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Year: 2025

Legal expert reveals why centuries-old law is crucial for Trump admin in immigration fight

Legal expert reveals why centuries-old law is crucial for Trump admin in immigration fight

As the Alien Enemies Act continues to be a focal point of the immigration debate in the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term, Republican attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital about why the White House is making use of the 1798 law. Some federal judges have disagreed with the Trump administration’s decision to use the act to send suspected MS-13 and Tren De Aragua gang members outside the United States, including to El Salvador’s CECOT prison. Trump designated those two groups as foreign terrorist organizations shortly after taking office. “Under this act, it allows us to detain, apprehend, and deport alien enemies,” Cooke said. BOASBERG GRILLS DOJ OVER REMARKS FROM TRUMP AND NOEM, FLOATS MOVING MIGRANTS TO GITMO IN ACTION-PACKED HEARING “This immediately allowed under the Alien Enemies Act for President Trump and his administration to accelerate deportations of individuals from Venezuela and gang members,” she later added. Earlier last week, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg asked the Justice Department about public comments Trump and other Cabinet officials made about deportation proceedings under the Alien Enemies Act and floated the idea of moving some migrants to Guantánamo Bay. During the hearing, Boasberg specifically pressed Justice Department lawyers about statements made by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the U.S. has deported hundreds of migrants, and the White House’s ability to secure someone’s release. KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA’S LAWYERS ASK FOR MORE TRUMP ADMIN OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY, POSSIBLY FROM WHITE HOUSE Cooke noted that the debate over due process has to do with the perspective of who gets those rights in the U.S. “I think today, when we talk about due process, people have to understand there’s American citizens that deserve due process under our Constitution,” she said. “There’s illegal aliens that are in our country that we have given a sliding scale of due process. And then there are terrorists that deserve very little process, as we’re expediting their removal. Our immigration judges and our courts don’t have enough time to stand there with every single individual that’s a Tren de Aragua member and bicker back and forth,” Cooke continued. DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO LIBYA WOULD VIOLATE COURT ORDER WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE, FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS The Republican attorney said that from her perspective, many federal judges are questioning the president’s ability to actually decide what is considered an alien enemy. “What’s happening today is courts through judicial activism are actually challenging that. So what they’re saying is that the president can’t designate somebody an alien enemy. They can’t designate Tren de Aragua an alien enemy. And more importantly, courts are pushing and saying that these individuals that are illegal terrorists in our country deserve due process,” Cooke explained. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Biden ATF promoted agents involved in ‘illegal’ scheme to inflate salaries, GOP senators say

EXCLUSIVE: Biden ATF promoted agents involved in ‘illegal’ scheme to inflate salaries, GOP senators say

Two Senate Republicans are calling for immediate corrective action at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), accusing agency officials of substantial misconduct, mismanagement, abuse of power and potential criminal misconduct after supervisory staff allegedly disregarded federal directives and standards in order to inflate their salaries.  What’s more, instead of being disciplined, the supervisory agents who allegedly turned a blind eye to the misconduct – and in some cases allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it – were promoted under the Biden administration, the senators say. “As a result of ATF’s illegal conduct, ATF staff assigned to these positions performed administrative work but unlawfully received enhanced law enforcement pay and benefits to which they were not entitled, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars,” Iowa’s Republican senators, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, wrote in a letter transmitted Friday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and ATF acting Director Daniel Driscoll.  ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL TO LEAD ATF, REPLACING FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL In their letter, the senators cited two internal investigations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which concluded in 2020 and ultimately suspended the ATF’s classification authority, and the ATF Internal Affairs Division (IAD), which was completed in early 2024. Despite the suspension from OPM in 2020, which was lifted in 2023, ATF officials disregarded OPM directives and continued to re-classify agency employees improperly, according to the senators. In their letter, Grassley and Ernst singled out two supervisory agents, Lisa Boykin and Ralph Bittelari, who they say the IAD audit shows not only allowed the continuance of this misclassification scheme – despite knowing it violated OPM directives and standards – but also retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it.  Furthermore, the senators claim, Boykin and Bittelari were promoted before President Joe Biden left office and continue to work at the ATF under President Donald Trump. In one instance, according to the senators, Bittelari and Boykin decided to move forward with the relocation of an ATF law enforcement officer in Phoenix to an administrative position at ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., despite OPM identifying the position as misclassified. The IAD report allegedly shows Bittelari initially agreed to rescind the job offer, but following a subsequent conversation with Boykin decided to move forward with the unauthorized relocation anyway. SENATOR WARNS OF ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ JUDICIAL OVERREACH AHEAD OF SCOTUS SHOWDOWN Furthermore, the senators alleged in their letter that the IAD report shows Bittelari attempted to hide the “unlawful assignment” by submitting the promotion directly to payroll for processing. During another instance when Bittelari sought to improperly classify a position description for the chief of ATF’s Workforce Wellness and Services Division (WWSD) as law enforcement, the senators said a human resources classification specialist was threatened with insubordination after recusing herself from the matter and sending an email notifying staff it was a violation of OPM directives and standards.  The senator’s letter also highlighted Boykin’s “troubling lack of candor” regarding the installation of the chief of WWSD. According to the senators, Boykin told IAD investigators she was unsure if the chief of WWSD had been installed prior to the position description ever being adequately approved. However, the senators said, Boykin’s emails showed the individual attended meetings and functions with Boykin as WWSD chief prior to receiving approval, and a draft position description was created jointly by the pair weeks before the official WWSD chief position description was approved.    “The findings in the IAD report present clear evidence that corrective action must be taken for, at minimum, Ms. Boykin’s and Mr. Bittelari’s gross misconduct,” the senators wrote. “Yet, the Biden ATF and DOJ leadership not only failed to hold Boykin or Bittelari accountable for their gross misconduct, but legally protected whistleblower disclosures provided to our offices show these career DOJ bureaucrats were promoted after the conclusion of the IAD investigation that harshly criticized their actions.” The senators point out in their letter that Boykin was promoted to chief diversity officer under Biden, but in January 2025 her title was switched to “Senior Executive.” Meanwhile, the senators also pointed out Bittelari was promoted to senior advisor at the Justice Department’s Justice Management Division (JMD), and later acting deputy director of human resources within JMD. ATF ACCUSED OF ‘CIRCUMVENTING’ TRUMP ORDER TO PLACE DEI STAFF ON PAID LEAVE “In closing, the findings in the IAD and OPM audit reports further substantiate the claims whistleblowers made to our offices that senior ATF bureaucrats, Ms. Boykin and Mr. Bittelari, engaged in gross and substantial waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct at the expense of taxpayers in furtherance of ATF’s illegal misclassification scheme, retaliated against whistleblowers for exposing it, and then were promoted for it,” stated Grassley and Ernst’s letter to Bondi and Driscoll.  “Their complete disregard for the law despite being ‘fully aware of the potential consequences’ show Boykin and Bittelari should not have leadership positions at the Justice Department or its components.” In addition to calling for corrective action, Grassley and Ernst requested that no later than May 23 the Justice Department submit a response on how it plans to address the issues laid out in the IAD report and their letter.  The Justice Department declined to comment for this article, while the ATF did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries.

Trump China tariff truce ignites stock markets – will it also pump up president’s poll numbers?

Trump China tariff truce ignites stock markets – will it also pump up president’s poll numbers?

Global stock markets are soaring in the wake of the trade truce between the U.S. and China. The agreement, announced early Monday, implements a 90-day cooling-off period between the world’s two largest economic superpowers, bringing a temporary end to their tariff war that last month triggered a massive financial market sell-off.  U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, which were jacked to 145% last month as President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on countries around the world, will be scaled down to 30%, with Beijing lowering its tariffs from a retaliatory 125% to just 10%. “We both have an interest in balanced trade, the U.S. will continue moving towards that,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks with Chinese officials in Switzerland. WHAT’S IN THE TRADE TRUCE WITH CHINA White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” said the agreement was “an extraordinary step in the right direction,” and a White House press release described it as “a historic trade win for the United States.” While the initial agreement brought instant relief to the stock markets, for a president aiming to pass a sweeping agenda through Congress and hold onto his congressional majorities in next year’s midterm elections, it is the potential political payoff that may be of upmost importance. The truce with China follows days after an initial trade deal with the United Kingdom – which is the first since Trump implemented tariffs last month. The president touted that the agreement with London would be “the first of many.” “It’s a positive first step,” veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News. COMMERCE SECRETARY SAYS MORE DEALS TO COME FOLLOWING US-UK TRADE AGREEMENT: ‘GOING TO DRIVE OUR ECONOMY’ Trump’s approval ratings have been sliding since he returned to power in the White House nearly four months ago and are now underwater in most national polling. Most, but not all, of the most recent national public opinion surveys indicate Trump’s approval ratings in negative territory, which is a deterioration from the president’s poll position when he started his second tour of duty in the White House in late January. Fueling the drop in Trump’s poll numbers are increased concerns by Americans over the economy and inflation, which were pressing issues that kept former President Joe Biden‘s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency.   Trump stood at 44% approval and 55% disapproval in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was conducted April 18-21. Additionally, getting past the top lines, the president’s approval registered at 38% on the economy and just 33% on inflation and tariffs. Front and center is Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement in early April, which sparked a trade war with some of the nation’s top trading partners and triggered a massive sell-off in the financial markets and increased concerns about a recession. POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS 15 WEEKS INTO HIS SECOND PRESIDENCY In discussing his tariffs soon after he announced them on what he called “Liberation Day,” the president touted that “these countries are calling us up, kissing my a–.” “They are dying to make a deal. ‘Please, please, sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, sir!’” Trump claimed. A month later, Trump finally has a chance to show tangible results. The president touted, “NO INFLATION!!! LOVE, DJT” in a social media post Monday morning. “President Trump has argued that his agenda requires time for an adjustment and deal making. He’ll be given a period of time to execute deals to prove that his plans are working and the first major trade deal with a nation like the UK is at least a sign that some of the work has been going on behind the scenes thus and is starting to bear fruit,” Williams said last week, following the announcement of the deal with the United Kingdom. Williams added that the president will “have to back it up with more, but it is a positive first step for him in securing other deals.”

‘I don’t love it’: Trump’s $1,000 self-deportation plan draws mixed reaction from House GOP

‘I don’t love it’: Trump’s ,000 self-deportation plan draws mixed reaction from House GOP

A proposal to give illegal immigrants $1,000 to self-deport is drawing a somewhat mixed reaction from Republicans in the House of Representatives. No GOP lawmakers opposed the idea, but some had questions about its feasibility. Others, however, emphatically backed the proposal as a cost-effective and humane way to achieve the Trump administration’s deportation goals. “It’s a smart, compassionate, and cost-effective way to tackle immigration issues,” Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital. “Instead of costly detentions and deportations, this plan offers financial help and safe travel for people to return home. It’s a win-win, fair to those involved and saves American taxpayers millions.” Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., conceded it “will help get the [deportation] numbers up” but argued it would likely largely affect people who wanted to leave the country anyway. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “We’re not gonna lose any gangbangers like that or any criminals, I think people that are trying to figure out a way to get back,” Burchett said.  He added as another point, “Where will the money come from? Again, any money we spend now we’re just borrowing, so that’s a concern.”  President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said earlier this week that it would soon begin giving $1,000 stipends and travel aid to illegal immigrants who self-deport. DHS said it was far cheaper than the cost of arresting someone and detaining them while their deportations are processed – an average cost of $17,000 according to the department. “I think it is pathetic that we’re in a position where we have to pay for people and pay for their flights and remove them and then give them money,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “But at the end of the day, everything is a calculation, at this point, on how you remove people and get sanity in our system. So I’m going to give the administration a lot of deference on that.” Roy summarized his sentiments: “I don’t love it, but I also don’t love the situation we’re in.” Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., both noted the argument of cost-effectiveness. “I mean, the message it sends to me is he’s looking at every option to reduce and deport, to deport people that are here illegally, and my sense is they feel this can work, and it may be a lot cheaper in the long run if we can make it happen,” Flood said. Clyde told Fox News Digital, “If it costs less to send them home that way, I think that’s a very creative option for the president.” BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY “I think what we’ll probably find is it costs us a whole lot more than $1,000 to go arrest them, put them in detention, and then physically deport them,” Clyde said. But others, like Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., just wanted to know that studies were being done on the plan’s potency. “Do we have any studies on the efficiency?” he posed. “Also, how do you stop any type of scamming of the system – come across, go back, come across? It should be done by the math.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and DHS for comment.

House GOP unveils Medicaid work requirements in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

House GOP unveils Medicaid work requirements in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

House Republicans released a sweeping plan late on Sunday to curb who gets Medicaid coverage and roll back former President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate, among other measures. The Energy & Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction, including over federal health programs, telecommunications and energy, was tasked with finding at least $880 billion in spending cuts to pay for other priorities in President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.” Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., told House Republicans on a lawmaker-only call on Sunday night that the panel had found “north of $900 billion” in savings, however – a significant victory for House GOP leaders who weathered attacks from Democrats about significant cuts to welfare programs like Medicaid. However, Republicans largely avoided the deep cuts to Medicaid that were sought by some fiscal hawks in the House GOP Conference, a win for moderate Republicans who were more politically vulnerable to Democratic attacks over the issue. ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION The legislation would put a new 80-hour-per-week work requirement on certain able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid, aged 19 through 64. It would also put guardrails on states spending funds on their expanded Medicaid populations. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to adults who make up to 138% of the poverty level. More specifically, states that provide Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants could see their federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars diminished, putting more of that cost on the state itself. The bill would also require states with expanded Medicaid populations to perform eligibility checks every six months to ensure the system is not being abused. HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Guthrie told House Republicans on a Sunday night call that the legislation was “ending” the former Biden administration’s EV mandate. He said $105 billion in savings could be found in ending the mandate to have EVs account for two-thirds of all new car sales by 2032. Other savings are found in rescinding unspent funds in a variety of Biden green energy tax programs established via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It is not a full repeal of the IRA, however, as some conservatives had been pushing Republicans to do. That had been another point of contention ahead of the bill’s release, with GOP lawmakers who have businesses in their districts that have benefited from the green energy subsidies pushing back on significant cuts. On the other end of the energy divide, the bill would also boost Trump’s non-green energy goals by establishing a fast-tracked natural gas permitting route. The permit applicant would be required to pay $10 million or 1% of the project’s cost to be on the expedited track. There is also a victory for social conservatives in a measure that would make certain large abortion providers ineligible for Medicaid funding. That measure was pushed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., himself, and was backed by anti-abortion groups like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.  However, it could run into opposition from moderate Republicans – Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called the provision “problematic” and warned colleagues they were “running into a hornet’s nest” on the matter in the Sunday night call. The legislation does provide exceptions for places that provide abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake. It’s not necessarily clear, however, if providing voluntary abortions would disqualify those locations. The Energy & Commerce Committee’s legislation accounts for the bulk of Republicans’ $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion spending cuts they are hoping to find in the budget reconciliation process. House Republicans currently have a razor-thin three-vote margin, meaning they can afford to have little dissent and still pass anything without Democratic support. They are hoping to do just that, with virtually no Democrats currently on board with Trump’s massive Republican policy overhaul. The budget-reconciliation process lowers the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51, lining up the House’s own simple majority threshold. Reconciliation allows the party in power to effectively skirt the minority and pass broad pieces of legislation – provided they address taxes, spending or the national debt. Trump wants Republicans to use the maneuver to tackle his priorities on the border, immigration, taxes, defense, energy and raising the debt ceiling. To do that, several committees of jurisdiction are working on their specific portions of the bill, which will then be put together in a massive vehicle to pass the House and Senate. GOP leaders hope to have that final bill on Trump’s desk by Fourth of July.