Politics and views in the United States.

'No Kings' rallies planned for Saturday across Massachusetts; Report: Economic outlook not favorable for Arkansas farmers and NYS bill would end gas system subsidies.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

We've got networks of cartel members and terrorists that are infiltrating these cities.

And every day that we don't bring them to justice, they're recruiting new members to their ranks.

Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem is defending intensified DHS enforcement, saying agents are working around the clock to dismantle violent networks and prevent penetration of U.S. cities.

Yet some migrants who follow legal pathways are being caught up in the sweeps.

Marwan Maroof is a longtime visa holder and green card applicant who has been held for nearly a month in federal custody without what his lawyers say is due process.

His attorney, Mariam Uddin, says the government just added a decades-old terrorism-related accusation in his case.

She says it's based on him supporting a charity that long after he stopped volunteering with them was labeled a terror group.

DHS filed new charges this morning, the third such charging document issued in this case, at the cost of his mental and physical health.

He is, in fact, the victim of a terrible oppression and injustice.

Human Rights Watch calls the Holy Land Foundation case now being cited against Ma'ruf as, quote, "one of the most egregious failures of the modern justice system."

Uddin argues the renewed charges are politically motivated, part of what she calls a wider pattern of persecution of Muslim and Arab community leaders.

Although Nome and others say they are targeting criminals and gang members, the vast majority of migrants caught up in the sweeps have no legal record.

But Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow argues migrants are overburdening local police, schools and hospitals, saying enforcement is essential to rebuild trust in the system.

All of these benefits and the money for this has been sucked up by a very large population of people who have absolutely no right to be in this country.

I'm not trying to stop immigration, but I am trying to stop illegal immigration and we will succeed.

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton faces charges for improperly handling classified documents.

Bolton denies wrongdoing, saying the papers in question were personal notes.

The head of Southern Command will step down less than a year after taking the position.

Admiral Alvin Halsey has been overseeing attacks on small ships off the coast of Venezuela.

The U.S. is building up significant forces in the region, and President Donald Trump says he has approved land strikes and covert actions against that country.

Officials in Minnesota and other states warn that if Congress doesn't pass a budget to reopen the government soon, the SNAP program will run out of funds within weeks.

Sophia Linares-Coy, executive director of the food group, says the uncertainty is hard on families struggling to feed their children.

Last year, there were over 9 million visits to food shelves throughout the state of Minnesota.

We are seeing high demand for food resources, really driven in large part due to high grocery prices.

Anyone who goes to the grocery store knows you just don't get what you did even a couple years ago.

I'm Farah Siddiqui for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.