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Kansas Democratic governor and Republican leaders strike tax compromise, leaving dissenters on both sides

Kansas Democratic governor and Republican leaders strike tax compromise, leaving dissenters on both sides

Top Republican legislators and the Democratic governor in Kansas have brokered a deal on cutting taxes after GOP leaders gave up on moving the state to a single-rate personal income tax that the governor strongly opposed. The Kansas House and Senate were expected to vote on the compromise package Thursday or Friday, and Gov. Laura Kelly was expected to sign it if it reached her desk. The plan would save taxpayers about $1.4 billion over the next three years, but it is smaller than separate plans approved last month by each chamber and smaller than one passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in January that Kelly vetoed. GOP leaders wanted to move Kansas to a single personal income tax rate from the three current rates and cut the top rate from its current 5.7%, which Kelly said would benefit the “super wealthy.” The same dispute thwarted major tax cuts in 2023, when a dozen other states cut income tax rates, according to the conservative Tax Foundation. AFTER KANSAS POLICE DOG STRANGLED, LEGISLATORS APPROVE HARSHER PENALTIES FOR K-9 KILLINGS The compromise plan preserves three personal income tax rates but cuts the top rate to 5.5%. Republican leaders didn’t have the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a Kelly veto of a single-rate plan, thanks to Republican defectors who, as state Senate President Ty Masterson put it Wednesday, “chained themselves to the tree of progressive taxation.” “So, you know what?” We’re just going to cut the tree off on the top,” said Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican. “Everything else is a win.” The bill also would eliminate state income taxes on retirees’ Social Security benefits, which kick in once a person receives $75,000 a year. It would also increase the state’s standard personal income tax deductions, increase an income tax credit for child care expenses, reduce property taxes the state imposes to raise money for public schools and end the state’s already expiring 2% sales tax on groceries six months early, on July 1. Still, the final deal inspired bipartisan grumbling. Kelly’s office and GOP leaders worked it out privately instead of three House and three Senate negotiators drafting a plan, with some discussions in public. House Taxation Committee Chair Adam Smith said before either chamber voted that he didn’t know whether he’d support the deal — even though it was his job to explain it to colleagues and he’d normally promote a plan backed by GOP leaders. “I’m hearing a lot of dissent,” said Smith, a western Kansas Republican. “I’ve got to carry the bill, and it’s bad when I don’t even know if I’m going to vote for it.” Republicans had wanted to cut taxes by between $500 million and $600 million annually or between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion over three years. The new plan, worth about $430 million annually, is less generous in increasing standard deductions than the Senate’s plan, which boosted the one for married couples to $22,000 to help lower-income families. Some lawmakers also said the new plan doesn’t cut property taxes enough amid rising home values and local levies. For the owner of a home at the Kansas median value of $210,000, the annual savings would be about $140. “This, to me, doesn’t cut it,” said northeastern Kansas Sen. Tom Holland, who represented Democratic senators in tax negotiations. “There are monster increases every year.” The deal in Kansas came two weeks after Georgia’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed personal and corporate income tax cuts that GOP Gov. Brian Kemp favored. Like Georgia, Kansas has a big budget surplus — still projected at more than $4 billion for the end of June 2025. But tax debates in Kansas are fraught because of a nationally notorious experiment in cutting income taxes in 2012 and 2013 under GOP Gov. Sam Brownback. Large budget shortfalls followed and persisted until bipartisan legislative majorities reversed most of the cuts in 2017 over Brownback’s opposition. Kelly won the first of her two terms in 2018 by running against Brownback’s fiscal policies, and she still cites them in criticizing Republican proposals. She called the GOP plan she vetoed in January fiscally reckless. Republican leaders said repeatedly that they weren’t repeating the mistakes of 2012 and 2013 and that, with its huge surplus, Kansas could sustain their proposed cuts. But, unable to override a Kelly veto, they became less willing to chance having no cuts enacted this year. All 40 state Senate seats and 125 House seats are up for election this year. “We’ve got to get something, and this is a compromise,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican. “We need to get it done and get out of here.”

Mayorkas impeachment trial poised to pressure these vulnerable Senate Dems

Mayorkas impeachment trial poised to pressure these vulnerable Senate Dems

Democrats up for re-election in battleground states face a bind in the Senate as the impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to begin this month over his role in the ongoing crisis at the southern border. Several Republican Senate sources told Fox News Digital they expect the pressure to ramp up for lawmakers such as Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Penn., who face competitive re-election races in November. Voters in each of the senators’ states have indicated strong concerns over the state of the border. Republican senators recently accused Tester of being unwilling to vote on border or immigration-related amendments during negotiations over the $1.2 trillion spending package that caused a brief partial government shutdown before being passed last month. Tester’s office denied the claims.  BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM SHOWS ZERO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS REMEMBERING LAKEN RILEY BUT REPEAT POSTS ON GEORGE FLOYD One senior Republican Senate source predicted Tester would be similarly pushed during the impeachment trial procedure: “He’ll have to go on the record with it. No way out,” the source said. They noted that Brown would also be put to the test in the Mayorkas trial.  A representative for Tester told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, “Senator Tester will review the articles when they are sent over to the Senate.” The House passed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in early February but held onto them until after the appropriations process finished. In a letter last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., revealed his intention to deliver the articles to the Senate on April 10 and urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to move quickly on a trial.  When the articles are delivered, “all senators have to be sworn in as jurors and sign the book,” a senior GOP source said.  “We actually go into trial mode, but Schumer will put forward a vote to dismiss it,” the source predicted. SEAN HANNITY: BORDER CRISIS A MODERN-DAY ‘BLOODBATH’ Schumer’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital. “Everything is simple majority,” the source noted, meaning only 51 of the 100 senators are necessary to move forward with any action.  While Senate Democrats have largely dismissed the charges against Mayorkas as meritless and political posturing, the lawmakers who are competing in close races in the general election may be influenced by the growing concern over the border among their constituents. In a March Fox News Poll, 41% of all registered voters agreed the situation at the southern border is an emergency. This included 65% of Republicans, 31% of independents and 20% of Democrats. As a result, the vulnerable Democrat senators are certain to be met with attacks on the campaign trail from their Republican opponents, who will pose the question of their seriousness on the border crisis. In a February memo from National Republican Senatorial Committee political director Tim Edson that was obtained by Fox News Digital, Senate candidates were advised to hold their Democrat counterparts accountable. “We cannot allow Senate Democrats to sweep the Biden Administration’s failures at the southern border under the rug,” it reads. “Democrats caused this crisis, and voting to acquit Mayorkas is a vote to allow the continued invasion of our country.” Tester’s opponent, Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, said in a statement that “the Senate should hold a full impeachment trial.” “Senator Jon Tester wants to avoid a trial and let Mayorkas off the hook because they BOTH support the radical Left’s push of open borders and letting illegal immigrants flood into America. We deserve accountability!” he continued. TRUMP SPOTLIGHTS ‘BIDEN’S BORDER BLOODBATH’ DURING STOP IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE HE LOST IN 2020 Representatives for Rosen, Baldwin, Brown and Casey did not provide comment to Fox News Digital. “If Bob Casey is serious about securing the border, he’ll urge Chuck Schumer to move this inquiry forward and hold them accountable,” said Pennsylvania Republican Senate front-runner Dave McCormick in a statement to Fox News Digital. Spokesperson Ben Voelkel for Wisconsin Republican Senate front-runner Eric Hovde said in a statement, “Sen. Baldwin needs to hold [Mayorkas] accountable. If she doesn’t, Wisconsin voters will hold her accountable for her inaction.” “If Sherrod Brown cares about hardworking Ohioans who have been impacted by the border invasion and fentanyl crisis, he will hold Mayorkas accountable in the Senate trial,” said Reagan McCarthy, spokesperson for Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who has occasionally been out of step with Democrats, appears likely to stick with his caucus in the likely case they look to dismiss the trial quickly. In February, he told Politico that the forthcoming impeachment was “Pure crap,” adding that he wants “No trial at all.” Manchin’s office referred Fox News Digital to his previous comment. Republican strategist Brian Walsh, a former staffer for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “It highlights a huge political vulnerability for Democratic Senators like Jon Tester, Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey going into the 2024 election.” WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON WHETHER BIDEN BELIEVES BORDER CROSSERS COULD BE IN US PLOTTING TERROR ATTACK ON AMERICA They will be forced to “pick a side” between their base and “the majority of voters, including independents” who say the border is the most important problem in the country, Walsh added. As the senators face a difficult decision, it’s not clear that all Republicans will be on board to continue the trial. Each vote matters, given the Senate’s narrow 49-51 split between Republicans and those in the Democrat caucus.  Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, criticized the idea of a trial in late February, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it “might be great politics, but it’s not the remedy for bad policy & would set a terrible constitutional precedent.” Romney’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.  Other concerns for the impeachment effort are Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who have gone against the conference previously. Neither of

Biden White House close to finalizing menthol cigarette regulations despite broad opposition

Biden White House close to finalizing menthol cigarette regulations despite broad opposition

The Biden administration is preparing to soon finalize highly anticipated standards targeting menthol cigarettes despite heavy opposition from small business, civil rights, law enforcement and free market consumer groups. The regulations, which would broadly ban the product, were first proposed by the Food and Drug Administration two years ago and have sparked a contentious debate between health advocates and civil liberties and business groups. The FDA has repeatedly missed target dates for finalizing the proposed ban, the latest of which was earlier this week. “The FDA remains committed to issuing the tobacco product standards for menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars as expeditiously as possible; these rules have been submitted to the [Office of Management and Budget] for review, which is the final step in the rulemaking process,” an FDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “As we’ve made clear, these product standards remain at the top of our priorities.” The spokesperson said the agency, which handed the regulations off to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final approval months ago, is limited from discussing the process further since the proposal remains pending. White House spokesperson Kelly Scully declined to comment, also noting the rulemaking process is ongoing. BIDEN ADMIN FACING CONGRESSIONAL PROBE OVER PROPOSED BAN ON MENTHOL CIGARETTES But the Biden administration’s continued delays in finalizing the regulations has caused angst among proponents of banning menthol cigarettes, many of whom have argued such an action is vital for achieving goals laid out in President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative. The administration was first expected to finalize the ban in August 2023, meaning its delays have stretched more than seven months. “This continued inaction is a shocking deference to the tobacco industry, which has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to profit from products that result in death,” said Karen Knudsen, the CEO of the American Cancer Society and its affiliate Cancer Action Network. CONSERVATIVE GROUP UNLEASHES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN TARGETING BIDEN’S MENTHOL CIGARETTE BAN Opponents of the ban expressed optimism that their advocacy has resonated with White House officials, potentially prompting them to reconsider the ban. Associations representing convenience stores, police, consumers and minority groups have warned a ban on menthol cigarettes could foster a black market while punishing small business owners and minorities who are the largest consumers of the product. According to OMB filings, the White House and FDA have convened a flurry of meetings on the proposal with a wide range of stakeholders, including proponents, such as the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network and American Lung Association, and opponents, such as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and National Action Network. “The proposed ban would have the exact opposite results that proponents have championed,” NACS said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We hope that FDA is reconsidering its policy in light of the evidence that these types of bans simply don’t work.” “The proposed ban, while well-intentioned, could have had far-reaching economic consequences for convenience stores by cutting 30% of sales and the livelihoods of over 600,000 workers,” said Javier Palomarez, the president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council (USHBC). BIDEN ADMIN’S PROPOSED MENTHOL CIGARETTE BAN COULD BECOME LIABILITY IN 2024: ‘UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES’ NACS, USHBC and other opponents of the regulations have pointed to data from states that have banned menthol cigarettes, arguing such policies don’t work. According to NACS, the rule would lead to a reduction of $72,285 a year in non-tobacco sundry sales and $160,107 a year in tobacco product sales for the typical convenience store nationwide. The organization claims the convenience store industry could collectively lose $2.16 billion in sales because of the new regulations.  Groups representing minorities, like the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and the nonprofit National Action Network, the latter which was founded by civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, argue that banning menthol cigarettes while not restricting non-menthol cigarettes “puts a microscope on minority communities.” They say it could increase the probability of negative interactions between police and minorities. The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement, National Action Network, National Newspaper Publishers Association and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump met with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden to discuss the proposal in November. The FDA first issued the product standards to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors other than tobacco in cigars in April 2022. The agency said the move would reduce disease and death from tobacco product use by reducing youth experimentation and addiction, while increasing the number of smokers that might quit. Tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death nationwide, according to the FDA. In proposing the rules, the FDA cited its congressional authority to adopt tobacco product standards.

Biden’s get-out-the-vote executive order challenged, heading to Supreme Court: ‘Target welfare populations’

Biden’s get-out-the-vote executive order challenged, heading to Supreme Court: ‘Target welfare populations’

A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Biden’s voting access executive order will soon make its way to the Supreme Court in what some experts are calling “the most important legal issue” heading into the November elections. A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers sued Biden and several federal agencies over Executive Order 14019 on “promoting access to voting,” which the president issued in March 2021. The 27 GOP lawmakers, members of the state Freedom Caucus, argued that the order is essentially an executive get-out-the-vote effort targeting key demographics to benefit the president’s political party and own re-election, which they argue is unconstitutional with Congress having never enacted a law that grants such an action from the Oval Office. Last month, a judge dismissed the case, finding that legislators lacked standing to bring the suit. But the group’s attorney says they will appeal to the Supreme Court.  DOJ ‘STONEWALLING’ REQUESTS FOR DETAILS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF BIDEN’S ‘FEDERAL ELECTION SCHEME’ “We think it’s really important for President Biden to be held accountable,” Erick Kaardal, attorney for the lawmakers, told Fox News Digital in an interview.  “For him to violate such a big law when all the little people have to follow the laws, even little laws … it’s clear President Biden has issued an executive order without congressional enactments to get himself re-elected. It’s ridiculous,” Kaardal said.  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, issued a statement saying the ruling was a “resounding defeat” for the Republicans’ “frivolous” lawsuit. “In 2020, I defeated Donald Trump and his conspiracy theorist allies in court more than 40 times to defend Pennsylvanians’ votes and protect access to the ballot box,” Shapiro said, adding that “we’ve done it again by getting their frivolous effort to stop automatic voter registration in our commonwealth dismissed.” Executive Order 14019 states that “executive departments and agencies should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information.” BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSED OF USING TAXPAYER FUNDS TO HELP HIS OWN CAMPAIGN WITH STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION SCHEME Kaardal argued in legal filings that the executive order in turn – among other things – directed the Department of Health and Human Services to facilitate voter registrations; the Department of Housing and Urban Development to instruct more than 3,000 public housing authorities to facilitate registration drives in those units; the Department of Education to push state schools to register students; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue letters to state agencies that administer SNAP and WIC programs, instructing them to carry out voter-registration activities with federal funds. The complaint also alleges that the executive order was “largely drafted by a third party, nongovernmental organization,” pointing to the left-leaning policy organization, Dēmos, which boasts of having “moved progressive issues from the movement to the mainstream.” “The executive action taken by the President nullifies the votes of the individual legislators, violates the Electors Clause, violates the Elections Clause, and deprives the legislators of their particular rights,” the court document says. The Elections Clause states that the “times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.”  Tarren Bragdon, president and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), which filed an amicus brief in the case, said that “it’s no wonder Team Biden is using their authority and resources to target welfare populations with a federally funded get-out-the-vote effort.”  “If they are allowed to fully execute their plan, it could swing the election outcome,” he said.  The Opportunity Solutions Project, the advocacy arm of FGA, found through their study published in February 2023 that Democrats gain a 30-point average among welfare recipients. “[D]emocrats see a massive advantage among voters enrolled in welfare programs like food stamps and Medicaid. In fact, Democrats see their margins increase by more than 30 points among voters enrolled in welfare compared to low-income voters who have never been on welfare,” the study says. PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISTS TAKE VICTORY LAP AFTER TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DEMOCRATS CAST PROTEST VOTES AGAINST BIDEN “To date, all of the federal agencies FGA has identified as taking active steps to carry out EO 14019 have one thing in common: They provide government welfare benefits and other services to groups of voters the vast majority of which have historically voted Democrat,” the groups friend-of-the-court brief states. “[T]hrough this sweeping Order, the President commanded every executive agency of the federal government – with the narrow exception of independent agencies – to perform voter registration and mobilization activities regardless of whether those agencies are authorized to do so under federal law, and to carry out this Order in coordination with third-party groups ‘approved’ by the current administration,” FGA says in its friend-of-the-court brief. “Even worse, this effort is being carried out in a secretive fashion despite loud and repeated calls for transparency from dozens of members of Congress, State Attorneys General, and Secretaries of State,” the brief states. Currently, the FGA is fighting a lawsuit against the Department of Justice over FOIA-requested documents on how the agency is implementing the executive order. “This is, by far, the most important legal issue in the country heading into November. The outcome of this case, and similar cases, will decide how heavy the Biden administration’s thumb will push on the electoral scales,” said Bragdon. Kaardal said he hopes the Supreme Court will weigh in ahead of the case moving forward in lower courts because he believes his clients have “the obvious winner” on the merits and that existing precedent at the high court will determine that his clients have standing. He also said that according to what’s known as the Purcell doctrine, named after a 2006 election case, the Supreme Court said that courts should not change election rules too close to the election. Kaardal wants to petition the high court in the coming days to have

Squatting trend at tipping point as migrants coach others how to exploit laws; experts warn, ‘Damage is done’

Squatting trend at tipping point as migrants coach others how to exploit laws; experts warn, ‘Damage is done’

Squatting laws have become a frequent target of exploitation by savvy criminals who fraudulently move into vacant homes across the nation. Experts warn that the problem could be compounded by the ongoing immigration crisis, with migrants catching wind of the laws and taking advantage of them.  “I have thought about invading a house in the United States,” migrant Leonel Moreno said in Spanish in a TikTok video that went viral last month. “I found out that there is a law that says that if a house is not inhabited, we can seize it.” Moreno, dubbed the “migrant influencer,” is a Venezuelan national who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week after bolting from a border patrol program. He is being detained in Ohio. But prior to his capture, he managed to draw a million followers on TikTok and claimed he was pulling in $1,000 a day as an influencer on the app on top of receiving $350 a month in government handouts.  His TikTok account is now inactive, but his messages urging fellow migrants to take over homes continue circulating online.  A LOOK INSIDE BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS Squatter laws vary from state to state and even city to city. New York City has some of the most lenient laws toward squatters, allowing people to claim squatters’ rights after living on a property just 30 days. Under New York state law, people can claim squatters’ rights after living on a property for at least 10 years.  The Big Apple’s law has had monumental consequences for a handful of New Yorkers in the last few weeks alone, with one Queens homeowner put in handcuffs last month after trying to force alleged squatters from her home, Fox News Digital previously reported. Another woman was allegedly killed by squatters last month in her mother’s New York City apartment. Another pair of squatters were found fraudulently living in an abandoned home on Long Island earlier this year after forging the dead owner’s name on a lease.  TIKTOKER GOES VIRAL EXPLAINING HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SQUATTING LAWS Fox News Digital spoke with Republican New York state Sen. Mario Mattera, who introduced a bill last month that would allow police to immediately remove suspected squatters based on a homeowner’s sworn complaint. He warned that the migrant crisis would fan the flames of squatting trends, pointing to Moreno’s viral TikTok as proof the “damage is already done.”  “Look at what just happened with the illegal migrant going on TikTok … and saying to everybody, ‘This is what you need to do. You could go do this. Go find vacant homes. Go do what you could do.’ … Yes, he got arrested, but the damage is done already,” Mattera said.  Mattera pinned blame on Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for not rescinding sanctuary city and state policies in their respective jurisdictions, saying the Democratic leaders have “enabled” migrants.  “The [migrants] don’t want to go to work. They’re like, ‘You brought me here. Now you take care of me.’ The governor and the mayor could have signed an executive order … rescinding the sanctuary state and the sanctuary city [policies]. Please, all New Yorkers understand that, and call the governor, call the mayor of New York, and ask them: What are you doing to fix this disaster that they both created?” he said.  QUEENS SQUATTERS FLEE $1 MILLION HOME AFTER STAND-OFF WITH HOMEOWNER, VISIT FROM ‘VIGILANTES’: REPORT Last week, the NYPD busted eight migrant squatters who allegedly took over a Bronx property, and they found guns and drugs. The New York Post reported six of the eight migrant squatters had been released without bail.  James Burling, vice president of legal affairs at the Pacific Legal Foundation, said there are three critical factors that have brought the U.S. to a tipping point regarding squatting issues: the pandemic era’s eviction moratoriums, housing shortages in certain states and immigration.  “It’s the culmination of years and years of the inability to build enough housing to meet demand. And you combine those three things together, and it’s an impetus to squat,” Burling said. “And it’s a governmental, if you will, acquiescence to squatting. That, combined with the publicity that – now immigrants are talking about how to do it – these are three things I think are tipping in the favor of more squatting and more problems for landowners.” At least 7.2 million illegal migrants have entered the U.S. since President Biden took office in 2021, which is more than the population of 36 individual states. Burling pointed to Alex Vasudevan’s 2017 book, “The Autonomous City: A History of Urban Squatting,” which explains how squatting has increased in Europe in recent years, most notably in France, Greece, Italy and Spain. This, he claims, is a result of migrants and refugees from outside Europe flocking to the continent for housing.  LA SQUATTERS TAKE LUXURY HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION, RENT ROOMS TO ONLYFANS MODELS: REPORT “If I was going to think, ‘I want to squat. I don’t want to pay for it. And maybe I can believe this guy on the internet, the TikToker,’ I’m going to, of course, go to a city that’s going to make it very difficult to evict me. And my first choice might be New York, second might be Los Angeles or San Francisco or a city like that, where the hard left seems to hold squatting in some kind of esteem,” Burling said.  Fox News Digital reached out to the mayors Los Angeles, New York City, Portland and Seattle asking if they are concerned the recent influx of migrants to the U.S. could worsen squatting trends through the exploitation of laws but did not receive any responses. Fox News Digital also reached out to Hochul and California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s offices but did not receive replies.  Atlanta has also seen a massive increase of squatters. A report earlier this year found squatters have taken over 1,200 homes in Atlanta, the National

NYC migrant squatters found with drugs and guns were previously caught at southern border and released: ICE

NYC migrant squatters found with drugs and guns were previously caught at southern border and released: ICE

The eight Venezuelan illegal immigrant squatters arrested last week after they were found in a New York City home with drugs and guns were previously apprehended at the southern border and released into the U.S., with one suspected of murder, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed Wednesday.  Immigration authorities arrested three of the squatters again on Wednesday, and lodged detainer requests for four others being held in local custody, ICE told Fox News. One remains on the loose.  New York police busted the migrants on March 27 after authorities were called to a Bronx apartment following a report of a person displaying a gun, police said.  READ MORE OF FOX NEWS’ COVERAGE OF THE BORDER CRISIS When police arrived, they found a man pointing a gun at someone in the driveway of the apartment at 3259 Hull Ave., NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told the New York Post. The suspect took off when the police approached him and fled into the building’s basement, he added. Some of the migrant squatters arrested last week were released. On Wednesday, three of them were taken into custody by federal authorities. Immigration authorities also lodged detainer requests for four migrants being held in local custody, an ICE spokesperson said.  One of the migrants arrested Wednesday was identified as Hector Desousa-Villalta, 24, who was previously arrested in August.  ICE AGENTS RECAPTURE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE WHO WAS RELEASED ONTO STREETS IN VIRGINIA Desousa-Villalta, who was allegedly waving the gun last Wednesday, was initially cut loose without bail despite the Bronx District Attorney’s Office telling Fox News that prosecutors asked that he be held on $150,000 bail. He allegedly shot a fellow migrant in the leg during an argument over a woman in Yonkers in August 2023, but the attempted murder case fell apart when the victim refused to cooperate, Chell said, according to the New York Post. “On Aug. 28, 2023, the Yonkers Police Department arrested De Sousa for the crimes of assault-1st: intent to cause serious injury with a weapon; and murder second degree: with intent,” an ICE statement said.  Two other people — Yoessy Pino Castillo, 20, and Yojairo Martinez, 42 — were also arrested as federal authorities raided the home. Castillo was encountered by border authorities in Brownsville, Texas, on May 6, 2023, and released.  BORDER CRISIS IMPACTS IMMIGRATION She was arrested in New Jersey on Jan. 6, by the Woodbridge Police Department on suspicion of shoplifting and burglary tool manufacturing. Castillo and six other migrants face multiple charges, including weapons possession, having a loaded firearm and possession of a controlled substance.  Martinez was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Sept. 22, 2022, near El Paso, Texas, and released. All three will remain in custody while authorities begin deportation proceedings, ICE said.  The three migrants subject to ICE detainers are Johan Jose Cardenas Silva, Yerbin Benjamin Lozada Munoz and Javier Jose Albornoz Marchan. Silva entered the U.S. on Oct. 3, 2022 in Cardenas Del Rio, Texas, but was determined to have entered the country illegally at another time. In March 2023, a judge ordered him deported. However, he was released from custody on Oct. 6, 2023, but never reported to ICE.  Munoz was taken into custody by border authorities near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Oct. 3, 2022, before being released.  Marchan entered the U.S. on May 6, 2023, near El Paso. He was arrested several times for suspected shoplifting, weapons possession, having a loaded firearm on school grounds and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.  Miguel Gregerio Barrios is the lone migrant suspect being sought.