January 20, 2025, marked the commencement of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort. Trump set out to hit a lofty goal of deporting one million illegal immigrants each year. Since Trump returned to office in January, federal immigration authorities have deported more than 605,000 illegal immigrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security. While the number is short of the president’s goal, it’s still a record breaker. For comparison, former President Barack Obama, nicknamed the “deporter in chief,” deported roughly 432,000 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2013 alone, according to federal data. In addition to the more than 605,000 illegal immigrants Trump has removed from the United States, roughly 1.9 million others have left on their own, according to DHS. Here are some of the worst of the bad hombres Trump has removed this year. Screenshot//leitooficial_30 on TikTok Infamous illegal migrant social media influencer Leonel Moreno was deported back to his home country of Venezuela in March. Moreno was known for encouraging other illegal migrants to exploit welfare programs as he waved around wads of cash and bragged about the government handouts he’d received. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships The viral TikToker crossed the border illegally in 2022 and was nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Ohio in 2024 for failing to report to required check-ins with federal authorities. An immigration judge ordered him deported a few months later, but the Biden administration couldn’t get the Maduro regime to accept any deportation flights at the time. When Trump returned to office, that all changed and Moreno was shipped off to Venezuela. Courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the illegal immigrant who was shielded by recently convicted Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan during a court appearance, was deported by the Trump administration, DHS said in November. Flores-Ruiz had a rap sheet that included charges for strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse. He had previously been deported in 2013. Flores-Ruiz was arrested in April by ICE officers who waited at the courthouse for the conclusion of his domestic abuse hearing. Investigators said Dugan had been informed of the agents’ presence and grew “visibly angry,” calling the situation “absurd,” according to witness interviews. Dugan directed the ICE agents to the chief judge’s chambers before returning to her courtroom and instructing Flores-Ruiz to exit through the “jury door” into a nonpublic area of the courthouse, according to court documents. ICE agents later found Flores-Ruiz outside the building and cuffed him following a foot chase. Courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security The Trump administration also deported Mexican illegal immigrant Rafael Alberto Cadena-Sosa who ran a sex-trafficking ring in Miami, where he and members of his family lured girls as young as 14 from Mexico to the United States under false pretenses, according to DHS. The girls were promised jobs, but were instead forced into prostitution to pay their smuggling debts under the threat of violence, sexual assaults and death threats to themselves and their families. The women were trafficked for sex 12 hours a day, six days a week. Cadena accepted a plea deal and was convicted of involuntary servitude in 2015. ICE arrested him in San Pedro, California before he was deported. Courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security The Trump administration deported Aldrin Guerrero-Munoz, who was sentenced to 32 years in prison for murdering his 3-month-old son in Minneapolis. While behind bars, Guerrero-Munoz was convicted for assaulting another inmate. ICE lodged a detainer with local authorities in Minnesota and received custody of him in October before they ultimately deported him, according to DHS. Courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security ICE also deported South Korean illegal immigrant Jung Choi, who murdered her male companion’s wife and buried her body in a ravine near San Juan Batista, California, in 2017, according to DHS. She was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 11 years in prison. ICE recently deported her.

Congress might soon be getting a Gen Z conservative shakeup. Michael Alfonso, 25, is seeking to replace Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s Seventh Congressional District, as Tiffany is running for governor in 2026. The deep red seat was previously held by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is Alfonso’s father-in-law. Alfonso explained what it’s like being a Gen Z candidate to The Daily Wire’s AmericaFest pre-show earlier this month. “It’s going really well. I think everyone was worried about a 25-year-old running for Congress and everyone we’ve met, no matter how old or young, they’re excited to see someone that shows them that when the older generation is no longer here, there is still hope for the country,” he said. He also said that Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September has served as a motivator for him to get politically active in a more direct way. “I’ve heard it put that it was like seeing a family member die when Charlie got shot. And I think it changed a lot of paths in life. It’s the reason why I’m running for Congress sitting here, and I couldn’t be more appreciative to Turning Point for everything they do and bringing me to this event,” the Republican added, as he also spoke on a panel at the event with other Congressional candidates. His campaign comes as multiple reports have shown that Gen Z is more conservative than their parents’ generation, in addition to other research showing that young people are paving the way for increased church attendance, according to the Barna Group. On the issues, he said that immigration and inflation are his top concerns. “We need to make sure the government isn’t wasting our money on every single thing they do, and we need to make sure that the only people that are here in the United States being a burden or taking tax dollars from the system are United States citizens,” he said. His wife, Evita Duffy-Alfonso, specifically pointed out that her decision to get married young, as well as coming from a large family, is uniquely counter-cultural. “So we met for the first time in middle school, so we’ve known each other for a very long time, and I don’t know, I just think, why delay happiness? Why wait?” she said about meeting Alfonso. Her parents famously met on the MTV reality show “The Real World” in the 90s, and now have nine children together. “If you find someone who you love, who shares your values, why delay that?” she continued. “’I need to build my career or get a master’s degree before.’ You put all these restrictions on yourself, and the greatest joys in your life really are your family. It’s your husband, it’s your children,” Duffy-Alfonso added. “I know this because go what my parents demonstrated for me and my siblings… I think a lot of people think that they are going to be happier replaying life, and delaying marriage, and that’s usually not the case.”

The year in pop culture gave us reality stars smiting governors, a Coldplay concert going viral for nothing music-related, and a pop star’s career crashing upon re-entry. And even though late-night TV had begun to fizzle out years ago, in 2025, Stephen Colbert and co. watched their gigs finally go up in smoke. It’s impossible to look back on the last 12 months and not gawk at late-night propagandists getting their just desserts. For Colbert of “The Late Show” fame, that meant getting a time-release pink slip. Someone finally crunched some serious numbers behind the scenes and realized Colbert’s DNC agenda is costing CBS a pretty penny … $40 million a year, to be precise. So Colbert was forced to read his professional obituary on-air. And the show won’t even go on without him. Come May, “The Late Show” heads to the dustbin of history alongside eight-track tapes and TiVo devices. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images Fellow progressive Jimmy Kimmel was spared that fate, but not by much. The ABC host insinuated MAGA nation fired the bullet that killed conservative hero Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, setting off a series of events that led to Kimmel’s week-long suspension. He got his job back and a tepid show of support via a one-year contract extension. The damage was done. Kimmel’s “Man Show” past and irreverent shtick is no more. Now, he’s more likely to cry on-camera than make us howl. His only hope is that Colbert’s audience tunes in for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” come May, delaying his show’s inevitable cancellation. On the film front, theaters once again struggled to reclaim their pre-pandemic mojo. The box office receipts looked awfully similar to 2024, hardly a golden age for theatrical attendance. Films like “Superman,” “Thunderbolts” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” failed to duplicate that ol’ superhero magic, leaving it to video game adaptations like “A Minecraft Movie” to pick up the slack. At least we weren’t subjected to “Skibidi Toilet: The Movie.” Not yet, at least. Meanwhile, Hollywood’s far-Left agenda got a workout via “One Battle After Another.” The Paul Thomas Anderson screed so overtly progressive even some Antifa types might cry foul. And, of course, it’s bound for Oscar glory come March. Speaking of Oscars, 2025 saw an awards hopeful crash and burn in record time. The woke musical comedy “Emilia Pérez” seemed likely to dominate awards season until we learned some of the less-than-progressive comments made by its trans lead, Karla Sofia Gascón. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce finally made their courtship official, but the best news for football fans is that his Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs. That means no more obligatory “Taylor is crying/cheering/laughing” shots interrupting the NFL action. Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images Sylvester Stallone capped a remarkable career by picking up a Kennedy Center Honor at long last, courtesy of former reality show star and two-term president Donald Trump. The 79-year-old legend also defied Father Time by returning for the third season of Taylor Sheridan’s “Tulsa King.” Of course, it would be impossible to recap entertainment in 2025 without a tip of the hat to Taylor Sheridan, television’s undisputed king of rugged episodic dramas. From “The Mayor of Kingstown” to the “Yellowstone” franchise, Sheridan’s shows keep attracting A-list talent and plenty of eyeballs. And he’s positioned to strike gold again in 2026 with the release of the next “Yellowstone” spinoff, “Y: Marshals,” starring Luke Grimes. Sheridan made headlines once again in 2025 by signing a mega-deal with NBCUniversal and having his “Landman” series skewer the “p***ed off millionaires” of “The View.” Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Stagecoach The devastating Palisades fires should have roasted Governor Gavin Newsom’s political fortunes for good. Not quite, but reality show alum Spencer Pratt made it his mission to shame both Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass for their extreme incompetence. “Having the people in charge of the town they just let burn down make any decisions in rebuilding it … seems crazy to me,” Pratt said in one of many well-earned rants. Podcaster Adam Carolla piled on, filing vlog posts decrying the lack of progress on the home building front all year long. HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” became the show everyone talked about at the cyber-water cooler – AKA Elon Musk’s X. This season’s ick factor likely played a part, thanks to guest star Sam Rockwell’s disturbing revelations to that brotherly buss with Ah-nold’s son getting too much attention. And while the culture remains hopelessly divided on political grounds, Americans did unite to mock a Coldplay concert moment that went insanely viral. A Kiss Cam caught Kristin Cabot canoodling with her boss, Andrew Byron, a moment that proved inescapable for anyone remotely online. Netflix remained atop the streaming heap, and its plans to swallow Warner Bros. will have sizable implications for Hollywood and beyond. The streamer’s signature show, a four-episode saga dubbed “Adolescence,” caught everyone by surprise. Each installment, shot in a single take, captured a young boy in the weeks following his arrest for a shocking murder. Must-see TV? Perhaps, but it left audiences feeling queasy for the next generation. If that wasn’t enough, 2025 had us focus on the Sean Combs trial. Sure, we cracked wise about baby oil sales, but the particulars of P. Diddy’s life and alleged crimes made us wonder what else is happening behind the scenes in Hollywood that we won’t hear about for years to come? Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for KP And then there’s Katy Perry. The “I Kissed a Girl” superstar headed into space, or at least a small part of it, via Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard rocket. The experiment became social media fodder, in part due to the “astronaut’s’” inflated sense of self. Perry might have been better off staying in orbit. She experienced not one but two concert accidents, watched her choreography get roasted on social media, and capped 2025 by winning a legal victory over a dying military veteran. She’ll be lucky to Dance with Any Stars come 2026. * * * Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Warner Bros Discovery will likely reject Paramount Skydance’s amended $108.4 billion hostile bid for the storied Hollywood studio despite a personal guarantee from billionaire Larry Ellison backing the media giant’s offer, according to a person familiar with the matter. The board has yet to make a final decision, but is expected to meet next week, said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Warner Bros and Paramount declined to comment on the board’s position, reported earlier by CNBC. The decision could keep Warner Bros on track to pursue a rival cash-and-stock deal with Netflix despite Paramount’s attempt to sweeten its offer. Ellison, whose son David is chairman and CEO of Paramount, personally guaranteed the equity underpinning the bid, hoping to ease doubts that had dogged its earlier proposal. The company did not increase its $30-per-share all-cash offer, but it raised its regulatory reverse termination fee to match Netflix and extended its tender offer deadline. Netflix’s $82.7 billion offer, while lower in headline value, offers a clearer financing structure and fewer execution risks, analysts have said. Under terms of that agreement, Warner Bros would face a $2.8 billion breakup fee if it walks away from the Netflix deal. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Harris Oakmark, Warner Bros’ fifth largest investor with 96 million shares, said the revised offer wasn’t “sufficient,” and noted that it was not enough to cover the breakup fee. Paramount has argued its bid would face fewer regulatory obstacles. A combined Paramount-Warner Bros entity would create a studio larger than industry leader Disney and merge two major television operators. Warner Bros’ board previously urged shareholders to reject Paramount’s $108.4 billion bid for the entire company, including its cable television assets, citing concerns over financing certainty and the absence of a full guarantee from the Ellison family. Paramount has argued its offer is more market-proof than Netflix’s $82.7 billion proposal, whose value has fluctuated with Netflix’s share price. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about further consolidation in the media industry. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he plans to weigh in on the landmark acquisition. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Dawn Kopecki, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Anil D’Silva and David Gregorio)

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Tuesday that it has frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota amid news of a massive fraud scandal in the state. “We have frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota,” Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and Administration for Children & Families Assistant Secretary Alex Adams announced in a video released on X Tuesday evening. “You have probably read the serious allegations that the state of Minnesota has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade.” HHS has taken three actions “against the blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country,” he explained. The first action: activating HHS’ “Defend the Spend system,” requiring justification and a receipt or photo evidence before they send money to a state. The second action hinges directly on journalist Nick Shirley’s investigative work over the past few months: O’Neill says that he and his colleagues have identified the individuals in Shirley’s video, and are demanding a “comprehensive audit of these centers,” including attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, inspections, and more. HHS said its third action is launching a fraud reporting hotline and email address where parents, providers, and members of the public can submit tips. “We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” the officials said. Independent journalist Nick Shirley speaks during a roundtable discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Shirley’s viral videos show a number of examples of concerning activity in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, region. His work comes after a federal prosecutor said that there has been at least $9 billion in fraud in the state under Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s watch. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships The Daily Wire reported earlier this month that the Minnesota government was still paying an accused Somali fraudster to run assisted living homes as that man awaited trial for his alleged role in the nation’s largest COVID scam, in which he ran a fraudulent charity. According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, 14 Medicaid services in Minnesota are at “high risk” for fraud. Shirley, who appeared on Fox News over the weekend, discussed how he found suspicious daycare and learning centers in Minneapolis with no children present that are potentially fronts for scams. “It’s so obvious,” Shirley explained, referring to the apparent fraud. “If you’re living in Minnesota, you have to raise your eyebrows and think, ‘What’s going on?’ Literally, if you drive around Minneapolis, you’ll see daycare centers, autism centers — you will then see transportation companies that have snow piled up as if they haven’t moved it in months.” “A kindergartner could’ve figured out there was fraud going on.” Walz addressed the viral reports on Tuesday, acknowledging that the state has been “taken advantage of” by fraudsters who prioritized “greed” over the needs of children and the elderly. But Walz blamed the issue on President Donald Trump. “We’ve spent years cracking down on fraud – referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs,” he said in a social media post. “Trump keeps letting fraudsters out of prison. To the national news just now paying attention, here’s what we’ve done to stop it.” We’ve spent years cracking down on fraud – referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs. Trump keeps letting fraudsters out of prison. To the national news just now paying attention, here’s what we’ve done to stop it. pic.twitter.com/bgvKPxVxxm — Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) December 30, 2025