Axios

The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil in hopes of escaping a blockade imposed by President Trump, according to two sources familiar with the action.

Why it matters: The show of force makes it clear the Trump administration considers almost all oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude to be subject to search and possible seizure — whether the vessel is under sanction or not.

The U.S. military conducted air strikes on Friday against dozens of ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for the attack that killed three U.S. soldiers near the city of Palmyra last weekend, the U.S. military central command said.

Why it matters: Operation "Hawkeye Strike" is the most wide-ranging U.S. military operation against ISIS in Syria in several years.

The Trump administration halted a visa program targeted at nations with low rates of entry to the U.S. after it was linked to the suspect in a recent mass shooting at Brown University.

Why it matters: President Trump has repeatedly seized on crimes allegedly committed by immigrants as an opportunity to further limit immigration.

Some U.S. churches are reimagining Nativity scenes — surrounding the Holy Family with ICE agents or separating Jesus from Mary and Joseph — to protest the Trump administration's intensifying immigration crackdowns.

Why it matters: The displays have become one of the most visible acts of Christmas dissent amid ramped-up workplace raids, home arrests and new restrictions on asylum and legal immigration.

President Trump ordered the suspension of a green card lottery program that enabled the suspect in the Brown University mass shooting and killing of an MIT professor to live in the U.S, a top official announced late Thursday.

The big picture: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's announcement marks the latest Trump administration effort to limit legal immigration amid a wider crackdown that's triggered a wave of lawsuits.