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Trump Tyranny Tracker | Day 595: Sept. 10, 2026
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ICE agents outside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall in Newark on Thursday. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…
The Justice Department escalating pressure on state election officials, thousands of children suffering in immigration detention, and NATO allies disrupting a Russian operation targeting critical undersea cables are among today’s top stories.
Today at a Glance
Children in Detention — Thousands of children have been held at the Dilley immigration detention center, with reports of prolonged detention, illness and severe psychological distress.
Election Pressure — DOJ is threatening election officials with civil or criminal penalties as it demands records from the 2024 election and sensitive voter data.
Russian Sabotage — NATO allies disrupted a Russian operation to disable critical undersea cables.
What We Need to Pay Attention To
D.O.J. Escalates Threats to States in Battle for Election Records
What Happened: The Justice Department ordered election officials in 29 states and D.C., to preserve records from the 2024 election, warning that officials are under investigation and that failure to retain records could bring civil or criminal penalties. DOJ has also sued 30 states and D.C. seeking unredacted voter registration lists containing sensitive personal information.
Why It Matters: DOJ is threatening state election officials with civil or criminal penalties while demanding sensitive voter data from an election held two years ago. This is part of Trump’s broader effort to sow distrust and take control over elections.
Source: New York Times
Corruption
RFK Jr. uses military aircraft as he campaigns for GOP in midterms
What Happened: RFK Jr. is using military aircraft for domestic travel, including a trip to Iowa where he appeared with Republican candidates for the midterms. The Air Force aircraft used for the trip costs about $9,000 per flight hour, compared with approximately $250 for a commercial ticket between D.C. and Des Moines. The White House and HHS lawyers approved the arrangement.
Source: The Washington Post
Trump’s Special Envoy Hauled In More Than $250 Million While in Government
What Happened: Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff reported at least $257 million in income in 2025, including around $107 million from a holding company that included his stake in World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency business founded by the Trump and Witkoff families. An investment firm tied to the UAE bought nearly half of World Liberty while Witkoff was conducting Middle East diplomacy and meeting with the UAE national security adviser who backed the investment.
Why It Matters: Witkoff went from Trump’s shady real estate friend to conducting U.S. foreign policy while making millions from private business interests tied to the countries he is negotiating with. This is yet another example of the mass corruption and cronyism in Trump’s regime.
Source: New York Times
As He Backs ICE Crackdown, Nebraska Governor Employs Undocumented Workers
What Happened: An investigation found that at least 20 hog farms owned by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s family business employed undocumented workers, including some who used fake or stolen identities. Meanwhile, Pillen has partnered state police with ICE, provided a state facility for immigration detention, and backed Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Source: New York Times
Power Consolidation
Sending armed ICE agents to polling places would be a federal crime, lawsuit says
What Happened: Latino civil rights groups, Common Cause and the city of Denver sued to block armed immigration agents from polling places, citing an 1865 federal law that prohibits federal officials from deploying “troops or armed men” where elections are being held. DHS says it is not planning operations targeting polling places but has said agents could appear to respond to “threats” or serve warrants.
Why It Matters: This is part of Trump’s broader effort to seize control over elections. Putting armed federal agents anywhere near polling places is meant to cause fear and chaos.
Source: The Washington Post
Weaponization of Institutions
Prosecutor brought in to lead investigation of Trump foes tells AP that he has resigned his position
What Happened: Joe diGenova resigned five months after the DOJ brought him in to lead an investigation into former law enforcement and intelligence officials who investigated Russia and its attack on the 2016 election. His departure comes amid reported frustration inside DOJ and the White House over the pace of the probe, which has produced no charges.
Source: Associated Press
Europeans investigating Epstein say DOJ has not agreed to requests for help
What Happened: Law enforcement agencies in Poland, Norway and Latvia say DOJ has not responded to requests for evidence in their Epstein investigations. Poland requested unredacted files in April as part of an investigation into possible ties between Epstein and Russian intelligence, while Norway and Latvia are pursuing separate criminal investigations.
Why It Matters: European investigators are trying to uncover Epstein’s international network, including possible links to Russian intelligence, while DOJ continues to sit on evidence they requested months ago. Keeping those files from investigators keeps parts of Epstein’s network hidden.
Source: The Washington Post
Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics
Kimmel says interview with James Talarico won’t air on TV under pressure from the FCC
What Happened: Jimmy Kimmel said his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will air on YouTube instead of ABC because of pressure from the FCC. Kimmel said the agency has threatened his show, ABC and its affiliates over editorial decisions and guest bookings.
Why It Matters: The FCC has a lot power over broadcasters. Using that power to influence political coverage gives the Trump regime another tool to punish unfavorable speech and pressure networks into compliance.
Source: Associated Press
‘The White House is watching this’: Fired immigration judge alleges retaliation by DOJ
What Happened: Former immigration judge Chloe Dillon says she was fired two days after reporting that ICE had unlawfully detained an unaccompanied minor who had just appeared in her courtroom. In a whistleblower lawsuit, Dillon says a supervisor had also warned her that “the White House” was watching after she challenged an ICE policy she believed was illegal.
Source: MS NOW
Human & Civil Rights Abuses
‘Will we ever get out?’: Thousands of children are suffering in Dilley detention center in abhorrent conditions
What Happened: Around 3,000 children have been held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas since family detention resumed in 2025, according to an attorney representing detained families. Some children have reportedly been held for months, with inadequate medical care, unsafe food and water, repeated illness and severe psychological distress. One 5-year-old reportedly tried to strangle himself after months in detention.
Why It Matters: These are serious human rights abuses. Children are being held for months in conditions that are making them physically and psychologically sick. Immigration detention is not supposed to become indefinite punishment, especially for children.
Source: MS NOW
Salvadoran TPS deadline nears, impacting 200,000 immigrants
What Happened: Temporary Protected Status for about 200,000 Salvadorans who have been allowed to live and work legally in the U.S. since 2001 reached its expiration date Wednesday with DHS yet to announce whether the protections will continue.
Source: NBC News
Government Disruption
Gold Star family calls on Army to release internal probe into deadly attack on Kuwait base: “My son died unnecessarily”
What Happened: The Army completed an investigation in July into the March 1 Iranian drone strike that killed six U.S. troops at a tactical operations center in Kuwait, but has not released its findings. The family of Army Reserve Capt. Cody Khork, one of those killed, is demanding the report and answers about potential security failures before the attack.
Source: CBS News
Trump administration fires prosecutor in dropped case against politically linked Indian billionaire
What Happened: DOJ purged a federal prosecutor who worked on the fraud and bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. The prosecutor had asked to withdraw after Trump officials moved to drop the charges. A federal judge later dismissed the case but called DOJ’s handling “highly unusual” and pointed to irregularities in how it was handled.
Source: NBC News
How Trump administration threats could affect medical school admissions
What Happened: Trump officials are threatening medical schools with investigations, loss of federal funding and even their tax-exempt status over admissions policies meant to increase diversity. The regime says schools could be “breaking the law” even when they consider race-neutral factors like economic hardship if the goal is greater racial diversity. Courts have not settled that question.
Why It Matters: Billions in federal funding are on the line. Schools could be forced to drop admissions policies that have not even been ruled illegal.
Source: The Washington Post
Imperial & Geopolitical Watch
Houthis Seize Strategic Red Sea Port, a Major Victory for Iranian Ally
What Happened: Iran-backed Houthi forces captured the Yemeni port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed government forces and advanced onto nearby Red Sea islands, putting them closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The offensive was coordinated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which also provided additional weapons support.
Why It Matters: Trump’s war with Iran is creating economic chaos with no end in sight. Two of the world’s most important shipping routes are now under threat, pushing energy and shipping costs even higher.
Source: New York Times
Iran attack on base in Jordan damaged American military aircraft, US official says
What Happened: An Iranian missile attack on a U.S. air base in Jordan damaged an A-10 and eight F-15 fighter jets, according to a U.S. official. American forces fired about 30 Patriot interceptors during the attack as the military faces growing concerns over depleted air-defense stockpiles after six months of war with Iran.
Source: Reuters
Empty Seat: U.S. Absent as Western Powers Meet on Wartime Protections for Civilians
What Happened: The U.S. skipped a NATO meeting of an international group it helped create to reduce civilian casualties in war. This comes after Pete Hegseth dismantled much of the Pentagon program focused on civilian harm. Staffing has dropped from nearly 200 people to about two dozen, despite objections from senior military commanders.
Why It Matters: The U.S. is walking away from safeguards meant to protect civilians during military operations. With American forces involved in conflicts across the Middle East, dismantling those protections puts civilians at even greater risk.
Source: ProPublica
Iran Is Producing Ballistic Missiles Again
What Happened: U.S. and Middle Eastern officials say Iran is producing ballistic missiles again despite U.S. and Israeli strikes that badly damaged its missile industry. Iran is using stockpiled components and assembling missiles at underground facilities. Production is still below previous levels, but Iran is building new underground sites and is believed to have thousands of ballistic missiles left.
Source: Wall Street Journal
US pressures NATO allies to destroy International Criminal Court
What Happened: The U.S. is pushing NATO allies to leave the treaty that created the International Criminal Court and help “systematically dismantle” it, according to three NATO diplomats. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker reportedly warned them, “We will be watching closely who stands with America.” DOJ has also confirmed that the U.S. rejects the court’s jurisdiction over Americans.
Why It Matters: The ICC prosecutes genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when countries fail to do it. Dismantling the court would make it much harder to hold people accountable for some of the world’s most horrific crimes.
Source: Politico EU
Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch
NATO allies foil Russian subsea cable sabotage plot
What Happened: Britain, Norway and the U.S. tracked and confronted Russian vessels near Svalbard after detecting an operation by Russia’s secretive GUGI undersea warfare unit. Russian deep-sea submersibles were testing new technology designed to disable critical subsea cables without leaving evidence behind. NATO allies stopped the vessels from completing the exercise, and no cables were damaged.
Source: Reuters
Unmasking RussiaNew Investigation Reveals Russia Has Spent Decades Training Iran’s Defense SpecialistsNote: I am linking to both the Russian language (Svoboda) investigation and RFE/RL’s English version. The Russian investigation is much more detailed, while the English version summarizes the main findings…Read more4 days ago · 173 likes · 13 comments · Olga LautmanEconomic News
Wholesale inflation picked up in August, as energy costs kept rising
What Happened: U.S. wholesale inflation accelerated to 5.4% in August, up from 4.8% in July, as rising energy costs pushed prices higher. Energy prices jumped 4.2% in a single month, including a 24.1% surge in diesel prices.
Why It Matters: Businesses are paying more for energy and transportation, and those costs will be passed down to consumers. Americans already dealing with higher gas and energy prices will soon see those increases show up in the cost of everyday goods.
Source: CNN
US average diesel price passes $6 a gallon for the first time, GasBuddy says
What Happened: The national average price of diesel surpassed $6 a gallon for the first time due to Trump’s war with Iran. Brent crude climbed above $107 a barrel, while U.S. diesel inventories remain 13% below their five-year average.
Source: Reuters
Resistance
Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…
Source: 50501
Dozens of protesters take to the streets outside the convention.
What Happened: Around 150 protesters marched outside the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas to protest against Trump’s Iran war and immigration crackdown.
Source: New York Times
By the Numbers
$257 million — Income reported by Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff in 2025
3,000 — Children held at the Dilley immigration detention center since Trump’s family detention resumed in 2025
200,000 — Salvadorans whose Temporary Protected Status is now in limbo
29 states + D.C. — Ordered by DOJ to preserve records from the 2024 election
$6+ a gallon — National average diesel price, the highest ever recorded
$107+ a barrel — Brent crude as the Iran war continues to disrupt global energy supplies
~30 — Patriot interceptors fired during a single Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Jordan
What to Watch Next
DOJ is escalating pressure on state election officials — How much further will the regime go in its effort to obtain voter data and records before the midterms?
Trump’s Iran war is spreading across the region — Will fighting around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb cause even greater disruption to global shipping and energy supplies?
Diesel has crossed $6 and wholesale inflation is rising again — How quickly will higher fuel and transportation costs show up in everyday goods?
Russia is targeting NATO’s undersea infrastructure — Is Moscow preparing for another attack on critical undersea cables, and how will NATO respond?
Key Takeaways
Election Interference — DOJ is threatening state election officials over 2024 records while the prospect of armed ICE agents appearing at polling places has civil rights groups and Denver trying to stop it in federal court.
Immigration Crackdown — Thousands of children have been held for months in immigration detention as roughly 200,000 Salvadorans who have legally lived in the U.S. for decades wait to see if they lose their TPS.
Rising Costs — Trump’s Iran war is disrupting global energy and shipping routes as diesel passes $6 a gallon, oil climbs above $107 and wholesale inflation accelerates.
Government Weaponization — Federal power is being used in disputes involving election records, broadcasters, immigration courts and federal prosecutions.
Iran War Expands — Iran-backed Houthis have seized a strategic Red Sea port, American military aircraft were damaged in Jordan, and Iran has resumed producing ballistic missiles.
Call to Action
Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.
Defend Press Freedom: Support independent journalism by subscribing to and sharing reporting that challenges Trump’s power grab.
Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.
Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.
