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Maryland woman says TPUSA high school event raised ‘serious concerns,’ says Child Protective Services notified

Maryland woman says TPUSA high school event raised ‘serious concerns,’ says Child Protective Services notified

A student group affiliated with Turning Point USA is facing criticism for hosting an event at a Maryland high school in December, with one woman saying that Child Protective Services had been notified. A local community member, who was identified as Nancy, expressed “serious concern” about the December TPUSA-affiliated event at a February 12 board meeting. The woman spoke after a student from the high school who serves as president of the Calvert County Club America. That student said his group placed restrictions on the event after receiving “hate” online, including restricting access for adults they did not know who were not volunteers or parents of attendees. He also stated that all students who attended had parental permission. “We have been accused of many things. We have been accused of grooming children… an allegation that a random unnamed man was president of our group and had certain felony charges. I’m the president of the group. I’m 17, I’m a minor. I can’t groom children because I am a child. I don’t have any felony charges or convictions,” the student said, adding an invitation to discuss any questions. ERIKA KIRK WELCOMES ATTENDEES TO FIRST AMERICAFEST SINCE HUSBAND’S DEATH, ENDORSES JD VANCE FOR PRESIDENT The student clarified that CCCA is affiliated with TPUSA but is its own 501(c)(3) organization and is not part of the state’s public school system. Nancy spoke next, raising her issues with the TPUSA event.  “While community building opportunities for students are important, this event raises serious concerns related to student safety, parental rights and governance oversight,” the woman stated, claiming that parents and legal guardians were not permitted to attend the event. “Excluding parents and guardians from a student-focused event creates a lack of transparency and undermines established best practices for youth safety,” she continued, going on to say that such events should be subject to supervision and background checks. “Students are widely recognized as vulnerable population, they are in critical developmental stages, and especially susceptible to influence,” she added. DEFIANT TPUSA LEADER WON’T QUIT DESPITE CHAPTER FACING HARASSMENT, HOSTILITY AFTER KIRK ASSASSINATION “All Board of Education members in this room are mandated reporters under state law, as I am. Based on the circumstances surrounding this event, a report was made to Child Protective Services,” the woman added as she concluded her remarks. Controversy over the event comes as TPUSA continues to grow its influence on high school and college campuses across the country since the assassination of the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk. His wife, Erika Kirk, told Fox News’ Shannon Bream in December that the organization intends to resume its normal presence on college campuses in particular. TURNING POINT USA HOLDS AMERICAFEST CONFERENCE FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION “We are not afraid,” she said, adding that the TPUSA team will continue to host “Prove Me Wrong”–style debates as part of its campus outreach. Charlie Kirk was assassinated during an outdoor event on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. The gathering marked the first stop on TPUSA’s planned “American Comeback Tour,” and at first, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The charismatic TPUSA founder rose to prominence through his signature political debates on college campuses. Moments before the fatal shot, he sat beneath a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” fielding open-mic questions from thousands in attendance. Fox News’ Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Democrats say Trump redistricting push backfiring as Virginia advances new House maps

Democrats say Trump redistricting push backfiring as Virginia advances new House maps

Democratic lawmakers say President Donald Trump’s redistricting gambit is backfiring as Virginia’s Democratic-controlled Senate advanced new congressional maps that could chip away at the House GOP’s majority. The Virginia Senate voted 21-16 along party lines on Wednesday to pass a set of new congressional maps that would leave just one Republican district in play. Republicans currently hold five. To Republicans like Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., that’s too drastic a swing for a state that only has 11 districts to begin with. Even in light of similar redistricting pushes in Texas, California and other states, Wittman believes Virginia’s case is unique. DOJ URGES SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA MAP, CALLS NEWSOM-BACKED PLAN A RACIAL GERRYMANDER “This partisan power grab is not reflective of Virginia. Virginia is a 6-5 congressional delegation: six Democrats, five Republicans. And now they want to go to 10 Democrats, one Republican — 92%,” Wittman said. “They’re going to disenfranchise most Virginians, if not all of them, that are Republican or independent.” Despite the size of the change the maps would bring, Democrats believe it’s just the latest continuation of a fight that Trump started. “You have to fight fire with fire,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. “The voters that I’m talking to feel that we can’t just sit back and be victims of redistricting. I don’t think this would be happening unless [Trump] pushed for redistricting in Texas and other red states,” Subramanyam said. When asked if he thinks the changes would go too far, Subramanyam said he thinks Republicans will have a chance to press their case at the ballot box. “If Republicans can win over the hearts and minds of Virginians, they will have a good cycle. It’s a very volatile map in that sense, and so I know many have argued that this is actually fair. I would say that it’s certainly a map where, if Republicans campaign well and their message resonates, they can win too,” Subramanyam said. Since Trump urged lawmakers in Texas to push through a map change in July 2025, state legislatures across the country have explored ways to squeeze out a congressional advantage where control of the House hangs by a two-seat thread. TEXAS FILES EMERGENCY SUPREME COURT PETITION AFTER TRUMP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES Virginia’s map change, on its own, would give Democrats a path to flipping control of the chamber in November. But the maps aren’t a sure thing. Their implementation turns on pending legal battles about whether the shakeup complies with the state’s constitutional requirements, according to a complaint filed late last year. On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the redistricting consideration could continue while it deliberates over a final ruling on whether the maps are permissible. To become official, maps will also require a statewide constitutional referendum. Under current law, Virginia’s constitution outlaws gerrymandering, the practice of drawing congressional districts to purposefully benefit a political party. Subramanyam said the referendum gives voters a chance to express their will. “It will come down to the voters. One good thing in Virginia is that people will have a say and can vote on the referendum in April. Folks in Texas, like where my family still lives, didn’t have a choice,” Subramanyam said, noting that Texas’s redistricting push didn’t require a constitutional amendment and was decided purely by the legislature. Wittman believes the fact Virginia is looking to upend its own constitution should make the reshuffle a foregone conclusion. When asked whether he sees Virginia’s redistricting question as a consequence of the redistricting in Texas, Wittman said the two situations differ because of existing state law. JEFFRIES SAYS GOP ‘DONE EFF’D UP IN TEXAS,’ VOWS THEY WON’T WIN FIVE SEATS: ‘THEY CAN’T IGNORE IT’ “Each state has their own constitution as to how they put together their congressional districts. Virginia’s is very clear. A super majority of voters — 66% of the voters — said we want a bipartisan redistricting commission. That’s Virginia,” Wittman said, referring to the 2020 vote in Virginia that outlawed gerrymandering. “Texas is doing what Texas and its constitution allow,” he added. Upon teeing up that referendum, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger framed the action as a way to give Virginians a voice in a national debate over congressional redistricting. “Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms and elections… I trust Virginia voters to respond,” Spanberger said in a statement. Voters in the state will consider whether to “temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections” on April 21.

Chicago-area teacher breaks silence after losing job over 2-word Facebook post supporting ICE: ‘Devastating’

Chicago-area teacher breaks silence after losing job over 2-word Facebook post supporting ICE: ‘Devastating’

FIRST ON FOX: A Chicago area teacher who was forced to resign from his position over his Facebook post saying “Go ICE” is speaking out about the emotional and financial toll he has suffered as a result. “This process has been professionally and personally devastating and surreal,” former West Chicago teacher James Heidorn told Fox News Digital in his first public comments about the situation.  “I’ve spent 14 years building my career, pouring my heart into teaching kids, building relationships and being a positive role model. To see it all upended over two simple words, ‘Go ICE,’ where I expressed my personal support for law enforcement felt like a severe blow to my career.” In late January, Fox News Digital first reported that the longtime teacher at Gary Elementary School in a heavily Hispanic district was placed on leave after local activists in the community began sharing his Facebook post that said “GO ICE” in response to a news story about a local police department saying they would cooperate with ICE.  GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE On Thursday, Jan. 22, Heidorn was first notified by school officials that they had seen the growing social media chatter about his post. He briefly quit after meeting with HR staff before rescinding his resignation the same day. Heidorn was set to return to school to teach on Monday while the school investigated. Around the same time, Illinois Democratic state Sen. Karina Villa, who was captured on video in September chasing down ICE agents in the street, publicly expressed outrage over the post and said she stands in “unwavering solidarity” with families upset about the “disturbing comments reportedly made by an educator.” On that Saturday, before an investigation had been concluded, West Chicago Mayor Daniel Bovey took to Facebook and posted a video explaining why Heidorn’s comments were “hurtful” and “offensive” to many in the community. “The issue is we have trusted adults who are the ones that care for those kids when they can’t be with their mom and their dad,” Bovey said. “So to have someone cavalierly rooting on — as if it’s a football game or something, yeah go — events which have traumatized these children… that is the issue.” Over the weekend, parents online were encouraging each other to keep their students home from school as a form of protest, and many in the community began criticizing Heidorn.  The city of West Chicago held a “listening session” on Jan. 26 at the request of Bovey, that included a Spanish translator, where a variety of parents and locals expressed concerns about the post, including a woman who said “kids do not feel safe” as a result of the post and another woman who said the post was “cruel.” “This started with a two-word comment on my personal Facebook page supporting law enforcement—nothing more,” Heidorn said. “It wasn’t directed at any student, family or school community. Second, I was placed on leave and faced intense pressure before any full investigation or fair process could play out, with this it led to my resignation.”  “Third, I lost my career, my income and the chance to close out my time with my students properly—no farewell, no goodbyes.” Ultimately, Heidorn resigned a second time rather than be terminated after a hearing with school officials. In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time that Heidorn was on leave in January, a West Chicago Elementary School District 33 spokesperson referred to the social media post as “disruptive” and said, “We understand that this situation has raised concerns and caused disruption for students, families and staff.” Teachers all across the United States have taken to the streets in recent weeks, causing disruptions in favor of far-left causes, including in Chicago, where teachers stormed a local Target and harassed employees, to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies without facing pushback or repercussions from local school districts.  TOP TEACHERS UNION UNDER FIRE AS LAWMAKERS PUSH TO STRIP UNION OF UNIQUE FEDERAL CHARTER: ‘LOST THEIR WAY’ “Most importantly, this is bigger than me: it’s about whether personal opinions expressed outside of work can cost someone their livelihood without due process,” Heidorn said. “I hope to see free speech matters, even when it’s unpopular.” “It does feel like a double standard—due to my viewpoint being different from others within the community that I taught in. I feel that we should all be able to coexist with our personal political viewpoints. Fairness should apply equally, regardless of those viewpoints. If personal political speech is grounds for punishment, it should be consistent—not selective based on what side you’re on. I believe in free speech for all, and that’s what I hope comes out of all this.” Heidorn has received some support from the local community, including a GoFundMe page calling him a “beloved physical education teacher” who “showed up every day for his students.” “Emotionally, it’s been a roller coaster that has me feeling a great deal of shock, loss and deep sadness over losing daily contact with my students,” Heidorn said. “Feelings of anger and frustration at how quickly things escalated without real dialogue, and grief for not getting to say a proper goodbye to the kids I cared so much for. I’ve had sleepless nights, but I’m trying to stay focused on my family and the support I’ve received from people who know the real me.” Heidorn, who also lost his employment working as a soccer coach at a nearby private school, told Fox News Digital that one of the most difficult aspects of being forced from his job was losing the relationships he built with his students of all backgrounds over his long career.  Asked what he would tell his students if given the opportunity to address the situation with them directly, Heidorn said the online outrage “isn’t the full story” and is “just noise from people who don’t know me.” “To my students: I want you to know that I care about you deeply and

Dem governor in deep-red state calls for ICE pullout, triggering clash over enforcement authority

Dem governor in deep-red state calls for ICE pullout, triggering clash over enforcement authority

EXCLUSIVE: Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman fired back at Gov. Andy Beshear’s comments on “The View” about pulling ICE out of “every city,” setting up what could become a high-stakes intergovernmental battle over cooperation with federal immigration authorities. “Every ICE agent should be withdrawn from every city and every community that they’re in. This organization has to be reformed from the top-down. Secretary Noem needs to be fired, and every agent needs to retrained,” Beshear told the ABC talk show, before adding the “body-count of American citizens” should lead to a “pause [to] pull everybody back.” Coleman, who spoke to Fox News Digital from the sheriff’s office in Daviess County — home of NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip and one of several Kentucky jurisdictions that work with ICE — said his take is “not a political one” and that ICE also has the backing of those lawmen he was meeting with after the interview. “My view as the chief law enforcement officer of this commonwealth, someone that’s carried a badge and a gun, someone that has been a federal prosecutor, [is] that statement that the governor made was absurd,” Coleman said. TOM HOMAN VOWS TO WORK AROUND NEW DEM VA GOV SPANBERGER’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING ICE COOPERATION Coleman said the dispute centers on Beshear’s “commentary” versus the reality of which agencies he controls. The Kentucky State Police fall under Beshear’s authority, but they currently work with ICE. Meanwhile, Coleman’s office works with the state’s 120 county sheriffs’ offices, many of which cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security. “I don’t want to set up a straw-dog argument because the reality is the collaboration is never going to stop here because those of us who have taken an oath to protect families are going to work with our federal partners,” he said, pointing to recent successes across the Tug Fork River where such collaboration led to the arrests of 650 illegal immigrants in West Virginia. FROM OBAMA AWARD TO MINNESOTA OP: WHY TRUMP TAPPED TOM HOMAN FOR ON-THE-GROUND CRACKDOWN As for the legal ramifications of a potential clash between a DHS-aligned attorney general and a governor with opposing objectives, one legal expert said the situation presents an interesting case. Former Florida federal prosecutor Zack Smith said that while every state’s attorney generalship is slightly different, a governor is an elected constitutional officer, just as sheriffs are, and that neither can tell the other what to do “in most instances.” “The attorney general can issue opinions of law. He can issue certain advisory opinions about what state law means or requires. But there are very few instances, in Florida at least, where the attorney general can compel another constitutional officer, like sheriffs, to comply with state law.” “Now, if they violate state law or something like that, obviously, he could then prosecute them, but there’s really not a lot he could do as a practical matter,” he said, adding that Beshear is likely relying on his gubernatorial “bully pulpit” to effect change. “There are probably limits to what he can do — and keep in mind the 287(g) agreements” in the counties. “I think this from a practical and policy perspective, this is a very foolish and very dangerous statement by the governor of Kentucky,” he said, pointing to Minnesota chaos bred from similar opposition to ICE operations. PHILADELPHIA’S THREAT TO PROSECUTE ICE COULD TRIGGER LANDMARK COURT FIGHT OVER AUTHORITY, EXPERTS WARN Beshear’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Both Beshear and Coleman have served as attorney general — something the governor mentioned on “The View” — but Coleman said Beshear should therefore know that cooperation with federal authorities is preferable to going on offense. “I’d like to, on one hand, be respectful of my predecessor… [but] anyone who’s spent time in law enforcement… knows that we are more effective at protecting people,” he said, noting that the county he was sitting in has ICE to thank for removing a violent child-sex predator from the streets and that local Owensboro authorities cooperated with a DHS operation to arrest an illegal immigrant who had been financially extorting seniors. TRUMP DHS HAMMERS DEM GOVERNOR’S PORTAL TO TRACK ICE AGENTS: ‘ENCOURAGES VIOLENCE’ In neighboring Virginia, officials are moving to follow Beshear’s advice by ending state-federal cooperation forged under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and advancing bills to restrict DHS collaboration. When asked, Coleman said he does not see Frankfort following Richmond’s lead anytime soon and lamented the loss of several cooperative colleagues in Virginia. “Fortunately, I don’t have to face that hypothetical here in this Commonwealth, but in our Mother Commonwealth (Virginia), it’s been very concerning. We [also] hated to lose a phenomenal colleague in Jason Miyares,” he added. DHS also pushed back on Beshear’s position. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said federal law enforcement “will continue arresting criminal illegal aliens across the state of Kentucky while sanctuary politicians like Governor Beshear continue to demonize our law enforcement and side with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.” “We need state and local law enforcement engagement and information so we don’t have to have such a presence on the streets,” she said. She listed several recent arrests in Kentucky, including Roman Sanchez, described as a criminal illegal immigrant convicted of homicide, willful killing of a family member with a gun, larceny, robbery, receiving stolen property and armed street robbery, as well as several individuals convicted of rape.

Hillary Clinton says migration ‘went too far’ and ‘needs to be fixed in a humane way’

Hillary Clinton says migration ‘went too far’ and ‘needs to be fixed in a humane way’

While in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Hillary Clinton participated in a panel titled, “The West-West Divide: What Remains of Common Values.” During the panel, Clinton appeared to take a stronger approach to her previous stance on border security. ICE RAMPS UP DEPORTATION PUSH BY BOOSTING CAPACITY TO 92,600 BEDS WITH $38.3B EXPANSION “There is a legitimate reason to have a debate about things like migration,” Clinton said. “It went too far, it’s been disruptive and destabilizing, and it needs to be fixed in a humane way with secure borders that don’t torture and kill people and how we’re going to have a strong family structure because it is at the base of civilization,” she added. Clinton acknowledged that there are places where a physical barrier is appropriate but opposed large-scale expansion of a border wall during her 2016 presidential campaign. NEW DEM PROPOSAL WOULD RESTRICT ICE’S KEY TOOL TO DETAIN CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS At the time, she supported then President Barack Obama’s executive actions that deferred immigration enforcement against millions of children and parents in the country illegally and wanted to end the practice of family detention. Clinton also planned on continuing Obama’s policy of deporting violent criminals, but wanted to scale back immigration raids, which she said at the time produced “unnecessary fear and disruption in communities,” Fox News Digital previously reported. In 2018, Clinton called out the Trump administration for its deportation policies. CONGRESS UNVEILS $1.2T SPENDING BILL AS PROGRESSIVE REVOLT BREWS OVER ICE FUNDING “It is now the official policy of the US government — a nation of immigrants — to separate children from their families. That is an absolute disgrace. #FamiliesBelongTogether,” she wrote on X. At the Newmark Civic Life Series in Manhattan last year, Clinton argued that immigrants, whether legal or illegal, have made the American economy exceptional by adding to the workforce. “One of the reasons why our economy did so much better than comparable advanced economies across the world is because we actually had a replenishment, because we had a lot of immigrants, legally and undocumented, who had a, you know, larger than normal — by American standards — families,” she said.