‘Blatantly unconstitutional’: US judge temporarily blocks Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship
A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, describing the action as “blatantly unconstitutional.” The decision by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, comes in response to four U.S. states — Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington — who sued to block Trump’s executive order, which was signed by Trump shortly after being sworn in as president. Coughenour said Thursday that the executive order banning birthright citizenship “boggles the mind,” and told the court he could not remember in his more than 40 years on the bench seeing a case so “blatantly unconstitutional.” TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW The 14-day restraining order granted by Coughenour will apply to the entire U.S. The ruling is a blow to the new Trump administration, and comes as 22 U.S. states and immigrants rights groups have sued the Trump administration over the ban on birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and “unprecedented.” Trump’s ban is slated to come into force Feb. 19, and would impact the hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. annually. Trump’s order seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” It clarifies that those born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary nonimmigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright. The U.S. is one of roughly 30 countries where birthright citizenship is applied. States who have challenged the law have argued that the 14th Amendment does in fact guarantee citizenship to persons born on U.S. soil and naturalized in the U.S. This is a breaking news story, more updates to come.
In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, a push for residents to lose weight and curb diabetes
In Brownsville, the city and local hospital have helped residents lose more than 23,000 pounds since 2008.
John Ratcliffe confirmed as next CIA director, becomes second Trump nominee to gain congressional approval
John Ratcliffe was confirmed to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Thursday, making him the second of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks to secure their position. By a vote of 74-25, Ratcliffe was confirmed. The Senate’s full approval of Ratcliffe came after a 14-3 vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday evening, which advanced Ratcliffe’s nomination to the Senate floor Thursday. Ratcliffe previously served as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, during the president’s first term in office. At the time, Ratcliffe faced scrutiny over whether he was adequately qualified for the role and whether his loyalty to Trump might cloud his judgment. Ratcliffe’s eventual nomination was approved along party lines. BREAKING DOWN THE SENATE HEARINGS FOR TRUMP’S CABINET NOMINEES Prior to Ratcliffe’s role as DNI, he was a member of the House of Representatives since 2015, serving Texas’s 4th Congressional District. During Ratcliffe’s tenure in Congress, he served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2019 until his move to DNI the following year. Ratcliffe’s confirmation this time around has garnered support from some Democrats, including from the top Democrat on the Senate’s intel committee, Rep. Mark Warner of Virginia, who voted in favor of Ratcliffe’s confirmation. MODERATE REPUBLICAN MURKOWSKI WON’T BACK TRUMP PICK HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY During Ratcliffe’s first confirmation hearing last week, when lawmakers probed him over how he would handle the role as CIA director if confirmed, Ratcliffe said he would eliminate politicization and “wokeness” in the agency’s workforce. Ratcliffe added that he plans on focusing on the agency’s approach to technology, saying that he thinks it has struggled to keep pace with the tech evolution occurring in the private sector. Ratcliffe will also take a hawkish stance towards China, according to people close to Ratcliffe, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. Ratcliffe’s confirmation makes him the second of Trump’s nominees to garner congressional approval, after Marco Rubio. The Republican-controlled Senate said it plans to work overtime to get the rest of Trump’s nominees approved quickly, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisting in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening, that they would work “nights, weekends, recesses” until the process is complete.
Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration
EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources tell Fox News Digital. The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the sources said. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by CBP’s Office of Field Operations. On Jan 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, then 1,266 on Jan 18 and 1,354 on Jan 19. That is 3,908 encounters in total. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES Trump took office on the 20th, when there were 1,073 encounters. It then declined further to 736 encounters on the 21st and again to 714 on the 22nd – making up 2,523 encounters. Numbers fluctuate sharply at the border on a daily and weekly basis, but numbers have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum. That followed a historic migrant crisis from 2021 that had shattered records repeatedly. President Donald Trump implemented additional restrictions. On taking office, he signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military to the border and ended the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole. His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the United States. ‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole, and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants. Trump’s administration has also moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants — a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states. Although the data is preliminary, lower numbers will likely fuel speculation about a “Trump effect,” in which migrants are discouraged from making their way to the border if they believe they are less likely to be admitted, or more likely to be deported if they are.
‘Tides are shifting’: Push to codify key Trump-era policy snags dozens of cosponsors, including Dems
FIRST ON FOX: A bill to restore the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, introduced recently in the House, is racking up cosponsors as it becomes the latest immigration bill to pick up bipartisan support in the chamber. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a freshman lawmaker, introduced the Remain in Mexico Act this month. The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, which were introduced during the first Trump administration and required migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases were heard, part of an effort to end the practice known as “catch and release.” The protocols were scrapped by the Biden administration, which argued they were cruel and ineffective. TRUMP’S REMAIN IN MEXICO POLICY COULD BE REVIVED UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL President Donald Trump has signed an order requiring the protocols to be restored, but codifying the policy in federal law would make it significantly harder for critics to then repeal it under a different administration. However, with the bill now before Congress, it has already picked up over 100 cosponsors, Fox News Digital is told. That includes two Democrats, Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “I am overwhelmed with gratitude that over one hundred of my colleagues have shown bipartisan support for my REMAIN in Mexico Act that codifies President Trump’s executive border action into law,” Gill said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The tides are shifting under President Trump—Congress knows we must strengthen our national security, prevent fraudulent asylum claims, and put our citizens first,” he said. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES The bill is one of a number of pieces of immigration legislation that have been introduced, with increasing signs of support from Democrats after a year in which illegal immigration was a top issue for voters and resulted in Republicans controlling the House, Senate and White House. On Wednesday evening, the House passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft-related crimes. It had previously passed the Senate. In the House, 46 Democrats voted in favor of it. The House is expected to be active on illegal immigration, reflecting a flurry of orders coming from the White House. Those orders include declaring a national emergency at the border, sending troops to the border and canceling a slew of Biden-era parole programs.
GOP lawmaker rolls out MERIT Act to restructure federal workforce based on private sector model
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Barry Loudermilk rolled out a measure Thursday that would reform and restructure the federal workforce by focusing on hiring and retaining officials on a merit basis, modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned. Loudermilk, R-Ga., re-introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act on Thursday in an effort to hold “inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable.” WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY The rollout comes after President Donald Trump signed several Day One executive actions focused on reforming the federal workforce. “Over the past four years, most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy,” Loudermilk told Fox News Digital. “With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust.” Loudermilk says he intends to “return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas.” The bill would address misconduct and poor performance by repealing the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which Loudermilk said is “unnecessarily time-consuming,” and instead, streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors. The bill also permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position. The MERIT Act also authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered, and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had those issues been known at the time. The bill also affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation under the bill. “The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system,” Loudermilk said. “Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption.” Loudermilk said he has been working on the bill for “several years” and that “now is the time to reform our outdated system.” “MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people,” he said. “It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers.” TRUMP VOWS ‘NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,’ SAYS AMERICA’S ‘DECLINE IS OVER’ IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS Loudermilk told Fox News Digital he is “encouraged” that Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will “complement MERIT.” “I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House,” Loudermilk said. The bill’s original co-sponsors are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, Erin Houchin, Burgess Owens, Anna Paulina Luna, Scott Franklin, Dan Webster, Tracy Mann, Dan Meuser, Brian Babin, Claudia Tenney, Jim Baird, Greg Steube and Tim Burchett. TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1 The rollout of the legislation comes as Trump has already taken steps to reform the workforce during his first week in office. Trump directed all agencies and departments to close their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices by Wednesday evening and place all DEI office employees on paid administrative leave. Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI: An executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI, and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP By the end of the day Friday, Trump ordered all agency and department heads to notify their workforce of a return to in-person, in-office work. The White House has recommended a target return-to-work start date for 30 days from the original notice.
Moderate Republican Murkowski won’t back Trump pick Hegseth for defense secretary
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said on Thursday she can’t support Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense. “Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth,” she concluded in a lengthy statement posted to X. TIM SCOTT EMPHASIZES ‘RESULTS’ OVER RECONCILIATION PROCESS AS HE STAYS OUT OF DEBATE In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, “allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking” and Hegseth’s previous comments on women serving in the military. The behaviors that he has admitted to alone, she said, show “a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.” While Hegseth has admitted to past infidelity, he has denied claims of excessive drinking and sexual assault. DEM WHO CALLED TRUMP ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ NOW BLOCKING HIS NOMINEES The Alaska Republican noted that she met with Hegseth “and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials.” Further, Murkowski said she “closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations, veterans, and Alaskans.” However, “After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense,” she said. HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW Other GOP senators who have yet to take a public position on Hegseth include Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Collins told reporters on Thursday, “I’ll be releasing a statement shortly.” Hegseth will need a simple majority of the Senate to vote in his favor in order to be confirmed. With the Republicans’ 53-seat majority, he can only afford to lose a handful of the conference. If there is a tie, newly sworn in Vice President JD Vance will be needed to cast the tie-breaking vote. The move to oppose Hegseth’s confirmation was not unexpected from Murkowski, who has earned a reputation for occasionally bucking her party. Fox News was recently told it was possible Hegseth’s confirmation would need Vance’s tie-breaking vote.In particular, Fox News was told to watch McConnell, Collins and Murkowski on the pivotal confirmation vote. If McConnell and Collins join Murkowski in voting nay, Vance will need to come to the Capitol to break the tie and confirm Hegseth as Defense Secretary. No Vice President had ever broken a tie to confirm a cabinet Secretary until former Vice President Pence did so to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary on February 7, 2017. Pence also broke ties to confirm former Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) as ambassador for religious freedom in 2018. He also broke a tie to confirm current Budget Director nominee Russ Vought as Deputy Budget Director in 2018.
JD Vance’s first big VP moment on the horizon with possible cabinet tiebreaker vote
JD Vance’s first big moment as vice president is on the horizon as the Senate prepares confirmation votes on President Donald Trump’s picks to lead the CIA and Defense Department, which could require Vance stepping in with a tiebreaking vote. Under the Constitution, vice presidents serve as the president of the Senate and are charged with the sole power of breaking tied votes in the chamber. Vance, who previously served in the Senate before his election as vice president, could employ this power in the coming days as lawmakers make their way through Trump’s cabinet picks. Senate lawmakers swiftly and unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state in a 99–0 vote on Monday. Other cabinet and administration picks, however, are still making their way through committee hearings and final votes. Senate lawmakers are set to vote on Trump’s pick for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, before voting on Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Fox News learned earlier this week that lawmakers could deadlock on the confirmation vote for Hegseth, which would require Vance to step in. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO A PROBABLE WEEKEND SESSION TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES Republicans hold control of the Senate at 53 seats, compared to Democrats’ 45 seats and two independent seats. Fox News was told that Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, could break with Trump’s secretary of defense nominee and vote against his confirmation. Ratcliffe is scheduled for a confirmation vote Thursday, which will be followed by a procedural vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination. Vance could be called to Capitol Hill to break a tied vote if a handful of Republicans deny confirming the nominees. Ratcliffe previously served as director of national intelligence under the first Trump administration, and was confirmed by the Senate in 2020 by a 49–44 vote. Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in her role as vice president when she issued her 32nd tiebreaking vote in 2023 regarding the confirmation of a federal judge. Democrats only had a 51-member majority over Republicans, who had a 49-person conference, during the 118th Congress. SEN. THUNE SUGGESTS STAYING THROUGH WEEKEND TO CONFIRM TRUMP PICKS AFTER DEMS DELAY VOTES: ‘SHOULDN’T BE HARD’ The first Trump administration made history in 2017 when Mike Pence became the first vice president to deliver a tiebreaking vote to confirm a cabinet secretary. Pence voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education after a 50–50 deadlock over the nominee. Pence also broke tie votes in 2018 to confirm Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., as ambassador for religious freedom and to confirm Russ Vought as deputy director for the Office of Management and Budget. Vance could see himself in a similar position as Republicans hold a tight majority in the chamber. HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, where he faced a grilling from Democrats over his views on women serving in combat roles, infidelity and drinking habits. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. He has denied the allegations and vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s cabinet. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING “Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you,” Hegseth said before the committee on Jan. 14, beginning to choke up in his emotional opening remarks. “And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done.” Earlier this week, Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee reviewed an affidavit that alleged Hegseth abused alcohol and, at times, made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. The affidavit was filed by Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. Pete Hegseth’s lawyer pushed back in a statement that Hegseth’s ex-wife has never alleged abuse. “Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse,” attorney Tim Parlatore said in a comment to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “She signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump, far-left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that.” Hegseth’s final leg of the confirmation process will unfold after lawmakers vote on Ratcliffe for CIA director — a process that could pour over into the weekend. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Mexico scrambles to build tents to handle mass deportations from US
The Mexican government is building large encampments in Ciudad Juárez to receive an expected influx of Mexicans returned to their native country by President Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations. Tent shelters in Ciudad Juárez are made to temporarily house thousands of people and will be prepared in just a few days, city official Enrique Licon told Reuters. “It’s unprecedented,” Licon said Tuesday of Mexico’s plan to build shelter and reception centers in nine cities south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities at the site will reportedly provide deported Mexicans with food, temporary housing, medical care and assistance in obtaining identity documents, Reuters reported. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES The government will also provide transportation for Mexican nationals to return to their hometowns. Trump campaigned on launching the largest mass deportations of illegal immigrants in U.S. history and began that effort after assuming office on Monday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already made more than 460 arrests, targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records, including for violent crimes. Information obtained by Fox News Digital shows that between midnight Jan. 21 and 9 a.m. on Jan, 22, a 33-hour period, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more than 460 illegal immigrants whose criminal histories include sexual assault, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, drugs and weapons offenses, resisting arrest and domestic violence. Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela. ‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP Arrests took place across the U.S. including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland. Nearly five million Mexicans are living in the United States without authorization, according to an analysis by Mexican think tank El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) based on recent U.S. census data. Many are from parts of central and southern Mexico wracked by violence and poverty. Some 800,000 illegally present Mexicans in the United States are from Michoacan, Guerrero and Chiapas, according to the COLEF study, where fierce battles between organized crime groups have forced thousands to flee in recent years, sometimes leaving whole towns abandoned. Trump has swiftly restarted policies aimed to halt the flow of migrants into the U.S. that former President Biden had ended. On Monday, the Trump administration ended the CBP One app program, which allowed migrants waiting in Mexico to schedule an appointment to enter the U.S. legally. Then on Tuesday, Trump reinstated Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a requirement that non-Mexican asylum seekers wait in Mexico until their cases are resolved. Immigration activists worry that Trump’s strict immigration policies will overwhelm Mexico with deportees, but the government insists it is prepared. “Mexico will do everything necessary to care for its compatriots, and will allocate whatever is necessary to receive those who are repatriated,” Mexico’s Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said on Monday at a press conference, according to Reuters.
Trump expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under FACE Act
Donald Trump is expected to pardon pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act during President Biden’s administration in the coming days. The pardons, first reported by The Daily Wire, would apply to activists convicted of protesting near abortion clinics during various demonstrations. The details and scope of the pardons have yet to be revealed. Thomas Ciesielka, a spokesman for the pro-life law firm the Thomas Moore Society, confirmed plans for the pardon to Fox News Digital. News of the plan comes just one day before the March for Life, an annual pro-life march that takes place in Washington, D.C. WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had called on Trump to pardon activists convicted under the FACE Act since the president was sworn into office. “No administration in history has targeted Christians like the Biden Admin. We saw one persecution after another, from shutting down churches during COVID to raiding pro-lifers homes at the crack of dawn. EVERY pro-life prisoner Biden wrongly imprisoned should be pardoned,” Hawley wrote on X. Hawley said he spoke with Trump about a potential pardon plan on Thursday morning, saying they had a “great conversation.” TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also introduced legislation that would dismantle the FACE Act. Many lawmakers have argued that Democratic administrations have weaponized it against pro-life groups and Christians. “97% of FACE Act prosecutions between the years of 1994-2024 were initiated against pro-life Americans; it is laughable to argue that the law hasn’t been weaponized. Let’s put H.R. 589 on the President’s desk and end this once and for all,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a statement reacting to the pardon news. Trump also issued a blanket pardon for nearly all January 6 prisoners shortly after he took the oath of office.