Illegal Minors Report Ease of Access to US:  Illegal immigrant minors are sharing their immigration experiences with their family and friends back in Central America, encouraging them to make the journey to the U.S. because it's "so easy" and the chance of deportation is slim to none.  Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner reports that upon arrival, illegals are telling Border Patrol officials that they know they will be freed once they make it across the border, and are texting friends and relatives back home pictures of what they regard as a "permiso," or free pass.  A new surge at the border, according to policy studies director Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies, is partly attributed by a believed assurance among illegals that they will no longer face a possibility of extended detention, or deportation for that matter, because a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to close family and child detention centers.  DHS says that since 2009, it has apprehended roughly 122,700 unaccompanied alien children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, but has deported just 7,700, or six percent.

Friend of San Bernardino Shooters Faces Criminal Charges:  The first criminal charges brought in connection to the deadly terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., earlier this month are against the former neighbor and longtime friend of the shooters.  Kellan Howell of the Washington Times reports that federal prosecutors have arrested and are bringing criminal gun charges against Enrique Marquez, who was a friend and former neighbor of gunman Syed Farook, for purchasing two semi-automatic rifles three years ago that Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used to gun down 14 people at a holiday party.  Marquez explained to officials that he bought the guns as a favor to Farook so he could avoid a background check and being put on record as the buyer.  He also revealed his and Farook's plan to conduct some kind of attack in 2010 that was scrapped after several unrelated terrorism arrests in the southern California area.  Charges could be filed as early as Thursday.  Update:  Marquez has been charged with one count of conspiracy to support terrorism, one count of lying on a gun purchase form and one count of defrauding the immigration system by entering into a sham marriage with a Russian immigrant.  The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 15 years in prison, and he faces 10 years each for the firearms and visa charges.

Mistrial Declared in First Freddie Gray Trial:  The future of the case against the first of six Baltimore police officers tried in the death of Freddie Gray is "up in the air" after a mistrial was declared Wednesday when jurors failed to reach a verdict.  Miriam Khan and Meghan Keneally of ABC News report that officer William Porter was charged with second-degree assault, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in officer for failing to get medical attention for Gray, who died in April after suffering a spinal injury in the back of a police transport van.  The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on any of the charges.  Porter's mistrial may complicate the other cases while a decision is made on whether to push the other trials back, in order to retry Porter. It is possible that the state may offer a plea deal to Porter in exchange for his testimony.  If  another trial is scheduled, there is a chance it may be moved out of Baltimore.  The breakdown of the hung jury has not been released, and prosecutors and defense attorneys have been ordered by the judge not to discuss details of the case publicly.

Visas Are Focus of House Oversight Hearing:  At a House oversight hearing examining immigrant vetting in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., the assistant secretary for the Bureau of Consular Affairs was asked if she had any idea of the present locations of thousands of individuals who have had their visas revoked, to which she replied, "I don't know."  Fox News reports that Michele Thoren Bond said that the U.S. has revoked over 122,000 visas since 2001, including 9,500 because of the threat of terrorism, but the whereabouts of these foreigners is unknown.  The shocking admission comes as scrutiny mounts on the government background examinations of people seeking entry to the country.   The nationwide concern follows news that one of the San Bernardino shooters came to the U.S. last year on a K-1 fiancée visa despite the fact that the she is believed to have already been radicalized and posted radical statements on social media that were overlooked.  Leon Rodriguez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, confirmed the House committee's fears when he told them that reviews of visa applicants' social media posts "aren't being done in an abundant manner."