West
Dem-backed ‘dignity’ bill could strip ICE of detention powers, erase immigration enforcement, critics warn
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After more than 120 House Democrats signed onto a bill from a top progressive lawmaker to seek what they define as “dignity” for federal immigration detainees, critics sounded the alarm that the legislation could forever transform how illegal immigrants are treated in the U.S.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., is spearheading the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, along with fellow Evergreen State lawmaker Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. They say it would curb the “shocking surge” of allegedly wrongful detentions and inappropriate conditions, particularly at jails run by private companies under government contract.
Critics vociferously objected to that suggestion in exclusive comments to Fox News Digital Friday.
“This legislation isn’t aimed at improving conditions for migrants navigating the U.S. immigration system. It would instead end the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration law entirely,” members of the Day 1 Alliance, the main trade association representing longtime federal and state contractors in the criminal justice and immigration spaces, warned.
ICE SIT-IN ‘PHOTO OP’ BY MARYLAND DEMS BLASTED BY DHS CHIEF NOEM
Critics sounded the alarm that new Dem legislation would forever transform how illegal immigrants are treated in the U.S. (Michael Nigro/Getty Images)
Day 1 Alliance members said that, for more than three decades, both Republican and Democratic congresses and administrations have respected the “limited yet valued” role their members play in working toward a better immigration enforcement system.
The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would lead to the repeal of mandatory detention for those captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a summary posted by Jayapal, and create a presumption of release, imposing a higher burden of proof to detain primary caregivers and “vulnerable populations.”
It also would phase out the use of private detention centers, like those Day 1 Alliance members may work in or with, by about 2029.
DEM CONGRESSWOMAN DENIES RHETORIC INCITED ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE, DOUBLES DOWN ON CONDEMNING AGENCY
In apparent response to Democrats being iced out of ICE centers earlier in 2025, including a case in Newark, New Jersey, where Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was accused of accosting officers, it also would mandate that the Department of Homeland Security admit members of Congress to detention facilities for unannounced inspections.
Another case in Baltimore involved that city’s congressman, Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, joining others downtown to protest to the press about not being allowed full access to the Charm City’s Department of Homeland Security installation.
“Contractors operate under strict federal oversight and standards set by the U.S. Congress,” Day 1 Alliance members told Fox News Digital of the implications about the proposed changes.
SENATE DEM DICK DURBIN ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘TERRORIZING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES’
ICE deaths while in custody are at a rate of less than 1%, which is lower than any previous administration’s record, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
“They do not make arrests, do not decide the length of detention and play no role in determining the legal status of individuals in their care.”
The members said contractors work to provide humane housing, proper meals and quality medical care for all in their ward.
Jayapal said Thursday the Trump administration has caused a “shocking surge in the detention of people who have committed no crimes.”
“As Trump has struck down legal pathways and made it nearly impossible to come to or stay in this country, even for those who have been here for decades, this will only continue to get worse,” Jayapal said. “We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.”
Smith added that the U.S. is witnessing “appalling conditions” and a “clear disregard for basic human rights” of detainees.
“No one should be subjected to overcrowded cells, denied medical care or held in facilities that profit off of human suffering,” he said, echoing his Seattle neighbor in saying the bill would provide proper oversight.
DHS SAYS FOUR HOUSE DEMOCRATS ‘CHOSE TO STAND WITH CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS’ AFTER VISITING ICE DETAINEE
Homeland Security officials torched the new bill later Friday.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Jayapal’s claims of overcrowding, mistreatment and wrongful detention are “false.”
“ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” she said.
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” she continued. “This includes medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by” dietitians.
McLaughlin added that ICE deaths in custody are at a rate of less than 1%, lower than any previous administration’s record.
She praised House Speaker Mike Johnson’s “big, beautiful bill” as the facilitator of ICE improving detention conditions since President Donald Trump took office.
“Ensuring the safety, security and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE,” she said
A release from Jayapal’s office cited a figure of 66,000 people detained since Trump took office and claimed nearly three-quarters did not have any criminal convictions, an assertion immigration officials have rejected.
There were 123 listed Democratic co-sponsors, including several lawmakers representing areas ICE and USBP have pinpointed for mass enforcement activities.
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Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte; Troy Carter of New Orleans; Steve Cohen of Memphis, Tennessee; Jesus Garcia of Chicago; Robin Kelly of Chicago; Bennie Thompson of Jackson, Mississippi; and Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ted Lieu of Los Angeles are all among the bill’s hundred-plus signatories.
Fox News Digital reached out to Jayapal, Smith and the Department of Homeland Security for additional comment on the pushback.
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Hawaii
Tourist accused of hurling rock at endangered Hawaii monk seal’s head is arrested by federal agents
A tourist who drew widespread condemnation in Hawaii after a witness recorded him chucking a coconut-sized rock at “Lani,” a beloved, endangered Hawaiian monk seal off a Maui beach, was arrested Wednesday by federal agents.
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is charged with harassing a protected animal, the U.S. attorney’s office in Honolulu said, adding that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration special agents arrested him near Seattle. He was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday.
The court docket didn’t list an attorney, and a person who answered the phone at a number associated with Lytvynchuk declined to comment.
A state Department of Land and Natural Resources officer last week investigated a report of Hawaiian monk seal harassment in Lahaina, the community that was largely destroyed by a deadly wildfire in 2023. A witness showed the officer video of the seal swimming in shallow water while a man watched from shore.
“In the cellphone video, the man can be seen holding a large rock with one hand, aiming, and throwing it directly at the monk seal,” prosecutors said in a criminal complaint. The rock narrowly missed the seal’s head, but caused the “animal to abruptly alter its behavior,” the complaint said.
When a witness confronted the man, he said “he did not care and was ‘rich’ enough to pay any fines,” the complaint said.
Maui resident Kaylee Schnitzer, 18, told HawaiiNewsNow she witnessed the incident while taking photos nearby.
“What he was picking up was like a rock the size of a coconut,” Schnitzer said. “It wasn’t no small rock. It was the size of a coconut. And he threw it right, directly aiming towards the monk seal’s head.”
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the charges send a clear message that cruelty toward protected wildlife won’t be tolerated. Lani’s return after the wildfires brought a sense of healing and hope during a difficult time, he said.
“Lani is a reminder that humanity and the instinct to protect what is vulnerable are still values people can unite around,” Bissen said in an emailed statement.
The mayor said he called the U.S. attorney in Honolulu to advocate for prosecution.
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Hawaiian monk seals are a critically endangered species. Only 1,600 remain in the wild.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity,” U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular, endangered Hawaiian monk seals.”
If convicted, Lytvynchuk, faces up to one year in prison for each charge. He also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In 2016, a man was seen on video appearing to beat a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal in shallow water.
From artisan jewelry to cowboy boot spurs, women silversmiths in Idaho turn raw metal into works of art. As part of a special Expressive Idaho series, we are revisiting a gathering of Idaho artisans called the “Cowgirl Congress.”
This story was made to be heard. Click or tap the ‘Listen’ button above for the full audio.
Transcript:
CERISE: I wanted every piece to be hand forged and individual and unique. It’s very rare that I make two pieces that are exactly the same. My name is Mary Cerise and I am the owner of Hanging Moon Silver, which is a silver company. I make fine and very wearable art out of sterling and fine silver. I am not originally from Salmon, but it’s been my home for 16 years and I really enjoy that little kind of nook of the world that is off the beaten path. And it is definitely a destination.
Arlie Sommer
/
Idaho Commission on the Arts
WANGSGARD: I’m Annie Wangsgard and I live in Milad, Idaho. And I’m a silversmith and I’ve been silversmithing for 12 years, I think, right around there. My favorite part about probably the whole process of anything that I make is the design, you know, the design process, and trying to come up with something that has never been done before, I guess I rate my success on whether I’m able to take the image in my brain and the idea and then bring it to life. And if I can do that, then it’s success.
CERISE: I use a lot of opals and turquoise. I’m very particular about my sourcing of stones, so I use very ethically sourced, I know all of my miners and my lapidary cutters, and that’s very important to me that I’m buying right from the guys who dig it out of the ground.
WANGSGARD: When I first got started, I was really drawn to rings. I, a little bit got branded as a ring maker, you know, a western ring maker, which is great, I’ll make lots of different things. I’ve made spurs. And I’ve made a bit. And um, it’s definitely a lot different than just silversmithing. Working with steel is a lot dirtier than working with silver.
Arlie Sommer
/
Idaho Commission on the Arts
CERISE: This Idaho Cowgirl Congress. And there’s something about being with other makers, even if they’re not silversmiths, maybe they’re not metal workers, they’re leather workers or fiber artists, fine artists. We travel along the same path a lot. I love the opportunity for collaboration, and I just want to continually learn. That’s my definition of success, is continually striving to learn more and push harder. Some of the hardest days give me the best pieces of work because usually those are the most beautiful times. We have similar difficulties with or challenges that we face, right? Having these businesses and being an artist. And we also have big successes, and those are the people that celebrate your successes. So I would say, it feels like coming home.
This Expressive Idaho episode was produced by Lauren Paterson, with interviews recorded by Arlie Sommer and edited by Sáša Woodruff. Music by Lobo Loco.
The web article was written and edited by Katie Kloppenburg and Lacey Daley.
Expressive Idaho is made in partnership with the Idaho Commission on the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. This program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing
22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 13 drawing
17-18-28-37-42, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 13 drawing
02-06-10-16, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing
08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 13 drawing
02-04-13-17-32
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 13 drawing
21-24-29-42-49, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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