Federal judge opens door to Alien Enemies Act targets suing Trump administration
A federal judge has allowed Venezuelans targeted for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act in the Southern District of Texas to proceed with a class-action lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued a 12-page order Thursday granting a group of petitioners “class certification.” “The unusual circumstances of this case present a compelling justification to utilize a procedure equivalent to a class action authorized by Rule 23,” Rodriguez wrote. The Trump administration has argued the petitioners have “no basis” to establish a protected legal class “to resolve whether an alien has been properly included in the category of alien enemies–necessarily individual determinations.” TRUMP TO NAME HAITIAN GANGS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS: REPORT The judge considered whether individual “habeas corpus hearings” would be required for every Venezuelan national targeted under the Alien Enemies Act in the Southern District of Texas to determine whether they are members of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in March. Rodriguez said “requiring individualized habeas corpus proceedings to repeatedly address the common legal issues unduly wastes judicial resources.” Trump issued an executive order March 14, “Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua.” About 100 people have been detained in the Southern District of Texas and “designated as alien enemies under the Proclamation,” Rodriguez noted. “The present matter raises many common questions of law, but also indisputably raises some questions of fact that would require individualized hearings to resolve,” Rodriguez wrote Thursday. “As to the former, Petitioners challenge the lawfulness of the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation. “They argue, primarily, that the preconditions required to apply the AEA do not exist, that the intended application of the Proclamation and the AEA violate the designated alien enemies’ due process rights under the Constitution, and that the procedures that Respondents seek to follow violate the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Convention Against Torture. TRUMP ADMIN REVOKES 4K FOREIGN STUDENTS’ VISAS IN FIRST 100 DAYS, NEARLY ALL WITH SERIOUS CRIMINAL RECORDS “These issues hold true for any individual that Respondents designate as an alien enemy under the Proclamation and subject to removal under the AEA,” the order said. “A favorable result on any of these legal theories as to one individual will prove equally applicable to other Venezuelan aliens designated as alien enemies under the Proclamation. As a result, the Court finds that Petitioners identify at least one contention that is central to the validity of each class member’s claims.” The judge acknowledged that, at the same time, “petitioners cannot deny that whether any particular individual is a member of TdA would require a fact-specific, individualized determination.” “It is true that the Court would have to determine the applicable legal standard, and this analysis would apply to every class member. But the hearings themselves would proceed individually, as the relevant facts for each person differ,” he said. According to Reuters, the Trump administration deported at least 137 Venezuelans from the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, under the Alien Enemies Act March 15, but relatives of dozens of the men say they are not TdA members. In a separate 36-page opinion, Rodriguez also said Thursday the Trump administration could not rely on the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals who are TdA member anyway because the gang’s presence in the U.S. cannot be classified as an “invasion” or “predatory incursion” under federal law. “Neither the Court nor the parties question that the Executive Branch can direct the detention and removal of aliens who engage in criminal activity in the United States,” Rodriguez, nominated by Trump in 2018, wrote. “The President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms. “The Court concludes that the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful,” Rodriguez wrote. In mid-April, Rodriguez granted a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from removing Venezuelans held at the Raymondville detention center. The judge later broadened his ruling to protect all Venezuelans detained in his judicial district, which includes the cities of Houston, Galveston, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Corpus Christi and Victoria, from deportation. Rodriguez’s ruling Thursday is significant because it is the first formal permanent injunction against the administration using the AEA and contends the president is misusing the law. The Trump administration claims that TdA is acting at the behest of the Venezuelan government. “The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation,” Rodriguez wrote. “Thus, the Proclamation’s language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of ‘invasion’ for purposes of the AEA.” The judge also noted that the provision has only been used during the two World Wars and the War of 1812. If the administration appeals, it would go first to the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That is among the nation’s most conservative appellate courts, and it also has ruled against what it saw as overreach on immigration matters by both the Obama and Biden administrations. The Supreme Court already has weighed in once on the issue of deportations under the AEA. The justices held that migrants alleged to be gang members must be given “reasonable time” to contest their removal from the country. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Plans advance for $10 billion Exxon plastics plant on the Texas coast
Officials at a rural school district voted on Tuesday to begin developing a tax break agreement intended to draw Exxon to their stretch of the Gulf Coast north of Corpus Christi.
Trump nominates Waltz for high-level post after ousting him as national security advisor
President Donald Trump tapped former national security advisor Mike Waltz for his administration’s ambassador to the United Nations after Waltz was ousted from the National Security Council office earlier Thursday. “I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG Waltz posted to X shortly after Trump’s announcement that he was “deeply honored to continue my service to President Trump and our great nation.” Trump added in his post that Rubio will simultaneously serve as his interim national security advisor after Waltz left the role on Thursday. In 1973, then-President Richard Nixon made a similar move when he named national security advisor Henry Kissinger to also serve as secretary of state, State Department records show. Waltz and other National Security Council staffers were ousted from their office Thursday, in the most high-profile executive office exits of the second Trump administration. Trump’s announcement on naming Waltz as U.N. ambassador unfolded just hours after the news began circulating. The former national security advisor had been at the heart of the Signal chat leak debacle that unfolded in March, when the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine was inadvertently added to a group chat with high-profile Trump officials such as Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe discussing military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Speculation had mounted for weeks that Waltz would be removed from his position amid the fallout of the chat leak, though the administration has maintained that no classified material was shared in the group chat and that the president had confidence in his National Security Council team. Ahead of Trump tapping Waltz for the new administration role, a handful of names had been floated for U.N. ambassador after Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., withdrew her nomination in March, including David Friedman, former U.S. ambassador to Israel; Ellie Cohanim, former deputy special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism at the State Department under the first Trump administration; and special presidential envoy Richard Grenell. Grenell said he was a “hard no” on serving in the U.N. ambassador role ahead of Trump’s announcement. Trump announced Stefanik as his original choice for the role in November 2024, just days after his successful election against former Vice President Kamala Harris. The New York congresswoman, however, pulled her nomination last month as concerns mounted in Trump’s orbit that the GOP’s slim majority in the House would grow smaller in her absence. TRUMP URGED TO REVIEW UN IMMUNITY, LAX VISA RULES AMID NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS Concerns grew ahead of two special House elections in Florida on April 2, which ultimately saw both Republican victorious, but with significantly slimmer margins than their GOP predecessors in their previous elections. Stefank told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in March that she bowed out of the confirmation process to serve as U.N. ambassador due to both the GOP’s margin in the House combined with the need for her to help combat Democratic “corruption” in her home state of New York. “It was a combination of the New York corruption that we’re seeing under Kathy Hochul, special elections and the House margin,” Stefanik said on “Hannity” in March. “I’ve been in the House. It’s tough to count these votes every day. And we are going to continue to defy the political prognosticators and deliver, deliver victory on behalf of President Trump and, importantly, the voters across this country.” “The president knows that. He and I had multiple conversations today, and we are committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people. And as always, I’m committed to delivering results on behalf of my constituents,” she added. Trump announced on Truth Social that Stefanik withdrew her nomination to “remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength.” REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM “With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” he added. During Trump’s first administration, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former diplomat Kelly Craft served as U.N. ambassadors. ‘BLINDSIDED’: HOW STEFANIK’S TRUMP NOMINATION AS UN AMBASSADOR IMPLODED Upon taking office, the 47th president made cuts to U.S. involvement with programs under U.N.’s umbrella, including ending U.S. engagement with the U.N. Human Rights Council and banning funding for the U.N. relief agency for Gaza. “I’ve always felt that the U.N. has tremendous potential,” Trump said in February while signing the executive order that made cuts to U.S. involvement with U.N. groups. “It’s not being well-run.” “A lot of these conflicts that we’re working on should be settled, or at least we should have some help in settling them. But we never seem to get help. That should be the primary purpose of the U.N.,” Trump continued. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Republican gov slams city for considering ‘antisemitic’ resolution, threatens to pull funding
A city in Texas could lose its state funding over a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo against Israel. Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, wrote a letter to San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson admonishing the City Council, which voted to bring the resolution to a formal vote on May 6. In his letter, Abbott pointed out that while the council was considering a resolution for a “permanent ceasefire in occupied Palestine,” it had not done the same to condemn Hamas following the Oct. 7 massacre. UT AUSTIN ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS FREED AFTER GOVERNOR SAID THEY ‘BELONG IN JAIL’ “Israel is a stalwart ally of the United States and a friend to Texas. I have repeatedly made clear that Texas will not tolerate antisemitism. Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies,” Abbott wrote. The governor said he was “proud” to have signed a law banning Texas government entities from supporting efforts to boycott, divest from and sanction (BDS) Israel. The BDS movement argues that Israel should not receive financial support due to its actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. ABBOTT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CURB ANTISEMITISM ON TEXAS CAMPUSES, DEMANDS ‘APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENTS’ Texas law, specifically Code § 2271.002, states that government entities are prohibited from entering into a contract worth $100,000 or more without a written guarantee that the contracting entity does not boycott Israel. Under the law, “boycott Israel” is defined as “refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations specifically with Israel…” Government entities that violate the law put their funding at risk. Abbott wrote in his letter that his office had already begun “reviewing active grants with San Marcos to determine whether the city has breached terms by falsely certifying compliance with Texas law.” Additionally, he said that if the city moves to pass the resolution, his office would not enter into future grant agreements with the city and would terminate active grants. UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME!’ The City Council agenda description of the April 15 discussion read: “Hold a discussion regarding a possible resolution calling for the immediate and permanent ceasefire in occupied Palestine, an arms embargo on Israel, recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, and the protection of constitutional rights for all people under national and international law.” San Marcos City Council member Alyssa Garza, who apparently put the resolution on the agenda, spoke at the April 15 meeting, framing the resolution as a way to fight big government. Garza listed the ways in which she believes larger government entities are threatening smaller ones and insisted that Texans could not rely on the same government “to stop a genocide.” “[It’s] clear to me that when they fund bombs, but cut aid for housing and education and so on here, that’s connected. When they silence protests here and crush dissent abroad, that’s connected. When they defund local governments and nonprofits and they call us ‘distractive’ for standing up, that’s absolutely connected,” Garza said. GAZA CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS SEEING ‘SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH’ IN CAIRO: SOURCES Another council member, Amanda Rodriguez, said the resolution wasn’t political, but rather a “moral litmus test.” She also described the war in Gaza as a “genocide.” Additionally, Rodriguez made a plea to Jews who did not attend the meeting because “there has been such a conflation with this resolution being compared to antisemitism.” As part of the plea, she then said, “You cannot tell me that Judaism as a religion supports this.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In just five days, the San Marcos City Council is set to vote on the resolution and if it passes, Abbott’s office is expected to evaluate its grants to the city. Hughson, Garza and Rodriguez have yet to respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Next US national security advisor? Here’s who Trump might pick to replace Waltz
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other National Security Council staffers were ousted from their office on Thursday, in the most high-profile executive office exits of the second Trump administration. Fox News confirmed on Thursday morning that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were ousted following a Signal chat leak debacle that unfolded in March, when the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine was inadvertently added to a group chat with high-profile Trump officials such as Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe discussing military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Speculation had mounted for weeks that Waltz would be removed from his position amid the fallout of the chat leak, though the administration has maintained that no classified material was shared in the group chat and that the president had confidence in his National Security Council team. Fox News Digital took a look at who President Donald Trump could select to replace Waltz now that the position is open. MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who has been a top U.S. negotiator with Russia amid its war against Ukraine, could be tapped for the open national security advisor position. Witkoff is a former real estate tycoon and longtime ally of Trump’s whose focus under the Trump administration has been on negotiating with Russia for a peace deal in Ukraine, and negotiating with Iran regarding its nuclear program. Witkoff was notably credited with helping secure the reality of U.S. school teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison in February. Witkoff traveled to Moscow on April 25 as the White House reportedly extended its final offer to Russia as it continues waging a war against Ukraine that has raged since February 2022. RUBIO REVEALS OBSCURE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICE KEPT ‘DISINFORMATION’ DOSSIER ON TRUMP OFFICIAL “Ambassador Witkoff is in Russia to meet with President Putin as part of President Trump’s efforts to make peace,” an official with knowledge of the talks and visit told Fox News Digital at the end of April. “It’s long past time for the death and destruction to stop, to move past the failed strategies of the past and for an end to this devastating conflict,” the official added, without commenting on the “substance of negotiations.” TRUMP’S GOODWILL TESTED AS PUTIN IGNORES PEACE EFFORTS DURING WITKOFF’S VISIT The war has continued, with the U.S. making strides with Ukraine, however, Wednesday, as Trump works to secure a peace deal. Ukraine signed a deal with the U.S., allowing America access to the country’s rare minerals as it continues to hash out a peace agreement. Trump could potentially tap former ambassador to Germany and former acting Director of National Intelligence under the first Trump administration, Richard Grenell, to take the national security role. The former ambassador currently serves as the president of the Kennedy Center, the national cultural center of the U.S., under the second Trump administration. GRENELL LIGHTS UP SUSAN RICE FOR YEARS OF FAILED DEM FOREIGN POLICES THAT LED TO WAR: ‘WE SEE YOU’ Grenell’s name has been floated for other high-profile roles under the second Trump administration, such as a potential replacement for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations after Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew her name in March to retain her seat in the House. Grenell, however, said he was a “hard no” on serving in the U.N. ambassador role. Trump previously named Stefanik as his pick for ambassador to the U.N. but announced March 27 that she withdrew her nomination to “remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength.” STEFANIK UNDERCUTS SPEAKER JOHNSON IN STUNNING PUBLIC HOUSE GOP SPAT “With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” he added. “The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations.” Stefanik is a fierce Trump ally, who notably grilled Ivy League college administrators from Penn and Harvard, her alma mater, in December 2023 regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. Trump potentially selecting Stefanik as a replacement for Waltz, however, would leave the Republican House majority vulnerable to an even tighter margin if Stefanik left her New York seat.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun shares controversial video after Pahalgam attack: ‘If India attacks Pakistan…’
Pannun said that Pakistan was not their enemy as it would be their ‘neighbour’ after Punjab’s ‘liberation’ from India.
Judge bars deportations of Venezuelans from South Texas under 18th Century wartime law
The federal judge is the first to rule that the Alien Enemies Act can’t be used against immigrants that the Trump administration claims are gang members invading the U.S.
Former Russian president calls Ukraine ‘a disappearing country’ and notes ‘Trump’s ratings have gone down’
Russian Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, referred to Ukraine as “a disappearing country” in a post on Telegram. “But Trump has finally broken the Kiev regime into paying for American aid with minerals. Now they will have to pay for military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country,” Medvedev said, according to a Google translation of part of his post. The Russian official also noted President Donald Trump‘s ratings have declined. “And the US Senate, led by Republicans, is preparing to introduce more ‘crushing sanctions’ against us. Let’s see how the new administration responds. Trump’s ratings have gone down, the ‘deep state’ is putting up fierce resistance to him,” Medvedev declared. FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM A Fox News Poll of registered voters last month indicated that Trump’s job approval rating had slipped to 44% from the 49% it had been in a March poll – both polls had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. The U.S. has doled out billions of dollars worth of aid to support Ukraine as that Eastern European nation has been at war with Russia, but Trump has been aiming to help broker a peace deal between the two nations. The U.S. and Ukraine struck an agreement this week that both sides describe as mutually beneficial. “This partnership between the United States and Ukraine establishes a fund that will receive 50% of royalties, license fees, and other similar payments from natural resource projects in Ukraine,” the White House noted. “That money will be invested in new projects in Ukraine, which will generate long term returns for both the American and Ukrainian peoples.” UKRAINE SIGNS DEAL TO GIVE US ACCESS TO RARE MINERALS WITH TRUMP ADMIN ‘COMMITTED TO A PEACE PROCESS’: BESSENT Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and minister of economy, discussed the deal in a thread on X. “The United States will contribute to the Fund. In addition to direct financial contributions, it may also provide NEW assistance – for example, air defense systems for Ukraine,” she noted in one of the posts comprising the thread. FOR PUTIN, ‘US IS THE MAIN ENEMY,’ ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS “Ukraine will contribute 50% of state budget revenues from NEW rent on NEW licenses for NEW areas. Ukraine may also make additional contributions beyond this baseline if it chooses. This is cooperation designed to last for decades,” she added in another tweet.
Dems say Trump ‘firing the wrong guy’ after Waltz ousted as national security advisor
President Donald Trump‘s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, sources confirmed to Fox News. Democrats quickly reacted to the news during a press conference Thursday afternoon. “I’m not surprised that there is turmoil after the Signal gate fiasco, but I think there’s a lot more. In the words of the late and great John McCain, there’s more shoes to drop off the centipede,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, told Fox News. MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK “Mike Waltz has left the chat,” the former Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn, said on X, in a nod to Waltz accidentally adding The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat where war plans were reportedly discussed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Fox News on Thursday that the Trump administration “should fire him, but they’re firing the wrong guy.” “They should be firing Hegseth,” Schumer said before adding, “Everyone knew that Hegseth was the wrong guy for DOD, given his background, given his attitude towards women, but given the fact that he had no experience and had never shown an ability to run an organization.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Waltz should step down and agreed with Schumer that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reportedly shared war plans in a second Signal chat with family members, should be fired by the Trump administration. WALTZ DOUBLES DOWN ON HEGSETH PRAISE AMID ONGOING PENTAGON CONTROVERSY “The Trump administration is the most incompetent administration ever assembled, particularly as it relates to the defense and national security apparatus. Pete Hegseth is the most unqualified secretary of defense ever. He’s got to go. And if he doesn’t have the dignity to resign, Trump should fire him. Now the National Security Advisor is out. He’s the first person to leave. He will certainly not be the last,” Jeffries told Fox News. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who is a Navy combat veteran, also shifted blame to Hegseth, telling Fox News that the “most toubling” part of the Signal controversy wasn’t “accidentally putting a journalist on there,” but “sharing incredibly sensitive information about a strike off of an aircraft carrier, putting pilots at risk.” “I think they fired the wrong guy,” Kelly added. Sources told Fox News that Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong are out, with additional names likely to come. Democrats on Thursday said they would not be the last. The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump jokes his admin will ‘forget about’ separation of church and state: ‘We’re bringing religion back’
President Donald Trump joked that his administration could end the separation of church and state on Thursday, saying they are “bringing religion back to our country.” Trump made the statement during a speech at the White House celebrating the National Day of Prayer. He touted the White House’s faith office and its leader, Paula White. Trump began by thanking White for serving in her role as senior advisor to the faith office, remarking that his other advisors had questioned the move. “They said separation of church and state, they told me. I said let’s forget about that for one time. We said, really? Separation? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure,” Trump said. TRUMP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING TASK FORCE TO ‘ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS’ “But whether there’s separation or not, you guys are in the White House where you should be, and you’re representing our country,” he continued. “We’re bringing religion back to our country.” Trump signed an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office in early February. WHITE HOUSE CALLS DEMOCRAT CRITICISM OF DOGE ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ AND ‘INCREDIBLY ALARMING’ The new office is meant to “empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities,” according to a White House statement. The office plans to coordinate with other agencies on training for religious liberty and on elevating grant opportunities for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship. It will also collaborate with the Department of Justice on identifying constitutional religious liberty protections. The order came just one day after Trump signed another aimed at creating a task force to identify “anti-Christian bias.” The White House said this “Task Force to End the War on Christians” will comprise members of the president’s Cabinet and key government agencies, and the order seeks to “end the anti-Christian weaponization of government.”