The Paper Trail: February 3, 2026

The Paper Trail

Announcements

Working with the Media on Oversight & Investigations: POGO’s virtual training on working with the media will be Friday, February 6 at 12 noon. This event is only open to staff in Congress, GAO, and CRS. Register HERE.

Top stories for February 3, 2026

ICE expands power of agents to arrest people without warrants: An internal memo issued last week gave ICE agents broader power to arrest people without a warrant. The change expands the ability of lower-level ICE agents to round up people they suspect are undocumented immigrants. (Hamed Aleaziz and Charlie Savage, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: A legal tool for holding ICE agents to account, hiding in plain sight (Adam Liptak, New York Times)

The powerful tools in ICE’s arsenal to track suspects — and protesters: Biometric trackers, cellphone location databases, license plate readers, and drones are among the surveillance technologies ICE officers are using to track undocumented immigrants and anti-ICE protesters. Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups say the agency’s expanding use of these tools infringes on privacy and free speech rights. (Eva Dou, Artur Galocha, and Kevin Schaul, Washington Post)

ICE begins buying “mega” warehouse detention centers across U.S.: DHS is pushing ahead with the purchase of 23 warehouses around the country it plans to convert into immigration jails. One warehouse in Texas could be one of the largest jails in the country if completed as envisioned, with 9,500 beds. (Sophie Alexander and Fola Akinnibi, Bloomberg)

Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon: Under President Trump, DHS has weaponized administrative subpoenas — a demand for information that federal agencies can issue without an order from a judge or grand jury — to attack free speech. (John Woodrow Cox, Washington Post)

Thousands more threats were looked into in 2025, Capitol Police say: On the same day that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, the U.S. Capitol Police reported that the number of threat cases they investigated last year grew by more than 50%. In explaining the sharp increase, the Capitol Police cited the ease and lack of accountability associated with online messaging. (Martin Weil, Washington Post)

The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules: The Department of Energy overhauled a set of nuclear safety directives and shared them with the companies it’s charged with regulating, without making the new rules available to the public. The sweeping changes, made to accelerate development of new nuclear reactor designs, slash numerous reactor safety, security, and environmental requirements. (Geoff Brumfiel, NPR)

🔎 See Also: Judge rules Department of Energy’s climate working group was illegal (John Timmer, Ars Technica)

The Education Department’s efforts to fire staff cost over $28 million, a watchdog says: From March 21 to mid-December last year, 247 employees of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights were put on paid leave, a decision that cost between $28.5 million and $38 million, according to the GAO. The GAO also found that OCR under Trump is dismissing many discrimination and harassment cases and issuing fewer resolution agreements. (Cory Turner, NPR)

Trump’s acting cyber chief uploaded sensitive files into a public version of ChatGPT: Acting CISA director Madhu Gottumukkala uploaded sensitive contracting documents into a public version of ChatGPT last summer, triggering multiple automated security warnings. Gottumukkala’s tenure atop the agency hasn’t been smooth — and this wasn’t his only security-related incident. (John Sakellariadis, Politico)

Former State Dept. official targeted in suspected Chinese spying effort tied to Venezuela research: Former federal officials’ expertise can make them targets for foreign intelligence efforts, raising new concerns about post-government research and national security. They have especially become a prime target in the last year due to widespread layoffs and hiring freezes. (David DiMolfetta, Government Executive)

Court orders OMB to publish more info about how federal funding is distributed: U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan directed OMB to publish certain information about how federal dollars are spent after a government watchdog group accused officials of contravening an earlier court order. The Trump administration in March took down the database but were forced to put it back up in August by an appellate court, but Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington argued that OMB was violating the order by not disclosing spend plans for certain apportionments. (Sean Michael Newhouse, Government Executive)

Schedule F won’t fix government’s performance management problems, report finds: The Partnership for Public Service found that the adoption of a plan to strip federal workers of their civil service protections won’t fulfill the Trump administration’s goal of making agencies more effective and responsive and could instead cost hundreds of millions of dollars in increased recruitment and training spending. (Erich Wagner, Government Executive)

Trump family crypto firm sold major stake to UAE investment firm: The $500 million investment, made days before Trump’s inauguration, gave Emirati-backed investors a 49% stake in the Trump family’s crypto company World Liberty Financial, of which Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, is a co-founder. Several months after the investment, the UAE was granted access to advanced, U.S.-made microchips. (Matt Viser, Washington Post)

Trump sues IRS and Treasury for $10 billion over leaked tax records: President Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization sued the IRS and Treasury over the leak of Trump’s tax returns to news organizations during his first term. The case is the third in which Trump filed a massive damage claim against the federal government, putting him on both sides of the potential negotiating table. (Frances Vinall, Washington Post)

Tensions in the Twin Cities

Justice Department opens civil rights investigation into Pretti shooting: “We’re looking at everything that would shed light on that day,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference on Friday. Blanche said FBI investigators would continue to work with DHS, which has been conducting its own “use of force” investigation into whether its agents followed protocol during the incident. Blanche sidestepped reporters’ questions on whether the DOJ had also opened a civil rights probe into the shooting of Renée Good. (Jeremy Roebuck and Perry Stein, Washington Post)

🔎 See Also: 2 CBP agents identified in Alex Pretti shooting (J. David McSwane, Government Executive)

Feds arrest Don Lemon, Minnesota journalist and 2 others over church protest: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort were among four people arrested Friday by federal agents in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota. A federal grand jury indicted the four under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. (David Folkenflik, NPR)

“ICE is not a law unto itself,” Minnesota judge says after immigrant released following contempt threat: U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz blasted ICE for violating at least 96 court orders in less than a month in habeas cases challenging detentions. “ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” said Schiltz. (Dan Mangan, CNBC)

“It’s been brutal”: Twin Cities economy suffers under ICE crackdown: The crackdown has exacted a heavy toll on commercial corridors populated by Latino-owned businesses; companies throughout the region have also reported steep declines in revenues. The Twin Cities area is experiencing perhaps the most visible economic pain of all the urban centers that have been targeted with aggressive deportation efforts. (Lydia DePillis, New York Times)

Epstein Files

How Trump appears in the Epstein files: The new batch of materials released Friday contains more than 5,300 files related to the president. They include unverified claims of sexual abuse. (Steve Eder, Michael C. Bender, and David Enrich, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Powerful men who turn up in the new batch of Epstein files (New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Despite 3 million files, Epstein release leaves big questions unanswered (Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post)

DOJ released Epstein files with dozens of nudes and victims’ names, reports say: The Epstein files released on Friday included nearly 40 unredacted nude photos and the names of at least 43 victims, some of whom were minors, along with personally identifying details. (Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica)

Ghislaine Maxwell drops new Epstein allegations: In a habeas petition filed last week, Ghislaine Maxwell claimed the DOJ “protected” 29 of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates with “secret settlements,” including “25 men” and four potential “co-conspirators.” (Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic)

Weaponization of the Government

Trump goes public with plan to “take over” elections: President Trump on Monday called on Republicans “to take over the voting in at least 15 places” in advance of the next election, raising new fears that his administration plans to interfere in the midterms and beyond. (Ari Berman, Mother Jones)

Trump had unusual call with FBI agents after election center search: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present when FBI agents seized boxes of ballots and other materials from the 2020 in Fulton County, Georgia. The next day, Gabbard brokered a phone call between the agents and the president, who asked them questions and thanked them for their work. An unidentified official said that Trump had ordered Gabbard to go to Georgia to assist with the operation. (William K. Rashbaum, Devlin Barrett, and Julian E. Barnes, New York Times)

🔎See Also: Is Tulsi Gabbard stalling a giant whistleblower complaint against her? (Edith Olmsted, The New Republic)

Trump says his administration is now seeking $1 billion from Harvard: The president on social media demanded that Harvard University pay $1 billion in damages. His announcement came just hours after it was reported that Trump was dropping a $200 million demand. (Jeff Saperstone, NBC10 Boston)

Trump administration sued over cutting off funds for $16 billion tunnel: The agency overseeing construction of a $16 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River alleges the Department of Transportation’s suspension of funding for the project was politically motivated. (Patrick McGeehan, New York Times)

U.S. Invasion of Venezuela

Trump officials awarded Venezuela oil-sale contracts to firms tied to bribery: Global trading firms Vitol and Trafigura won licenses to sell Venezuelan oil with little independent oversight, despite having been previously prosecuted for bribery schemes involving oil sales. A senior trader at Vitol donated $6 million to political committees supporting Trump’s 2024 election. (Anthony Faiola and Evan Halper, Washington Post)

DOGE

Senators demand details on DOGE’s data access following revelations of improperly shared SSA data: In a letter to Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Senators Michael Crapo and Ron Wyden asked for a briefing on the recent disclosure that DOGE improperly shared data believed to have contained the names and addresses of 1,000 people. Meanwhile, House Democrats announced they would file a “resolution of inquiry” to formally compel SSA to hand over more information about how DOGE handled the agency’s data. (Natalie Alms, Government Executive)

Supreme Court Ethics

How the Supreme Court secretly made itself even more secretive: Two weeks after the 2024 election, Chief Justice John Roberts made Supreme Court employees sign a strict new nondisclosure agreement to keep the court’s inner workings secret. (Jodi Kantor, New York Times)

Reproductive Freedom

VA ends nearly all abortion procedures at medical centers: The VA issued a final rule at the end of 2025 that prohibits the procedure at VA medical facilities unless the life of the mother is endangered. The decision ends a policy implemented in 2022 that allowed VA medical personnel to conduct abortions in cases of rape or incest or circumstances that endangered the life or health of the patient. (Patricia Kime, Military Times)

She’ll mess with Texas: Nurse keeps mailing abortion pills, despite Paxton lawsuit: A legal fight between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Delaware nurse practitioner Debra Lynch may eventually push the Supreme Court to settle an intensifying battle between states with strict abortion bans and those with shield laws protecting health providers shipping abortion pills to out-of-state patients. (Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica)

Middle East Conflicts

Board of Peace set to hand Trump sweeping powers over Gaza: Much about the Board of Peace has so far been unclear, but a leaked document shows that the board’s chairman, President Trump, will have sweeping powers over the future governance of Gaza. (Adam Rasgon and Natan Odenheimer, New York Times)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

National Guard deployments cost taxpayers almost half a billion dollars: According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, President Trump’s deployment of National Guard and Marine personnel to U.S. cities cost approximately $496 million between June and December 2025, and continuing the deployment for the next year could cost over $1 billion. (Mariana Alfaro, Washington Post)

JAGs are becoming federal prosecutors in Minneapolis. Experts warn it’s new territory: Dozens of military lawyers have been temporarily assigned as federal prosecutors to support law-enforcement surges in Minneapolis and other cities, a novel arrangement that is stretching an overworked JAG corps and drawing concern from legal experts. (Thomas Novelly, Defense One)

Bureaucratic confusion leaves DOD sites exposed to drones, DOD IG says: The Pentagon inspector general found major military installations in the U.S. are unprotected from drone attacks, despite policies that mandate otherwise. The problem appears to be bureaucratic confusion over which bases should be covered. (Michael Peck, Defense News)

New letter to Hegseth, DOD warns of obesity’s impact on military readiness: National organizations and more than 70 national security, military, and public health stakeholders warn that rising rates of obesity across the U.S. armed forces are an “urgent threat” that need to be rectified as soon as possible. (Nick Mordowanec, Military.com)

Rampant attempts to defraud troops warrants crack down, advocates say: Attempts to defraud service members, veterans, and their families are so rampant that advocates are pushing for an entirely new approach to cracking down on predators and root causes, according to a recent congressional roundtable. (Karen Jowers, Military Times)

Business and Finance

Employment commission chair recasts workplace discrimination in Trump’s image: EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said she’s determined to undo the consequences of an “aggressive focus by D.E.I. activists.” Critics say Lucas is distorting the intent of the Civil Rights Act, paying lip service to equal treatment while using her position to write MAGA grievances into federal law. (Rebecca Davis O’Brien, New York Times)

Trump’s financial cops just left millions of investors in the dark: The SEC made it much harder for most stock market shareholders to communicate with each other about the companies they invest in, leaving only the wealthiest investors with an easy way to share crucial information with other shareholders. (Helen Santoro, The Lever)

Privatizing Fannie Mae is risky. Would it be a win for taxpayers or Trump’s donors? The idea of a partial sale of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has alarmed critics, who warn it could rattle financial markets and drive up mortgage rates while potentially generating large profits for some key Trump donors. (Geoff Brumfiel, NPR)

Authorities shut down 3 illegal call centers tied to gold bar scam: As the value of gold surged, grifters posing as federal agents convinced people — mostly older Americans — to convert their life savings into gold bars. (Laura Romero and Dan Krauth, Good Morning America)

Tech

Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator: As part of Elon Musk’s push for relevance, xAI last year began making sexualized material, publicly releasing sexy AI companions, rolling back guardrails on sexual material, and ignoring internal warnings about the potentially serious legal and ethical risks. (Faiz Siddiqui, Nitasha Tiku, and Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post)

Infrastructure

YIMBYs might seem to be winning the housing wars: The political pressure to rein in housing costs has led to a wave of “YIMBY” (Yes in My Back Yard) legislative victories. But skeptics say simply unleashing developers to build more homes won't make housing affordable. (Julie Z. Weil, Washington Post)

Health Care

When health insurance costs more than the mortgage: With the loss of Affordable Care Act subsidies and health care costs already surging, more middle-income people face tough decisions about their health coverage. (Renuka Rayasam, CBS News)

Trump’s SNAP rules are about to imperil food access for millions: New work requirements for people receiving SNAP benefits will cause around two million recipients to stop receiving benefits altogether. Veterans, people who recently aged out of foster care, people who are unhoused, and parents of teenagers could be among the most affected. (Katie Herchenroeder, Mother Jones)

🔎 See Also: The means-testing industrial complex (Luke Farrell, The Law and Political Economy Project)

Kennedy overhauls federal autism panel in his own image: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overhauled a panel that advises the government on research and service priorities for people with autism, installing several members who have said that vaccines cause autism despite decades of research that has failed to establish such a link. (Azeen Ghorayshi, New York Times)

After donations, Trump administration revoked rule requiring more nursing home staff: HHS last year revoked a rule requiring increased staffing at nursing homes after industry executives made nearly $5 million in donations to a pro-Trump super PAC and met the president at his golf club. (Kenneth P. Vogel and Christina Jewett, New York Times)

TrumpRx delayed as senators question if it’s a giant scam with Big Pharma: HHS is delaying the release of TrumpRx, an online platform that lets people buy prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at a discount. While the reason for the delay is unclear, it comes as Democratic lawmakers raise concerns of inappropriate prescribing, conflicts of interest, inadequate care, and the program’s legality. (Beth Mole, Ars Technica)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ Judge ordered 5-year-old released, but data shows ICE is detaining more kids

→ Overwhelmed federal courts undercut Trump’s mass deportation campaign

→ Measles cases identified at ICE’s largest detention facility for children

→ Judge blocks DHS from ending deportation protections for 350,000 Haitians one day before they were set to lapse

→ ICE has detained some Native Americans. NC Rep. says “There will be mistakes”

→ These patches are clues to identifying immigration agents

→ Viral video shows overcrowded conditions inside ICE facility in Baltimore

→ Apartment near ICE center in Portland sues agency for making tenants’ lives unbearable

Other News:

→ First wrongful death lawsuit filed against Trump administration over drug boat strikes

→ San Diego Labor Unions denounce reassignment of Gregory Bovino

→ Justice Dept. demotes Ed Martin, stripping Trump ally of most authority

→ Bill and Hillary Clinton now agree to testify before Congress

→ U.S. safety board finds FAA failures led to fatal mid-air collision

→ Judge who ruled against Trump administration cleared of Justice Dept. complaint

→ Trump-appointed appellate judges have ruled in his favor 92% of the time

→ Watchdog group calls for investigation into jewelry ad that features assistant Energy secretary

→ Kennedy Center to close for 2 years for renovations in July, Trump says, after performers’ backlash

On The Lighter Side

Amtrak is selling a $279 'Trak Suit. Literally who wants this? Is the “Acela Corridor” set really clamoring for a $279 Amtrak zip-up hoodie, matching pants, and sleep mask? (Hannah Sampson, Washington Post)

Upcoming Events

📌 Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond. Senate Judiciary Committee; Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights. Wednesday, February 4, 2:30 p.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

📌 Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security: ICE, CBP, and USCIS. House Committee on Homeland Security. Tuesday, February 10, 10:00 a.m., 310 Cannon House Office Building.

Hot Docs

🔥📃 Congressional Budget Office: Estimating the Costs of Troop Deployments to U.S. Cities. January 28, 2026 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Federal Custody: Bureau of Prisons and ICE Should Take Actions to Improve Access to Menstrual Products. GAO-26-107694 (PDF)

Nominations & Appointments

Nominations

• Colin McDonald - Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement
• Kevin Warsh - Chair, Federal Reserve