Gov. Greg Abbott suggests he wants to bar transgender teachers from dressing in line with their gender identity
Abbott made the remarks as he recounted the story of a male teacher in North Texas who wore a pink dress for his school’s spirit day earlier this year.
Fox News Politics: Agent of chaos
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? -Biden appears to read teleprompter instructions -Rep. Chip Roy raises alarm over George Soros radio purchases -Nikki Haley wins 150,000 votes in PA primary despite not running A Columbia professor barred from campus after hosting a pro-Jewish rally slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Wednesday, following her comments on the “nonviolent” anti-Israel protesters. “AOC is agent of chaos, and I am just looking forward to my kids and grandkids reading about this chapter in history, and the list of all the rabid antisemites, and to see her name,” professor Shai Davidai told “America’s Newsroom.” “This is not a peaceful protest… she is lying to the people just like Rashida Tlaib, just like Cynthia Nixon from ‘Sex and the City,’ just like the New York Times,” he continued. Her rhetoric came as chaos on Columbia’s campus ignited concerns among the Jewish community as they feared for students’ safety. One rabbi even warned Jewish students to leave campus, cautioning that the NYPD “cannot guarantee your safety.” FLUBBER IN CHIEF: Biden admits ‘we can’t be trusted’ in latest verbal gaffe …Read more ‘IN PLAY’: Biden mocked for boast he can win over state Trump won twice …Read more ‘POLITICAL THEATER’: Leaked doc reveals frustration over ICE unit rebrand …Read more BLASTING BIBI: Pelosi calls on Netanyahu to resign, condemns him as ‘obstacle’ to peace …Read more ON DEBT: Sen. Lee rails against spending ‘money we don’t have’ as Senate passes foreign aid bill …Read more ‘LOVES’ ATTENTION: Fetterman’s ex-aides fume over senator’s support for Israel …Read more MONEY TALKS: Chip Roy raises alarms about George Soros’ radio company purchase …Read more STEP DOWN: House Speaker Johnson calls on Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign …Read more DIFFERENT TUNE: Rep. Omar excuses anti-Israel unrest but branded Jan 6 protesters ‘violent mob’ …Read more HIGHER THAN SCOTUS: Trump blasts NY judge for not letting him leave criminal trial to attend Supreme Court arguments …Read more ‘YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE’: ‘Daily Show’ rips Biden’s ‘cannibals’ remarks …Read more GAME OVER: George Santos ends congressional run less than 2 months into independent campaign …Read more STAYING ON: Biden campaign to stay on TikTok even after president signs law that could see the app banned …Read more ALL RISE: Poll reveals what voters think about Trump vs New York trial …Read more VOTES TO NOWHERE: Nikki Haley wins 150k votes in PA Republican primary despite dropping out …Read more TRUMP RALLY: Dearborn activists could ditch Biden, support Trump …Read more ‘DISCRIMINATORY’: Progressive law school study claims LGBTQ couples are more at risk from climate change harm …Read more HUMAN TRAFFICKING HACKS: Video shows secret methods used to sneak migrants into US by coyotes …Read more ‘EGO’ IN THE WAY: Dem governor too busy with TV ad blitz to fix state’s problems, critics say …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Foreign students could face harsher penalties than suspension for anti-Israel rioting: DHS
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Wednesday that foreign students could potentially face deportation if they are suspended from their courses while on a student visa — just as anti-Israel protests have engulfed Columbia University and other American colleges. With anti-Israel protests taking place at Columbia and college campuses across the country, which have included antisemitic rhetoric and threats to Jewish students, classes have gone hybrid at Columbia due to safety concerns. It has raised questions about whether some students, who may be on student visas, could have them revoked or be deported. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posted on X calling for the removal of foreign nationals backing Hamas. TRUMP SAYS HE’LL ‘FIRE THE RADICAL LEFT’ FROM COLLEGES, FOCUS ON ‘DEFENDING’ AMERICAN ‘TRADITION’ IF ELECTED “Immediately deport all foreign students studying in the USA that support Hamas. We should also revoke federal student loans for any American student arrested for supporting Hamas,” she said. DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations told Fox News that an international student is deemed to be “in status” if they are making progress on their course, and that a temporary suspension does not necessarily impact that status. But there is a path by which that suspension leads to removal proceedings. “A temporary suspension, even if that were a final determination for a student, does not necessarily mean that the student would fall below ‘normal progress’ in his/her course of study,” the spokesperson said. “If a student were to be suspended, DHS would need reason to believe that the student would not be able to make normal progress in his/her course of study,” they added. “And if it believed a suspension merited that type of decision, it would have to initiate removal proceedings, which would be done on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).” COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS Ultimately, the decision to deport a foreign national would be made by an immigration judge. DHS itself does not revoke a visa. Instead, that decision is made by the State Department and most visa revocations do not themselves create a basis for deportation proceedings, but simply prevent any future entry into the U.S. Students who come to the U.S. to study maintain their visa by fulfilling the purpose of their visa (studying) and following the regulations associated with it. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS’ PROTESTS SPIRAL INTO ‘ACTUAL TERROR ORGANIZATION,’ PROFESSOR WARNS Meanwhile, the protests have spread across the country. Students from Massachusetts to California, and Tennessee to Texas are now gathering by the hundreds and are pledging to stay put on campus until their demand is met. The nationwide movement has gained momentum, and administrators continue to allow anti-Israel demonstrations at schools like Columbia, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia and others. The protests mark the six-month milestone in the Israel-Hamas war, which was surpassed earlier this month. That war began with the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. Fox News’ Lawrence Richard and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
The House is practically functioning as a parliament, with Mike Johnson as its ‘prime minister’
You’ve heard of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Well, how about U.S. Prime Minister Mike Johnson? These are the political circumstances now facing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. After all, he runs a “coalition government” in Congress. We hear about so-called “coalition governments” in parliaments overseas all the time. A coalition government exists when no party wins an outright majority of seats. Thus, various factions team up to form a “coalition” and anoint a prime minister. Coalition governments are common in Japan. In the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservatives formed a coalition with Liberal Democrats. That ended a long run by Labour in the UK. It was the first coalition government in Great Britain since the 1970s. UK REPORT FINDS FORMER PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON LIED TO PARLAIMENT OVER ‘PARTYGATE’ SCANDAL The U.S. doesn’t have a parliamentary system, but the House of Representatives is practically functioning as a parliament. It’s a coalition government of lots of Democrats and various swaths of Republicans – depending on the issue. So, Johnson could be perceived as the prime minister of this coalition government. He had the votes for Republicans to elect him as the successor to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last October. In pure parliamentary style, the House even held a “vote of no confidence” on McCarthy’s leadership. Johnson faces a similar threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., over the coalition he built with Republicans and Democrats to avoid government shutdowns and pass the foreign aid package. McCarthy’s “government” fell when he leaned on Democrats to approve bills to raise the debt ceiling and pass an emergency spending measure last October. But unlike McCarthy, Johnson’s tenure remains intact. Although his grip on power is tenuous. TRUMP DEFENDS JOHNSON AS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE PUSHES TO OUST SPEAKER The phenomenon of a “coalition government” for Johnson started emerging last fall, shortly after Johnson clasped the gavel. Johnson met at the Capitol with Cameron, now serving as the British Foreign Secretary. But unlike Johnson, Cameron had already experienced the travails of a coalition government. An impasse of a “hung parliament” in 2010 meant Cameron had to form a coalition between the Tories and Liberal Democrats, leaving Labour at the curb. “There are some very tricky issues to deal with,” Cameron whispered to the new Speaker as they huddled at the Capitol last December. “Yes there are,” Johnson said to Cameron. “We’re navigating them as best we can at the moment. I have a three-vote majority and we just got some announcements today that it’s even smaller than that.” “Oh, I didn’t know that,” Cameron said. But he understood what the rookie Speaker was in for. “Well, my first government, I didn’t have the majority, so I had to have a coalition,” said Cameron. “I know you can relate,” said Johnson at the time. Well, now Johnson’s “governing coalition” has shrunk even further. The Speaker had a three-seat cushion in December when he spoke with Cameron. But Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., is resigning. That will shrink the meager Republican majority to a two-seat margin. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE CALLS JOHNSON’S FOREIGN AID PACKAGE HIS ‘3RD BETRAYAL’ OF AMERICAN PEOPLE Here is the new breakdown in the House, post Gallagher: 429 members total, with 217 Republicans and 212 Democrats. That leaves six vacancies. If New York state Sen. Tim Kennedy, a Democrat, prevails over Republican Gary Dickson in a special election in western New York next week, the margin shrivels to a solitary seat. The breakdown would be as follows: 430 members with 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats. The GOP would only be able to lose one vote on any roll call and still prevail without help from the other side. That’s where coalition governing comes in. Some of this even drifts back to the McCarthy era. There was a combination of Democrats and Republicans who voted last June to lift the debt ceiling. Seventy-one Republicans voted “nay,” so Democrats picked up the slack. This was all under McCarthy’s watch. In November, Johnson was the Speaker. He blessed a bill to temporarily fund the government. Ninety-three Republicans voted “nay.” But again, Democrats rescued the GOP. Only two Democrats cast “nay” ballots. Johnson tried a novel, two-step approach to avoid a government shutdown in the late winter. He lost 83 Republicans on a bill to fund a sliver of the government. Then Johnson lost 112 Republicans on a bill which funded about 70% of the government. There was soon a vote to renew FISA Section 702, a controversial foreign surveillance program. Libertarian-minded conservatives and progressives were concerned about this plan. There was a robust debate about whether warrants were essential to eavesdrop on the communications of Americans. The House passed the bill. But a bipartisan coalition of 88 Republicans and 59 Democrats voted “nay.” The most controversial bill of all was the plan for Ukraine. The “Three Mikes” handle the bulk of foreign policy issues for Republicans: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Tex., House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala. Each pushed to assist Ukraine and the House passed the bill. But 112 Republicans voted “nay.” That’s well over half of the GOP conference. Democrats put up significant numbers on all of the foreign aid bills. But the minority party made the difference when it came to Ukraine. That attests to the “coalition” which exists in the House right now. 3RD REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON’S OUSTER OVER $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN There was no better testament to the coalition concept in the House than last week. That’s when the House needed to approve a “rule” to put the foreign aid packages on the floor. In the House, the body usually needs to approve a set of ground rules before bringing a piece of legislation to the floor. The “rule” dictates how much time the House allocates for debate and what amendments – if any – are in order. If
Biden appears to read script instructions out loud in latest teleprompter gaffe: ‘Four more years, pause’
President Biden seemed to suffer a verbal slip-up during a speech at a trade union conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Biden, reading off a teleprompter, appeared to incorporate script instructions in the middle of his speech, resulting in an awkward applause line. The moment came during a section of his remarks straight out of a campaign stump speech. “I see an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it. I see an America, where we protect freedoms, not take them away,” Biden said. “I see an economy that grows a lot in the bottom up where the wealthy pay their fair share, so we can have child care, paid leave and so much more, and still reduce the federal deficit and increase economic folks. “Imagine what we could do next. Four more years, pause,” he said before laughing. TRUMP ‘VERY HONORED’ BY DESANTIS ENDORSEMENT AFTER FLORIDA GOVERNOR SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL RUN Biden attended Wednesday’s conference to receive an endorsement from the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU). FLORIDA NO LONGER IN PLAY AS A SWING STATE AS GOP VOTERS SURGE OVER DEMS BY NEARLY 900K: DESANTIS Throughout his speech, he blasted former President Donald Trump as being anti-union and a defender of the ultra-wealthy. He went on to contrast his and Trump’s economic policies as the “Scranton” plan and the “Mar-a-lago” plan, referring to his hometown and Trump’s residence. Biden’s teleprompter mix-up is only the latest in the president’s long list of gaffes. Just on Tuesday, Biden delivered fodder to conservative commentators by mistakenly saying he and his party “can’t be trusted.” Biden was speaking at a Florida campaign rally at the time, focusing on abortion in particular. During his critique of Trump’s abortion stance, he flipped the tables on himself. “I don’t know why we’re surprised by Trump. How many times does he have to prove we can’t be trusted?” Biden said. BIDEN ONCE RIPPED ‘ANTISEMITIC BILE’ BUT NOW FACES OWN ‘CHARLOTTESVILLE MOMENT’ Audience members could be heard laughing after his comment, but Biden continued, seemingly not noticing the mistake. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Biden’s critics on X, formerly Twitter, had a field day with the gaffe, with many saying they were surprised to find themselves agreeing with the president.
Trump says NY Judge Merchan ‘thinks he is above the Supreme Court’ after barring him from immunity arguments
EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said New York Judge Juan Merchan “thinks he is above the Supreme Court,” after “prohibiting” him from attending arguments Thursday on presidential immunity, telling Fox News Digital it is “the most important case in many years” before the high court. The former president and presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital on Wednesday after spending the last two days in a Manhattan courtroom for opening arguments and witness testimony in his unprecedented criminal trial. Trump had requested to attend arguments at the Supreme Court when it holds oral arguments about the former president’s immunity on Thursday, but Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the trial, rejected that request. TRUMP TRIAL: FORMER PRESIDENT ‘INNOCENT,’ SAYS DEFENSE AS DA ALLEGES ‘CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’ “Because he thinks he is above the Supreme Court, he is prohibiting me from going to the presidential immunity hearing where some of the great legal scholars will be arguing the case — the most important case in many years on the Supreme Court,” Trump told Fox News Digital. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June on whether Trump is immune from prosecution by Special Counsel Jack Smith out of his investigation into 2020 election interference. “Without presidential immunity, the presidency becomes a ceremonial position only, it will be decimated,” he continued. “He’s prohibiting me from going. He is a radical left Democrat.” When Trump requested to attend the Supreme Court arguments last week, Merchan told his attorney: “Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there.” “But a trial in New York Supreme Court… is also a big deal,” Merchan said last week, requiring the former president to be in his Manhattan courtroom Thursday, instead of at the high court in Washington, D.C. A ruling from the Supreme Court on the issue of presidential immunity is expected by late June. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. “Virtually every legal scholar and expert in the country said that this case should not have been brought, that there was no crime, that everything was done properly and that this is a case that should be dropped immediately,” Trump told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “It’s an embarrassment to Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party who are duly standing behind it and the judge is totally conflicted — totally conflicted,” he said. “If falsifying business record is because a bookkeeper wrote down ‘legal expense’ in paying a legal fee, that’s not falsifying,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “They call it a legal expense — and that’s what it was. It was a legal expense.” He added: “It was legal fees paid to a lawyer — that’s called a legal expense.” NY PROSECUTORS REVEAL ‘ANOTHER CRIME’ TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO CONCEAL WITH FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS Trump’s criminal trial stemming from Smith’s investigation has been put on hold pending a Supreme Court decision on whether Trump is immune from prosecution. Smith charged the former president with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Those charges stemmed from Smith’s investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in August. Meanwhile, Trump also requested to skip court on May 17 to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Barron. “The other thing is, the judge is prohibiting me from going to my son’s graduation from high school — my son Barron, who has worked very hard and he’s a great student,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “He can’t have his father at his graduation because of a vicious judge that’s totally conflicted.” TRUMP WARNS THAT IF HE LOSES PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, SO WILL ‘CROOKED’ JOE BIDEN Trump added: “He should never be allowed to do this case.” Trump and his attorneys had sought Merchan to recuse himself from the case due to his daughter’s Democrat-affiliated political work. Merchan’s daughter, Loren, has a leadership role and ownership stake at Authentic Campaigns Inc., which Trump lawyers say “services exclusively Democrat clients” and is “the #21 ranked vendor in the country in connection with the 2024 election.” TRUMP FILES MOTION REQUESTING JUDGE IN HUSH MONEY TRIAL BE RECUSED AMID DAUGHTER’S DEMOCRAT-AFFILIATED WORK Some of Authentic’s top “featured clients” on its website include campaigns associated with Trump opponents — including “President Biden, Vice President Harris, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Schiff, Congressman Jeffries, Congressman Goldman, Congresswoman Underwood, and Congresswoman Lee. The website also features its work for the Democrat-backed “Senate Majority PAC,” and the Democrat-backed “House Majority PAC.” Merchan said he saw no basis for recusal. As for Barron’s graduation, Merchan has yet to formally grant or deny Trump’s request, and instead, has said he will make his decision based on how the trial is going.
Law enforcement arrests pro-Palestine students protesting on UT-Austin campus
Authorities told students they could face criminal trespass charges if they didn’t disperse. The arrests come amid tensions on campus across the country over the Israel-Hamas war.
LGBT couples at heightened risk from climate change, study from liberal law school claims
Same-sex couples are more likely to face the threat of climate change compared to straight couples in the U.S., a new report from the progressive UCLA School of Law claims. “Same-sex couples are more likely to reside in communities with poorer infrastructure and less access to resources. They are, therefore, less prepared to respond and adapt to natural hazards and other climate disruptions,” the report, authored by data analyst Lindsay Mahowald and senior fellow Ari Shaw, said. As such, lawmakers and disaster relief service providers should “ensure that disaster relief is accessible and administered without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” including access to HIV medications and financial support for LGBTQ+ individuals and families should they be displaced from their homes, researchers suggested. LEFT-WING CLIMATE GROUP WITH SHADY BACKING TAKES PROMINENT ROLE AGAINST GAS STOVES “Policies that mitigate discriminatory housing practices and provide economic relief to LGBT people will bolster the resilience of these communities to climate events,” the report said. UCLA – which champions progressive research on several topics – crafted the April 2024 report using the U.S. Census and federal climate risk data from NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to show a “geographic analysis” of the risk posed to LGBTQ+ couples. Researchers also suggest that federal and local surveys like the U.S. Census should expand their measures to include wider sexual orientations and gender identities “to increase the scope and granularity of information available on LGBT people, including assessments of climate risk.” Homosexual couples are disproportionately located in coastal areas and cities, making them more vulnerable to certain hazards, researchers claimed. Among the 15 counties with the highest proportions of same-sex couples, all are in coastal or urban areas, the study said. “This indicates that LGBT people in same-sex couples are more likely to be located in places with large impervious surface areas, high housing density, and low-lying infrastructure,” the report said. Several organizations and government departments in California have warned about the so-called connection between inadequate housing and climate change in the last decade. Housing California, a prominent organization championing more access to affordable housing and stamping out “housing injustice,” claims that climate change can increase homelessness and housing insecurity “by displacing thousands of families when floods and wildfires destroy homes and decimate entire communities.” BIDEN LAUNCHES BILLION-DOLLAR CLIMATE WORK PROGRAM AS PART OF EARTH DAY ACTIONS The California Department of Housing and Community Development also suggests that when people have more affordable options for housing close to their jobs, “they can spend less time commuting and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.” In 2022, the Center for American Progress wrote a report titled, “How Environmental and Climate Injustice Affects the LGBTQI+ Community.” That same year, EarthDay.org also published an article titled,”How Climate Change Affects the LGBTQ+ Community.” The nonprofit is the world’s “largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries to drive positive action for our planet,” according to its website. Meanwhile, climate change initiatives are already a federal ambition that could cost taxpayers. This week, Biden officially launched the so-called American Climate Corps, a program that is slated to “mobilize” tens of thousands of Americans for conservation and eco-friendly projects nationwide. BIDEN ADMIN PROBED AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL SHOWS IT MAY HAVE FABRICATED PAPER TRAIL TO SHUTTER CHEMICAL PLANT The program is part of broader actions the White House unveiled Monday to commemorate Earth Day. In addition to the American Climate Corps announcement, the White House touted recent regulations blocking off 13 million acres of federal land from future oil drilling and revealed $7 billion in grants for mainly state-level solar projects. “Here’s the bottom line: President Biden laid out the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history,” White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory told reporters during a call about the administration’s Earth Day actions. “And he is delivering, already cementing a legacy as one of the nation’s strongest conservation presidents.” The White House said the overarching goal of the corps is to make it easy for any American to “find work tackling the climate crisis while gaining the skills necessary for the clean energy and climate resilience workforce of the future.” It added the first class of the American Climate Corps will be deployed in June 2024. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House asking whether Biden plans to provide more federal funding for the intersection of LGBTQ+ and climate change research but did not hear back by press deadline. Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
‘Political theater’: Leaked document exposes frustration inside key government security agency
EXCLUSIVE: A rebranding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s investigative unit, purportedly due to “undue toxicity” that ICE faces from some on the left, is apparently causing some frustration within the agency — with a top official in its separate branch promising employees that it will avoid “political theater.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is part of ICE and conducts federal criminal investigations involving transnational crime, rolled out a standalone website on Tuesday that shakes off the ICE branding. ICE acting director Patrick Lechleitner told the Washington Post that the “independent branding” allows HSI “to work without the undue toxicity that in some places comes with the ICE moniker.” ‘SIGNIFICANT THREAT’ ICE TRACKS DOWN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX CRIME The rebranding comes amid continued and fierce resistance from some on the left over ICE’s mission, through its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) wing, to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. ‘Sanctuary’ jurisdictions limit local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, while a number of Democrats in Congress have backed the “Abolish ICE” movement. The Biden administration itself sought to shut down ICE deportations after entering office, but was blocked by a federal judge. Major cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago refuse to work with ICE in some aspects of its mission. With that left-wing opposition in mind, being associated with ICE can have negative effects on investigators who aren’t dealing with immigration directly, the ICE chief said. “We’re not a political organization. We’re a law enforcement, national security, public safety agency. However, it was affecting HSI’s ability to conduct operations and investigations,” Lechleitner told the Post. He stressed, however, that it would still remain part of ICE. But the new standalone website made little mention of the agency. The rollout was accompanied by a slick video posted on X, which told viewers to “Please allow us to reintroduce ourselves” — a possible nod to rapper Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN ‘HORRIFIC’ CHILD SEX CRIME ARRESTED BY ICE AFTER POLICE LET HIM GO But the rebranding appears to have caused some frustration at the ERO side of ICE, which unlike its neighbor is keeping its ICE branding. In an internal email to ERO employees, seen by Fox News Digital, ERO Executive Associate Director Daniel Bible noted the HSI rebrand, but made it clear that ERO would not be following suit. “HSI’s decision was made in what its leadership believes is best for the program,” he said. “Similarly, [ERO] decisions are guided by what is believed to be the best for it operational and programmatically. ERO has and always will continue to focus its decision making on its most important attribute: each of you.” He then promised that there would not be a “wholesale rebranding of ERO.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “ERO operates with professionalism, honor, compassion and integrity. Our mission will not be swayed by political theater or media rhetoric and our identity will remain steadfast,” he said in the defiant email. Bible went on to list off recent successes by the agency, including Operation Speed Race — which nabbed 216 criminals involved in drug trafficking – and Operation Night Guard which resulted in the arrest of 171 murderers and predators. He also highlighted a separate operation that resulted in the arrest of 275 sex offenders. “As we move forward together, and as ERO’s mission evolves and matures, I will continue to champion the ERO brand, to advocate for the brave men and women of ERO and to push for changes to policy and structure to give ERO the operating space to exercise its criminal and civil immigration authorities,” Bible said. “Let me reiterate, I am proud to be part of the ICE and ERO family, and I know each of you are as well.” The frustration comes amid an ongoing crisis at the border which has spilled out into cities and towns across the country. ICE itself has had its hands full, recently arresting a slew of criminal illegal immigrants — including child sex offenders — who had been arrested by local jurisdictions but then released onto the streets despite ICE’s pleas for cooperation. The Biden administration has caused controversy by narrowing ICE’s enforcement priorities and placing additional limits on where agents can make arrests, reducing deportations significantly from Trump-era levels. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said that illegal presence in the U.S. is now not by itself a basis to begin enforcement against an illegal immigrant. But the administration has claimed that its actions have allowed it to focus on public safety and national security threats with the limited resources available to it, while calling for additional resources from Congress. In response to the rebranding, RJ Hauman, President of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and visiting adviser at The Heritage Foundation, claimed that the overhaul was part of an anti-enforcement agenda from the administration. “Through countless policy memos, pilot programs, and using resources improperly, the Biden administration has effectively dismantled the ability of ICE to arrest, detain, and remove illegal aliens in accordance with the law,” he said. “But they don’t only hate the rule of law, they despise the agency itself, especially its core law enforcement unit — ERO.” “Rather than standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women of ERO and pushing back against false ICE narratives and absurd operational requests, current leaders are siding with a unit who thinks they’re above enforcing immigration laws, and would rather do customs. Detaining and removing illegal aliens on a proper scale should take precedent over finding counterfeit NFL jerseys and returning stolen antiquities,” he added.
Ilhan Omar excuses Columbia anti-Israel unrest but branded Jan 6 protesters ‘violent mob’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said the Gaza cease-fire encampments at Columbia University are being “co-opted and made to look bad” – but would not answer questions on whether she would say the same about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. “Throughout history, protests were co-opted and made to look bad so police and public leaders would shut them down. That’s what we are seeing now at Columbia University,” Omar wrote on X earlier this week. “The Columbia protesters have made clear their demands and want their school not to be complacent in the ongoing Genocide in Gaza. Public officials and media making this about anything else are inflaming the situation and need to bring calmness and sanity back.” IRANIAN-AMERICAN LAWYER PREDICTS PROTESTERS WANT NEW WORLD WAR Social media videos from the anti-Israel tent encampment that’s been staged for days on Columbia’s campus show activists cheering on the deaths of Israeli soldiers and showing support for Hamas. Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe on campus and shared stories of being verbally and physically assaulted. “They were pushing and shoving me… They threw rocks at my face. At that moment, my life was totally threatened. And there was no safety authority on campus,” one student told NY1 over the weekend. Fox News Digital made multiple attempts to reach Omar’s office to ask whether she would say the events of Jan. 6, 2021, during which she has previously said she feared for her life from the “violent mob,” could have similarly been co-opted by bad actors. Fox News Digital also asked Omar to explain if she felt differently. AOC CALLS COLUMBIA PROTESTS ‘PEACEFUL’, DESPITE RABBI WARNING JEWISH STUDENTS TO STAY HOME None of the messages sent to Omar’s office about the matter were returned. In an interview with The Guardian in late January 2021, Omar said she “didn’t know if [she] would make it out that day” and that she phoned her ex-husband when the Jan. 6 attack began with “a request to him to make sure he would continue to tell my children that I loved them if I didn’t make it out.” The Minnesota progressive’s daughter, who attends Columbia’s sister school Barnard College, was one of dozens of protesters arrested earlier this week for refusing to leave the unauthorized encampment, though she is not accused of involvement in any violent clashes. COLUMBIA JEWISH STUDENTS ‘NO LONGER FEEL SAFE,’ SAY ANTI-ISRAEL MOB CHASED THEM OFF CAMPUS CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Omar’s fellow members of the House’s left-wing “Squad” also leaped to the students’ defense early this week. “I condemn any potential police action on Columbia University’s campus. As an educator who personally experienced the over policing of our schools, this is personal to me,” Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., wrote on X late Tuesday. “We must resist right-wing demagoguery and stop suppressing peaceful protest if we are to keep students safe.”