Former Texas state Sen. Kelly Hancock to become acting comptroller, run for permanent job
Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, announced his candidacy shortly after being sworn in as chief clerk at the comptroller’s office.
Texas lawmakers failed to pass a proof of citizenship law but made other changes to elections
Successful measures include a new early-voting schedule, revised mail-voting procedures and limits on curbside voting.
Texas creating task forces to target Permian Basin oil field thefts
Texas lawmakers passed a suite of bills that officials said are crucial to combat losses in the state’s largest oil field.
Meals On Wheels waiting lists grow as Texas braces for federal funding cuts
State chapters of the nonprofit group that provide meals to seniors are waiting to hear from Washington how much of a hit their battered budgets will take.
Texas is illegally keeping people with disabilities in nursing homes, federal judge rules
A federal judge determined the state illegally institutionalized severely disabled people for decades, often in poorly run facilities.
Massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants uncovered after raid at meatpacking plant
ICE has uncovered a massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants and possibly tied to organized criminal networks following a workplace raid at a meatpacking plant in Omaha. According to an ICE statement, approximately 70 illegal aliens working at the plant were discovered to be using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to unlawfully obtain employment authorization, wages and benefits at the expense of over 100 victims. The statement said that the victims have faced “devastating financial, emotional and legal consequences” as a result of the identity theft. Working with other federal and state partners, ICE agents conducted a major workplace raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha on June 10. The raid resulted in over 70 illegal immigrants being arrested, which sparked protests both in the community and across the country. While the arrests have sparked outrage from some in both the local community and nationally, ICE said the illegals’ identity theft proves they were not innocent, hardworking members of society, as some have suggested. ICE OFFICERS ASSAULTED DURING RAID THAT NABBED 70 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT MEAT PLANT: DHS Another ICE representative told Fox News Digital that the illegal aliens who were apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods were behind the crime and that “some may have used organized criminal networks” to carry out the crime. The representative said that the investigation is still ongoing and that the exact number of individuals impacted is still unknown. The ICE spokesperson pointed to a few examples of those victimized by the apprehended illegals’ identity theft scheme. The spokesperson said a disabled person in Texas, who was unable to work, struggled to get their Social Security disability payments because an illegal alien was fraudulently using their identity and earning wages at Glenn Valley Foods. DEM SHREDDED FOR CALLING TO PUT ‘EVERY SINGLE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ON A QUICK PATH TO CITIZENSHIP Another victim in Colorado received a notice from the IRS to repay more than $5,000 after their income was falsely increased due to an illegal alien using their identity to work at the plant. In Missouri, a full-time nursing student lost their college tuition assistance because it was fraudulently reported that they earned too much money due to an illegal alien at Glenn Valley Foods using their Social Security number. Another person living in California has had to work for nearly 15 years to regain their identity and fix the financial damage done by an illegal who was working at Glenn Valley Foods, according to the spokesperson. Mark Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City, which covers Omaha, said in a statement emailed to Fox News Digital that “the criminals who stole these identities didn’t just break the law, they upended lives.” DHS ANNOUNCES ARREST OF MIGRANT SEX OFFENDER WHO DRAGGED ICE OFFICER WITH CAR “There have been individuals who have gone on the record recently referring to the identity thieves we arrested last week as ‘good, hardworking, and honest,’” he said. “These so-called honest workers have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans. If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant, criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.” “These victims aren’t faceless statistics; they’re real people who are being denied healthcare and have lost educational opportunities,” added Zito.
Large city signs onto deal with ICE: ‘Keep the American people safe’
City commissioners in Miami, Florida, voted 3-2 on Tuesday to allow police officers to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city entered a 287(g) partnership with ICE, which various cities use to assist with federal enforcement using different methods. It’s a sharp contrast to some governments throughout the United States, especially in major cities, which do not allow local or state authorities to help enforce immigration laws. “We value our partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and the success of the 287(g) program allows for a force multiplier in enforcing immigration laws,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “This whole-of-government approach enables law enforcement partners to protect cities across the nation from public safety and national security threats, and we encourage others across the country to join.” ICE PARTNERSHIP WILL BUILD ‘PUBLIC TRUST,’ VICE MAYOR OF TOWN WITH LARGE VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY SAYS In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order for state-level law enforcement to establish agreements with ICE to assist in the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. “Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump Administration to restore the rule of law,” DeSantis said at the time. “By allowing our state agents and law enforcement officers to be trained and approved by ICE, Florida will now have more enforcement personnel deputized to assist federal partners. That means deportations can be carried out more efficiently, making our communities safer as illegal aliens are removed.” However, there was opposition to entering the agreement from some residents and groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Florida Immigrant Coalition. FLORIDA OFFICIALS DIVIDED OVER ICE DEPORTATION DEAL AIMED AT CRIMINAL ALIENS: ‘EMBARRASSED FOR OUR CITY’ “This is a shameful day for Miami,” Dariel Gomez, Statewide Organizer with the ACLU of Florida said in a press release. “With their vote, commissioners chose fear over facts, and division over unity. This agreement will not make us safer – it will only spread fear and isolate the very people who make our city strong.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “287(g) doesn’t belong in any city, but especially not in Miami – a place shaped by immigrants, built by immigrants, and powered by immigrants,” Tessa Petit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a statement. “More than half of our residents are foreign-born. The commissioners who voted to implement this ruthless program have turned their back on the very community they were put into office to protect. They are turning our diversity into a target.” However, the White House told Fox News Digital the city’s decision was ultimately the right move. BLUE STATE SHERIFFS COMBINE FORCES TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST SANCTUARY LAWS “President Trump’s promise to deport illegal aliens is a key plank of his agenda to Make America Safe Again. The Administration is always grateful to work with state and local officials to get dangerous criminals off the streets and keep the American people safe.” Abigail Jackson, White House spokeswoman, stated. In April, a massive ICE operation in collaboration with Florida authorities led to the arrest of 1,120 illegal immigrants, and the agency said 63% of them had “existing criminal arrests or convictions,” and many had alleged gang affiliations.
Judge orders anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil to be released on bail
A federal judge on Friday ordered anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil to be released on bail while his immigration and civil cases proceed through the courts, citing the “extraordinary circumstances” of his case. Judge Michael Farbiarz, a Biden appointee, assessed during a hearing in New Jersey that Khalil was not a flight risk or a danger to the community and that his detention was therefore “highly unusual.” Khalil’s attorneys had said in a letter to the court that his imprisonment in an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, was an “exceedingly rare” decision on the part of the government and amounted to unconstitutional retaliation. Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, has been detained for three months after he was arrested in March at his apartment at Columbia University. He has a U.S. citizen wife who lives in New York, and the pair have a baby, who was born while he was behind bars. His release could happen as soon as Friday. DOJ SEEKS TO KEEP ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST KHALIL DETAINED IN LOUISIANA IMMIGRATION JAIL After Khalil’s arrest, an immigration judge found he was removable based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said Khalil’s activism on campus was at odds with U.S. foreign policy interests. Rubio cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to justify his finding, and Farbiarz later enjoined the secretary from using that determination to deport Khalil. FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL But the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also added a second reason for keeping Khalil detained and attempting to deport him. The DHS said Khalil allegedly omitted key information from his green card application about groups with which he was affiliated, including the Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Khalil’s case has become a lightning rod for anti-Israel protesters and immigration rights advocates. They have argued the Trump administration is retaliating against him for opposing the Israeli government and chilling free speech of those who oppose Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip and conflict with Iran. The administration has countered that in addition to the green card application allegation, Khalil violated immigration law by allegedly signaling support for the terrorist group Hamas through his activism. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL FIGHTS DEPORTATION IN NEW JERSEY COURT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Department of Justice attorneys argued to the judge that the federal court did not have authority to free Khalil from detention because the second claim against him regarding his green card application was still pending in immigration court. “Khalil remains detained because he is currently charged as removable for fraudulently or willfully misrepresenting material facts on his adjustment of status application,” the attorneys wrote in court papers this week. Fox News’s Kirill Clark contributed to this report.
Four plead guilty in massive bribery scheme at agency Democrats fought to protect from DOGE
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency essentially dismantled by DOGE amid complaints from Democrats that cutting waste would harm impoverished countries, is at the center of a massive bribery scandal. A federal contracting officer and three businessmen have pleaded guilty in a scheme involving bribes like cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding in a scandal the Department of Justice (DOJ) said was part of a $550 million scam, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel reported Friday. Roderick Watson, 57, worked as a USAID contracting officer, according to a DOJ press release, and pleaded guilty to “bribery of a public official.” According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. RISCH URGES ‘TOP TO BOTTOM’ USAID SPENDING REVIEW AFTER WASTE, FRAUD EXPOSED “During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant,” the press release explained. “Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.” THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY’S FINAL LEG OF ‘DRAWDOWN’ Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address “a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,” an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency. Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to “evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.” The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024. “Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) said in the press release. “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.” USAID was one of the public faces and most drastic examples of DOGE’s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government, and the effort resulted in the agency’s programs being cut by 83%, while the programs deemed vital were moved to the State Department. USAID’s website went dark, and employees were barred from entering its headquarters on Feb. 3, while others had their work put on hold. The Trump administration then announced that all USAID direct-hire personnel would be put on administrative leave. The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland. During DOGE’s sweep, it was revealed that U.S. dollars were ending up in the hands of terror-linked groups, such as funds reportedly providing “full funding” for al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado, Fox News Digital previously reported. As DOGE was dismantling USAID, many Democrats and media outlets blasted the cuts, claiming they would harm impoverished recipients of aid across the globe and some, including U2 frontman Bono, who said the cuts would lead to over 300,000 deaths. Several House and Senate Democrats protested outside of USAID’s headquarters in early February, expressing outrage over the layoffs and cuts, The Hill reported. “Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID,” Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in the DOJ’s press release. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
‘This guy’: Slurring Biden takes shot at Trump, those trying to ‘erase our history’ at Juneteenth church event
Former President Joe Biden slammed critics of Juneteenth as he spoke Thursday at an AME church service in Galveston Island, Texas – the city where, on June 19, 1865, Gen. Gordon Granger issued the final federal orders enforcing emancipation at a time before telephones. Biden criticized the idea that Juneteenth is not worthy of federal holiday status. He also recalled visiting the Black community in Northeast Wilmington often while growing up in Claymont – suggesting he visited the underserved neighborhood after attending early-morning Catholic Mass in Greenville, Del. He also appeared to stop himself before slamming President Donald Trump by name – mentioning “this guy” – then pausing to make the Sign of the Cross to applause from the congregants. “I used to chair the African Affairs subcommittee,” Biden claimed. “I’ve been to the origins of where slavery started [in Africa]. And to listen to them talk about it now, how things are changing. We have to remember, our country is founded on the promise of freedom; freedom for everybody,” he said. ALASKA SENATOR LITERALLY TEARS UP BIDEN’S ENERGY ORDERS, BOOSTS WH EFFORTS TO LEVERAGE ARCTIC LNG IN ASIA TRADE “So, the events of Juneteenth are of monumental importance to the American story,” he said, calling slavery “America’s original sin.” Of the holiday’s critics, he said, “They don’t want to remember – but we all remember the moral stain. . . . “ “Well, I took the view as president, we need to be honest about our history, especially if there’s been any time going ever to erase our history. Not just here, but, this guy–” he added, trailing off and signing himself. “Too many people are trying to erase our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase history from our textbooks and our classrooms.” He went on to implicitly criticize Trump for returning southern military bases to their former names. However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently noted in congressional testimony that the rescission of the base renamings does not return them to the namesakes of the Confederate generals but to other U.S. military heroes with the same surname. “[D]arkness can hide much but can erase nothing,” Biden said. “The Scripture tells us faith without work is dead.” SPEAKER JOHNSON QUESTIONS WHETHER BIDN KNEW WHAT HE WAS SIGNING WITH TRANS VISIBILITY DAY PROCLAMATION Biden then suggested Black Americans and other minorities are still facing roadblocks to the ballot box six decades after the Civil Rights Act. “Stop those who try to make it more difficult to vote, and help people register to vote. Let’s reach out to our families, our friends, our neighbors, remind them how critical it is,” Biden said. For his part, Trump said Thursday the additional federal holiday enacted by Biden is costing the U.S. “billions of dollars to keep all of these businesses closed.” “Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every working day of the year.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Some other leaders, like West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, issued Juneteenth proclamations but kept state offices open on the nation’s newest federal holiday. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.