Top Democrat in tight Senate race backs citizenship, voting rights for millions of illegal immigrants
The Democrat frontrunner in what could be one of the most unexpectedly tight Senate races this year recently declared his support for granting citizenship and voting rights to the millions of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. Speaking at a candidate forum in Bladensburg, Maryland, earlier this month, Rep. David Trone, who represents the state’s 6th Congressional District, argued illegal immigrants should have the same rights under the Constitution as U.S. citizens. “We need to welcome all 12 million folks here now that are DACA, TPS, and undocumented – make them citizens, and move forward. They have all the rights everybody here should have also,” Trone said, referencing Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to the U.S. as children by illegal immigrant parents, as well as migrants granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). CONSERVATIVE GROUPS UNLEASH MASSIVE INVESTMENT FOR BATTLEGROUND STATE’S ‘LARGEST EVER’ VOTE-BY-MAIL PROGRAM Just days after the forum, Trone voted against the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, a bill named after a nursing student who was tragically murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia while jogging. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged in the murder, was arrested in New York prior to the murder but was not detained by ICE. He was also cited in Georgia for misdemeanor shoplifting in October 2023. The bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses and mandate that those who commit such crimes are detained until they are removed from the U.S., so they cannot break the same law or commit further crimes. Additionally, the bill would ensure that states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law. It passed the House in a 251-170 vote, and the Senate is currently considering its version of the legislation. BIDEN CAMPAIGN REVEALS ‘AGGRESSIVE’ SWING STATE STRATEGY, ADMITS BEATING TRUMP WILL ‘TAKE RELENTLESS EFFORT’ Last month, Trone signed a letter urging impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to close illegal immigrant detention centers just one day after a toddler was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant right outside his district, the Daily Caller reported. “Our immigration system is broken. Unfortunately, positive legislative reforms in immigration are unlikely this congress due to extreme MAGA Republican opposition. Until that changes, we must do our best to operate within the current system to ensure that we are treating immigrants with dignity and utilizing our limited resources wisely. You have testified regarding your concern about ‘the overuse of detention… where alternatives to detention would suffice.’ We share that concern,” Trone wrote in the letter. Fox News Digital has reached out to Trone’s campaign for comment. TEXAS DEMOCRAT COLIN ALLRED FACES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN FOR CALLING BORDER WALL ‘RACIST’ Trone faces a crowded Democrat primary field, where he holds a massive fundraising and polling advantage. His closest challenger is Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. He will likely face Maryland’s former Republican governor, Larry Hogan, in the general election. Few polls have been conducted on the race so far, but those that have been completed suggest a neck-and-neck race between the two. Elections analysts rate the race as “likely” Democrat, but Hogan’s name recognition and high approval rating at the conclusion of his second term last year could further pose a challenge to Democrats’ hopes of maintaining control of the Senate. Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Supreme Court permits Texas police to arrest people who illegally cross the border as the SB 4 legal clash continues
The ruling allows Texas to start enforcing SB 4 while a lawsuit over its constitutionality remains pending before a federal appeals court.
Mayorkas touts ‘enormous opportunities’ with AI as DHS launches new pilot programs
The Department of Homeland Security is announcing a new artificial intelligence road map that includes multiple programs to better train immigration officers, plan for hazards and tackle child exploitation and fentanyl smuggling — as the use of the technology grows within the federal government. The agency announced on Monday three pilot programs that will use AI in three agencies: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The New York Times reported that the programs will be launched in partnership with OpenAI, Meta and Anthropic — an American AI startup. DHS RECRUITING ‘AI CORPS’ TO FIGHT FENTANYL DISTRIBUTION, ONLINE EXPLOITATION AND CYBERATTACKS ICE’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), which primarily deals with transnational crime, will develop a system to improve summaries that investigators rely on. DHS believes it could help stop fentanyl and child exploitation networks, including by allowing for quicker access to databases and identifying trends. USCIS, which deals with legal immigration, will use AI to improve immigration officer training using chatbots for mock interviews. The goal of the program is to improve information retention, increase accuracy and prevent retraining, the agency said in a statement. DHS RELEASES NEW GUARDRAILS FOR USING AI IN MISSIONS, ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICER FEMA, meanwhile, will use AI to develop plans for hazard mitigation, specifically by crafting strategies to identify risks and allowing for them to be customizable by local and state governments. In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the “unprecedented speed and potential of AI’s development and adoption presents both enormous opportunities to advance our mission and risks we must mitigate.” “The DHS AI roadmap and pilots will guide our efforts this year to strengthen our national security, improve our operations, and provide more efficient services to the American people, while upholding our commitment to protect civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy,” he said. DHS has embraced the new, largely untested technology and has made a number of major moves to use it to its advantage. Last month the agency announced a hiring “sprint” to recruit 50 experts on the technology for an “AI Corps” to keep infrastructure safe from AI attacks as well as combating fentanyl distribution and online child exploitation. Last year it announced new guardrails for any use of the tech, while also forming an AI task force. It has also used AI more on the frontlines, including at the southern border where the technology has been used at ports of entry to track vehicles and passengers. The agency says it has led to dozens of drug seizures, including fentanyl.
WI Supreme Court sets deadline in recall case against Speaker Vos
A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday asked for arguments within two days related to a question over what legislative boundaries should be in place for a potential recall election organized by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The recall targets the state’s top Republican, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, because he refused to impeach the state’s top elections official or proceed with attempting to decertify President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Wisconsin. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission asked the state Supreme Court to decide which maps should be used for any recall or special election that’s held before November. WISCONSIN ANNOUNCES OVER-THE-COUNTER BIRTH CONTROL PILL ACCESS FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS Recall organizers submitted petitions last week, but an initial review by the Wisconsin Elections Commission determined they did not have enough valid signatures from the district Vos was elected to serve in 2022. Also, numerous people have said their signatures were forged, leading to an investigation by the Racine County district attorney. Recall organizers on Monday said that some “unverified petitions slipped through due to a volunteer oversight,” but they called it an isolated mistake. Vos has until Thursday to challenge signatures. Additionally, it’s not clear what legislative district boundary lines should be used for determining what signatures are valid, how many are needed and where any recall election would take place. The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court in December tossed the legislative maps that were last used in 2022 and barred them from being used in future elections. The new maps signed into law last month by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers don’t take effect until November. The court, in a 5-2 order on Tuesday, gave all parties in the redistricting case until Thursday to file a response to the request for clarity from the Elections Commission. Conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, along with Justice Rebecca Bradley, dissented. At best, they said, any action by the court is premature because the question was not properly before the court. They also noted that no recall election has been ordered yet. The commission has until April 11 to determine whether a recall election should be called. Either side can challenge its decision in court. “The court should not even pretend to be poised to issue a decision in a nonexistent case presenting a hypothetical question,” Ziegler and Bradley wrote. The question about district boundaries the justices are being asked to resolve is “a thorny and complicated matter not easily answered, even if we were the law firm for WEC,” they said. They blamed the confusion over district boundaries on the liberal court majority that overturned the legislative maps and ordered new ones.
Trump says US will ‘100%’ stay in NATO if alliance treats America ‘fairly’
Former President Trump vowed that, if he’s elected, the United States would “100%” stay a part of NATO if the alliance pays its “fair share” and treats America “fairly.” Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, said NATO “has to treat the U.S. fairly” in an interview with Nigel Farage Tuesday. “If it’s not for the United States, NATO literally doesn’t even exist,” Trump said. “But they took advantage of us like most countries do. “The United States should pay its fair share — not everybody else’s fair share.” NATO MEMBERS BRACE FOR TRUMP WIN AS RECORD NUMBER OF MEMBERS MOVE TO MEET SPENDING PLEDGES Trump told Farage he believes the United States “was paying 90% of NATO — could be 100%.” “It was the most unfair thing,” Trump said. “And don’t forget, it is more important to them than it is to us. We have an ocean in between some problems — OK. We have a nice big, beautiful ocean. It is more important for them.” Trump said NATO was “taking advantage” of the United States, including “on trade.” Farage asked if NATO starts “to play fair, America’s there?” Trump replied, “Yes, 100%. One hundred percent.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced last month that 18 of the alliance’s 31 members are on track to meet their pledges of contributing 2% of GDP to the group. European states are on track to contribute $380 billion this year, and Germany will meet its 2% pledge for the first time since the Cold War. The figures show a dramatic uptick compared to 2023, which saw just 11 NATO allies meet their 2% spending pledge. HILLARY CLINTON CLAIMS TRUMP WILL WITHDRAW US FROM NATO IF ELECTED: ‘HE MEANS WHAT HE SAYS’ “That is another record number and a six-fold increase from 2014, when only three allies met the target,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference last month. Trump, at a rally earlier this year, said if he is elected, “everybody’s gonna pay.” “NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.” The statement triggered an immediate response from President Biden’s White House, which denounced the statement as “unhinged.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger in the world because he knows every commander in chief’s first responsibility is to keep the American people safe and hold true to the values that unite us,” Andrew Bates said in a statement. “Thanks to President Biden’s experienced leadership, NATO is now the largest and most vital it has ever been. Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”
Arizona Democrat to seek abortion after learning pregnancy is unviable
An Arizona lawmaker announced on the state Senate floor Monday that she plans to have an abortion after learning that her pregnancy is not viable. State Sen. Eva Burch, a registered nurse known for her reproductive rights activism, was surrounded by fellow Democratic senators as she made the announcement, The Arizona Republic reported. Burch said that she found out a few weeks ago that “against all odds,” she was pregnant. The mother of two living children from west Mesa who is running for reelection said she has had “a rough journey” with fertility. She experienced her first miscarriage 13 years ago, was pregnant many times and terminated a nonviable pregnancy as she campaigned for her senate seat two years ago, she said. FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER SOUNDS OFF ON DOBBS DECISION: ‘TOO MANY QUESTIONS’ Now, Burch said that her current pregnancy is not progressing and not viable and she has made an appointment to terminate. “I don’t think people should have to justify their abortions,” Burch said. “But I’m choosing to talk about why I made this decision because I want us to be able to have meaningful conversations about the reality of how the work that we do in this body impacts people in the real world.” Burch said the state’s laws have “interfered” with her decision. Arizona law required an “invasive” transvaginal ultrasound that her doctor didn’t order and she was then read “factually false” information required by the law about alternatives, she said. “I’m a perfect example of why this relationship should be between patients and providers,” not state lawmakers, Burch said. “My experiences in this space both as a provider and as a patient have led me to believe that this legislature has failed the people of Arizona.” Burch called on the legislature to pass laws that make sure every Arizonan has the opportunity to make decisions that are right for them. She also said she hopes voters have a chance to weigh in on abortion on the November ballot. A signature drive is underway to add a constitutional right to abortion in Arizona. Under the measure, the state would not be able to ban abortion until the fetus is viable, which is around 28 weeks, with later abortions allowed to protect a woman’s physical or mental health. Supporters must gather nearly 384,000 valid signatures by July 4. Current law bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Massachusetts Gov. Healey’s ‘things will happen’ comment on migrant rape case spills into NH gov race
New Hampshire Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte on Tuesday torched Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s recent comments on a migrant rape case in the Bay State. Healey, a Democrat, recently was asked on camera by Boston 25 News about the case against Cory Alvarez, a 26-year-old migrant from Haiti who is charged with raping a 15-year-old disabled girl at the Comfort Inn in Rockland, Massachusetts, that was converted into an emergency migrant shelter by the state. “It’s a horrible situation. It’s a horrible allegation. My thoughts are with the victim and her family,” Healey told the outlet at an event in Dorchester last week, defending the vetting process for migrants who are placed at the state’s emergency shelters. “I think we have the right systems in place. Unfortunately, this is a terrible incident.” “This is also an individual who came in lawfully under the federal government through a federal program…. Unfortunately, we have security and systems in place, we have vetting in place, It is unfortunate, from time to time things will happen.” HAITIAN MIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE OF 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL ENTERED VIA CONTROVERSIAL PAROLE PROGRAM: SOURCES‘ Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, issued a statement on Tuesday demanding her Democratic opponent Joyce Craig “denounce” Healey’s endorsement in the New Hampshire governor’s race. “This is the problem with politicians. There are real consequences for these dangerous sanctuary policies and when the system fails our children, it is not good enough to say it will happen – it is unacceptable, and it must be fixed. Maura Healey should be ashamed of herself,” Ayotte said in a statement to the Boston Herald. “Unfortunately, Joyce Craig agrees with her Massachusetts mentor’s dangerous sanctuary policies and would bring this crisis to New Hampshire. Craig needs to denounce Healey’s endorsement, and once and for all condemn sanctuary policies,” she added. MAYORKAS CALLS POLICY TO LET 30K MIGRANTS FLY IN EACH MONTH A ‘KEY ELEMENT’ OF BORDER PLAN AFTER LEGAL WIN In a post on X sharing the Herald’s story, Ayotte also wrote, “Joyce Craig can hide from the media all she wants, but she can’t hide from the truth. The truth is, Joyce agrees with @MassGovernor ‘s sanctuary policies that have left the commonwealth in complete chaos. I will not let Joyce Craig MASS up New Hampshire.” Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office and Craig’s campaign for comment, but neither immediately responded. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office said Rockland police responded to the Comfort Inn on March 13 to reports of a sexual assault. The hotel participates in a state and federal program to house migrant families, and Alvarez lived at the hotel. When officers arrived, they spoke with the 15-year-old female victim, who was taken to an area hospital to be treated. Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News last week that Alvarez is a Haitian national who came to the U.S. in June via the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) parole processes. The policy, first announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, allowed a limited number to fly directly into the U.S. as long as they had not entered illegally, had a sponsor in the U.S. already and passed certain checks. In January 2023, the Biden administration announced that the program was expanding to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans and would allow up to 30,000 people per month into the U.S. It allows for migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S. and was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities. Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Adam Shaw, Griff Jenkins and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
SCOTUS okays law letting Texas police arrest migrants suspected of illegally crossing border
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to enforce a law that allows local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. The ruling comes a day after the court extended a block on the state law at the request of the Biden administration, which sued to strike down the measure. The Biden administration argued that the law, known as Senate Bill 4, would usurp core federal authority on immigration. JUDGE RULES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE GUN RIGHTS PROTECTED BY 2ND AMENDMENT Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has said the state’s law mirrored federal law and was put in place to compensate for the Biden administration’s inadequate response at the southern border. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Clinton jabs at Trump legal woes: He’s the ‘only person’ who was ‘better off four years ago’
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a swipe at presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, mocking him for his ongoing legal battles. “Multiple indictments and half a billion dollars in civil liability later, pretty much the only person who can say they were better off four years ago is Donald Trump,” a message from Clinton’s official account states. Clinton made the remark on social media platform X Tuesday after an onslaught of legal woes for the former president. Trump defeated Clinton in 2016 to become president. TRUMP UNABLE TO GET $464M APPEAL BOND TO STOP COLLECTION, ATTORNEYS SAY: ‘PRACTICAL IMPOSSIBILITY’ The comment came after a storm of anger from Trump due to New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling against him in a highly publicized civil fraud case. In late February, Engoron denied Trump’s request to delay payment of the $464 million owed to the state after Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit but said he will temporarily allow the 2024 frontrunner and his sons to continue running their business during the appeals process. Trump has not been able to secure a $464 million appeal bond he needs following a New York civil fraud judgment against him, his attorneys say. NEW YORK APPEALS COURT ALLOWS TRUMP, SONS TO CONTINUE RUNNING BUSINESS, DENIES REQUEST TO DELAY PAYMENT In a court filing Monday, his lawyers said obtaining one is a “practical impossibility under the circumstances presented.” The former president was less composed in his protests, writing a long complaint on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Judge Engoron actually wants me to put up Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for the Right to Appeal his ridiculous decision. In other words, he is trying to take my Appellate Rights away from me. Nobody has ever heard of anything like this before. “I would be forced to mortgage or sell Great Assets, perhaps at Fire Sale prices, and if and when I win the Appeal, they would be gone. Does that make sense? WITCH HUNT. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!” Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Cash-for-query case: Lokpal asks CBI to probe allegation against TMC leader Mahua Moitra
Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal on Tuesday directed the CBI to investigate the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra and submit findings before it within six months.