Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. In this piece, originally published in April, Kassy Akiva joined ICE agents as they executed deportation raids around Boston. *** BOSTON—The Daily Wire joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons and his agents in Greater Boston as they hunted down criminal illegal aliens. The operation comes as President Donald Trump marks his first 100 days in office, and Border Czar Tom Homan vows to “go to Boston and bring hell with me” in an effort to arrest illegal aliens who have sexually assaulted children. “We did more arrests in these 100 days than the previous administration did last year,” Lyons told The Daily Wire in his first interview. Lyons became the acting director of ICE in March after five years as Boston Field Office Director. He said morale is at an all-time high following the Trump administration giving the support needed to remove illegal aliens. ICE is focused on deporting the “worst of the worst” that the Biden administration ignored, like violent criminal illegal aliens or those who have been deported before. “It’s the worst crime in the world when you sexually assault a child,” Homan said in a White House press briefing on Monday. “That’s why I made a statement that one time I was going to go to Boston and bring hell with me.” ‘MEXICO’S DOOR’: DAILY WIRE’S KASSY AKIVA SEES THE BORDER CRISIS FIRSTHAND During the ride-along on Friday, ICE arrested 55-year-old Miguel Angel Chavez, who was convicted on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and deported in 2013. Chavez, a citizen of El Salvador, illegally re-entered the United States at an unknown place and time following his first deportation. The second arrestee during the mission was 69-year-old Jose Lazaro Ayala, who illegally entered the country undetected and was convicted in September of leaving the scene of an accident involving an injured person or death. Ayala is pending removal to El Salvador, according to ICE. “These aren’t the people you want in your neighborhood,” Lyons said. “These arrests right here show what we’ve done these first 100 days and what Secretary Noem and President Trump have been really pushing for: that ICE gets the worst of the worst.” ICE was unable to target three other criminal illegal aliens in the mission, possibly because poor weather kept them from going to their outdoor jobs. Miguel Angel Chavez and Jose Lazaro Ayala were arrested in the Greater Boston area on Friday for being criminal illegal aliens. (Yisroel Tietelbaum) The Daily Wire witnessed firsthand the challenges ICE is facing in sanctuary jurisdictions during the ride-along. According to Lyons, migrants are attracted to places like Massachusetts because of its generous social service benefits. Numerous sanctuary cities make deportations more difficult by often refusing to cooperate with ICE. “One of the big difficulties operating in our sanctuary jurisdiction is that these are actual public safety threats,” he said. “A jail, a police department, a sheriff’s department, and state police have deemed these individuals a public safety threat and locked them up. Yet instead of working with the federal government, they decide to release them back on the street.” Lyons said that in sanctuary jurisdictions, agents have to work harder to surveil targets and gather information about them to plan arrests. “For these two today, anywhere between 40 to 80 hours could have been put in just on surveillance in research into these crimes, because, number one, there are ghosts,” he said. “The state doesn’t provide us driver’s license data, registration data. So really, the men and women of ICE have to go and create these cases on their own and then get out there and do surveillance and try to get court and police records.” Daily Wire reporter Kassy Akiva interviewed the new Acting Director of ICE, Todd Lyons, in his first on-video interview in his new role. (Yisroel Teitelbaum) By not working with ICE, sanctuary cities increase the number of deportations, according to Lyons. Instead of simply picking up criminal illegal aliens at jails, ICE is forced to track them down at their workplaces or in their neighborhoods. This often results in other illegal aliens — violent criminals or not — being arrested as well. MAYORS OF BOSTON, CHICAGO, DENVER AND NYC CALLED TO TESTIFY IN CONGRESS OVER SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES Lyons credited ICE’s recent success to Trump’s whole-of-government approach, which pairs ICE with agents from other federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, IRS, Diplomatic Security Service, and others. “With no doubt, ICE is helping the president establish his goals and his pledges that he made during the campaign, which was to get the worst of the worst outside of our communities, and I think this first hundred days have been a great success,” Lyons said.

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. In this piece, originally published in September, Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan broke the shocking news that the federal government agreed to use female pronouns for the man who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. *** WASHINGTON—The man who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh identifies as a transgender woman and was deeply mentally ill and suicidal, according to court documents first obtained by The Daily Wire. The Department of Justice is recommending that the defendant, 29-year-old Nicholas Roske, be sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to kill the Supreme Court justice in 2022, according to a Friday filing outlining the case against Roske. Roske pled guilty to the attempt to kill a United States Supreme Court Justice in April 2025, three years after authorities arrested him in Kavanaugh’s neighborhood, carrying a bag full of weapons and burglary tools. A filing from Roske’s defense attorneys shows that Roske now goes by “Sophie Roske” and that his legal team will refer to him using female pronouns. A footnote on the filing, obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire, explains that the defense will not use Roske’s legal name “out of respect” for the would-be assassin. “The case is captioned as United States v. Nicholas John Roske,” lawyers for Roske state. “That name remains Ms. Roske’s legal name, and she has not asked to recaption the case. Out of respect for Ms. Roske, the balance of this pleading and counsel’s in-court argument will refer to her as Sophie and use female pronouns.” A source familiar with the legal proceedings in the case told The Daily Wire that Roske was using female identities online before the attempted murder, and now goes by the female name reflected in the defense filings. Attorney General Pam Bondi told The Daily Wire that the attack is viewed as “political violence” and referred to Roske as a “disturbed individual.” “This attempt against the life of a Supreme Court Justice was an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished,” Bondi told The Daily Wire on Friday morning. “This Department of Justice condemns political violence and our prosecutors will ensure that this disturbed individual faces severe consequences for his deranged actions.” In the filings obtained by The Daily Wire, Justice Department attorneys argue that the court’s sentence “must send the unequivocal, clear, and strong message that attempted violence and threats of violence against members of the judiciary — as well as other public and federal officials — cannot and will not be tolerated, and will be justly and severely condemned.” They specifically state that the court’s sentence must be significant enough to not only “reflect the harm sought to be inflicted on the judiciary,” but also to send a message that the “consequences for these acts — no fewer than 30 years to life in prison — are not worth the perceived ideological ends.” The revelation that Roske has been using a female name and pronouns is significant, given the rise in transgender violence across the United States. A gunman living with his transgender boyfriend is accused of murdering Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk last week. Kirk’s murder came only a few weeks after a 23-year-old trans-identifying gunman named Robin Westman opened fire on Catholic school children while they were praying in Minneapolis. Kirk’s accused killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was living with a 22-year-old trans-identified male named Lance Twiggs, who was thrown out of his family home for allegedly abusing drugs and alcohol and excessive gaming. Robinson and Twiggs were in a romantic relationship, authorities said. (Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images) The killings have prompted calls for investigations into transgender violence and extremism. Earlier this month, Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and senior director for counterterrorism, told The Daily Wire that the new draft U.S. Counterterrorism Plan addresses transgender violence. The Daily Wire reported September 4 that the Justice Department was considering blocking trans-identifying people from buying firearms as part of “a range of options to prevent mentally unstable individuals from committing acts of violence, especially at schools.” Those discussions centered on the fact that those who identify as transgender suffer from gender dysphoria, a mental disorder describing the sense of unease that a man or woman may feel if he or she thinks that their biological sex is mismatched with their so-called gender identity. And on Thursday, the conservative Oversight Project urged the FBI to designate “Transgender Ideology Violent Extremism” (TIVE) as a domestic extremism threat category and to “use the full toolkit of the FBI to prevent future attacks inspired by this ideology.” Though it was reported in 2022 that Roske portrayed himself as a self-styled “trans gamer girl” on the internet, more information about the attempted assassin’s gender identity has not been made available to the public. Roske’s story had largely vanished from public scrutiny, other than occasional updates on his sentencing and charges. The Friday DOJ filings show that Roske “meticulously researched, planned, and attempted to assassinate at least one — but had a stated target of three — sitting judges of the United States Supreme Court” with the “explicit objective” of “single-handedly” altering “the Constitutional order for ideological ends.” He conducted internet searches for the homes of the four Justices, purchased a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, a rail-mounted tactical light with laser sight, tactical gloves, non-slip grip socks, cable ties, pepper spray, a lock pick set, a screwdriver, and a wrecking bar. “My mental health is too poor for me to fear death,” he wrote on Discord on March 18, 2022, to another user, according to the DOJ filing. “But prison sounds worse. To be monitored to the point where you can’t even kill yourself. So if I did kill someone I would definitely try to get away with it.” In April 2022, he was googling shooting videos, school shooting videos, mass shootings, and shooters, searching how to “buy guns online” and “which person’s death would have the biggest impact on the world?” Court filings show that Roske described himself as “actively suicidal” and said he wanted to “do something positive before I die” by taking out Kavanaugh before the justice could vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. He found Kavanaugh’s neighborhood online after he saw an article with a “picture of the family’s house,” including the house number, because far-left activists had posted the addresses of the justices online in an attempt to intimidate them into preserving Roe. Police officers look on as far-left abortion supporters protest outside the home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. (Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images) In May 2022, POLITICO published a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion showing that the court was poised to overturn Roe, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision establishing a constitutional right to an abortion. That leak prompted protests outside the homes of the justices, the publication of their addresses online, and Roske’s journey from California to Maryland. “I was thinking about — I was thinking about killing Brett Kavanaugh and then killing myself,” he said to the officers who arrived on the scene, according to January court filings. “And then I texted my sister that I loved her. And then she called me and she told me not to do it. And then I called 9-1-1.” “I saw the news and it was upsetting, and I was already suicidal,” he told detectives later, as he described how he tracked down Kavanaugh’s home and planned the assassination. “And I don’t know. It was something to — it was like a project I guess.” “When I saw the leaked draft, it made me upset and then it made me want to — I don’t know,” he shared. “I was under the delusion that I could make the world a better place by killing him.” The DOJ filings show that after the Supreme Court leak, Roske searched terms relating to combat and body armor approximately 28 times. Within a month, he had searched for firearms-related terms over 90 times. That included “quietest semi auto rifle,” “gun calibers,” “best silencers for glock 17,” and more. He was also searching “do snipers aim for the head or the chest,” “does the secret service protect supreme court justices,” “easiest way to opena. locked door,” “how to break glass quietly,” “how to make shoes quieter,” and “how to make handcuffs with zip ties.” On Discord, he was asking his online friends: “Would [associate justices’ last name] being removed from the [Supreme Court] help women long term?” And, “I was thinking of the Roe decision. I feel like those 9 people make a much bigger impact than most people,” and “the thought of Roe v. Wade and gay marriage both being repealed has me furious.” He was also researching how to kill people. Between May and June 2022, Roske was looking into the “most effective place to stab someone” and “how to quietly knock someone out.” He was searching “How far into the neck is the trachea,” “what is the best length of knife for stabbing,” the “Most effective way to silently kill someone,” and “how much force do you need to stab someone’s neck.” And he had an interest in fleeing to a foreign country — Roske was searching for “countries that don’t extradite to the US,” “how to get a passport in California,” “does Sweden extradite to the US,” and more. He was also fully aware of what might happen after he committed an assassination, searching for information about an insanity defense. “What happens if you are suicidal in prison,” he searched, and, “If you are hospitalized after a crime what happens.” Roske flew from California to Dulles International Airport after he found Kavanaugh’s home using media photographs of protests outside the justice’s home. Far-left abortion supporters protest outside the home of U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on May 11, 2022. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) POLITICO’s report acknowledged that it would likely “intensify” the already feverish debate, in the summer of 2022, over abortion and the Supreme Court decision. The publication was named as a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for the story, though the story did not win the prize. “No draft decision in the modern history of the court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending,” wrote journalists Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward in their story on the leaked draft. “The unprecedented revelation is bound to intensify the debate over what was already the most controversial case on the docket this term.” Authorities have failed to track down the leaker of the Supreme Court opinion. In May, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said that the FBI is giving increased scrutiny to the “leak of the Supreme Court Dobbs case,” among a few other high-profile cases that have not been properly investigated. “I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress,” Bongino said. “If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us then please contact the FBI.”

A 104-year-old WWII Veteran absolutely crushed the National Anthem Saturday on a saxophone before the New York Islanders faced the New York Rangers in the rivalry hockey game, and the crowd went wild! Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli was helped onto the ice, where he performed a wonderful rendition of the anthem in a custom Islanders jersey complete with the number 104. His century-old lungs carried the anthem as if he were just 20 years old. Islanders and Rangers fans with hands over their hearts and pride in their eyes sang along with Critelli. It was a moving scene—a scene that unfortunately has become rare since the Colin Kaepernicks of the world tried to diminish the anthem. It was nearly 10 years ago in 2016 when Kaepernick first sat out the anthem. Since then, the Star Spangled Banner has sadly often been a point of contention. But thanks to Critelli’s pipes, it seems as though America is back. 104 year old World War 2 Veteran Dominick Critelli performed the National Anthem on the saxophone at tonight’s game! pic.twitter.com/m0v0WT6L2Y — New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) December 28, 2025 “USA!” chants rang out following his pre-game performance. The Army Veteran gave a strong salute to the crowd following his last note. Critelli served as an aircraft mechanic with the 95th Infantry Division Headquarters Battery after immigrating to the United States from Italy. According to the National Hockey League, Critelli spent 151 days in combat during WWII. He fought at Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge. Critelli went behind enemy lines during the war to help isolated American troops who needed supplies. His service to our country earned Critelli the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars. As well as the American Theatre Medal, the WWII Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. Critelli was honored last summer on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day by French President Emmanuel Macron who awarded Critelli The Legion of Honor, France’s highest military award. The highly decorated serviceman’s performance Saturday in front of 17,000 hockey fans wasn’t his biggest audience he’s ever played for. In an interview with The New York Post prior to Saturday’s game, Critelli said he’d once performed on the top of a rolling army tank for thousands after helping free the Netherlands of Nazi rule. “I guess, it must have been 50,000, 60,000 people,” Critelli told The Post. All these years later, the proud New Yorker can still put on a show.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) lavished praise on current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), claiming that he is a “unifier” and more than qualified to take over as Speaker and insisting that Democrats would regain control of the House in 2026. Pelosi sat down with ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl to discuss her lengthy tenure in the United States House of Representatives — and as the first female House Speaker — on Sunday’s broadcast of “This Week,” as she is set to begin her final year in Congress. WATCH: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi says she thinks the Democrats will re-take the House of Representatives in 2026: “Hakeem Jeffries is ready, he’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier.” https://t.co/ZnRxKy0sL5 pic.twitter.com/O6RtIf76eh — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 28, 2025 “So, if the Democrats win the House back —” Karl began, but Pelosi interrupted. “No, no — when. When the Democrats win the House back, because we will,” Pelosi insisted. “How does the next Democratic speaker of the House deal with Donald Trump?” Karl asked. “What would be your advice?” “Be yourself. Just do your own thing, just be yourself,” Pelosi said. “Hakeem Jeffries is ready, he’s eloquent, he’s respected by the members, he is a unifier …” “You have no doubt it will be Hakeem Jeffries?” Karl asked. “No.” Karl asked whether there were already plans in place going into the second half of Trump’s presidency, specifically whether there were plans for impeachments or investigations — “or do you deal with him and get something done on all the other issues?” Pelosi argued that it would be “hard to come up with something that [Trump] will sign because of the problem that he is,” an claimed that Trump would “hold up” anything useful that Democrats were able to force through. But while Jeffries apparently has Pelosi’s full confidence, he has already run into trouble as the Minority Leader in recent weeks. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins challenged Jeffries during an interview while Senate Democrats were keeping the government shutdown going, rebuffing his claim that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was refusing to speak with him about bringing the shutdown to an end. Within seconds, it was revealed that Johnson and Jeffries had spoken about ending the shutdown — and that Johnson had initiated the conversation — and that Jeffries had written him off because he was not willing to simply give up and let Democrats have what they wanted. Jeffries also ran into several challenges from CNBC hosts who disputed his claims that Republicans were the ones at fault for the government shutdown and that Democrats were offering reasonable solutions to the potential extension of COVID-era Obamacare subsidies. During a recent press conference, when asked a question about Dr. Mehmet Oz — who is currently serving in President Donald Trump’s administration as the 17th administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Jeffries trashed the renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon as “woefully unqualified.” In short order, Fox News anchor John Roberts replied with a fact-check: “@hakeemjeffries just insisted that @DrOz is ‘unqualified.’ Just a quick fact check for the minority leader: Mehmet Oz: Undergraduate degree — Harvard; MD — UPenn; MBA — Wharton School; He was a renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital before taking the leap into TV.”

Cheryl Hines admitted during a recent interview that her husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had offered her the chance to stage a “fake” separation in order to divert politically motivated attacks away from her. Hines told Dr. Phil McGraw that Kennedy had known he would be a political target, but that he’d made the offer in the hopes that he could draw some of the negative attention away from her, sparing her the stress of constant scrutiny. WATCH: ?NEW: Cheryl Hines tells Dr. Phil how RFK Jr. offered her fake separation so she’d stop taking heat for his politics? “Things got really intense. I didn’t consider it.” “I didn’t marry him because of his politics. Why would I leave him because of his politics?”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/19slzW2zKr — Jason Cohen ?? (@JasonJournoDC) December 27, 2025 Dr. Phil raised the question, asking whether it was true that Kennedy had offered her an out, and then immediately followed up by asking whether she had actually considered going through with it. “Well … Things got really intense,” she said. “I didn’t consider it.” Hines went on to say that Kennedy had drawn a significant amount of criticism for his stance on vaccines during COVID — particularly vaccine mandates — and that she had often gotten lumped in with him when he was attacked. When Kennedy voiced his unpopular opinions, Hines said, people would turn on her and ask how she could stay married to him if those were the things he believed. Others would refuse to spend time with her because she stayed with him, saying, “I can’t be around you because you’re married to him.” Hines brushed it all off, saying that she’d known she and Kennedy would have disagreements before they were married, and nothing had changed. “I didn’t marry him because of his politics. Why would I leave him because of his politics?”