Today’s Big Story

Trump Steps Up Immigration Crackdowns

But many directives will take time to be implemented or will face political, legal or practical obstacles

It’s been about 72 hours since President Trump took office, but the immigration transformation he ordered has already begun. His administration has directed prosecutors to investigate officials who resist immigration enforcement efforts, intensifying a sweeping crackdown that Trump launched almost immediately after his swearing-in.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon deployed 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border. Other active-duty troops will pilot military planes to assist the Department of Homeland Security in deporting migrants who already are in detention, with DHS providing law enforcement on those flights. The head of the nation’s immigration courts was fired, along with three other senior officials. In Mexico, about 30,000 immigrants with asylum appointments arrived to find them canceled. More than 10,400 refugees around the globe who had been approved for travel to the United States suddenly found their entry denied, their airplane tickets worthless.

According to the New York Times, the scope of the immigration changes laid out in scores of executive orders, presidential memorandums and policy directives is “extraordinary, even when compared with the expansive agenda that Trump pursued in the first four years he occupied the White House.”

The Washington Post reports that a new order shuts off access to asylum, directing border agents to block entry to migrants on the grounds that they have passed through countries where communicable diseases are present, without citing any specific health threat. A separate executive order Trump issued Monday declared a national emergency at the southern border and instructed the Pentagon to support CBP by sending additional troops, drones and other assets, while resuming border wall construction.

Also on Wednesday, the House voted to pass a GOP-led bill to require detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes, handing an early legislative win to President Trump and congressional Republicans, who chose to bring up the measure as their first bill of the new Congress. The bill—called the Laken Riley Act—will next go to the White House to be signed into law after the Senate approved the measure earlier in the week. CNN says the fact that the bill won significant support from Democrats signals a notable shift for the party in the aftermath of Trump’s presidential win as Democrats from competitive states and districts say the party must do more to address voter concerns over immigration.

California Faces Fresh Fire Threats

‘We are not out of the woods yet’ as new evacuation orders go out

A fresh California wildfire ignited north of Los Angeles Wednesday during critical fire weather and triggered evacuations as it quickly exploded in size across two counties on Wednesday—and forecasters warned conditions would worsen overnight.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County, ignited early Wednesday and grew across 10,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in just over two hours—making it the biggest and fastest-spreading wildfire since the still-burning Eaton and Palisades Fires erupted on Jan. 7. The new blaze was 14% contained as of Wednesday night, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

To the south, Los Angeles officials began to prepare for potential rain even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. “Rains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday morning news conference. Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.

Lewis Hamilton Completes First Ferrari Test

The champion says driving a Ferrari F1 car for first time was ‘exciting and special’

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton arrived in Italy to huge fanfare at the start of this week as he finally joined the iconic automaker one year after announcing his bombshell move. The 40-year-old waved goodbye to his team of 12 years, Mercedes, at the end of last season, and has been keen to get to work with the Prancing Horse ahead of the start of 2025's contest.

On Wednesday, Hamilton got behind the wheel of a racing car for the first time, one day after he shared a first image of himself wearing the iconic Ferrari red suit. He described it as “one of the best feelings of my life.” Hamilton was behind the wheel of a 2023-specification Ferrari SF-23 bearing his racing number, 44, at the team’s Fiorano test track and wore a new helmet design in yellow with a prominent Prancing Horse logo.

Although the day started in thick fog and wet conditions, Hamilton said the experience was unlike any other in his F1 career. “I've been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn't sure how many more firsts I had.” Ferrari limited his mileage to 89 kilometers, wary of a new rule for 2025 that restricts testing of previous cars (TPC) to 1,000 km per year for drivers taking part in the championship. Hamilton is expected to return to action in a 2-year-old car at the Circuit de Catalunya later this month.

The Best and Worst Airlines

The top two performing U.S. carriers separated themselves from the pack in a near photo finish

It’s been a wild year at the airport—and I’m not talking about that $5.59 bottle of water at Hudson News. An Alaska Airlines blowout grounded dozens of planes. There was a failed JetBlue-Spirit merger and Spirit’s bankruptcy. A summer tech outage crippled Delta. Southwest Airlines faced investor pressure and said it’s switching to assigned seating. All while planes remained packed and air traffic congested.

The good news for fliers: Carriers held it together relatively well. They lost fewer bags. More than three of four flights arrived on time (by the government’s admittedly generous definition), on par with 2023. Cancellations were flat. This is according to the Wall Street Journal, that just released their annual “Best and Worst Airlines” of the year ranking. Delta took the crown again in the paper’s 17th airline scorecard, standing out in nearly every category.

This is Delta’s fourth consecutive win and seventh in eight years. It prides itself on reliability and customer service. But this contest was a squeaker. Southwest finished a mere point behind Delta, with Alaska in third. Frontier, the airline that draws you in with $19 tickets and piles on fees galore, finished at or near the bottom in all but two categories, dropping a spot in on-time arrivals and extreme delays from 2023. It did best in baggage handling, where it ranked third.

Your Closet Tool Kit

The non-clothing essentials every man should own

If you’re a regular Valet. reader, then it's safe to say you're a stylish guy. You care about your clothes and how you present yourself to the world. And while you no doubt invest good money in your wardrobe, you might be missing out on some non-clothing essentials that you should definitely have stocked in your closet. Call it your wardrobe tool kit: Items that you need to have on hand to help ensure you look your best before stepping out for the day or before a big night out.

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