Category: News
What to know about immigration enforcement raids in Chicago after 3 months
As the Trump administration’s mass deportation raids begin their third month, their impact has stretched across the Chicago region and the nation.
Political tensions have deepened, hundreds of immigrants, protesters and bystanders have been detained or arrested during raids, and thousands have protested across Chicago and the suburbs, from Home Depot and Target parking lots to outside the two-story brick U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview to the massive No Kings Rally downtown.
Here’s what we know about federal immigration enforcement in and around the city, as well as other immigration-related stories and the National Guard deployment.
Stay current with the latest news by subscribing to the Chicago Tribune — and sign up for our free Immigration Bulletin newsletter.
How we got here
President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security announced Sept. 8 that it had begun a surge of immigration law enforcement in Chicago, dubbing it “Operation Midway Blitz” and claiming it would target “criminal illegal aliens” who have benefited from the city and state’s sanctuary policies.
The announcement came more than two weeks after the Republican president said he was planning to target Chicago because of the city’s crime rates, causing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson to warn residents of potential immigration sweeps.
“Let’s be clear, the terror and cruelty is the point, not the safety of anyone living here,” Pritzker said Sept. 2.
Trump set the stage for the operation with a social media post depicting military helicopters flying over the city’s lakefront skyline using the title “Chipocalypse Now.” “Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” Trump wrote, a day after signing an executive order to rename the Department of Defense to its pre-1949 title.
Federal Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino and agents said to be leaving Chicago, sources say
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ICE and Donald Trump target police in Chicago and other cities for recruitment in a TV ad
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2.6% of ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ arrestees had criminal histories
U.S. Border Patrol agents exchange handcuffs for plastic zip-ties while transferring detainees in Niles on Oct. 31, 2025. The detainees were picked up while they were landscaping on Chicago’s Northwest Side. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
The Trump administration on Nov. 14 released the names of 614 people whose Chicago-area immigration arrests may have violated a 2022 consent decree, and only 16 of them have criminal histories that present a “high public safety risk.”
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed since the outset of the operation that they were going after the “worst of the worst,” including convicted murderers, rapists and other violent offenders who were allegedly taking advantage of Illinois’ sanctuary policies to terrorize the citizenry. But the government’s own data appeared to show otherwise.
Among those on the list were several featured in stories by the Tribune, including a couple arrested by ICE in September while driving their eldest son to his university to drop off school materials and later meet the rest of the family in church. The couple, Moises Enciso Trejo and Constantina Ramírez Meraz, were released Thursday and reunited with their four children, according to their attorney, Shelby R. Vcelka.
Also on the list was Darwin Leal, a 24-year-old Venezuelan migrant arrested Sept. 14 while driving in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood with his wife and two young kids. Leal, who is still detained in Texas, was classified by ICE as in the “low” public safety risk category.
Latino US citizens racially profiled by federal immigration agents in Chicago: ‘I felt like a piece of trash’
Ignoring trends, President Donald Trump credits Operation Midway Blitz for drop in Chicago violence
Chicago day care teacher arrested by ICE released: ‘I am so grateful’
Activity in and around Chicago
“Operation Midway Blitz” has been noticeable around Chicago and its suburbs, from tear gas incidents in Logan Square and detaining a mother and child at Millennium Park to a wild manhunt in suburban Mount Prospect and multiple rideshare arrests at O’Hare.
A federal judge ruled all immigration enforcement agents must have body cameras and said she was particularly worried about alleged violations in recent clashes, including one in Chicago’s East Side neighborhood where agents used a controversial and potentially dangerous maneuver to disable a fleeing vehicle, then tear-gassed people during a tense gathering at the scene. Tear gas incidents from federal agents during immigration raids have escalated recently, from Little Village to Lakeview to Irving Park.
On Sept. 12, Trump’s immigration-enforcement push took a violent turn when agents fatally shot a man in Franklin Park after he allegedly tried to flee a traffic stop and struck the officer with his vehicle. The man who was killed was identified by federal officials as Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, a 38-year-old single father with two young children. DHS said in a written statement that Villegas-Gonzalez is a citizen of Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally, though further details were not provided.
On Oct. 4, federal immigration authorities shot a Chicago woman who, according to federal authorities, had tried to impede them in Brighton Park. In the shooting’s wake, protesters quickly took to the intersection to confront the federal forces. Some threw water bottles as the agents tossed tear gas and flash-bang grenades at them on the residential street.
Federal immigration agents deploy tear gas on Northwest Side streets as Chicagoans bellow, ‘Get out of our city!’
Federal immigration agents tear-gas Lakeview, raid Lincoln Park as feds focus on city’s affluent North Side
Chicago woman dragged out of her car after colliding with ICE demands accountability
Man hospitalized after violent federal immigration arrest in Melrose Park, family says
As his two sons watch and cry, ‘Pa, te amo,’ federal agents arrest man outside of Naperville apartments
Oak Park attorney arrested near school says federal agents pointed gun at him, had ‘Chiraq Team 2’ group chat
Federal immigration agents raid Swap-O-Rama, patrol Southwest Side: ‘It’s us against y’all’
They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid.
WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square
Chase of cyclist by ICE agents in downtown Chicago described as surreal by witness
Upset neighbors interrupt federal immigration manhunt in Mount Prospect
Flower vendor arrested at launch of Trump’s ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ deported to Mexico
Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in court
A federal judge in Chicago on Nov. 6 issued a sweeping injunction that puts more permanent restrictions on the use of force by immigration agents, saying top government officials lied in their testimony about threats that protesters posed and that their unlawful behavior on the streets “shows no signs of stopping.”
“I find the government’s evidence to be simply not credible,” U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said in an oral ruling from the bench, describing a litany of incidents where citizens were tear-gassed “indiscriminately,” beaten and tackled by agents and struck in the face with pepper spray balls.
“The use of force shocks the conscience,” Ellis said. The judge noted in particular that Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino lied repeatedly in his deposition testimony about force that his agents and he personally inflicted in incidents across the Chicago area.
Bovino said federal agents’ operations had been “going very violent” after the same day that his agents fired pepper balls at a moving vehicle in Gage Park and pointed rifles in Little Village as residents blew whistles, screamed at passing federal cars and followed their large convoy around the city’s Southwest Side. “We can operate with great skill, legally, ethically and morally,” he said during a brief stop in Gage Park.
Federal judge to hold permanent injunction hearing on use of force by immigration agents before next spring
Judge orders release of US Border Patrol head Gregory Bovino deposition videos: Watch them here
Deposition of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino nearly ground to halt last week, records show
Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino accused of violating judge’s order by throwing tear gas at crowd in Little Village
Restaurants in immigrant neighborhoods are ‘dying a slow death’
Intense immigration enforcement continues to ripple across the Chicago area and the restaurant industry has been feeling the impact: Significantly fewer customers are dining in, owners are locking their doors when they feel unsafe and businesses are operating at a loss.
Since September, Little Village had largely avoided large-scale ICE raids. But on Oct. 22, the shrill sound of whistles filled the neighborhood as volunteers sprang into action, warning people to duck into stores or hide inside private properties.
“We are dying a slow death,” said Marcos Carbajal, owner of Carnitas Uruapan. Little Village and Pilsen, much like Devon Avenue’s Little India in Rogers Park or Greektown on Chicago’s Near West Side, are microeconomies that rely heavily on a shared culture to keep things moving.
Cafes and restaurants across Chicago put up signs barring immigration agents
3 street vendors and their families receive financial assistance from Little Village nonprofit
Gig workers and street vendors and day laborers hit by feds in Chicago immigration crackdown
Operation Midway Blitz linked to dip in 911 calls, especially in Little Village
Loop businesses uneasy about possible National Guard deployment: ‘It does have a chilling effect on business’
What’s happening in Broadview?
Confrontations between federal agents and people protesting “Operation Midway Blitz” have put the tiny suburb, and the first Black woman to lead it, in the national spotlight.
Protesters have held near-daily demonstrations at Broadview’s ICE processing center since DHS announced it was launching “Operation Midway Blitz” in early September. Friday and Sundays often see larger crowds and, with that, arrests in violation of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson’s recently issued order that protests only occur between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Bowing to a court-ordered deadline, crews tore down the controversial security fence outside the facility on Oct. 14. Federal officials erected the 8-foot-high fence three weeks earlier . In turn, Broadview officials immediately pushed back, saying it was “illegally built,” and demanded that the Department of Homeland Security take it down.
A federal judge on Nov. 5 ordered government officials to provide immigration detainees enough food, water and bed space, among other remedies, finding that conditions in Broadview do not “pass constitutional muster.”
“It has really become a prison,” U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said. “The conditions would be found unconstitutional even in the context of prisons holding convicted felons, but these are not convicted felons. These are civil detainees.”
Attorneys visit ‘black box’ ICE processing center in Broadview
The Tribune got a rare look inside Broadview’s ICE processing center in 2009. Here’s what we saw.
Pope Leo XIV calls on Trump administration to allow detainees in Broadview to receive communion
Six Broadview protesters indicted, including congressional candidate Katherine ‘Kat’ Abughazaleh
Broadview residents are scared as ICE facility becomes a battleground for Trump immigration blitz
Refusing ‘a position of fear,’ Broadview’s mayor deals with ICE and a national spotlight
Broadview ICE facility becomes backdrop for candidates to signal immigration stance and raise campaign funds
Tribune photographer describes capturing viral image from recent ICE protest
Chicago takes action
Whether its aldermen leading street patrols or residents blowing whistles to alert others, activists are coming in all shapes and sizes in Chicago. “We’ll do everything in our power to make sure that ICE is out of Chicago,” Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd, who represents Little Village, told the Tribune on Oct. 3.
Numerous U.S. citizens and others have reported being detained, including a 44-year-old U.S. citizen who said agents zip-tied her and questioned her after work at a downtown bar earlier this month, and a Rogers Park man who agents fined $130 for not carrying his legal papers with him when they questioned him about his legal status last week. Here’s what to do if ICE stops you.
Inside Chicago’s growing resistance movement against Operation Midway Blitz: ‘Small acts have huge consequences’
West Chicago brothers are on the front lines against ‘Operation Midway Blitz.’ And they’re only teenagers.
Students walk out of Little Village schools, hold march in protest of recent ICE activity
‘No Kings’ rally in downtown Chicago draws more than 100K protesters: ‘You fight for the people’
Local clergy and faith leaders decry Trump’s immigration crackdown: ‘Antithetical to the Gospel’
Fighting Trump’s immigration blitz in Chicago, ward by ward
Amid ICE surge, Board of Education urges CPS to offer remote learning
Illinois Democratic lawmakers take on activist role amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown
Outside hotels and a naval base, suburban Chicago protests immigration ‘blitz’
As fear of ICE arrests grips immigrants across Chicago, faith leaders offer resources and moral support
‘State-sponsored terror’ on Halloween
In Albany Park, they fired pepper-spray balls to disperse an angry crowd and arrested two U.S. citizens. In Evanston, one repeatedly pointed his weapon at protesters while another knelt on a man’s back and punched him in the head.
They grabbed workers at an apartment complex in Hoffman Estates, landscapers, house painters and laborers in Edison Park, Skokie and Niles.
Despite pleas from Gov. JB Pritzker to pause federal immigration enforcement operations while children celebrate Halloween, teams of Border Patrol agents — including one led by Cmdr. Greg Bovino — tore through Chicago’s Northwest Side and nearby suburbs, sparking violent clashes with community members throughout the day.
Reverse trick-or-treating comes to West Chicago amid the growing presence of immigration enforcement
Chicago-area man killed by ICE honored at Franklin Park Day of the Dead celebration
Could the National Guard be next?
Gov. JB Pritzker has repeatedly called out the Trump administration for defending its decision to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago as necessary to fight violent crime in the city, even though the federal government has emphasized in court and Pentagon memos that the mission is mainly to protect federal immigration enforcement agents and federal property.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Pritzker on Oct. 13 said President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s ultimate goal is to bring in the National Guard to cities like Chicago and Portland, Oregon, to militarize the country’s Democratic-controlled enclaves as a form of political payback.
“They just want troops on the ground because they want to militarize, especially blue cities and blue states,” he said.
The Trump administration on Oct. 17 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the president to dispatch troops in the Chicago area pending appeal. A federal judge in Chicago on Oct. 22 indefinitely extended the restraining order barring President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Illinois as both state and federal officials await a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could upend the case. Members of the Texas National Guard arrived in the Chicago area Oct. 7.
Trump has discussed the potential of invoking the two-century-old Insurrection Act as a way to get around judicial orders blocking guard deployment. The Insurrection Act is an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act and would allow the U.S. military to be actively involved in law enforcement to put down a “rebellion” or when enforcing federal law becomes “impractical.”
Supreme Court’s deliberate review of Donald Trump’s Illinois National Guard plan signals a cautious approach
No ruling imminent as Supreme Court asks for more briefing in Illinois National Guard deployment case
Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for ‘dramatic’ response ahead of imminent National Guard deployment
Gov. JB Pritzker points to Trump inconsistencies in deployment of National Guard to Chicago
The National Guard has been activated to Chicago 18 times from 1877-2021. Here’s a breakdown.
Donald Trump’s National Guard threat taps into traumas long held by Chicago’s Black community
Gun violence survivors slam President Donald Trump’s talk of deploying National Guard in Chicago
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/chicago-immigration-enforcement-raids/
USPS Reports 5.7% Decline In Parcel Volumes, $9BN Loss
USPS Reports 5.7% Decline In Parcel Volumes, $9BN Loss
Submitted by Eric Kulisch of FreightWaves,
The U.S. Postal Service lost $9 billion in fiscal year 2025, a $500 million improvement from the prior year that officials attributed to greater revenue intake and reduction in transportation and workers compensation costs. But controllable loss, essentially adjusted operating income that excludes expenses such as workers compensation that are out of management’s control, worsened from $1.8 billion to $2.7 billion.
Financial results for the year ended Sept. 30 were released Friday as the Postal Service ups its tempo for the busy holiday period, when package and greeting card volumes surge.
The U.S. Postal Service needs to “execute flawlessly” during the peak shipping season before Christmas, and beyond, to demonstrate it can sustain improved service performance and win more parcel volumes necessary for the organization’s financial recovery, Postmaster General David Steiner said in a video address to employees this week. Service levels are steadily improving this year and the Postal Service is regularly able to achieve on-time service in the high-eighty and mid-ninety percentiles for some of our products, he told the board of governors Friday. And nearly half of the packages and mail are actually delivered earlier than the service standard.
The national post said operating revenue increased $916 million, transportation expenses fell $422 million and worker’s compensation expense declined $1.1 billion, partially offset by increased compensation and benefits expense of $1.7 billion, including a voluntary retirement program, and higher other operating expenses of $221 million. About 10,500 employees accepted early retirement offers leading to a $167 million expense provision.
Total operating revenue was $80.5 billion, an increase of $916 million, or 1.2 percent, compared to the prior year. The increase was due largely to continued growth of USPS Ground Advantage shipping service, which replaced first-class package services in 2023 and offers two-to-five day service standards for packages up to 70 pounds, as well as price increases in both mail and shipping categories.
First-Class Mail revenue increased 1.5% ($370 million) on a 5% volume decline year over year. Marketing Mail revenue increased 2.3% ($350 million), despite a 1.3% decline in volume. Shipping and packages revenue increased 1.0% to $32.6 billion despite a 5.7% volume decline, or 415 million pieces.
The Postal Service is seeking further administrative and legislative reforms to get rid of outdated financial and regulatory burdens that other government agencies don’t face. These reforms include: changes in retiree pension benefit funding rules for the Civil Service Retirement System benefits, diversification of pension assets, raising the statutory debt ceiling, and workers’ compensation administration reform. The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 repealed the requirement that the USPS annually prepay future retirement health benefits, but more structural changes are needed, postal officials say.
Steiner, who has been on the job for a little more than 100 days, said he planned to build on the Delivering for America transformation plan of his predecessor, Louis DeJoy, saying the Postal Service is “generally on the right track in terms of network modernization strategies.”
He stressed the importance of generating more revenue by attracting parcel business, which postal watchers say is one of the few tools available since most costs are fixed and difficult to lower. In a news release last month, Steiner added that he expects the Postal Service to continue gaining market share in the parcel sector.
The USPS, which delivered an average of 23.9 million packages per day in 2024, controls more than 30% of the parcel market by volume. Despite being the market share leader, it only gets about 17% of the market’s total revenue, compared to UPS’s nearly 32% of revenues and FedEx, with 25% of the available revenue, according to ShipMatrix.
“By any standard our financial situation is precarious. No organization, even the Postal Service, can lose billions every year without consequences. Over the coming 12 months, we are going to act with urgency to get on a financially sustainable path,” Steiner said in the video.
Peak season prep
Postal service officials say they are ready for the busiest mailing period of the year.
Over the past four years, the U.S. Postal Service has invested nearly $20 billion in its facilities, logistics and processing capabilities, to streamline its mail and package network and improve delivery reliability.
The USPS has added 94 high-tech package sorting machines this year. The installation of 614 total automated sorters over the past five years has increased daily processing capacity from 60 million to 88 million packages. The machines have automated scanning capabilities that allow tracking visibility for customers as packages move through the postal system and can handle larger packages than legacy machines, according to the semi-private agency.
The Postal Service is hiring 14,000 temporary employees to help handle the surge in letters and parcels, down from 40,000 a few years ago. There is less need for temporary workers after the USPS in 2020 began converting 232,000 precareer employees to full-time positions.
This year, the national post has opened new facilities in Dallas, Phoenix; Johnson City, Tennessee; and other locations, and will soon open buildings in Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Tampa, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas. Within the past four years, USPS has opened nine regional processing and distribution centers; 19 regional transfer hubs (which now handle two thirds of three-to-five day Ground Advantage packages); 17 local processing centers and 133 sorting and delivery centers.
At the same time the USPS is adding more efficient infrastructure, it is closing other facilities in an effort to consolidate operations.
The U.S. Postal Service in 2021 had 427 facilities, many of them operated by contractors or under short-term leases, functioning in an uncoordinated manner. Under the transformation agenda initiated by former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the agency is moving to standardize operations by downsizing the network to 250 facilities — 60 regional processing and distribution centers, and 190 local processing centers that sort letters, flats and parcels for final-mile delivery. Critics say the reorganization has negatively affected service in recent years.
Updated service standards this year allow the USPS to turn around mail within a region in two or three days, an improvement from the past, according to the USPS.
“Without a doubt, the Postal Service is in a better place today than it would have been without these initiatives. They dramatically improved our middle mile operations to transform the Postal Service into a logistics powerhouse,” Steiner said during the board meeting. “While we may change specific initiatives as we move forward and our execution needs improvement, I do not see the need for a fundamental reassessment of our processing and logistics modernization strategies at this time.”
The Postal Service said it has received nearly 29,000 new vehicles this year and deployed more than 24,000 of them on postal delivery routes. The Postal Service expects to acquire a total of 106,480 new vehicles, including 66,000 zero-emission electric vehicles, aimed at improving service reliability and reducing emissions.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 11/17/2025 – 10:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/usps-reports-57-decline-parcel-volumes-9bn-loss
Estudiantes extranjeros se matriculan en universidades de EEUU pese a temores
Por COLLIN BINKLEY y MAKIYA SEMINERA
WASHINGTON (AP) — Estudiantes extranjeros se matricularon en universidades de Estados Unidos en números sólidos este otoño a pesar de los temores por la represión migratoria de la administración Trump. Sin embargo, hay señales de turbulencia ya que llegaron menos estudiantes nuevos según un nuevo informe.
En general, los campus de Estados Unidos vieron una disminución del 1% en la matrícula internacional este otoño en comparación con el año pasado, según una encuesta del Instituto de Educación Internacional. Pero esa cifra se sostiene por el gran número de estudiantes que permanecieron para trabajos temporales después de graduarse. El número de nuevos estudiantes que ingresaron por primera vez cayó un 17%, la disminución más pronunciada desde la pandemia de COVID-19.
Algunas universidades están viendo retrocesos que han creado grandes agujeros en los ingresos por matrícula, pero en general la caída es menos severa de lo que algunos grupos habían pronosticado. Los investigadores atribuyen a las universidades los enormes esfuerzos por ayudar a los estudiantes a navegar los problemas de visa durante el verano.
“Creo que las universidades hicieron absolutamente todo lo que estaba en su poder para abogar por que estos estudiantes llegaran a Estados Unidos”, declaró Mirka Martel, jefa de investigación, evaluación y aprendizaje del instituto.
En la Universidad DePaul, una universidad católica en Chicago, el número de estudiantes internacionales de posgrado cayó casi un 62% este otoño, un factor determinante en los recientes recortes de gastos. El presidente de la universidad culpó a los problemas de visa estudiantil y al interés decreciente por estudiar en Estados Unidos, calificándolo de una interrupción “masiva”.
En general, casi el 60% de las universidades reportaron una disminución en nuevos estudiantes extranjeros este otoño, encontró la encuesta, mientras que el 30% vio aumentos y otras se mantuvieron estables. Más de 800 escuelas respondieron a la encuesta, que ofrece una mirada temprana a las tendencias antes de que se publiquen los datos completos el próximo año.
Trump ha presionado para reducir la matrícula extranjera
La administración Trump ha buscado reducir la dependencia de Estados Unidos de los estudiantes extranjeros. La Casa Blanca está presionando a las universidades para que limiten la matrícula de estudiantes extranjeros y matriculen a más ciudadanos del país. En junio, el Departamento de Estado comenzó a examinar las solicitudes de visa más de cerca después de detener temporalmente todas las entrevistas.
El procesamiento de visas ha continuado rezagado en algunos países, incluida India, la mayor fuente de estudiantes extranjeros. Las empresas de educación han informado que los futuros estudiantes universitarios ahora muestran un interés decreciente en Estados Unidos y más en Europa y Asia. Aunque la matrícula internacional se mantuvo relativamente estable, hay preocupaciones sobre su sostenibilidad.
“Hay señales de advertencia para los próximos años, y estoy realmente preocupado por lo que esto presagia para 2026 y 2027”, indicó Clay Harmon, director ejecutivo de irector of AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management, que representa a universidades y agencias de reclutamiento.
Los estudiantes extranjeros constituyen aproximadamente el 6% de los estudiantes universitarios en Estados Unidos, pero juegan un papel desproporcionado en los presupuestos de los campus. La mayoría paga tasas de matrícula más altas y no recibe ayuda financiera, subsidiando efectivamente a los estudiantes nacionales. Sus números son mucho más altos en campus de élite, a menudo constituyendo una cuarta parte o más del cuerpo estudiantil.
Los estudiantes internacionales a nivel de posgrado vieron el mayor retroceso este otoño, con una caída del 12%. Eso fue compensado en gran medida por el aumento en el número de estudiantes que participan en el Entrenamiento Práctico Opcional, que permite a los estudiantes permanecer en Estados Unidos para trabajos temporales después de graduarse. Los números de pregrado aumentaron ligeramente.
Los estudiantes de posgrado constituyen la mayor parte de los estudiantes extranjeros en Estados Unidos, a menudo viniendo para programas de ciencia, matemáticas y negocios. Los números ya habían comenzado a estabilizarse el año pasado después de un aumento post-pandemia, pero la reciente agitación parece haber acelerado la caída. En la encuesta, las universidades que vieron disminuciones citan factores que incluyen problemas de visa y otras restricciones de viaje.
Caídas llevan a recortes presupuestarios en algunas universidades
Muchas universidades más pequeñas y regionales han reportado descensos, especialmente entre estudiantes de maestría y doctorado.
En un reciente discurso en el campus, el presidente de la Universidad de Albany señaló que una disminución en los estudiantes extranjeros de posgrado estaba teniendo un “impacto desproporcionado” en el presupuesto de la escuela. En la Universidad Estatal de Kent en Ohio, la caída en los números internacionales requirió 4 millones de dólares adicionales en recortes para equilibrar el presupuesto, escribió el presidente en una actualización de octubre.
Incluso las universidades públicas más grandes no fueron inmunes. El campus insignia de la Universidad de Illinois vio caer sus números internacionales, impulsado por una caída del 6% en estudiantes de posgrado. En la Universidad de Michigan, la matrícula de posgrado extranjera cayó en una proporción similar. La Universidad Estatal de Arizona, que tiene más estudiantes extranjeros que cualquier otro campus público, vio caer sus números generales en un 3%.
Las universidades están ofreciendo una mayor flexibilidad a los estudiantes que no pudieron llegar al campus este otoño, según la encuesta. Casi tres cuartas partes están permitiendo a los estudiantes extranjeros diferir su matrícula al trimestre de primavera, y más de la mitad están permitiendo aplazamientos hasta el otoño de 2026.
Las universidades en otros países, mientras tanto, han buscado capitalizar la interrupción, sostuvo Joann Ng Hartmann, funcionario de NAFSA, una agencia que promueve la educación internacional. En Alemania, Canadá y algunos otros países, las universidades están intensificando los esfuerzos para reclutar estudiantes que dudan de ir a Estados Unidos.
“Tienen políticas más amigables, y los estudiantes se dan cuenta de eso”, dijo. “Tienen mensajes más amigables para los estudiantes y los estudiantes se sienten más bienvenidos”.
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La cobertura educativa de The Associated Press recibe el apoyo de varias fundaciones privadas. La AP es la única responsable del contenido. Encuentra los estándares de la AP para trabajar con organizaciones filantrópicas, una lista de las fundaciones y las áreas de cobertura que financian en AP.org.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Turkish LPG Tanker Ablaze After Russian Drone Strike On Ukrainian Port
Turkish LPG Tanker Ablaze After Russian Drone Strike On Ukrainian Port
Another Russian overnight massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine has had some serious spillover effects, as the Turkish flagged LPG tanker “Orinda” carrying thousands of metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas was reportedly struck at the port of Izmail in Odesa.
The Turkish vessel was reportedly struck directly by a Russian drone, prompting the immediate evacuation of all 16 crew members, with no casualties reported.
Stillframe, aftermath of strike
Other civilian vessels were also damaged, with firefighting and emergency crews quickly dispatch to try and contain the blaze. At least a dozen commercial vessels have previously been damaged in similar Russian drone attacks on the port.
Romania is alarmed as the impacted port lies just across the border from the NATO country, and it has ordered the nearby village of Plauru along the Ukraine border to be evacuated.
The Orinda carries 4,000 tons of gas, and so the dangerous incident presents the risk of a major explosion, and containing the fire has proven difficult.
Some are calling for Turkey to take definitive action against Russia. For example Turkish member of parliament Ulaş Karasu (CHP) pointed out on X that “The drone attack targeting the liquefied gas carrier named MT Orinda, flying the Turkish flag, in the Black Sea shows that the war is now targeting Turkish seafarers as well.”
The Turkish politician continued:
Turkish seafarers cannot be left alone in the midst of war! The absence of loss of life is certainly a consolation for us, but the government cannot brush off this attack by calling it “isolated.” The safety of our ships and crew must be ensured!
🇷🇴 Romania evacuates village near Ukraine after Russian drone hits LNG tanker
Residents near Plauru were evacuated after a Russian drone strike in Ukraine’s Izmail area set fire to the Turkish-flagged LNG tanker ORINDA, carrying around 4,000 tons of liquefied gas, Euronews… pic.twitter.com/yNidsVTFaV
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 17, 2025
BBC says that it has verified the footage:
The footage appears to have been filmed from the small Romanian village of Plauru, just across the river.The village is now being evacuated due to the ship’s “proximity to Romanian territory and the nature of its cargo”, emergency services say.
Ordina is almost 125m (410ft) long and can hold up to 8292 cubic metres (1.8 million gallons) of fuel, according to ship tracking website Marine Traffic.
The incident demonstrates once again that the longer and more expanded the war on energy sites between Russia and Ukraine grows, the greater the risk of drawing external countries in. Various officials within NATO have long wanted Turkey to take harsher action against Russian shipping to international markets by cutting off access to the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 11/17/2025 – 09:40
‘Goldilocks’ Empire Fed Manufacturing Survey Surges To One Year High
‘Goldilocks’ Empire Fed Manufacturing Survey Surges To One Year High
Amid the last month’s absence of hard economic data, investors have had to rely on soft survey data (and alternative providers) and that has been somewhat optimistic…
Today, we saw yet another soft survey data point beat expectations as the NY Fed’s ‘Empire State Manufacturing Survey’ surged to +18.7 from +10.7 and smashing expectations of a +5.8 print…
“Manufacturing activity grew at a solid pace in New York State, with the survey’s headline index reaching its highest level since last November,” said Richard Deitz, Economic Research Advisor at the New York Fed.
Gauges of new orders and shipments also advanced to the highest in a year.
The overall outlook over the next six months moderated but has been positive for most of the year.
A measure of factory employment edged up and a gauge of hours worked climbed to the highest since May 2022 against the backdrop of steadier demand. The outlook for employment in the next six months climbed to the highest since the start of the year.
Additionally, The Fed’s report showed gauges of prices paid for materials as well as a measure of prices received both eased. Forward-looking metrics for both also cooled.
Finally, we find it interesting that this survey soared after the election of Marxist sympathizer Mamdani as NYC mayor?
Tyler Durden
Mon, 11/17/2025 – 09:30
A Very Important Week For Consumer Stocks
A Very Important Week For Consumer Stocks
Goldman’s top sector specialist, Scott Feiler, offers four thoughts on the consumer ahead of what he calls a “very important week” for the space.
Feiler said that consumer stocks finally showed signs of life last week, helped by a few solid earnings beats, but the improvement was mostly based on market rotation as AI names dumped for three consecutive days.
He said the next round of consumer earnings, from now till Thanksgiving, should look better than the first leg of the earnings season.
Positioning in discretionary sits at 7-year lows, he noted, adding that many traders are reluctant to pre-trade a 2026 “consumer rebound” given that the group still trades in the shadow of daily AI moves and a labor market that feels soft.
Here’s what Feiler is telling clients about consumer stocks before the week kicks off:
1. Consumer Refresh – The consumer group finally acted a little better last week. Why? It helped that the limited consumer EPS reports we got were good and were finally rewarded, as opposed to faded (ONON, REAL, DDS). We should get a run of good results this week and next from a bunch of the bellwethers. It won’t be unanimous, but earnings between now and Thanksgiving should feel much better than the 1st part of the consumer earnings season.
While the better EPS results helped last week, the improved price action really just felt primarily the result of market factors. The sector outperformed the market 3 days in a row (Tuesday to Thursday). Those 3 days just so happened to be the 3 days of the substantial AI underperformance.
2. What Next for Consumer? Hope, but Without Conviction:
It does feel like we can see some better price action in consumer until year-end. It does not feel like it can happen in a straight line though. We highlighted gross exposure last week in discretionary is at 7 year lows (GS PB) and there is still optimism about the tax refund/stimulus trade in 1H26.
3. Bellwether Week Ahead – Better Results Finally?:
Glass Half Full Week?: Some of the biggest consumer companies in the world report this week. It will not be perfect but would expect this week of earnings to be better than the last few in Consumer.
WMT – No Change?: Given some of the recent concerns on the US consumer, there are few more important things this week than WMT. A beat and raise is expected. It is worth noting that our analyst, Kate McShane, spoke with the management 3x during September and October. Their message was always that they had seen no change to the US Consumer, despite industry concerns. COST did release October results a couple weeks after our last conversation with WMT and COST noted some slowdown at the end of October. Bottom-line, expectations are for WMT’s actual results to be quite good still, but there will be a focus as to whether they saw the late October and early November slowing that others alluded to.
Others That Should Beat: There will be plenty of other really important ones also. Beats are expected are TJX, WSM, ROST & GAP. Then next week, beats are expected from BBY, BURL, DKS, URBN & others.
Home Improvement – Price Action is a Must Watch: Sentiment has cooled here very recently. Small top-line downside is expected from both HD and LOW and consensus numbers in 2026 have been moving lower. Despite some expected squishiness here, there does still seem to be investors optimism that pockets of housing are ownable into 2026 (HD especially). That is why price action will be just as telling as actual results, given few names in consumer have traded well on squishy results so far. Our view is the price action out of HD and LOW feels like it will be more important than the actual results, absent a shock out of numbers (other than tiny top-line downside).
4. De-grossing Activity Slowed & Consumer Was Slightly Better to Buy: In last weekend’s note, we highlighted how gross exposure to consumer discretionary on our PB book hit 7 year lows. This past week, the PB noted single stocks saw their largest gross trading activity in over 4 years, and Consumer Discretionary and Staples both participated in that, and were both better to buy. That’s a change vs the recent trend.
The total PB book saw long buys outpacing short sales (3.4 to 1). Consumer was not alone in higher trading activity, as all sectors saw increased gross trading flow, led in $ terms by Info Tech (short sales > long buys), Industrials (long buys > short sales), Health Care (long buys > short sales). Consumer Disc (long buys > short sales), and Staples (long buys > short sales) were close behind though.
Investor positioning within the consumer stocks that Feiler’s desk tracks.
Related:
A Tale Of Two Consumer Worlds – Captured In A Single Chart
Consumers Ditch Restaurants For Groceries As Budgets Break
Early Warning Indicator Signals Sharp Sentiment Deterioration Among Low-Income Consumers, Gen Z
“Worst Consumer Sentiment In Decades”: Goldman Goes Defcon 1 On Imploding US Consumer
With low-income consumers certaintly pressured, the Trump administration has launched:
“Surgical & Beautiful”: Trump Boasts Operation Affordability Ahead Of Midterm Cycle
All eyes are on low-tier consumers. Their sentiments matter.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 11/17/2025 – 09:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/very-important-week-consumer-stocks
Immigrant student enrollment is dwindling at schools across the US
From Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrollment of students from immigrant families.
In some cases, parents have been deported or voluntarily returned to their home countries, driven out by President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Others have moved elsewhere inside the U.S.
In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries. As fewer people cross the U.S. border, administrators in small towns and big cities alike are reporting fewer newcomer students than usual.
In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, about 2,550 students have entered the district from another country so far this school year — down from nearly 14,000 last year, and more than 20,000 the year before that. School board member Luisa Santos, who attended district schools herself as a young immigrant, said the trend is “a sad reality.”
“I was one of those arrivals when I was 8 years old,” Santos said. “And this country and our public schools — I’ll never get tired of saying it — gave me everything.”
Collectively, the enrollment declines in Miami-Dade erased about $70 million from the district’s annual budget, forcing administrators to scramble to cover the unexpected shortfall.
The drops in immigrant students add to strains on enrollment at many traditional public schools, which have seen overall numbers dip due to demographic changes and students opting for alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. Despite needs for English instruction and social supports, the newcomers in some districts have helped to buoy enrollment and bring critical per-pupil funding in recent years.
In northern Alabama, Albertville City Schools Superintendent Bart Reeves has seen the local economy grow along with its Hispanic population, which for decades has been drawn by the area’s poultry processing plants. Albertville soon will be getting its first Target store, a sign of the community’s growing prosperity.
Reeves’ district is home to one of Alabama’s largest Hispanic student populations, with about 60% identifying as Hispanic. But Reeves said the district’s newcomer academy at a local high school hasn’t been enrolling any new students.
“That’s just not happening this year with the closure of the border,” said Reeves, who expects the hit to his budget from enrollment declines will cost him about 12 teacher positions.
Some students are self-deporting with their families
One Sunday morning in August, Edna, a 63-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, got the call she had been dreading. Her friend, a mother from Guatemala with seven young children, had been detained in Lake Worth, Florida, on immigration charges while she was out grabbing a treat for her kids’ breakfast.
The family had prepared for this moment. There were legal documents in place granting temporary custody of the children to Edna, who asked to be identified only by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement.
“I’ll be here, and we’ll be OK,” she recalled telling the oldest child, a 12-year-old boy.
In the weeks that followed, Edna stayed home with two younger kids and got their five older siblings on the bus each day to attend Palm Beach County public schools, where enrollment has fallen by more than 6,000 students this year. One day in September, all seven children boarded a plane to Guatemala to be reunited with their mom, leaving behind neighborhood friends, band practices, and the only life they had ever known.
“My house feels like a garden without flowers,” Edna said. “They’re all gone.”
The family is now living in a rural part of Guatemala, out of reach of phone service. School there had already started for the year and the mother, who did not attend school herself as a child, was keeping them home and weighing whether to enroll them next year, Edna said.
Schools accustomed to newcomers see far fewer this year
The declines in the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. were already becoming evident in school registration numbers this summer.
Denver Public Schools enrolled 400 new-to-country students this summer, compared to 1,500 during the previous summer. Outside Chicago, Waukegan Community Unified School District 60 signed up 100 fewer new immigrant students. And administrators in the Houston Independent School District shuttered the Las Americas Newcomer School, a program dedicated to children who are new to the U.S., after its enrollment fell to just 21 students from 111 last year.
The shift is visible in places like Chelsea, Massachusetts, a city outside Boston that has long been a destination for new immigrants. The 6,000-student Chelsea Public Schools system has attracted Central Americans looking for affordable housing, and more recently, the state housed newly-arrived Haitians in shelters there. This year, the usual influx of newcomers didn’t materialize.
“This year has been different. Much more quiet,” said Daniel Mojica, director of Chelsea’s parent information center.
Over the summer, 152 newcomers signed up for Chelsea Public Schools, compared to 592 new-to-country students the previous summer.
Some are also picking up and leaving. Since January, 844 students have withdrawn from the district, compared to 805 during the same period last year. Mojica said a greater share of students leaving – roughly a quarter – are returning to their native countries.
He attributes that partly to the presence of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers walking the city’s streets.
“You can feel the fear in the air,” he said.
Educators worry students are missing out
In San Diego, Principal Fernando Hernandez has enrolled dozens of newcomer students from across Latin America over the past couple years. Many made the treacherous journey through the jungles of the Darien Gap before setting up camp in a park near Perkins K-8 school.
About a third of students at the school are homeless. Staff have become experts on supporting kids who are facing adversity. As more newcomers arrived, Hernandez watched as Mexican American students switched up their playground slang to be better understood by their new classmates from Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.
But so far this school year, he hasn’t enrolled a single newcomer student. Other families did not return when the new school year began.
Hernandez fears the toll of the disruption will extend far beyond students’ academic progress. He worries students are missing out on chances to learn how to show empathy, to share, to disagree, to understand each other.
“This is like a repeat of the pandemic where the kids are isolated, locked up, not socializing,” he said.
“These kids, they have to be in school,” he added.
Natacha, a parent who moved with her family to California after leaving Venezuela, said she tries to avoid going out in public, but continues sending her daughters to school. Natacha, who asked to only be identified by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement, said she braces herself as she drives the girls home each afternoon, scanning the road behind her in case another car is following hers.
“I entrust myself to God,” she said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/immigrant-student-enrollment/
Trump plans to meet with Mamdani, says he’ll ‘work something out’ with New York City’s mayor-elect
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that he plans to meet with New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and said they’ll “work something out,” in what could be a detente for the Republican president and Democratic political star who have cast each other as political foils.
Trump has for months slammed Mamdani, falsely labeling him as a “communist” and predicting the ruin of his hometown, New York, if the democratic socialist was elected. He also threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen, and to pull federal money from the city.
Mamdani rose from an obscure state lawmaker to become a social media star and symbol of the resistance against Trump during his mayoral campaign. He campaigned on an array of progressive policies and a message that was stark in its opposition to the aggressive, anti-immigrant agenda Trump has rolled out in his second White House term.
The 34-year-old appealed to a broad cross-section of New Yorkers and defeated one of its political heavyweights, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, by nearly 9 percentage points.
In his election night victory speech, Mamdani said he wanted New York to show the country how to defeat the president. But the day after, while speaking about his plans for “Trump-proofing” New York once he takes office in January, the incoming mayor also said he was willing to work with anyone, including the president, if it can help New Yorkers.
Representatives for Mamdani did not have an immediate comment Sunday night on the president’s remarks, but a spokesperson pointed to the mayor-elect’s remarks last week when he said he planned to reach out to the White House “because this is a relationship that will be critical to the success of the city.”
Trump expressed a similar sentiment on Sunday.
“The mayor of New York, I will say, would like to meet with us. We’ll work something out,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to fly back to Washington after spending the weekend in Florida.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified shortly after that Trump was referring to Mamdani and said no date had been set for such a meeting.
“We want to see everything work out well for New York,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments came as he also said the U.S. may hold discussions soon with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, after a military buildup near the South American country: “I’ll talk to anybody,” Trump said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/trump-new-york-city-mayor-elect/
Más personas están quedando rezagadas en el pago de sus facturas bajo Trump
Más personas están quedando rezagadas en el pago de sus facturas para mantener la luz y calentar sus hogares, según un nuevo análisis de datos de consumidores, lo que representa una señal de advertencia para la economía de Estados Unidos y otro dolor de cabeza político para el presidente Donald Trump.
Los saldos vencidos con las compañías de servicios públicos aumentaron un 9,7% anualmente a 789 dólares entre los períodos de abril a junio de 2024 y 2025, indicó The Century Foundation, un grupo de expertos liberal. El aumento ha coincidido con un incremento del 12% en las facturas mensuales de energía durante el mismo período.
Los consumidores suelen priorizar sus facturas de servicios públicos junto con sus hipotecas y deudas de automóviles, señaló Julie Margetta Morgan, presidenta de la fundación. El aumento tanto en los costos de energía como en las morosidades puede sugerir que los consumidores también están quedando rezagados en otras facturas.
“Hay mucha información sobre el aumento de los costos de los servicios públicos, pero aquí podemos ver realmente cuál ha sido el impacto en las familias en términos de cómo se están quedando atrás”, expresó Margetta Morgan.
Los problemas para pagar las facturas de electricidad y gas natural reflejan algo de un dilema económico para Trump, quien está promoviendo el desarrollo de la industria de la inteligencia artificial como una parte clave de un auge económico que ha prometido. Pero los centros de datos de IA usan electricidad en enormes cantidades y amenazan con aumentar aún más las facturas de servicios públicos para los ciudadanos comunes.
Estos problemas también surgen mientras Trump enfrenta presión política de votantes hartos del alto costo de vida.
Desde que los republicanos vieron caer su fortuna en las elecciones de medio término este mes y se identificó la asequibilidad como el principal problema, Trump ha estado tratando de convencer al público de que los precios están bajando. Las facturas de electricidad podrían ser un problema en algunos distritos electorales en las elecciones de mitad de período del próximo año.
Trump ha puesto énfasis particular en los precios en las gasolineras. La gasolina representa aproximadamente el 3% del índice de precios al consumidor, un poco menos que la parte correspondiente a las facturas de electricidad y gas natural, lo que significa que los posibles ahorros en combustible podrían ser más que compensados por facturas de servicios públicos más altas.
El presidente sostiene que cualquier dato preocupante sobre la inflación es falso y que los demócratas simplemente están tratando de dañar la reputación de su administración.
“De hecho, los costos bajo la ADMINISTRACIÓN TRUMP están cayendo en picada, ayudados en gran medida por la gasolina y la ENERGÍA”, publicó Trump en las redes sociales el viernes. “El argumento de los precios altos es una mentira cuando lo usan los demócratas”.
Casi seis millones de hogares tienen deudas de servicios públicos “tan severas” que pronto serán reportadas a agencias de cobro, según el análisis de la fundación, extraído del Panel de Crédito al Consumidor de la Universidad de California.
Durante los primeros seis meses de Trump en el cargo, hubo un aumento del 3,8% en los hogares con facturas de servicios públicos gravemente atrasadas.
“Los votantes están frustrados y las familias están sufriendo porque estos gigantes tecnológicos están haciendo tratos a puerta cerrada con políticos, y eso está causando que sus facturas de energía aumenten”, sostuvo Mike Pierce, director ejecutivo del grupo de defensa Protect Borrowers, que contribuyó al análisis. “Si la administración Trump no quiere hacer su trabajo y proteger a las familias y hacer la vida más asequible, supongo que esa es decisión suya”.
Tanto Margetta Morgan como Pierce trabajaron anteriormente en la Oficina de Protección Financiera del Consumidor, una agencia gubernamental formada en parte para rastrear tendencias en el endeudamiento de los hogares para prevenir posibles abusos. La administración Trump esencialmente ha cerrado esa oficina.
La administración ha dicho hasta ahora que no tiene responsabilidad por los aumentos en los precios de la electricidad, ya que a menudo son regulados por juntas de servicios públicos estatales. La Casa Blanca sostiene que los costos de los servicios públicos son más altos en los estados demócratas que dependen de formas de energía renovable.
“Los precios de la electricidad son un problema estatal”, aseguró el secretario del Tesoro, Scott Bessent, a ABC News este mes. “Hay cosas que el gobierno federal puede controlar. Los precios locales de la electricidad no son una de ellas”.
Sin embargo, el análisis de The Century Foundation asevera que la administración Trump está contribuyendo a los mayores costos de servicios públicos “al obstaculizar la generación de energía renovable”, incluida la solar y eólica.
Si bien el nuevo análisis es una señal de advertencia, otros análisis económicos sobre los consumidores sugieren que sus finanzas son estables a pesar de algunas presiones emergentes.
La Reserva Federal de Nueva York ha dicho que las tasas de morosidad de 90 días o más para hipotecas, préstamos para automóviles y deudas estudiantiles han aumentado en los últimos 12 meses, aunque reconoció que las morosidades hipotecarias son “relativamente bajas”. Un análisis del gasto con tarjetas de débito y crédito por el Instituto del Bank of America Institute mostró que la “salud financiera general de los consumidores parece sólida”.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
US Home Builders Offer ‘Elevated’ Incentives Amid Affordability Challenges
US Home Builders Offer ‘Elevated’ Incentives Amid Affordability Challenges
Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Faced with affordability constraints and cautious demand, and with abundant land in states such as Arizona, Utah, Texas, and Florida, many developers are offering enticing incentives to potential homebuyers.
A recent Redfin report indicates that builders are offering mortgage-rate buydowns, assistance with closing costs, and upgraded home amenities to attract buyers. In areas where supply exceeds demand, the report found builders offering up to $10,000 in closing costs, as well as top-of-the-line appliances or home finishes.
“New homes still make up a significantly higher portion of the single-family supply than before the pandemic,” the report states. As demand escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, new home construction increased to approximately 35 percent in 2022, up from 20 percent in 2019.
While new construction has slowed to 27 percent in August, some markets are still experiencing a glut of leftover new homes on the market. As a result, the report indicates, builders may be cautious about starting new projects as they attempt to sell off existing inventory.
In its October report, the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) housing market index (HMI) found that 38 percent of builders were reducing prices by as much as 6 percent, while 65 percent indicated they were offering sales incentives to prospective buyers.
Still, the NAHB noted that builder confidence for newly-constructed single-family homes was 37 in October—up by five points from September and the highest reading since April.
D.R. Horton, one of the country’s largest homebuilders, recently reported that its homebuilding revenue for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 decreased by 7 percent to $31.5 billion, with homes closed dropping by 5 percent to 84,863.
In an Oct. 28 statement, the Arlington, Texas-based company indicated it had 29,600 homes in inventory, of which 19,600 were unsold as of the end of September.
David Auld, D.R. Horton’s executive chairman, said that affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment are still impacting new-home demand.
‘Incredible Deals’
Developers in Houston, Texas, are offering “incredible deals,” Houston Association of Realtors Vice Chair Kat Robinson told The Epoch Times.
“Some of them have mortgage interest rates as low as 3.99 percent—that’s unbelievable,” she said.
“So now buyers have the choice of paying around 6 percent for a resale where they may have to make some repairs, or just drive an extra 15 minutes to buy something new for a much lower rate.”
Other concessions include help with closing costs or upgrades to appliances or countertops.
“The incentive plans change about every month based on the number of units sold,” Robinson noted.
Sales of new single-family homes are comparable to last year, she said, and much better than in 2023. Pricing varies by development and location, but on average, a 1,800-square-foot new construction with three bedrooms and two baths is listed for $500,000.
Many developments offer a community center, pool, walking paths, other amenities, along with monthly homeowners association (HOA) fees.
Still, resale homes continue to draw prospective buyers.
“A lot of older neighborhoods have full-grown trees that canopy the streets and create a charming experience,” Robinson said. “A lot of people do prefer resale homes because they want trees.”
According to Robinson, the greater Houston area has more listings than ever, and buyers now have many choices and more negotiation power.
Some Areas See Higher Sales
Christy Walker, president of the Phoenix Realtors, told The Epoch Times that nearly 10 percent of the 19,200 active home listings in the greater Phoenix area are new builds, and she has seen developers offering buyer incentives.
Some of the incentives include lower interest rates of 4.5 percent on conventional loans and 4.25 percent on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, according to Walker. Other incentives include assistance with closing costs or home upgrades, such as appliances or finishes.
Meanwhile, Walker has witnessed higher sales for new construction in the area.
“We have a new build that we’re selling, and appointments to see models on the new construction site were scooped up within the first hour,” she said.
“We now have over 600 on a waiting list to see them.”
Located in North Phoenix, The Ridge at Stone Butte offers single-family homes ranging from 1,600 to 4,000 square feet, featuring gourmet kitchens, spa-like bathrooms, walk-in closets, and panoramic views of the desert.
Walker noted that new construction for a 1,800-square-foot, single-family home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms typically lists in the mid-$600,000s.
“With the median sales price of about $550,000 for a similar resale home, a lot of potential homeowners are opting for a brand new home—one where they can actually save on mortgage interest costs,” she said.
Because Phoenix and its outlying regions have abundant available land, the area has traditionally been a popular place for new home development.
“We have a lot of out-of-state buyers looking for more affordable options, as well as some local move-up and first-time buyers,” Walker noted.
New Construction in 2026
In its Emerging Real Estate Trends for 2026 report, PCW and the Urban Land Institute forecast that builders are looking to the future with cautious optimism. While new homes and resale inventory are increasing, some builders are shifting to single-family rental partnerships and slowing down on major land purchases.
“Affordability remains the greatest challenge and is being addressed by constructing smaller, lower-spec homes, as most buyers are willing to sacrifice size and finishes for price relief,” the report states.
The report suggests one method builders could use to make homes more affordable is to build smaller ones. The average size of a new single-family home fell to 2,386 square feet in the second quarter from a peak of 2,692 square feet in 2016.
Other builders say they plan to lower the ceiling height, provide fewer windows, and add lower-finish countertops to save costs.
Some builders surveyed believe rising costs in labor and materials could be challenging over the next two years. Almost all stressed the need for collaboration with local municipalities to allow for increased density, thereby reducing housing costs and streamlining the permitting process and project approvals.
In an earlier report this year, the National Association of Realtors found that the South is experiencing some of the best deals in new home construction. It named the five markets with the largest declines in new home prices: Little Rock, Arkansas, with a 15.6 percent drop; Austin, Texas, 8.5 percent lower; Wichita, Kansas; Jacksonville and Cape Coral, Florida, all at more than 7 percent declines.
“We expect our sales incentives to remain elevated in fiscal 2026, the extent to which will depend on market conditions throughout the year,” he said.
Auld said that the company has expanded its new home construction into seven new states and 38 markets.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 11/17/2025 – 09:00
