Kamala Harris once pledged to close immigration detention centers ‘on day one’ as border record under scrutiny
Vice President Kamala Harris once pledged to close all privately-run immigration detention centers “on day one” during her first presidential campaign, as her record on the southern border continues to generate heavy criticism. A resurfaced video clip shows then-Sen. Harris at an October 2019 town hall in Iowa City, Iowa during her 2020 bid. “I want to know, when you become president, would you be committing to closing the immigration detention centers?” an attendee is heard asking. AXIOS HIT WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING HARRIS WAS NEVER ‘BORDER CZAR’ “Absolutely, on day one. On day one,” Harris responded. Fox News Digital has reached doubt to the Harris campaign asking if her position has changed. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted the footage on his social media feed. “When she tells you who she is… …believe her,” he wrote. As of the July 2024 fiscal year, more than 37,000 migrants were being held across 18 private detention facilities, according to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) data. Just over 10,000 of those migrants have criminal records while about 4,600 have pending criminal charges. On Monday, ICE announced several arrests, including the deportation of a Brazilian man wanted for attempted murder who was caught and released at the southern border in March. A Dominican man was also arrested and charged with fentanyl trafficking in Massachusetts after he was caught & released at the border in February. A Guatemalan migrant was arrested and charged with child molestation in Rhode Island. He was caught and released at the border during the Obama administration. Also arrested was an Ecuadorian “gotaway” charged with rape and kidnapping in Massachusetts. TRUMP EYES MULTIPLE BORDER VISITS AS HE DRAWS CONTRAST WITH ‘RADICAL LEFT’ HARRIS As vice President, Harris was tapped by President Biden to serve as a border “czar” to address illegal immigration from Central America. Since announcing her presidential campaign, Republicans have criticized Harris over the Biden administration’s record on the border, which has seen record numbers of illegal immigrants released into the United States. In 2018, Harris compared Homeland Security agencies to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The Sen. Harris was questioning Ronald Vitiello, who was former President Trump’s nominee to lead ICE, if he was “aware of the perception” of parallels between ICE and the KKK. “Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” she asked. In a 2018 interview with MSNBC, Harris said there was alot wrong with ICE and the way it was “conducting itself.” “I think there’s no question that we’ve got to critically re-examine ICE, and its role, and the way that it is being administered, and the work it is doing,” she said. “And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.”
Texas House Republicans petition State Fair to rescind gun ban
The Texas State Fair announced guns would be banned on the grounds after three people were injured by gunfire at last year’s event.
Judge blocks release of this year’s school accountability ratings
The ruling marks the fifth consecutive year Texas families have not received a full picture of their schools’ ratings, which are used to determine how they are performing.
Fox News Politics: Kamala of Troy
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Here’s what’s happening… – No amnesty for Maduro, says State Department… – Biden, Obama, and Clinton set to speak at DNC marred by shadowed Palestinian protests… – Where the vice presidential candidates stand on the issues… Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has not taken questions from reporters in the nearly three weeks since President Biden suspended his re-election campaign – a move that may work to her advantage like it did for Biden in 2020. “She is running a similar play to Biden in 2020 where, of course, he used COVID as an excuse to stay in his basement the entire election,” Cody Sargent, spokesperson for Heritage Action for America, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Harris is running a Trojan horse campaign,” Sargent continued. “She’s distracting people with Megan Thee Stallion and rolling out a vice president commercials that don’t really say anything, distracting them with this big shiny object and Trojan horse. But, then inside that horse is socialism, the most radical candidate to ever appear at the top of her presidential ticket, and she’s avoiding doing any media, any real interviews, any sit down.” Harris was blasted for spending less than two minutes taking questions from reporters Thursday after being criticized for going 18 days without speaking to the media …Read more. ‘NOT TRUE’: State Department says no offers of amnesty were made to Venezuela’s Maduro …Read more COASTING BY: President Biden has a light week planned as tensions mount in the Middle East …Read more BIG SPENDERS: Freedom Caucus makes these demands as Congress gears up for shutdown fight …Read more ‘AFFRONT’ TO MILITARY: Former leader of Walz’s battalion slams Harris’ running mate in scathing post …Read more FLASHBACK: Gov. Walz amplified comment comparing ICE raids to ‘terrorism’ in America …Read more ‘THEY TOOK EVERYTHING’: Store owner who cried as BLM riots destroyed his livelihood under Gov. Walz speaks out …Read more BAD WITH MONEY: Gov. Walz’s government giveaway fraudulently spent on luxury goods, overseas real estate …Read more ‘KAMALA OWNS THE BORDER CRISIS’: Trump camp rallies around WH ‘confirming’ there’s no ‘daylight’ between Harris, Biden …Read more FAKE NEWS: Democrats continue to hit JD Vance with debunked claim …Read more FACT-CHECKED: Trump’s accusation that Harris campaign used AI to generate crowd disproven by video …Read more CONVENTION CHAOS?: Biden, Obama, Clintons to speak at Democratic Convention preparing for large Palestinian protests …Read more SPLIT TICKETS: Fox News Power Rankings: Voters’ appetite for ticket-splitting will decide the Senate …Read more ‘RADICAL’: Harris’ low media approach could pay off like it did in 2020 with Biden’s ‘basement’ campaign …Read more COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Here’s where the vice presidential candidates stand on top issues …Read more FREE TO CAMPAIGN: Trump legal cases paused, delayed following Supreme Court ruling, freeing up campaign schedule …Read more THE DEFUND EFFECT: How the U.S. can become a ‘law enforcement minded country’: former ICE official …Read more ‘POLITICAL PERSECUTION’: Trump to sue DOJ for $100M over Mar-a-Lago raid …Read more ‘IT WILL GET WORSE’: Illegal migrant allegedly commits 22 crimes in 6 months …Read more GETTING TO WORK: Trump shooting task force unveils first demands as high-level probe kicks off …Read more ABHORRENT AND ABOMINABLE: Man charged with hate crime, allegedly said ‘Free Palestine’ before knife attack near Brooklyn synagogue …Read more NO DEAL: NY Republicans move to block future plea deals for alleged 9/11 plotters …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Conservative watchdog notches win in court as CDC ordered to stop deleting emails
A conservative government watchdog group secured a legal victory against the Biden-Harris administration by compelling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop deleting employee emails they say had been done in violation of the Federal Records Act. America First Legal, the right-leaning, Washington, D.C. based public interest organization founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, sought records concerning the CDC’s endorsement of the controversial gender ideology within public schools in February 2023. In response, the CDC told AFL that it systematically deletes the emails of most employees 30 days after they depart from the agency. As of Friday, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is now required under a preliminary injunction granted to AFL to enlist the help of Attorney General Merrick Garland and inform Congress to recover the deleted emails and halt the destruction of records. COVID VACCINE COMPANIES TOLD TO FOCUS ON KP.2 VARIANT FOR FALL SHOTS, PER FDA ANNOUNCEMENT “Notably, while the Biden-Harris administration has been slapped down for illegally violating the law, CDC employees’ homes were not searched and raided without notice or consent, nor have their families had to endure the trauma and onslaught of legal fees or indictments,” AFL said in a news release. “Yet, the Biden-Harris Administration did exactly that to President Trump. We cannot have a country where government bureaucrats are allowed to circumvent the law without repercussion, and innocent civilians are subjected to invasive and unlawful political persecution for saying the “wrong” thing. The two-tiered justice system in the United States has never been more prevalent,” the group said. In April, AFL filed the initial lawsuit against the Biden-Harris Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and NARA. “The Biden-Harris Administration was actively destroying the records of federal employees at the CDC in blatant violation of the law–and we are pleased that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered a stop to their illegal conduct,” AFL executive director Gene Hamilton said in a statement. AFL subsequently reached out to NARA urging an investigation into the CDC’s policy of deleting employee emails. KAMALA HARRIS FINALLY FIELDS QUESTIONS FROM PRESS AFTER DODGING MEDIA FOR 18 DAYS SINCE BECOMING DEM NOMINEE “NARA investigated the allegations but determined that because the ‘CDC instructs individual email account holders to apply retention based on the email’s content value and its applicability to a NARA-approved records schedule,’ NARA considered the matter closed. In short, NARA entrusted individual CDC employees to decide which emails can be automatically deleted,” AFL said in a news release.x This isn’t the first time the CDC has been in hot water over its influence in the public. Last year, the CDC reportedly had “significant input on pandemic-era social media policies” at Facebook and Instagram and worked to “silence dissent” related to the COVID vaccine. JD VANCE ROASTS HARRIS ON WISCONSIN TARMAC FOR AVOIDING PRESS, CALLS AIR FORCE 2 HIS ‘FUTURE PLANE’ Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, denied attempting to suppress the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic began as a result of a lab leak in Wuhan, China, during the heated House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing this summer. Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDC, HHS and NARA for comment. Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Biden, Harris claim to support eliminating taxes on tips, first proposed by Trump: ‘COPYCAT’
President Biden would sign a bill that would eliminate taxes on tipped wages, the White House said Monday, seeming to agree with a policy first floated by former President Trump. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated the Biden administration’s position during a news briefing. “Look, this is something that the president supports,”she said. “He supports eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers while also raising minimum wage and preventing the wealthy from gaming the system.” TRUMP PLEDGES TO ELIMINATE TAXES ON TIPS FOR SERVICE WORKERS DURING LAS VEGAS RALLY Vice President Kamala Harris has also taken the same stance on taxing tips. On Saturday, she promised to endorse policies to benefit working families. “It is my promise to everyone here when I am president, we will continue our fighting for working families of America including to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers,” she said at a campaign rally in Las Vegas. Trump first proposed the idea of eliminating taxes on tips for restaurant and hospitality workers, in June. REPUBLICANS BLAST BIDEN ADMIN OVER PLAN TO CRACK DOWN ON WAITERS’ TIPS “This is the first time I’ve said this and for those hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy, because when I get to office we are going to not charge taxes on tips, people making tips… It’s been a point of contention for years and years and years, and you do a great job of service, you take care of people, and I think it’s going to be something that really is deserved,” Trump said back in June during a rally in Las Vegas. He criticized Harris over the weekend, accusing her of trying to mirror his proposal. “Kamala has no imagination, whatsoever, as shown by the fact that she played ‘COPYCAT’ with, NO TAXES ON TIPS!” he wrote on Truth Social. “The difference is, she won’t do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This was a TRUMP idea – She has no ideas, she can only steal from me. Remember, Kamala has proposed the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY – It won’t happen.” House Republicans in June introduced legislation to end the taxation on tips. “As the cost of living continues to rise, the hardworking men and women in the service industry, many of whom may be working a second job to make ends meet, must be allowed to keep every dollar of tip money they earn,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote on social media at the time. The Biden administration rolled out a voluntary tip reporting system last year for industry workers that works to streamline tax compliance on tips. The plan was criticized by tax experts at the time as a crackdown on “waitresses’ tips” after the IRS hired 87,000 new agents under the Biden administration, Fox News Digital reported last year.
White House claims Harris’ push for thousands of border patrol agents not new, blames Republicans
The White House claims President Biden has wanted to put more Border Patrol agents along the southern U.S. border, but blames Republicans for not allowing it to happen. During a press briefing on Monday, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre how long they had known that Vice President Kamala Harris did not think Biden was doing a good job along the border. Jean-Pierre appeared stunned by the question, asking the Fox reporter to repeat the question one more time. “Well, she’s promising to hire thousands more border agents than there are now under President Biden,” Doocy said. “How long have you guys known that Vice President Harris does not think that President Biden is effective with his border?” TRUMP MAKES CASE FOR RETURN TO ‘REMAIN IN MEXICO’ TO SOLVE HISTORIC BORDER CRISIS Jean-Pierre told Doocy he was making a “huge jump,” saying he was “assuming” Harris did not think Biden was effective with his border policies. “She has a campaign ad where she is saying they need more Border Patrol agents,” Doocy said. “If President Biden’s doing such a good job, why do they need any more border agents?” In one of Harris’ most recent presidential campaign ads, a narrator says, “As vice president, she backed the toughest border control bill in decades, and as president, she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.” HOW WOULD A PRESIDENT HARRIS HANDLE THE IMMIGRATION, BORDER CRISIS Jean-Pierre defended Harris’ agenda, saying the president and vice president both believe more agents are needed: “The president does want more Border Patrol agents. You know who’s getting in the way? Republicans in Congress. They’re getting in the way. You know who else is getting in the way? The former president, Donald Trump. He’s getting in the way.” Jean-Pierre continued to defend the president’s record, saying he has worked toward getting more security along the border and had a bipartisan agreement on the table that Biden worked on for “a couple of months” with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. GOP STATES SUE TO STOP BIDEN ADMIN EXTENDING OBAMACARE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “They were told not to move forward, because it would help Joe Biden, by the former president,” Jean-Pierre claimed. “That’s their decision.” Biden has used his first term in office to end many of the border and immigration policies of Trump’s administration. During the CNN Presidential Debate in June, Trump hailed the success of the “Remain in Mexico” policy — a controversial border program he has touted repeatedly and which many conservatives have called for in a potential second Trump term. Trump repeatedly hammered President Biden on the ongoing crisis at the southern border during the debate and attempted to contrast his record with Biden’s. A core part of his efforts to bring immigration numbers down was the introduction of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), commonly called “Remain in Mexico.” THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OBAMACARE AFTER BIDEN RULE CHANGE The Biden administration shut down the program in 2021, arguing the policy was ineffective and left migrants in squalor and in danger in Mexico, leading to massive migrant camps set up along the border as people waited for their appointments — an argument also made by immigration advocates. Since then, the Biden administration has introduced a number of its own measures to regulate immigration and relieve pressure at the border amid a massive migrant surge that spiked in 2021. At the heart of its policy is an expansion of the CBP One app, allowing migrants to enter legally and schedule an appointment to be paroled into the U.S. Currently, that allows about 1,500 migrants each day. Harris would in many ways be a voice of continuity for the current practices of the Biden-Harris administration. Like Biden, she has supported the rolling back of Trump-era border policies and has called for a sweeping immigration bill that the administration introduced on day one. That bill not only includes significant reforms and funding measures, but would also provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Similarly, Harris has backed the bipartisan Senate package which Biden has also supported but has failed to pass the Senate. Like Biden, she has also blamed Trump for the failure of that bill to pass the chamber. Fox News’ Michael Lee and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Trump camp thanks WH for confirming there’s ‘no daylight’ between Harris, Biden: ‘Kamala created this mess’
The Trump campaign is rallying around White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying there’s no “daylight” between President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing the comment reflects that “Kamala owns the border crisis” and other issues throttling the country. “Thank you @PressSec for confirming: there is ‘no daylight’ between Kamala and Joe! Kamala owns the border crisis. Kamala owns inflation. Kamala owns the wars, chaos, and crime over the past 4 years,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X on Monday afternoon showing a clip of Jean-Pierre. Leavitt was responding to Jean-Pierre saying Monday during the White House press briefing that Biden and Harris have been “aligned” throughout the administration and that there’s no “daylight” between the pair. “[Harris is] going to lay out her vision. But again, they’ve been aligned, you know, they’ve been aligned for the last three and a half years. There’s not been any daylight,” Jean Pierre said. 22 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS NOT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE EMERGING AS PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE The White House spokeswoman was responding to a question from the media regarding a potential policy review process between Biden and Harris as the president wraps up his final months in office and Harris continues rallying support for her presidential bid come November. Leavitt added in exclusive comment to Fox News Digital on Monday that “Kamala created this mess” and that she therefore “cannot be trusted” to address such issues under a potential Harris administration. ILLEGAL MIGRANT ALLEGEDLY COMMITS 22 CRIMES IN 6 MONTHS: ‘IT WILL GET WORSE,’ EXPERT SAYS “Today, the Biden White House confirmed what the Kamala Harris refuses to admit: there is NO daylight between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Kamala owns the illegal immigration crisis that continues to rage on our southern border; and Kamala owns the inflation crisis that has made food, rent, and gas unaffordable. Electing Kamala would be like hiring the thief who robbed your house to put new locks on the door. Kamala created this mess – she cannot be trusted to clean it up,” Leavitt said. Harris, who has not held a press conference since she emerged as the Democratic Party’s frontrunner for the presidential ticket last month, has worked to distance herself from issues such as spiraling immigration and ongoing inflation woes that have throttled the country under the Biden administration. BIDEN HAS ANOTHER LIGHT SCHEDULE THIS WEEK WITH 5 MONTHS UNTIL TERM ENDS “Kamala Harris has spent decades fighting violent crime. As a border state prosecutor, she took on drug cartels and jailed gang members for smuggling weapons and drugs across the border,” a new ad for the campaign regarding her border policy states. KAMALA HARRIS DECLINES TIME MAGAZINE INTERVIEW AS SHE CONTINUES TO AVOID THE PRESS It adds that “as vice president, she backed the toughest border control bill in decades. And as president, she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.” Former President Trump has repeatedly slammed the Harris campaign as a continuation of the Biden administration, saying Harris has been the “driving force” behind Biden’s policies. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harris “has been the ultra-liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe. She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country if she ever gets the chance to get into office,” Trump said during a campaign event late last month in North Carolina. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
FLASHBACK: Gov Walz amplified comment comparing ICE raids to ‘terrorism’ in America
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed the narrative in 2017 that ICE raids represent “terrorism” in America while reassuring a crowd that he supports sanctuary cities. “This is still one of the most moving things for me a week after I was elected in 2006, that giant ICE raid happened in Worthington,” Then-Rep. Walz told the crowd of about 300 people at a town hall event in 2017 in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District which neighbors his district, MN-01. “I drove out to Worthington as the congressman-elect, went into the basement of the Catholic Church where Father Brixius was, who asked me to look around at all the children crying, and he said, ‘This is what terrorism looks like in America today.’” Walz, who was standing alongside Dem. Rep. Angie Craig, continued as the audience applauded. TIM WALZ’S $250M STATE PROGRAM TO FEED HUNGRY KIDS FRAUDULENTLY SPENT ON LUXURY GOODS, OVERSEAS REAL ESTATE‘ “What I told them at that time is that I hold the voting card in my pocket, and the votes I will take will be to make sure we protect these folks,” Walz continued. Walz was referring to a 2006 ICE raid as part of Operation Wagon Train that, according to ICE chief Julie L. Myers, saw ICE agents uncover a scheme in which illegal immigrants and others had stolen or bought the identities and Social Security numbers of possibly hundreds of U.S. citizens and lawful residents to get jobs at Swift Co. meat packing plants. Later in the speech, Walz defended sanctuary cities through a story about an illegal immigrant who had been victimized in his district. MINNESOTA BUSINESS OWNER TEARS INTO WALZ FOR COVID, BLM RIOT LEADERSHIP: A ‘TOTAL AND COMPLETE FAILURE’ “I have a gentleman in the first district who was here and was on an exchange,” Walz said. “His visa expired. He stayed. He created a life here. He had no criminal record. He had 22 years, adding to our community, had a job. He did not have permanent legal status to be here. His two young daughters were assaulted. He went to the police to tell them, and he was arrested and deported. That’s not who we are. “And so, when people try and tell you sanctuary cities are ways for people to violate laws, our police are serving us and protecting our communities — our citizens need to know that if they go to the police to report a crime either against themselves or someone else, that they’re going to be protected, to be able to do that, and our police don’t ask immigration status because it’s not their job to do that.” Craig, currently running for re-election, did not push back against Walz’s comments and went on to discuss the need for comprehensive immigration reform. “I can not give up on comprehensive immigration reform yet,” Craig said. “Just four years ago, there was a bill that the Senate was proposing, and then the world went to hell. So we will take the world back, and we will be able to stand up for our neighbors and invite them into this country. “And I will tell you, I stood on the stage at Inver Hills Community College last night, and I watched the best of America. I watched America walk across that stage and that particular college is about a 35% immigrant community, 35% people of color. It’s just the most amazing thing in the world, so I had to give it up.” Craig continued, “We have to help our Muslim voters. We have to invite them into our homes… We have to be the kind of people that we want to see in the world. And just like that 2012 marriage equality fight, you know what won that? We stood up and said, ‘I’m your neighbor.’ We stood up and said, ‘My kids play baseball with your kids.’ That’s how we win.” Walz’s comments at the town hall were first reported by Alpha News in 2017. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign and Craig’s office but did not receive a response.
9/11 conspirators’ future plea deals in jeopardy as NY House Republicans move to block them
A group of New York House Republicans is moving to ensure that the alleged plotters of the 9/11 terror attacks cannot score a deal to avoid the death penalty. “The Justice for 9/11 Act will ensure that no future plea deal will be offered to these terrorists by requiring a trial and ensuring the death penalty remains on the table,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said late last week. “Anything less is a disservice to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice on that day and in the months and years since.” Lawler’s district sits just north of New York City, where nearly 23 years ago, two hijacked passenger planes flew into the World Trade Center’s twin towers. It killed more than 2,600 people, and its effects have continued to impact the lives of first responders who developed cancer as a result of their life-saving rescue efforts. LAWMAKERS, FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS REACT TO PLEA DEAL WITH TERRORISTS: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ Several hundred more people were killed when passenger jets crashed into the Pentagon and an empty field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The bill’s introduction comes after the Defense Department announced that three alleged plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, who were awaiting trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, entered into pretrial agreements with the U.S. government. The details of the plea deals for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi were not immediately made public, but reports indicated they would avoid the death penalty. BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION BACKTRACKS, REVOKES PLEA DEAL FOR 9/11 TERRORISTS The White House said it had no role in the plea deals, which were revoked just two days after they were announced amid a mountain of blowback. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was not consulted before the deals were struck, the Pentagon said. In addition to keeping the death penalty on the table, Lawler’s bill would also prevent the alleged plotters from being moved from Guantánamo Bay. The measure is being co-sponsored by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y. Preventing a plea deal would also ensure the defendants stood trial, something several Sept. 11 family advocates said they were being denied by the deal. 9/11 MASTERMIND, 2 OTHERS STRIKE PLEA DEALS WHILE AWAITING TRIAL; FAMILIES OF VICTIMS ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’ Brett Eagleson, the president of a grassroots group made up of victims’ families called 9/11 Justice, said he was “deeply troubled” by the plea deals in a statement earlier this month. “While we acknowledge the decision to avoid the death penalty, our primary concern remains access to these individuals for information. These plea deals should not perpetuate a system of closed-door agreements, where crucial information is hidden without giving the families of the victims the chance to learn the full truth,” Eagleson said at the time.