NPR News: 05-13-2026 3AM EDT

FBI Director Kash Patel faced sharp questioning from Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen during a Senate budget hearing on Capitol Hill. Van Hollen accused Patel of drinking margaritas with a gang, calling it the "ultimate example of hypocrisy." Patel rejected the claims as baseless allegations meant to tarnish him. The exchange highlights ongoing partisan tensions in oversight of federal law enforcement.

David Venturella is set to become acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He previously worked for ICE under the Obama and George W. Bush administrations, then oversaw contracts between ICE and detention facilities, including time at GEO Group, a private prison company that handles federal immigration detention. This appointment aligns with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership under Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking to expand detention and deportation operations, moving away from past enforcement surges. ICE now has about 12,000 additional employees from the past year and a $75 billion congressional budget—roughly half allocated to detention space. Reporters Himana Bustillo and Pierre News note Venturella inherits significantly greater resources amid these capacity-building efforts.