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Federal funding freeze: Trump pauses loans, grants for comprehensive review

The White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting on Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending.

The funding freeze by the Republican administration could affect trillions of dollars and cause widespread disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Even grants that have been awarded but not spent are supposed to be halted.

“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” said a memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET, and it’s unclear from the memo how sweeping it will be. Vaeth said that all spending must comply with Trump’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts.

Vaeth wrote that “each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders.”

Washington is a hub of spending that flows to various departments, local governments, nonprofits and contractors, and the memo has left countless people who are dependent on that money wondering how they will be affected.

The pause is the latest example of how Trump is harnessing his power over the federal system to advance his conservative goals. Unlike during his first term, when Trump and many members of his inner circle were unfamiliar with Washington, this time he’s reaching deep into the bureaucracy.

“They are pushing the president’s agenda from the bottom up,” said Paul Light, an expert on the federal government and professor emeritus of public service at New York University.

He also said there are risks in Trump’s approach, especially with so many voters reliant on Washington.

“You can’t just hassle, hassle, hassle. You’ve got to deliver.”

Medicare and Social Security benefits will be unaffected by the pause, according to the memo. But there was no explanation of whether the pause would affect Medicaid, food stamps, disaster assistance and other programs. The memo said it should be implemented “to the extent permissible under applicable law.”

“Are you stopping NIH cancer trials?” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, wrote on social media, referring to the National Institutes of Health.

A briefing with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, her first, is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Rep. Rose DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrats on the Senate and House appropriations committees, expressed “extreme alarm” in a letter to Vaeth.

“This Administration’s actions will have far-reaching consequences for nearly all federal programs and activities, putting the financial security of our families, our national security, and the success of our country at risk,” they wrote.

General

Early look at Super Bowl 59 line movement and betting trends with DraftKings’ Johnny Avello

The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat. In their way is the Philadelphia Eagles – the team they knocked off in an epic Super Bowl just two years ago.

DraftKings opened the line as Kansas City -1.5 and the over-under at 49.5. Caesars Sportsbook briefly moved to Chiefs -2 on Monday (before moving back to 1.5). DraftKings is holding firm at KC -1.5 thanks to solid early two-way action (55% of the money is on KC and 61% of the tickets are on the Chiefs).

DraftKings race and sportsbook operations director Johnny Avello said the big bets haven’t rolled in yet.

“Nothing really huge,” Avello said when Advance Local caught up with him on Monday.

“Low five figure bets right now. The line hasn’t moved at all. We opened KC 1.5 and the total at 49.5. Even though there’s been a lot of activity over the last 12 hours, no line movement whatsoever.”

In fact, Avello said he doesn’t expect much line movement over the next two weeks, adding that 1.5 is “the right number.”

“These teams played two years ago and it went right down to the wire. It could have went either way,” Avello noted of the 38-35 Chiefs’ win on a last-second field goal from Harrison Butker in Super Bowl 57. The Eagles were 1.5-point favorites in that game.

Saquon Barkley’s eye-popping Super Bowl prop

One thing that has everyone’s attention, including Avello, is Eagles’ RB Saquon Barkley’s rushing prop line. It’s the highest that Avello has ever booked (110+ yards at -147).

Only three players have rushed for 110+ yards in the Super Bowl over the past 18 years (Frank Gore, Dominic Rhodes and Thomas Jones).

“You don’t see those numbers usually,” Avello said. “He’s been breaking big ones; every game he breaks one for 50-60 yards and that’s what gets him there. … Sometimes (RB rushing yardage lines) have been in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s kind of unprecedented in a game like this.”

Barkley’s rushing prop for the NFC Championship game was around 125 and he went just under (118 yards).

A running back hasn’t won Super Bowl MVP since Broncos Hall of Famer Terrell Davis in 1998, but Avello thinks Barkley is more than capable of doing so. He has booked only Patrick Mahomes (+110) ahead of Barkley (+250) in the Super Bowl MVP market.

Super Bowl point spread line movement

At least one sportsbook, Caesars, briefly moved the Chiefs to -2 on Monday before going back to 1.5 later in the day, but Avello said: “We aren’t quick to move the line. We are pretty much the market maker, so we’ll move on a large bet or we won’t move at all.”

Avello said the big bets will come, but he’s not sure exactly when. Factors like professional groups, injuries and whims usually come into play when the Super Bowl rolls around. “It could be this week, next week, or it could be closer to game time.”

The general consensus I got from talking with Avello, however, is that he doesn’t expect this line to move much at all.

Another small Super Bowl spread

The days of huge Super Bowl spreads are long gone, and not just since wide-spread legalization took hold in 2018. Heck, even the key number of 3 is no longer in play when Super Bowl lines open. The opening Super Bowl spread has been 3 just once over the past seven years.

In fact, the biggest spread in the past 15 years came when Peyton Manning’s Colts (5-point favorites) lost to the Saints by two touchdowns in the “Surprise Onside Kick” Super Bowl in 2010).

That’s in sharp contrast to the 16 years prior to that, when all but three Super Bowl spreads were at least 7 points (and some much larger).

“Things have become so tight over the past five years or so,” Avello said. “There’s no 19-point favorite. I put that up once (in 1994 when the 49ers played the Chargers in Super Bowl 27; San Fran covered).

“Even 7 doesn’t feel like it could be part of the equation. Teams are much closer than they were years ago.”

This year’s line seems to be spot on. It’s hard to bet against the Chiefs winning a close game these days. Kansas City has won NFL-record 17 straight one score games after surviving the Bills on Sunday night.

DraftKings dodges El Presidente’s $1 million Super Bowl futures bet

That Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl was a great result for Avello and DraftKings, which infamously took a $1 million bet on the Bills to win the Super Bowl at +550 (made by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy).

That $1 million bet on the Bills to win the Super Bowl was DraftKings’ biggest liability in the Super Bowl futures betting market.

“Detroit losing was also good for us,” says Avello, adding, “Now, no matter who wins, we’ll be OK.”

Taylor Swift Super Bowl props returning

Avello is certainly OK with the return of Taylor Swift to The Big Game. Avello said those special props tied to her song names have been extremely popular and will be back this year.

“We’ll probably do something similar to that again.”

Avello is happy Swift props are back in play, even if NFL fans aren’t as thrilled about it. Where he is in alignment with most fans is he isn’t in love with a Super Bowl rematch this soon.

“I kind of would have liked to see a different matchup,” the veteran oddsmaker said. “I don’t like seeing two teams that played a couple years ago play again.”

Can this Chiefs team really three-peat?

The Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to return to the Super Bowl after winning the previous two.

There is obviously some roster turnover, specifically when it comes to their receiving corps. They scrapped by so many times this year, the perception is they aren’t as good as Kansas City’s previous Super Bowl winning teams.

Who would know how this team stacks up against its predecessors better than the man that has booked Super Bowls for the better part of three decades?

“This team is probably better than last year’s team,” Avello said. “I’m not sure it’s as good as the first Super Bowl team, but it doesn’t really matter.

“They are like the Patriots’ dynasty. They’ve got three people: A quarterback, a coach and one key guy who’s been there the whole time, and that’s Travis Kelce; with the Patriots it was Belichick, Brady and Gronk. They have a good system. They just plug guys in. They have a great defensive coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo). I think he makes the difference in a lot of games. It works for them and no one has been able to duplicate it.”

A Mahomes betting trend is back for The Big Game

Another storyline sure to dominate betting circles is alive for this game. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is notoriously poor ATS when the Chiefs are big favorites. He’s 22-32-3 ATS when favored by seven points or more in his career, according to Evan Abrams of Action Network.

However, he’s 28-9-1 as an underdog or a favorite of three points or less. Mahomes is 8-0 in the playoffs as either an underdog or a favorite of less than a field goal. In the Super Bowl, he’s 3-1 ATS, with each of his wins coming as a favorite of three points or less.

Avello said he doesn’t see this line approaching the key number of 3, meaning backing Mahomes seems like a pretty solid bet.

“I don’t think it’s making 3,” Avello said. “If it goes to three then it’s probably a take (meaning pro bettors will jump all over it). I can see it going from 1 to 2.5, but I can’t see it crossing any major numbers here.”

Avello noted that the Chiefs “don’t cover much, but they win, and this is a short moneyline price.”

For the record, 47% of the bets and 49% of the early money is on the Chiefs’ moneyline (-130) at DraftKings.

Handicapping a Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch

Super Bowl 59 marks just the second time ever that the same teams will meet twice in a three-year span. The other time was 1992 and 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills met in back-to-back years. Those games weren’t competitive.

The last time the Chiefs and Eagles met was extremely close, with Kansas City winning on a 27-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with eight seconds left. The Eagles were 1.5-point favorites in that game.

What, if anything, can we take from that game? More importantly, how did Avello go about handicapping the rematch with so much familiarity and roster continuity involved?

“Both teams are playing well,” Avello said when asked his first thoughts on handicapping the rematch. “No one snuck up on anyone. Both teams are good and the power ratings are close, but the Chiefs were slightly a bigger favorite, and obviously at this point, that is the right number.

“I don’t know if anyone expected Kansas City to get here, but they never had really high odds. And the reason we didn’t expect them to get here again was it’s just too difficult to get to the Super Bowl three years in a row.”

Avello was looking forward to a better NFC Championship game. “Detroit vs. Philly would have been intriguing, but obviously that never materialized.”

Super Bowl 59 Over-Under betting

Super Bowl 57 between these teams finished 38-35. As for the rematch’s total of 49.5, Avello said, “It seems like it will be an offensive game, but you never know.”

The Eagles are coming off a NFC Championship record 55-point outburst, while the Chiefs scored more than 30 points for the first time this season. Bettors at DraftKings agree with Avello thus far, with 86% of the money and 85% of the tickets on the Over currently.

Super Bowl 59 anytime TD betting

Anytime TD scorer bets are all the rage over the past few years. Let’s face it: They’re fun because they’re low-risk high-reward bets. Sportsbooks bear the brunt of it when a long-shot scores, or a big favorite that’s tied into parlays scores.

So, aside from Saquon Barkley (-195, +450 first TD, +280 for 2 TDs), where does Avello expect DraftKings to be most liable in the anytime TD market?

“Travis Kelce (+130 anytime, +1000 to score first), Jalen Hurts (-105 anytime, +650 to score first) both those guys will be played as not only anytime TDs, but first TD scorers,” Avello said. “Kareem Hunt and (Xavier) Worthy are in the mix as the main guys (we don’t want scoring).

Avello said one of his top long-shots is JuJu Smith-Schuster (+3500), who had 3 catches for 60 yards (his best game since early October) in the AFC Championship game. He also mentioned Chiefs WR Justin Watson because, “defenses key on certain guys and other guys may be overlooked.”

Super Bowl safety bets kicked out?

One of the favorite bets many people make is will there be a safety in the Super Bowl, but that’s not something Avello loses much sleep over anymore.

“Yes” is listed at +1400, while “No” is at -3500.

“No, not really (concerned),” Avello said. “I got absolutely murdered on that when the ball flew over Peyton Manning’s head (on the first play of Super Bowl 48 between the Broncos and Seahawks in 2014).

“I lost $150,000 on that prop (first score a safety). Down $150,000 before the second play from scrimmage. Now, it will have to be a coach that has his punter run out of the end zone because he’s afraid to get his punt blocked. The new kick-off rules make the “safety as the first score” bet harder with the ball at the 30.”

General

The heartwarming story behind Alabama’s newest must-try bakery

With the opening of Stinson Breads in Opelika, Anna Claire and Matthew Stinson turned what started out as baking for friends into a full-time bakery, and it’s bringing so much more than just sourdough to its community.

Anna Claire Stinson, who is originally from Baldwin County, said that while she has always enjoyed baking, she didn’t pursue her interest in sharpening her culinary skills until after graduating from Auburn University in 2017 when she decided to take an online baking course in her free time, and in the process, she managed to pique her husband, Matthew’s, interest as well.

“Whenever I got to the sourdough section, Matthew, who has a scientific background, took up an interest in it as well, so he’s kind of like the science behind the dough, and I’m more of the art behind it,” said Stinson. “It just kind of started from there.”

Stinson Breads in Opelika offers a variety of breads and pastries, including croissants, to its surrounding communities. (Anna Claire Stinson)Anna Claire Stinson/Stinson Breads

Stinson said they began experimenting and making sourdough together in October 2019 for friends, and it wasn’t long before others began reaching out through social media, asking how to buy their bread. Over the next five years, the couple went from making bread in their kitchen to renting commercial kitchen space to keep up with demand to ultimately opening their own storefront in charming downtown Opelika in 2024.

“You know, whenever Matthew and I were talking very seriously way back in 2019 about me wanting to open a bakery, we knew that we couldn’t just open another bakery that already existed in the area,” said Stinson. “We went on our honeymoon to Germany and France in 2018 and had some of the best bread we’ve ever had. So whenever we were kind of reflecting on that, we were like, this doesn’t really exist in this area. Why can’t we do that? Why can’t we add to kind of that food culture in this little way?”

While on the weekends their menu offerings include a wide range of rotating breads and sourdough flavors, including lemon olive walnut, jalapeno cheddar, cranberry walnut and more as well as Ciabatta, baguettes, table rolls, sandwich bread and Focaccia, Stinson said it’s their original house bread that is the, no pun intended, the “bread and butter” of the bakery.

“Our house is like your basic country sourdough loaf,” said Stinson. “The only ingredients are flour, water, salt and our sourdough starter. It’s very basic, but that is the loaf we started with all those years ago and remains the most popular. For retail and wholesale, it’s our most sought after item.”

Other items available at the bakery — open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. unless they sell out earlier, which is likely on the weekends — include pastries, such as a variety of croissants, morning buns, cinnamon rolls and even bourbon coffee twists made using bourbon from the bakery’s neighbors, John Emerald Distilling Company.

“I love our bourbon coffee twist,” said Stinson. “We kind of cut it in strips and roll it up into a round twist, and then after it’s baked, we dip it in a bourbon coffee glaze. It just has a really like, deep complex flavor in that glaze, and I just love it.”

Fans of Stinson Breads can also find their products at several restaurants and eateries in the surrounding areas, including Acre in Auburn, Piedmont on Piedmont in Opelika, Animal Farm in Columbus, Ga., and more, with hopes to continue to add to the growing list. In addition, the bakery hosts special events and workshops, including “Sourdough 101″ for those looking to gain more hands-on experience with baking.

Ultimately, Stinson said that their goal was to bring the quality of bread they had while on their honeymoon back to Opelika, and it’s been a humbling experience that something seemingly simple could bring so much joy to the community.

“When we did start making this bread, small scale and larger scale, like we’re doing now, I think people are just so appreciative that they can get that type of bread and that quality of bread,” said Stinson. “Whether that’s people who have lived in this area all their lives or people who have moved to this area from all over the world, I feel like people just appreciate the fact that we’re here and just doing our little bit to contribute.”

Stinson Breads is located at 714 North Railroad Avenue in Opelika. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram as well as visit their website.

General

Dyson introduces stunning new red velvet and gold hair tools

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Cross-country career brings Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel to Senior Bowl

When practices for the Reese’s Senior Bowl start on Tuesday, National quarterback Dillon Gabriel might be wearing the most unusual helmet at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Reflecting his journey to Mobile through Orlando, Florida; Norman, Oklahoma; and Eugene, Oregon, Gabriel has a helmet bearing emblems of UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon.

“I think the common theme is: Continue to respond the right way,” Gabriel said on Monday. “There’s ups and downs and ebbs and flows within a season, but also within a journey. And this six-year journey, I think I’ve continued to learn how to respond and get better each year.

“I think if you look at my work in 2019 when I was a freshman to now, it’s completely different, night and day, and I think that’s physically, mentally, the whole thing, even as a leader, so, like I said, I can’t speak enough to experience and putting yourself in those different atmospheres whether it’s down South in Florida or in Oklahoma in the Midwest or even on the West Coast with Oregon. Totally different geographic locations and people you come into contact with, so you learn how to adapt, you learn how to be around those kind of guys, and it’s ultimately made me a better player and person.”

With that background, walking into something new isn’t new for Gabriel.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Gabriel said. “As a competitor, anytime you’re able to throw the pads on and do this kind of thing and be a part of something special you want to, so it was very easy on my end to say yes (to the Senior Bowl invitation). I’m excited for what it all entails. I’m excited for the unknown. I think the more you can get comfortable with that, then the rest will take care of itself. I’ve been in unknown, so it’s something not new to me.”

Gabriel played in 26 games at UCF, 24 at Oklahoma and 14 at Oregon. Across six college seasons, he threw for 18,722 yards and 155 touchdowns and ran for 1,209 yards and 33 TDs. In NCAA FBS history, he is tied for No. 1 in passing touchdowns and ranks No. 2 in passing yards.

Gabriel took the reins of the Oregon offense from Bo Nix, the former Pinson Valley High School and Auburn quarterback who finished his college career with two seasons with the Ducks. Nix went from Oregon to starting every game as a rookie for the Denver Broncos after being picked 12th in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“From afar, you admire what Bo has done in his collegiate career, and that naturally attracts you to Oregon,” Gabriel said. “And seeing how a quarterback that can play at a high level looked in that offense and knowing that if you’re up to par and clicking on all cylinders, you can look something like that, so that’s part of what attracted me to Oregon by knowing it definitely translates.”

Gabriel followed the Nix blueprint in piling up experience as a college starter and enters the NFL Draft as a 24-year-old.

“It’s definitely helped me, and it’s been beneficial,” Gabriel said. “I’ve just looked at it as that. I think there’s a bunch of positives to playing a bunch of football, especially at the quarterback position, where live reps are different than practice reps, so you want to get as many live reps as you can.”

But unlike Nix, who measured 6-foot-1.7 at last year’s Senior Bowl weigh-in, Gabriel measured 5-10.4 at this year’s.

“I think it’s just all about the right fit,” Gabriel said to concerns about his height, “and aligning with a team that values playing at a surgical level with accuracy and anticipation, and that’s kind of how they play. Everyone has their playing styles and how they do things, but more importantly the right fit for me and that team.”

The 76th Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. CST Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. NFL Network will televise the game.

But there’s more to the Senior Bowl than the game. The activity schedule includes:

Tuesday, Jan. 28

Senior Bowl practices (open to public):

National team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

American team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, noon-2 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 29

Senior Bowl practices (open to public):

National team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

American team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, noon-2 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 30

Senior Bowl practices (open to public):

National team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

American team, Hancock Whitney Stadium, noon-2 p.m.

USA Health Doc Rock, Soul Kitchen, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 31

Saints Cheer Krewe clinic, Jaguar Training Center, noon-3 p.m. (Open to high school-aged cheerleaders and dancers. Cost is $75.)

Friday Night Street Party (downtown Mobile) with player parade at 6 p.m. and free concert featuring Eli Young Band and Sammy Kershaw at 7 p.m. in Cathedral Square

Saturday, Feb. 1

Senior Bowl Fan Fest (free), south lawn of Hancock Whitney Stadium, 10:30 a.m.

Legacy Tailgate HBCU Experience (free), south end of Jaguar Training Center, 10:30 a.m.

Path to the Draft players walk, outside Hancock Whitney Stadium, 11 a.m.

Reese’s Senior Bowl, 1:30 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium, featuring performances by Jaguar Marching Band and Saints Cheer Krewe

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

General

Dense fog advisory affecting Southeast Alabama Tuesday morning

On Tuesday at 7:35 a.m. the National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory in effect until 9 a.m. for Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston counties.

The weather service comments, “Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog.”

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” explains the weather service. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.”

Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels

If a dense fog advisory is issued for your area, it means that widespread dense fog has developed and visibility often drops to just a quarter-mile or less. These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.

If you must venture out in foggy conditions, keep these safety tips from the weather service in mind:

Moderate your speed:

Slow down and allow extra travel time to reach your destination safely.

Visibility priority:

Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights. If available, employ your fog lights.

Avoid high-beams:

Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.

Maintain safe gaps:

Keep a considerable following distance to account for sudden stops or shifts in traffic patterns.

Stay in your lane:

Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.

Visibility near zero:

In situations of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, activate your hazard lights and seek a secure location, such as a nearby business’s parking lot, to pull over and come to a stop.

Limited parking options:

If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.

By adhering to these recommendations from the weather service, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.

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Woman abducted in Bessemer in danger of harm or death, authorities say

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Orange Beach knocks off St. Michael; See all of Monday’s statewide high school basketball scores

Lee Steele had 16 points and 6 rebounds as Orange Beach earned the right to host the Class 4A, Area 1 tournament for just the second time in school history with a 47-35 win over St. Michael Catholic.

The Makos improved to 14-2 overall – a school record for wins. They finished 4-0 in the area in Chris Laatsch’s first season as head coach.

Miller Day added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the victory, while Mason Dowling had 10 points and 3 assists. Matthew Steele added 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

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Immigrant taken from Georgia church: ‘We’re not hurting anybody,’ wife says

Nearly every week since they settled in metro Atlanta about two years ago, Kenia and Wilson Velásquez attended church service together on Sundays alongside their three children, ages 7, 9, and 13.

This past Sunday, the first since Donald Trump returned to the White House, only part of the family returned home from church. Wilson Velásquez, 36, was arrested by immigration authorities around midday, just as the sermon inside Iglesia Fuente de Vida in Tucker was nearing its end.

“Our youngest, the 7-year-old, hasn’t stopped crying,” Kenia Velásquez, 34, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday, in Spanish. “He says that he wants his dad. He asks why he isn’t here.”

Wilson Velásquez’s arrest was one of at least 20 apprehensions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Atlanta on Sunday, according to estimates by Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language reporter well-connected with local immigrant communities.

In a statement, an agency spokesperson said the arrests were part of “enhanced targeted operations” that aimed to “enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities.”

Nationwide, 956 immigrants were arrested on Sunday, according to an ICE post on social media.

The first sign something was off for the Velásquez family came when Wilson’s ankle monitor — which federal officials placed on him at the border — began beeping. To avoid disrupting the service, Wilson shuffled out of the church where immigration agents were waiting for him.

After receiving a distressed text message from her husband, Kenia says she ran outside to try to help. By the time she came out, Wilson was in handcuffs in the backseat of a law enforcement vehicle.

Kenia says all color had drained from his face, and that he looked panicked. An ICE agent gave her the family’s car keys, which were on Wilson. Then, she watched as her husband was driven away. She says she still isn’t sure where he is being detained, or what will happen next.

“Forgive me if I cry, I just feel so upset. If I had Trump in front of me, I would hug him and I would tell him to take pity on Hispanic people,” she said.

The Velásquez family crossed the border illegally as a unit in September 2022. They were released and allowed to pursue an asylum case inside the country. Kenia says they fled their home country of Honduras because they’d been threatened by gangs.

Once they reached Atlanta, where relatives had already moved, Kenia says the family kept up with their periodic check-in appointments at Atlanta’s ICE field office on Ted Turner Drive. Wilson made sure to charge his ankle monitor every night, to remain trackable to authorities and avoid immigration detention.

Last year, Wilson received a U.S. work permit, a benefit for which unauthorized migrants are eligible after six months of filing an asylum application. According to Kenia, Wilson worked at a tire shop and provided for the family while she stayed home with the children. His arrest is a threat to the family’s livelihood.

“I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I’m so worried,” she said. “Rent is due soon and we don’t have enough to make the payment. He was the one who worked.”

“My husband is a hardworking man. I don’t understand why they came looking for him,” she added. “We’re not hurting anybody. We’re good people. Humble.”

After a phone call with Wilson Monday afternoon, Kenia said her husband has no right to a hearing before a judge and will be transferred to Stewart Detention Center for deportation.

They want raids ‘to be known’

Mario Guevara’s phone began ringing at about 6 a.m. Sunday.

A well-known Spanish-language media personality, the Tucker-based Guevara has more than a million followers on social media networks. For more than a decade, he has tracked ICE through immigrant-heavy Atlanta suburbs, initially for the now-defunct newspaper El Mundo Hispanico and now for his own brand, MGNews.

Callers told Guevara on Sunday before sunrise that officers were in their neighborhoods, wearing vests that said HSI or DHS for the federal Department of Homeland Security. Later, the calls came from people who said a relative had been arrested.

Guevera said he had names of 20 people whom immigration officers had detained in metro Atlanta by about 10 p.m. Sunday.

Nine were Honduran, four Salvadoran, three Guatemalan, three Mexican and one Colombian, said Guevara. He thinks it is likely that others were arrested from countries that don’t speak Spanish, but their families wouldn’t have called him.

All of the people on Guevara’s list were asylum seekers with ankle monitors. Relatives told Guevara they had been going to all their immigration appointments, but administrative orders had been issued for their deportation. Thirteen had valid work permits, Guevara said. All had entered the United States between 2021 and 2023, he said.

Guevara also heard from two women whom ICE visited but did not arrest because they were alone with children. One, in Norcross, was alone with a baby about three or four months old, Guevara said. Both women also had ankle monitors, he said.

The families seemed to be in shock, Guevara said. Immigration officers had banged loudly at their doors and yelled, “Police.” Many peeked from windows and waited in helpless fear before eventually opening the doors, Guevara said.

After the first calls came in Sunday, Guevara quickly got in his car. He drove to an apartment complex in Norcross where agents had been seen, but they weren’t there anymore. At another complex in Doraville, he saw ICE officers leading a detained man into their vehicle.

Guevara followed the agents’ car. His sense of alarm increased when it stopped at a Publix — but five minutes later, the agents came out with snacks, Guevara said.

Then Guevara followed them to Lilburn, where the agents lost him. He left the neighborhood but went back about 15 minutes later.

“I had a presentiment,” Guevara said in Spanish.

He saw a man being arrested whom he later learned was a Honduran immigrant. Guevara recorded the arrest live on Facebook. Later, as Guevara drove down Buford Highway looking for federal agents, Luis Ortiz, the pastor at the Velásquezes’ church, called to recount what had happened.

The scope of Sunday’s raids was not unprecedented, Guevara said. President Barack Obama’s administration still holds the record for deportations and some days under his leadership were similar, Guevara said. But then, immigration agents were detaining families together, including children, he said.

This time, Guevara said, more agencies seemed to be involved, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshal. Officers also seemed to behave differently when he stood in front of them, openly recording.

“They were calm,” he said. “They seemed comfortable. Before, they had a low profile.”

Compared to Obama-era raids, Guevara said, Sunday seemed to be about attracting attention.

“Today there’s more noise because of social networks,” he said. “(President) Trump is making more noise too, more of a racket. He wants this to be known.”

Family members that Guevara followed up with Monday morning had still not heard from their detained relatives.

Among the flurry of immigration reforms announced by the Trump administration last week was an expansion of a policy dubbed “expedited removal,” which subjects people who are in the country unlawfully to a streamlined and expedited removal process if fewer than two years have passed since they crossed the border.

“They could be on airplanes back to their home countries,” Guevara said.

Another change has allowed immigration agents to conduct arrests in schools, churches and hospitals — places previously deemed largely off-limits.

So many people told Guevara they planned to keep their children home Monday that, at midnight, he posted a video to Facebook urging immigrants to send their kids to school. They might be safer there than home, he said. And Guevara, a Salvadoran immigrant with legal status, thought of his own children.

“It’s better the kids don’t see you when you are arrested, for their emotional safety,” he said.

For Kenia Velásquez, her husband’s arrest came as she was still reeling from another blow to her family from immigration enforcement.

Roughly two months ago, her brother was deported back to Honduras. He had tried to enter the country at the end of 2023 with his then-pregnant wife. Border authorities let her in, but he was detained. He remained in detention for a year before being sent back.

Although a potential return to Honduras fills her with dread, Kenia said she would follow Wilson should he be deported — a sign that voluntary departures could follow official removals.

“We would leave the U.S. the same way we came in, all five of us,” Kenia said. “I’m not going to stay in this country by myself, if they’re deporting people and everybody is afraid.”

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General

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