypse Is Coming in 'Months,' AI Giants Warn

WIRED

Security News This Week: The Cybersecurity Apocalypse Is Coming in'Months,' AI Giants Warn Plus: Hackers target over 100 US water systems, ICE puts in an order for robot dogs, and you'll never guess what "MrChildPorn" was arrested for. You may have noticed that Flock Safety's automatic license plate reader cameras--and the cops who misuse them--are getting a lot of coverage lately. This week, WIRED found a particularly wild case: A cop in Alpharetta, Georgia, was accused of searching for the license plate of a coworker dozens of times after an affair between the two ended, according to internal documents obtained by WIRED. The same police department where the former lovers worked also shared the data captured from its Flock cameras with more than 2,000 police departments, colleges, and other organizations across the United States, and accessed data from more than 1,300 entities in exchange. Also at the intersection of love and surveillance, background-check company PeopleFinder is making use of its extensive dossiers on people to start a new dating site called Stud or Dud.


Milo Yiannopoulos Detained by ICE in Louisiana

WIRED

The longtime far-right operator and troll, a UK citizen, is being held in a detention center about 200 miles from New Orleans. Milo Yiannopoulos, a British national known for his near-constant reinventions as a vizier within far-right American politics for more than a decade, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Louisiana, according to the department's records. While it's not clear which detention facility Yiannopoulos is currently being held in, the ICE directory instructs any family or legal representatives to contact the Enforcement and Removal Office in Alexandria, Louisiana, a processing center for the central part of the state, about 200 miles from New Orleans. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the matter or indicate plans to deport Yiannopoulos. TMZ first broke the news of Yiannopoulos' detention.


Trump Seeks to Restrict Birthright Citizenship With New Orders

TIME - Tech

U.S. Open follow modal Personalized Content Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens.


DHS surveilled peaceful protesters and then yanked their Global Entry, federal lawsuit alleges

Los Angeles Times

Plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed in California allege that the Department of Homeland Security revoked their Global Entry privileges in retaliation for exercising their constitutional rights.


Department of Labor Tells Employees to Report Anyone Prioritizing DEI

WIRED

An email reminds workers they can report behavior that predates Donald Trump's second inauguration. One employee tells WIRED it felt like a "reminder to narc on your coworkers." Late last week, employees at the Department of Labor received a long email strongly urging them to file whistleblower complaints and report instances of " diversity, equity, and inclusion "-related discrimination or retaliation. In short, employees were told to alert the government of DEI compliance in any way. The email, sent on Friday and viewed by WIRED, felt like it was a "reminder to narc on your coworkers for doing DEI," says a DOL employee who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.


An ICE Firearms Trainer Was Involved in At Least 4 Deadly Shootings

WIRED

David Norman, a former Phoenix police officer who's described himself as "a fucking savage," now runs a company that provided training to Homeland Security's Special Response Teams. The owner of a company that trained paramilitary Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents testified that he was involved in at least four lethal shootings, according to a 2021 deposition related to a lawsuit reviewed by WIRED. David S. Norman, the founder and proprietor of law enforcement training firm TruKinetics LLC, served as a Phoenix Police officer from the late 1990s until his retirement in 2020. Prior to founding TruKinetics the same year, according to records reviewed by WIRED, Norman was involved in six shootings while on duty that left four people dead and two more wounded. In every instance, the Phoenix Police Department said Norman fired on an armed suspect and exchanged volleys of gunfire in at least two of the shootings. Based in Gilbert, Arizona, TruKinetics offers training on small-team tactics, hostage rescues, close-quarters combat, building searches, night-vision firearms proficiency, pistol and rifle courses, "vehicle interdiction," breaching with explosives, and sniper tactics, according to the company's website.