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President Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign is set to remove roughly 600,000 illegal migrants within its first year, according to new government figures reported by the New York Post.

The broader consequences of the crackdown are even more dramatic — with over 2 million illegal migrants leaving the United States since January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed.

Officials said federal immigration teams have already taken more than 457,000 illegal immigrants into custody, calling the arrests “just the beginning” of a far-reaching enforcement surge.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin credited the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for revitalizing a department long constrained by political opposition. “Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ‘jumpstarted an agency that was vilified and barred from doings its job for the last four years,’” she said.

According to McLaughlin, federal agents have made “historic progress to carryout President Trump’s promise of arresting and deporting illegal aliens who have invaded our country,” despite multiple rulings from federal courts attempting to curtail enforcement efforts.

Since the start of Trump’s second term, DHS has deported over 493,000 illegal immigrants, while another 1.6 million have chosen to “self-deport.”

“Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now or face the consequence. Migrants are now even turning back before they reach our borders,” McLaughlin said.

The current numbers mark a dramatic jump compared to just 271,000 deportations during the final year of the Biden administration, and 142,000 in 2023, according to ICE data.

In September, the agency announced it had gone four straight months without releasing any illegal border crossers into the country, declaring that “the era of open borders is over.”

The escalation of arrests and deportations in sanctuary cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland has created dangerous conditions for agents on the ground, who face threats from both organized criminal networks and violent mobs intent on stopping their operations.

Assaults on ICE personnel have skyrocketed by 1,000% in 2025, with three separate ambushes in Texas in the past three months alone. In one recent attack, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn opened fire outside an immigration facility in Dallas, missing his intended ICE targets but killing two migrants awaiting deportation.

This week in Chicago, chaos erupted outside an ICE building in Broadview, Illinois, where rioters clashed with officers. Later, another group of agents was trapped and assaulted on Chicago’s South Side when attackers used vehicles to block their escape.

ICE sources said Chicago police ignored their calls for help under a “stand down” order allegedly issued by the chief of patrol — an accusation the department has denied.

{Matzav.com}

Appearing calm and composed, former FBI Director James Comey entered a plea of not guilty Wednesday to federal charges accusing him of lying to Congress and obstructing justice — marking the first time in U.S. history that a onetime FBI chief has faced criminal prosecution.

Comey, 64, also denied allegations that he obstructed justice during the investigation into alleged ties between President Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian officials. His trial date has been scheduled for January 5, 2026.

Wearing a navy suit and maintaining a stoic expression, Comey faced U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff for roughly 30 minutes at the Albert V. Bryan Courthouse in Virginia. His attorney, former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago, formally entered the plea on his behalf.

When Judge Nachmanoff asked if he understood the charges against him, Comey replied quietly, “I do, your honor.”

“My client is anxious to get to a speedy trial,” Fitzgerald told the court.

Both the defense and federal prosecutor Nathaniel “Tyler” Lemons requested a modest delay in scheduling, with Lemons explaining that his team was still sorting through “a large” volume of evidence and “just getting our hands around the discovery as well.”

Judge Nachmanoff — appointed by President Joe Biden — agreed to a brief extension but questioned the justification. He commented that the matter appeared to involve “a discrete set of facts” and was “not overly complicated.”

Lemons responded that the case involved “a significant amount of classified information,” while Fitzgerald’s team acknowledged that only one of their lawyers, Jessica Carmichael, currently holds the necessary clearance to review classified material.

The judge assured both sides that he intended to move quickly, saying he would “go through the fastest [classified document review] process you’ve seen in your lives.”

Fitzgerald said he “hoped that a trial can be avoided,” and indicated he would soon file motions arguing that the case constitutes “vindictive prosecution” and that the appointment of the lead prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, was unlawful.

Comey was released on his own recognizance after prosecutors declined to request bail. His family, including daughter Maurene — who was dismissed from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office in July — attended the hearing. Her husband, Troy Edwards, also appeared, having resigned from his post in the Eastern District of Virginia shortly after the indictment was announced.

According to the two-page indictment returned by a grand jury last month, Comey is accused of lying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 30, 2020, when he denied approving media leaks about the Trump-Russia investigation and a separate probe involving Hillary Clinton.

If convicted, Comey faces a maximum of five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The grand jury declined to pursue an additional count of making false statements.

The case represents the first time the Justice Department has brought charges against one of President Trump’s political adversaries. The DOJ is also reportedly investigating other prominent Trump critics, including Rep. Adam Schiff of California and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

The prosecution was initiated by Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s onetime personal attorney, who was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last month after Trump removed her predecessor, Erik Siebert, over his reluctance to pursue cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Halligan, who previously specialized in insurance law, had no prior experience as a federal prosecutor. The indictment was filed just days before the five-year statute of limitations would have expired on Comey’s testimony before Congress.

Comey has publicly admitted in the past to authorizing leaks, including his 2017 admission to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had instructed his “good friend,” Columbia Law Professor Daniel Richman, to leak memos detailing Trump’s alleged request to drop the Michael Flynn investigation.

The indictment refers to a “PERSON 3” — widely believed to be Richman — whom Comey allegedly “had authorized … to serve as an anonymous source in news reports” related to the FBI’s Russia probe.

Trump dismissed Comey as FBI director in 2017 during the height of the Russia inquiry, prompting the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who ultimately found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy.

Following the indictment, Comey released a video statement expressing both defiance and sadness. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either.”

“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,” Comey added.

{Matzav.com}

A tense showdown unfolded Wednesday on Capitol Hill when Hudson Valley Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) after a press conference, sparking a fiery exchange over who was to blame for the partial government shutdown.

Lawler approached Jeffries at the conclusion of the briefing, accusing him of refusing to participate in bipartisan efforts to renew Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.

“Did your boss, Donald Trump, give you permission?” Jeffries shot back with a grin, mocking Lawler as reporters looked on.

Holding up a printed copy of his bill to extend the ACA credits, Lawler rejected the notion that Trump was his “boss” and reminded Jeffries that he himself had previously voted for stopgap funding bills to prevent government shutdowns.

“You’re making a show of this to make yourself relevant,” Jeffries snapped. “You’re embarrassing yourself right now.”

“It’s sad, you could sign onto this right now,” Lawler replied. “You have four Democrats on here. Why won’t you sign on?”

Democrats have blocked the GOP-backed continuing resolution (CR) designed to keep the government running through November 21, insisting instead that Republicans roll back Medicaid reforms and extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies expiring at year’s end. In return, they have offered to lift the Senate filibuster and allow the CR to pass.

Jeffries has dismissed temporary extensions of the subsidies, maintaining that they must be made permanent before any reopening of the government can occur.

During the confrontation, Jeffries brought up the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act—now titled the Working Families Tax Cut Act—and accused Lawler of supporting harmful cuts.

“I voted for a tax cut bill that gave the largest tax cut to Americans in history, including, by the way, the average New Yorker getting a $4,000 tax cut,” Lawler said.

Jeffries countered that the legislation gutted Medicaid funding, while Lawler argued that the reforms targeted “waste, fraud, and abuse.”

“Listen, you’re not going to talk to me … and talk over me because you don’t want to hear what I have to say. So why don’t you just keep your mouth shut,” Jeffries snapped, cutting him off mid-sentence.

The minority leader accused Lawler of working to “cut taxes for his billionaire buddies,” but the New York Republican fired back, saying the bill actually expanded the standard deduction widely used by middle-class taxpayers and raised the SALT deduction cap.

“Why are you here right now? Where are the rest of your Republican colleagues?” Jeffries taunted.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has kept the House in recess as leverage to pressure Senate Democrats into supporting the clean CR passed last month. With the House out of session, Democrats are unable to move forward on a revised funding measure.

The verbal sparring between Jeffries and Lawler grew increasingly personal, with Jeffries accusing his GOP colleague of staging “a stunt” to help his reelection campaign, while Lawler retorted that the Brooklyn Democrat spent $42 million last cycle and “didn’t do that great.”

Lawler also took a jab at Jeffries over his silence on New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani’s attack on Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, massacre. Jeffries declined to respond.

“I’ve indulged you. I’ve given you your fifteen minutes of fame,” Jeffries said with a smirk as he ended the exchange. “You’re a complete and total embarrassment… and you’re going down for defeat next year.”

Earlier that same day, Speaker Johnson had his own heated encounter outside his office with Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) as partisan tempers flared across the Capitol.

{Matzav.com}

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in a case his lawyer described as a vindictive prosecution directed by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump is set to depart for the Middle East on Friday, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, following his announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Trump was handed an update indicating that negotiators were “very close” to finalizing the long-awaited deal between the two sides.

“I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’ll get to need me pretty quickly,” Trump told reporters from the White House podium.

The note, according to the Associated Press, read: “We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce the deal first.”

Moments later, Trump told reporters that he “had to go now to solve things in the Middle East.”

Leavitt later clarified in a statement that the president would likely head to the region after completing his “routine yearly check-up” on Friday, as negotiations continue toward finalizing the ceasefire and hostage release arrangement.

Speaking from the White House, Trump said the deal was “very close,” noting that he might leave for the Middle East on Shabbos. He said he had just finished speaking with his negotiating team, which has been meeting in Egypt to finalize the remaining details.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that significant progress had been made, telling reporters that talks were “advancing by the hour” and adding that he, too, “may be heading to the region soon.”

An American official told The Jerusalem Post that Washington remains confident the deal will be completed imminently, with all parties aiming to have the final agreement ready by Friday.

Separately, a senior White House source told Sky News Arabia that “the technical negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh have reached a decisive stage.”

Another U.S. official told the same outlet that negotiators are “optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement soon.”

Trump’s personal envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are currently in Sharm el-Sheikh and have indicated that they plan to stay there until the agreement is officially signed.

{Matzav.com}

Air traffic control shortages add to U.S. flight delays • The government shutdown is exacerbating concerns about the strain on air traffic controllers, a shortage of whom has vexed airline executives for years. • A shortfall of already-thin air traffic control staffing this week had prompted the FAA to slow or halt arrivals in Burbank, California, and Nashville, Tennessee, among others. • About 10,000 flights were delayed on Monday and Tuesday, but disruptions dropped on Wednesday to just more than 1,900.

Senate again rejects funding bills as government shutdown enters second week • The Senate again rejected dueling Republican and Democratic funding proposals to end the government shutdown. • The dueling stopgap measures had already failed to pass in five previous votes. • Democrats want any funding bill to include health-care protections, especially an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.

POTUS: “Iran was about one month, maybe two months away from having a nuclear weapon, and if I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible — or if it was, it would have a tremendous cloud over it… it’s a very much different Iran.”

גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני גדולי ישראל הספרדים בנטילת לולבצילום: דוד ארזני

WATCH: U.S. attorney announces the arrest of 29 year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht for allegedly starting the blaze that lead to the devastating Palisades fire in California. Officials say the suspect used AI to create images depicting a burning forest and crowds fleeing.

One month after the horrific terror attack at the Ramot Junction that claimed the life of Reb Yisroel itzner Hy”d, a bittersweet joy fills the Mitzner home, as his widow, Tami, has given birth to a baby boy.

The newborn, who will grow up without ever meeting his father, joins the family’s three other children. The news has brought a measure of comfort and healing to the bereaved family.

Reb Yisroel was a beloved avreich at Kollel Meishorim in Yerushalayim. He was the son-in-law of Rav Dovid Greinemann, Rosh Kollel of Kollel Taharos in Yerushalayim.

He was murdered on his way to kollel in the devastating terror attack at the Ramot Junction in Elul.

During the shivah, his father, Reb Uri Meir Mitzner, shared a moving detail: just three weeks before the murder, Yisrael had told his mother and wife, “It’s good to live in Yerushalayim, but when the time comes, I want to be buried in Bnei Brak.” His words proved prophetic — he was laid to rest in the Beis HaChaim in Bnei Brak, accompanied by a massive levayah.

{Matzav.com}

“It should shock every American.” Senator Ron Johnson calls out “major corruption” as he responds to accusations that Jack Smith tracked private calls, communications of nearly a dozen Republican senators.

Trump on historic Gaza Peace Deal: “It has really been an amazing period of time — and so great for Israel, so great for Muslims, for the Arab countries, and so great for this country… in that we could be involved in making a deal like this happen.”

A violent incident erupted late Wednesday night in Beit Shemesh when a group of extremists broke into the home of Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, hurling stones, damaging electrical systems, and inflicting significant destruction to the property.

According to eyewitnesses and city officials, dozens of rioters arrived by bus between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning to hold what authorities described as an “illegal demonstration” outside the mayor’s residence. The mob forced open the gates and doors of the home, threw stones, and proceeded to sabotage the house’s infrastructure, including its electrical wiring and power systems.

A statement from the Beit Shemesh Municipality confirmed that “the mayor was not at home during the riots. The condition of his family members is not yet clear, and we will provide updates as we receive them.”

Mayor Greenberg, along with the city’s chief security officer and senior Israeli police officials, arrived at the scene shortly afterward to assess the extent of the damage. Police have cordoned off the area and blocked access to the property while the investigation continues.

In a separate but related incident earlier in the evening, Knesset Member Tzvi Sukkot, who had visited the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak to receive a brocha, was reportedly attacked as he left the site. His vehicle was damaged and one of its tires punctured during the assault.

Authorities have yet to announce arrests in connection with either incident, though police sources indicated that security has been reinforced in both Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak in anticipation of potential further unrest.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Senior Hamas political bureau member and notorious terrorist Taher al-Nunu announced that Hamas has handed over its official list of prisoners it expects to see released as part of the developing ceasefire and hostage agreement.

“The Hamas delegation has demonstrated the necessary responsibility and positivity to achieve the required progress and reach an agreement,” al-Nunu stated. “The mediators have invested significant efforts to remove every obstacle to implementing the ceasefire steps, and there is a prevailing atmosphere of optimism.”

He went on to explain that “the negotiations currently focus on mechanisms for ending the war, the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip, and prisoner exchanges. Today, the lists of prisoners which need to be released were handed over in line with the agreed criteria and numbers. Indirect talks will continue today with the participation of all parties and mediators.”

Hamas’s current demands include a halt to Israeli military operations after the hostages are freed, the daily entry of 400 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from heavily populated areas to facilitate the exchange process. The organization is also pressing for the release of six senior operatives — among them Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, and several members of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force.

Al-Nunu also noted that the process of retrieving the bodies of deceased hostages may extend beyond the timetable set by President Donald Trump in his proposed peace framework.

Additionally, Hamas has reportedly requested that Israel release the remains of its leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar, a demand Jerusalem has repeatedly rejected in the past due to the symbolic weight those figures carry in Gaza and the potential repercussions of such a move.

On Tuesday, another senior Hamas representative told Al Jazeera that the group is insisting that “the stages of releasing the hostages be linked to the stages of the complete withdrawal of forces.” The source added that the release of the final hostage “must occur simultaneously with the final withdrawal of Israeli forces.” Hamas has also demanded international assurances to guarantee a “permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal.”

Reports indicate that the prisoner list Hamas submitted features what it calls “big names” — including Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Hassan Salameh, Abbas al-Sayed, and several others.

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli senior official voiced optimism Wednesday night about significant progress in the talks aimed at securing the release of hostages and ending the war in Gaza, indicating that a final agreement could be reached by Friday.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya, the official said, “We are cautiously approaching the completion of the first phase. Trump is applying pressure, and the Arab position carries unprecedented weight. There are requests to adjust the withdrawal map in the first phase.”

Other sources within Israel echoed this assessment, predicting that negotiations could wrap up within the next one to three days. An official announcement, they said, is likely to come by Friday, with the first wave of hostage releases anticipated early next week.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Israeli intelligence believes Hamas may not be able to locate all 48 hostages required for release under the terms of the deal.

In preparation for the agreement, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Attorney General have drafted a formal government decision outlining the framework for both the hostage release and the concurrent freeing of Palestinian prisoners. The document does not yet include the finalized list of prisoners, which remains under active negotiation.

Several Arab outlets claimed that Hamas’s proposed list includes Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat, the secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Israeli officials, however, firmly denied this, clarifying that neither of those names appear on Israel’s approved lists, and “even if they are, Israel will not agree to release them.”

Despite those assurances, Kan News reported that Sa’adat—the mastermind behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi—is nevertheless expected to be freed as part of the eventual exchange.

High-level officials joined the discussions today, among them Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, along with Minister Ron Dermer and Turkey’s intelligence chief.

Representatives from all delegations convened for a joint meeting to unify their positions, joined by Qatar’s prime minister and top Egyptian intelligence officials who continue to serve as the key mediators between Israel and Hamas.

{Matzav.com}

Philanthropists Reb Ruby Schron and Reb Ralph Herzka at the Simchas Bais HaShoeva of Hagaon HaRav Yaakov Hillel. PHOTO VIA ARZEI HARRY

Hagaon HaRav David Yosef wishing Refuah Sheleimah to the Vishnitzer Rebbe as thousands attend the Simchas Bais HaShoeva.