Nostr notes by Adam Isacson

New WOLA podcast with our president Carolina Jiménez, who was in ...

2026-07-08T17:08:22Z

New WOLA podcast with our president Carolina Jiménez, who was in Venezuela when the earthquake hit, and Venezuela program director Laura Dib.

The quake laid bare the hollowness of Venezuela's state, the Trump administration's awkward, opaque relationship with the regime… and the resilience of civil society.

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/venezuela-earthquake-human-rights/

At least the winner will still be a nation with thriving ...

2026-07-07T01:46:12Z

At least the winner will still be a nation with thriving chocolate, beer, and gun industries.

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116839549473256293 Video version of ...

2026-07-02T12:03:04Z

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116839549473256293

Video version of this episode, with titles in Spanish, is now posted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGRAsaFKfL8

quoting
note16vn…tvqc

"We have to fight to hold the line, prevent bad law, and have a separate subcommittee planning the rebuild. But a lot of that work is around changing the narratives and getting space."

Amazing conversation with Tijuana-based attorney Elijah Maurus at WOLA's podcast:

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/saving-asylum-and-retaking-the-narrative-defending-lgbtq-migrants-in-tijuana/

That makes 22 Latin American/Caribbean groups on the US terrorist ...

2026-07-02T10:59:26Z

That makes 22 Latin American/Caribbean groups on the US terrorist list, if anyone's still counting. Up from 4 in January 2025.

Organized crime groups were kept off "terrorist" targeting for a reason. Financial sanctions already exist, and their ability to corrupt makes them harder to fight.

https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/07/terrorist-designation-of-chone-killers/

- June 21: the US military bombed a boat, killing 2 people. There ...

2026-07-01T11:10:56Z

- June 21: the US military bombed a boat, killing 2 people. There were 6 survivors.
- June 22: US Coast Guard stopped looking for the 6 and handed off the search-and-rescue mission to Venezuela's government.
- June 24: Venezuela suffered a historic earthquake.

RIP to those 6 people, who may not even have been moving drugs.

"What we know so far indicates that the U.S. military is ...

2026-07-01T10:46:47Z

"What we know so far indicates that the U.S. military is being used to assassinate unknown individuals based on alarmingly flimsy evidence. And the targeting criteria are quite loose."

From me: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/caribbean-boat-strike/

I met Gustavo Gallón on my first trip to Colombia, in 1998, when ...

2026-06-30T20:15:52Z

I met Gustavo Gallón on my first trip to Colombia, in 1998, when he directed the Colombian Commission of Jurists. He had a sharp analytical mind, and I always learned a lot from him and valued speaking to him. He has left us too soon.

https://coljuristas.org/sala_de_prensa/hasta-siempre-gustavo-gallon-giraldo-fundador-de-la-ccj-y-defensor-incansable-de-los-derechos-humanos

"We have to fight to hold the line, prevent bad law, and have ...

2026-06-30T14:33:59Z

"We have to fight to hold the line, prevent bad law, and have a separate subcommittee planning the rebuild. But a lot of that work is around changing the narratives and getting space."

Amazing conversation with Tijuana-based attorney Elijah Maurus at WOLA's podcast:

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/saving-asylum-and-retaking-the-narrative-defending-lgbtq-migrants-in-tijuana/

Venezuela’s long misrule and the emigration of millions of ...

2026-06-30T11:39:01Z

Venezuela’s long misrule and the emigration of millions of skilled people aggravated the earthquake’s impact. The US response in Trump’s “51st state”—while needed—is still too small.

NYT column from WOLA’s Carolina Jiménez, who was visiting Venezuela, for first time in years, when the quake hit: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/opinion/venezuela-earthquake-tragedy.html

In the latest WOLA Border Update: The Supreme Court has dealt ...

2026-06-26T23:10:38Z

In the latest WOLA Border Update:

The Supreme Court has dealt severe blows to the ability to seek protection in the US. Border wall construction is accelerating and facing legal challenges. ICE's "warehouse" plan is getting rolled back. Migration increased in May.

https://www.wola.org/2026/06/u-s-mexico-border-update-supreme-court-border-wall-ice-warehouses-may-migration/

The Supreme Court's decisions today, on TPS cancellations and ...

2026-06-25T15:37:27Z

The Supreme Court's decisions today, on TPS cancellations and blocking border asylum access, enable arbitrary, capricious denials of protection in the United States. Many vulnerable people will die as a result. No moral code can justify this.

In #Venezuela today, we're missing USAID's old Bureau for ...

2026-06-25T11:13:01Z

In #Venezuela today, we're missing USAID's old Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. (It was replaced by a tiny State Dept office: https://devex.com/news/devex-newswire-can-state-s-new-humanitarian-bureau-be-small-but-mighty-112129).

Time to prove that the US can still do more than drop bombs: not just in the immediate SAR phase, but in the longer, sustained recovery phase.

Some upsetting images, videos of the Venezuela earthquake coming ...

2026-06-25T00:23:42Z

Some upsetting images, videos of the Venezuela earthquake coming in on WhatsApp. Keep the people of this long-suffering country in your thoughts tonight.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/24/world/venezuela-earthquake

- Southcom leaves 6 civilians to die in the Caribbean. - Southcom ...

2026-06-22T19:27:33Z

- Southcom leaves 6 civilians to die in the Caribbean.
- Southcom says it alerted the Coast Guard to rescue them.
- Coast Guard says, "Don't bother us about them, go talk to the Venezuelan government."

"Get lost" or "Talk to the hand" would be less offensive.

The "boat strikes" death toll now stands at 215. Since ...

2026-06-22T09:38:02Z

The "boat strikes" death toll now stands at 215. Since Tuesday, the United States has killed 8 people, and 6 survivors are somewhere in the Caribbean, still unrecovered.

https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4522545/lethal-kinetic-strike-june-21-2026/

99.65% of votes counted in Colombia. Far-right De la Espriella is ...

2026-06-21T22:44:05Z

99.65% of votes counted in Colombia.

Far-right De la Espriella is ahead by 0.95%—tighter than expected, since right-of-center candidates were over 50 in the first round.

Those who turned in blank "none of the above" ballots were 1.63%: nearly double the margin between the candidates.

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week ...

2026-06-21T22:29:08Z

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week

10 events about Latin America this week, that I know about, that can be attended in person in Washington or online anywhere.

https://adamisacson.com/latin-america-related-events-in-washington-and-online-this-week-117/

It's seasonal: expect a decline in the June heat. And ...

2026-06-19T12:51:55Z

It's seasonal: expect a decline in the June heat. And it's much less migration than in the past, when "the legal right to ask for asylum" still existed at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But May's Border Patrol apprehensions were the most of Trump's second term.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters

This, from a US embassy release, made my eyes pop: Panama ...

2026-06-18T21:06:59Z

This, from a US embassy release, made my eyes pop: Panama (population 4.5 million) is now almost certainly receiving more US military/police aid than Mexico (130 million) had in recent years.

https://pa.usembassy.gov/u-s-embassy-delivers-over-5-million-to-combat-cartels-secure-borders-and-defeat-illegal-immigration-threats-to-america

The latest two boat-strike "survivors" didn't make ...

2026-06-18T02:19:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…ywez
_________________________

The latest two boat-strike "survivors" didn't make it.

22 out of 213 people—more than 10%—initially survive these ...

2026-06-17T01:58:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…0qyl
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22 out of 213 people—more than 10%—initially survive these strikes.

3 survivors who were rescued
15 never recovered
2 killed in the notorious "double tap" strike
2 unrecovered today

This "search and rescue system" has a really poor record. ...

2026-06-17T01:38:12Z

This "search and rescue system" has a really poor record. 3 survivors have been recovered on the spot. 15 more were never found. (And 2 more were killed while clinging to wreckage.)

Why not pre-position search-and-rescue assets? Or is the point "keep survivors out of the courts?"

"$69 billion." 🙄

2026-06-12T18:02:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…k3av
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"$69 *billion*." 🙄

In this week's WOLA Border Update: Congress approved, on a ...

2026-06-12T16:06:57Z

In this week's WOLA Border Update:

Congress approved, on a party-line vote, another $69.5 million in funding for ICE and CBP. Alarms about detention conditions intensify, as do concerns about border wall construction in the Big Bend and elsewhere. Also, updates on impacts throughout the Americas.

https://www.wola.org/2026/06/u-s-mexico-border-update-billions-more-for-ice-and-cbp-detention-border-wall-construction-impacts-in-the-americas/

#Peru's presidential election, with 98.2% of votes counted. I ...

2026-06-11T10:59:03Z

#Peru's presidential election, with 98.2% of votes counted. I can't recall ever seeing anything like this.

If Keiko Fujimori wins, it will be because of Peruvians voting overseas. Within Peru, Sánchez leads by 77,446 votes.

https://resultadosegundavuelta.onpe.gob.pe/main/presidenciales

AAmong voters inside Peru, Sánchez leads Fujimori by 72,500 ...

2026-06-10T15:53:04Z

AAmong voters inside Peru, Sánchez leads Fujimori by 72,500 votes.

Among voters at consulates outside Peru, Fujimori leads Sánchez by 64,500 votes.

Votes inside Peru are 98.2% counted. Votes outside Peru are 80.4% counted.

If I had to bet, I'd say "Fujimori will pull ahead," but I could be wrong.

https://resultadosegundavuelta.onpe.gob.pe/main/presidenciales

The bill that Congress just passed, lavishing another $69.5 ...

2026-06-10T13:25:58Z

The bill that Congress just passed, lavishing another $69.5 billion on ICE and CBP through 2029, has so few guidelines about how to use the money, and so little built-in oversight, that it's only 1,532 words long.

A $69.5 billion slush fund that could've been an email.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2

#Peru elections: with 96% counted, Sánchez leads Fujimori by ...

2026-06-09T15:45:12Z

#Peru elections: with 96% counted, Sánchez leads Fujimori by 20,000 votes.

But overseas votes are only 30% counted, and Fujimori leads those by 27,000 votes so far.

Impossible to predict anything.

https://resultadosegundavuelta.onpe.gob.pe/main/presidenciales

Jaw-dropping GAO report. Before allowing an untested (and ...

2026-06-09T15:15:43Z

Jaw-dropping GAO report. Before allowing an untested (and since-replaced) contractor to start operating the massive Fort Bliss migrant tent detention camp for $1.3 billion, ICE *didn't even inspect the facility first*. Three detainees died there, and ICE inspectors later found 49 violations.

https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-26-108886/index.html

The U.S. military raided #Venezuela and extracted the ...

2026-06-09T14:11:49Z

The U.S. military raided #Venezuela and extracted the regime's leader—but left the regime in place. Five months later, where do relatives of the regime's political prisoners go to protest and demand answers? *Outside the U.S. Embassy*.

https://efectococuyo.com/la-humanidad/familiares-de-presos-politicos-continuan-en-protesta-frente-a-la-embajada-de-eeuu/

Las fuerzas estadounidenses irrumpieron en Venezuela, sacaron al ...

2026-06-09T14:10:30Z

Las fuerzas estadounidenses irrumpieron en Venezuela, sacaron al líder del régimen, pero dejaron el régimen intacto. Cinco meses después, ¿a dónde acuden los familiares de presos políticos para protestar y exigir respuestas? *En frente de la embajada estadounidense*.

https://efectococuyo.com/la-humanidad/familiares-de-presos-politicos-continuan-en-protesta-frente-a-la-embajada-de-eeuu/

Sánchez is now ahead... will he stay there? No idea

2026-06-08T18:28:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…hrus
_________________________

Sánchez is now ahead... will he stay there? No idea

#Peru's current election count: with 93.2% of ballots ...

2026-06-08T14:55:45Z

#Peru's current election count: with 93.2% of ballots counted, the candidates are 0.132 percentage points apart.

"Nailbiter" barely begins to describe it.

Count: https://resultadosegundavuelta.onpe.gob.pe/main/resumen

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116692955384228180 The video ...

2026-06-06T12:32:25Z

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116692955384228180

The video version of this podcast episode on Colombia's elections (con letra en español) is now posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6fMqR1gyn4

quoting
note16fc…waky

New: hear WOLA Colombia director Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli and me talk about #Colombia's presidential elections in the latest episode of our podcast:

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/the-two-candidates-could-not-be-more-different-colombias-presidential-vote/

New: hear WOLA Colombia director Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli and me ...

2026-06-04T17:13:11Z

New: hear WOLA Colombia director Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli and me talk about #Colombia's presidential elections in the latest episode of our podcast:

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/the-two-candidates-could-not-be-more-different-colombias-presidential-vote/

That's 5 attacks in the last 9 days. ...

2026-06-04T01:46:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…72p0
_________________________

That's 5 attacks in the last 9 days.

https://www.wola.org/2025/11/us-military-strikes-trump-drugs-caribbean/

In the mid-2000s, @Southcom listened, but didn't act, when ...

2026-06-04T01:31:03Z

In the mid-2000s, @Southcom listened, but didn't act, when human rights groups presented evidence that their Colombian military partners were carrying out extrajudicial executions ("false positive" killings).

Now, they're carrying out their own EJEs every few days. No middleman.

If your broker says, "Just sit back and relax, it will all ...

2026-06-02T01:14:09Z

If your broker says, "Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!", fire them immediately.

(It can't hurt to try saying it to debt collectors, though.)

Talking about the lethal boat strikes, which have now killed over ...

2026-06-01T20:41:32Z

Talking about the lethal boat strikes, which have now killed over 200 people, with Jake Tapper on CNN in about half an hour.

$5.8+$6.6= $12.4 million to detain migrants at Guantánamo ...

2026-06-01T17:00:24Z

$5.8+$6.6=

*$12.4 million* to detain migrants at Guantánamo January-March.

There were "fewer than 100" migrants; let's say 95. $12,400,000÷95=

*$130,526* per detainee.

That's nearly double the median US household income.

From the latest DOD IG report: https://media.defense.gov/2026/May/28/2003941028/-1/-1/1/OSG_Q2_MAR2026_FINAL_508.PDF

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week ...

2026-06-01T02:01:43Z

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week

12 events related to Latin America this week, that I know about, that can be attended in person in Washington or online anywhere.

https://adamisacson.com/latin-america-related-events-in-washington-and-online-this-week-114/

First round of voting is over. Colombia's version of ...

2026-05-31T22:54:02Z

First round of voting is over. Colombia's version of "red" and "blue" counties doesn't appear to have changed much over the past 10 years.

93% counted. It will be De la Espriella vs. Cepeda in ...

2026-05-31T22:26:20Z

93% counted. It will be De la Espriella vs. Cepeda in Colombia's second-round voting.

Pretty interesting that only 1 in 7 voters in Colombia went for a candidate not considered "furthest left" or "furthest right" in the first round.

One-third of the way into Colombia's first-round vote count, ...

2026-05-31T21:53:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…253r
_________________________

One-third of the way into Colombia's first-round vote count, the two rightmost candidates (De la Espriella and the surprisingly poor-showing Paloma Valencia) combine for just over 50%…

Colombia's election results have just barely begun filtering ...

2026-05-31T21:16:16Z

Colombia's election results have just barely begun filtering in. See https://resultados.registraduria.gov.co/resultados/0/00/

Meanwhile, the Trump administration keeps letting off the hook ...

2026-05-30T15:30:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…cmal
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Meanwhile, the Trump administration keeps letting off the hook people accused—with actual evidence—of profiting from larger-scale drug trafficking.

The death toll stands at 201. If—as is likely—the two ...

2026-05-30T15:30:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…hqlf
_________________________

The death toll stands at 201. If—as is likely—the two survivors of Tuesday's attack don't get rescued, it's 203.

https://www.wola.org/2025/11/us-military-strikes-trump-drugs-caribbean/

A sad new milestone for America. Beyond any doubt, our military ...

2026-05-30T15:29:38Z

A sad new milestone for America. Beyond any doubt, our military has now executed more than 200 civilians in the Western Hemisphere since September.

Without trial, evidence, presumption of innocence, or any imminent self-defense justification. For a non-capital crime.

Maybe zooming it way in helps? Big Bend is over 1/4 of all border ...

2026-05-29T17:34:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…jqew
_________________________

Maybe zooming it way in helps?

Big Bend is over 1/4 of all border miles, but it's very remote. Very few migrants.

$3 billion and heavy construction in an unspoiled national park? For this?

Contracts: https://bit.ly/4ajaDb4
Border Update narrative: https://bit.ly/4wZ9vmH
Data table: https://bit.ly/4ffO2Qe

CBP has issued $3.213 billion in contracts for border barriers in ...

2026-05-29T17:33:34Z

CBP has issued $3.213 billion in contracts for border barriers in Border Patrol's Big Bend Sector (Texas).

I wanted to make a chart showing migrant apprehensions there, compared to the rest of the border.

You'll need a magnifying glass. Big Bend (dark brown) is 1.1% since 2000.

The latest WOLA Border Update includes this breakdown of the $61 ...

2026-05-29T15:04:13Z

The latest WOLA Border Update includes this breakdown of the $61 billion in *new money* for DHS in the "reconciliation" bill that's moving through Congress.

Read more here: https://www.wola.org/2026/05/u-s-mexico-border-update-billions-more-for-dhs-deportations-into-mexico-big-bend-border-wall-april-migration/

In the latest WOLA Border Update: - Another huge DHS funding bill ...

2026-05-29T14:47:53Z

In the latest WOLA Border Update:

- Another huge DHS funding bill moves through Congress.
- Big concerns about deportations into Mexico.
- Uncertainty over Big Bend border barrier.
- Big protests over detention conditions.
- Migration increased in April.

https://www.wola.org/2026/05/u-s-mexico-border-update-billions-more-for-dhs-deportations-into-mexico-big-bend-border-wall-april-migration/

Lots of new evidence in this piece showing the illegal boat ...

2026-05-29T12:47:19Z

Lots of new evidence in this piece showing the illegal boat strikes' failure to achieve their stated goal of reducing cocaine supplies. Excellent report: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/world/americas/us-boat-strikes-cocaine-trump-south-america.html

What a time to have completely decimated DHS's Detention ...

2026-05-28T13:41:10Z

What a time to have completely decimated DHS's Detention Ombudsman office and Civil Rights office.

https://apnews.com/article/ice-suicide-deaths-detention-custody-d902169055292dfd27f5079e609e86ad

Inaccurate. Morris Day says he never agreed to play this show. ...

2026-05-28T03:49:53Z

Inaccurate. Morris Day says he never agreed to play this show. And the C&C Music Factory shut its doors long ago, after China joined the WTO.

More detail than most probably care about, but here's how I ...

2026-05-28T03:11:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…7pug
_________________________

More detail than most probably care about, but here's how I get to that number.

https://adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

2026-05-28T02:33:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…7pug
_________________________

https://adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

A devastating milestone for anyone with a conscience. If all ...

2026-05-28T02:33:06Z

A devastating milestone for anyone with a conscience.

If all unrecovered survivors of these attacks (including 2 from yesterday) are indeed dead, then the known toll of these extrajudicial killings has just hit 200.

Getting close to 200 known killings. If you count the unrecovered ...

2026-05-27T03:27:45Z

Getting close to 200 known killings.

If you count the unrecovered survivor of the May 8 strike, the death toll is 196 people since these strikes started on September 2. If they don't recover any of today's 2 survivors, then 198.

https://www.wola.org/2025/11/us-military-strikes-trump-drugs-caribbean/

So if you’re a Republican legislator, your menu now is: - Show ...

2026-05-27T02:18:55Z

So if you’re a Republican legislator, your menu now is:

- Show a shred of distance from the guy polling 37%, and lose your primary.
-Show abject fealty to the guy polling 37%, and lose the general.

Memorial Day was the 5th straight day of rain here in DC, the ...

2026-05-25T23:09:08Z

Memorial Day was the 5th straight day of rain here in DC, the most we’ve had in a long while. No complaints from the butterfly milkweed in the backyard.

A question for fellow Latin Americanists… - Pinochet kept ...

2026-05-20T12:15:01Z

A question for fellow Latin Americanists…

- Pinochet kept something like $12 million in secret accounts at Riggs Bank.
- Nicaragua's Arnoldo Aleman allegedly embezzled $100 million.

What Latin American presidential self-dealing approaches $1.8 billion? Somoza? Duvalier?

Here's the data from the table above, expressed as a chart. ...

2026-05-17T22:25:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…lp8j
_________________________

Here's the data from the table above, expressed as a chart.

April 2026 saw more Border Patrol apprehensions at the ...

2026-05-17T22:07:15Z

April 2026 saw more Border Patrol apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border (8,943) than any month since the Trump administration began. This likely reflects seasonal patterns: migration tends to peak in spring before declining in summer.

In Peru, handing out Tasers like cookies: ...

2026-05-14T14:17:21Z

In Peru, handing out Tasers like cookies:

Soldiers assigned to the border in southeast Arizona are ...

2026-05-13T02:23:02Z

Soldiers assigned to the border in southeast Arizona are collecting all the makeshift ladders that they find after migrants leave them behind when climbing over the not-so-impenetrable border wall.

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9676209/operation-strike-kraken-boosts-awareness-and-interdiction-help-dow-seal-border

50 years ago this summer, South American military regimes were ...

2026-05-12T17:59:55Z

50 years ago this summer, South American military regimes were setting into motion "Operation Condor," a campaign of international assassinations. The most notorious happened in Washington DC.

Historian Peter Kornbluh tells what happened, and how the truth came to light, in the latest WOLA Podcast:

https://www.wola.org/multimedia/uncovering-operation-condor-a-50-year-fight-for-accountability/

Extrajudicial executions still occurring with bureaucratic—or ...

2026-05-09T14:16:09Z

Extrajudicial executions still occurring with bureaucratic—or as Hannah Arendt would say, banal—efficiency and regularity.

March to May? Yeah, not that unusual I guess. The July delivery ...

2026-05-06T22:28:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…dun2
_________________________

March to May? Yeah, not that unusual I guess. The July delivery date was certainly a good ploy to get me to click “buy” instead of waiting for the M5

Mine arrived yesterday, 2 months ahead of estimated ship date; ...

2026-05-06T02:14:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…djsm
_________________________

Mine arrived yesterday, 2 months ahead of estimated ship date; wonder if that’s atypical.

The tracker: ...

2026-05-06T01:27:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…8pg3
_________________________

The tracker: https://www.wola.org/2025/11/us-military-strikes-trump-drugs-caribbean/

2nd time in less than 24 hours that I've had to update our ...

2026-05-06T01:27:04Z

2nd time in less than 24 hours that I've had to update our tracker of the Trump administration and Southcom's gruesome and illegal boat strikes.

Today's was in the Eastern Pacific: https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4478513/lethal-kinetic-strike-may-5-2026/

The DHS spokesperson gets it badly wrong. With terrible ...

2026-05-05T17:14:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…3sr5
_________________________

The DHS spokesperson gets it badly wrong. With terrible consequences: OIDO’s website is completely gone (myoido.dhs.gov).

For more about the evisceration of these internal oversight offices, see this March report from WOLA and the Kino Border Initiative: https://bit.ly/void-report

That table shows that the Ombudsman’s office got $28 million ...

2026-05-05T17:13:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…qfuk
_________________________

That table shows that the Ombudsman’s office got $28 million last year, just as Miller/Noem et al reduced their staffing from 118 to 5 employees. (Yes, 5 employees to oversee 220 detention centers.)

Of course there was unspent money from the 2025 budget. So why appropriate more for 2026?

But OK: down near the end of that explanatory statement, there is ...

2026-05-05T17:13:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…clhn
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But OK: down near the end of that explanatory statement, there is a table showing a recommendation of zero dollars for the Ombudsman’s office in 2026.

But that doesn’t abolish the Ombudsman’s office!

OK, then, here’s the narrative “Joint Explanatory ...

2026-05-05T17:12:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…s7zr
_________________________

OK, then, here’s the narrative “Joint Explanatory Statement” accompanying that bill, written back in January. Again, no mention of repealing Sec. 205.

https://bit.ly/2026-dhs-jes

Here’s the DHS appropriations bill that the “agency ...

2026-05-05T17:10:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…tant
_________________________

Here’s the DHS appropriations bill that the “agency spokesperson” in the HuffPost piece was referring to. Passed and signed into law on April 30. Try to find any mention of repealing Sec. 205 here. There isn’t any:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7147/text

Here’s Title 6, Section 205 of the U.S. Code, added to ...

2026-05-05T17:10:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…qtfr
_________________________

Here’s Title 6, Section 205 of the U.S. Code, added to permanent U.S. law in 2020. It says that there will be an Immigration Detention Ombudsman’s office with specific responsibilities.

Permanent statute.

https://bit.ly/4tSc87R

This was added today to the HuffPost’s story about the illegal ...

2026-05-05T17:09:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…ae48
_________________________

This was added today to the HuffPost’s story about the illegal closure of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman’s office. It’s an easily disprovable lie.

Check it out:

When I lived in Costa Rica 30 years ago, La Nación was a ...

2026-05-05T13:38:46Z

When I lived in Costa Rica 30 years ago, La Nación was a credible but somewhat stodgy, establishment paper. I don't think that's changed.

But its reporting displeases Costa Rica's MAGA-adjacent president, so the Trump administration—a global enemy of press freedom—revoked its board's visas.

https://apnews.com/article/costa-rica-la-nacion-press-trump-chaves-dd8b1356d9503570c74fb71713abc899

Very excellent of Washington Post reporters to share the dataset ...

2026-05-05T13:26:29Z

Very excellent of Washington Post reporters to share the dataset of ICE detention use-of-force incidents that they obtained.

If you're unfamiliar with GitHub: grab a copy by following the link, clicking on the green "<>Code" button, then "Download ZIP."

https://github.com/wpinvestigative/ice-reports

Sources: - Detention Ombudsman closed: https://bit.ly/4w89yw2 - ...

2026-05-05T13:03:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…y83w
_________________________

Sources:

- Detention Ombudsman closed: https://bit.ly/4w89yw2
- Asylum grant rates: https://bit.ly/4f1VoXe and https://bit.ly/4eorb4v
- ICE+Border Patrol legislation: https://bit.ly/4wbog5E and https://bit.ly/4d2ESUm

Getting rid of Noem and Bovino wasn’t “reform.” Since they ...

2026-05-05T13:03:40Z

Getting rid of Noem and Bovino wasn’t “reform.” Since they left:

- DHS has illegally closed the Detention Ombudsman watchdog office.
- Asylum grant rates dropped from 22% in Nov to 5% in Feb.
- Congress is moving legislation to fund ICE+Border Patrol through 2029—with no reforms or conditions.

Both headlines are from today. ...

2026-05-04T21:27:41Z

Both headlines are from today.

18 people have died in ICE detention this year—and the ...

2026-05-04T21:21:08Z

18 people have died in ICE detention this year—and the administration is illegally "closing" OIDO, the office that is supposed to monitor detention conditions and help detained people needing medical care or suffering abuse.

Its portal, myoido.dhs.gov, is offline.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/immigration-detention-ombudsman-closure_n_69f8facee4b0115dd7bf98e5

I just went through all 195 pages of the White House's new ...

2026-05-04T21:04:52Z

I just went through all 195 pages of the White House's new National Drug Control Strategy and could find only these 2 brief references to the lethal boat strikes that have killed >187 people so far.

It's almost as though they, too, know that the strikes are an illegal embarrassment.

https://bit.ly/4tP3TcF

"Donovan, and his subordinates, continue to carry out strikes ...

2026-05-04T14:17:32Z

"Donovan, and his subordinates, continue to carry out strikes that could leave them vulnerable to court-martial by a future administration—provided they are not pardoned first by Trump."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/05/04/trump-boat-strikes-increase-after-lull-following-maduro-capture/

Nicolás who? From @DiarioTalCual, the number of times each month ...

2026-05-04T12:49:11Z

Nicolás who? From @DiarioTalCual, the number of times each month that Delcy Rodríguez's public statements have mentioned Maduro's name.

https://talcualdigital.com/delcy-rodriguez-borra-a-maduro-del-discurso-oficial-menciones-cayeron-91-desde-enero/

It was Star Wars Day at Nationals Park. (They lost.) ...

2026-05-03T00:45:48Z

It was Star Wars Day at Nationals Park. (They lost.)

WOLA's latest Border Update is up. Congress is closing in on ...

2026-05-01T15:58:56Z

WOLA's latest Border Update is up.

Congress is closing in on $70b in new no-strings ICE and Border Patrol funding. Big appellate and Supreme Court arguments/decisions. 3rd-country deportations to the DRC, Costa Rica, and Paraguay. Border wall updates.

https://www.wola.org/2026/05/u-s-mexico-border-update-big-court-cases-ice-border-patrol-budget-bill-third-country-deportations/

In March Kristi Noem went to Costa Rica and signed an agreement ...

2026-05-01T00:46:53Z

In March Kristi Noem went to Costa Rica and signed an agreement to let ICE send up to 25 third-country nationals to San Jose each week. There have since been 3 flights. 72 people, 18 countries.

More in tomorrow's WOLA Border Update.

Re: “igniting careers”: the secret OLC memo “legalizing” ...

2026-04-30T14:31:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…50p0
_________________________

Re: “igniting careers”: the secret OLC memo “legalizing” the strikes depends on a president polling 33% approval and a secdef who can’t even handle follow-up questions in congressional hearings.

The standard they're blindly following may go away. Where will that leave them?

When you see this made-up phrase “systemic friction,” you ...

2026-04-30T14:20:50Z

When you see this made-up phrase “systemic friction,” you read it as “inconveniencing” the cartels, right? Maybe “irritating” them a bit?

It's wild to see senior military potentially igniting their careers, illegally killing at least 187 people in boats (so far), for “friction.”

Welcome to hell ...

2026-04-28T15:51:04Z

Welcome to hell

Why did DHS drop 15 South American citizens in the DR Congo ...

2026-04-28T14:57:35Z

Why did DHS drop 15 South American citizens in the DR Congo without their passports, which they would need to avoid being deported to their countries if they feared persecution there?

It beggars belief that all 15 of them lacked passports when in the US. Does ICE still have their passports?

https://n.pr/4mW7P8Q

Added new information to the illegal boat strikes tracker. They ...

2026-04-27T21:54:50Z

Added new information to the illegal boat strikes tracker.

They have to know we're always watching.

https://adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

The civilian death toll of these attacks, carried out in the name ...

2026-04-16T12:16:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…g2al
_________________________

The civilian death toll of these attacks, carried out in the name of the United States, is now at least 178.

https://adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

Five boats hit in five days. This means either: - These ...

2026-04-16T12:00:38Z

Five boats hit in five days. This means either:

- These aren't drug boats: the intelligence is sloppy, or the killing is happening just for the sake of it
- These *are* drug boats: there are so many out there because this strategy isn't deterring anyone

Either way, a failure.

Texas is the only border state that hasn't legalized and ...

2026-04-15T19:45:03Z

Texas is the only border state that hasn't legalized and regulated recreational cannabis. So CBP now makes 94% of its border marijuana seizures in Texas.

I want to know what's going on with the people busted for carrying the other 6% into states where dispensaries are plentiful.

Halfway through fiscal 2026, which began in October, CBP's ...

2026-04-15T18:59:28Z

Halfway through fiscal 2026, which began in October, CBP's cocaine seizures at US borders are just over half of 2025's full-year total (36,700 pounds past 6 months vs. 70,100 pounds all of last year).

Terrible news for fans of the lethal boat strikes that started last September: no impact at all.

Nostr notes by Adam Isacson

New WOLA podcast with our president Carolina Jiménez, who was in ...

At least the winner will still be a nation with thriving ...

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116839549473256293 Video version of ...

That makes 22 Latin American/Caribbean groups on the US terrorist ...

- June 21: the US military bombed a boat, killing 2 people. There ...

"What we know so far indicates that the U.S. military is ...

I met Gustavo Gallón on my first trip to Colombia, in 1998, when ...

"We have to fight to hold the line, prevent bad law, and have ...

Venezuela’s long misrule and the emigration of millions of ...

In the latest WOLA Border Update: The Supreme Court has dealt ...

The Supreme Court's decisions today, on TPS cancellations and ...

In #Venezuela today, we're missing USAID's old Bureau for ...

Some upsetting images, videos of the Venezuela earthquake coming ...

- Southcom leaves 6 civilians to die in the Caribbean. - Southcom ...

The "boat strikes" death toll now stands at 215. Since ...

99.65% of votes counted in Colombia. Far-right De la Espriella is ...

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week ...

It's seasonal: expect a decline in the June heat. And ...

This, from a US embassy release, made my eyes pop: Panama ...

The latest two boat-strike "survivors" didn't make ...

22 out of 213 people—more than 10%—initially survive these ...

This "search and rescue system" has a really poor record. ...

"$69 *billion*." 🙄

In this week's WOLA Border Update: Congress approved, on a ...

#Peru's presidential election, with 98.2% of votes counted. I ...

AAmong voters inside Peru, Sánchez leads Fujimori by 72,500 ...

The bill that Congress just passed, lavishing another $69.5 ...

#Peru elections: with 96% counted, Sánchez leads Fujimori by ...

Jaw-dropping GAO report. Before allowing an untested (and ...

The U.S. military raided #Venezuela and extracted the ...

Las fuerzas estadounidenses irrumpieron en Venezuela, sacaron al ...

Sánchez is now ahead... will he stay there? No idea

#Peru's current election count: with 93.2% of ballots ...

RE: https://elefanti.co/@adam/116692955384228180 The video ...

New: hear WOLA Colombia director Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli and me ...

That's 5 attacks in the last 9 days. ...

In the mid-2000s, @Southcom listened, but didn't act, when ...

If your broker says, "Just sit back and relax, it will all ...

Talking about the lethal boat strikes, which have now killed over ...

$5.8+$6.6= *$12.4 million* to detain migrants at Guantánamo ...

Latin America-Related Events in Washington and Online This Week ...

First round of voting is over. Colombia's version of ...

93% counted. It will be De la Espriella vs. Cepeda in ...

One-third of the way into Colombia's first-round vote count, ...

Colombia's election results have just barely begun filtering ...

Meanwhile, the Trump administration keeps letting off the hook ...

The death toll stands at 201. If—as is likely—the two ...

A sad new milestone for America. Beyond any doubt, our military ...

Maybe zooming it way in helps? Big Bend is over 1/4 of all border ...

CBP has issued $3.213 billion in contracts for border barriers in ...

The latest WOLA Border Update includes this breakdown of the $61 ...

In the latest WOLA Border Update: - Another huge DHS funding bill ...

Lots of new evidence in this piece showing the illegal boat ...

What a time to have completely decimated DHS's Detention ...

Inaccurate. Morris Day says he never agreed to play this show. ...

More detail than most probably care about, but here's how I ...

https://adamisacson.com/boat-strikes/

A devastating milestone for anyone with a conscience. If all ...

Getting close to 200 known killings. If you count the unrecovered ...

So if you’re a Republican legislator, your menu now is: - Show ...

Memorial Day was the 5th straight day of rain here in DC, the ...

A question for fellow Latin Americanists… - Pinochet kept ...

Here's the data from the table above, expressed as a chart. ...

April 2026 saw more Border Patrol apprehensions at the ...

In Peru, handing out Tasers like cookies: ...

Soldiers assigned to the border in southeast Arizona are ...

50 years ago this summer, South American military regimes were ...

Extrajudicial executions still occurring with bureaucratic—or ...

March to May? Yeah, not that unusual I guess. The July delivery ...

Mine arrived yesterday, 2 months ahead of estimated ship date; ...

The tracker: ...

2nd time in less than 24 hours that I've had to update our ...

The DHS spokesperson gets it badly wrong. With terrible ...

That table shows that the Ombudsman’s office got $28 million ...

But OK: down near the end of that explanatory statement, there is ...

OK, then, here’s the narrative “Joint Explanatory ...

Here’s the DHS appropriations bill that the “agency ...

Here’s Title 6, Section 205 of the U.S. Code, added to ...

This was added today to the HuffPost’s story about the illegal ...

"$69 billion." 🙄

$5.8+$6.6= $12.4 million to detain migrants at Guantánamo ...