Trump administration creates undocumented immigrant registry

The Trump administration launches a new registry for undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and those who don’t register could face legal consequences. And a Southwest flight suddenly climbed back to 3,000 feet while attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.

Trump administration creates undocumented immigrant registry

The Trump administration created a registry for undocumented immigrants. It will require migrants in the country illegally to submit their personal information or face fines or prison time. 

The Department of Homeland Security said all undocumented immigrants 14 and older must submit their fingerprints and home addresses for the registry. Those who qualify but don’t register could be fined up to $5,000 or be sentenced to up to six months in prison. 

The administration said the registry will be available online, though the web page has not yet launched. 

In a statement, DHS Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream.” 

The move to criminalize being in the U.S. illegally marks another significant policy change under the Trump administration. Until now, being in the country illegally was only considered a civil offense with the consequences of getting detained and deported if caught and processed. 

In a post on X, DHS said America’s borders are now closed to lawbreakers and that this past weekend, crossings along the southern border were at their lowest in 15 years.

House Republicans pass budget resolution

In a big win for Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans passed a multitrillion-dollar plan to address defense, energy, immigration and tax policy with only two votes to spare on Tuesday night, Feb. 25. 

The vote was a critical step toward unlocking reconciliation, a complicated legislative tool allowing Republicans to avoid a filibuster from Democrats in the Senate. 

The Senate has already passed its own budget reconciliation plan. Now, the two chambers must pass the same bill to advance. 

Straight Arrow News Political Correspondent Ray Bogan revealed what’s in the budget blueprint and what Republican holdouts said about the resolution here.

Zelenskyy will sign minerals deal Friday, Trump says

The U.S. and Ukraine have reportedly reached a deal that would give America access to the Eastern European nation’s rare minerals.

Trump insisted that Ukraine repay the billions of dollars in economic aid and military equipment it has received from the U.S. during its war against Russia over the past three years. One of those demands included U.S. access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine. 

Ukrainian senior officials have confirmed to news outlets that the two nations reached an agreement on the framework of an economic deal. At the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 25, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would likely travel to Washington later this week to finalize the deal. 

“I hear that he’s coming on Friday,” Trump told reporters. “It’s okay by me if he would like to. We could sign it together. I understand that it’s a big deal, a very big deal, and I think if you look at the American people, they are very happy. You look at polling, Biden was throwing money around like it was cotton candy. And it’s a very big deal. It could be a trillion-dollar deal. It’s rare earth and other things.” 

Reports indicated that the U.S. and Ukraine will jointly own a fund, with Ukraine contributing 50% of state-owned resources, which include minerals, oil and gas.

Trump administration announces DOGE acting administrator

On Tuesday, the Trump administration named Amy Gleason acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The announcement comes after weeks of questions about billionaire Elon Musk’s role and authority as DOGE’s “chair.” 

Gleason previously worked for the U.S. Digital Service, which the Trump administration turned into DOGE. 

Meanwhile, more than 20 civil service employees resigned from DOGE on Tuesday, saying they refuse to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” The mass resignations included engineers, data scientists, designers and product managers. 

The White House dismissed the move.

In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years.” 

Musk posted to X that the story was “fake news” and that the staffers who resigned were “Dem political holdovers” who “would have been fired” anyway.

Passenger plane lands safely after close call with private jet on Chicago runway

A Southwest Airlines passenger jet aborted its landing at the last moment Tuesday to avoid colliding with a smaller plane at Chicago’s Midway International Airport. The Southwest flight landed safely after the flight crew performed what is known as a “go-around” to avoid the private business jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the private jet went onto the runway after its pilot misunderstood the instructions from air traffic control to hold short of it. This forced the Southwest plane to climb back to 3,000 feet, and the pilot asked the tower, “How’d that happen?”

Flight passengers traveling from Omaha to Chicago reported to news outlets that they were unaware anything had gone wrong until they later saw the video.

This is the latest close call in a long list of serious aircraft incidents in 2025, including at least five deadly crashes over the past few weeks.

Starbucks to cut 13 drinks from menu amid restructuring

Starbucks will remove some of its “less popular” items from the menu starting next Monday, March 4. 

Among the 13 items pulled are several Frappuccino beverages, the Royal English Breakfast Latte and the White Hot Chocolate. The company announced the menu cuts along with plans to lay off more than 1,000 corporate employees. 

Starbucks said these menu changes will reduce wait times and “make way for innovation,” and this is just the beginning. In the coming months, it will remove more drink and food choices from the menu in an effort to reduce it by 30%.