ICE raids were fine under Obama — what happened?



As Democrats continue to cause mass hysteria surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they also appear to forget what their beliefs were in 2008, when President Obama was the one sending out ICE agents on raids.

“Let’s get in the time traveling machine. Let’s go back in time to just some years ago under the Obama administration in Chicago where CNN of all places, CNN actually did a ride along with ICE,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales explains.

“And you will notice something about this report, this special report ride along, is that it’s actually very positive for ICE,” she adds.

The report tastefully shows ICE arresting illegal immigrants, who are shockingly not being harassed by protesters.


“There’s no signs about ICE. There’s no one coming over blowing their whistles. There’s no one following journalists. There’s no one following CNN and going, ‘ICE is here. Don’t come out. ICE,’” Gonzales comments, surprised.

“It was all totally fine until ‘orange man bad.’ It was all fine. Now I would also like to just remind all of these leftists who apparently need a reminder that it was fine when Obama was doing it, it was fine when Obama was doing it,” she says.

In 2025, there were 605,000 deportations under President Trump and 1.9 million self-deportations for a total of 2.5 million deportations. Under Barack Obama, there were over three million deportations.

“Now President Trump, I believe, will at the end of his second term, of course, he will have more deportations than Barack Obama. But as it stands now, Barack Obama sent out more than three million people. Actually more than his predecessor George W. Bush,” Gonzales explains.

“This was one of the things that he was very strong on and very unapologetic on,” she continues, before playing a clip of Obama explaining his position.

“We’ve had five million undocumented workers come over the borders since George Bush took office. It has become an extraordinary problem, and the reason the American people are concerned is because they are seeing their own economic position slip away,” Obama said on CNN in 2008.

“And often times, employers are exploiting these undocumented workers. They’re not paying the minimum wage. They’re not observing worker safety laws. As president, I will make sure that we finally have the kind of border security that we need. That’s step number one,” he continued.

“Step number two is to take on employers. Right now, an employer has more of a chance of getting hit by lightning than be prosecuted for hiring an undocumented worker. That has to change. They have to be held accountable,” he added.

“The Barack Obama in 2008 that said illegals need to go home and employers should be penalized for employing illegals would never get elected in today’s Democrat Party,” Gonzales comments, adding, “Never. Never. That’s how far the Democrats have shifted on this, that’s how far they’ve gone.”

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The post Kamala Harris Buys $8.2 Million Seaside Mansion After Warning 'Sea Levels Are Rising' Due to 'Climate Crisis' appeared first on .

Jason Whitlock: The NFL is the new church — and it’s preaching identity politics



Americans no longer go to church on Sunday — instead, they gather around the television and turn on the National Football League — which couldn’t be making its devotion to blatant corruption and devotion to identity politics clearer.

And BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes that this is all born out of the same belief system as the Somali day-care fraud in Minnesota.

“I’m going to connect what’s going on in the National Football League to what’s going on in Minnesota with Somalians and child day care and all this corruption we’re seeing,” Whitlock explains on “Fearless.”

And that he does, as according to Whitlock, there are two major competing ideas in America.


“There is the Trump movement and Make America Great Again competing against Barack Obama and his movement, hope and change. That’s the dichotomy we have going on in America,” Whitlock says.

“If you talk to the everyday people that believe in the MAGA movement, again, they long for a more biblically based world and culture. It’s not saying they’re perfect Christians. It’s not saying that they’re not filled with sin and flaws like everyone else. But they want a return to traditional values and a code of ethics and some morality to be a part of American society,” he continues.

On the flip side, those who follow Obama’s “hope and change” are “far more secular” and believe that we need to do something new and different because “America’s founding was corrupt, it was immoral, it had slavery.”

“And the NFL ... has chosen a clear side. The NFL is pro change. The NFL does not want to look back. It wants to look forward. It wants to make America anew,” Whitlock explains, pointing out that the NFL even has a new slogan: “Inspire change.”

“The National Football League is America’s religion right now. People used to gather up on Sundays in churches all across America. Now we spend a lot less time in churches, and we spend a lot more time in the church of football on Sundays,” he says.

“The National Football League is our national religion,” he adds.

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Obama judge derails probe into Letitia James



A federal judge who was appointed by former President Barack Obama issued an order on Thursday disqualifying John Sarcone as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.

Adding insult to injury, Judge Lorna Schofield then tossed the subpoenas Sarcone's office issued in August to state Attorney General Letitia James regarding civil cases brought by the Empire State against President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association.

'It acts without lawful authority.'

Sarcone has been investigating whether James' office violated the president's civil rights and the rights of others.

Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Sarcone as interim U.S. attorney for NDNY on Feb. 28. His 120-day term began in earnest on March 1.

Since Sarcone was neither formally nominated by the president nor confirmed by the Senate, it was left up to a panel of judges overseeing the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to appoint an attorney for the district at the end of Sarcone's term, just one month after he was threatened with a knife, allegedly by an illegal alien.

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Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Image

Although the panel declined to grant Sarcone a permanent appointment, Bondi designated him special attorney and first assistant U.S. attorney, effectively keeping him in charge of the office.

Schofield claimed in her ruling on Thursday that Sarcone was not lawfully serving as the acting U.S. attorney for the NDNY as his appointment supposedly "violates the [Federal Vacancies Reform Act] and the statutes governing U.S. Attorney appointments."

"When the Executive branch of government skirts restraints put in place by Congress and then uses that power to subject political adversaries to criminal investigations, it acts without lawful authority," wrote Schofield.

She suggested further that because Sarcone "used authority he did not lawfully possess to direct the issuance of the subpoenas, the subpoenas are quashed."

A spokesperson from James' office said in a statement obtained by CNN, "This decision is an important win for the rule of law, and we will continue to defend our office’s successful litigation from this administration’s political attacks."

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The 5 best Christmas decorations in recent White House history



One of the White House's longest and most anticipated traditions is the Christmas tree decorations unveiled every year by the first lady.

Although administrations had already been decorating the White House for Christmas for decades, back in 1961, then-first lady Jackie Kennedy became the first to decorate in accordance with a theme.

Since then, Americans across the country have been able to enjoy countless Christmas displays at the People's House, no matter their party affiliation. No doubt, some decorations have been more controversial than others, but most have provided unique and festive insights into the personal taste of each first lady.

That said, here are the five best Christmas instillations in recent White House history.

5. 2011, Michelle Obama: 'Shine, Give, Share'

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

First lady Michelle Obama's 2011 Christmas display featured warm Christmas lights, garlands, and ornaments reminiscent of the best the 1980s had to offer.

Obama's theme balanced familiarity and festivity, even featuring a decorative recreation of their dog, Bo.

But the real showstopper was a commemorative Christmas tree honoring the brave men and women of the military whose service allows millions of Americans across the country to enjoy the holiday peacefully at home.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

On the tree hung framed medals awarded to America's finest military members, with the blue star families fittingly being honored in the White House's Blue Room. The tree was also adorned with handmade holiday cards written by children from military families.

4. 1983, Nancy Reagan: 'Old-Fashioned Toys'

Bettmann/Getty Images

First lady Nancy Reagan's Christmas decorations were unpretentious and relatable. The Christmas tree above features an eclectic mix of garlands, tinsel, and playful ornaments that suited the 1983 theme "Old-Fashioned Toys."

The tree seemed to celebrate the excitement of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child, anxiously waking up early to unwrap gifts after noticing that Santa finished his plate of cookies. The tree was not particularly glamorous or high fashion, but rather comforting and familiar. It felt like going home for the holidays.

To top it all off, Reagan's display featured a surprise celebrity appearance.

Bettmann/Getty Images

While Reagan unveiled the Christmas decor, she also appeared alongside Mr. T dressed up as Santa Claus.

3. 1967, Lady Bird Johnson

Bettmann/Getty Images

First lady Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson integrated every nostalgic Christmas motif imaginable in her Christmas decorations.

The tree itself had garlands made of popcorn and cranberry, sugar-cookie ornaments and candy canes hung on branches, as well as classic silver bobbles and felt decorations. The tree looked as if it had been decorated entirely by ornaments and embellishments children made at school to proudly hang on the tree in their family living room.

Johnson's decorations also included a beautiful 18th-century Italian Nativity scene complete with floating angels.

Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

The Nativity scene was presented to the White House as a Christmas gift by an American philanthropist and art collector named Jane Engelhard, who also made major donations to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2. 2006, Laura Bush: 'Deck the Halls and Welcome All'

Photo by Chuck Kennedy/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

First lady Laura Bush included all of the classic elements that make Christmas festive, but she also added a unique, whimsical detail.

Bush's trees featured faux snow caps on the branches that made them appear as though they had just been plucked out of a Christmas Claymation movie. The trees were also adorned with cascading silver tinsel and garlands, sparkling snowflakes, and glass ornaments tied with red bows.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Similar trees were found throughout the halls of the White House beside bold garlands of red and silver ornaments consistent with the tree's color palette.

1. 2025, Melania Trump: 'Home Is Where the Heart Is'

Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

First lady Melania Trump's taste in Christmas decorations has been consistently exquisite, and 2025 is no exception.

Most will remember Trump's iconic display featuring a hallway of bold, red Christmas trees or stark, white branches from her husband's first term. Although her decorations made a splash both of those years, 2025 is arguably her most stunning display yet.

Dozens of trees are illuminated by twinkling lights and floating candles with dashes of red and gold ribbon running between the branches. Matching red presents are laid at the base of the trees as well as countless wreaths on every window of the White House.

Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

Trump also featured several playful elements throughout the White House, including a Lego portrait of President George Washington, President Donald Trump, and matching Lego bows on the wreaths above them.

In a touching tribute, one tree displayed in the Red Room is decorated with tens of thousands of blue butterflies to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of foster children across the country, one of her signature causes.

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'Truly wicked': Trump administration blasts Obama judge over praise of illegal alien who raped disabled American woman



The Trump administration blasted U.S. District Judge Judith Levy over the weekend for her "truly wicked" praise and deferential treatment of a predator who stole into the United States multiple times and brutalized an American citizen.

Edys Renan Membreño Díaz, a 30-year-old Honduran national, is presently serving between six and 15 years in a Michigan state prison for raping and sodomizing a woman he knew was incapable of giving consent, who has cerebral palsy and cognitive delays. Díaz, who moved to Michigan in 2021, raped the victim on two occasions: on July 15 and July 17, 2022, leaving her with injuries.

'This isn't justice; it's judicial activism prioritizing criminals over citizens.'

While Díaz could be a free man as soon as July 23, 2028, federal prosecutors want the rapist to serve an additional two years for his violation of U.S. immigration law. Díaz has illegally entered the U.S. seven times.

According to court documents, prosecutors believe that a sentence of two years would recognize the gravity both of the rapist's repeated illegal entry into the U.S. and his criminal conduct while in the country and would serve as a deterrent to future criminal activity.

The rapist's lawyer alternatively asked Levy, an appointee of former President Barack Obama who has made a big deal out of her lesbian identity, to give the rapist a sentence concurrent with his sentence in the state case such that he would still eligible for release in 2028.

Levy not only decided to spare Díaz from a longer prison sentence for immigration crimes but echoed his lawyer's framing — that the rapist was a family man simply doing the work that Americans supposedly find unappealing.

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kali9/Getty Images

According to the sentencing transcript highlighted by the Detroit News, Levy said that while Díaz's sex crimes were "horrible," he has "taken responsibility for that, expressed remorse," and is serving "a lengthy state sentence as punishment for that conduct."

The Obama judge proceeded to paint the rapist as something of a victim of circumstance and a praiseworthy figure, going so far as to celebrate his efforts to displace U.S. citizen labor for the benefit of foreigners outside the country.

"You have lost two siblings to violence in Honduras, and your mother expresses her dependence on you in her need for the resources and love that you have provided to her," said Levy. "So I commend you for supporting your family, for expressing your devotion to them, and for working here in the United States in jobs that Americans apparently do not want to work in."

Díaz has recently indicated that he now wants to go home to Honduras, and Levy suggested further that the rapist's vows not to enter into the U.S. illegally an eighth time and to dissuade his fellow Hondurans from jumping the border together signaled that he was "promoting respect for the law."

The Obama judge decided to let the rapist off on his immigration crimes with time allegedly served and a special assessment fine of $100.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Fairchild told Levy that the sentence imposed constituted an "unreasonable departure from the guideline range." The government subsequently appealed Levy's decision.

In the appeal, assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Sweeney Bean noted, "Despite six prior removals from the United States, Membrano Diaz returned and raped and sodomized a disabled American citizen. A non-custodial sentence here was an abuse of discretion."

In addition to noting that Levy "unreasonably discounted the serious nature of the offense and Membrano Diaz's disturbing history and characteristics," Bean pointed out that the Obama judge's "time served" sentence was preposterous, as "the defendant cannot receive credit against his federal sentence for that period of prior detention, because it has already been credited against the state sentence."

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in response to Levy's decision, "Unspeakable Depravity."

"U.S. District Judge Judith Levy refused to sentence him to 2 more years for immigration crimes and called this monster a future 'ambassador for living up to our immigration restrictions,'" McLaughlin noted in a X post on Saturday. "This Obama appointed judge went on to praise him for 'family devotion and willingness to perform work that it claimed Americans find undesirable.' Truly wicked."

Kevin Kijewski, a Republican who is running to become attorney general of Michigan, wrote, "This isn't justice; it's judicial activism prioritizing criminals over citizens and spitting on federal law enforcement's work to secure our borders under President Trump's leadership."

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