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Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was put in the awkward position of apologizing to U.S. military veterans whose lives have been turned upside down, after a Democratic lawmaker who came armed to the teeth with tales of ICE immigrant overreach.

During questioning before the House Homeland Security Committee, the embattled Noem, who is reportedly on the way out at DHS, was confronted by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) who followed up her claim, “We have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans,” by asking, “I don't believe you served in the military. I haven't either, but I think you and I can agree that, as Americans, we owe everything to those who have served our country in uniform, particularly those who have served in combat. Do you agree with that?”

She answered, “I believe that people that are in this United States that are citizens have legal status here.”

Magaziner then offered up a Purple Heart veteran who is now living in South Korea due to ICE, and who appeared at the hearing via Zoom, before directing her attention to veteran Jim Brown, who was in the audience and whose wife, a native of Ireland, has been jailed by DHS for four months as she awaits deportation.

In an interview with the Guardian, Brown gained national attention for confessing, “... he ‘100%”’regretted voting for Donald Trump as president.”

“Madam Secretary, the man behind you, please stand up, sir, his name is Jim Brown from Troy, Missouri," Magaziner began. “He is a Navy combat veteran who served our country in the Gulf War. He's married to a woman named Donna who came to our country legally from Ireland when she was 11 years old. She has lived here for 48 years. Because of you. Jim's wife, Donna, has been in prison for the last four months. She did not come here illegally and she has never committed any crime other than writing two bad checks totaling $80.10 years ago. She is currently in prison and facing deportation.”

“Miss Noem, will you thank Mr. Brown for his service to our country?” he asked.

Noem turned in her seat to the right and murmured to the standing veteran, "Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your service to our country.”

"Now, what possible explanation can there be for locking up his wife for four months when she has committed no crime, other than writing a couple of bad checks for $80?” the Democratic lawmaker pressed.

“Sir, it is not my prerogative, my attitude or my job to pick and choose which laws in this country get enforced,” she demurred.

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President Donald Trump's latest scheme got a brutal mocking on social media after months of imposing harsh regulations on visas, a looming social media policy for tourists, and anti-immigrant remarks.

Trump on Wednesday revealed that his "Trump Gold Card," which allows wealthy foreigners to effectively purchase residency in the United States for $1 million — with a $15 million DHS processing fee — was now available on the government's website. The policy is intended to replace the existing EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign entrepreneurs to apply for a U.S. work permit if they either invest $800,000 in the U.S. economy or create at least 10 U.S. jobs. The upcoming platinum card is slated to cost $5 million.

Trump wrote this on his Truth Social platform:

"THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT’S TRUMP GOLD CARD IS HERE TODAY! A direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people. SO EXCITING! Our Great American Companies can finally keep their invaluable Talent. Live Site opens in 30 minutes! trumpcard.gov"

The website featured a scene of eagles flying over amber mountains with a visa tucked behind the landscape background and the text "Unlock life in America."

Social media users had plenty to say in response to the announcement.

"Trump: You just pay me with this make believe gold card and do whatever the hell you want. We love bribes. Especially gold, card shaped bribes," Chris Robinson wrote on X.

"The gold card does not provide expedited EB-1 or EB-2 green cards. They are still subject to the same per-country quota and limited numbers of green cards. They also require dependents to pay an extra $1 million each. All that glitters is not gold," immigration attorney Emily Neumann wrote on X.

"American entrepreneurs now have to compete with wealthy foreigners coming in? The hotel business has already succumbed to this phenomenon. The American dream is being killed by a thousand cuts, and the Trump Gold Card is a deep one," Matthew VanDyke wrote on X.

"Genuinely agog at this; Trump's 'Gold Card' application suggests they'll let people pay the US in crypto, after declaring anyone who has $1 million is inherently a person of 'exceptional business ability' who should be allowed to get an employment-based visa without a job," Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, American Immigration Council fellow, wrote on X.

"An official website of the United States Government," Irish sociologist Kieran Healy wrote on Bluesky, sharing images of the website.

"Just how unserious is the Trump Gold Card program? The administration has been promising it's 'days away' for the last six months, and the website is now touting a separate 'Platinum Card' product with no details other than the option to join a waitlist. Email scam-a-- government," writer Jay Willis wrote on Bluesky.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon claimed that the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division was guilty of "50 years of discrimination" against white people after about 75% of the agency's lawyers said she was behind a plot to drive them out.

"I think there was some denial and they had crying sessions together," Dhillon told The New York Post this week. "Frankly, it was shocking to them. They had unhappy hours. It was like a lot of drama and handwringing."

"I didn't fire anybody. I just told them they have to approach their job differently. They self-deported with a nice golden parachute from the government."

On Wednesday's appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show, Dhillon encouraged viewers to apply for jobs at the reconstructed Civil Rights Division.

"We just sued Minneapolis for discriminating against teachers who are not minorities and, you know, on and on and on," she promised. "And so we are hiring, and so lawyers with at least 18 months of experience who are interested in serving a tour of duty to help their country."

Charlie Kirk Show producer Andrew Kolvet lamented that white people could soon no longer hold majority status in the U.S.

"Let's say it was 83% white country [in the 1960s]; now we're basically 50%," he noted. "You give that another 10 years, it's going to be probably under 50%, maybe right around 50%. ... When I was born, I think we were around 80% white still."

Dhillon admitted that "we have a history of discrimination in our country."

But she suggested that the courts went too far with a 1971 decision that started the concept of disparate impact.

"So in other words, you no longer necessarily had to prove in your discrimination case, whatever the context was, that you are actually being the victim of intentional discrimination," she remarked. "You could simply prove that there's a hiring process or a policy, or there's certain, you know, tests that are required, and I, because I'm African-American, I can't pass a test."

"We have now issued a guidance that says that this 50 years of discrimination is against frankly law-abiding practices and businesses and recipients is over," she added. "It is harming a lot of people. It is wrong."