Olympics, ICE, and Skirts: This Week's Wild Headlines

Virginia Democrats proposed a new congressional map designed to favor their party in the upcoming midterm elections, while the Trump administration faced scrutiny over potential immigration enforcement at polling places and its expansion of ICE detention centers. The proposed map, unveiled on Thursday, aimed to help Democrats win four more congressional seats in Virginia's House of Representatives, where the current delegation consists of six Democrats and five Republicans, according to NPR News.

The map was a response to what Democrats described as a redistricting push initiated by former President Donald Trump to tilt the midterm elections toward Republicans. Democratic Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas confirmed the map and accompanying legislation were posted on the legislature's website, NPR News reported.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's immigration policies came under further scrutiny. Steve Bannon, former adviser to President Trump, suggested on his War Room podcast that ICE agents should be sent to polling places during the midterm elections. "Youre damn right were gonna have ICE surround the polls come November," Bannon said, according to Time.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue during a press briefing, stating she had not heard President Trump consider deploying immigration agents to polling sites, but she did not rule it out. "Thats not something Ive ever heard the president consider, no," Leavitt said, according to Time. When asked if she could guarantee that immigration agents would not be present at voting locations, Leavitt responded, "I cant guarantee an ICE agent."

In addition to potential actions at polling places, the Trump Administration sought to expand its immigrant detention capacity nationwide. Time reported that President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" allocated $45 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to build new detention centers, part of a larger $170 million investment in immigration enforcement. ICE had already taken steps to acquire buildings to serve as detention centers in at least eight states, including the purchase of three properties last month for $102 million in Maryland, $84 million in Pennsylvania, and $70 million in Arizona, according to Time. These expansion efforts faced resistance from local communities, government leaders, and even potential sellers of the buildings.