Adam Isacson

Join the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) for a webinar presenting our new joint report. One year ago, on March 21, the Trump administration fired nearly all staff at two Department of Homeland Security offices responsible for investigating human rights abuse complaints against CBP, Border Patrol, and ICE. (A third agency, also slashed, oversaw human rights issues in the immigration system.) Today, the functions of the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and the Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) are barely being fulfilled—even as mass deportation policies and record enforcement budgets have produced a torrent of new allegations: misuse of force, deaths in detention, racial profiling, and more. Our organizations—KBI on the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, WOLA in Washington, DC—have worked together to document this loss of internal accountability. Our report finds these watchdog agencies, flawed and under-resourced as they were, needed to be strengthened, not dismantled. Speakers: Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, Washington Office on Latin America Juan Cuéllar, Director of Education and Advocacy, Kino Border Initiative Michelle Brané, Executive Director, Together & Free; former Ombudsman for Immigration Detention (OIDO) Karla Gilbride, Deputy Director of Litigation, Public Citizen Moderator: Sr. Tracey Horan, SP, Associate Director of Education and Advocacy, Kino Border Initiative

Denouncing Into the Void: The Dismantling of Internal Oversight and Accountability at DHS - WOLA Join the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) for a webinar presenting our new joint report.

March 21 marks 1 year since the admin fired nearly everyone at DHS's oversight offices handling civil rights, detention violations & more.

A year of rising abuses—and far less recourse for victims.

WOLA and Kino Border Initiative are publishing a report and hosting a webinar. Join us Thursday 19:

In either case, she will be remembered not only as the most incompetent Secretary in the department’s twenty-three-year history but also as the person who succeeded where many progressive activists had failed in discrediting much of the D.H.S.’s institutional legitimacy.

Have to admit it, @jonathanblitzer.bsky.social is right. She beat us. Not even close, really.

www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

U.S. Southern Command @Southcom on Twitter On March 8, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Six male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed. @DeptofWar

- 158 people killed in 188 days. Guilt for a non-capital crime unknown.
- 42 separate attacks.
- 27 in the Eastern Pacific. 13 in the Caribbean. 2 unspecified.
- 17 listed as at Donald Trump's orders. 16 at Pete Hegseth's orders. The last 9 at the orders of Southcom's Gen. Francis Donovan.

Daily reminders of what we’re up against, pretty much for the rest of our lives.

Latin American & Caribbean Countries by Population & U.S. FTO Designations Rank Country Population Groups on the U.S. FTO list 1 Brazil 211 million 2 Mexico 130 million ✕ 3 Colombia 52.3 million ✕ 4 Argentina 45.5 million 5 Peru 33.8 million ✕ 6 Venezuela 28.3 million ✕ 7 Chile † 19.7 million 8 Guatemala 18.1 million * 9 Ecuador 18 million ✕ 10 Bolivia 12.2 million Sent leaders or representatives to March 7 counter-cartel summit in Florida * MS-13 and Barrio 18 operate regionally † Chile’s president-elect, not yet sworn in, participated

4 of the 6 most populous countries in Latin America, 3 of them with groups on the State Department's "terrorist list," were not present for Donald Trump's "counter-cartel" summit in Florida today.

Wait, I see Chile's Kast (not sworn in yet) was there, though not announced. Will delete and edit this.

It used to be that U.S. wars that ended disastrously were at least popular in their initial moments, as presidents benefited from a "rally around the flag" effect.

Not anymore. One innovation of the Trump administration is choosing wars that are deeply unpopular from the start.

I’m sorry, Mike, thanks for sharing.

“It's So Seamlessly Blended into the Regular Economy That It's Hard to Pull Out”: Environmental Organized Crime in Venezuela, and Throughout the Americas - WOLA Criminal networks carrying out environmental organized crime are deeply intertwined with state actors and the legal economy.

"Business as usual—which means state-sponsored extraction with organized crime."

Listen to our latest podcast with Mark Ungar about the organized crime-tied corruption poisoning the Amazon in Venezuela and beyond. The January 3 US attack changed nothing.

U.S.-Mexico Border Update: Turmoil at DHS, Big Bend border wall, ICE detention deaths and expansion - WOLA Kristi Noem leaves a DHS in turmoil. Border walls may be coming to Big Bend National Park. 10 people have died this year in ICE's rapidly expanding detention system. ICE training cut from 72 to 42 day...

In the latest Border Update from @wola-org.bsky.social:

Kristi Noem leaves DHS in turmoil. Border walls may be coming to Big Bend National Park. 10 people have died this year in ICE's rapidly expanding detention system. ICE training cut from 72 to 42 days. New reports from Mexico.

Read on:

-92,000 jobs in February... chart shows sluggish and negative job gains after early 2025

Tells a story, doesn't it.

Ambassador Suite King bed, One sofabed, plus one rollaway or one crib 1,000 – 1,200 (sq.ft.) 93 – 111 (m2) 2 adults and 2 children View Floor Plan & Details Room Rate Rate Details Fully or partially non-refundable Avg. price per night USD 5,700 Add to Cart Bed and Breakfast Rate Details Fully or partially non-refundable Avg. price per night USD 5,750 Add to Cart

At $5,357 per day, that's almost exactly what it would cost to book the Ambassador Suite tonight at the Four Seasons in Washington DC's Georgetown neighborhood.

Table 1. DoD Funding for OSG, as of September 30, 2025 | Component | Obligations | Disbursements | |-----------|--------------|---------------| | Army | $29,365,000 | 7,944,000 | | Navy | $8,810,000 | $6,303 ,000 | | Air Force | 22,466,000 | $20,997,000 | | Other DoD | $5,000 | $5,000 | | OSG TOTAL | $60,646,000 | $35,249,000 | Source: OUSD(C), response to DoD OIG request for information, 26.1 OSG 028, 1/20/2026. Table 2. DHS Funding for Operations at NSGB, as of December 12, 2025 | Utilities | $127,929.57 | |-------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Base Operating Services | $57,308.87 | | Performance Assessment Representative Fee | $5,678.14 | | ICE Gitmo Management Operations Center Contract | $17,658,947.12 | | TOTAL | $17,849,863.70 | Note: Cost estimates are based on the full contract. Source: DHS, response to DoD OIG request for information, 26.1 OSG 010, 1/12/2026.

It cost a combined $53,098,863.70 to detain 708 migrants at Guantánamo in 2025.

That's $74,998.40 per person—for an average stay of 14 days.

Source: Defense Department IG report at www.dodig.mil/reports.html...

Will Markwayne Mullin have to wear all the costumes too? Not looking forward to that, but hope we can call him “ICE Ken.”

“It's So Seamlessly Blended into the Regular Economy That It's Hard to Pull Out”: Environmental Organized Crime in Venezuela, and Throughout the Americas - WOLA Criminal networks carrying out environmental organized crime are deeply intertwined with state actors and the legal economy.

Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Arc—like much of the Amazon—is being destroyed by a violent nexus of criminals and corrupt officials. The Maduro raid didn't change a thing. Environmental crime now blends so deeply into the economy that it’s nearly untouchable, says Mark Ungar in the latest WOLA Podcast:

Saddens me to see our long 85-year peace come to an end.

Tracking War Powers Resolution Votes in Congress - Adam Isacson A table breaking down recent votes on resolutions seeking to prevent the Trump administration from deploying U.S. troops into hostilities in Latin America without congressional authorization.

The October-January Western Hemisphere war powers votes are here:

Just 2 senators didn't vote with their party on yesterday's Iran war powers resolution:

- Rand Paul (R-KY) voted with the Democrats, as he has on past Venezuela and "boat strikes" resolutions
- John Fetterman (D-PA) voted with the Republicans, as he did on a "boat strikes" resolution

"The $1.2 billion contract, awarded to Acquisition Logistics LLC in July of last year, had an estimated date of completion of Sept. 30, 2027… Acquisition Logistics did not immediately respond to a request for comment."

We have a problem here Internal Investigation Confirms Border Patrol Failures Leading Up to a 16-Year-Old's Death on the Floor of His Cell A Border Patrol agent logged welfare checks that didn't happen. Only one medical professional was caring for 200 sick migrants. The government has said whether anyone is being punished. Mexican woman shot in head by US Border Patrol files claim By ANITA SNOW politics Leaked audio and video show Border Patrol agents confronting Homeland Security secretary at meetings By Geneva Sands, CNN Usdated 6:03 AM ET, Tue February 1. 2022 Click to copy CC3 World News Did Trump's Border Patrol Chief Make a Rape Threat? A Judge Says Yes. "Maybe you were the one person in the world that's never heard of lie back and take it' as referring to rape." the judge said. The New Work Gimes A Rise in Deadly Border Patrol Chases Renews Concerns About Accountability The increasing number of deaths adds urgency to questions about when and how agents should engage in high-speed chases as they pursue smugglers and migrants. Operation Whistle Pig: Inside the secret CBP unit with no rules that investigates Americans Jana Winter • Investigative Correspondent December 11, 2021 • 36 min read These headlines are from stories published between December 2021 and February 2022.

I'm putting together a presentation, and came across this old slide with headlines about Border Patrol human rights allegations from late 2021 and early 2022.

This sort of thing used to be confined to the border zone, but now it's national.

Here is a table breaking down the votes. Date Chamber Topic Vote Voted With Other Party Majority 2025-10-08 Senate Boat Strikes 48-51 Murkowski (R), Paul (R), Fetterman (D) 2025-11-06 Senate Venezuela 49-51 Murkowski (R), Paul (R) 2025-12-17 House Boat Strikes 210-216 Bacon (R), Massie (R), Cuellar (D), Gonzalez (D) 2025-12-17 House Venezuela 211-213 Bacon (R), Greene (R), Massie (R), Cuellar (D) 2026-01-08 Senate Venezuela 52-47 Collins (R), Hawley (R), Murkowski (R), Paul (R), Young (R) 2026-01-14 Senate Venezuela 50-51 Collins (R), Murkowski (R), Paul (R) 2026-01-22 House Venezuela 215-215 Bacon (R), Massie (R)

If just 1 or 2 Republican senators had voted to assert congressional war powers on "lethal boat strikes" and Venezuela, this White House wouldn't have taken it as a green light to start a new war today on the president's whim.

At a time when so many big institutions and corporations have been caving to authoritarian bullying, I thank @anthropic.com for not doing that.

Those of us who remember the Cold War recall that it was the _other side_ that would order firms to produce things at their command.

"Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high-risk counter-unmanned aircraft system. We said MONTHS ago that the White House's decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA was a short-sighted idea. Now, we're seeing the result of its incompetence."

Looks like DOD mistook a CBP drone for a party balloon.

The anti-drone lasers seem to work pretty well. The people? Not so much.

democrats-homeland.house.gov/news/press-r...

Petro is 49.1% positive, 46.1% negative.

Invamer poll of Colombia (long time series, reasonably well-regarded) has Gustavo Petro with positive approval for first time since the very beginning of his term.

www.valoraanalitik.com/wp-content/u...

ICE’s Warehouse Purchases Herald New Model for Immigration Detention - American Immigration Council ICE is purchasing commercial warehouses and retrofitting them into a national network of immigration detention centers.

“2026 was always shaping up to be a transformational year for immigration detention, but few people anticipated this level of change… The system of detention which has existed for generations may be fundamentally transformed into something even more sinister and more prone to abuses than ever.”

Lloyd Bridges sniffing glue in *Airplane*

One hour in, let’s see how the professional fact-checkers are doing.

February 5, 2026 2 “in the Eastern Pacific” View February 9, 2026 2, plus 1 survivor; “A search-and-rescue effort for the person was not successful.” “in the Eastern Pacific” View February 13, 2026 3 “in the Caribbean” View February 16, 2026 4 “in the Eastern Pacific” View February 16, 2026 4 “in the Eastern Pacific” View February 16, 2026 3 “in the Caribbean” View February 20, 2026 3 “in the Eastern Pacific” View February 23, 2026 3 “in the Caribbean” View

This is just February. 25 dead in 19 days. Do not get numb to this.

You – by the way, we haven’t had a strike in the Caribbean Basin in almost five weeks. Do you know why? It’s not because we stopped looking. It’s because no one wants to get on a boat anymore and do that. So it’s been effective at cutting that down. Now, there’s been strikes in the Pacific.

Southcom just announced its 3rd lethal boat strike in the Caribbean in an 11-day period.

Here's something Marco Rubio said about the Caribbean back in December. (www.state.gov/releases/off...)

This "boat strike" policy, while revoltingly criminal, isn't even having its vaunted deterrent effect.

Don’t Let Boat Strikes Fade Into the Background YouTube video by WOLA: Washington Office on Latin America

"The Illegality is Not a Bug, It's a Feature."

Here's the video version (con títulos en español) of last week's podcast episode on illegal lethal boat strikes, featuring WOLA's drug policy program director, John Walsh.