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WASHINGTON (AP) — A ballooning Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget. Hiring bonuses of $50,000. Swelling ranks of ICE officers, to 22,000, in an expanding national force bigger than most police departments in America. President Donald Trump promised the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, but achieving his goal wouldn’t have been possible without funding from the big tax and spending cuts bill passed by Republicans in Congress, and it’s fueling unprecedented immigration enforcement actions in cities like Minneapolis and beyond. The GOP’s big bill is “supercharging ICE,” one budget expert said, in ways that Americans may not fully realize — and that have only just begun. “I just don’t think people have a sense of the scale,” said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress and a former adviser to the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget. “We’re looking at ICE in a way we’ve never seen before,” he said. Trump’s big bill creates massive law enforcement force As the Republican president marks the first year of his second term, the immigration enforcement and removal operation that has been a cornerstone of his domestic and foreign policy agenda is rapidly transforming into something else — a national law enforcement presence with billions upon billions of dollars in new spending from U.S. taxpayers. The shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis showed the alarming reach of the new federalized force, sparking unrelenting protests against the military-styled officers seen going door to door to find and detain immigrants. Amid the outpouring of opposition, Trump revived threats to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell the demonstrations and the U.S. Army has 1,500 soldiers ready to deploy. But Trump’s own public approval rating on immigration, one of his signature issues, has slipped since he took office, according to an AP-NORC poll. “Public sentiment is everything,” said Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y., at a press conference at the Capitol with lawmakers supporting legislation to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Americans, she said, are upset at what they are seeing. “They didn’t sign on for this,” she said. Border crossings down, but Americans confront new ICE enforcements To be sure, illegal crossings into the U.S. at the Mexico border have fallen to historic lows under Trump, a remarkable shift from just a few years ago when President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration allowed millions of people to temporarily enter the U.S. as they adjudicated their claims to stay. Yet as enforcement moves away from the border, the newly hired army of immigration officers swarming city streets with aggressive tactics — in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere — is something not normally seen in the U.S. Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles and chasing and wrestling others to the ground and hauling them away — images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens. And it’s not just ICE. A long list of supporting agencies, including federal, state and local police and sheriff’s offices, are entering into contract partnerships with Homeland Security to conduct immigration enforcement operations in communities around the nation. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has warned Democrats that this is “no time to be playing games” by stirring up the opposition to immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis and other places. “They need to get out of the way and allow federal law enforcement to do its duty,” Johnson said at the Capitol. Noem has said the immigration enforcement officers are acting lawfully. The department insists it’s targeting criminals in the actions, what officials call the worst of the worst immigrants. However, reports show that non-criminals and U.S. citizens are also being forcibly detained by immigration officers. The Supreme Court last year…

A junk yard fire involving over 100 vehicles burned for nearly five hours before it was brought under control in Hollywood, Maryland, Saturday. Related stories ‘A great start’: Montgomery Co. firefighter helps woman pregnant with twins deliver baby on side of I-270 How special oxygen masks are helping Prince George’s Co. firefighters save pets’ lives Judge acquits two Montgomery Co. firefighters charged after soaking of Montgomery Blair High baseball field A number of 911 calls were received just before 4 p.m. for a fire at Maximum Auto Body, in the 43900-block of Commerce Ave., according to the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. It said some of the callers described hearing explosions and seeing flames and heavy black smoke rising from the area. First responders learned that the fire involved a rack of stacked vehicles, along with “gas or fuel sources” possibly contributing to the fire’s intensity, the fire department said. Fire departments, including Hollywood, Solomons and the Naval District Washington, coordinated to bring the fire under control, along with junk yard employees who assisted firefighters by operating heavy machinery to separate the burning vehicles and extinguish the flames. A deck gun, which can thrust about 3,000 gallons of water at a time, from the Naval District Washington Fire Department was also used to fight the flames. distribute about three thousand gallons of water at a time. A crash truck from Naval District Washington Fire Department provided crucial support by flowing water into the piles using its powerful deck gun, which can distribute about three thousand gallons of water at a time. No injuries were reported. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident. Source

In the euphoric moments after Indiana football reached the summit of the sport, Curt Cignetti said exactly what everyone in Bloomington was thinking. Fresh off a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, Cignetti stood at the podium and delivered a line that instantly entered Hoosiers lore. “We’re 16–0, national champions. One of the greatest sports stories of all time.” It wasn’t bravado. It was a statement of fact, and one that perfectly captured the scale of Indiana’s transformation. The declaration felt like the final punctuation mark on a journey that began two years earlier with Cignetti’s now-famous “I win” introduction. In that short span, the Indiana Hoosiers went from a three-win program to the only team in modern college football history to finish 16-0. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza powered them. With him, Indiana bulldozed its way through the Big Ten. They survived the expanded playoff gauntlet, toppling bluebloods and proving its dominance wasn’t a fluke. The championship game at Hard Rock Stadium showcased everything Cignetti’s team had become. Indiana jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead. They leaned on defense when Miami surged. Indiana delivered in the biggest moments. This was highlighted by Mendoza’s gutsy 4th-and-5 rushing touchdown and a game-sealing interception by Jamari Sharpe with 44 seconds left. Cignetti’s claim that this is “one of the greatest sports stories of all time” is backed by history. Indiana had never won a national title. Maybe they never even dreamed of perfection. Now, the Hoosiers are the gold standard of the 12-team playoff era, and their coach’s words will echo forever across Bloomington. The post Indiana football’s Curt Cignetti drops epic Hoosiers declaration after perfect season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It is usually tough to find the right words in a moment of despair. Miami coach Mario Cristobal, however, did not have a lot of trouble expressing his respect, gratitude, and admiration for his players after they lost to Indiana in the national championship game on Monday. The Hurricanes fell short, 27-21, despite multiple chances to claim the coveted trophy. Cristobal looked dejected after the game, but he was generous with his praise. “That’s a really resilient, tough, and really special group of human beings,” said the 55-year-old coach in a video posted by ACC Network. “I love them. They surely love each other. They turned around a program. I’m really kind of at a loss for words. Let’s just say that it’s very real. We let one slip away, credit to Indiana, great football team, tremendous amount of respect for them, but our guys never stopped battling.” “I love them … they turned around a program … I’m at a loss for words.”@CanesFootball's Mario Cristobal on the message he shared with his team pic.twitter.com/LrfJFrpzM7 — ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 20, 2026 Miami’s final chance to steal the win came with less than one minute remaining. Carson Beck, however, threw an interception, allowing Indiana secure its first-ever national title. Cristobal rued that they “could have done more,” stressing that the Hurricanes are a “deserving group.” Still, he continued to beam with pride as he talked about his players. “These guys, no matter where they go, no matter what they do, us as coaches and players, Hurricane for life, it’s a brotherhood that will last forever,” added Cristobal. “I learn more from them than I actually teach them.” Miami tallied a 13‑3 record, earning the school’s first-ever berth in the CFP. The post Mario Cristobal shares powerful message to Miami after loss to Indiana appeared first on ClutchPoints.