“A lot of fear going on”: Texas immigrant community on edge during Trump’s first weeks
Across the state, immigrants and their loved ones are changing their daily habits as the Trump administration orders at least 1,200 daily arrests of undocumented people.
Immigration crackdown in Texas: What you need to know about your rights
Recent enforcement operations across Texas have raised concerns among undocumented immigrants. Here’s what immigration attorneys want you to know about your rights and resources.
‘Unfit to lead’: Blue state governor lashes out at Trump for targeting DEI policies after DC plane crash
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused President Donald Trump of being too incompetent to lead the country because he suggested the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) played a role in the tragic Washington, D.C., aircraft collision on Wednesday. “We face the unfortunate reality that we must be honest with the nation about: Donald Trump is unfit to lead during moments of crisis like this,” Pritzker said in a statement Thursday night. The blue state governor, whom Trump evoked on the campaign trail as an example of the downfall of Democrat-run states, urged the Trump administration to respond to the American Airlines crash with “information and facts to instill confidence in our nation’s aviation safety.” “Before victims have even been identified, Trump is blaming people with disabilities,” Pritzker said, referring to FAA DEI hiring practices. “He’s blaming the U.S. service members in the Blackhawk helicopter. He’s blaming hiring programs he can’t even name or offer examples of. The buck stops with him — yet he is failing to demonstrate his role as protector of the American people and head of our government.” TRUMP ATTACKS DEI POLICIES AFTER DC PLANE CRASH, SAYS FAA EMPLOYEES MUST BE HELD TO ‘HIGHEST STANDARDS’ The second-term governor is among the long list of Democrats considering a 2028 presidential run. Pritzker has seized opportunities over the past two weeks to play a leadership role in Democrat opposition to Trump, refusing, for example, to follow Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. PRITZKER BASHES TRUMP ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘WE WILL NOT FOLLOW AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER’ Pritzker’s comments Thursday were the latest in a long-standing feud between the two. “Sloppy J.B. Pritzker… has presided over the destruction and disintegration of Illinois at levels never seen before in any State,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in June. “Crime is rampant and people are, sadly, fleeing Illinois. Unless a change is made at the Governor’s level, Illinois can never be Great Again!” Trump’s attacks have veered into the ad hominem, labeling Pritzker a “rotund Governor from the once great State of Illinois, who makes Chris Christie look like a male model.” In his statement, Pritzker demanded the Trump administration answer his “critical questions,” including why the control tower was not fully staffed during the crash; why the Trump administration fired members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee; whether the president now understands fully staffing federal agencies is a “matter of life and death”; and whether he plans to reverse federal workforce cuts. Pritzker questioned whether Elon Musk played a role in the removal of the former FAA director; why a replacement for FAA director was not named until after the crash; whether the federal government authorized the Blackhawk helicopter to fly on a commercial flight path; and if the government will continue allowing helicopters to fly at the same altitude as commercial planes. “Will the President, Vice President, Defense Secretary, and Transportation Secretary cooperate with the independent NTSB investigation and correct any misinformation they spread about the crash?” Pritzker demanded to know. Trump on Thursday listed headlines about Biden-era FAA DEI hiring that he suggested weakened the agency. “Here’s one,” Trump said in the White House briefing room. “The FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing. And then it says the FAA says people with severe disabilities, the most underrepresented segment of the workforce, and they want them in. They can be air traffic controllers. I don’t think so.” “This was on January 14th, so that was a week before I entered office,” Trump said, seeking to push blame onto the Biden administration. “They put a big push to put diversity into the FAA’s program.” Trump then expanded his list of conditions allowed among controllers: “Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.” The president drew a stark contrast between Democratic policies and his own first-week executive orders that halted DEI programs in the federal government and restored “the highest standards of air traffic controllers.” “Brilliant people have to be in those positions,” he stated. When asked how he came to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the crash, the president said, “Because I have common sense.” Pritzker is not the only potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender who took issue with Trump’s comments. After Trump called former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a “disaster,” Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic primary candidate, called Trump’s comments “despicable.” “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he wrote on X. “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch. President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe.”
Colombian president urges illegal immigrants in US to return home days after diplomatic spat
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is urging Colombian nationals in the U.S. illegally to return home, promising to provide loans to those who return, days after being embroiled in a diplomatic controversy with the U.S. “I ask undocumented Colombians in the US to immediately leave their jobs in that country and return to Colombia as soon as possible,” Petro said on X. “Wealth is produced only by working people. COLOMBIA PRESIDENT WELCOMES FIRST FLIGHTS OF DEPORTED MIGRANTS AFTER LOSING PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP “The Department of Social Prosperity … will seek to provide productive loans to returnees who enroll in its programs,” he said. “Let’s build social wealth in Colombia.” Petro had initially refused Sunday to take U.S. deportation flights carrying Colombian nationals, saying the U.S. cannot “treat Colombian migrants as criminals.” The Trump administration, in response, announced the immediate suspension of visa issuance and travel sanctions on government officials. President Donald Trump warned he would slap 25% tariffs on all goods from Colombia. “Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “America will not back down when it comes to defending its national security interests.” A VICTORY FOR TRUMP’S ‘FAFO’: HOW THE WHITE HOUSE STRONG-ARMED ONE-TIME CLOSE ALLY COLOMBIA OVER IMMIGRATION At first, Petro retaliated with his own 25% tariffs on U.S. goods. Petro insisted he would not accept the return of migrants who were not treated with “dignity and respect” and who had arrived shackled or on military planes. But the White House later said Colombia’s president had caved “to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay,” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE On Tuesday, two Colombian air force planes carrying deportees arrived in Bogotá. On Friday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that visa processing in Bogotá had resumed. “Our commitment to work together with Colombia to advance our mutual interests remains steadfast,” she said. Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
DOGE announces more than $1B in savings after canceling 104 federal DEI contracts
The new federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced Friday that taxpayers will see just over a $1 billion savings through the elimination of 104 diversity, equity and inclusion-related (DEI) contracts. As of Wednesday, DOGE had recorded the cancellation of 85 “DEIA” contracts from 25 federal agencies. By Friday afternoon, that number had grown to 104 contracts totaling $1,000,060,792, according to a DOGE news release. Of note, 21 Department of the Treasury contracts were canceled, saving a total of $25,247,783. In second place was the Department of Health & Human Services, which canceled 15 contracts worth $28,187,448. While the Office of Personnel Management only had three contracts canceled, the dollar figure was pinned at a whopping $494,956,233, an average of about $165 million per DEI contract. TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ‘ALREADY RACKING UP WINS FOR TAXPAYERS’ WITH EFFICIENCY INITIATIVES The other agencies with the most contracts canceled by the Trump administration include Agriculture with 11 and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Homeland Security with seven each. According to a release Monday from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 60 employees whose roles were solely focused on DEI were placed on administrative leave, and spokesperson Morgan Ackley said the administration is “laser focused on providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.” “We are proud to have abandoned the divisive DEI policies of the past and pivot back to VA’s core mission,” Ackley said. The rapid-fire DEI contract eliminations come one week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting the endeavors, officially described as “ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity.” ‘DOGE’-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER AARON BEAN LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’ However, a consortium of liberal state attorneys general lambasted Trump with a warning that the moves “have nothing to do with combating discrimination.” A joint statement led by Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha Friday called the executive orders that led to the dismantling of DEI policies and programs “unnecessary and disingenuous.” Neronha and his co-signers — attorneys general from California, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington state — said they would agree to be “willing partners” in cracking down on discrimination if Trump chose instead to utilize “longstanding civil rights laws” rather than the path he has chosen. “Contrary to President Trump’s assertions, the policies he seeks to end do not diminish the importance of individual merit, nor do they mean that employers are lowering their standards, hiring unqualified candidates, or engaging in race-and-sex-based preferences,” the statement said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “DEIA initiatives simply ensure that there are fair opportunities for everyone, helping to maximize contributions from all employees and enabling businesses and organizations to succeed in their missions.” In Congress, Rep. Aaron Bean and Sen. Joni Ernst have been leading DOGE efforts to further curtail government waste and abuse. Bean, a Republican from Jacksonville, Florida, founded the Congressional DOGE Caucus in November, and Ernst, Iowa, has led the charge to lobby for return-to-work requirements for federal employees and sales of unused or underused federal office space.
White House announces tariffs on Canada, Mexico & China
NewsFeed The White House spokeswoman has said that the US will place 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10% on China starting from February 1. She cited fentanyl shipments and undocumented border crossings as justifications. Published On 31 Jan 202531 Jan 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Trump envoy arrives in Venezuela to meet Maduro about deportation flights
Richard Grenell, an envoy for United States President Donald Trump, has arrived in Venezuela to meet with the country’s president and discuss possible coordination on Trump’s mass deportation push. At a White House news briefing on Friday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that Grenell left for Venezuela with two “immediate directives” from Trump. “Number one, Rick Grenell has been instructed to identify a place and ensure that repatriation flights of Tren de Aragua members, of Venezuelan nationals who have broken our nation’s laws, will land in Venezuela,” she said. “Number two, Rick Grenell is in Venezuela to ensure that all US detainees in Venezuela are returned home.” The White House clarified, however, that the visit should not be seen as the US accepting the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s third term. During Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021, the Republican led a “maximum pressure” campaign against Maduro, in an effort to push the socialist leader from power. Advertisement But since Trump took office for a second term on January 20, there have been questions about how his relationship with Maduro might evolve, particularly in light of the cooperation needed for his “mass deportation” campaign. Leavitt on Friday indicated that there would be no leeway in Washington’s demands for Venezuela to accept deportation flights. “We expect every nation on this planet to cooperate,” she said. Mauricio Claver-Carone, the US special envoy for Latin America, echoed that sentiment during a conference call with reporters on Friday. He also pushed Trump’s false claims that foreign governments have intentionally sent criminals from their countries to the US. “The United States and President Trump expects Nicolas Maduro to take back all of the Venezuelan criminals and gang members that have been exported to the United States, and to do so unequivocally and without condition,” said Claver-Carone. “And that is non-negotiable.” While some figures in Trump’s cabinet have staked out hawkish positions towards Venezuela, some have speculated that the administration could offer incentives like sanctions relief in exchange for coordination on deportation flights. Maduro was sworn in for a controversial third term as president earlier this month, despite allegations that he fraudulently claimed victory in the country’s elections on July 28. No official breakdown of the voter tallies was ever published. But the opposition coalition has released copies of voter records that allegedly show a rival candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won. Advertisement In response to the controversial election, protesters demonstrated against Maduro’s government, and security forces responded with a harsh crackdown that killed an estimated 24 people. Facing an arrest warrant, Gonzalez has since gone into exile, though he took a tour this month of countries including the US to rally support for his claim to victory. The US has recognised Gonzalez as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, and leaders of the European Union have likewise rejected the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory. This is not the first time that the US has supported a rival claim to Venezuela’s presidency. In 2019, after another contested election, National Assembly leader Juan Guaido named himself acting president. Trump invited Guaido to attend his State of the Union speech the very next year. “Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalises his people. But Maduro’s grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken,” Trump said at the time. For his part, Maduro has accused the US of fomenting instability inside the country. During Trump’s first term, the Republican leader ratcheted up sanctions on Venezuela and even called for a reward for any information that might lead to Maduro’s arrest. But critics say those sanctions contributed to Venezuela’s severe economic problems, one of the main reasons for the mass exodus from the country. The United Nations estimates that 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled abroad, due to economic and political pressures. Earlier this week, Trump revoked the temporary protected status (TPS) that had shielded about 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States from deportation. Advertisement However, to deport foreign citizens back to their country of origin, the US must have an agreement with the government of a given country. This has spurred diplomatic clashes, with some governments — including Mexico and Colombia — briefly refusing to allow flights to land. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran warns that any attack on its nuclear sites would trigger ‘all-out war’
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera that Iran would ‘immediately and decisively’ to an US or Israeli attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told Al Jazeera that any attack by Israel or the United States on Iran’s nuclear facilities would plunge the region into an “all-out war”. In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic during a visit to Qatar, Araghchi warned that launching a military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be “one of the biggest historical mistakes the US could make”. He said Iran would respond “immediately and decisively” to any attack and that it would lead to an “all-out war in the region”. Concerns have grown in Iran that US President Donald Trump might empower Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Iran’s nuclear sites while further tightening US sanctions during his second term in office. Araghchi said he met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha to discuss key regional issues. “We highly commend Qatar’s mediation role in reaching the ceasefire in Gaza,” Araghchi said in an interview broadcast on Friday. “I hope all other issues will be ironed out.” Advertisement He also met Hamas officials while in Qatar and said Palestinians had achieved “victory” in Gaza, despite the devastation of Israel’s war on the enclave. “Despite all the killings and destruction the whole world witnessed, the Palestinian people held their ground and upheld their values and principles. I believe this stands as a victory,” he said. “The Israeli occupation forces did all in their power to eliminate Hamas and free their captives, but they were forced at the end of the day to sit and negotiate with Hamas. This represents victory for Hamas,” he added. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,460 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and wounded 111,580 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 taken captive. Much of the Strip has been reduced to rubble and the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been displaced. Regarding developments in Syria, Araghchi said Iran supports the formation of a government in which all segments of Syrian society can participate following the toppling of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was a strong ally of Iran. Araghchi said Iran’s goals are for stability in Syria and to preserve the unity of the country’s territory. “We endorse any government chosen and supported by the Syrian people. We want peace and security for Syrian, which is a precursor to the same in the region,” he said. “We don’t wish to see Syria as the epicentre of endless tension or ethnic conflicts, which may turn it into a safe haven for terrorists. Instability in Syria would spill over the region.” Advertisement Iran had supported al-Assad since Syria’s war broke out in 2011, providing him with fighters, weapons and other military support that aimed to keep him in power, as well as to maintain Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US. Regarding the re-election of Trump, Araghchi said the history of Iranian-American relations was “full of hostility and mistrust”. He pointed out that the US under the last Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement and assassinated Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) Quds Force. He called on the new Trump administration to take practical steps to restore confidence, such as returning frozen Iranian funds, and said Iran does not object to direct dialogue with the US, but insists on limiting negotiations to the nuclear issue. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump administration to pause federal government websites in effort to eliminate DEI, anti-Trump content
The Trump administration will put a pause on most federal government websites Friday evening in an effort to eliminate DEI content and any language opposed to President Trump’s agenda, Fox News Digital has learned. A Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that federal government websites are expected to go dark at around 5:00 p.m. Friday evening. The official told Fox News Digital that the length of the pause on federal websites is unclear at this time, but will seek to remove content that is “anti-Trump administration.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Legal experts say Kash Patel’s opposition to warrant requirement is not a major split
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump‘s pick for FBI director, claimed Thursday that he won’t stand for federal law enforcement needing a warrant for surveillance in some scenarios because it’s plainly impractical in real-time practices. Despite lawmakers’ surprise at his opposition, legal experts say his take is far from unusual within the law enforcement arena. Patel was peppered with questions Thursday on a provision called Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. When asked if he believed that a warrant requirement is “practical and workable or even a necessary element of 702,” Patel said he had issues with “those that have been in government service and abused it in the past.” Patel said that because of the viability of abuse, “we must work with Congress to provide the protections necessary for American citizens dealing with these matters.” “Having a warrant requirement to go through that information in real time is just not comported with the requirement to protect American citizenry,” Patel said during his Senate hearing. “I’m all open to working with Congress on finding a better way forward. But right now, these improvements that you’ve made go a long way.” 4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING “The fact that the soon-to-be head of the nation’s, sort of, top law enforcement agency takes the position that is favored by law enforcement shouldn’t surprise anybody,” former assistant district attorney and criminal defense attorney Phil Holloway told Fox News Digital. “When Mr. Patel answered the question the way that he did, that answer is adverse to the public positions taken by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.” Patel, throughout his testimony, emphasized his interest in working with Congress if he were to head the FBI. “Some lawmakers have absolutely called for the necessity of a warrant in these situations. And so it makes sense that the senators would ask the nominee to run the FBI whether or not he has an opinion on it,” Holloway continued. “But, ultimately, it’s not his call.” KASH PATEL HAMMERS ‘GROTESQUE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS’ FROM DEMS AMID FIERY FBI CONFIRMATION HEARING “I’ve always thought that there’s a middle ground here where you don’t have to. And I think there are some situations that warrant a warrant and deserve a warrantless search,” Palm Beach County, Fla., state attorney Dave Aronberg told Fox News Digital. “And I think Patel’s remarks show that he thinks the same way.” Aronberg noted that under U.S. law, there is a warrant exception under exigent circumstances, i.e. emergency situations, where it is impractical to obtain a warrant. “What Kash Patel is saying is that there may be some situations that may be in that gray area where you shouldn’t have to get a warrant,” Aronberg said. “And I am encouraged by his comments because I do think that law enforcement needs flexibility when it comes to national security matters, especially with the very real threat of terrorism here on our shores.” KASH PATEL FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM SENATOR AFTER BEING GRILLED ON J6 PARDONS: ‘BRUTAL REALITY CHECK’ Congress voted to pass a renewal of FISA’s Section 702 last April. The legislation serves as a governmental tool in gathering intelligence on foreign subjects using the compelled assistance of electronic communication service providers. If the renewal had not been passed, the expiration would have meant companies would not be forced to comply with the government’s requests for surveillance aid under the bill. Without the FISA section’s reauthorization, the government would be required to seek a warrant to compel any such assistance, which is a process that can span extended periods of time. Earlier this month, a federal district court ruled that the federal government had violated the Fourth Amendment when it searched the communications of an Albanian citizen residing in the U.S. at the time of his arrest without a warrant. The information had been collected under FISA’s Section 702. “The individual rights of people in the United States under our Constitution come first,” Holloway said. “So having constitutional requirements that sort of frustrate or perhaps slow down law enforcement, this is a tension that is not new at all. And so what we’re seeing is this playing out.” Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.