Axed Pentagon aides claim their character was ‘slandered,’ little details were shared about leak investigation
Three Department of Defense aides who were dumped from the Pentagon this week amid concerns about unauthorized leaks have raised questions about their abrupt, public departures. In a joint statement from senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll posted to X, the military veterans questioned the action against them, noting they were given few details about the investigation. After being placed on leave and escorted from the building this week, the employees said they were “incredibly disappointed” by the manner in which their service at the Defense Department ended. “Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door,” the aides wrote. “All three of us served our country honorably in uniform – for two of us, this included deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, based on our collective service, we understand the importance of information security and worked every day to protect it.” PENTAGON’S WEEK OF POWER STRUGGLES: LEAK FALLOUT AND SHOUTING MATCHES HIT HEGSETH’S INNER CIRCLE The statement came after chief of staff Joe Kasper confirmed to Fox News Digital Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll were ultimately fired on Friday night. Caldwell advised on the Europe portfolio, while Selnick focused on operations, administration and personnel matters, Fox News Digital previously reported. Carroll attended to acquisitions. Though reports surfaced about President Donald Trump telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran, officials discounted claims that the employees were booted based on their views on foreign policy. Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll expressed in the statement that they still had not been told what they were being investigated for, if there was still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of “leaks” to begin with. PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO ‘UNDERMINED’ JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT Experts claim they are not entitled to an explanation until the investigation has concluded, as it is typical security protocol to limit potential suspects’ authorization and access. Even if the investigation ends in their favor, as civilian political appointees, they can be fired at-will. If it goes the opposite way, they could lose their security clearances or face criminal charges. “While this experience has been unconscionable, we remain supportive of the Trump-Vance Administration’s mission to make the Pentagon great again and achieve peace through strength,” the employees wrote on X. “We hope in the future to support those efforts in different capacities.” TRUMP, HEGSETH REVEAL WHOPPING FIGURE THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT PENTAGON BUDGET At least one of the former employees is consulting with legal counsel, Fox News Digital previously reported. The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Jasmine Crockett slammed for comparing Trump to MS-13 member: ‘Complete lunatic’
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, took social media heat after arguing that President Donald Trump is worse than an alleged member of the notorious MS-13 gang. “She got a bad case of [Trump Derangement Syndrome],” one social media user said of Crockett Saturday, adding that the lawmaker “knows we Texans are coming for her seat in Congress in 2026.” The comment comes after Crockett’s interview with MSNBC host Katie Phang on Saturday, where the Democratic lawmaker said Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant who was recently deported, was “a lot less criminal” than Trump. ASMINE CROCKETT TEARS UP AS CANCELED MSNBC HOST THANKS HER FOR ‘CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY’ “I mean, we know that they admitted that they were wrong. Now they’re trying to double back and say, ‘Well, he’s this terrible person and all this kind of stuff.’ But here’s the reality. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a lot less criminal than the person that’s sitting in the White House, because last time I checked, he doesn’t have any criminal convictions,” Crockett said of the deported Garcia. The interview also featured Crockett tearing up after Phang offered her praise for her “continuing support for democracy” on what was likely Crockett’s last appearance on the recently canceled show. But the interview wasn’t well-received by many users on X, with one user calling the whole segment a “clown show.” JASMINE CROCKETT INSISTS IT’S ‘NOT A CRIME’ TO ILLEGALLY CROSS THE BORDER “She is a complete lunatic,” another user said. “What clowns,” added another. “This is so cringe.” For her part, Phang also appeared to get choked up during the interview while promising Crockett that she hasn’t “seen the last of me.” “You can’t have me crying at the beginning of a show. Jasmine. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, you’re not… You haven’t seen the last of me. Thank you for being here and getting us started today. I always appreciate you,” Phang said. Crockett’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Delhi govt to crack down on vehicles that do not display THIS thing; check details
Vehicle owners who do not comply with the order will not get Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificates.
Trump shreds Biden, ‘Radical Left Lunatics’ in Easter message
President Donald Trump wished all Americans a happy Easter in two separate messages on Sunday, with one directed at “Radical Left Lunatics” he claims are trying to derail his administration’s plans on illegal immigration and border security. Trump posted the first Easter message on his Truth Social platform on Sunday morning. “Melania and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! Whether you are heading out to Church or, watching Service from home, may this day be full of Peace and Joy for all who celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. HE IS RISEN!!” Trump wrote. Just six minutes later, Trump posted a second message addressing those he called “Radical Left Lunatics” in a very different tone. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HOSTS EASTER DINNER WITH ‘WORSHIP AND PRAYERS’ “Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country,” the post read. The president’s post continued: “Happy Easter also to the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue, an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten!” Trump went on to call out “Sleepy Joe Biden,” claiming the former president purposefully allowed millions of criminals into the U.S. through “an Open Borders Policy” that Trump called “the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America.” FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP SHARES GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AHEAD OF EASTER Trump called Biden America’s “WORST and most Incompetent President” before concluding his Easter message with mentions of the Biden autopen controversy and the 2020 presidential election. “… and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!” Trump’s post read. Trump has faced pushback in recent weeks over his administration’s plans to deport violent criminal illegal aliens under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling early Saturday morning blocking, at least for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under the act. The high court previously said that the Trump administration could conduct deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, as long as the suspected illegal immigrants are given due process to challenge their removal from the U.S. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Homan says ‘worst of the worst’ must be sent to El Salvador prison: ‘We got to protect American citizens’
Border czar Tom Homan defended sending “designated terrorists” to prisons like the one in El Salvador, saying that the “travesties” he’s seen during his decades-long career in border security justify the Trump administration’s move. Homan appeared on ABC’s “This Week” in a pre-recorded interview that aired Sunday, where he was asked if he had any qualms about sending people to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) even if they have no criminal record. “If people wore my shoes for the last 40 years and seen the travesties I’ve seen, they would understand that the worst of the worst need to be sent to a prison like that because we got to protect American citizens,” Homan said. “We got to protect this country.” Homan said his four decades of experience working in border security informed his belief. APPEALS COURT DENIES DOJ BID TO BLOCK RETURN OF KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA FROM EL SALVADOR PRISON “What you don’t know, what most readers don’t know, they haven’t seen and experienced what I’ve seen in my 40 years,” Homan told ABC’s Jonathan Karl. “I’ve talked to young girls, the youngest nine, that were raped by members of these gang cartels,” Homan continued. “I’ve held dead bodies throughout my career. I’ve talked to a hundred … angel moms and dads whose children were killed and brutally murdered by members of MS-13 who just didn’t kill them, they mutilated them, they tortured them.” PHOTOS: GOP DELEGATION PROVIDES INSIDE LOOK AT CONTROVERSIAL EL SALVADOR PRISON HOUSING US DEPORTEES The Trump administration’s plan of sending the “worst of the worst” migrant gang members to CECOT has caused national controversy, with some outraged Democrats accusing Trump of “kidnapping” people for deportation. One Democrat, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, flew to El Salvador last week to meet with deported illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Trump officials say Abrego Garcia was correctly removed and contend he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang, though Democrats argue that he was deported without due process, regardless of being an alleged gang member. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE: Congresswoman’s profane supermarket argument with constituent caught on camera
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., recorded a confrontation with a voter over when the conservative lawmaker was going to hold her next town hall, with the exchange ending in several expletives and insults from both sides. “Some unhinged lunatic, wearing daisy dukes, at a makeup store, got in my face today. Dems are nuts. So I went off – and I won’t be backing down,” Mace said in a post on X Saturday along with a video of the confrontation. The video, which is just under two minutes, appears to start shortly after the exchange between Mace and the voter started, with Mace explaining that she does town halls “every year” while accusing the voter of “harassing” her. EXCLUSIVE: NANCY MACE TARGETED BY PENNSYLVANIA MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATENING TRUMP “I’ve already done one, I’ll do plenty more,” Mace tells the man. “You’re always invited.” “It’s a simple question,” the man responds. The conversation then turns when Mace informs the man that she “voted for gay marriage twice,” a point that seemingly offended the voter. FLORIDA CHARGES TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER, TERRORISM *WARNING: Graphic language* “What does that have to do with me,” he asks. “Do you think everything about me has to do with gay marriage?” “I do, absolutely,” Mace responds. The conversation then quickly turns confrontational, with Mace calling the man “crazy.” “You people on the left are absolutely f—ing crazy,” Mace tells that man. “Get out of my face.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “You’re insane,” the man responds. “You’re going to be voted out so fast this year.” Afterwards, Mace posted the exchange to social media. “I hold the line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Try me,” she said in the post. Mace’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Lebanese president says disarming Hezbollah ‘delicate’ as Israel kills two
Joseph Aoun makes the comment as the Lebanese army says it foils a rocket attack on Israel. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says he will not be rushed to disarm Hezbollah under unfavourable circumstances as the Israeli military continues to launch deadly air strikes on the country in violation of a November ceasefire. In comments to reporters after a meeting with a Maronite patriarch to mark Easter on Sunday, the former army chief said he considers disarming the Iran-aligned group a “sensitive, delicate issue” that must be handled with consideration to preserve national peace. “Any controversial domestic issue in Lebanon can only be approached through conciliatory, nonconfrontational dialogue and communication. If not, we will lead Lebanon to ruin,” Aoun said. The Trump administration has been applying sustained pressure on Beirut to push for the disarming of Hezbollah, leading to Aoun announcing last week that he hopes to complete the process by the end of 2025 – the first time a senior official has set any deadline. Aoun’s comments on Sunday came shortly after the Lebanese government praised the army for foiling an imminent attack on Israel, a first since the November ceasefire with Hezbollah, which Israel has violated on numerous occasions. Advertisement The Lebanese army released images of confiscated rockets and launch pads and said it arrested multiple individuals previously involved in rocket attacks on Israel as well. The raid that led to the confiscated munitions was reported to have taken place in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon. The office of Prime Minister Nawaf Sharif urged security forces to “thwart suspicious plots that seek to embroil Lebanon in further wars” and said this work proves that the Lebanese state is moving towards full sovereignty over its territory with its own forces. “The Lebanese state alone is the authority that makes decisions regarding war and peace and is the body authorised to possess weapons,” he said. Hezbollah has not immediately reacted to Sunday’s statements, but its leader Naim Qassem said on Friday that the group “will not let anyone disarm” it, especially as the Israeli military continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was formed in the aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and grew over the decades to possess substantial political and military power. This included forcing Israel out from its occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000 and fighting Israel to a stalemate in a 2006 war. But the organisation has lost many leaders in Israeli assassinations as well as much military equipment since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023 and must withdraw its military forces from southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire. Israeli air strikes kill two Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said on Sunday that two people were killed in two Israeli air raids in southern Lebanon. Advertisement Israeli warplanes fired at least two missiles at a house in Hula, a village in Nabatieh governorate, killing one person, the ministry said. An Israeli drone attack also targeted a vehicle in Kaoutariyet as-Siyad, killing another person, it said. The footage below, which has been verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, shows plumes of smoke rising after Israeli air strikes targeted the heights of the Iqlim al-Tuffah region of southern Lebanon. مراسل الجديد: سلسلة غارات عنيفة من الطيران الحربي إستهدفت أطراف مليتا ومرتفعات إقليم التفاح@farhat_muhamad1 pic.twitter.com/8TMHLdc06q — Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) April 20, 2025 The Israeli military said one of its strikes on southern Lebanon killed a deputy head of a Hezbollah unit responsible for smuggling weapons and funds to the group, including across the country’s border with Syria. The army added that the targeted man was “extensively involved” in Hezbollah efforts to revitalise after the group took heavy blows during the war. After killing two other people on Saturday, the Israeli army also claimed they were Hezbollah members. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Easter truce’ in Russia’s Ukraine war marked by accusations of violations
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of breaching an “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine said was being violated from the moment it started. Putin will not be extending the ceasefire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency on Sunday. The ceasefire expires at midnight (21:00 GMT). In a surprise announcement on Saturday, Putin ordered his forces to “stop all military activity” along the front line in the war against Ukraine, citing humanitarian reasons. The 30-hour cessation of hostilities would have been the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. But just hours after the order was meant to have come into effect, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Russia of having maintained its attacks and engaging in a PR stunt. Russia’s Ministry of Defence also alleged on Sunday that Ukraine had broken the truce more than 1,000 times. Advertisement “Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units,” Zelenskyy said on social media, citing a report as of 6am (03:00 GMT) from Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii. He said in the six hours up to midnight (21:00 GMT on Saturday), there were “387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces”, with drones “used by Russians 290 times”. “Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favourable PR coverage,” he added. According to the Kremlin, fighting stopped at 6pm Moscow time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday until Sunday midnight (21:00 GMT) owing to Easter. But as church bells rang out for Easter services on Sunday, residents in Kyiv expressed doubts whether Russia would observe the brief truce. Natalia Malaieva noted that an air raid alert was heard in Kyiv moments after the truce began. “Missiles and drones flew over. There were explosions caused by missiles,” she said. “What kind of a ceasefire is that?” Olha Malashuk added: “He [Putin] probably wants to rearm the troops … That is why no one believes him any more.” Orthodox worshippers attend the Easter service in Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv [Sergei Supinsky/AFP] Accusations and counteraccusations In a statement on social media on Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times and it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks. Advertisement It added that the border regions of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod had come under attack. “As a result, there were deaths and injuries among the civilian population as well as damage to civilian objects,” the ministry said. Quoting a source in “operative services”, the Russian state news agency TASS said at least three blasts were heard in the Budennovsky district of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which has been under Russia’s control since 2014. The report blamed Ukrainian forces for what it said was an attack carried out during the truce. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesperson confirmed that activities on the front lines with Russia had decreased, but the fighting had not stopped. “It is decreasing, but it hasn’t disappeared,” Viktor Trehubov told national television. “To be honest, we didn’t hold out much hope that this would actually happen,” the military spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern front said. Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said both sides were accusing each other, but according to analysts, it is almost impossible to stop all the hostilities immediately. But generally, the situation on the battlefield is much calmer, and the number of attacks has decreased. “The Russian reaction to this ceasefire is very positive,” she added. “People hope that it will last, and analysts also say that Russia and Putin are likely in a favourable position right now for a longer truce and peace negotiations, taking into account Russia’s gains on the battlefield and the efforts by the US side as well,” Shapovalova said. Advertisement ‘A pure political step’ Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister, called Putin’s announcement “a pure political step” and said it was taken for both domestic and international reasons. “Easter is one of the main holidays for Russia and Putin wants to show that he’s following Russian Orthodox Church tradition,” he told Al Jazeera. “At the same time, it’s a very important test for him if Ukraine will do the same, because now when there will be a new stage of talks on Ukraine, [and] it’s very important for Putin to have real arguments that say, ‘look, Ukraine is not following the agreements. Ukraine is breaking down the ceasefire.’” Putin’s announcement came a day after United States President Donald Trump said Washington will “take a pass” on trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war if either Moscow or Kyiv makes it too difficult to end it. Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Rosalind Jordan said neither side can currently really afford to anger the Trump administration. “Especially now that they are saying very publicly here in Washington that they are ready to walk away, even though President Trump has said repeatedly that he is tired of what he calls the ‘carnage’ in the war between Ukraine and Russia,” she said. But there has been no reaction from the Trump administration this weekend to developments in the Ukraine war. Vladimir Sotnikov, an associate professor of international relations at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said he fears Trump has “jumped into” a peace plan that “won’t work in the near future”. Advertisement “Both sides – Ukraine and Russia – are still very far from
Syria’s first wheat shipment since al-Assad ouster points to recovery
Traders say Syria has largely been relying on overland imports from neighbours this year. A ship carrying wheat has arrived in Syria’s Latakia port, the first such delivery since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December, the government said, as it pushes to boost an economy ravaged by nearly 14 years of ruinous civil war. Traders say Syria has this year been largely relying on overland imports from neighbours. Officials of the new government led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa say that while imports of wheat and other basics are not subject to sanctions from the United States or United Nations, challenges in securing financing for trade deals have deterred global suppliers from selling to Syria. The Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Borders said in a statement that the ship carried 6,600 tonnes of wheat. It did not identify the nationality or destination of the boat, but one regional commodity trader told the Reuters news agency it was from Russia. Russia and Iran were Syria’s primary military and economic backers under al-Assad. They previously provided most of Syria’s wheat and oil products, but stopped after opposition fighters swept through the country in triumph and al-Assad fled to Moscow. Advertisement Syria’s border authority called the shipment “a clear indication of the start of a new phase of economic recovery in the country”, adding that it should pave the way for more arrivals of vital supplies. Al-Sharaa’s government is sharply focused on economic recovery after 14 years of conflict and has also been making efforts to open travel routes to the country. Most international airlines suspended operations to and from Damascus in 2012 amid the Syrian government’s violent crackdown on protests that began in 2011 and the subsequent civil war that drew in multiple outside actors. However, in January 2024, several airlines resumed service at Damascus International Airport following an announcement by the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority that international flights would be accepted. On Saturday, a Syrian passenger flight departed on Sunday for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the resumption of air travel between the two countries. A UN official said on Saturday that Syria’s authorities should also begin the process of economic recovery, without waiting for Western sanctions imposed under al-Assad’s rule to be lifted. “Waiting for sanctions to be lifted leads nowhere,” Abdallah Al Dardari, the regional chief for Arab states at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told the AFP news agency in an interview in Damascus. Al Dardari said this process should include “projects… directly affecting citizens”, the provision of services by civil society, particularly in education, and “the rapid improvement of public services”. Advertisement “People need to feel the improvement quickly … especially in such a difficult period,” he said. “With a clear vision and well-defined priorities, once the sanctions are lifted, funding will flow into Syria.” Some countries, including the US, have said they would wait to see how the new authorities exercise their power and ensure human rights before lifting sanctions, opting instead for targeted and temporary exemptions. Adblock test (Why?)
Blue states rallied for illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses ahead of Trump’s REAL ID crackdown
Americans are scrambling to obtain a state-issued REAL ID in order to travel by plane ahead of a federal deadline next month, which comes after states from coast to coast changed their laws surrounding driver’s licenses to permit illegal immigrants to drive. Americans will need to obtain a REAL ID, which is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued licenses, in order to easily travel by air, the Department of Homeland Security explains on its website. Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain the identification card, while valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver’s licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement for all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply. The move to officially enforce REAL IDs at the national level for domestic air travel comes after 19 states and Washington, D.C., put laws on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. HOUSE REPUBLICAN’S BILL WOULD RIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM STATES THAT GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER’S LICENSES The states, which stretch from New York and New Jersey to California and Washington state, changed their laws in order to allow illegal immigrants to drive freely to work, while also ensuring they meet driving skill requirements and could obtain car insurance to bolster road safety, various liberal lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups said as they rallied support for the law changes. “Expanding access to driver’s licenses is critical for the safety of New Jerseyans and a step toward building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all,” New Jersey Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, for example, said in 2019 after signing the Garden State’s legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. LEGAL IMMIGRANT OUTRAGED OVER MINNESOTA OFFERING DRIVER’S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Allowing residents the opportunity to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status will decrease the number of uninsured drivers and increase safety on our roads. I thank my partners in the Legislature for sending this important bill to my desk,” he added. Just a few months after New Jersey’s 2021 law change, the state issued 100,000 new permits, a 65% jump compared to the same three-month period in years prior, NJ Spotlight News reported at the time. BONDI ANNOUNCES NEW LAWSUITS AGAINST STATES ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH IMMIGRATION ACTIONS New Jersey is among the states that have reported long wait times at DMVs as residents scramble to obtain a REAL ID to fly ahead of the May 7 deadline. The states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Washington state had a law on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses since 1993, National Conference of State Legislatures data show, while most states, such as Illinois and California, began changing their laws starting in 2012. In Massachusetts in 2022, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, citing that local DMVs did not have the ability to verify the validity of foreign documents and that it would overall weaken the validity of state driver’s licenses. “I cannot sign this legislation because it requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue state credentials to people without the ability to verify their identity. The Registry does not have the expertise or ability to verify the validity of many types of documents from other countries,” Baker said at the time. “Consequently, a standard Massachusetts driver’s license will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.” Massachusetts ultimately allowed illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses through a ballot initiative. Domestic air travelers who are in the nation illegally are required to present a valid and up-to-date photo ID to board a flight, and can show documents such as a driver’s license, a current foreign passport, a military ID or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Employment Authorization Card, and other forms of photo IDs, according to various immigrant advocacy groups. SANCTUARY STATE’S ‘GREEN LIGHT’ LAW IS RED FLAG FOR AMERICANS’ SAFETY, NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERTS The Trump administration, which has been on an illegal immigration deportation blitz, revealed in a memo last week that the REAL ID requirement will further crack down on illegal aliens moving freely around the country. A Department of Homeland Security memo exclusively obtained by Fox Digital last week outlined that part of the motivation for the Trump administration to enforce the REAL ID law is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying – unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight. “Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the memo states. “This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks,” the memo continues. NEW JERSEY BILL TO LET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GET DRIVERS’ LICENSES ADVANCES TO GOVERNOR’S DESK The agency emphasized that the measure prevents people in the country illegally from traveling within the U.S. “DHS and TSA are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.,” it states. While many conservatives backed the REAL ID Act, both in 2005 and now, some have said it bolsters