Kristi Noem

California Sen. Alex Padilla made an unannounced visit to an ICE holding center in Sacramento, his at least fourth such inspection, amid a surge in immigration enforcement across the state. He found four people held in a facility with a 12-person capacity, describing the building as not designed for detention. The visit followed a Tuesday collision in Woodland between an ICE vehicle and an observer, which federal officials and local police dispute. Padilla, previously removed from a 2025 news conference with Kristi Noem, says he is tracking ICE activity ahead of elections, raising concerns about access to counsel and potential voter intimidation.

A government-funded ad campaign praising President Trump began airing on Fox News this week, labeled on-screen as "Paid for by the U.S. government." The ads feature Trump's image, a soundtrack of the song "Love Me," UFC's Dana White calling him "the toughest, most resilient person," and promises to defeat "communism, socialism and Marxism." The White House describes the spots as a nonpolitical "public service announcement." Singer JMSN says he never authorized use of his song for political purposes.

The campaign has drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican Senator Thom Tillis said the use of taxpayer money "feels like Viktor Orbán," and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) said he doesn't like seeing public money fund what looks like campaign advertising. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called the ads "blatantly unethical," citing potential violations of the Hatch Act, which bars using government resources for political purposes.

The ads follow other instances of Trump's name and image appearing on government property, currency, and buildings, prompting comparisons to state-run propaganda in authoritarian countries. No congressional investigation or Justice Department action has been announced.