politics

февраль 19, 2026

The many claims by Trump’s DHS that have fallen apart

The imminent exit of Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin from the agency is the latest sign of a reset in the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy, which has fallen sharply out of favor with the American people.

The imminent exit of Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin from the agency is the latest sign of a reset in the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy, which has fallen sharply out of favor with the American people.

And it’s difficult to overstate how big a role the department’s overly aggressive, poor and often bizarre messaging played in that.

The administration and McLaughlin, who’s set to leave next week, seemed to think they could say whatever they wanted about episodes such as the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents, regardless of the evidence. But there proved to be political consequences to that approach.

A Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month showed registered voters said by more than a 2-to-1 margin (61%-25%) that they did not think the administration had given an “honest account” of Pretti’s shooting in Minneapolis in late January.

Even among Republicans, 4 in 10 declined to vouch for the administration. (About half were neutral, while half distrusted it.)

And that reputation was more than earned — if not just via the administration’s botched handling of Pretti’s shooting, but by its handling of many other high-profile incidents.

Over and over again in recent months, DHS has made claims that were later undermined by video, other evidence, local police and/or judges. Its legal cases against people it accused of targeting federal agents repeatedly fell apart.

And while Pretti’s killing was perhaps the most shocking example of the department’s botched messaging, it was of-a-piece with plenty of other examples – including some we learned more about in recent days, shortly before McLaughlin’s exit was reported. (CNN reports that she started to plan her exit in December but stayed on in the aftermath of those Minneapolis shootings.)

Let’s review some examples of big DHS claims that fell apart.

Renee Good (January 7)

A picture of Renee Good is covered with flowers at a memorial in Minneapolis on January 29.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The claims: McLaughlin said Good had “weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement.” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called it “an act of domestic terrorism.” And President Donald Trump said Good “[willfully and viciously ran over](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115855701696773990)” the agent.

The evidence: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross was not run over. There is some question about whether the vehicle made contact with him. But there remains no evidence that Good aimed to run over the agent; indeed, Good was turning away from the agent as she drove away and was shot. And video evidence shows Ross continuing to shoot her even from the side of the vehicle.

Alex Pretti (January 24)

A picture of Alex Pretti on January 25 at a memorial in the area where he was killed in Minneapolis.

Octavio Jones/AFP/Getty Images

The claims: McLaughlin said it looked like Pretti had aimed to “massacre law enforcement.” Noem again invoked “domestic terrorism.” White House adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti an [”assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.”](https://x.com/StephenM/status/2015133481261474030)

The evidence: The video contradicted these claims even more strongly than with Good. There is no evidence that Pretti targeted the agents. He was legally armed but did not draw his gun, and he was disarmed before he was shot and killed. The administration has since backed off of these claims.

Marimar Martinez (October 4, 2025)

Marimar Martinez sits for a photograph in Chicago on November 21, 2025.

Leonel Mendez/CNN

The claims: Good and Pretti were not the first US citizens to be accused of terrorism. After a Border Patrol agent shot Marimar Martinez several times in Chicago, a DHS statement said the agents involved were “[ambushed by domestic terrorists](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/10/04/update-dhs-deploys-special-operations-after-multiple-violent-attacks-federal-law) that rammed federal agents with their vehicles.” It said the shots were “defensive.” McLaughlin added: “We will not allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement.”

The evidence: Video evidence released last week bolsters Martinez’s claim that it was her vehicle that was rammed, not the agent’s. And the prosecution of Martinez previously fell apart amid numerous problems, including the fact that the agent’s vehicle — which was due to be evidence — was driven more than 1,000 miles away after the incident.

Attacking agents with shovels and brooms (January 14)

The claims: DHS claimed in a statement that three migrants, including one who was shot in the leg in Minneapolis, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, “[violently assaulted law enforcement with a shovel and broom](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/15/dhs-releases-more-details-about-three-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-who-violently).” Noem described an “attempted murder of federal law enforcement.”

The evidence: ICE admitted last week that its agents made “false statements” under oath, and Justice Department prosecutors moved to drop criminal charges against two of the men. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the claims were contradicted by video evidence.

Threats to assassinate Trump (May 2025)

The claims: DHS accused Milwaukee resident Ramón Morales Reyes of writing a letter in which he “[threatened to assassinate President Trump](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/28/secretary-noem-releases-statement-after-ice-arrests-illegal-alien-who-threatened).” Noem urged Trump’s critics to tone down their rhetoric.

The evidence: Last month, another man admitted in court that the letter was a ruse, and was actually written by him. The man had allegedly stabbed Morales Reyes and wanted to get him deported before he could testify. DHS’ claim remains online, with no indication that it falsely accused Morales Reyes. (It instead says he was “no longer under investigation.”)

Greg Bovino and tear gas (October 23, 2025)

Greg Bovino leaves a courthouse in Chicago, on October 28, 2025.

Leah Millis/Reuters

The claims: Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol official who formerly led the Minneapolis operation, claimed he deployed tear gas after being struck in the helmet by a rock in Chicago. DHS also said a rock “[struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head](https://x.com/dhsgov/status/1983186057798545573).”

The evidence: In a case involving limits on federal agents’ use of force, a judge said Bovino “[admitted in his deposition](https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/illinois/ilndce/1:2025cv12173/487571/281/0.pdf?ts=1763733493) that he lied multiple times” about the incident. The judge said Bovino’s claims shifted repeatedly, and he finally admitted no rock had been thrown at him before he deployed the tear gas.

The aggressive apprehension of a teenager (October 10, 2025)

The claims: After video emerged of an aggressive apprehension of a teenager in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, McLaughlin claimed it was old video and didn’t involve ICE. She called it “[a video from a burglary arrest Chicago Police made over a year ago](https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1977378998071038129).”

The evidence: PolitiFact determined McLaughlin’s claims were false. The scene involved agents wearing uniforms that identified them as tied to ICE, and it would make no sense for the arrest to involve Chicago police, given it was in a suburb 30 miles away. The teenager’s family also spoke out.

Another shooting by an agent, in Maryland (December 24, 2025)

The claims: DHS claimed that two men were in a van that one of them drove “directly at ICE officers,” in Glen Burnie, Maryland. One of them was shot by an agent.

The evidence: Anne Arundel County police later said one of the two men was “[already in custody](https://wtop.com/maryland/2026/01/department-of-homeland-security-changes-its-account-of-christmas-eve-shooting-by-ice-officers/)” at the time. DHS later amended its claims to reflect that only one person was in the van.

A 13-year-old and a gun (October 9, 2025)

Arthur Berto, a 13-year-old living in Everett, Massachusetts, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Courtesy Josiele Berto

The claims: McLaughlin said that a 13-year-old who was arrested and detained by ICE in Massachusetts “[was in possession of a firearm](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/us/13-year-old-detained-ice-boston) and 5-7 inch knife when arrested.”

The evidence: Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Carlo DeMaria strongly denied the teen had a gun, saying, “[No guns were found](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/us/13-year-old-detained-ice-boston).” (DeMaria confirmed the knife.) Asked by CNN for further comment, DHS did not respond.

The tear-gassed family (January 14)

A family trying to get home from their son’s basketball game found themselves trapped in a protest and tear gassed in their car, resulting in the mother having to administer CPR to her infant.

Yaakov Strasberg/@YaakovStras

The claims: After two children were hospitalized after being tear-gassed as their family drove near a protest in Minneapolis, DHS suggested their parents were “agitators.” DHS wrote in a post: “It is horrific to see radical agitators bring children to their violent riots.”

The evidence: DHS soon deleted the post, with McLaughlin acknowledging the people were not agitators but instead “victims.”

Rümeysa Öztürk (March 25, 2025)

Rumeysa Ozturk arrives at a press conference at Boston Logan International Airport, after spending over six weeks in an immigration detention center in Louisiana, before being released on a judge's order.

Faith Ninivaggi/Reuters

The claims: After the Tufts University PhD student was detained by masked federal agents last spring, McLaughlin told CNN that Rümeysa Öztürk had been found by investigators to be “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization.”

The evidence: Last month, a newly released State Department memo said the investigators did not find that Öztürk had “made any public statements indicating support for a terrorist organization.” It said DHS found no grounds to remove her for “material support to foreign terrorist organization or terrorist activity.”